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STEUBENVILLE -- Big Red and Dover have had quite a few classic battles on the grid iron over the years.
While Friday's might be the last scheduled in the foreseeable future, it is shaping up to be far from the least intriguing as both teams will be walking into Harding Stadium on Friday night coming off of big victories on opening night.
"We're just real disappointed this will probably be the last game," Big Red head coach Reno Saccoccia said. "Our kids really like playing this game. I think their kids do, too. I thought it has been a very good game for both schools. But Friday will probably be the end of it.
"Both teams coming off a big win, so it will be a big game for both teams."
Big Red scored 28 points in the second quarter then turned up the defense in the second half to take a 35-14 victory over Painesville Riverside on opening night.
In the win, Big Red rushed for 261 yards, 160 of which came from Colton Henderson, on the way to 383 yards of offense, Santino Haney firing touchdown passes to Braidyn Edwarsa and Stephen McShan on his way to a 120-yard night.
Dover, on the flip side, pulled away from GlenOak in the fourth quarter for a 36-21 opening night victory.
While it is only Week 2, GlenOak is sort of a common opponent as Big Red faced the Golden Eagles in their final scrimmage of the summer on Meet the Team night at Harding Stadium.
As has been the case in many of the big match ups between Steubenville and Dover over the years, the Tornadoes have an athlete at the quarterback position in Dieter Weber, a junior who already has offers from NCAA Division I programs. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound signal caller was an honorable mention All-Ohian last season as a sophomore.
"They always have good quarterback play, and this one is one of the better ones that they've had," Saccoccia said. "They do a real good job of really spreading the ball out. He gets rid of the ball quick, which is tough for your defensive lineman to get to him. He doesn't allow that. He really gets rid of the ball quick, and they do a real good job in the screen game."
Friday's meeting is the 32nd all time between the programs, Big Red holding an 24-6-1 advantage in the all-time series, inlcuding a 63-34 victory at Crater Stadium last season.