They are not in the same South Puget Sound League division anymore, and they are not even in the same classification.

Thomas Jefferson is at the Class 4A level and playing in the SPSL North, while Decatur dropped into the SPSL's Class 3A division.

But both are in the same location as before, and it's not like they don't know each other..

"It is nice to beat a crosstown rival, especially when it's the place I coached for four years," said TJ head coach Kyle Templeton, who used to be an assistant at Decatur.

Templeton's team had just beaten perennial power Decatur, 71-61, in the opening game of the Gators' 2010 Bill Riley Communities Holiday Classic.

"We had lost four in a row to awful good teams," Templeton said. "To beat a good team, I was happy with that."

TJ went on to finish second in the four-team tournament with an 82-52 loss to the Lincoln Abes of Tacoma, while Decatur finished fourth with an 88-44 loss to Rogers.

The Gators finished the tournament with a 5-4 overall record and TJ stood at 3-6. Lincoln, meanwhile, ran its record to 7-1 and Rogers left the tournament with a 6-3 mark.

It was the second championship game appearance in a row for Thomas Jefferson in the annual tournament.
"Making the final, that's fun for us," Templeton said. "We made it to the championship for the second year in a row."

But the game between TJ and Decatur wound up being the closest of the tournament with it's 10-point final margin. The Raiders only led, 55-50, early in the second quarter.

TJ had led, 55-42, at 2:1 to play in the third quarter on a long three-point bomb by Daryon James. The Raiders led, 42-31, at halftime.

James led the Raiders to victory with 19 points, and Deontae Davis was next with 14. Kendall Green scred nine and Danny Park eight. Chase Braxmeyer, Jacob Thoreson and Alex Merced all contibuted seven points to the Raiders' cause.

Jerron Smith of Decatur poured in 30 points against TJ after coming through with 44 in a game in Wenatchee earlier in the week.

Austen Wilson swished in 15 and Darryl Larkins also broke into double figures with 10.

Dom Hunter added four points and Ramere Rollins scored two for the Gators.

Decatur was set to open its SPSL 3A league play against Peninsula on Tuesday, Dec. 4 before hosting Bonney Lake at 7 p.m. Friday. TJ visits Kentlake at 7:30 Friday after visiting Tahoma Tuesday.