On March 22, Jesuit and Rio battled it out to see who was the best on American River Drive, but this time it was not only two schools competing against one another for bragging rights but two schools trying to make a difference.

The Rowdy Raiders took on the Galley Crew for a charity basketball game.

There is always fun and friendly competition when Rio and Jesuit get together regardless of the event.  

Tensions between the American River rivalry of Jesuit and Rio reached a peak during the game. Spirited and enthusiastic students roared for their favorite team showering the players with pride and support.

However, the drive to help charity overpowered the intense competition.

“We decided to play for charity rather than just keeping the money for ourselves because we felt that if a lot of people came we’d have the opportunity to do something big for a charity,” said junior Amadi Okugo.

Diabetes is a disease which occurs when the blood glucose or blood sugar in a person’s body is too high. A hormone made by the pancreas, insulin, helps manage the amount of glucose from food that enters that person’s cells which is then used to make energy.

A person with diabetes has a lack of insulin and this can cause fatigue, headaches and even blurred vision. Approximately 9.4 percent or 30.3 million Americans suffer from diabetes.

The schools cheering sections decided to donate the proceeds from the game to diabetes research.

“We choose to play for a charity because we felt it was a great opportunity to raise a ton of money for one,” said senior Matt Lynch. “We are donating to diabetes.”

Both schools brought large crowds of students, faculty members and parents who all participated in raising the 1,700 dollars that will be donated to research for diabetes.

Cheering sections on both sides of the court were on their feet yelling cheers at the top of their lungs.

Raider Royalty and Jesuit Cheerleaders gave it their all throughout the game. Although both teams were competitive and wanted to win, they were all there to help a great cause.

The skill level from both teams were evenly matched which made for an intense game.

“I’m glad the game was close because it made it more fun,” said Amadi Okugo.

By the end of the game coaches and players were exhausted from all their efforts to win the game, but Rio came out on top.

The entire cheering section jumped up and proceeded to dance around in excitement as the buzzer rang and Rio had won.

This game replaced the traditional Rowdy Raiders fundraiser game where they faced off against faculty.

Although stars like Spanish teacher Brian Asher and Principal Brian Ginter were missed, this game against the Galley Crew was the start of a new era of school spirit.

Rowdy Raiders are the reigning champions of American River Drive and will defend this title in the game next year.