When people think of Golden Triangle rivalries, there’s West Point-Starkville, Heritage Academy-Starkville Academy and even the Highway 45 battle between West Point and Noxubee County.
One yearly matchup, however, that should be included on that list is Caledonia-New Hope, a rivalry that pits neighboring high schools, and neighbors, against each other and extends beyond just football.
On the gridiron, the Cavaliers and Trojans consistently battle to the last down and the last second on the clock, despite a lopsided all-time series record that favors New Hope.
“It’s a big one,” New Hope head coach Seth Stillman said. “Everyone in our county is going to be there and it’s definitely a pick-one-side kind of rivalry. No one gets to be in the middle of this one.”
New Hope (0-2) currently leads the series, 49-8-1, and has only lost to Caledonia twice this millennium (2004 and 2018).
The Cavaliers (1-2), currently riding a three-game losing streak in this matchup dating back to 2019, have a newfound sense of confidence this season fueled by the competitiveness of their previous games.
Both of the Cavs’ losses this season have been close ones, and the team could be 3-0 had they not been bitten by the turnover bug a few too many times.
“I’m excited for our young men to get a bad taste out of their mouth from last week,” Caledonia head coach Michael Kelly said. “We’ve played three good football teams. In our two losses, we’ve found a way to lose it instead of finding a way to win it. … We challenged our kids this week that when they line up, have great confidence and conviction about what they’re doing.”
The numbers back up Kelly’s contention; Caledonia’s average margin of defeat this season is 6.5 points: a six-point loss against Nettleton in Week 1 and a seven-point loss at Amory last week.
On the other hand, New Hope has fared much worse in two games, scoring 14 total points while giving up nearly 80.
The Trojans’ Week 2 loss against Choctaw County, a 40-0 home blowout, is one that New Hope wants to quickly forget.
“Our guys are extremely excited to get the opportunity to play in another one,” Stillman said. “We haven’t had the most success to start the year, so we’re really excited after the bye week to get back out there and show some of the changes we’ve made and show that we can start playing fast and physical again.”
Both sets of fans will be rocking, the stands will undoubtedly be packed, and a close game is expected. For Caledonia, now is the time for revenge, the time to get back in the win column, get back to .500 and take bragging rights into next fall.
“It’s been a big game for us in the five years I’ve been here,” Kelly said. “It’s the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve played them in front of our home fans. … It’s a big football game because of the rivalry, but it’s a big football game because it’s our next one on the schedule. We need to get a win under our belt.”
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