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The rivalry between Avonworth and North Catholic High Schools is both well known and revered. The rivalry between the two schools is well known within Avonworth and talked about online as well. This rivalry has defined Avonworth’s fall sports season all throughout November.
This year’s showdown began on October 11th, 2021, with the Avonworth Cross country team beating both North Catholic and Quaker Valley in the third section meet of the season.
Following the cross country team’s trists with North Catholic, it was the Lady Lopes Volleyball Team’s turn. The Lady Lopes Varsity Volleyball team lost 0-3 in a very anticipated match against their “rival”, and rumors floated around both players and spectators of the game, accusing North Catholic of playing dirty. Avonworth’s Varsity Volleyball team’s season continued to the WPIAL Championship bracket, where they faced and defeated Ellwood City in the first round [3-1]. However, NC ultimately ended up being the PIAA champions.
NC and Avonworth continued to butt heads, clashing repeatedly from sport to sport, and girls soccer was the next battleground. NC and Avonworth versed twice, with Avonworth winning the section championship game on November 16th [3-0], but later going on to be defeated in the semi-finals at Hershey Park Stadium on November 19th [2-1].
Avonworth’s final match-up against North Catholic for this year’s fall sports season occurred through football. During the WPIAL Football Semi-Finals, the game that would send one of our school’s teams to the state championship at Hersey field for the third time this year, Avonworth lost a very close game, with our only touchdown being discredited for ‘holding’, and North Catholic scoring in the final quarter, leaving the game 7-0.
It is uncommon for two schools to verse each other this often, and in so many different sports, and this phenomenon can likely be accredited to keeping the Avonworth-North Catholic rivalry alive. With winter and fall sports on the horizon, one can only wonder whether this match-up will continue happening, and what that means for the future of Avonworth sports.
