Wyandotte, Southgate Rivalry Continues Tonight

As closes out the regular season at Southgate Anderson tonight, the game will be yet another installment in one of Downriver’s best football rivalries. 

In the previous 10 meetings, including two playoff games, the and Titans (6-2) are 5-5 in head-to-head matchups, with Roosevelt having won the last two.

Both teams have been very competitive in recent years, with Wyandotte about to make its sixth straight playoff appearance and Anderson its fourth.

An already intense rivalry increased when the Downriver League was formed in 2009, putting the two teams in competition for a league title. Prior to that, each competed in separate divisions of the now disbanded Mega Conference.

The two squads rolled through the Downriver League unbeaten last year and clashed at Roosevelt Stadium in week nine in front of more than 8,000 fans. Wyandotte’s 27-0 win that night gave the team the league crown–and area bragging rights.

Considering the proximity of the two cities, those bragging rights can be valuable to both the winning players and fans long after the season ends.

Despite the recent success of both squads, the rivalry has remained intense even in years when one team has had a poor or mediocre season otherwise.

“This game has traditionally been a hard-hitting matchup where records are not important,” Wyandotte head coach Ron Adams said.

In 2004, the Titans entered the game 6-2, while the Bears were only 2-6. Instead of getting crushed by Anderson that night, Wyandotte hung in and lost only 14-7.

A 2007 battle saw an 8-1 Bears’ team just get past a 4-4 Southgate squad by a score of 28-27.

Tonight’s showdown at Anderson features and the playoff-bound Titans. The Bears will be fighting to maintain their perfect record heading into the postseason, while Southgate is aiming to finish with just two losses as it prepares for the playoffs.

“This game is usually a close contest decided in the 4th quarter,” Adams said. “We have a great deal of respect for their coaches and players and expect a physical challenge (tonight) in Southgate.”

Since the Downriver League was formed in 2009, Wyandotte has only lost one game in league play. That was to that year's champs, Melvindale, on Oct. 16, 2009.

Tonight’s game, which could keep that streak alive for the Bears, kicks off at 7 p.m. at Southgate Anderson High School. For those who can’t make it, check in with Wyandotte Patch on Facebook or Twitter for live updates during the game.