Traveling to a cross-town rivalry school is hard enough, but when you enter the gym and the Springdale Bulldogs are in the middle of a pep rally it becomes unsettling.

“It was kind of weird because we walked in and the principal was really mad at us because we showed up an hour before the game started, but the pep rally didn’t end 15 minutes before the game,” said senior Tayleah Neal.

The rivalry has been going since the district was split into two schools. This is always a tough travel due to many of the girls going up against people they have grown up playing with.

“Playing against old teammates is tough because we know each other’s strengths and weakness,” said junior Samantha Webber.

The rivalry is not only hard on the students, but on the coaches as well. Head basketball coach, Sandy Wright began her coaching career at SHS but came to Har-Ber to start the new program for the Wildcats.

“It’s awkward to go back because I have friends there since we’ve split schools, and it feels like things have just changed,” said Coach Wright.

The Jan. 15 game started slow, with a combined total of 12 points at the conclusion of the first quarter. It was obvious that both teams were struggling a little.

“We did not shoot the ball that well,” said Coach Wright. “They played really good defense. It was like there was a lid on the game.”

Although the girls struggled to score points throughout the game, they came out victorious in a close one, 42-40.

“We didn’t play real well. I feel fortunate that we won, because I thought Springdale probably played one of their best games, and we did not shoot the ball very well ” said Coach Wright. “It’s still a ‘W,’ so we’ll take it.”