Elkhart Memorial High School - Monolith Yearbook (Elkhart, IN)

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RIVALRY| Chargers, Blazers compete Early decisions sparked city rivalry In 1972, when Elkhart High School was split into two high schools, a complex rivalry began between the Chargers and the Blazers. Among the decisions that were made by school board members when the schools split, there were some that said to students and faculty of Memorial that Central was the Elkhart High School. Although Central was a new school, it preserved Elkhart High School's. colors, fight song, and team name, the Blazers. “Allowing Cen- tral to remain the Blazers caused pro- blems for Memorial and for Elkhart High School alumni. Graduates of Elkhart High School still thought of themselves as Blazers and often continued to sup- port Central, even if their kids went to Memorial,’’ said Ms. Carolyn Cook, principal. “It was made perfectly clear that Central was not the Elkhart High School. | think that having both schools con- tinue to give out ‘E’ letters confirmed this idea,’ said Director of Secondary Educa- tion Dr. Warren Breniman. Despite the fiercely com- petitive nature of Memorial- Central games, positive opi- nions of Charger-Blazer com- petition are held by many students, coaches and ad- ministrators. Preparation for the Memorial-Central game gives team members an objec- tive to try to obtain. “The rivalry is good for sports teams because wanting to beat Central is a goal that everyone on the team wants to achieve,” said baseball player Don Schultheis. ‘‘It makes the whole team work a lot harder.” Another good aspect of the rivalry is the system of ‘‘travel- the Drum majors pose after Charger Band Invitational which gave both bands a chance to per- form their shows before the district contest. ing trophies’ that originated with Mangy, the wooden lion statue carved by health and physical education teacher Mr. Jim Holland. Traveling trophies went, each year, to the team that won the regular season contest between Memorial and Central. “‘The trophies are a positive way to express the rivalry,’’ said Assistant Athletic Director Mrs. Phyllis Tubbs. Central games could have bad effects on sports if taken too seriously by team members, coaches, or fans. Placing too much emphasis on one game of the season could sometimes detract from the real purpose of amateur sports. “Each team Memorial sends up against Central gives their best, yet some fans feel this isn’t enough. People should remember that the players are out to have fun,” said football player Tony Schmanske. “I know a few coaches from both Memorial and Cen- tral who become obsessed with beating the rival school. When this happens, | think other valuable things are lost,’’ said Mrs. Tubbs. “The football team doesn’t ap- proach it that way,” sa id Head Football Coach Dale Rems. ““Overemphasiz - ing the Central game can hurt the team emotionally,” he said. While viewed as ‘‘just another game,’’ contests against Central have other good effects on sports teams. More fans show up for Central games than for practically any other game of a season, raising money to support athletics throughout the year. “The kind of competition that has drawn as many as 8,000 fans to a football game can only be good,’’ said Athletic Director Mr. James Powers.

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“The fan support at “,the Penn game was ““, outstanding! In my - three years of play- 9 ing football for Memorial, that was the “i most spirit I have seen. In overtime, MHS fans were more enthusiastic than Penn fans were.”’ Tony Schmanske sri ‘+ . “ Varsity cheerleaders from both After a Friday night home football Memorial and Richmond have a game, George Smith enjoys mojos rare moment of relaxation during and pizza, two of Shakey’s most halftime of the opening game of popular items. the football season.

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Pouring rain didn’t discourage Charger fans at the Memorial- Central varsity football game which ended in a 14-0 defeat. Varsity spikers model their Hawaiian bermudas on the day of the Central game, which Memorial won 2-0, regaining the Matchpoint trophy for Memorial. String players from Memorial and Central gather in Central’s gym to rehearse for the citywide String Festival October 15. Although their teams will be battl- ing for the Mangy Lion in a few hours, Memorial and Central varsi- ty cheerleaders visit at their an- nual dinner.