New London – It has been suggested that the best way to respect a rivalry is to work it every day. Rivalries foster the extra repetitions, the motivation to watch more film, to do more sprints. Rivalries amplify victory’s joy and defeat’s angst.

And normally, the rivalry thing would be enough to create the narrative for what transpires Friday night at Conway Gym. St. Bernard vs. New London (streaming live on GameDay). It could be about the two best teams in our corner of the world in 2023. Or it could be about the two best teams here 40 years ago, when the maestros were named Rich Pagliuca and Mike Pennella.

But like the sweetest onion, the layers peel back and the narratives are layered: bottomless ties between two schools and several communities, not to mention a potential coaching milestone that will add to the reason New London’s shooting shirts in layup lines of bygone years featured one word: tradition.

Maybe that’s where we begin. If the Whalers win Friday night, coach Craig Parker wins his 500th career game. What began Dec. 20, 1994, in Norwich runs like a current to the first Friday of 2023, when the man they call “Chop” can certainly make an argument for his own banner on the walls already plastered with them.

Then there’s the St. Bernard/New London thing. The Saints won their last state championship in 1982, on the heels of another in 1981. The glory days of the great Harold Pressley. But even the most ardent St. Bernard loyalist would admit the Whalers a worthy rival, even in the days the Saints were hanging banners.

You want memories? Try this: A few years ago, I was zipping through Shop Rite in New London when I encountered Greg Hall, a Whaler from the early 80s. Hall, a principal of a high school in Florida, told the story of how he invited Pressley, who played at Villanova and in the NBA, to school to speak to the students not long ago. Pressley told the story of how Hall dunked on him in a high school game, leaving the kids’ mouths agape that their principal was suddenly a cool guy after all.

New London-St. Bernard morphed into a more bitter battle a few years later — during an infamous recruiting scandal — that earned statewide headlines. Hard feelings still linger in some corners.

Now there’s this game. St. Bernard has senior Tyson Wheeler, whose dad (for my money) is the greatest of them all in Whaler lore and legend. Little Tyson represents the family in the hue of red and gray now.

Speaking of gray: There’s Amyre Gray, the sophomore guard of St. Bernard, whose dad, Nick, played on the 1995 state championship team — Parker’s first — at New London.

New London sophomore Devan Williams attended St. Bernard last year. But his story is more than playing against his old team. Williams is part of the Lancaster family, among the oldest and proudest in city history. What began with Spencer Lancaster, the elegant patriarch, has wound its way through so many athletic tales, now to Devan, the Whalers’ scoring leader.

St. Bernard’s Amare Marshall also has ties to Whalerville — strong ones — as part of the Hyslop family. His grandfather, Rev. Wade Hyslop, is a city institution. A frequent supporter of many Whaler teams. Except now his family is part of the St. Bernard family.

Sorry. But this stuff is just tremendous. And not something typical of an early January game. Or any game. Storylines and bloodlines. All on a basketball court.

The previous 600 or so words are also a cautionary tale and fodder for the gentle reminder that what will happen Friday night is a game of the kids, for the kids and by the kids. Played by kids. Coached by two men who get paid pennies per hour for their time and effort.

Translation: Let’s make sure we’re all on our best behavior. I cast no aspersions to anybody from any school in any town. What’s past is prologue. But I do remind you that there are too many positives here for puffed up displays of posturing and testosterone to ruin a night rooted in rivalry and history.

Go to the game, root for you team/kid and try not to be a nuisance.

Too many other great things going on.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro