On Friday, Mar. 13, East Rockaway High School brought six weeks of friendly, spirited competition to a close with the culminating event of Rock Rivalry – and not just any Rock Rivalry. This year marked the 90th consecutive year of the beloved tradition, a milestone that underscores just how deeply the competition is woven into the fabric of this community.

For the uninitiated, Rock Rivalry is a multi-week, school-wide competition between the four classes – freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors – that unfolds across an ambitious range of events: a volleyball game, Sports Night, Quiz Bowl and the construction of elaborately themed refreshment stands, murals, props and costumes, all displayed in the school's small gymnasium. But it is Friday night's Entrance that stands as the undisputed pinnacle of the competition – and of the school year itself.

The word entrance – like skit, another term often used to describe it – hardly captures what each class actually produces. What unfolds on stage is closer to a full-scale theatrical production: an original performance roughly 30 minutes in length, complete with a storyline, songs and production numbers. The sets are elaborate, the costumes intricate, the lighting carefully designed and the instrumentation live. Every element is conceived, built and performed entirely by students. The result is, by any measure, a spectacle.

Performances are presented twice – a morning show for the student body and an evening performance for families – before the long-awaited announcement of the winner. When this year’s results were revealed Friday night, it was the senior class who took the cup. The sophomores earned second place, the juniors third and the freshmen fourth.

Rock Rivalry has its roots in the very first year East Rockaway High School opened its doors. In 1936, Grace Rudiger, a girls' physical education teacher, created the event as a fundraiser for the school's athletic department. In those early days, it was a single-night affair held in the gymnasium, and the term entrance was a literal one – performers entered the gym directly from the hallway. The name stuck, even as the tradition grew far beyond its humble origins.

And grow it did. Over nine decades, Rock Rivalry has evolved into the multi-week, community-wide celebration it is today. Yet perhaps what is most remarkable is not how much it has changed, but how steadfastly it has endured. Through World War II, Vietnam, 9/11 and even the COVID-19 pandemic, East Rockaway has never missed a single year of Rock Rivalry. It has been a constant – a symbol of resilience, continuity and community pride.

To mark this 90th anniversary, the school honored its founder in a fitting way: a commemorative plaque dedicated to Grace Rudiger was installed in the lobby of the auditorium, ensuring that the woman who started it all will be remembered by every student, family and community member who walks through those doors for years to come.

It was, by all accounts, another joyful and memorable chapter in a tradition that shows no signs of slowing down.