Weir High heads north to face Potters
Red Riders playoff push continues with a trip to East Liverpool
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EAST LIVERPOOL -- Suffice it to say, the history between Weir High and East Liverpool on the gridiron goes way back.
That is not lost on the Red Riders as they enter what is a pivotal meeting for their playoff aspirations in this year's meeting at 7 p.m. Friday night at Patterson Field.
"We certainly know the tradition; we did some research and the first Weir High versus East Liverpool game was 1936," Red Riders head coach Frank Sisinni said. "There was a little break, but we started playing again in the 1960s and have played in every decade since in some fashion. There is a great tradition there from having played each other for so long."
The Potters will have not only a different look from last year, but a different look from the film of games earlier this season as the Potters are preparing for their third game with long time assistant coach and the school's athletic director Jason Duke at the helm.
He replaced first year coach Don Phillips, who resigned a couple weeks back.
"There was a changeover in their coaching staff, so we're watching film and trying to figure out what they want to do because it's only been a couple of weeks under Jason Duke as the new head coach," Sisinni said.
East Liverpool was able to get Duke his initial win a week ago when they claimed the battle of the bridge by topping rival Oak Glen.
"They got coach Duke his first win last week so they're going to be fired up and riding momentum from that," Sisinni said. "They're trying to get their footing with a new coach and you could see it starting to take some roots against Oak Glen. When you see a team run for 400-plus yards and dominate the front the way they did, it's concerning with their size up front.
"They're a very young team but they're learning the new system and they're making strides and it was very evident last week."
On top of playing for a new coach and coming off a win, it's also East Liverpool's final game of the season and its senior night.
"With the schedule being ahead of us in Ohio, this is their last game and we know we're going in there on their senior night," Sisinni said. "It's going to be a wave of emotions for their kids, we just went through it with our senior night last week. Last year, they beat us, so we're trying to get back on the right side of the column from that and we know we're going up there expecting a challenge."
On the Red Riders' side of things, they will preparing to play without starting quarterback Malachi Stromile after he was injured early in last week's win over Albert Gallatin and was taken to the hospital.
Damir Mowder replaced him and the Weir running game took over against the Colonials.
"Damir Mowder did an excellent job coming in (against Albert Gallatin) and running our offense," Sisinni said. "The game of football is a game of adversity and our team responded to that adversity last week. It started with Mowder, and trickled into Jamari Bass and our seniors, our offensive line, our defense, we had a kick return TD -- everyone stepped up. I was very pleased with the way we responded to losing our starting quarterback.
"We're going to rally together and play for Malachi; he is the heart and soul of the team in the way he plays and practices. There is definitely going to be a void there. We know he is healing and getting healthy and our kids have him in their thoughts and prayers and in the forefront of their minds every day."
Though the Red Riders have another game after this week, the implications are massive as they sit on the Class AA bubble in their quest for a playoff return.
"It's a playoff game for us, we can't afford to lose a game at this point in the season," Sisinni said. "We're sitting at No. 16 and we knew coming out of the Williamstown game we had to be in playoff mode now.
"We started last week with that mentality as a group and this is another week of being in that mindset."