Photo by Joe Lovell Martins Ferry’s Teven Williams looks for space on a rushing attempt during the Purple Riders’ game against Burne Union earlier this season.
MARTINS FERRY — For more than 100 years, the Bellaire-Martins Ferry football game has always been the biggest show in town. The fifth-most-played rivalry game in Ohio prep football is scheduled for an annual repeat Friday with kickoff at 7 p.m. at the Dave Bruny Football Complex in Martins Ferry.
Bellaire has won the last three meetings between teams competing for the SPARKY Trophy, and is the all-time leader in head-to-head competition with a record of 59 wins, 54 losses, and 7 draws. Both teams have five wins and five losses in the past 10 meetings.
It’s a rivalry that doesn’t require much explanation.
“I don’t really need to explain, but I think kids today probably don’t have the same connection to this movie as we do.” Martins Ferry head coach Justin Kropka said. “My great-grandfather played in this game and you grow up hearing about it all your life. That was when the whole family stayed and my grandpa lived a few doors down. I feel like we might all need to talk about this, but the most difficult thing this week is what’s going on at school: not leaving that carnival atmosphere in the locker room.
“Especially with a young team, you only have five seniors, so sometimes you get caught up in other things that aren’t really important. Another difficult thing is not to waste the moment. It’s kind of It’s a controlled burn. Often kids come in on Monday ready to play, but by Wednesday you’re wondering where their heads are and they don’t want it to go in the right direction either. And I want it to be a slow burn throughout the week.”
Martins Ferry heads into the big game with an 8-1 record, with its only loss coming in Week 4 against St. Clairsville. Since then, they have recorded three shutouts and allowed seven points to both Rootstown and Burn Union.
“We had a very productive regular season. We made much more progress than we expected in a short span of three years.” Kropka said. “A great team called us and we couldn’t wait to schedule. Three years later, we’ll never get another call like that. I’m happy with where I’m sitting right now.”
Bellaire is 4-5 and has a schedule packed with opponents from bigger divisions than the Big Reds locally, including St. Clairsville, East Liverpool and Indian Creek. Bellaire, which started the season with a 4-1 record, enters Friday having played its fourth straight game.
“We’ve been through a very tough period physically, but we’re looking forward to another opportunity, another opportunity.” Bellaire head coach Mark Bonner said.
“I think this match was a complete failure.” Kropka said. “I think it’s an even game. They’re strong in their spots and we’re strong in our spots.
“I think their schedule was very tough. D-4 teams came up one after the other. I know what that’s like. My first year here, too. , I once tried to beat up my kids to wake them up for the next game, but luckily I don’t have to worry about waking them up for the Martins Ferry-Bela game. ”
Martins Ferry was led on the ground by senior Teven Williams, who gained 1,101 yards on 84 carries for a healthy 13.1 yards per carry average and scored 12 touchdowns. Quarterback Aiden Rudolph completed 72 percent of his passes for 1,546 yards, 18 touchdowns, and two interceptions. His top target is Alex Reese, who has 554 yards receiving and five touchdowns. Reese also recorded 13 sacks on defense. Williams follows with 500 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
“They have players with great skill.” Bonner said of the ferry.
“I think we have great chemistry. It should be a fun game, a good game for both teams. I think we have good chemistry and it should be a good challenge. We are preparing for the game and it should be a good game for both teams. We must fight back based on our experience.”
Bellaire’s leading rusher was Bradin Beckett, who gained 485 yards on 84 carries with 5.8 yards per pop and three touchdowns. Sophomore Raekhon Pettigrew is the team’s leading receiver with 23 catches for 422 yards and seven touchdowns. He also has 149 yards on the ground. Sophomore quarterback Michael Dippel had 1,118 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
“I was very impressed.” Kropka said of Belair: “I think the quarterbacks are getting better every week. Obviously Pettigrew is a special type of guy. (Maurice) Webb is really good. There’s a few guys that are underrated, but (Beckett) I think he’s a really great back. He hasn’t broken 80 yards for a touchdown, but he’s running hard and, more importantly, blocking well in pass protection and read blocking.
“I like their defensive ends, (Quentin Scott) and (Graham Campbell). They’re tough, stubborn kids. Bellaire has always had defensive ends like that, even though they’re a little undersized. They’re tough as nails and really dance every dance. They’re tough and I’d take them to any team I’ve ever coached. The Bellaire kids. I don’t like them all week, but I really enjoy watching them in the movies. They always seem like the same kids, even though their names change. ”
Both schools have spent the past week celebrating their long-standing rivalry, and both towns should converge on Friday at the Dave Bruny Football Complex.
“In Martins Ferry and probably Bellaire, you have a nine-game regular season, you have Bellaire, which is a season unto itself, and then you have the postseason.” Kropka said. “There really are three seasons.”
“I don’t think you really need to do that.” Asked about discussing the rivalry with his team, Bonnard said: “The school takes pretty good care of that. Last year’s pep rally and bonfire was really special and I think it will be again this year. The kids are walking down the hall and they see the trophy and it’s there. I thought I should. I don’t think I need to talk to them too much about it.”
Both coaches have had their disagreements this week, but they agree on one thing. That said, this game presents a great opportunity for young men stepping onto the field for one of the Buckeye State’s most prolific rivalries.
“I think it’s a great source of pride for our seniors as well. They’ve been a part of all of this.” Bonnard said. “The young players are playing well and know what they have to do. The young players also want to build on this. A great game to end the season. Everybody should have a game like this at the end and we’re lucky to have it.”
“What I want kids to understand is that they are very lucky.” Kropka said. “Not everyone gets to go to a game like this. This is a smaller version of Ohio State and Michigan, a really great, traditional, historic rivalry, and to be a part of it It means being part of something bigger than yourself.”
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