MVHS’s annual Helmet Game traces back to the ‘80s, when the inaugural game was a friendly competition between two head coaches: MVHS’s Buck Shore and CHS’s Chuck Rogers. This year’s game had MVHS emerge victorious, winning against CHS 46-8 and regaining the trophy on Thursday, Nov. 7 after losing in the previous year’s matchup. Over time the game has evolved to represent decades of fierce rivalry and community spirit: it fosters a sense of competitiveness a step beyond other games.
MVHS’ Varsity football and seven year head coach Ceazar Agront feels the Helmet Game is about reviving tradition. After a dip in attendance due to former MVHS Head Coach Jeff Miller stepping down, Agront, hoping to reignite its significance, has worked hard to rebuild its excitement by making the event more meaningful to players and the rest of the MVHS community. By organizing tailgates, where students, parents, and alumni gather to celebrate together, it creates a stronger bond between the team and its supporters.
“Over the years, it has become a more emotional pillar, so to speak,” Agront said. “I try to push the kids as hard as they possibly can in the Helmet game and I definitely have put a little extra on it. Since it is the last game of the year and it is for the Helmet, there is a lot at stake, like bragging rights. So this year, I was all about how we have to go all out, since it is about pride.”
Senior and defensive lineman Aneesh Sauri Boddu feels the weight of this tradition, recalling how in past years, the Helmet Game symbolized more than just competition — it was a representation of pride and unity in the football team. For Boddu, this year’s Helmet game was especially significant because it was the last game of his high school football career. Throughout the course of the week, Boddu reflects on how their practice schedule changed by incorporating different offensive plays to prepare for the rival teams defense. The team capped their dominant win this year with a classic celebratory football act: dumping a cooler of Gatorade on their coach.
“Before the game, we usually have team dinners and for the Helmet Game, we had all the seniors get together and we had one little dinner together,” Boddu said. “And after the game on the bus ride home with the helmet trophy, we usually just sing some songs together and it was just a really heartwarming tradition to celebrate together.”
For both schools, the Helmet Game represents more than a chance to claim victory.; it is a symbol of tradition, pride, and community. It’s an opportunity to honor years of rivalry between the schools, showcase school spirit, and bring together players, students, alumni, and families in a celebration of their shared history. In his first year with the team, Cupertino High School Football Head Coach Omar Kharroub saw firsthand how important the game was to his players. As a new coach, he was amazed by the passion and dedication the players showed, realizing how much the Helmet Game meant to them.
“When we scored our first touchdown against MVHS, the excitement kind of re-sparked our team,” Kharroub said. “Despite everything that our team has gone through all year — not winning too much and having a coach in transition — it was great to see that moment when I looked at everybody’s face and it was like a brand new game again.”
Boddu felt the excitement of the helmet game as it was his last chance to showcase all the talent and hardwork that he along with the team has put in throughout the season. He added that as the season came to a close he was able to capture moments that he could cherish forever.
“My favorite part of the game is the teamwork and the brotherly love that we foster playing on a team with people that I’ve bled with, sweat with and cried with,” Boddu said. “It has created a mindset for me in which I know people I can rely on at all times during the game and I have people that could pick me up when I need them. It was just a really emotional moment, because we were remembering all the moments we had together throughout our football careers.”
