By Aakash Koduru ’20 News Reporter
Coming off the Centennial Cup and M Cup weekend, now seems like a good time to reflect on the true rivals of Mercersburg Academy. Everyone knows about the history surrounding Mercersburg and Kiski School in boys sports, while the battles between Mercersburg and Madeira School are just now starting to take off. However, while some may consider Kiski to be Mercersburg’s greatest rival, others disagree. For one, only half of the school’s athletic teams play Kiski, which is quite a drawback for a traditional rivalry.
Even though there is quite some excitement about playing Kiski, it sometimes does not compare to the enthusiasm of playing some of the schools from the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL). For instance, Clay Pritchett ’20 says, “Mercersburg’s true rival generally depends on the sport being played. As a squash player, I was told that our biggest rival is the Hill School.” Pritchett’s comment echoes a similar sentiment of others that have been at Mercersburg for a few years. It does seem that the Hill School is Mercersburg’s biggest rival in many sports. A part of that could be due to the fact that the Hill School is the closest MAPL school and the only other school that is located in Pennsylvania.
However, Dalton Fitzsimmons ’20, a star lacrosse goalie, has a different opinion, “I feel like our top rival for lacrosse is St. James [School]. Their proximity makes for a traditional rivalry, and they are not as good as the MAPL teams, which makes the games more entertaining.”
Personally, as a runner, I have varying opinions about Mercersburg’s top rival. Since running is tailored more to the individual, every runner has a different idea for a top rivalry. I believe Lawrenceville [School] is a strong rival when it comes to running because they almost always have the fastest runners, and everyone is looking to beat them. However, I frequently hear about the epic battles between Kiski and Mercersburg in cross country. While that rivalry isn’t as strong today, it shows just how much rivalries evolve.
As seniors graduate from Mercersburg and new athletes come in, it only makes sense that the makeup of certain rivalries will change. Some will surely fade, while others will grow stronger. How opponents grow and change also contributes to this idea. In recent years, I have witnessed some MAPL schools become stronger in athletics, while others become weaker, which has completely changed certain dynamics. It’s a natural part of sports, and the effect Mercersburg faces from these changes is no different from any other high school in the United States.
A man who obviously prides himself on the rivalries within Mercersburg athletics is athletic director Rick Hendrickson. It is clear that he values all rivalries, especially Kiski, which is shown by just how enthusastic he is about the Centennial Cup.
Rivalries are obviously what makes sports so special and that is
largely evident at Mercersburg. Without our rivalries, our sports would
simply not be the same. While it may be true that Mercersburg does
not have a true single rival, it definitely has rivals in each sport that give
us all pride and stoke our competitive fire.