The Word - The Bobcat-Rough Rider Rivalry

Sports

The Bobcat-Rough Rider Rivalry

Nick Durham - December 20, 2011

I took a look at one of Central Ohio’s oldest, most heated rivalries, when I sat down and analyzed the phenomenon that is the Grandview Heights and West Jefferson.

Every high school has their rivalry, Davidson-Darby (Hilliard), Coffman-Jerome (Dublin), so on and so fourth, but few of these are as heated as the one between our GHHS Bobcats and the Rough Riders of West Jefferson.

For over 30 years the two schools have been battling it out on the grid iron and hard-wood.

In recent years West Jeff has had Grandview’s number in most sports, but this fall the tables would turn starting on the football field when the GHHS boys emerged victorious over their hated rivals. This was the first Bobcat football team to do so since the historic 2005 State Play-Off team.

This was just the start of a long autumn season for the Rough Riders, as they would fall to our men and women over 10 times in 9 different varsity sports.

This fall season was historic across the board for Grandview athletics, with so many memorable games, meets and matches, but the one that none of us will ever forget was the night that our Football Bobcats went down to Madison County and stole a heart-breaker from some very discouraged Rough Riders. The entire week leading up to the game was incredibly tense through out the school, the whole student body was anxiously anticipating the match-up. It was the first time in some years that “the West Jeff game” really meant something as far as state play-off buzz, both teams undefeated, both teams expecting a league title.

Then Friday came, it was the day that all of the Grandview football hype was to be put to the test against the one school they despise the most. The actual school day blew by as everyone was solely focused on the nights festivities. It seemed 7:30pm rolled around rather quickly and the game began.

The bobcats scored first, after capitalizing off of a West Jeff turnover. The Riders quickly snapped back and took a demanding 27-10 lead going into half-time.

In the third quarter West Jeff scored but one time and the extra point attempt was blocked by Junior Bobcat Payton Jones, bringing the deficit to 23 points. After that last Rough Rider touchdown something must have sparked with Coach Peters and his Bobcat football team for they mounted a monstrous come-back and defeated their Western nemesis by a score of 37-33. The night lasted long and the bragging rights,along with a great amount of self pride were back in Grandview’s clutches for the first time in 5 years.

Looking back on the game and rivalry, senior Bobcat Quarterback and All-State defensive back Oliver Rouch said: “It was the greatest thing game I have ever been a part of. To go into their place and beat them in the fashion that we did, and for it be West Jeff, absolutely unforgettable.” Senior All-State running back Jason Franks had this to say: “This rivalry is really something special; it’s a rare mixture of hate and respect. It’s what being a Grandview athlete is all about.”.

This rivalry isn’t something that anybody outside of the two organizations would understand, people often ask “what is your problem with them?” and the only thing that any of us can think to retort is “I don’t know, I just hate them.” It really is just that, you are born and raised to hate West Jeff as a Grandview athlete, and that’s how it’s been and that’s probably how it always will be. The best way to sum this all up was said by Grandview Football Coach and History teacher, Jason Peters: “I do hate West Jeff, I really do, but I also respect them, because they do things the right way.”