Blue team wins South Side’s 104th battle of the colors

Blue team members screamed with joy after learning of their win over the Red team in South Side High School’s 104th Red and Blue competition on Saturday night. In a close three-day battle between the teams, Blue came out on top, by a score of 52-47. Over the three nights of dancing, skits, songs, relays and other athletic events, about 400 girls engaged in friendly competition, a tradition that has held strong in Rockville Centre for over a century. 

Hundreds of people flocked to the high school to watch the events, which kicked off on March 5, when the themes were revealed: Eyewitness Blues and RedTime Stories. The serious competition began on Friday and continued on Saturday, providing a showcase for the girls to reveal the work they had done over the previous five weeks. Under the direction of South Side teachers Megan O’Brien and Margaret Kelly, the girls, freshmen through seniors, spent hours every day creating and practicing their various routines.

“Every year, what stands out most among both teams is the amount of work the girls are able to get accomplished in such a short period of time,” O’Brien said. “The dances, skit, songs and props all require specific attention. We are always impressed by how well students are able to balance the many responsibilities of Red and Blue in addition to their academic and personal commitments.”

Past team captains return for the weekend to judge the events. Blue won the concentration relay, scooter relay, floor hockey, fireman’s relay, superstar relay and volleyball, good for 3 points each. It also won emblem, props, three of the five dance routines — jazz a, jazz b and disco — tumbling and attendance. The teams tied on costumes, scoring 3 points each.

The Red team, however, won the basketball relay and tug of war, had the best posters, aerobic dance and tap dance routines, and scored high where it counted most: 7 points for its skit, 10 points for organization and 10 for sportsmanship.

The skit was something the Red co-captains, seniors Jillian Schumacher and Katie Ernst, said they were most excited about before the competition. They wrote it, and said they put a lot of time into it. “We’re really proud of it,” Ernst said. “It’s something we worked really hard on.”

Red and Blue was first organized in 1917, as an alternative to sports at a time when girls were not allowed to compete. “Red and Blue is a tradition that is important not only at South Side and with decades of alumni, but also with the community of Rockville Centre,” O’Brien said. “Many women who graduated from South Side return to this community and raise their families here, and their daughters in turn participate. The program brings together upwards of 400 girls who paint, sing, dance and compete in various athletic activities. It is an inclusive program that is used to emphasize unity, sportsmanship, empowerment and school spirit.”

The team captains also emphasized that while winning is nice, it is not the point of the competition. “My favorite part about Red and Blue is making new friendships, meeting new people,” Blue co-captain and SSHS senior Nicolina Mauro said, “and creating a bond with every girl on the team.”