Have you ever heard of “Case Rally”? Or perhaps the long rivalry between Somerset Berkley and Joseph Case High School? What caused the rivalry to end? Why is it now called “Raider Rally”?

Since the 1930s, Somerset and Case High School had been Thanksgiving rivals. Their first game against each other was in 1930, where Somerset High School grasped the first win. Since then, this rivalry would continue for the next 90 years.

Although many had believed that this rivalry would meet its century mark, it ended abruptly right after Somerset Berkley’s win in the 2022 Thanksgiving game, where the final score was 50-14. It was then that the unfair matchup became apparent. Playing four divisions apart with a noticeable gap in their quantity of players, SB and Case’s football were on two different levels.

As 2023 started, the rivalry had broken off and SB began searching for a new opponent. Since the rivalry ended, SB’s pep rally which was originally known as “Case Rally” was renamed to “Raider Rally”. Although students were worried due to the possibility of not having a thanksgiving opponent, SB administration and staff quickly found one before our 2023 Raider Rally.

Since last year, SB’s new Thanksgiving opponent has been Central High School, a nearby school located in Providence. Having a smaller gap between their divisions, SB and Central High’s new rivalry has allowed a fairer playing field for both teams. In their first game, SB won with a score of 26-22. However, this year, SB’s football team had unfortunately lost 28-42.

Overall, students have mixed feelings about this new rivalry as it had been a drastic change within the span of a couple months. Some have argued that this rivalry will provide a greater challenge and establish a more competitive school spirit. However, only time will tell how this new rivalry will continue.