By Ethan Dudley
Founded in 1892, Benicia High School’s sports teams have gone through decades of victories and losses. However, throughout the years of triumph, there has always been one lingering question: Does Benicia High School have a known rival? By looking at different game attendance and overall viewership, we can hopefully have a list of potential rivals that answer our question.
Let’s first take a look at our football team. On the Benicia Football YouTube page, the top games that racked up the most views were Benicia vs. Pinole Valley in 2021(2.8K views), Benicia vs. Fairfield in 2022(2.1K views), Benicia vs. Vallejo in 2024(2.13K views), Benicia vs. Jesse Bethel in 2026(1.9K views), and most recently Benicia vs. American Canyon(1.9K views). Although the game versus Pinole Valley racked up almost 3,000 views, it was a lot longer ago compared to recent games, such as the game versus American Canyon, which gained almost 2,000 views in 2 days. Considering the rates of viewership through the Benicia Football YouTube channel, American Canyon seems to be the football team’s modern rival.
Looking at overall home game attendance, we can also come to the conclusion that American Canyon High School typically brings in the most amount of people. Being roughly a 15 minute drive, many American Canyon parents and fans can make the easy commute to come and support their team, and considering Benicia’s home games fall on Fridays, it allows for more people to come out later considering their day off the following day. So for easy access to games, American Canyon also stands out above many other schools. Although Saint Patrick-Saint Vincent High School is a shorter commute, we don’t see as many viewers attending those games.
Another way we can tell who Benicia’s rival is is by looking at the overall atmosphere of the games. After going to multiple home games I can also conclude that American Canyon High School had the most hype and engaged crowd. So, in conclusion, American Canyon High School stands out above the rest of the schools to be a true contender as Benicia High School’s modern rival. Racking up thousands of viewers per game, while also having easier access to Benicia High School’s home games, and being the most hyped up and fun games to attend, American Canyon High School becomes the top option for a Benicia rivalry.
