Falcons vs. Trojans. Red vs. Blue. Bryant Irvin vs. Bryant Irvin. Since 1998, the two teams have battled it out annually on the field and on the court. Off the field, the two schools have always been compared to each other. 

After last year’s hiatus from a true Battle of Bryant Irvin week, the annual weeklong event is back, and the tensions are running high. The trashtalk has begun and all the teams are ready for war. 

Falcon Field Hockey kicked off battle week on Wednesday afternoon when they hosted the Trojans in their final regular season game of the year. The five seniors took their home field for the last time starting at 4:30. The Falcons fell with a crushing 2-1 defeat, but the girls have already clinched a spot in next week’s SPC Tournament in Dallas. 

 “It was exciting to have such a big game at our home field,” senior co-captain Katherine Martin ‘22 said. “It was the last one there for us after four years so it made it even more special.” 

Girls Volleyball had to wait until Thursday to get their shot at the Trojans. In another home contest, seniors Taralyn Eschberger and Liz Hazelton played their final home volleyball games as  Falcons. The girls team lost in three sets, but they currently sit in fifth place in the SPC North Division and will play in next week’s tournament as well. 

Boys Volleyball, coming off their massive upset against St. Marks on Tuesday night, will travel down the street to TVS  this afternoon for their final regular season game. The win on Tuesday was their first win of the season, and with momentum riding high, the Falcons are eager to go up against their rivals one more time. 

“Tuesday’s game was reflective of how far we’ve come since I joined the varsity team as a freshman,” senior co-captain Femi Adedokun ‘22 said. “Though this win was extremely big for the team, it’s just one game. We’re shifting gears and taking that momentum to TVS.” 

But the main event of the week will kick off tonight at 7 p.m., when the Falcon football team will take the short trek down Bryant Irvin to Rosenthal Stadium on the Trinity Valley campus. Both teams enter this week’s contest with 3-2 conference records. Due to tiebreakers, the Falcons have been eliminated from contention for the championship game, but they can still spoil the Trojan’s chance at the big game with a win. 

“I’m just excited that I get to go out one last time with my brothers,” senior co-captain Kurt Kimmel ‘22 said. But when asked about beating TVS, Kimmel responded, “that would just be predicting the future.”

On the football field, the battle series is tied with both teams at 11 wins, but the Falcons have dominated lately, winning 10 of the last 12 matchups dating back to 2010, including the 2010 SPC Championship. 

Senior co-captain Patrick Sheats and his brothers, William ‘16, and Clark ‘18, have been playing in the game since 2011, but this will be the last game with a Sheats brother in it. 

With tears in his eyes, Patrick Sheats said, “I’m sad that it’s almost over, but I am ready to go get one last win against that school.”

The FWCD Spirit Club has designated the student section theme as camo. Show up (early) and BE LOUD! 

“TVS wanted to do camo, but we own that theme. The same way we own them,” Spirit Club co-president Lillie Turner ‘22 said. “The Trojans will be crying tonight.”