2015: Week 5, Chula Vista & Sweetwater Keep Streak Alive

You haven’t found them in any top 10 poll lately, but in a constantly shifting world one thing is certain:  Chula Vista and Sweetwater will play, every  year.

The South Bay schools, connected by  Highland Avenue in National City and 4th Avenue in the community to the South, have battled each other every season since 1947.  Theirs is the longest continuous rivalry in the County.

The Spartans defeated Sweetwater, 35-21, last week, but Sweetwater leads in the game-by-game count, 36 victories against 30 losses and three ties.

Other great series have come and gone, a few to return.

Leagues are realigned or made defunct. Teams move around.  Neighborhoods and demographics change. New schools take the place of old rivals.

Before Sweetwater and Chula Vista there was Grossmont and Sweetwater, the County’s answer to the city’s San Diego and Hoover and La Jolla and Point Loma.

The Red Devils of National City and the Foothillers of La Mesa met all but one year from 1920-60.  Grossmont was in the City Prep League in 1952 and the teams’ schedules were in conflict.

Sweetwater leads, 23-21, and two of those victories came in San Diego Section playoff games in 1970 and ’78.

Grossmont and Sweetwater have not met in the regular season since 1961, when the Foothillers joined the new Grossmont League and Sweetwater remained in the Metropolitan.

The Foothillers by that time had shifted most of their attention to Helix.

The La Mesa neighbors were natural rivals when Helix began classes on the Grossmont campus in 1951.  Helix leads, 39-18-1 and the schools reunited in the Grossmont Hills League in 2010  after going their separate ways in 2000.

San Diego and Hoover played each other every season from 1933-77, but only 27 times in the last 38 seasons.  Hoover is 17-9-1 since 1978 but the Cavemen, who won 18 of the first 23 games, still lead, 39-32-1.

La Jolla and Point Loma played for the Shoe Trophy annually from 1926-72  and just 24 times in the last 43 seasons, although they have been back together in the Western League since 2003.  Point Loma has the edge in the shoe war, 44-24-4.

Oceanside and Escondido first traveled the dirt road that connected their communities in 1926 and watched as that 20-mile link became state highway 78. Escondido holds a 40-28-5 advantage in the oldest Northern rivalry, but the Cougars and Pirates have not met since 2006.

Week 5 Union-Tribune poll, after four weeks of games:

NR–Not rated.

Others receiving votes (record & points in parenthesis): Madison (2-2, 39), westview (4-0, 26), Cathedral (1-3, 16), Point Loma (3-1, 9), Bonita Vista (3-1, 8), Grossmont (3-0), Mater Dei  (3-0, 8 points each), Mission Bay (4-0, 2), Valhalla (2-1), Poway (2-2), 1 point each.

24 Media and CIF representatives vote each week: John Maffei (U-T San Diego), Steve Brand, Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Jim Lindgren, Tom Saxe, Rick Hoff (U-T San Diego correspondents), Bill Dickens, Chris Davis (East County Sports.com), Steve (Biff) Dolan, Rick (Red) Hill (Mountain Country 107.9 FM), John (Coach) Kentera, Ted Mendenhall, Bob Petinak (The Mighty 1090), Rick Willis, Brandon Stone (KUSI-TV), Rick Smith (partletonsports.com), Jerry Schniepp, John Labeta (CIF San Diego Section), Bodie DeSilva (sandiegopreps.com), Drew Smith (sdcoastalsports.com), Lisa Lane (San Diego Preps Insider), Raymond Brown (sdfootball.net), Montell Allen (MBASportsrecruiting.com).

HELIX RISES

A 37-7 victory over Cathedral elevated Helix to No. 17 in the Cal-Hi Sports‘ state rankings. Mission Hills remained 16th and on-the-bubble recognition went to St. Augustine, La Costa Canyon, and Oceanside.

TWELVE STILL PERFECT

Twelve teams will try to maintain their undefeated status this week.

Mission Hills, Calexico Vincent Memorial, Calvary Christian San Diego, El Camino, Westview, El Centro Southwest, Mission Bay, and The Rock are each 4-0.

Army-Navy, Grossmont, Maranatha, and Mater Dei are 3-0.

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