Tonight at Spieglberg Stadium will be the cross city high school football game between the South Medford Panthers vs the North Medford Black Tornado. South Medford has already locked up 2nd place in the South Western Conference and is going to the Oregon state playoffs. North Medford is out of the playoffs and is fighting tonight for pride after a disappointing season. Football has always been big in Medford. Before they split the town into two high schools the Medford Black Tornado were a perennial powerhouse in the state of Oregon. It was sometimes referred to as "The University of Medford." When I first came to town in the 1970's there was still only one high school and I had a difficult time identifying with the Black Tornado. I had grown up in the Coos Bay/ North Bend area and had a strong dislike for the Black Tornado as a result of everything from football to their debate team. Therefore I was happy to see the school split. I was even happier, when I discovered that we lived in a area on the east side of Medford where my kids were on track to go to South Medford. Therefore from the time the kids were in grade school we made a practice of going to South Medford football and basketball games. The kids are long gone into the adult world but my wife and I still have season tickets for South Medford football and basketball. When the school was spit North Medford took the the records, mascot and arrogance of the Medford Black Tornado! About the time my kids were ready to go to high school South Medford had developed a reputation on the east side of Medford as the "poor school" and many east side parents played games on where they lived in order to get their kids into North Medford. The dividing line runs east to west but the North Medford district on the more prosperous east side grew faster with new subdivisions than did the east side south of the dividing line.. Real Estate agents warned parents about buying homes in the South Medford area. We refused to pay games and our kids went to South and each got a very good education from very caring teachers.
Since the split South has been the dominate basketball school and North the dominate football school.
Since the split 21 years ago South Medford has won 7 Black & Blue Bowls and North Medford has won 14.
Both teams play their home games at Speiglberg Stadium. This year South Medford will be the home team for the Black & Blue Bowl, so we will be able to sit in our reserved seats. The North Medford fans will be required to move across to the other side of the stadium to the visitors section.
So tonight as I wait for my trip to Eugene for the Oregon vs Arizona State football game I will attend the Black & Blue Bowl and cheer on the South Medford Panthers. Go South.
UPDATE: South Medford wins 21 to North Medford 12. Way to go!
