It’s playoff time for fall sports which means teams’ seasons are on the line. Both Pleasant Valley volleyball and football teams are paired up with hometown rivalry, Bettendorf, for the first round games.
It’s Dog week in the valley which has both players and students excited for the big games. The volleyball team played Bettendorf on Oct. 23. The spartans were the higher seed and had already beat the Bulldogs earlier in the season.
Senior Adrea Arthofer said, “It hasn’t hit me yet that it was my last time playing on our home court. It’s a weird feeling because you don’t expect high school to go as fast as it does, but it was more motivation for me to beat Bett and make my last memory playing volleyball at home a good one.” The spartans beat the bulldogs in four sets, advancing to the regional final game against Lin-Mar.
The students are pumped to go out and cheer on their classmates and help them get a victory. Zach Morel, a senior student, explained, “I’m really excited for the games against Bettendorf. Going against our rival makes the atmosphere intense and that makes being a part of the student section something special, especially during big games like these.”
This will be the last time the volleyball and football teams get to play in the hometown rivalry game because playoff time is survive and advance, meaning if they lose, their season is over.
The football team lost 20-0 against Bettendorf in their first game of the season. However, they had key players not able to play because of injuries. The team is hoping for a different outcome in the upcoming game, which takes place on Oct. 26.
“We are feeling hyped and don’t want our season to end so soon. It’s a great environment to play in with lots of intensity and trash talk,” senior linebacker, Max Obrien, said.
Dog week is an exciting time for both schools because it gets the entire community involved and ready to cheer on their school. Volleyball took care of business and hopefully football can follow in their footsteps.
