Rivalry games are part of what make sports so great, but if West Shore (Penn.) School District has its way, one of the top high school rivalries in the state could cease to exist in the future.
As ABC 27 and The Patriot News reported, the district is considering the possibility of folding the Cedar Cliff (Penn.) High and Red Land High athletic departments together, in an effort to save approximately $600,000 per year. If passed, that would mean the two rivals could be forced to play nice on the same team.
While the athletes haven't spoken about the plan, parents from both schools have voiced their displeasure at the possibility of the schools joining forces. Most would imagine the negative feelings would center around playing on the same team as your rival, but it appears most parents are frustrated with the district for the lack of financial transparency.
"We haven't seen budgets, we haven't seen plans, we don't know what the expenses look like over the next four to five," Red Land parent Alan Todd told ABC 27. "We keep hearing these giant holes. There's no explanation."
As The Patriot News reported, parents from both schools met in a public forum to discuss the proposed merger, and the reported $3.6 million budget shortfall the district is currently dealing with at the moment.
"I really think if a plan was submitted to the public that says 'here's why we're here, here's where we need to be, here's why we need to merge,' most of the people would probably have been OK," Thad Eisenhower, president of the Cedar Cliff booster club, told The Patriot News.
"The bottom line is people are going to get hurt on both sides."
Even though the merger seems like a bad idea to some, it could be a positive for one sport in particular. Cedar Cliff had just 42 players in the entire football program this past season, so joining forces with Red Land could the schools a legitimate power.
Playing on the same team with your rival might seem like a mistake, but if it could save sports and money in the long run, you'd have to imagine both would be all for it.
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