by Steve Dunford

When I was wondering what to say here, I thought of both teams with the some of the coaching staff on the outside, kneeling and having prayer after last year’s game at Tabor Field.

I have watched this rivalry from the outside most of my life.  Since I moved to West Frankfort, this will be the third Benton -West Frankfort football game that I will be as an “insider”.

I thought of this picture a lot this week.  I was thinking if only a few that are no longer in the area could see this picture.  I was in a group of pastors eating breakfast when I pastored the Logan Baptist Church.  Mainly it was pastors  from outside of the area, and a few locals were asking everyone to pray that either Benton and West Frankfort consolidate or be in different conferences, because the rivalries “were hampering the Great Commission.”

I spoke up and I did not use a lot of tact and said,  You all just don’t understand high school sports in this region.  It would be foolish for schools six miles apart to quit playing each other.  It is a hundred year old rivalry.  On top of that there have been aged old rivalries there from back in the South Seven days with Harrisburg and Herrin.

Someone them mumbled, sports is your God, but I had a lot of the naysayers listening.  I just hope 15 years later one of those that suggested their prayer request could see both teams kneeling at the 50 yard line, after Benton pulled out a nail biter last year.

In Franklin County there are three rivalries still alive.  Christopher/Sesser-Valier, Thompsonville/Galatia and the grand daddy of them all Benton/West Frankfort.

For several years now, which is starting to be called rivalry week across Southern Illinois now C-Z-R and S-V-W-W would play on Friday night, and Benton and West Frankfort play on Saturday.  I have partaken of watching all four teams in that weekend.

Pinckneyville and DuQuoin, Eldorado and Hamilton County, and Carmi-White County and Fairfield also meet on this weekend.

I still call this the Turkey Day game that both teams forfeited their chance to go to the IHSA playoffs for years to play on Thanksgiving.  Correct me if I am wrong, but the game ended in the 1980’s I believe.

I was always fascinated with the Turkey game.  I only had the opportunity to see the second half from Tabor Field once.  I would always have a radio on in my Grandpa’s den listening to it.  Sometimes I would flip between Ron Head and Art Smith.

Over time I settled listening at the time to Ron Head and his color man Bobby Blondi on, what was then, WQRX.  Over time I became fascinated with the Rangers.  (I just hope I get a udeman Stevie for mentioning Ron Head.)

There was one year in high school though I hung around West Frankfort a lot, because a girl was involved.  Most of the time though,  though the high school years, I would talk smack between the two.  My buddies and I would sat on the side that we thought were the favorites.  If an upset was brewing, we would switch sides at half time.

Even after I moved to the west side of the county, I would try to go to as many Benton/WF games in football and basketball as I could.

Rivalries, as a whole, are not as intense as they used to be.  When rival teams would meet there was some tension.  The record books could be thrown out, and they flat out did not like the opposition.  Things would get quite chippy at times.

I would always here the old timers say when there was a T’ville/Galatia game there was always a special train that ran that night.  When one team arrived at the depot, the other one was waiting on them to fight.

I have heard it was from the IHSA, or that it was an agreement between both schools, but I can remember when Galatia and Thompsonville started playing again in the late 70’s.  Crab Orchard took their place in the meantime and with Galatia, Thompsonville and Crab Orchard in the same conference things get interesting at times.

I have heard people over the years say that if two old men would play checkers, one from Benton and one from West Frankfort, it would draw a crowd.  I also heard the expression that if two tom cats, one from Benton and one from West Frankfort fought in 18 bottoms, there would be a crowd as well.

Over the years I never heard the late voice of the Redbirds, Bruce A. Fasol, utter the word Benton out of his mouth.  It was the team six miles to the north.

Tomorrow, as I used to in High School, I will be stirring it up a little bit both ways.  There was a lot of mouthing going on last year about having a Thompsonville shirt on, and a Christopher hat.

You will see me in a T’ville shirt again tomorrow.  I might just stick the Christopher hat on too.  I have less motivation though, since the kiddo graduated.

There were rumors the plate was being passed in the visitors bleachers last year to buy me a Redbird shirt.  Dave Severin also said I needed some Benton stuff.  I told him that he could go down the road two blocks and give me some if he wanted me to have some that bad.  He decided then I could go without the maroon things.  I did walk away with a Dave Severin for State Representative shirt.

A former Redbird, and now Benton girls basketball coach Andy Sloan grilled me an awesome cheeseburger last year.  Someone sent some polish sausage to the press box to Travis Severin and Justin Wyant, and I ended up swiping some.  They were very good as well  I need to sample some WF tailgate food to see whose is the best.  By the way, I will be sitting in my usual spot, top row,  north of the press box.

The mouthing and bantering back in forth is all in fun.  Politics, the Cubs-Cardinals, and a high school sports rivalry is nothing to lose friends over.

The reasons rivalries are not as intense anymore?  The lines are blurred.  From social media a lot of kids from other towns have made lasting friendships with each other.  Second, with travel ball, some of the kids are team mates in other sports.

In the county, I feel Sesser-Valier and Waltonville co-oping in a lot of sports as well as Christopher and Z-R, the rivalries between these schools have died down.

Also, this generation coming up is special.  They are a lot better kids than my generation.  That is why after a very hard fought football game, they could kneel and give all honor and praise to Jesus Christ together at the 50 yard line.