There are some epic sports rivalries be it Ohio State-Michigan, Bruins-Canadiens or Calgary Edmonton.
We have a similar rivalry emerging in Okotoks between the Holy Trinity Academy Knights and Foothills Composite Falcons football teams.
These two teams have played each other for several years, but it is not until last couple of years has the annual game reached proportions worthy of being called a heated rivalry.
It can be said last year was when the rivalry exploded and it will only continue to bloom as the two schools are now not only in the same Tier in terms of football provincials but they are also now in the same league — the newly formed Big Rock Football League.
Last weekend when I spoke to players from both teams about the rivalry the responses were the same. The rivalry has spilled over into the student body as classmates are pleading with the football players not to lose to the crosstown rivals. In addition, the players all said they could lose any game during the season, they just cannot lose the annual meeting against the other Okotoks football team.
It is that kind of mentality that plants the seeds of an outstanding rivalry.
However, what sets the great ones from the good ones are when there is something tangible up for grabs not just bragging rights. Some of the best and most heated rivalries are Auburn-Alabama who battle for the Iron Bowl, the United States and Europe and the Ryder Cup or the annual Washington-Washington State battle for the Apple Cup.
Of course the winner of these match-ups earn bragging rights, but they also get to display the trophy to further taunt their nemesis.
Perhaps taunting is the wrong word as what truly makes the Knights-Falcons rivalry so special is although it is intense, it is not bitter. These two teams are genuinely friends. On the field they will play smash mouth football, but it will be played with respect. Once the game is over the players will likely meet at midfield and plan the rest of the weekend’s activities.
As Friday’s annual Okotoks slugfest approaches I know exactly how the players on both teams feel.
In high school in Yorkton we had an annual grudge match against Dauphin and the winner would not only earn bragging rights for the year, but they would also hoist the coveted Kapusta Cup. Kapusta is Ukrainian for cabbage and the trophy was a huge antique, metal milk jug with a cabbage painted on it. It was the ugliest looking trophy, dinged up and rusty, but it was beautiful sitting in our locker room after winning the game and later in our trophy case at school.
What we all looked forward to the most was the feast of cabbage rolls and perogies the teams enjoy together after the game at whichever school hosted the game. Of course the perogies tasted that much better when you won.
To add some spice to the annual Knights-Falcons game I think we need to come up with a trophy and I think I have the perfect hardware for two Big Rock Football League rivals.
