When friends become rivals

Braden River High and Lakewood Ranch High — two schools separated by less than four miles.

The Pirates and the Mustangs — two athletic programs that already have begun developing storied traditions.

The players are best friends and former classmates. Athletes who grew up grew up playing on the same Pop Warner and Little League fields.

And now those same players who spent years united as teammates find themselves on opposite sides of the ball.

During the past five years, Braden River and Lakewood Ranch have developed one of the area’s most talked about rivalries.

It began five years ago when the Pirates and Mustangs lined up face-to-face on the gridiron for the first time. Braden River walked away with a victory and, in some ways, shocked a Mustangs program with more game-time experience.

Since then, the rivalry has spread across all sports. And when the two East County schools collide, all bets are off. The players are no longer friends. They are rivals, each looking to one-up his or her competition.
Bragging rights, and in some cases — district dominance — are on the line.

And this Friday night should prove to be no different. The Pirates and Mustangs will face off for the sixth time in their season opener.

After winning three straight, the Pirates fell to the Mustangs for the second time last season — something Braden River is hoping to avoid this season.

“It would mean the world to me,” Braden River defensive end Kelvin Albritton says. “It’s my senior year; and if I don’t win another game all season, I just want to beat Lakewood (Ranch).”

Both teams enter this season filled with youth and inexperience, and will rely on a few key defensive starters to carry them tomorrow night in, what should be, a relatively low-scoring game.

When it comes to rivalries you never know what can happen. Emotions tend to run high and players often come into their own. Anything is possible.

“We know a lot of the guys, and it’s always a game to look forward to,” Lakewood linebacker Luke Sears says.

But one thing is certain: Once the pads are shed and the stadium lights are turned off, the players and their fans will go back to being friends. At least until the two teams meet again.