Highlights of South’s best sporting events

Ever since I have been going to Grosse Pointe South, there have always been a couple sporting events that I circle on the calendar.  The sporting events that fill the student section, when there is barely any standing room around the venue, against our rival schools and the ones when there is no question that it will be a tight game. Over my four years here, these five sporting events have built up the reputation of South’s best sporting events.

Photo by Mac Welsher ’17

5) Football: South vs North @North

I will start with the fifth best sporting event and work my way up to the first, starting with the South vs North football game at Grosse Pointe North. Although it always sounds like this one football game is going to be the greatest game of all it, once you arrive at the stadium, you are a little let down.  The student sections are terrible.  They are at both end zones with bleachers that only go up four steps and a gate at the front. Basically, if you are not on the gate, you don’t have a good view of the game. Also, when the play is at the other side of the field, there is basically no point in even watching because the players look like ants from that distance and it’s impossible to see what is going on or where the ball is.  Though when the play is in our red zone, it finally gets exciting to watch and fans are locked into the play. The other upset is North’s football team stands in front of our student section during the National Anthem so all the students can talk trash to them before and after the song to get in their heads.  Although the South vs North football game at North is a social gathering at best, it is still an event others cannot miss.

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4) Basketball: South vs North @North

North’s venue trumps South’s here, but the only reason why this is ranked lower than the South vs North basketball game at South is because it’s away. North takes a lot of pride in their basketball team the same way South is with their hockey team, so they always bring their student section up to another level.  They have signs, ESPN stands and recently from this year, kids jumping onto tables.  The student sections at North go higher up, which is a bonus because more students can fill it up and become loud. A downgrade to the student sections is they are horizontal from each other, so we can’t stare into them like we would at the home games. Another issue is we are behind the benches while North is on the court so we aren’t as involved in the game as they are. Overall, what makes these games so exciting is that South has beat North on their homecourt three times out of the last four years, which is a total punch in the face.

Photo by Mac Welsher ’17

3) Football: South vs North @South

This football game gets the students at South pumped up for Friday’s like no other.  Our venue is so much better than North’s. We can fit thousands of people into the stadium, making it a contender for Michigan’s game of the week every time we play North at home. We also get much more involved into events like the tug of war against the students at North. We act as if it almost matters winning that rather than the actual game itself. South’s student section is across each other from sideline to sideline. This way, we are able to hear each other’s chants. These games are always exciting because both teams the past couple years have had the same level of ability, and star studded players that students enjoy watching.  The South vs North football game at South is always destined for a heavyweight prized fight.

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2) Basketball: South vs North @South

Easily, the best part of these games is that South’s student section is literally on the out of bounds line. If I were to reach my arm out, I could touch the players. Uniquely, this event is the only one where I will say having a smaller venue is a lot better. Everything that is said is heard by the student sections, the players and the coaches. Clearly, basketball has tons of scoring plays, steals and blocks, so there is an unlimited amount of things to cheer and scream about. My greatest memory at a South vs North basketball game was when South had a buzzer beating layup, and all the students stormed the court mobbing the players.  The venue turns up every basketball game against North, and has many memorable encounters in the near future.

1) Hockey: South vs North/Liggett @Liggett

The hockey team at South has been consistently dominant over the past few years, drawing tons of students to their games. The team’s home rink has been out at Fraser Ice Arena, which is quite the hike to go out and watch. All the students build up their school spirit for the Liggett Hockey Showcase, the day we get out for winter break, at Liggett’s home rink.  The showcase consists of South, North, Liggett and one other team that changes every year, setting up back to back days for South to play Liggett and North. These games are the best events to attend for multiple reasons.  First, the arena and the stands aren’t big, so it fills up easily bringing an atmosphere that isn’t unmatched. There is no standing room around the boards and the student section has students overflowing on top of each other. Second, the student section is unbelievable because the bleachers are connected to the boards and above the ice, so it feels like we are on top of the players as we are watching them. Lastly, the intensity from the games over the past years has been remarkable because North and Liggett both possess tough teams with great coaching.  I have seen overtime winners, fights with players getting kicked out and highlight-reel goals.  The South vs North/Liggett hockey games have been the best sporting events over the past four years at South for me.