By Michael Natelli ‘14

Perhaps the most prominent rivalry in Warrior athletics is Sherwood vs. Magruder—Warriors vs. Colonels—in boys’ varsity basketball. One doesn’t have to look deep into either school’s history to see proof of the rivalry, as the teams recently battled it out at Comcast Center (University of Maryland) in 2012 for a spot in the state championship game, which the Colonels won 69-62 in overtime. Even more recently, the two sides faced off in what ultimately resulted in a nail-biting 62-58 win for the Warriors at home in the first game of this season on December 6.

“We have the best rivalry in the county,” flatly declared senior center Ellis Dozier.

It’s certainly hard to argue with what Dozier says. With the schools just 7.5 miles from each other and playing twice a year in what generally results in close final scores, the programs perfectly embody what it means to be ‘crosstown rivals.’ Geographic proximity aside, the teams have managed to keep the rivalry fairly even; while the Colonels have won the majority of the games in the last few seasons, the Warriors won perhaps the most important matchup of the last decade, besting the Colonels 61-38 in the 2007 4A State Championship game.

While neither team is considered a favorite to play in a game of those stakes this season, the close finish in the season opener certainly adds some excitement to the buildup for the late-season rematch in February. And if both squads manage to catch fire next month, perhaps a surprise late-playoff matchup could present itself.

After the Warriors and Colonels started the 2013-2014 season 3-0 and 0-3, respectively, it seemed as though the teams were headed in opposite directions this year, which would’ve put a damper on what should make to be an exciting rematch on February 21. But as the season has started to unfold, the teams have nearly identical records, with the Warriors just a half-game better than the Colonels (8-6) at 8-5. So as the teams try to keep their heads above water as they dive into the thick of their respective schedules, this end-of-season showdown could prove to have serious playoff implications for both sides if things stay as they are.

“Knowing it’s Magruder in what will probably be the last time I ever play them, unless we see them at Comcast Center, it’ll probably be one of my most intense games in my high school career,” said Dozier.

The Warriors won’t have the luxury of home-court advantage this time around, and with that, they’ll face opposing crowd noise like no other when they hit the road for the rematch. Dozier said that playing in front of the rowdy home crowd “gives the team a huge momentum boost,” so the Warriors have to find a different way to spark their energy in enemy territory.

If nothing else, the game promises to bring plenty of emotion from both sides, as well as the probable added intensity from the Colonels as they look to avenge their early-season loss. “Our intensity will be high; we will play our maximum game and play hard to the end,” said junior guard Trevon Moultrie.