Our View: New high school means new opportunities

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Kudos to schools, fans for great start to rivalry

You couldn’t have asked for a better setting Friday night at the Raptors’ Nest.

A crystal clear sky, balmy temperature and a bulbous orange moon rising in the eastern sky framed the picture of two intra-city high school football teams meeting for the first time on the new school’s turf.

Fan bases for each school came out in droves and packed the stands on each side of the field.

Yes, the Woodbury student fan section was a sea of blue t-shirts, some with slogans such as “Roast the Raptors” and “Stomp the Raptors,” as would be expected from a student populace eager to support their football team in their first game against a new rival.

And East Ridge fans fulfilled their promises of a “black out,” with students and parents wearing their shirts emblazoned on the back with the slogan “A tradition begins…”

With 3,500-seat capacity stadium filled to the brim on each side of the field, overflow fans sat on the grassy hill behind the south end zone to witness the kickoff, which resulted in a Woodbury score, to the delight of the Royal faithful.

But it wasn’t long before East Ridge fans saw one of their own, Raptors running back Ezekiel Okeleye, scamper for a touchdown to even the score at 7 in the first quarter.

After a hard-fought first half, the Royals overwhelmed their younger opponents in the end with a 34-7 victory; but the final score was no matter. A new rivalry, and a tradition was born in the community.

We applaud the teams for their hard work on the field and the fans of both teams for their sportsmanship. This is definitely an exciting time for the community. And it is also a sensitive time as some friends and even families will begin the school year on either side of the East Ridge/Woodbury border.

But no matter which color you may have be wearing on Friday nights this fall, and which high school you or your children will be attending this year or in the near future, this is still one community. The only difference being that, for the first time, there will be two teams, two high schools, to cheer for, for many years to come.

Who would complain about a new school’s amenities?

With the official opening of a new high school in Woodbury on Tuesday, a vision that was set forth more than three years ago has come to fruition: East Ridge High School is up and running.

The school, which cost just less than $100 million to build, is an amazing new place for its students to learn and learn well.

From the auditorium to the gymnasium, from the classroom to the lunchroom, it’s a high school to be admired by anyone interested in the value of education.

But as the new high school has neared its opening date, there have been some grumblings from some in the community about equity among the three high schools in District 833.

As the students, teachers, administration and staff at East Ridge settle into their new digs over the next several weeks, we would ask those who believe that the school has unfair advantages in its amenities over the amenities at Park and Woodbury high schools to temper those frustrations.

Yes, East Ridge is a wonderful addition to the district and abounds with some terrific amenities. But isn’t that what one would hope for in a new school? To build it with up-to-date technology? To staff it with quality teachers and support staff?

Organizing the talents and building the facilities was by no means an easy task for district officials. Now that it is all put together, the next challenge that faces the district is how to make sure that Park and Woodbury can be brought up to speed, if need be, on some of the advantages that East Ridge currently has. We encourage the school board and district officials to continue discussions on this topic of interest.

And we ask that any parents and students and district staff who have interest in the topic remain constructive in their feedback and criticism.

On Wednesday, Sept. 16, the Woodbury Bulletin will feature a special section “New Beginnings,” which will highlight the new school year in District 833 and all the changes that come with it, including recaps on the new grade configurations, the new high school and upgrades to the existing high schools.

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