For most of us, Stansbury is not a place that invokes visions of stallions running wild and free. Then again, Tooele makes few people imagine migrating herds of buffalo. Still, both nicknames continue in a proud American tradition of schools looking to embody the best aspects of the animal kingdom, rather than turning to the grandiose (Murray Spartans) or the workaday (Jordan Beetdiggers).

In that sense, the mascot/nickname of the new Stansbury High School, which is set to open next year, is fitting. We are undoubtedly in for many years of jokes about Cowboys riding Stallions or Stallions trampling Buffaloes, but those will all be in good fun -- as the best rivalries always are.

And that's what is really important to most people living in Tooele Valley -- not the new school's mascot or colors, but ensuring there will be good scholastic and sporting rivalry between all three schools for years to come.

That's why, of all the realignment proposals before the Utah High School Activities Association at present, we prefer the one that would put all schools with enrollments between 400 and 1,200 in 3A by 2009. This would keep Tooele, Grantsville and Stansbury all in the same classification.

This is the best plan -- even though it would favor the big fish in the pond, SHS and THS -- because it would leave our local rivalries intact and might increase the odds of a state championship being contested between two of our valley schools. Stansbury, which is currently anticipated to have the largest enrollment of the three schools at 1056 students, is likely to need several years to build up its athletic programs. Tooele, projected to be the second-largest school in the valley at 1005, will certainly welcome the challenge to its long-standing sports traditions. Meanwhile, Grantsville, which will have less than half the student body of its rivals, has always delighted in playing the role of the scrappy underdog -- as demonstrated by victories this year over Tooele in boys basketball and soccer.

Although the realignment is likely to go through many more reiterations as various schools lobby for position, we would urge the activities association to put a high priority on preserving local rivalries when it announces its final plan June 10.

Even if, as appears likely, Tooele and Stansbury stay in the 4A ranks while Grantsville stays in 3A, the district and coaches should do everything in their power to ensure the three schools play each other often. Over time, as the entire Tooele Valley fills up and subdivisions grow into each other, these rivalries will still help to unify and define our distinct communities.