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[ArticleMedia]
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
By Adam Nelson
In October 1955, the Revere Lantern referred to the rivalry on the football field between the Revere Minutemen and the Copley Indians as a "classic rival gridiron contest." The rivalry deepened in 1968 when the two high schools’ student councils jointly purchased a bell for $42.50. This bell was named the "Victory Bell" and the two high schools both agreed that the winning team for each year’s faceoff on the football field would claim the rights to it. This tradition marked the beginning of a competition that is annually resolved under the Friday night lights.
The football rivalry between the Revere Minutemen and the Copley Indians dates back to 1950. The Bath Buccaneers and the Richfield Rockets had just joined together to become one athletic program after the two school districts merged. Since then the rivalry has continued to grow.
Phillip Heyn, a Social Studies teacher and former quarterback for the Minutemen, recognizes that the rivalry between the two high schools has varied in its intensity throughout the decades.
"[The rivalry] was actually much bigger in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. It then went through a period where neither school really got into it nor cared. Only recently, through the efforts of both schools, has the rivalry begun to grow," Heyn said.
Heyn said that his most memorable moment as a Revere quarterback was during his junior year
of high school. Revere was trailing fourteen points behind Copley near the end of the third quarter. Revere was on offense and was twelve yards away from the end zone. The team managed to score a touchdown and an additional thirteen points in the fourth quarter, which allowed them to beat Copley 19 to 14.
"Running across the field and grabbing the bell from their sideline [was the] greatest feeling I have ever experienced as an athlete," Heyn said.
Senior David Flegal, a varsity football captain, acknowledges that the football team understands the importance of the Copley game because it inspires the team to practice longer and work harder in comparison to other games.
"It is a whole different level of intensity while practicing to play Copley. We prepare so much harder. Even if the team has a losing year, the season is still worth it if we beat Copley," Flegal said.
Heyn recognizes that the rivalry between the two high schools has had many positive impacts on the Revere community.
"Rivalries are a healthy thing—a positive thing. It is about pride," Heyn said.
Ryan Hendrickson, a Spanish teacher at Copley and a former Revere student, acknowledges that the rivalry has the power to strengthen the relationship between the two communities.
"The rivalry between Revere and Copley brings the two communities together on a Friday night when both the home and the visitors’ side of the bleachers are full. [High school sports are] a good thing for two communities to be excited about," Hendrickson said.
In 2009, the Revere Minutemen currently dominate the series with thirty victories over the Copley Indians with twenty-eight. The healthy rivalry between Revere and Copley continues to grow while strengthening the bond between the two neighboring communities.
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