Saturday, May. 10, 2008

Steve Cameron: Doesn't take much to fuel true rivalry

The game could have decided the CCC champion.

Or it might have settled the race for the playoff spot.

But...

No.

Friday's baseball showdown between Merced and Golden Valley had neither of those sub-plots.

Buhach Colony already had wrapped up the league title earlier in the week, while GV nailed down a runner-up playoff position.

So can we assume that the two teams just went out Friday to enjoy the warm spring air, renew acquaintances and have a little no-pressure fun on diamond, eh?

Ha.

It doesn't work that way with rivalries, and especially not with opponents inside the same city.

These kids live up the street from one another, hang out at the mall, date each other's sisters -- or brothers, in the case of girls sports.

They're basically pals, and everyone knows it's more important to beat your best friend than anybody else.

Bottom line: Once these young athletes drag on their black and orange, or red and gold...

It's must-win.

Forget the playoffs, the standings, the season, the future.

Forget everything except that it's Merced-Golden Valley -- and that's enough for spontaneous combustion.

Here's an example of the way it's worked since GV opened in 1994...

The schools are still squabbling over a band director's move across town.

Two years ago, Merced's powerhouse football team came into the Mayor's Cup game dragging a three-game losing streak in their war with GV.

The previous season, Golden Valley had won a three-overtime thriller that included a controversial pass interference call.

"Before I could go to sleep the night of that (37-34) loss, I had to start thinking about coming back the next year and beating GV," said former Merced receiver Carter Todd.

"I mean, I know those (GV) guys too well. There...was...no...way I was going to be graduating without ever beating Golden Valley.

"No...way."

Todd and his mates pounded GV in his senior year, partially squaring accounts for previous misery.

But the pendulum will always be swinging back and forth -- in every type of competition.

Merced roared from behind in the fourth quarter to win the first rivalry basketball game this year.

Coach Marcus Knott's team then zoomed off to win the CCC and had a chance to finish the league season undefeated until...

Golden Valley ignored a huge first-quarter deficit and blew out Merced in the rematch.

"You really never know what will happen in one of these things," GV coach Keith Hunter said that night. "The kids are in a completely different zone.

"Usually, someone unexpected goes crazy or something. The rivalry brings out that sort of thing."

Merced and Golden Valley could make a Scrabble game dramatic if it were head to head.

Carter Todd summed it up perfectly when describing his experience as a walk-on wide receiver at Texas Tech.

"It was a great year," Carter said, "except for having to pull on a red jersey."

Rivalries just never end.

Steve Cameron is sports editor of the Sun-Star. He can be reached at scameron@mercedsun-star.com