Scheduling an old rival

Imagine South Carolina and Clemson not playing each other in football. Scary thought, isn't it? The last time that happened was 100 years ago. The series was suspended for six years after a riot occurred following the 1902 game.

Now try to imagine Beaufort and Battery Creek not meeting for its annual showdown on the gridiron. That was a possibility coming into the 2008 season.

When it became apparent that Battery Creek was dropping from Class AAAA to Class AAA, the first question off my lips to both BC athletic director John Drafts and BHS athletic director Jerry Linn was how would this affect the rivalry between the schools, most notably on the football field?

The points system the South Carolina High School League employs to determine playoff seeding for AAAA teams gives less weight to those that play schools in lower classifications.

Beaufort has played AAA Hilton Head Island High School since the Seahawks dropped to AAA in 2006. Could the Eagles stomach the penalty that comes with playing two AAA schools?

Both athletic directors assured me at the time that all efforts would be made to make the 38th edition of the rivalry happen this fall. To their credit, Drafts and Linn came through.

The annual showdown between the Dolphins and Eagles will take place Sept. 5 at Dolphin Field.

"We knew we were always going to have a slot for Battery Creek with an 11-game schedule," Linn said.

Beaufort will open its season Aug. 29 at Hilton Head, the week before its annual game with Creek.

Linn said that the points system was "in the back of my mind" when the schedule was made, but Hilton Head's winning record the past two seasons and the addition of Stratford High School should offset any problems from playing two AAA schools.

A win against a AAA team with a winning record has the same value as a loss to a non-Big 16 AAAA team. If Hilton Head continues its recent success, the Eagles won't lose any points.

Stratford is a Big 16 school, a Division of AAAA reserved for the biggest 16 schools by enrollment in the state. A win over a Big 16 school carries more weight than defeating other AAAA teams.

From Battery Creek's side, there was no scheduling conflicts or points systems to worry about. It was just a matter of making sure Beaufort could find a spot for it.

"The only way we wouldn't have played was if Beaufort High couldn't do it," Drafts said. "I felt like all along (that it would happen)."

Creek will open its season with two road games, at Wade Hampton and West Ashley high schools on Aug. 22 and Aug. 29, respectively, before hosting Beaufort in its home opener.

There are also economical benefits for continuing the rivalry.

Besides the money brought in by the game, playing a local team will help Beaufort save a little in its travel budget.

"It looks bigger and bigger as this economical situation develops," Linn said.

As great as the renewal of the rivalry is for both schools, it's even bigger for those fans who bleed Dolphin blue or Eagle green.

There's nothing more special than having braggin' rights.