It's Battle Time!!!
By Walter Sharon
This Friday, Concord Academy will take the grueling 11 mile trek into the throat of the defending battle champions, Lexington Christian Academy. Last year’s festivities at Concord proved to be quite something to write about for the Lions in competition, as they completed a full sweep of all five athletics events. In respect to giving an idea of what kind of rivalry the battle has made for itself, a history lesson is in order.
The Battle of Lexington and Concord is held annually between Lexington Christian Academy and Concord Academy, a tradition lasting the schooling careers of many graduates of the respective academic institutions. Eleven years ago, the first compilation of athletic competition as a rivalry was built and it would prove to last for decades. The original format, which remains to this day, was a compilation of five sporting events, JV Girls and Boys Basketball, Varsity Girls and Boys Basketball, and Varsity Basketball. The tradition follows that the winner of the best out of five contests will receive, or keep, the colonial drum, as well as bragging rights.
This year, stage is set for another entertaining finish, as both sides have groomed their respective teams for this annual event. Varsity Boys Basketball at LCA limps into this year’s contest having lost their last 7 matches to solid and formidable teams. Despite their 4-8 record, they have maintained a respective 3-3 EIL record, seemingly stacking their schedule for NEPSAC play. In fact the last time that the boys won was on the same day that the US mended relations with Cuba, which, surprisingly enough, was not thirty years ago. On December 17th our boys played against Landmark and that was the last win to their name. So it follows that there is a drive to put another competitive success under their belt. Concord so far this year is sitting at a reasonable pace— a similar pace in league play as the lions at this point.
The Varsity Girls have so far made a name for themselves across the league this year and confidence abounds as they roll into this next contest. At a 6-1 league record, the lady lions are virtually untouchable in the league and Concord appears to be yet another minor foe in their way. According to their records, the Concord girls are yet to win a league game, a notion that builds the confidence and anticipation for a strong win for LCA. Fans should anticipate a contest filled with effort as the winning side will have to demonstrate an enormous attention to defense.
The wrestlers on the Varsity squad are still licking their wounds as this year’s contest arrives. Despite all anticipations, they were the only team to lose to Concord last year. The Varsity team has tackled their demanding schedule head on with a formidable 14-3 record to this point. Despite their prowess, Concord has been the team’s lone league loss as they sit at 3-1. Despite this, the general consensus from all involved in that contest was that LCA should have fulfilled their hype of domination, walking into a 4-0 record. Despite this, the boys did in fact lose, so there will be a lot of bad blood between the two with the lions ready to go in for the kill this time around.
The times of the events are as follows:
3:30pm - JV Girls Basketball
4:00pm - Varsity Wrestling
4:45pm - JV Boys Basketball
6:00pm - Varsity Girls Basketball
7:30pm - Varsity Boys Basketball
This year should be a grand contest with the winner’s success based on preparation and hustle as well as true grit in their respective contests. Many fans will be treated to a roaring event with attendance being practically mandatory for dutiful fans wanting to support their teams!