RJ Reynolds and Mt. Tabor high school have been rivals for decades. The bad blood between the schools has stood the test of time. From the beginning, the student bodies at each schools have loathed each other. The reasoning for this mutual loathing is simple…

   RJ Reynolds and Mt. Tabor are two really big high schools in WInston Salem. This rivalry is known by every school in town and has established itself as one of the biggest around. This rivalry becomes extremely apparent when the two schools meet at sporting events.

   Every time these two schools meet at sporting events, the stands are packed. One could tell that the two schools are playing each other by the packed stands on both sides. This rivalry that has existed since what seems like forever, causes students to mark their calendars.

   The number of people in attendance when Mt. Tabor plays RJ Reynolds is way higher than average. People come out in force to pack the stands and see the two schools battle it out. This has been the case for years and the question is, why?

   “I have a lot of friends that play field hockey for Mt. Tabor, but when the game starts, they quickly turn into temporary enemies,” senior girls tennis player Caitlin Casey said.     

   The students are the most passionate about the rivalry. The best themes for the student sections always seem to be when RJ Reynolds plays Mt. Tabor. The student sections at basketball games gets rowdy. The students pack the bleachers and the two student sections shout playfully offensive things across the court to each other. Its as if there are two games being played, the basketball game, and the student section yelling game.

   “Mt. Tabor is a school that’s really easy to hate. That’s why sporting events in which the two schools play each other are extremely intense,” senior baseball player Andrew Cox said.

   Although soccer gets a lot of fans coming out for the games, it is only right that the basketball games get the spotlight. This year, for the 2017-18 basketball season, Mt. Tabor has already defeated RJ Reynolds by six points in their first encounter. With the recent loss on the minds of the RJ Reynolds players, they look to get their revenge on Thursday, December 21.