Students in Worthington Schools district look forward each season to the excitement of playing our friends from the opposing high school. Playing as rivals for a day, Worthington Kilbourne High School and Thomas Worthington High School battled each other last Saturday night in the basketball “WoTown Showdown”. The Boys and Girls JV teams and the Girls Varsity team beat Thomas, but unfortunately the boys Varsity team fell short. Win or lose, we got to see our players tug it out on the court with respect and sportsmanship, showing the community what Worthington is all about. This week The Ravine got some insights from Coach Ron Lewis and several players into the game.
Going into the game Kilbourne had confidence, knowing they were prepared. Coach Lewis told us, “We prepare as we always do, every game is important. This one just has different feel to it.” He went on to say, “My outlook for the game is positive. We are at home, we prepare well, and we have determination.” Going into the game Thomas was optimistic about their team values: for them, knowing themselves as players assured them that they were going to play well. Will Orban, a Thomas Varsity boys basketball player told us, “I think our goal as a team was to play the way we know we can and to come out of there with a win. Looking back, I think we definitely achieved our goals, it was a fun game.”
The first quarter started with high intensity being neck to neck, but ultimately Thomas took the lead. Thomas Varsity Boys player Matthew Gardner stated, “The game versus Kilbourne is a little bit different because of the fact we know most of each other and everyone in Worthington comes to the game but it is just another game.” He later said, “I have a couple friends on the team at Kilbourne and it is fun being able to play against them.”
The friendly rivalry and Worthington coming together is one of the highlights of growing up in this community. Being able to see your friends on and off the court during the showdowns completely changes the environment. Orban expressed, “While we try our best to treat every game with the same intensity, I think obviously the Kilbourne game just means more, the environment is always better than a normal game and it seems everyone in the town’s talking about it.” Another varsity player at Thomas, Zane Graven, shared, “All week at practice we keep focus on the game and keep our same routine. Obviously it is hard to say it’s just the same as a regular game when the student section is huge and the gym is the loudest it’s ever been, but as a team we attack every game the same because true competitors value every game as extremely important, not just the rivalry game.”
One of the most fun parts about the game for WKHS students is being lead by our Kilbourne Krazies. Student section spirit is not only a great way for students to interact during and enjoy these games, but it also fuels the atmosphere for the players on the court. Graven told us, “The noise and support just boosts the adrenaline for everyone and creates a great environment.” Coach Lewis explained, “When I was a player, it played a major part no matter if it was home or away. At home, it fueled me with energy and to perform well. Away, it fueled to hear the trash talk and silence them.” Orban also said, “Even though we came into enemy territory this year, the crowd for both teams is always a great time and brings the energy of the game even higher than it already is.” Gardner added, “The student section really helps because they are behind you the whole game and when you make a shot or anything that is exciting they get loud which gets me and the guys going.”
This year Kilbourne came up one team short of a program sweep, but it was undeniably a great time for both teams and all the community members who came out to support. Being able to come together and have some friendly competition is great for not only the players but the community.
