Minneapolis South striker Elliot Cassutt plays club soccer with probably a quarter of the Minneapolis Southwest team -- they’ve known each other for years.

But when he tried to tell his summer teammates ‘Good game,’ after South polished off a last-minute win over Southwest last Saturday, they wouldn’t even look at him.

“Not after that game,” said Cassutt – who scored all three goals in the win – with a chuckle. “They didn’t even want to talk to me. I mean, I can imagine why – I don’t hold it against them.”

The silent treatment comes with the territory. While many of the guys from South and Southwest are teammates in the summertime, once autumn turns and high school soccer gets heated up, it’s a different story. This year, the passion won’t even have time to subside: Southwest gets a crack at revenge and a split season series on Saturday.

“Usually we’re all fun and games,” Cassutt said. “But when we step on the field, it’s like we’ve never even met before.”

For two games a year, the crowds are larger -- coaches say every seat is filled – and emotion runs even higher than usual. Players and coaches look ahead to the two scheduled games each season. Players from opposing teams who are otherwise friends temporarily stop talking to each other.

“I firmly believe that there’s no rivalry better in high school sports,” Southwest coach Jamie Plaisance said. “I’ve talked to other players and coaches around the metro area and when they come out to one of these games it’s like ‘I’ve never seen a high school event with that much passion and emotion going on, much less a high school soccer game.’ It’s really fun to be a part of.”

The rivalry is one that has been nurtured for years, but in the last two, Southwest has taken over. The Lakers won the previous four consecutive games before last weekend and have won three of the last four conference titles outright.

In the past, Cassutt said, the emotion got the best of he and his teammates, causing them to have mental lapses and get red cards.

Then, on Saturday, Cassutt broke a 2-2 tie with a score in the last 15 seconds for the 3-2 win.

As the Southwest players walked off the field stunned, the Tigers erupted into celebration.

“They deserved it,” said South coach Tamba Johnson. “The way it ended, so abruptly, it made it kind of sweet and the kids threw a fit. I mean, that’s what high school soccer is all about.”

For South players, the win served to boost their confidence boost. “I think we proved to ourselves that we can win big games,” Cassutt said.

For the Lakers, it’s a chip on their shoulder.

“The emotion is still going to be fresh, very fresh, one week later,” Plaisance said. “And that can be a positive thing because it can motivate you. On the other hand, it can be a negative because sometimes you don’t play with the most levelheadedness when you’re emotional.”

Both teams know both sides of that battle. And that’s part of what makes them get up for these games.

As if the game needed more dramatic effect, Southwest will be bringing in stand-alone lights and will play a night home game for the first time in school history.

“It will certainly make the game more fun and just add a different dimension in terms of the atmosphere,” Plaisance said.