Jefferson and Jackson middle schools face off in annual Crosstown Classic basketball games
On January 22, Jefferson and Jackson middle schools’ seventh and eighth grade boys basketball teams played against each other in a Crosstown Classic held at Willowbrook High School. Supporters from both schools attended the games, which also featured halftime performances by the cheer teams from each school.
The event began with the seventh grade game, where the Jackson Jaguars won over Jefferson with a score of 41-24. In the following eighth grade matchup, Jackson again came out on top, defeating Jefferson 44-26.
Jefferson Cheer Coach Everitt O’Neal, who works alongside Estelle Tarrant, commented on the importance of these crosstown events for his team. “The cheerleaders were definitely excited about the opportunity to show off their routine at the high school,” said O’Neal. “It’s also a chance for me, as a coach, to see former members of the team and see what has changed for them now at the high school level.”
O’Neal mentioned that performing in front of the Jackson Middle School cheerleaders is an important motivator for his team. He explained that while there is a rivalry between Jefferson and Jackson, many cheerleaders from both schools also participate together on other teams. “It’s equally supportive as it is competitive,” he said.
He praised his team’s ability to handle pressure during such events. “One thing that continues to amaze me about our team is how they show up when all eyes are on them,” O’Neal stated. “I couldn’t be prouder of their resilience and ability to still put on a great performance.”
O’Neal also acknowledged Willowbrook High School staff for their efforts in supporting students: “It brings me comfort to know our kids will be well taken care of when it’s their turn to become Willowbrook Warriors.”
Among those who participated was Angelina Valdez from Jefferson’s Cheer Team. She described her experience as memorable: “It was really fun,” Valdez said. “It felt a lot different than performing at Jefferson, because there are more people watching and we had higher standards. It was definitely a bigger game.”
Valdez noted that performing in front of another school added stress but made the experience unique: “I think the team was a little stressed about it because they were scared to mess up in front of the other cheerleaders,” she admitted. “But what stands out the most for me is just being able to do the halftime there, getting the chance to experience that.”
She pointed out that memorizing routines with limited practice time was challenging but expressed pride in her teammates: “I always notice the stuff that goes wrong, but then at the same time, I think we still did well as a team.”
Villa Park School District 45 serves DuPage County and includes both Jefferson and Jackson middle schools among its eight represented institutions (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district covers grades pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and enrolled 3,306 students during the 2019-2020 school year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). According to recent data from ISBE, District 45 spent $23,216 per student in 2020 (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
Demographically, Villa Park School District 45 consists of approximately 43 percent White students, 35 percent Hispanic students, eight percent Asian students and nearly eight percent Black students (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). Teacher statistics indicate there are 224 teachers within District 45 earning an average salary of $74,159; most are women (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
Chronic truancy rates in District 45 remain below state averages; during 2020 there were 119 chronically truant students enrolled—a rate of roughly four percent compared with nearly ten percent statewide (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
The event concluded with thanks extended to coaches from both sports and cheerleading teams as well as Willowbrook High School staff.