Throw out the records. When you play your traditional archrival on Thanksgiving, it still matters. It matters to the student-athletes, the coaches, and the community.
Although Peabody ran away with a 33-7 victory against Saugus, both head coaches touched upon how important the rivalry is – and why rivalries are still important in sports.
“They’re everything,” said Saugus’ Steve Cummings. “Without rivalries, I mean, there are certain games that get circled on your calendar early. You play certain teams and maybe you play them once or twice and it’s just a football game and it’s competitive, but when I look over to the sidelines and see 20 guys in their Saugus letterman jackets that have graduated, that’s what matters. They were not here when we played Brighton a couple of weeks ago; they came for this game.”
On the other side, you saw Peabody varsity jackets, too.
“There are so many alumni that were here in the pouring rain to watch this game. For a lot of those kids that are fresh out of school, that are in college, this is the only game they get to see,” said Peabody’s Mark Bettencourt. “They look forward to coming to these games, whether it’s at home in Peabody or in Saugus.”
Rivalries mean more for Cummings, who believes that without them, things are just less fun.
“Rivalries in sports are what make sports. You’ve got the other games and they’re great and you get to play, but the rivalries are what make sports what they are,” he said. “I hope they never get rid of them because they’re the things that make this game worth playing.”
Bettencourt still believes the Saugus game matters to the community.
“It’s not so much the wins and the losses; it’s the relationship within the communities,” he said. “Was it better when I played, when it meant something where you had the rivalry game and you had to win to get to the Super Bowl? Maybe. Like now, you have Xavieran and St. John’s Prep who are rivals and when they play, it’s for the Catholic Conference title.
“It means so much more than just a meaningless game because it’s not a meaningless game. I’ll challenge that with anybody,” Bettencourt said. “Beverly-Salem, Peabody-Saugus, Marblehead-Swampscott, Gloucester-Danvers. These games, there’s so much riding on the bragging rights. Everyone wants to get that trophy back to your home and etch your class year on it. It means the world to the players, the coaches, the alumni, and the fans. I’ll keep playing Saugus for as long as I’m here. If they want to change it, they can change it after I’m gone.”
The games are one thing, but it’s the game within the game, too. With bragging rights, trophies, and stories to tell, rivalries are what make sports better.
