What exactly is a rival? Almost all teams have opponents that they consider rivals, but these rivalries

come and go quickly. As for Lamar and La Junta, it just doesn’t seem to end.

It is the second longest rivalry in the state of Colorado and one of the longest rivalries West of the Mississippi. The rivalry officially started in 1905, and over 100 years later, it is still going strong. Many rivalries fade away because the students and staff lose competive feelings towards the other school. They just know they are supposed to play their hardest against the opposing team.

In the Lamar - La Junta rivalry, this is definitely not the case. “I hate Lamar, not just in sports but in general,” said Robert Naverrette, senior, from La Junta High School. “Ninety-eight percent of our school feels that way.”

“I respect their coaching staff and kids but I want to kick their butts every time we play them,” LHS Head Football Coach Jason Tice said.

Another aspect of the rivalry is the fact that the two cities are about the same size. “I think the similarities between the two towns and schools really keep the rivalry going,” Allan Medina, LHS principal, said. “Each school has a lot of pride in their team so when the two teams meet, the play escalates to a new level.”

Because there is so much pride riding on each and every game, the pressure of each play and excitement

of each win is magnified. “No matter how your season has gone, if you win that game, it was a good season,” Nate Eveat, La Junta alumnus, said.

Recently the Lamar - La Junta rivalry got a new twist, The Whistle. The Whistle started in 2003 when Chris Medina, son of the LHS principal, moved to La Junta and became an assistant coach for the LJHS Tigers. He knew how much the rivalry meant to both schools and thought of an idea to amplify the intensity of each game even more. He contacted Lamar and both sides agreed to create a traveling trophy.

In the four-year existence of the Whistle, Lamar and La Junta have each won it twice. The Whistle will be put on the line once more on Oct. 27 when the Savages make their way to La Junta for the fifth annual Whistle Game. “We’re going to win from now on,” Tice said.