McDowell Trojans VS. PREP Ramblers: High School Football Rivalry in Erie, Pennsylvania

Cathedral Preparatory School is located in Erie, Pennsylvania and was established in 1921. This male only Catholic high school is most commonly called "PREP". McDowell High School, also in Erie, is a public school for boys and girls. The PREP Ramblers versus the McDowell Trojans is a fight on and off the football field.

This rivalry goes back before any of the students and even teachers can remember. No one knows why they fight, they just do. Something like the West Side Story. For football fans the rivalry adds to the excitement of the game. But for some, the rivalry is the game. For them, wearing the team's colors isn't enough. Instead they paint their skin and dye their hair for a more personal connection. You would think that thunder sticks, noise makers, and oversized foam hands would distract your attention from the sport itself. But with every blow of a fog horn the crowds' exhilaration grows.

It's about a never-ending fight, a battle that can never be won even if your team scores the most touchdowns. Before a big game a pep-rally is usually held in the auditorium. Classes are cancelled and the army of students and teachers crowd into the auditorium where they listen to motivational speeches and feed off of each other's excitement. Their deafening chants and stomping feet shake the building in hopes of also shaking the opponent.

In one extreme case the students were gathered into the auditorium to be reprimanded for destruction of property at a previous game. The boys watched nervously as police officers came into the auditorium. Instead of getting scolded, the police officers tore off their uniforms to reveal their painted chests, spelling out PREP. The boys went wild! The game was still on and now they were definitely pumped up.

During the game kids throw streamers onto the field, even after being told countless times not to do it. The game stops and someone comes out to clean them off the field. When a touchdown is scored the football players dive onto the ground and pile on top of each other. It is surprising that no one gets hurt.

But these innocent actions aren't the real cause of worry. Sometimes it is a rivalry so fierce that people actually do get hurt. There are many accounts of violence and fist fights that go on after the game has been played out. One extreme case resulted in hospitalization from a stab wound on a McDowell students butt. Although this football rivalry is well publicized many fights resulting from a simple football game go unmentioned and unnoticed. And as for all fights it's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured, or worse. Like the saying goes "It's all fun and game until someone gets hurt."