Annual Middle School Mayor’s Cup Games Monday at EPHS

The annual Martin-Riverside Middle School Baseball/Softball Mayor’s Cup games will be held today, April 29, 2024, at 4:00 pm at East Providence High School. The two schools have played each other in various athletic contests but recently East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva has invited the schools to vie for a Mayor’s Cup championship. In baseball, Martin MS won last year by a 1-0 score which has Riverside MS eagerly looking to take home the “cup” this year. Conversely, it was Riverside softball taking home the “cup” last year with Martin girls looking to take it back tonight. Both games will be played at 4:00 PM at the high school on Pawtucket Avenue.

EPHS coaches liken the Martin-Riverside rivalry across sports as a Future’s Showcase, displaying talent of a next generation Townies and athletes. Call it anything you want but call it a lot of fun at East Providence High School today, especially if you like school rivalry sports. In today’s contest, it’s middle school rivalry baseball & softball. The two schools have played against each other for decades, albeit in different settings and sometimes with different school names. Since the earliest days of East Providence athletics, the city’s two junior high/middle schools have enjoyed a rich history. It started out as Central Junior high vs Riverside Junior high school. The former Central Junior high on Taunton/Wheldon Avenues and Riverside Junior high on Pawtucket Avenue, overlooking Narragansett Bay. The Central “Blue Devils” became the Edward R. Martin “Wildcats” as they moved to a new school on Brown Street in 1977. The Riverside football team became the “Vikings” as they moved into their new building on Forbes Street in 1967.

There were many memorable athletic contests between Central-Riverside including the annual Central-Riverside Football game held at Pierce Stadium. The late sixties into the seventies saw some classic football clashes at Pierce with Central/Martin and Riverside players eventually joining together to form those powerhouse EPHS Townie champion football teams. By the middle nineties, the two junior highs became middle schools sending the 9th grade to the high school configuration and pulling in the 6th grade from elementary. While football ended, the other sports remained.

Fast-forward to 2024. The two schools are now middle schools, football doesn’t exist for RI middle schools, but basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, and track are still competitive. This year both schools have seen exciting boys and girls basketball games. Earlier the soccer teams played each other in a Mayor’s Cup city game and now baseball & softball are featured. The community is urged to come out today at 4:00 at EPHS, if you’re available, to support Martin and Riverside student-athletes. The players will play on the brand-new high school turfed fields and it is a chance for parents and others to see some of the new $189M high school campus.

“The junior high/middle school cross town rivalry games have been a part of this community for decades. Today both middle school softball and baseball teams from Edward R. Martin Middle School and Riverside Middle School will be playing against each other at 4:00 pm on the brand-new turf fields at East Providence High School. Come by and support the “Mayors Cup” games, there is no charge for admission,” adds EPHS head baseball coach Bobby Rodericks. The Townies baseball team is the defending division state champion and 7-2 currently.

Mayor Bob DaSilva will attend and present the Mayor's Cup Trophy to the winning teams. "I'm looking forward to this cross town rivalry. Who will earn the Mayor’s Cup Trophy today!" said DaSilva with a smile.

"Be careful how you present the trophy Mr. Mayor," joked City Council President Bob Rodericks. "Families from both schools are voters!" All sides agree that today, whomever wins, is a nice day Townie Pride.