Evans Knights and Lakeside Panthers Faced Off on Eighth Stop of MaxPreps Rivalry Series presented by the National Guard

Three point six miles is all that separates Evans (Ga.) and Lakeside (Evans, Ga.), a little more than an eight-minute drive. While we were there, it wasn't uncommon to hear of students who had relatives or friends that went to the cross-town school or who dated someone from the other school. It is these situations, where the communities are very intertwined, that made this rivalry one of the more unique and special rivalries in this series.

Before game day, both schools displayed the Army National Guard Rivalry Trophy during their lunch periods. This opportunity gave students a chance to not only see what the MaxPreps Rivalry Series was truly about but also have their picture taken with the trophy and a chance to earn some Army National Guard gear. SSG Santos and SGT Crawford of the Georgia Army National Guard had students doing push-ups in return for water bottles, t-shirts, and key chains. MaxPreps even got in on the action when a head-to-head push up competition developed against one of the students.

The very next day, Evans hosted arguably one of the most exciting and enjoyable pep rallies. With the trophy set as the backdrop, the school's competitive cheerleading squad tumbled and flipped, their defending national championship drill team ran drills that left us speechless, teachers danced, and of course MaxPreps and the National Guard got their chance to shine too. Together we took the floor as SSG Santos got the students pumped about the potential of having the trophy stay with the Knights and spoke about how special it was to be chosen for this Rivalry Series.

Even though it had rained all afternoon and the forecast was looking bleak, nothing was going to put a damper on the crowd's energy. Students from Lakeside participated in a "white out" while the Evans students held their own with a "blackout."

Normally before games, there is a ceremonial coin toss in which a member of the local National Guard partakes in the pregame tradition. But for good reason, we had to break away from tradition for this game. The principal's assistant at Lakeside, Faith Scott, is married to the Chief Warrant Officer 3 of one of the two National Guard battalions that is listed on the Rivalry Trophy. Unfortunately, he along with his other mates were not able to participate in the games' festivities, because they are currently serving in Afghanistan. It was this reason that we felt it necessary to step away from tradition and honor Mrs. Scott by having her partake in the coin toss.

As tight as the game remained throughout the entire match-up, nothing was more exciting or tense than the final four minutes. In the last few minutes of game time, there were two missed field goals, two fumbles (one of which was recovered), an eighty yard drive on the ground, an interception, a recovered onside kick, and a thirty yard touchdown pass. The Evans Knights entered those final four minutes needing exactly all of those scenarios to play out in order to win… and in Hollywood fashion, it did.

The Knights were finally able to break their four-year losing streak against the Lakeside Panthers. For the seniors on the team, who had long been waiting for this moment, it must have been bittersweet to accept the Army National Guard Rivalry Trophy from SFC Hornsby. They had finally beaten their biggest rivals but it was the last time they would face them. However, they should find comfort in knowing that they left the underclassmen with a new legacy—a legacy to keep the Army National Guard Rivalry Trophy at Evans High School.

To enjoy the entire rivalry experience, include more photos and videos of an entire week's rivalry activities, please visit the Rivalry Series page dedicated to Evans and Lakeside.

If you'd like to nominate your school to be a part of the next MaxPreps Rivalry Series, let us know on Twitter or Instagram by using #MaxPrepsRivals or sending us an email to RivalrySeries@MaxPreps.com.