Peyton Richards (10) of Granada returns a kickoff for a large gain against Foothill in an East Bay Athletic League Valley Division football game at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, California on October 28, 2022. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group)
LIVERMORE — Bragging rights are usually enough to get both Granada and Livermore High excited for its annual crosstown rivalry game.
But much more will be on the line on Friday.
The winner of this year’s Livermore Bowl will be crowned East Bay Athletic League Valley Division champions in a game that could also have major North Coast Section playoff implications for Friday’s victor.
“You couldn’t write a script any different or better than having a shot at the league title and playing your city rival,” said Livermore coach John Wade, whose team will take the short 2.4-mile drive to Granada on Friday.
Granada linebacker Hayden Hobbs said this is the team’s biggest game of the season.
“We treat it like a Super Bowl,” Hobbs said. “It’s the biggest game of the year. Biggest game of our high school career.”
The rivalry between Granada and Livermore runs deep.
Livermore was the only high school in town for 71 years until Granada officially opened its doors in 1963. The rivalry is one often passed down through generations of Livermorians who still have ties to the teams that will play on Friday.
“My family is very excited to come out here,” said Livermore quarterback Matteo Lortie. “They love the rivalry and the competition between Granada and Livermore. We’ve experienced it for a long time.”
Like many other schools, rivalry week at Granada and Livermore usually consists of rallies and preplanned crowd work at the game. But the passion of the community and the fans, regardless of where each team is in the standings, is what makes this rivalry unique.
“The whole city comes out,” said Granada wide receiver Damien Miles. “We do it so the little kids in Livermore know where to go to high school.”
Granada has history on its side as the Matadors are 15-6 against Livermore since 2004. But the Cowboys have narrowed the gap since 2021, going 2-2 against Granada since 2021.
Both teams seem to be peaking at the right time as Granada and Livermore come into Friday’s matchup on three-game winning streaks.
“They’re definitely going to be a well-coached team and I know they’re going to battle,” said Granada coach Brandon Black.
Livermore is looking for its first league title since 1993 but will be seven-point underdogs, according to Calpreps.
Friday’s game could also just be part one of this year’s rivalry as both teams could see each other in the North Coast Section playoffs — a scenario that played out in 2018.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself … but with the new playoff format, you have to pay attention to the rankings,” Black said. “We see that our paths could collide again in a week or two.”
The gamesmanship between both programs has already started between the players – all in good fun of course.
“This year I feel like everyone is good, everyone is healthy and I think we’re going to go over there and kick some butt,” said Livermore running back Kamarri Robinson.
While Miles has friends at Livermore High, he said, “No conversations with them, especially this week.”
For both teams, the best part of Friday’s game will be the opportunity to play against opposing family members and childhood friends. The game is expected to be a packed house with both student sections planning big entrances.
“I think everyone in the whole city is probably going to be at the game, so it should be fun,” Wade said.
Originally published at Nathan Canilao