Game of the Week Preview
It may have been 10 years since Holtville last squared off against Imperial on the gridiron, but as residents can attest, blood never gets a chance to cool in the Valley.
Rivals for years, the two schools found themselves separated by bureaucracy after Imperial left the Desert League following the 2008 season and have been unable to reconnect since. Until now.
Now adherents of the two teams get to polish up their old animosities and maybe shine them into their opponents eyes if the light catches them just right.
It will be a matchup of two teams on even footing — the Vikings and the Tigers both picked up week one wins, though not without a few hiccups — but it will also be a matchup of if not a David and a Goliath, then at least a David and a typical NBAer. Imperial’s enrollment is more than twice that of Holtville’s, and when the teams last met the Tigers flattened their competition to a tune of 50-0.
Coach Turner recognizes the challenge his team faces in playing the bigger school, acknowledging that IHS is a “hard-hitting team” and so “[Holtville’s] got to bring it.”
He was pleased to come away with a win (54-34) against Salvatierra Prep this past Friday but was quick to address some perceived sloppiness in his team’s play. He mentioned that a focus in practice this week has been tightening the hinges, particularly on offense.
When asked if he focused on anything in particular when game-planning for Imperial he demurred, saying he was more concerned with his own team’s execution. Nevertheless, he did acknowledge IHS QB Santi de la Torre as somebody to watch out for, calling him “a force to be reckoned with.”
Ultimately, he expects “both teams to be up for this.”
In many ways, the onus of being “up for this” falls squarely on the shoulders of the Tigers. As the putative favorite and playing in the friendly confines of Shimamoto-Simpson Stadium they must avoid the temptation of easing their way into a game against a hungry Holtville squad. Certainly they wish to avoid a repeat of last week, which saw them wheeze into the half down double digits.
“The kids really don’t know about it. But the parents know. The towns know. The fire will be relit on Friday” — Holtville High Coach Jason Turner on the resumption of the IV Classic.
They went on to recover from that deficit to win 29-18, but will undoubtedly be looking to better that result against the Vikings.
Before the season, Coach Kerry Legarra of Imperial said the renewal of the IV Classic “was a good thing for the people that know what the history of the rivalry is all about,” but he added that the growth the city of Imperial has seen over the years has created a sizeable population that is unfamiliar with it.
The Tigers will do their best to give them all a lesson out of the old school on Friday, while the Vikings work hard to blaze a new trail. In any case, sparks should fly.