Los Gatos/Saratoga rivalry intensifies

It is a truth universally acknowledged that between siblings there must be competition. There is fondness and support, love and communication, yes, but always competition.

And the “siblings” don’t have to be literal relatives, either. This perpetual state of competition is clearly the case with Saratoga High and its sister school, Los Gatos. It is only natural that the two are often compared with each other, being the only two schools in the LGSUHSD district.

Like any conflict between an older and younger sibling, there is inequality. In this case, Saratoga would be the younger — this is due not only to the schools’ relative ages, but in the advantages Los Gatos has over Saratoga, especially in athletics.

Los Gatos is a bigger school, boasting a population of roughly 1,800 students. Compared to Saratoga, the Wildcats have a large roster  with 16 players who weigh 200 or more pounds. Saratoga, a school of roughly 1,350 students, has 35 varsity players, with six weighing at least 200 pounds.

Over the years, Los Gatos has produced several National Football League players like Jared Allen, a defensive end for the Chicago Bears, and Kiko Alonso, a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills. (Not a single Saratoga alumnus, on the other hand, has  played beyond the college level.)

In the 1960s and 1970s, the SHS football team was quite a force to be reckoned with. Legendary coach Benny Pierce, for whom the football field is named, led the team to win a total of 21 league and section championships.

However, with the exception of one special game in 2010, the Falcons have not beaten the Wildcats since the 1980s. The team has yet to repeat this victory, an outlier in a 30-plus years’ losing streak.

This tale of tough defeats — made more frustrating by the losses suffered in years where the two teams were more than comparable — has done nothing to dampen the spirits of current athletes.

“[The rivalry] has been personal for me as an athlete,” senior Evan Lindeman wrote in response to a student survey. “In football we go to war against them. In baseball we play our tightest and most passionate games against them. So for me there is no other choice and no other thing I care about more than beating LG at anything and everything.”

However, the rivalry is not limited to football players or even just student athletes. Students often compare the two schools in academics, student activities and general atmosphere.

One student said, “I honestly think it increases the spirit and unity of the school because we all have one common ‘enemy.’”

Another called the Saratoga-Los Gatos rivalry as “huge” as the rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.

Overall, students’ views on the rivalry differ dramatically. Some think it unites and excites the campus as a whole, motivating athletes to perform better. Others see it as a pointless distraction that has little, if any, effect on students. Still others insist that it is an exaggerated or even completely fictitious entity.

Whatever students’ individual feelings, it seems that the Saratoga-Los Gatos rivalry unites and hypes up the Saratoga community in general. Posters are plastered all over the school and dozens of "Beat LG" T-shirts are sold each year before the big football game. Students and staff talk about the upcoming game and make predictions.

“It brings about a high-intensity atmosphere to the sporting events and rallies that is like nothing else, and it is definitely something that we, as athletes and students, can build off of,” senior Billy Vithanage said.

If nothing else, the rivalry is a topic and an experience that all Saratoga students have in common, no matter how strongly — or weakly — they feel about it.

To be part of the event, get decked out in red and head to Helm Field at Los Gatos High for the 7:30 p.m. varsity kickoff on Nov. 7. Win or lose, the Falcons deserve a huge red pride turnout as they try to show their older sibling a thing or two.