As we all know, it is that time of year again: high school football season. A time where students and families dress up in their favorite school spirit to cheer for their family and friends, or for the fun of the game. Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley hold home or away football games every Friday night during the season. Kids and adults love to watch the football players and cheer for their team; the spirit is unmatched. One football game in particular, the Monte Vista versus San Ramon Valley game, is the biggest of the season, with the stadium packing in over 3000 people. Why is that?
It is because of our tradition’s spirited rivalry with one another. But have we ever thought about where this rivalry rooted from, or how long it has been going on?
For some background, San Ramon Valley High School was founded in 1910, with Monte Vista High School opening 55 years later in 1965. Monte Vista was built to help the suburban growth in Danville as the valley outgrew San Ramon Valley High’s capacity. The founding of Monte Vista was a major relief to Danville and Alamo residents.
The first recorded football season at SRV was in 1913, and the first recorded football season at MV was in 1968. Which means the playful rivalry of the town is at most 58 years old. The first match the two had was in 1968 with Monte Vista winning 6-0. With Monte Vista’s debut victory, San Ramon Valley fans began to feel intimidated by the match, which further fueled the rivalry.
However, the playful banter that has followed that first football game doesn’t root from jealousy or resentment, it stems from a desire for community. What people want in a town is community, and the high schools are just one of many that people can bond over. During the 1960s, Danville was considered a rural area with a slow-paced atmosphere, up until the construction of the I-680 freeway in 1964. Other community events during that area were SRVHS gatherings, music festivals, Danville Theater showings, and parades on Hartz Avenue.
Although Danville still held numerous community events throughout the 1960s, it is small compared to what the town has to offer now. People yearn for excitement and fury, and that is exactly what the Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley football teams have to offer. In the late 2000s, Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley had developed a student organization revolving around encouraging school spirit and setting up school events, called “12th Man.” These groups of students building their school’s passion and drive only exemplified the rivalry between the two schools. The question is now, “Who has more spirit?” 2011 marked the beginning of the 12th Man rap battle between Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley. Every year before the big rivalry game between MV and SRV, both schools would post a rap singing about the other school, in hopes to intimidate the other. Over the years, tons of people have found enjoyment listening to these raps, watching the music videos, and debating on which is better. Personally, I find them both impressive, and every year I am still taken by surprise how much work has been put into these videos. Danville’s football history has remained strong and engaging for decades, and there is nothing that’ll stop its momentum. I can’t wait to see what new traditions we will build in the coming years. As of now, there are only a couple months until the big rivalry game, and I hope to see you guys there!
By Kaitlyn Borris