Why Exeter Blue Hawks v. Winnacunnet Warriors is the 'best rivalry in the state'

EXETER – Not even Mother Nature could stop the next chapter from being written in the storied rivalry that exists between Exeter and Winnacunnet.

Thursday night’s snowfall forced the cancellation of school on Friday at Exeter High School, while the accumulation was far less in Hampton and Winnacunnet was in full session.

The talk amongst both schools as the snow fall had been reduced to occasional flurries Friday morning was “would the boys and girls basketball doubleheader still be played” later that night.

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The Exeter athletics department, just past 10 a.m., announced: “Game On.”

The crowd, especially both student sections, came out in full force. The Exeter students were decked out in all white and filled the entire section opposite the Blue Hawk bench, while the Winnacunnet students were dressed in black and filled the section behind the Warrior bench.

More:Smith, Harrington lead Exeter girls basketball past Winnacunnet

On this night, it was the Blue Hawks who got the upper hand, sweeping the night with a 46-39 in the girls game, and 78-61 in the boys nightcap.

This annual game between the two schools, separated by just 13 miles down Route 101, is something extra special for Exeter girls co-head coach Amanda Swiezynski  and Winnacunnet boys head coach Jay McKenna.

McKenna was a junior on the Winnacunnet’s last state championship team in 1992, and has served as head coach at his alma mater for the past 18 years.

Swiezynski is a 2006 graduate of Exeter, played four years at Villanova University, and is enjoying her first season as co-head coach, with Sam Wuebbolt, of the Blue Hawks.

“This is the best (rivalry) in the state, hands down,” McKenna said after Friday’s 17-point loss to the Blue Hawks. “I’ve been fortunate to have been part of (this rivalry) as a player, and as a coach. I know there are some other good ones around the state, but I think this is better than any of the other big ones you hear about. The thing about this rivalry, it really doesn’t matter about the records, it’s also about the communities. The communities rally around these kids, in any sport, and the kids put it on full display.”

Swiezynski tells her group of Blue Hawks they are “lucky to be part of this rivalry.”

“It’s nerve-wracking to go out there with the crowd, but it’s something special,” Swiezynski said. “This is probably our biggest game of the season. On paper, yeah, we are better (than Winnacunnet), but it doesn’t matter when you step out the court (against them).”

Wuebbolt, only being in the Seacoast for five years, has never seen in a rivalry like this one.

“These kids are lucky to play in an atmosphere like this,” she said. “It’s intense.”

For Exeter seniors Ryan Luper and Emma Smith, being part of this rivalry is definitely something special.

“It’s great,” said Luper, who scored a career-high 31 points in Friday’s win. “I remember coming to these games when I was in elementary school and watching the guys play. Being here now, being on this team is amazing, there’s really nothing like it. I don’t think there’s another rivalry this big in the state.”

Luper had 22 points in the first half, hitting a myriad of 3-pointers in the opening 16 minutes, putting himself in position to eclipse his previous career-high best of 24 points.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “Winnacunnet is a team I definitely wanted (a new career high) against. I am just glad we won the game.”

Smith had 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists in Exeter’s wire-to-wire win over the Warriors.

“It’s the best rivalry in the state,” Smith said. “We wanted some revenge (after last year’s buzzer-beating loss in Hampton), and this win is more special this year because I am a senior.”

Jeff Holmes has seen many moments in the rivalry, both good and bad, in his 26 years as head coach of the Exeter boys.

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“I think what’s great is this certainly something a lot of other schools don’t get,” he said. “This (game) is always a semifinal, final-type atmosphere. If you happen to make it that far, you can say to yourself, ‘we have done this before, we have played in this (environment), and there’s no need to get nervous. it’s a good little situation for us and Winnacunnet to play in a big rivalry game like this.”

Holmes laughed when asked if he had to get his team up to play Winnacunnet, especially after a 10-day layoff between games.

“No one was injured this week, no one was late, no one had the sniffles,” Holmes joked. “This was, by far, our best game of the season. We played hard.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Why Exeter v. Winnacunnet is the 'best rivalry' in New Hampshire