Summer Creek and Kingwood may be sharing a campus, but it won’t mute rivalry.

Summer Creek and Kingwood will meet with playoff implications on the line Friday at Turner Stadium. Then on Monday, students and players from both schools will return to the same campus.

It is the twist to this District 21-6A rivalry that may never be replicated.

The two student bodies have shared the Summer Creek High School campus after Hurricane Harvey caused extensive damage to Kingwood High School.

It has created two separate school days. The Kingwood football team practices in the morning, and students take classes in the afternoon. Summer Creek’s school day goes as planned, starting at 7 a.m. with football practice after school.

There are some challenges, of course.

Kingwood coach Barry Campbell said Summer Creek’s campus layout is on the other end of the spectrum compared to Kingwood’s. Schedules are condensed, so there has not been a lot of time for pep rallies. Kingwood is used to having one each week in the fall.

The team doesn’t have many seniors, who didn’t expected to don shoulder pads so early in the morning or carry equipment with them and be in school so late.

All things considered, it has worked smoothly.

“There really hadn’t been a whole lot of crossing paths with their team or them with us,” Campbell said. “It really is like we’re on this campus on our own.”

It still is not home, however. Instead of its own campus, Kingwood practices at Turner Stadium every morning, using donated equipment.

Campbell said the true silver lining has been how the players have handled the situation. It has served as a rallying point just as athletics has bonded the student body through an awkward year.

Two student bodies sharing a campus isn’t unheard of. Summer Creek coach Brian Ford cited the Baytown Lee fire in 1987 that forced its students to share a campus with Baytown Sterling.

Ford echoed Campbell’s thoughts on how the year has gone.

“Their kids are going to school here, but they’re not really doing the football aspect on our campus,” Ford said. “We haven’t had much interaction. Everything’s been very smooth. We’ve got it all scheduled out starting with us at 7 in the morning and transitioning into them.”

Friday’s game is an important one.

Summer Creek (4-2, 3-1 District 21-6A) can clinch a playoff spot with a victory. Kingwood (2-4, 2-2) needs a win to have any shot at making the playoffs.

Kingwood has beaten Summer Creek the last two years.

“It’s a huge game without actually sharing a campus,” Campbell said. “It’s going to be a huge game within itself as we get closer to the playoffs. It’s a big game with some added flair because we’re on the same campus.”