The energy, the pressure, and the competition between one team and another. No game can compare to a rivalry.
When at a rivalry game there is no denying that the atmosphere is completely different.
“There’s a bigger student section at games and it’s more hype,” said varsity girls’ volleyball player freshman Julia Stokes.
One of the most well-known rivalries at Piedmont is between the varsity boys’ basketball team and Bishop O’Dowd.
“While watching, the energy is great. With every basket and cheer, the crowd becomes louder and louder and more fun to watch,” said sophomore Ruben Cohen.
For some athletes, these games require a different mindset.
“My first game against O’Dowd on varsity was like no other game I’ve played before,” said varsity boys’ basketball player sophomore Lucian Fang-Ring. “I wanted to beat O’Dowd more than any other team we’ve played so far.”
Some players think this rivalry can become out of hand.
“I think it can be taken too far,” said varsity girls’ tennis player junior Kate Jumper. “It can sometimes get very aggressive, and almost too intense to keep playing.”
Jumper said playing in these games can be too much, and get to be very competitive.
“I know that when I play O’Dowd I try to focus on their calls and remember the score intently because there’s a lack of trust when I play them because of the [negative] connotation,” Jumper said.
However, basketball isn’t the only sport with a rivalry.
The varsity girls’ volleyball team also considers O’Dowd to be their rival.
“There is more pressure because we want to win more,” Stokes said.
According to varsity boys’ soccer player freshman Robert Piniella, for the varsity boys’ soccer team, O’Dowd is the team to beat. However, O’Dowd has a different perspective.
“I think [Piedmont is] a tough competitor, but I wouldn’t call them our rival,” said O’Dowd varsity boys’ soccer player Eli Dilworth. “I would say our main rival is Berkeley.”
O’Dowd may be a common rival, but it’s not the only one.
“I think [the varsity girls’ tennis] rival is University,” Jumper said. “I feel more pressure to win because I want to prove that I am a good player.”
The varsity boys’ tackle football team has a different rivalry.
“This year in football, our team would say our rival was Newark Memorial,” said varsity boys’ tackle football player sophomore Rehan Mumtaz. “I think what makes them our rival is the pressure we have when we face them.”
Different players prepare differently for these high-stakes rivalry games.
Some athletes focus on staying calm.
“I like to take deep breaths because I know I’ll get angry at some point during the match,” Jumper said.
Others said they channel their energy into sharpening their focus.
“Before playing O’Dowd my mentality definitely shifted and I wanted to be way more prepared and locked in,” Piniella said.
The O’Dowd Rivalry has been strong for years.
In a TPH story from 2018, Dan Chubbok said that one of the earliest memories for the girl’s varsity soccer coach Dan Chubbock was when Piedmont played O’Dowd in the NCS finals in 2012. It was a scoreless game that eventually went to penalties, and O’Dowd barely won.
“I feel like [rivalry] is a tradition that we need to keep alive,” Cohen said.
