‘Rivalry weekend’ ahead for EJCHS

EAST JACKSON’S basketball buses won’t go far this weekend.

Though the teams are scheduled for two road games, the Eagles and Lady Eagles will make short trips to nearby Banks County Friday and cross-town rival Commerce Saturday.

“I started calling it, a couple days ago, ‘rivalry weekend,’” East Jackson boys’ coach Brian Turner said.

Banks County and East Jackson are neighbors with a little bit of history. Meanwhile, this is the first-ever meeting with Commerce. This non-region match-up is particularly intriguing since it’s between two school separated by just a few miles.

“These kids know each other,” Turner said. “They play all the time in local gyms and stuff like that. I hope it’s going to be a fun weekend.”

Turner said he and Commerce coach Chad Bridges coached together several years ago and have been trying to get each other’s teams on their schedules for a while.

This is the year it finally happened.

In addition to Saturday’s game, the two schools meet again Jan. 28 at East Jackson.

“This year it worked out for us to get a couple of games,” Turner said. “I’m looking forward to it. I hope the kids enjoy it because that’s what it’s about. It’s about building traditions and building rivals.”

And what better a natural rival?

Lady Eagle coach Katie David notes the closeness of East Jackson’s campus to Commerce’s.

“We’ve got a Commerce address,” David said.

David points out that she’s not from the area and, thus, has had no affiliation with the rivalry but knows this game will create a buzz — especially among the players.

“The kids, now, they know a lot of the other players,” David said. “We’re neighbors.”

David, however, has been more focused on the first leg of rivalry weekend — Banks County — because that is, of course, the next game.

“It’s just one game at a time,” David said. “It’s so hard to look ahead. I mean, you do. You look at the schedule, but it’s really hard to look ahead. We’re just concentrating on Banks.”

Meanwhile, Turner said he’s looking forward to this weekend, especially getting Commerce on the schedule.

“I think our kids are looking forward to it,” he said. “I think Commerce is looking forward to it. Hopefully this will be something that will become an annual tradition.”

NOTES: Both East Jackson’s boys’ and girls’ teams are 0-2. Commerce’s basketball season just got under way Tuesday night. As for Banks County, the boys are 1-1, while the girls are off to a 1-0 start as well.