KATE MORAN/YH Forget 'Harvard sucks, Princeton doesn't matter:' New Haven has its own rivalry.

Hillhouse-Cross: the local version of The Game

• The city's two biggest high schools collide in a heated, old-school basketball rivalry.

To live it is to witness 5,400 screaming fans from all over the community supporting a battle 80 years in the making. Ever since New Haven High School split in 1920 to form Commercial, the forerunner to Cross, and Academic, which would become Hillhouse, the two schools have had one of the region's longest rivalries. And while the game on Sat., Feb. 5, was hardly the end of the season for either team, something much bigger than a championship was on the line for both the schools and their fans. "The winner of this game is the city champion, regardless of what the standings may say," said Willy Roundtae, a 1993 graduate of Hillhouse, who has come back for the games against Cross several times. "Rank doesn't really matter," Cross head coach Jim Reynolds added. "Whenever you play Hillhouse, everything goes out the window."

Those expecting an intense battle between two top-notch teams were not disappointed. After the Cross Governors jumped out to a 13-1 lead, the Hillhouse Academics stormed right back, knotting the game at 16 with just over six minutes left in the first half. Cross senior Marquis Mitchell, who would lead all scorers with 24 for the game, hit a number of key shots at the end of the half, to lead the Governors into the locker room with a 10-point lead. When Hillhouse took the lead midway through the fourth, Mitchell was there again, hitting another three-pointer en route to a seven-point Governor victory. But Mitchell's gutsy play, in addition to outstanding games from stars Jason Benton '00, Louis Bosley '00, and Tyrese Sullivan '01, will have to fight for its place in the record books along side some of the greatest ball players in the state and the region.

The great rivalry

Faced with an increasing number of students at the end of World War I, New Haven split its sole public high school in two, almost immediately creating a rivalry. The development of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference just a year later led to a postseason tournament. In its first year of existence, Commercial pulled out a victory and went on to take the New England tournament. "You're talking about two teams that have collectively won 34 championships," Fleming said. "That is a great part of what leads to this rivalry." In the spirit of competition, he added, "Hillhouse has won 20, [Cross has] only won 14."

This domination peaked in the '60s, when the two teams combined to win the state championship every year except 1962. In one of the tightest games in the history of the championship, Hillhouse squeaked by the Governors 68-65 in 1963. Towards the end of the decade, both schools lost legendary coaches. Sam Bender left Hillhouse after compiling a 435-145 record and capturing nine state trophies and six New England championships in his 25 years. The Governors parted ways with Salvatore "Red" Verderame after he took home his fifth state title in 1966.

"It was just as intense then," Rol-and Berese said of his years in the early '60s at Cross, during which the Governors won two championships. "Back then they played at the New England tournament, which was just..." Berese is interrupted as a fight breaks out between two spectators on the other side of the arena, quickly drawing the attention of the crowd and the swarms of police officers on hand. "That nonsense will stop the games from being played," Berese says as he shakes his head, thinking back to his senior year. In 1963, the New England championships were played for the last time after fights the year before led many schools to withdraw. "These games are always a bit emotional for people; they can lose their cool. It has always been that way," he said.

KATE MORAN/YH

Others in attendance remember the great Hillhouse-Cross games of their youth. "I first started following these games back when `Super John' was playing," said Ronard McIvrie, father of current Hillhouse player Reggie Alston '01, in reference to John Williamson '70, who led Cross to several state championships between 1967 and 1970. "Super John," as he was known, became the first Connecticut high school player to be named a first team All-American and went on to play in the NBA. McIvrie recalls the enormous community support for the game, even though at that time he was on the other side of the battle. "Back then I was a big-time Cross fan," he admitted. "I used to always root against Hillhouse. Now, of course, I root for my son."

Neighbor vs. neighbor

While individual loyalties may have shifted, the attitude of the community toward the game has not. With just under three minutes left in the first half, Desmond Caddell '02 completes a fast break for the Governors, causing Cross fans to go wild. "Cheer for your babysitter," screams Pamela Caddell Boyd, Desmond's mother, to several of their young neighbors sitting next to her. "The entire neighborhood supports this team," she said. New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. echoed the sentiment. "There is great positive community support for these two teams," he said. "Some of [those in attendance] never went to these schools. The support spans ages and racial groups."

For just that reason, this year's game moved back to the New Haven Coliseum after a two-decade long absence. After years at smaller venues such as Quinnipiac College and even Payne-Whitney Gymnasium, the desire to bring it back downtown was strong. "People have been screaming for this game to be back here for years," Bill Dixon, director of Youth Services for the city, said. "By bringing it back, we've made it easy to get to, and the game continues to get incredible support from the community." The move to the Coliseum was also significant for the players. "Playing here gets us all fired up," Bosley said. "It's definitely a little special to be able to play at a place like this."

For the Caddells and other families, the rivalry's history has implications well beyond the court. "My baby may go to college because of this," Boyd said with a rush of excitement. "Oh God, I hope he can, I really hope he can." Added McIvrie, "I've already started getting letters from colleges about my son. So I make sure he gets to the gym. I take him there myself, to make sure that he keeps working hard so that he can go to college." Fleming also realizes the significance of the game to many of his players. "In my five years here, I've coached 25 seniors, and 23 of them have gone off to colleges on full scholarships."

This significance is not lost on the community that has supported the rivalry for so many years. In attendance were Liz Gambardeli and Frank Redente, who help coordinate the Farnam Neighborhood House, a community center where a majority of the players on both teams have grown up. "See Jason," Redente says with pride, pointing to Benton, "he started in the program when he was eight. And Louis," he says, pointing to Bosley, "was with us by 10." But Gamberdeli stressed that the House does more than simply provide a gym. "We really make a commitment to these kids," she said. "If they need tutoring, we talk to the school and make sure they get the help they need. We also have a number of childcare and family programs to help them and their families."

By playing at Farnam, many of the players from both teams get to know each other quite well, according to Redente. "Even if they play for different schools on this court, at Farnam they may be on the same team." This familiarity fuels the competition according to Ernest Roth, a former assistant principal at Hillhouse. "A lot of them live in adjoining neighborhoods and have played against each other for a number of years," he said.

Despite any familiarity, the two schools' fans remain bitterly divided. "There's never a friendly rivalry," Benton said. "We have really vocal fans." And as the game comes to a close, those fans are staking their claim to victory in style. As the game wanes, cries of "Hey, hey, hey, goodbye" sound out from the Cross sections of the crowd. But the Academics' fans are unfazed. "It's all about being the best," Dyshell Gilber, a junior at Hillhouse, said. "Hillhouse is always the best." As the two teams leave the floor and Cross fans take up the chant "We're number one," Fleming, now just outside the locker room, is still relishing the moment. "This is awesome," he said.

Kate Moran contributed to this article.

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