RABBITTOWN, Ga. — Is it on the same scale as the Gainesville-East Hall boys rivalry? It probably depends on who you ask.
But fireworks are almost always part of the mix whenever the East Hall and North Hall boys square off on the hardwood. Some of their Lanierland battles over the decades have been legendary.
However, when the Trojans head to Valhalla on Wednesday for a Class 3A first-round playoff matchup, for the first time ever, it will be a do-or-die situation for both teams.
The winner will move on to the second round. The loser will pack up their equipment for the season and begin preparations for next season.
Both head coaches -- Joe Dix for East Hall and Jarvis Davenport of North Hall -- have been a huge part of the rivalry for well more than 20 years, mainly as part of the same East Hall powerhouse teams from the 1990s into the late 2000s.
Now, they’ll be on opposite ends of the floor in what could be the biggest matchup in the history of the rivalry.
“It could be,” Dix said about the looming showdown at Seth Vining Court. “I can’t recall any Hall County (School District) teams meeting in the playoffs, so that makes it pretty big right there. It’s a pretty big rivalry anyway, and now, with everything that’s at stake in the playoffs, it’s a big game for sure.”
Davenport, who played for and was an assistant under Dix at East Hall, tried to downplay it somewhat.
“Me and Coach Dix, we're best friends. We talk all the time,” Davenport said after a practice early in the week. “We both want each other to do well. But we have a game that we have to play. I’m sure it'll be a battle.”
East Hall (22-5) won the previous two matchups this season in convincing fashion -- 78-53 on Nov. 12 and 82-71 in Lanierland -- although the second meeting was closer than the final score indicated. The Vikings, who are the No. 8 overall seed in the tournament, finished as Lanierland runners-up and Region 8-3A runners-up to Cherokee Bluff.
After that Lanierland loss to the Vikings, North Hall (16-11) went 10-6, with all six losses coming to Pickens, GAC, and Lumpkin County in Region 6-3A, all of whom made the Class 3A playoff field. However, they finished fourth in Region 6-3A and dropped to the 25th seed.
Despite all the underlying storylines, Jarvis said he is trying to treat it like just another game. But he also acknowledged that this one does carry a little extra weight.
“I treat every game like we’re 1-0 during the season. They beat us twice, and we had other games to play,” he said. “But now, if we lose, we’re out, so that probably makes this a little more intense in that regard.”
In the two meetings, East Hall’s offensive firepower was on full display, with Chasen Jones, Jamarcus Harrison, Brayden Langston, and Jordan Richerson just too much for the North Hall defense.
But Jones, the Vikings’ leading scorer, will miss the entire playoffs after being seriously injured in a car accident this past weekend. It will be a blow on both ends of the court for the Vikings.
But Davenport said he expects the Vikings to come out with a defined sense of purpose.
“Chase was a huge part of what they were doing. Just thank God that he’s on the road to recovering,” he said. “They don't have their whole team, and they're going to have to try to galvanize themselves without him.
“I told the guys, if you have a wounded animal and you put it in the corner, it's not just going to lay down and die; it's going to come out fighting and give everything that it has. That's exactly what I expect East Hall is going to do (without Chasen).”
Dix said the Trojans presented plenty of problems for the Vikings, even before Jones’ accident. Cole Hulsey, Conner Spain, and Micah Jimmerson have been the catalysts for North Hall's second-half turnaround.
“Cole, he's a problem. He had 54 points in the two games against us this year,” Dix said. “So, you know, he's playing well. Their big three have all had big games for them. They’ve been playing very well the last couple of weeks.”
However, what could make this an instant classic could also be the circumstances and location. The East Hall gym could be a standing-room-only event with two of the area’s most vocal fan bases.
“I think it'll be a great atmosphere. I just don't know where we are right now. I mean, we practiced (Sunday) night, and then we got done practicing on Monday, and you know, our kids are in a tough situation,” Dix said.
“I just want us to go out and play, and I don't want our hearts to be heavy, you know. I think Chasen would want us to go out and compete. He's part of the heart and soul of our team.”
Davenport knows all too well just how tough Seth Vining Court can be playing on the road in a must-win scenario.
“They're at home. They're gonna have their crowd behind them. It’s going to be loud, and I’m sure it’ll be an electric atmosphere,” he said. “Hopefully, we'll have some people that show up as well. I just know it's gonna be a battle.
“But I also think it’ll be a lot of fun. We’re excited about the opportunity.”
