It is commonly known that Howell and Brighton are not generally friendly with each other, as most opposing student bodies would be, but why? What is the uproar between Howell and Brighton students? Why do we scorn their names when in conversation and cringe at the sight of their school colors? What made the Howell-Brighton rivalry spiral so out of control when it is supposed to be a friendly showdown once a year?

“Brighton is just that team that we have to beat. If we go all season and lose every game but beat Brighton, then I would say we had a pretty successful season,” senior MaCallister Laituri says.

When asking Howell students what their thoughts were about the relationship between Howell and Brighton, many had little to say other than the fact that they simply did not like them and gave no specific reasons why. Laituri summed up the overall feeling of our student body with the words above. On the other hand, junior Jackson Spisak had a different outlook on the situation.

“I just want that little brown jug,” Spisak says “ but why is there all the tension, not really sure.”

Who wouldn’t want bragging rights and champion game trophy, the little brown jug, for a whole year? The little brown jug is a tradition where a game trophy, also known as the little brown jug, is passed year by year to the winning team. This year we are very proud to announce that our boys here at Howell High have brought the jug back home with a big 34-10 win against Brighton this past Friday.

Being on the other side of town has made Brighton that much easier to pick out as our rivals. A rivalry in the dictionary is defined as a competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field. A superiority in what though? What is the end game for the school who comes out in top? Even more importantly, what are the guidelines for “coming out on top”? If there is no way to come out on top then what are we fighting about? Brighton junior Cassidy Newburg views the conversation in the same way saying:

“Of course we always want to beat you but we are always happy to see everyone at the same time. Being so close in proximity, we have friends from rival schools which always makes it  fun to come together for a little friendly competition”  Newburg says.

Friendly competition is the best way to describe our acquaintances on the other side of town. We may say we hate each other, but do we really? We can all talk the talk but when it comes down to it all we really want is a that little brown jug. In the end its a victory for Howell, not a loss for Brighton.