Hillside-Southeast Raleigh matchup brings old-school rivalry memories

We talked here last week about the Hillside-Southern showdown between one of Durham's best hometown rivalries -- a contest that Hillside won in front of fans at Durham County Stadium.

This week, Hillside moves on to face Southeast Raleigh High School. And though Southeast Raleigh is a new institution, just a decade old, to Durham educator (and recent state schools superintendent candidate) Eddie Davis, it brings back memories of an old rivalry dating to the days of segregated schools, before Raleigh's all-black Ligon became a middle school in the post-civil rights era:

Before full-scale integration, the Hillside "Hornets" and the Ligon "Little Blues" were among the elite black high school athletic programs in the state of North Carolina. If the state championship was not won by one of these schools, the eventual champ most likely had to defeat one of these giants....

Although the Southeast Raleigh "Bulldogs" football team is not a "direct" successor to Ligon, it is still an integral part of Raleigh's vibrant African-American community.

So, for the victorious team on Friday night, this game will allow the current student/athletes the opportunity to advance to the Eastern 4-A championship game. It will also provide a chance to rekindle the memories of the legacy of the old Ligon and Hillside rivalry for lots of "old-school fans."

See more over at Eddie's new blog. Meanwhile, Hillside travels to the City of Oaks tonight for the third round playoff matchup.