As I sat on the bleachers near the end of the ERHS girls’ soccer regional final against Bowie, I had to look up at the scoreboard to make sure this wasn’t just a nightmare. 3-1 was the final score (with the Raiders on the losing side) and, afterwards, I couldn’t help but wonder: what ever happened to the great Eleanor Roosevelt – Bowie rivalry?
When the class of 2010 was in its freshman year it got introduced very early to the dominance that was ERHS athletics. That school year the baseball, track, and girls’ basketball teams each won state championships, while the boys’ basketball team reached the state semifinal and was stunned by Magruder. The following year the girls’ swim team won a state title while the boys were not far behind, and the Lady Raiders basketball team won its unprecedented fourth consecutive state championship.
The success dwindled from there.
Some teams earned a couple county and regional titles here and there. And the wins against Bowie became even more scarce. Last year the boys’ soccer, girls’ soccer, baseball, and softball teams lost all of their meetings against the Bulldogs. So far this school year, the boys’ soccer team is the only team to beat them. The golf, volleyball, girls’ soccer, and even football team fell to Bowie in their respective seasons.
The stage was set for success at Homecoming this year. ERHS football was supposed to beat the hated Bulldogs and ride the momentum into the postseason. With their playoff futures on the line, the Bowie players came out firing on all cylinders, while the Raiders seemed lost in the flurry of high expectations. “They were normally the underdogs in football,” comments senior linebacker Austin Rodriquez. “The rivalry has certainly changed because, well for me, it’s nonexistent.”
Those who have grown up in this area are accustomed to the tremendous rivalries it has to offer: Capitals-Penguins, Redskins-Cowboys, and, undeniably, Maryland-Duke. What makes these rivalries great is the spontaneity in the outcomes. You never know when a team will pull the big upset. What makes a great rivalry is the idea that one team does not have a distinct psychological advantage over another. With the way Bowie has been winning (and winning big) over ERHS the past couple years it seems it has gained that advantage; whether it is in Bowie or in Greenbelt the Bulldogs know coming into a game that they are very likely to leave with a victory.
That is the ugly truth.
ERHS is known throughout the region as a school that is consistently competitive in almost every sport. Bowie has been able to mirror the success of ERHS in just about every sport as well, but it seems now they are surpassing the Raiders as the perennial postseason contender. This was not the case just a few years ago. Senior and captain of the boys’ soccer team Harif Balogun recalls from his freshman year that “the ‘Bowie game’ was the most exciting matchup for nearly all of our sports teams. I realized it was more important than just a rivalry between friends…it affected the whole school.”
Balogun believes the rivalry is actually getting stronger because “Bowie is beginning to catch up to ERHS in their caliber of student-athletes.” It is not just that Bowie is catching up to ERHS, but also that ERHS is falling behind. The players need to really think hard about this great rivalry, and remember what they are playing for. The rivalry might not be around for much longer.
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