Statesville and Mooresville will discontinue their series in football beginning in 2009.
The Blue Devils, who will be joining a new 4A league consisting of five Mecklenburg County schools and Lake Norman, opted not to keep Statesville on the schedule as a nonconference game.
Statesville wanted to prolong the series.
Mooresville football coach Barclay Marsh says it's not that they didn't want to, but that when they were working on their schedule "we felt like it was in our best interest to go with the schools we did."
That would be Alexander Central, Bandys, Northwest Cabarrus, South Rowan and West Rowan.
Farewell, Gridiron Cup.
It's sad, because in 2001 Mooresville and Statesville renewed a rivalry that had been dormant since 1985. The annual winner receives the Gridiron Cup, a trophy sponsored by the R&L and Mooresville Tribune.
Statesville captured the cup for the first time since 2001 this past season. Mooresville won the other five meetings.
The 2008 winner will be the last.
Personally, I would prefer to see Mooresville continue playing Statesville. There's always a lot of buildup, and the games are typically exciting.
However, I have no problem with Mooresville deciding not to play Statesville. The program should be free to choose whoever they want to play. Their hands shouldn't be tied.
Anyway, I think Statesville and North Iredell or Statesville and West Iredell make a better rivalry game. That's just my opinion.
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