'You throw the records out': Bellevue, Dayton football to celebrate 150th rivalry game
On Friday, Oct. 6, Dayton and Bellevue will take the same field for the 150th time in a rivalry that has come to be known as the "Battle for the Paddle," a nickname that is a nod to the schools' proximity to the Ohio River.
Bellevue leads the series 97-49-3 thanks to a 13-game winning streak from 1953-1962, a 12-game winning streak from 1980-1986, and a 28-8 record since 1999.
The Tigers and Greendevils used to meet twice a season, in Week 1 and Week 10, but now play once a year. No more chances for end-of-season payback means the community takes more pride in holding bragging rights.
"It's just one of those games where you throw the records out," Bellevue head coach Chad Montgomery said.
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Male and DuPont Manual have the oldest rivalry in the Bluegrass. That series began in 1893. But playing twice a year has given the title of "most played" to the Northern Kentucky schools.
There have been changes over the years molding the game into what it is today. The paddle was introduced as the traveling winner's trophy in 2007. The Bellevue-Dayton youth football league was combined, meaning the kids now grow up together instead of facing off from the peewee level up through the high school ranks.
"I don't call it a friendly rivalry, but it is. We know each other, we grew up together," Dayton head coach Jesse Herbst said. "So the rivalry's there, but strike two hours, and you're friends. Once it's all over, everyone in town are friends again."
The one constant is the stadiums. Dayton's O.W. Davis Stadium was dedicated in 1936. Bellevue's Civic Stadium opened two years later. The environment at each adds a sense of history to the rivalry. Both stadiums have old-school bleachers built into a hillside, and they are the only two grass fields remaining in Northern Kentucky.
"The nostalgia is there. It's a neat environment. Those games are very similar. It's like we're stuck in time," Herbst said.
Dayton is currently planning on building a new stadium in the next few years. That facility will have a turf field, so the team is cherishing every game at Davis Stadium.
No matter which team has come out on top, the rivalry has been lopsided in recent years. Dayton has won three straight games by a combined score of 112-20. There have only been 10 games since 2000 that were decided by 10 points or fewer. Win or lose, Montgomery, who is in his first year as the head coach at his alma mater, wants to make sure the Tigers put on a good show for the fans.
"The biggest thing I've told our kids is, 'Don't get so engulfed in this game. It's been a great season.' Obviously, we want to win the battle. That's our big goal, but I don't want them playing tight and afraid to make mistakes," Montgomery said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kentucky high school football: Bellevue, Dayton enjoy football rivalry
