Spirit Week preview: Spokane Public Schools rivalry games bring the noise at Spokane Arena, Reece Court
It’s Spirit Week in the Greater Spokane League. That means raucous crowds, musical numbers, cheerleaders, noisemakers – and plenty of boys and girls basketball.
The festive week is one of the highlights of the season bringing together student bodies, faculty and sports teams in the spirit of camaraderie and friendly competition. Add in the bright lights of a college or downtown arena and it makes for an annual tradition that will produce a lifetime of memories for all involved.
This year’s festivities start Tuesday in Cheney, where the Blackhawks host Rogers on Reese Court at Eastern Washington University in the fifth “Railroad Rumble,” the youngest of the spirit week games. The girls game starts at 5:30 p.m.; the boys are at 7:30.
Last year at the Arena, the Rogers boys won 44-39 while the Cheney girls came out on top 42-24. Rogers won the spirit competition using a “Minions” theme.
This season, the Pirates boys are off to a fast start at 3-1, while Cheney is at 2-2. Both girls teams are struggling out of the gate with a combined record of 2-7.
On Thursday, the scene shifts to the Numerica Veterans Arena downtown, where Ferris is the designated host against Lewis and Clark in the granddaddy of all of the spirit games, in the 43rd battle for Chuck the “Rubber Chicken.”
The schools have been waging an intense but friendly rivalry since 1983, when a student competition was adopted to increase student spirit. The symbol of the rivalry, an ugly rubber chicken, was chosen to symbolize a reward “deeply sought but without actual value.”
“I played in the ‘Stinky Sneaker’ back in 2012, so I love this environment,” LC girls coach Sydney Floriani said last year. “It’s super fun. There’s nothing like playing in the Arena, and Rubber Chicken is just one of the best-attended events in Spokane.”
Last year, LC swept the basketball games as the Tigers girls pulled out a close one over Ferris 52-47 and the boys won 58-49, while Chuck went to LC for the third time in four years.
The LC boys are off to a 3-3 start this season while Ferris is 2-3. Both girls teams are 3-2 thus far.
Friday night, North Central and Shadle Park go head-to-head in the “Groovy Shoes” rivalry games. Shadle swept the basketball games last season, 57-37 in the boys game and 52-42 in the girls. In the spirit competition, North Central retained the shoes for the ninth consecutive season.
This season, the NC boys are 2-2 while Shadle is 1-4. The Highlanders girls are 2-3 and NC is 0-4.
The “Stinky Sneaker” games between Central Valley and University is Feb. 3 at Eastern Washington.