GODFREY- For Marquette Catholic and Alton High Schools, there is a bit of a rivalry between the schools within the same city.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
The two schools' girls tennis teams hit the courts on Tuesday at Lewis and Clark Community College's tennis facility at in order to settle the rivalry once and for all.
Although the girls competed against each other, each of the teams had nothing but respect for one another.
"It's a good match for both side," Alton Redbirds assistant tennis coach Jesse Macias said, "You always want to play quality teams and we love that there is one right in our backyard."
Marquette's coach Jim Claywell enjoys the local matches for more reason than one.
"We don't focus on [the rivalry] so much," Claywell said, "The girls know each o
ther, the parents know each other, so it's like a big community match."
The Redbirds put up a good fight throughout the singles matches, but they struggled to rack up the points necessary for their girls to win more than one match.
"You can see there is a little bit of nerves out there," Macias said, " They're not so relaxed, but they're working hard."
Ultimately, the Marquette Explorers claimed their victory against the Redbirds with a final score of 8-1.
"All I want to do is play well and let the winning take care of itself," Claywell said.
