Tragedy United Two High Schools During a Football Game

Football rivalries are a part and parcel of every city and club. However, on Friday evening, the rivalry turned into a friendship between the two teams. The match between Riverside and Medical Lake High School went on amicably. Although the match is very important, their cheerleaders had a different plan.

Riverside girls brought goodie bags full of handmade sweets and candies. The goodies are a symbol of unity between the two communities. Both the communities suffered a lot because of Grey and Oregon road fires.

Gray and Oregon Road Fires and It’s Devastation

The fire which hit the two communities caused a lot of devastation. The fire blackened a collective 21000 acres of land and destroyed over 700 structures during the month of August. However, many people have come forward to make donations to support the fire victims. Coach Hannah Heilman, a riverside grad, shared her thoughts about the rivalry while speaking to spokesman.

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“Even when you’re coming together as more of rivals, it’s more important to come together as a community,” said cheer coach Hannah Heilman, a Riverside grad .

“Becoming friends first, making sure we’re leaving as friends and then fighting it out on the field and then still making sure we maintain our friendship after that – it’s really important.”

The Friday night games are more of a ritual nowadays and help with fundraising. The opening football match became a community spirit event and help them raise $50,000 for the charity. As the match started, both the teams battled it out in the field and tried to win the game. Although the game this year did not look as much intense as it used to be. Both the teams admitted the rivalry was less fierce this year, given the circumstances they were in.

“I don’t see it increasing competition. It might be more opposite, it might be more us coming together, being with each other more,” said Trinity Shull, Medical Lake cheerleader.

“I just think it’s a good way to come together after everything that’s happened,” Riverside cheerleader Megan Luttrell said. “It’s always a competition, but it’s mostly going to be coming together. If it is competition, it’s going to be like spirited competition.”

Sticking Together During Times of Adversity

Both Riverside and Medical Lake High School showed friendly gesture during testing times. It’s important to keep aside rivalry and look to walk together. Especially during tough times, it’s important to be a supportive hand for each other.

Accidents like these can have a huge impact on the society. Hopefully, both the communities can keep up the cordial relationship and continue to organize football matches. Let us know about your thoughts in the comments.

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