A rivalry is made up of three qualities that lead to ultra competitive situations: hatred, hype and most importantly, respect.

Losing to a rival sparks a fire in the eyes of the defeated. It gives the loser motivation to redeem themselves the next time they meet. In Wayland’s rivalry with Weston, we are constantly seeking the chance to get the upper hand. We become very competitive and it is not just players that want to win the game, but the rest of the town as well. We lose in hockey, so what, we’ll get em’ in basketball.

Ever since I started playing BAYS soccer in elementary school, I’ve been told to hate Weston, hearing coaches and parents talking about how they are our rivals. Subconsciously, I have been much more competitive with Weston than with any other town. I wanted to beat them for my town.

By the time I got to high school, I was familiar with Weston. I’ve even played on the same team and became friendly with some of their players. But in a game, there are no friends; I hate them. My teammates and coaches hate them. My friends and teachers hate them. My whole school hates them.

Everyone at the high school wants to be there to see Wayland beat Weston; the Wayland-Weston game, no matter what sport, has much more hype than an average game. The attendance for the game is much higher and talk of the games echo throughout the high school. There are sometimes even chant wars between fans at games. Since Wayland and Weston are so close to each other, no matter where the game is played, it is essentially a home game for both teams.

When the game ends, players shake hands. Some players that were battling and cursing at each other throughout the game greet each other as friends. The great amount of mutual respect between Wayland and Weston is indisputable. This is what makes the our rivalry so great. Even though we hate each other, we respect each other on and off the field.

Combined with hatred and hype, respect is the keystone of any rivalry; especially this one.