23ABC spoke with football players from both Shafter and Wasco High Schools to get their perspective on what the rivalry means to them and to their communities.
- In the spirit of the tradition, both Shafter High School and Wasco High School held pep-rallies inviting the opposing school to join in on the cheers and jeers.
- For players on each squad, this week just means more, citing a rivalry that spans nearly a century. While the rivalry may seem hostile to the untrained eye, players on both squads said that after the final horn blows Friday night, its bitterness slowly fades until the next meeting.
- Kickoff for Friday’s Shafter-Wasco, or Wasco-Shafter depending on where you live, rivalry game is set for Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Wasco.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Depending on who you ask, this is arguably one of the best rivalries here in the Central Valley. I’m Sam Hoyle, your Wasco neighborhood reporter, I’m also Sam Hoyle, your Shafter neighborhood reporter, and welcome to Shafter-Wasco week or Wasco-Shafter week, depending on where you fall on these lines. The Tigers, the Generals set to battle Friday night, but the rivalry fun starts well before kick-off.
“The intensity is always there,” said Christopher Espinoza, a Shafter High senior…