An era ended, on Oct. 27 as Sashabaw and Clarkston Middle School pulled on their helmets and laced up their shoes for one final football game between the two rivals.
On a cold, windy fall day, the 35-year-old rivalry drew to a fitting close when the final horn sounded the heavyweight’s game was knotted at 14-14.
‘It was sort of nice that it ended in a tie,? said Christian Krueger, who coached Sashabaw for 10 years in the seventies. ‘Everyone can walk away mildly happy or mildly sad.?
Dating back to the 1969-70 campaign, the two schools played each other 54 times. Clarkston took 26 of those contests, while Sashabaw was the victor 23 times. The two schools tied five times.
‘It’s sad, there was a lot of tradition here. It’s hard to believe that this (is) all over,? said Sashabaw Coach Dan Carpenter.
Sashabaw alumnists can take solace in the fact their team won six of the last eight meetings. After the 1991-92 school year the ninth graders moved up to the high school. The crosstown game resumed in 1995-96.
?(The rivalry) was good for the community, and when we got to the high school, I think it made for a better varsity program,? said Don Rush, who played in the 1977-78 season as a ninth grader at Sashabaw.
Rush fondly remembers Krueger, his coach, whipping the team into a frenzy prior to the game, telling them they were ‘the redheaded stepchild? and challenging them to show the packed stands their true mettle.
‘I just remember getting all pumped up. For us it was the biggest game of the year,? said junior Nick Sorise, who cheered on his alma mater, CMS, and is now a running back on the Clarkston High School varsity football team
Scoring in the game for Sashabaw was Kyle Rivenburgh on a 40-yard run and Luke Prudhomme on a halfback pass from Christopher Kowalk. Kyle Brown also added a two-point conversion on a run. Justin Semmes scored all of Clarkston’s points, posting two touchdown runs of 40 and 10 yards and added a two-point conversion to knot the game.
‘These kids are going to be teammates for the next four years. This being the last (meeting), it was especially important to them,? said Clarkston Coach Steve Himburg.