History in the Making

A preview of tonights Quad Night basketball games against cross-town rivals, the Gunn Titans.

Lauren Koyama (17) dribbles in last years game against the Titans.

Katie Foug

Lauren Koyama (’17) dribbles in last year’s game against the Titans.

Maddy Atwater, Features Editor

Tonight marks a huge night in the Gunn-Paly extensive rivalry: Basketball Quad Night. All four teams (junior varsity boys and girls followed by varsity boys and girls) will compete against each other at Gunn’s Titan Gym. Girls varsity kicks off at 6:15 followed by the boys game at 7:45. If you are interested in quality basketball and deep-rooted rivalry, I suggest being there.

Paly girls basketball team went undefeated in league play last season, defeating Gunn 45-34 and and 35-23. As of the current standings, Gunn holds a record of 8-3 with a league loss to Mountain View 50-40 on Tuesday night. Paly, however holds a record of 7-4 with a league loss to Los Gatos. With the Vikings coming off a big loss, expect a battle out on the court tonight.

What is more important is the boys game. This is a game of pride, may the better team leave the court with not only a victory, but the title of the “Best Sports School” in Palo Alto. But, how could such a game develop?

Well, I am sure everyone remembers the Gunn-Paly twitter war after a girls volleyball game in the 2014-2015 volleyball season. While arguing which school was better, shots were thrown about the upcoming quad night. Last basketball season, the Gunn boys team was in the lower division (El Camino) while the Vikings competed in the higher division (De Anza). What this meant was that the Gunn-Paly boys game was not a league game. Thus so, many Paly students commented that Gunn needed to move up a league before they could talk any smack. Gunn responded by telling Paly to wait for the quad night to see.

Well, Paly won. In fact, it was just about a 20 point win (71-54) in the Vikings favor. But now, the Titans have been placed in the De Anza league and will be playing Paly two times. At the moment, Paly stands with a record of 9-2 with losses to Saint Francis and Bellarmine, both teams competing in the West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL). The WCAL has consistently remained one of the most competitive leagues in the bay area. Gunn, however, remains undefeated with an 8-0 record. What does this mean, ladies and gentlemen? You are in for a good ride. This closing game to an exciting quad night should be filled with passion, heart, pride, and maybe even a little trash talking.

I hope to see you all at Titan Gym tonight. Not only will there be vicious rivalry on the court, but the two student sections will be in slight competition as well. Bring your game faces Paly, we have a reputation to uphold.