FHS’s rivalry with Homestead High School has endured for decades, spanning from football games to student pranks. One catalyst for this rivalry was the closure of Sunnyvale High School in 1981. With this closure, students from Cupertino and Sunnyvale Middle School were split between the two high schools, HHS and FHS. This meant that many HHS and FHS students from the two schools were likely to be more familiar with one another. Sid Castro, a former FHS football coach, reflected on the experience.
“They’re friends, you know, but at the same time, they used to be neighbors. And now they’re over at another school and they’ve got green colors as opposed to red colors,” Castro said.
The sports rivalry particularly manifests itself in football, with the pinnacle being the annual “Battle of the Bell.” The bell trophy for the traditional Fremont-Homestead football game was introduced in 1985, and stories vary on how this tradition began. Nevertheless, the trophy deepened the rivalry, with the winner of the game keeping the bell for the year. The Battle of the Bell became a huge event every year.
“[The crowd] was more than capacity,” Castro said. “I mean, we would have portable bleachers at each end of the visitor site brought in.”
Though the crowds today are not quite as big, the competitive spirit has still lasted through the years and left a lasting impact on students. Tian Honavar-Hiro who graduated in 2020 still remembers the experience.
“Battle of the Bell is so fun. I remember it being so energetic and thrilling,” Honavar-Hiro said. “I think it’s just a healthy rivalry between the two schools.”
Though the sports rivalry has remained largely amiable, some feel that the conflict sometimes runs deeper. Many feel that FHS’s demographic is judged unfairly, creating ill will between the two schools
“We were always seen as the poor school compared to Homestead,” Castro said.
Along with negative sentiments the rivalry has, in some cases, produced extreme actions. Many years ago, a homecoming week prank saw four FHS Fremont students allegedly pouring 500 pounds of manure into HHS’s swimming pool, creating over five thousand dollars of damage.
“I think this goes way too far,” Honavar-Hiro said. “It should be more playful and more friendly, and just for games. Like I think it just should be a friendly little rivalry.”
Despite occasional conflict or tension, the rivalry ultimately belies camaraderie between the two schools. Andy Walczak, former FHS football player and current assistant principal, feels that the rivalry is ultimately something to appreciate.
“I hope [our kids] recognize that not every school has a rivalry. Not every school has a rivalry game that gets this many people involved,” Walczak said.
