North and South Meet in Grosse Pointe Rivalry Game

GROSSE POINTE, MI — Honor, along with a trophy, are at stake Friday as the Grosse Pointe North and Grosse Pointe South high school football teams meet in the long running rivalry series.

The game between the two schools is part of the Great American Rivalry Series, presented by the United States Marine Corps. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at North in Grosse Pointe Woods. The rivalry series is in its 48th year, and North has amassed a 29-18 lead, but South has taken home the trophy five of the last six years.

South has a 4-0 record for the season, while North’s record is 3-1.

No one is pretending the game is just another edition of Friday night football, though coaches don’t want players to think so much about the rivalry aspect that they lose focus.

“I don’t try to pretend,” North coach Frank Sumbera told the Grosse Pointe Times. “It’s the North-South game; it’s not just another game. But you have to keep yourself focused to the point where you have to know your assignments on offense and defense, and play to the best of your ability.”

The analogies fly like a winning touchdown pass when either team speaks about the game.

“Every analogy you can use, every adjective you can use, this rivalry is it,” South coach Tim Brandon told the newspaper. “You look forward to it all year long. From the time that the previous game ends till the time it starts up the next year, that’s what we think about, that’s what we look forward to.”

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