The Game of the Season: Simi vs. Royal

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The City Championship pitting Simi Valley High School and Royal High School was held on Friday night at the Simi Valley High School Stadium.

This annual fun-filled grudge match culminated a week of campus spirit events at both schools. Royal hosted its “Beat Simi Week” with each day dedicated to a theme. Monday was “Beat Simi In Our Sleep,” AKA Pajama Day. Tuesday was “Royal’s At the Top of the Food Chain,” and students dressed as animals.

Simi’s equivalent was the “Simi Valley versus Royal Week,” and included “Simi Super Heroes Day” and “They Wish They Were Pioneers Day.”

Come Friday night, both schools were charged through with spirit. Simi’s stadium held masses of maroon and gold Pioneers almost completely filling the home side bleachers. Royal’s green and gold Highlanders came complete with green and gold tights and tons of grease paint. Signs lined the home side with good-natured insults aimed at the visiting Highlanders. The Highlanders came prepared with their own signs proclaiming “Royal Valley” and other jabs.

Oh, and there was a football game. A really good football game. While the score stayed close through most of the quarters, Simi seemed to have an edge on Royal, proven by the nail-bitten fourth quarter’s final turn-over, which led Simi to a 14-10 win, its first over Royal since 2011.

We’re posting a link here to an exceptionally made student video featuring highlights from the game. PLEASE NOTE that this was produced by Alex Martinez, a senior at Simi Valley High School, so it’s just a little one-sided. But, it’s so well done that we just had to show it off. If any Royal students know of a similar video produced from their perspective, email Jake Finch at jake.finch@simivalleyusd.org and we’ll share the love.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=RhApjrYfeMU&app=desktop

And we’d like to say a special “thank you” to all of our sponsors for the game, and especially to Simi Valley Hospital, which now offers free concussion screenings for all of our players.