By GEORGE MAHL

A rivalry encompasses more than just a game. Every contest is a big game which usually means more than a win or a loss.

As an example, prep football rivalries in the River Parishes are generally bigger than most other high school rivalries in the state.

“I think rivalries down here coincide with respect,” Riverside Academy head coach Mickey Roussel said. “A River Parish rivalry means that something unique is going to happen.”

A significant portion of a rivalry depends on the admiration each school has for each other. It usually starts with mutual respect between coaches and players.

“I think you can start rivalries with traditional opponents,” St. James High School head coach Rick Gaille said.

According to St. Charles Catholic High School head coach Frank Monica, every game, especially district contests, can be part of a rivalry.

Several rivalries currently exist in the River Parishes, including Hahnville/Destrehan, Lutcher/East St. John, and Riverside/West St. John. It does not matter what the records are going in, it is a big game for both sides.

“It doesn’t matter about the record, Hahnville versus Destrehan is as intense of a rivalry as I have ever seen,” Hahnville High School head coach Lou Valdin said.

When the DHS Fighting Wildcats play the HHS Tigers, competitiveness usually brings out the best in both teams. This year, Hahnville will play Destrehan in the first district game for both teams.

“Right out of the shoot both teams are going to be fired up,” Valdin said.

Valdin compares the rivalry to that of the late 1970’s match-ups between Louisiana State University and Tulane University.

These two St. Charles Parish schools are no strangers to close games. One year Hahnville defeated Destrehan 28-27, then lost to DHS 7-6 the following year.

“That will happen when you have two good programs,” Destrehan High School head coach Stephen Robicheaux said.

Another big River Parishes’ rivalry is Riverside versus West St. John. According to Roussel, this is one of the more unique rivalries in the area.

“Players on both sides of the ball have a unique brand. They don’t live near each other, they come from different areas, but they end up making a heck of a rivalry,” Roussel said.

Roussel said that even though West St. John is a predominantly African-American school and Riverside is primarily a white school, the two sides have come together regardless of racial or ethnic backgrounds.

“I think everybody in this rivalry, regardless of color, have come to respect the coaches, players, and fans of both teams,” Roussel said. “Everybody is setting an example of how to respect one another in the stands and on the field.”

No one knows more about rivalries than the players themselves.

“I want to beat Lutcher (which ESJHS did Friday by a score of 30-21) more than any other team this year,” East St. John cornerback Jayson Williams said. “We have not beaten them in the three years I have been here. The last thing I want to do is to lose four straight against them.”

Fellow Wildcat Joshua Taylor added, ” We have got to show them what we can do this year.”

The feeling was mutual over at Lutcher.

“It is a rivalry game in the sense that if we lose, then we have to hear about it on the streets from the East St. John football players,” said LHS defensive tackle Lester Hayes. “I don’t want to hear them say ‘we beat y’all, we beat y’all’ for the next 365 days.”

Is the East St. John rivalry the only rivalry Lutcher has?

“Not exactly,” Lutcher coach Tim Detillier said. “East St. John versus Lutcher is one of the oldest rivalries, but not the only one.”

Detillier said LHS versus St. Amant was a big game years ago, similar to the contemporary match-up with St. James.

“Some rivalries that happened during the 1970’s with other schools have been discontinued,” said Detillier. “I think you could say games against St. James, E.D White, and St. Charles are rivalry games because they’re district games.”

St. James coach Rick Gaille believes, like Detillier, Lutcher is a special opponent for his school, but not all of Gaille’s player’s agreed with their coach.

“For me, I think our rivalry should be with Parkview Baptist,” Emmanuel Sterling said with a smile. “Last year was their first year on our schedule and they beat us. Parkview Baptist watch out.”

There are several things that can make a game part of a rivalry. Obviously, winning does not hurt.

“You really don’t see losing teams having a rivalry with someone,” said St. Charles Catholic coach Frank Monica. Coach Gaille said the competition between teams can generate a rivalry.

“If you have a series of successful games, then the interest will be there,” he said.

Coach Detillier added, “Every year is different, so it is possible for a rivalry to lose its luster when one team dominates.”

Also, big crowds on both sides of a stadium can help generate a rivalry.

“While some areas have average football fans, in the River Parishes, we have avid fans,” said Roussel. “Everybody draws well down here.”

Other aspects of a rivalry include logistics, parental involvement, and the game-time atmosphere. Proximity of schools, such as Lutcher and St. James, also adds to the flavor.

“It is interesting to see how some parents from Lutcher and some parents from Vacherie work together. But on a Friday night, you will see them separated,” said Gaille. “Sometimes it can become a turf war in some way.”

Detillier added, “Parents who live in Destrehan may send one kid to Riverside and another to St. Charles Catholic.”

A rivalry can also become part of the local lore by the passing down of stories from generation to generation. A father, grandfather, and great-grandfather may remember an important high school game of their era and pass it down through generations of children.

Coaches generally have no problem remembering the “big game.”

“I remember we (Riverside) played West St. John twice in a season four or five years in a row. We won three regular season games and once in the playoffs,” Roussel said.

In 1992, Gaille lead his St. James Wildcats on to the field against Lutcher with a perfect 8-0 record. The year before, the Bulldogs destroyed the Vacherie school 42-0. However, the game in 1992 was much different because St. James dominated Lutcher 27-0.

“That game gave us a taste of what the Lutcher rivalry is all about,” said Gaille.

Coach Detillier recalled a pair of “amazing” games against East St. John.

“One year we beat them 35-20 in a game that went back and forth. With two minutes left in the half, the score was 14-7. However, when we went to the locker room the score was 21-21,” Detillier said.

Detillier, who was once Lutcher’s offensive coordinator, also remembered a game in 1980 against East St. John in which his club was beaten on a hook and lateral play with less than one minute remaining in the game.

When asked if it was possible for rivalry games to be too intense, Gaille said “negative.”

“I think there was one time when the Riverside/St. Charles series had to be canceled. But once the game is over it’s over,” Gaille said.

Today, some high schools have adapted college traditions of the winning team keeping a trophy or memento until the next game. For example, when Archbishop Rummel plays Archbishop Shaw the winning team gets to keep the opposing team’s megaphone for a year.

Here in the River Parishes, trading items is not as common as it once was. “I’ve heard that some schools have been known to trade some kind of relic with each other. I believe it stems from the interaction of the coaches,” said Monica.

West St. John and Newman used to battle for a trophy, while East St. John and Lutcher played for a flag several years back.

“We played them (East St. John) for a flag until someone stole it,” Detillier said.

Former East St. John coach, and current Hahnville coach, Valdin remembers playing Destrehan in which a banner was on the line.

“One day we looked in Destrehan’s fieldhouse only to find it missing,” Valdin said.