Sunday, January 17, 2010
Bowie Game Article from The Gazette
The Gazette wrote a recap on the boys' basketball game against Bowie here. It was Bowie's first league loss of the season. ERHS is now 8-3 overall and 6-1 in the league. Bowie went on a 25-8 run in this game but the Raiders hung on.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
What Ever Happened to the Greatest Rivalry in the Area?
By Naveed Siddiqui
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.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
ERHS-Bowie Rivalry Article Preview
I recently realized that, plain and simple, the Roosevelt-Bowie rivalry is dying. I wrote a commentary on it, and it will be available in its entirety, complete with year-by-year records from the past few years, later this month when the print edition of The Raider school newspaper comes out. Until then, here's a preview...
By Naveed Siddiqui
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....Make sure you pick up a copy of The Raider when it comes out later this month so you can read the rest of the article!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
ERHS Cross Country - Preview, Midseason, and Recap Report
By Dejen Mengis
Staff Writer
The Raider
The Eleanor Roosevelt High School Cross Country team has been known for its dominance in Prince George's County; and it does not look like they are slowing down.
The boys varsity team started off their season strong with a fourth place finish at the Maymont Park Cross Country Course, led by fifth place finisher junior Charles Bollinger. The girls’ side looked strong as well, finishing in seventh place in the Coastal Girls Division, led by race winner ERHS junior Amirah Johnson.
The Maymont course is known for showcasing some of the best talent throughout Maryland and Virginia. Yet amid the competition, the team performed well.
“A lot of people improved on their personal best,” said Coach Gregory Johnson. Johnson took over the head coach job amid the preseason resignations of coaches Timothy McMahon and Sherman Turner. Since then McMahon has followed former coach Desmond Dunham to a post as a part-time volunteer coach at the University of Maryland and Turner has loosened the time conflicts between coaching and his job.
Last year Coach Johnson took over as head coach of indoor and outdoor track. This season, however, marks Johnson’s first as head coach of the cross country team.
Although Coach Johnson believes that it had a “good combination before” he thinks the team’s performance is not expected to drop.
Despite the team’s success, however, many still expect it to perform better. “We have a ton of potential and we’ve made a lot of improvement, but we’re not all the way there yet,” commented junior Carl White.
A major goal of the team this year is to perform better at the state meet than they did last year, at which they finished 14th overall. “We have very high expectations,” added White.
“Our team will be very good this year at the state championship,” predicted sophomore Justin Ahalt.
The girls have also found success this year, which seems to be focused around junior Amirah Johnson.
“I am very pleased with our performances this year,” said Johnson. “I think we will do well and get a good place at states.”
The state meet, held at Hereford High School, is widely known for being one of the toughest courses in the country. However, the team’s assurance that they will be “very good at the state championship” makes it hard to doubt their future success.
Staff Writer
The Raider
The Eleanor Roosevelt High School Cross Country team has been known for its dominance in Prince George's County; and it does not look like they are slowing down.
The boys varsity team started off their season strong with a fourth place finish at the Maymont Park Cross Country Course, led by fifth place finisher junior Charles Bollinger. The girls’ side looked strong as well, finishing in seventh place in the Coastal Girls Division, led by race winner ERHS junior Amirah Johnson.
The Maymont course is known for showcasing some of the best talent throughout Maryland and Virginia. Yet amid the competition, the team performed well.
“A lot of people improved on their personal best,” said Coach Gregory Johnson. Johnson took over the head coach job amid the preseason resignations of coaches Timothy McMahon and Sherman Turner. Since then McMahon has followed former coach Desmond Dunham to a post as a part-time volunteer coach at the University of Maryland and Turner has loosened the time conflicts between coaching and his job.
Last year Coach Johnson took over as head coach of indoor and outdoor track. This season, however, marks Johnson’s first as head coach of the cross country team.
Although Coach Johnson believes that it had a “good combination before” he thinks the team’s performance is not expected to drop.
Despite the team’s success, however, many still expect it to perform better. “We have a ton of potential and we’ve made a lot of improvement, but we’re not all the way there yet,” commented junior Carl White.
A major goal of the team this year is to perform better at the state meet than they did last year, at which they finished 14th overall. “We have very high expectations,” added White.
“Our team will be very good this year at the state championship,” predicted sophomore Justin Ahalt.
The girls have also found success this year, which seems to be focused around junior Amirah Johnson.
“I am very pleased with our performances this year,” said Johnson. “I think we will do well and get a good place at states.”
The state meet, held at Hereford High School, is widely known for being one of the toughest courses in the country. However, the team’s assurance that they will be “very good at the state championship” makes it hard to doubt their future success.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
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