Rockbridge County High School and Parry McCluer have a rivalry running deep into the past, making the athletic games something to look forward to every year. The victor of the games has been inconsistent through the years that Rockbridge and PM have been playing each other.
The rivalry started in the 1990s and provides both schools with the most attended games each year, the game is beneficial for profits toward the school and it’s good for school spirit. Mr. Mark Poston was interviewed because he was the former head coach of Rockbridge.
Former Parry McCluer head coach, Principal Dr. Craft, has seen the rivalry develop through many years of being on the sideline. He has seen the games that weren’t close and the ones that were nail biters.
“It’s kind of like a cycle. Year in and year out, you never know what’s going to happen… First ten years, it was pretty back and forth. Since then, one goes on a streak and then the other team goes on a streak,” said Craft.
History teacher and former Rockbridge football head coach, Mr. Mark Poston, was on the same page as Dr. Craft, with the idea of how the rivalry is constantly changing.
“We’re the bigger team, we should win. We’re two levels above them, but we don’t always win so that makes it interesting… They compete and we compete, and they seem to have a lot of fun,” said Poston.
The change in the “cycle” draws people and creates a good attendance. It brings in not only many students trying to show school spirit, but parents, residents, and football lovers throughout the county. Craft believed that the attendance and fan base is what makes the game special and beneficial.
“Lets face it, it’s the biggest game of the year, most attended… It’s important for both schools because it does bring a lot of people out to the game. It’s really nice to play in front of that many people if you’re a football player,”said Craft.
Poston had an alternative answer by talking about how his favorite game was beating Parry McCluer in 2017.
“The first time we had beat them in 2017, we were up 33-0 at halftime…those guys went over to Buena Vista and put on a show that night,” said Poston.
The cross county rivalry is an intense sports rivalry filled with thrilling games, cheering fans, and abounding possibilities. Three decades of one rivalry can provide surprisingly more tension to desire to win a game than one would think. The history behind Rockbridge vs. PM’s Friday night lights are long and still growing.
