Members of the Colorado High School Activities Association’s sportsmanship committee probably wouldn’t have been pleased with what went on Friday, Jan. 19, at Lakewood High School.
The long rivalry between of the two oldest schools in Jefferson County, Wheat Ridge and Lakewood, proved not to be dead. Lakewood students nearly filled the west side of the gym waving orange pom-poms. Wheat Ridge students showed up in force and wouldn’t be upstaged as several girls sported blue and yellow feather boas.
Sure there was yelling, booing and more than a few times administrators from both schools had to settle down students after a bit of foul language, but in the end, no harm was done. It was just an old-fashioned rivalry and a game that became a “happening,” something that has become rare in this day and age of prep sports in Colorado.
Seeing the kind of excitement, emotion and energy for a league basketball game just doesn’t happen anymore. However, with two upstart programs, LHS turned back the clock to the days when rivalries meant everything to players, coaches and students.
Maybe the biggest plus of the event was there didn’t see to be any extracurricular activities after the game. No big fights outside in the parking lot.
I give credit to the students for not stooping down to the level of my generation. Of course the presence of principals, athletic directors and several coaches from both schools helped keep the peace.
Common sense is needed when it comes to policing crowds during high school games. I’d much rather hear students yelling “air ball” than be sitting in a dead quite gym where you can hear each bounce of the ball.