A first-rate boys basketball rivalry should feature two high-quality teams, close contests and fan interest that borders on fanaticism. Tampa Catholic-Jesuit certainly fits that criteria. Each season, hundreds of students from each school fill up gymnasiums to be part of the struggle between the only two Catholic institutions that play high school sports in Hillsborough County. The teams are not in the same classification so that means bragging rights are at stake. Here are three reasons we think you turn on Spectrum Sports to watch this grudge match Friday. (Unless you landed early tickets, the game has already sold out.)
1. One-time encounter: This is the only meeting between the teams that officially counts. Last month, Jesuit hosted its rival but the game was called in the third quarter by the referees because players were slipping on the hardwood floor and it was deemed unsafe.
2. Catch the fever: Fans have gotten into this heated rivalry. Nearly 30 years ago, someone poured beans into the toilets at Tampa Catholic, flooding the men’s bathrooms. That prank prompted administrators from both schools to hold the series at a neutral site. The two coaches — Tampa Catholic’s Don Dziagwa and Jesuit’s Neal Goldman — decided to bring the series back to the schools’ gymnasiums and a home-and-home series in the early 2000s. The student sections — Tampa Catholic’s Green Locos and Jesuit’s Blue Crew — are among the best in the bay area. The Green Locos showed up to Jesuit wearing fatigues during last month’s meeting that was canceled. In that same game, Jesuit fans turned their backs in unison when the Crusaders’ starting lineup was announced.
3. Catch a rising five-star: This is the last regular-season home game for Tampa Catholic’s Kevin Knox, a five-star recruit who was named a McDonald’s All-American last month. Knox, a 6-foot-8 small forward, is averaging 28 points per game. Last month, he had 15 points, including three 3-pointers, in the meeting that did not count.
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