Throughout the years, through all of the conference, district and regional shifting of schools, there has been one constant for Langley students: McLean, the cross-town rival who everyone loves to hate. In honor of Langley’s long-lasting rivalry with McLean, the Directors of Students Activities, Geoff Noto at Langley and Greg Miller at McLean, worked together this summer to create the Chain Bridge Cup. This is an annual competition between the two schools where every Virginia High School League (VHSL) sport factors into determining the winner. There are two points available for every VHSL sport. If the teams play each other once, the game is worth two points, and if the teams play each other twice, then each game is worth a point. Whichever school accumulates the most points by the end of the year wins.

“There’s been a lot of change with new districts and new regions, so we wanted to create something between Langley and McLean that was something new,” Noto stated. Even though it feels like the competition would not be close because of Langley’s recent dominance over McLean in the most attended events (football, basketball, and baseball), every sport counts the same in the Chain Bridge Cup.

“We have the Rotary Cups for football and basketball and field hockey, but there are so many other sports that we compete with McLean against that fly under the radar,” Noto said. This should allow participants in all sports to feel more involved in Langley’s rivalry with McLean.

“I believe the Chain Bridge Cup enhances our rivalry with McLean. In field hockey, having the cup to play for made the game noticeably more competitive than our other conference games,” varsity field hockey captain Caroline Britt stated. Everyone wants to help Langley win the Chain Bridge Cup, and no one wants to be on the team that contributed to Langley losing it.

“I think it will enhance the rivalry because both teams will be playing for more than just bragging rights,” McLean varsity football player Carter Govan said. Bragging rights have always been the prime source of motivation in the rivalry, so this gives all the teams something concrete to win at the end of the season.

The idea is not entirely novel. Madison and Oakton have a similar yearlong competition, and there used to be a Liberty Cup awarded to a school at the end of the year. However, with all the redistricting occurring, this went away,  thus emphasizing Langley’s lasting rivalry with McLean.