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NEW MANCHESTER -- The Battle of the Bridge is here once again.
The Oak Glen football team is looking to get back on track this week, but it will not be easy as it is set to play East Liverpool at 7 p.m. Friday night on Senior Night at the Bears' Den.
The Golden Bears and Potters both enter this week coming off losses on the road.
Brooke defeated Oak Glen, 47-6, this past Friday night on Paul "Bud" Billiard Field inside Brooke Memorial Stadium.
"It's one you want to move on from and forget about it," Oak Glen (1-6) head coach Doug Taylor said. "We started off on a bad foot. We fumbled on the first play, and they took at the 20. It took them about four plays to get into the end zone.
"It was all downhill from there. We never recovered from that. We talked to the kids at halftime, and I thought we played a lot better in the second half.
"It is a loss, and you want to forget about it and move on.
Meanwhile, East Liverpool is entering the game coming off of a 31-14 loss to Bellaire Saturday afternoon down at Nelson Field.
"We watched the film," Taylor said. "East Liverpool is a very talented football team. Their numbers are up this year.
"Coach (Paul) Cusick has done a nice job with them in his first year. He has a knowledgeable coaching staff. He's done a nice job in his first year there."
The Potters have a lot of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. The visitors from Columbiana County like to run the ball, but they are also more than capable of creating big plays in the passing game.
"Their quarterback Gavin Wright is a real threat," Taylor said. "They like to spread you out.
"I met Coach Cusick back in 2008 when I was at Weir. I was on Eric Meek's staff, and we went up to Crestview to learn about their offense. They do a lot of zone read. They have really expanded that offense out. They have got their offensive clicking.
"They want to run the football. They spread you out, but they want to run the football. They force you to play true defensively. You cannot overcompensate. You have to account for their quarterback.
"They have some good receivers to throw the ball to. I don't remember if he started for them last year. He might have started. He throws a nice ball. He throws a very catchable ball. Their wide receivers make plays.
"They are well-rounded on offense, but they do want to run the ball first."
Defensively, East Liverpool likes to get after the opposition.
"They play good, solid defense," Taylor said. "Their guys up front set the stage, and their linebackers clean everything up. Their front seven is as good as we have played."
The Golden Bears have a good special teams unit, but they will be tested this week against the Potters. East Liverpool's Marquise Glenn returned three kickoff's for touchdowns in his team's 62-54 victory against Cambridge three weeks ago up at Patterson Field.
"They have a very good special teams unit," Taylor said. "We are going to have to use spot kickoffs, and we are going to have to make sure we cover well.
"Our special teams unit does not take a back seat to anybody. We have four returns for touchdowns.
"We are going to have to be really cognizant of where the ball is, and we are going to have to do a good job of covering."
The Blue-and-White have the size advantage this week.
"It is no different than every team we play," Taylor said. "We were always out-sized. They have got some big players up front.
"We are going to have to adjust our blocking scheme. We are going to have to double team guys. We have trouble handling larger guys.
"We have adjusted our blocking schemes in the past, and we will adjust them again. They have a lot of size.
"Their inside linebackers are really active. No. 80 – their down tackle – has a big motor. We are going to have to deal with him."
This is a big rivalry game for both teams.
"It's a little different of a rivalry," Taylor said. "Weir is an in-county rival, where East Liverpool is a cross the river rival. It is a rivalry game, and we are going to go out and try to win."
East Liverpool defeated Oak Glen, 44-12, last season at Patterson Field.
"East Liverpool scored a touchdown on their first play last year," Taylor said. "We cannot allow that to happen this year.
"We are at home. It is Senior Night. It is going to be a special night. Our seniors are going the recognition they deserve. They are going to want to come out and play well. It is going to be a physical game."
Oak Glen is going to have to move the ball on the ground this week, and they are going to have to try and contain East Liverpool's offensive weapons.
"We are going to have to control the line of scrimmage up front," Taylor said. "We are going to have to be in third and manageable. We can't afford to get behind the sticks on first and second down. We can't afford to make mistakes. If we do, it is going to be ab uphill battle against East Liverpool.
"We are going to have to stay in front of the sticks. We are going to need to be in third and fourth and manageable. We are going to have to keep their offense off the field."
The Golden Bears are a bit banged up going into this week's game.
"We have some guys nursing some injuries," Taylor said. "I don't know how much you are going to see Anthony Burt or Aiden Flowers. They both are going to want to play. They are going to be biting at the bit to get into the game.
"It is just going to be how much we play them and where we play them. At practice, we are giving a lot of underclassmen some work in case they have to go into the game."
East Liverpool enters play this week ranked No. 13 in the Ohio Division IV Region 13 rankings.
"It is Week 8 for us and Week 9 for them," Taylor said. "They are looking to get into the playoffs. It is a rivalry game. They are going to be ready to play."