Barrow County is unique — and lucky I suppose — in that it has a special rivalry between it’s two major high schools.
I’m sure rivalaries exist in counties such as Gwinnett but with so many schools and so many people, I’ve alway felt rivalries get lost in the shuffle. It’s not that way in Barrow County. Here we have Winder-Barrow High School, the program with a history dating back decades, and we have Apalachee, still the relatively new kid on the block.
While the football teams have only been playing since 2004, the gridiron rivalry has quickly become one the community enjoys and looks forward to. With some changes on the horizon in terms of classifications and region alignments, it would be a shame if it could not continue.
Even several years (more years than I care to admit at this point) after I finished high school, I still remember the battles we had with our biggest rival. They weren’t in the same county, but it was a school one county over. The closeness in location of the schools, coupled with the fact we were the same size, made it a natural.
Each time we met, our school would be worked up into a frenzy by game time. I’m sure it was the same way at the other school as well. It was something special to be a part of and I’m glad all of us got to experience it.
In observing the WBHS-Apalachee rivalry as an impartial observer (I have no direct tie to either school), I see many of the same rivalry traits from my own time of decades ago. The students enjoy it. The players enjoy it. The community enjoys it. It’s what high school athletics is all about in my opinion. It’s our team against your team. It’s our school against your school. It’s our program against your program.
One thing that has impressed me about the local rivalry is how much the two schools do respect each other.
WBHS coach David Wagner has said from day one he is not someone who will cheer for Apalachee to lose each week. The former Wildcat defensive coordinator has long ties with AHS head coach Shane Davis, even before the two arrived in Barrow County.
Al Darby, principal at WBHS, has plenty of experience with rivalries from his days as a coach and knows the importance of maintaining a competitive but civil relationship.
For my part, I have also tried to stress we are one community and one school system. It’s fine to be rivals on the playing field but when you aren’t playing, there’s no reason not to want the other teams to do well. It means our county is being represented in a positive light.
So cheer for your team Friday night. That’s what high school football is all about. When it’s over though, let’s all shake hands and go back to being one community. Only through working together will be become a better place and a better school system. See you there Friday night.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. You can send comments about this column to cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
