McIntosh vs Starr’s Mill, a county rivalry for the ages. The school’s are just 6.5 miles away from each other. Whenever these two schools come together to play one another, the entire school can talk of little else leading up to the day of the game. Social media is blasted with anti-Starr’s Mill messages. On Tuesday, December 5, the Lady Chiefs and Chiefs varsity basketball teams hosted the Starr’s Mill Lady Panthers and Panthers for their first match up against each other this season.

The Lady Chiefs and Lady Panthers tipped off at 6:00. The game was very close and at halftime, the Lady Chiefs trailed the Lady Panthers 20-19. It was a very physical game and involved players’ from both teams falling on the ground and getting tripped by the opposing team because of the intensity of the rivalry. Although the game was very close and well played by both teams, the Lady Chiefs lost 46-35. The Lady Chiefs were led by Junior Rylee Calhoun, 19 points and 7 rebounds, and Junior Kennedi Miller, 8 points.

After the game, Miller sent a Joseph Duffy quote to Coach Carlyle, which she then sent the team afterwards. It said, “Losing isn’t always the end, sometimes it becomes the beginning.”

Senior Kimmy Edgeworth played in her last home basketball game against the county rival. Edgeworth said, “Losing to Starr’s Mill is not at all what we wanted as a team, but no matter what, I love playing against them because of the crazy intensity and atmosphere that comes with it. I will always love being a Chief!”

The Chiefs and Panthers tipped off at 7:30, following the girls’ game. At the end of the first quarter, the Chiefs were down 16-15. Before halftime, the refs had to stop the game due to Starr’s Mill fans pushing Senior Cole Guenther. The Starr’s Mill students responsible were taken off the railing in the student section to the sound of McIntosh students chanting, “You can’t do that.”

At halftime, the Chiefs led the Panthers 26-23 and they continued with their lead. By the end of the third quarter, the Chiefs were up 44-36 and ended up winning the game 64-54. The Chiefs were led by Senior Chaz Hardin, who scored 23 points, and a Starr’s Mill transfer student, Senior Zach Pina, who scored 10 points.

Pina transferred from Starr’s Mill to McIntosh this year. Every time he got the ball, the Starr’s Mill student section would yell and boo him. Yet, Pina said being booed was his favorite part of the game because it showed that he means something to people in this city. When asked about being a Chief rather than a Panther this year, Pina said, “Well, it was definitely different playing against the Panthers instead of for them, but it was still an amazing experience with the crazy atmosphere. I have really enjoyed how accepting the people are at this school. I felt welcome from the start!”

The game is a favorite for many on the basketball team. Junior Andrew Pinckney has been a part of the “Battle of the Bubble” experience with the Chiefs varsity basketball team for two seasons. Pinckney said, “The atmosphere is electric. It’s easy to feed off of the crowd’s energy during the game.”