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H.S. FOOTBALL: ‘Lock-Star II’ slated Sept. 12 in Lockport
Neighboring school districts excited about continuance of their ‘match made in heaven.’
LOCKPORT — Move over T-NT. “Lock-Star II” on Sept. 12 is already gaining more attention among high school football fans in this area than the more familiar nearby antiquated mismatch — and it took just two years.
Last year’s first ever grid iron meeting between the AA Division Lions and A Division Spartans was a memorable one, with the underdog Spartans trouncing the visiting Lions, 38-6, before a large and vocal crowd at Shirley Tudor Stadium in Pendleton.
Lions head coach Greg Bronson said a rematch against the Spartans at 2 p.m. on Sept. 12 at Max D. Lederer Field behind Emmet Belknap Middle School, is much anticipated by his players, coaches and residents of both communities.
“What happened last year is a great example of how competitive the two programs can be and it certainly helped to create some anticipation for this year’s game,” Bronson said on Monday.
“The kids are excited and the communities are excited and I think it’s a good way to generate and maintain people’s interest.”
The neighboring school districts of Lockport and Starpoint (Pendleton) have talked about playing each other in football for decades, but many factors kept that from becoming a reality, specifically the difference in school sizes.
It wasn’t until recent years that Starpoint could boast of an enrollment that came close to Lockport’s and a team and program that could confidently compete with the bigger and better schools.
All of those points are but a mute point after the Spartans routed the grid Lions a year ago and the natural and genuine rivalry was officially borne.
“Neither one of us have ever really had a rival. In my 24 years coaching at Starpoint, I know we never had a rival that matched the intensity of the game we played last year,” Cavagnaro said.
“It’s a match made in heaven and I’m looking forward to it again. Greg and I are good friends and we’ve been friends a long time . They know our staff and we know theirs, the players know each other. It’s funny because it’s a rivalry against your friends — but it’s okay.”
Section VI Class AA North chairman, former LHS varsity football coach Bob Casler, said his committee has opted to reschedule this developing new “rivalry” at the request of coaches Bronson and Cavagnaro.
“Every team has at least one non-league game each year and if there are coaches and schools that request each other, then we as a committee, when scheduling games, try to accommodate them,” Casler said.
“If you’re going to play a non-league game, why drive 50 miles to play someone you don’t ever see?”
Casler said it’s common for the football committees make special scheduling accommodations for rivalry games, including the annual Tonawanda-North Tonawanda game, billed as “TNT.”
“Both Greg and Al have asked for the game again this year. It’s a natural,” Casler said.
Added Bronson, “Neither one of us have ever had that classic, traditional rivalry with anyone before,” Bronson said.
“To start developing that between our two schools is going to enhance the competitiveness of this game every year and pique the interest of both communities as well. We’d like to play them every year.
“We weren’t well prepared last year and Starpoint played like they had something to prove.”
The Lions-Spartans contest comes in Week No. 2 of the coming Section VI large school season.
Lockport opens its slate with a game at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 4 at AA South Division power Orchard Park, while the Spartans host A South’s West Seneca East at 2 p.m. on Sept. 5 to open their season.
Lock-Star is no traditional rivalry like TNT, but everyone agrees that it’s a natural one and one that is expected to grow substantially in size and magnitude in years to come — beginning Sept. 12.
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