FAIRHOPE, Alabama – The Jubilee Cup battle between Fairhope and Daphne was just that. It was a battle. There was cannon roar and musket fire and rockets red glare. A real football war on the shore. A true rivalry made for TV and last week was celebrated on network television thanks to C-Spire Wireless and FOX Sports South. As a rivalry Daphne and Fairhope involves both deep-rooted and newly formed ties between closely knit sides. And in some cases the same family tree. Of course all rivalry games don’t produce quintuple overtime finishes. The final product may be just the bragging rights or an edge in playoff-standing. Or, as in this battle, both. And those are still only good for a year or less as the Pirates may get another shot in post season. The lasting product will be the experience and memory of it for not only the players, but the students, coaches, teachers, staff, administrators and fans. Both bands playing America the Beautiful and the National Anthem together is already a tradition for this one. It is also an excellent reminder of how much we all share, a shore, a county, a state, a region and more. Even bitter rivals in different school colors stop to respect the same Red, White and Blue flag across the nation. Then they can go back to calling each other names and making fun of theother’s mascot. That’s part of the fun.

Although the Jubilee Cup game is a relatively young rivalry compared to others around the county, it is one of the most intense. Probably because Daphne grew so quickly after branching off from Fairhope in 1989 into the same classification as Fairhope within 10 years. A situation which could be duplicated soon between Foley and Gulf Shores or Daphne and Spanish Fort. Who knows? Maybe one day White House Fork will have its own high school. Who will their first big rival be? Crossroads? Bromley High?Maybe one day, Elberta and Lillian will be on FOX Sports or Loxley versus Rosinton on ESPN. In other words, neighbors sharing city limits and opposing banks of winding streams make good potential rivals. They need not be from different municipalities or counties or states. But, finishing seasons high in the standings and knocking each other off in the playoffs doesn’t hurt. Both of which have been happening in recent years on the Eastern Shore. And not only in football. The intensity may grow and fade and rekindle over time, but the enduring fact is that it’s simply fun to cheer for one’s school or hometown or adopted community. One person who knew this and helped bring it to the attention of FOX Sports South is Fairhope native and all-things-Eastern-Shore fan Anita Clarke who, as a public relations specialist with C-Spire Wireless (formally Cellular South), lobbied to have the Jubilee Cup game broadcast in their Bright Light series across the Southeast. The series featured Murphy-Davidson last year and several Mississippi high-school rivalries in recent years under the “Y’all versus Us,” moniker, now “Bright Lights.”  “Next year, we’re hoping to do a Battle of the Bay with maybe a Baldwin versus Mobile County rivalry, but I’m sure we definitely want to be doing more in Alabama,” Clarke said.  “I think the C-Spire Wireless team was just overwhelmed with the community support and how much it means to both Daphne and Fairhope. I mean, being able to go from the mayors’ offices, to the principals and coaches, and coach (Steve) Savarese (Alabama High School Athletic Association director) with so much ease and support made it all go so smoothly from the beginning. And that’s encouraging for next year. Everybody was behind it. Of course everybody doesn’t know the intensity until they experience it. Those of us from the Eastern Shore, you know, we didn’t need to be sold. But there’s a lot that goes into it from a production standpoint and coordinating with the Sports South people. And even though it wasn’t a killer game, score-wise, going down to the final second, the boys put on a good hard-fought ball game as always. I think the enthusiasm was just amazing even though we know that’s pretty much normal every time these two get together. And that’s a big factor in how they decide on these games.” Clarke said C-Spire Wireless researches rival histories and looks at schedules and rankings before pitching certain games to FOX Sports South and its high-school programming department.

A lot went into the production locally, too. With home-field responsibilities this year, Fairhope High cheerleaders and art students who helped embellish the stadium, the Pirate ship and the field, all must be commended. It isn’t often, “That’s a beautiful skull-and-cross-sword emblem painted on midfield,” is heard, but it was and was seen by millions. One commentator said it now seems like every football stadium in America should have a pirate ship and cannon in the endzone. The Fairhope Recreation Department had the field in Super Bowl shape and the “Bright Lights” only made it look better. Recognition of each team’s top scholar/player, Matthew Mabry of Daphne and Chris Weeks of Fairhope added a proper reminder that, as former Fairhope coach Joe Compton was fond of emphasizing: Grades always come before games. Compton won a state title for Fairhope in 1959. Although most of the 14 million or so viewers on FOX Sports South probably didn’t know the difference between Mullet Point and Village Point, or Barnwell and Park City any more than the difference between Daphne and Fairhope, or Orange Beach and Bay Minette, most of them probably identified with the idea that communities and their lesser hamlets love to rally around and through their schools: public, private or parochial, neighborhood or county.  Athletic venues supply a stage for expressing that support. From fight songs and battle cries to U.S. Coast Guard fly overs, showing pride in one’s turf and alma mater can and should be fun. And if neighborhoods and communities keep growing along with new schools as fast as some have, an actual Battles Wharf versus Yuille’s Landing (my neck of the woods) rivalry may not be too far off. And if you get that reference without Google, you really are from the Eastern Shore. As usual, I’ll probably have relatives on both sides.

For more information goto: cspire.com/brightlights