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NEW MANCHESTER -- The annual battle for the Carl R. Hamill Trophy tonight is a meeting of teams in need of a good start to the season for separate reasons.
For Oak Glen, they're hoping to turn a few heads and start what is a much-needed bounce-back season after combining for three wins the last two seasons, plagued by key injuries and adversity.
For Weir High, they're hoping it's the start of the next group stepping up after a strong senior class led the Red Riders to the state semifinals last fall.
One of them will get their wish tonight when the opening kick is set for 7 p.m. inside the Bears' Den.
The Red Riders have won the last two meetings after the Golden Bears claimed the trophy the three prior seasons. The last two years have been a battle for a new trophy after the previous one was retired, so Oak Glen is looking to add its name to the new one for the first time.
And, as if a rivalry between cross-county foes was not enough, it comes with added excitement of being both teams' opener and being played on a Thursday night with added eyes and attention.
"It's always an exciting game for both communities," Weir High head coach Frank Sisinni said. "We were asked if we wanted to move to the Thursday slot (to be on TV) and it's always great to get more exposure for the kids.
"It's a tradition in Hancock County for these teams to open up with this rivalry game. Our kids are excited to go against some of the kids they know from Oak Glen. There's a lot of respect between the schools and players and a lot of respect on our end as coaches for Coach (Doug) Taylor and his staff.
"This game is rivalry where you can throw all the things on paper and in the past out the window. It's a football game that's always going to be a battle and that everyone always looks forward to."
The Red Riders are looking to replace 14 seniors from last year's successful run, a task that Sisinni and company know wont be easy.
"It started with offseason and progressed through camp," Sisinni said of the process of preparing a new group for game time. "We really built the foundation in summer and into August with two quality scrimmages against tough opponents in Beaver Local and North Marion. We got the kids some game scenarios and gauged how they've developed ... we're hoping the kids can feed off that playoff run and success we had last season and can start this thing off successful (tonight)."
The Golden Bears departed eight seniors, had junior Wes Molish transfer to Madonna and will be without returning QB Logan Murray, who will miss the start of the season with a non-football injury.
"Coach Taylor has done a good job," Sisinni said. "The injury bug hit them hard but they were playing well at the end of the year and that didn't go unnoticed. They played a very good Roane County team at the end of the year and very easily could have won that game so we're very aware that him and his staff are going to have their team ready to play and that's a credit to what they're building.
"They're a running football team and they're going to rely on their strengths up front. We know the style he likes to play with the wing-T running attack and we know they've spent a lot of time developing their passing game. It's going to be a challenge."
The Red Riders won last year's meeting, 38-7, at home at Jimmy Carey Stadium.
"The start is going to be important," Sisinni said. "With kids being out there for the first time, we're going to see who can adapt and mature in game scenarios the fastest. We're hoping all the work going back to last season and into this season pays off. Mistakes are going to happen, it's going to be about who can do the best to limit those."