Hampton, Va. - A rivalry that everyone on the peninsula talks about, except the two teams involved. Phoebus High has won every game in their inner-city series with Bethel High since Allen Iverson was a junior, in 1992.
"I heard people talking about the streak but honestly, we don't see a streak, it's 2016. What we've done the past years won't make a difference, we'll be remembered for what just happened," says Phoebus head coach Jeremy Blunt. "It really truly is just another game, we understand that there is a tradition here."
Bethel, who edged out a 20-19 win over Chesapeake powerhouse Indian River last week, is trying to put together two quality wins to start the season. "We're not going to overstate the importance of beating Phoebus, I just want them to compete," says 2nd year Bethel head coach William Beverley.
Senior safety Jeremiah Owusu-Karomoah says they're just trying to keep the formula consistent to get to the goal of 10-0. "It's not going to boost our head or anything, we're going to look at it as boom, we won one, we won two."
When the lights turn on Friday night, it'll be "just another game," both schools said collectively. Blunt says the two teams have grown up with each other playing in youth leagues so it's nothing new. "We're very familiar with one another, we all are here in Hampton, so you've just got to go out and want it. It's a rivalry game, it's about the team that can focus down the most and execute the most that's going to come out."
