EAST LIVERPOOL — Bragging rights are on the line this week as the Oak Glen and East Liverpool football teams meet in the annual “Battle of the Bridge.”

The Golden Bears and Potters are scheduled to continue their rivalry at 7 p.m. Friday night up at Patterson Field.

“You look at their schedule, and they have lost to four really good football teams,” Oak Glen (0-7) head coach Doug Taylor said. “They have lost to Salem, Carrollton and Indian Creek. Indian Creek is a really good football team. They also lost to St. Clairsville. They are a really good football team, and East Liverpool played them really tough.

“Coach (Paul) Cusick has done an excellent job in his second season. He has proved what he can do with some outstanding players along with some average players. He has built a good program.

“East Liverpool has some really good skill players. If they are not the best team, they are one of the top two teams we have faced this year.”

Oak Glen enters the game coming off a 55-7 loss to Tyler Consolidated Oct. 11 at home. The Golden Bears had an unexpected bye last week as Oak Glen’s game against Trinity Christian was canceled. The Warriors only played two games this season before canceling the remaining games on their schedule.

“For us, it was not a game we got out of unscathed,” Taylor said about his team’s loss to the Silver Knights. “We got a couple of guys banged up. We are not sure we are going to have them back this week.

“Noah Schmidt is probably out this week, and Devan Juszczak will be a gametime decision. He’s 50/50 this week. We have had to scramble this week. We have had to move some guys to some different positions to give them some reps.

“It is not just a matter of getting a guy some reps, it is also a matter of getting his replacement some reps. We are going really deep into our depth chart. What do we do if this guy gets hurt?

“This past week was good for us. It allowed us to get some guys healthy. We have had to move some guys around to different positions.”

East Liverpool enters the game coming off a 45-7 victory against Weir last Friday night at Jimmy Carey Stadium.

“They have size, they have speed and they have experience,” Taylor said. “They have some two-year starters and some three-year starters. They have a lot going for them. They play a really tough schedule. You look at their record of 5-4, but they are not an average football team.”

Offensively, the boys from Columbiana County are led by senior standout quarterback Gavin Wright.

“That kid is really tough,” Taylor said. “He has a quick release. Last year, they really hurts us with RPOs, and they are doing the same thing this season. We brought guys up to stop the run, and they slipped a guy out. He throws the ball like a missile. He can run. He can throw. He’s a really good athlete.”

The Potters are on a four game winning streak as East Liverpool has defeated Cambridge (41-7), Edison (21-20 in overtime), Bellaire (42-8) and Weir.

“They are aggressive,” Taylor said about the East Liverpool defense. “They have decent size. No. 80 (D’shawn Kirby) is really good. He is like a heat-seeking missile. He’s really quick off the ball. We are definitely going to have to know where he is on the field.”

The Potters defeated the Golden Bears, 40-20, last season on the road.

“It is the Battle of the Bridge,” Taylor said. “The game has not gone well for our side the last two years.”

East Liverpool enters the game this week in 10th place in the Ohio Division IV, Region 15 rankings.

“We are going to do what we do,” Taylor said asked what is it going to take for his team to be successful this week. “We want to run the ball, and throw when we want. We want to throw using play-action. We want to control the clock. We want to keep our offense on the field and keep their defense on the field. They are a really good football team. They are one of the biggest challenges we are going to face.”

East Liverpool has a chance to not only make the playoffs, but the Potters also have a chance to play a playoff game at home in Week 11.

Oak Glen has two regular season games left – at Madonna and at Tygarts Valley. The Golden Bears picked up to the Bulldogs to fill the void left by Trinity Christian canceling its season.