By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
On Friday night, one of the country's oldest rivalries will be renewed as the Abilene Cowboys (0-1) host the Chapman Fighting Irish (1-0) in the 132nd Battle for Dickinson County.
This game has gone the way of the Cowboys in each of the last two seasons, but the Irish will be hungry for an opportunity to restore the glory of the rivalry back to the green and white.
Chapman looked good under first-year head coach Jason Grider in week one, whose defense gutted out a 10-7 victory over a strong Smith Center team.
“I thought our kids were really relentless and just kept making stops and finding ways to keep us in the game,” Grider said. “It would have been real easy going up against a perennial power and look for a moral victory, but our guys kept coming and I’m proud of them.”
Abilene had their hands full with a contender of their own at Clay Center, who handed the Cowboys a 34-7 loss. Despite the outcome Abilene remains optimistic heading into week two.
“Clay Center has been really good for the last few years,” Abilene head coach Brad Nicks said. “I thought our kids handled some of the new things we saw pretty well. We’ve got some new kids at new positions but I was proud of how we fought and I thought we got a lot better throughout the night.”
With week one in the books, these two teams turn their attention to one another, and bragging rights that have been fought for since the late 1800s.
“This is what’s exciting about high school football,” Nicks said. “You’ve got that rivalry and I know our kids are pumped about it. You want to get back on the horse and go after a week one loss but we’re always a little more intense during Chapman week and we know how much this game matters to our school, our alumni and our community.”
While that sentiment is shared in the Chapman locker room, the Irish are focused on preparing for this game just like any other.
“We’re handling this just like any game week but I know the guys are excited and I’m excited to be a part of it. Both of these communities are fired up for this and I’m looking forward to seeing what this is all about.”
To find that first win over Abilene in three years, Chapman will need to see its defensive intensity carry over from week one, and will need it’s offense to take a step forward after a narrow 10-7 win over Smith Center.
On the other sideline, Abilene will also be looking to take a step forward offensively after four turnovers compromised an otherwise good effort in Clay Center.
This game will be broadcast with live stream video and audio commentary on Salina Post 100% free to the public.
You can tune into the link below for pregame coverage starting at 6:40 with kickoff scheduled for 7:00.