By Zorian Edwards, Editor-In-Chief 

Saegertown is not new to having school rivalries in different sports; some of these have been going on for years and they vary from sport to sport. Here is a rundown of the current school rivalries and some information about them. 

Disclaimer:

The information in this article came from emails sent to players and information collected from the student body. Some rivals may be left out or inaccurate.

Varsity Football: 

The football team is no stranger to school rivalries. Their top rivals are Maplewood, Cambridge Springs, and Cochranton. Cambridge Springs and Maplewood developed into rivalries because of how close the schools are and because they are all located in the PENNCREST school district like Saegertown. 

“In my opinion, I think all teams we play are all rivals,” junior Logan Corner said. “Because they look down on us. So, I think of them as rivals.”

Their student section usually consisted of Seniors because it was their last football season where they got in for free. They would like to thank everyone who came out and saw the games this school year.

Varsity Boys Wrestling:

The boys wrestling team also has multiple school rivals. Their top rivals were Commodore Perry, Cochranton, Reynolds, and Corry. The team has been rivals with Cochranton, Reynolds, and Corry for a long time; however, the addition of Commodore Perry is relatively new, starting only just in the last couple of years. 

“We have wrestled against these rivals multiple times,” junior Travis Huya said. “My favorite memory is when we beat Corry my freshman year with the last match coming down to Gregory Kiser, another freshman who won. ” 

Their student section is typically a mix of the student body and many Saegertown alumni. The wrestlers note that they have a very supportive community which they love to see. Anytime they have a home duel meet, come out to the match.

Varsity Girls Wrestling: 

The girls wrestling team is made up of wrestlers from the entire PENNCREST school district and is relatively new when compared to the other sports featured in this article. The team has gathered their school rivals regardless. Their top rival is Hickory.

“My personal rival is General McLane,” sophomore Emma Spencer said. “We don’t really have a student section. It’s mostly the parents and other wrestlers who show up.” 

The Saegertown team competes with Hickory for team points. This leads to more competitive energy with their rival. The team would love for you to come see them at their next tournament.

Varsity Boys Basketball:

The boys basketball team also has school rivals, and they are very competitive this season. Their top rivals are Union City and Cambridge Springs. This year’s game against Union City was heavily anticipated by fans; we took the game 51-20. This year’s game against Cambridge Springs was also heavily anticipated; we took the game 71-52. . 

“I feel it is a healthy rivalry because it pushes everyone to do their best,” team captain Collin Jones said. “When you play a team like Cambridge, you have a lot of emotions that go into it. I enjoy the atmosphere.”

In their student section, some notable faces are Grant Anthony, Mason Allio, Ross Triola, the basketball cheerleaders, and more. Come and see them at their next game. 

Varsity Girls Basketball: 

The girls basketball team is pretty competitive with their school rivals; in a friendly manner. Their top rivals are Slippery Rock, Maplewood, and Fort LeBouef 

“We are most competitive with these teams because we have somewhat equal abilities and they are usually good games,” junior Lindsey Greco said. “These rivalries have been happening for many years before I started playing. There are no harsh feelings between these rival teams and our teams.”

Their student section typically consists of members of the boys basketball team. They note that they also get a lot of support from the community and would love to see you come to their next game. 

Varsity Girls Volleyball:

The girls volleyball team also has a fair share of rivals. Their top rivals include Slippery Rock, Fort LeBoeuf, Meadville, and Maplewood. They have been rivals with Slippery Rock for two years and rivals with Fort LeBoeuf for three years.

“My favorite memory is when we played Slippery Rock for the first time,” junior Brywn McLaughlin. “They were up two sets and about to take the third before we had an insane comeback and beat them in five sets.”

Their student section usually consists of Grant Anthony, Mason Allio, Westin Baker, Ross Triola, Joelle Jackson, Sierra McCartney, Kaitlyn Bauer, Torre Mosbacher, Mallory Zook, Cora MacAdam, Kai Mangold, and many more.

“My freshman year after we defeated Maplewood during our away game, we were in the hallway discussing the win when we noticed one of the lockers had a sticky note that said ‘Sweep Saegertown’ on it. Avery Braymer, who was a senior that year, took the sticky note down with a massive grin and said, ‘I’m taking this as a souvenir.’”

Varsity Boys Volleyball: 

The boys basketball team has similar rivals to the girls volleyball team. Their top rivals are Meadville and Cochranton. The team has been rivals with these teams since their junior high seasons.

“The boys have developed friendships that go beyond volleyball,” Mr. Greco, the varsity boys volleyball coach, said. “The matchups and competitions have been fun throughout the years.”

Their season hasn’t started this school year yet. However, the team would love to see you at a volleyball match this school year to show your support. 

XC:

Although XC is typically seen as more of an individual sport, the XC team also has its rivals. Their top rivals are the two other schools in our school district, Cambridge Springs and Maplewood. Their rivalry with Cambridge Springs has been ongoing for years while the rivalry with Maplewood is more recent.

“This past season, we ran against Maplewood, and a few runners were injured, including myself,” junior Jace Digicomo said. “So it was going to be a very close race. Caleb Goodwill got first place and broke 17 minutes, which was beyond what we were expecting. Unfortunately, we still lost by a single point, but it was a good race nonetheless.”

Sadly, our XC team didn’t have much of a student section this year. The team would like to thank those who attended their races this school year and invite you to attend a race or two next school year.