Usually I don’t let my love for sports interfere with my opinions on some hot local topic. But this week a yearly tradition hits the Valley … The Snoqualmie Valley Football Championship, or

Valley Cup, as it is more affectionately called by locals.

The tradition of the two Valley high schools meeting started in 1945,

when the new Mount Si High School took on the predecessor to Cedarcrest, the

Tolt Demons. I imagine that a Friday night game was a big deal back then, due to

a lack of television and other diversions from the sport of sports. Luckily for

the Valley, those diversions haven’t taken over the scene; and a Friday night

Football game is still a big deal.

Many generations of Upper-Valley families have fond memories of

their trip to the Lower Valley, and likewise, many former Demons have fond

memories of their travel east to the foot of Mount Si.

So we have this tradition that has bounced around for several years, and

in 1974 a bonus was added in the form of a championship trophy, courtesy of

… you guessed it, the hometown newspaper, your Valley Record.

Then, when the two teams met again for the first time in over a decade

in 1997, the trophy was pulled out of a dusty closet and given new life and

new meaning. And for the first time, the Lower Valley had the fortune to cart

the prize home.

This year’s Valley Championship will likely have more meaning. Both

teams are struggling with many young players filling out the rosters. KingCo has

not been kind to either of our Valley teams. But there is one carrot that can sooth

all the bumps and bruises of a mediocre year, that Heisman-like trophy and

bragging rights for another year. And if for some strange reason, you don’t think

it matters to the players, go ahead and put your head back in the sand …

better yet, c’mon down to the old football field and watch our athletes battle it

out, many of whom will be playing their last game. Look into their eyes after

the game and see how much it meant to beat their cross-Valley rivals.

Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Mount Si High. Hope to see you there.

Jim McKiernan