The biggest rivalry games in high school football this year (and why you can't miss them)

One of the best parts of Cincinnati high school football is the rich rivalry history many football schools share.

Mark your calendars for this year's rivalry games and anticipated matchups, and reminisce about rivalries gone by.

More: Greater Cincinnati's ultimate guide to 2024 high school football

Aug. 23 – Princeton hosts Moeller, 7 p.m.

The two storied football programs will renew the King of the Block regular-season rivalry after a 16-year hiatus. The King of the Block dates back to the 1970s, during the tenure of legendary Vikings coach Pat Mancuso and Crusader coach Gerry Faust. According to a 2022 Enquirer article on the "King of the Block" movie documentary, the Crusaders edged the Vikings 38 of the 45 times they've met. Over the past 20 years, however, the two teams have only met twice in the regular season with Moeller winning both times (2004, 2008) and once in the 2021 postseason, another Moeller win. This year's version will be the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown game featuring several Division I recruits including reigning Ohio DI Defensive Player of the Year, P.J. Nelson (Indiana), and Moeller's Micah Rice (Louisville) and Matt Ponatoski (offers from Cincinnati, Purdue and Vanderbilt).

Aug. 23 – Summit Country Day hosts Cincinnati Country Day, 7 p.m.

The Country Day Cup, according to the Miami Valley Conference, has had a 10-6 Summit Country Day advantage, with the Nighthawks taking last year's contest. That win broke a streak of six straight Silver Knight wins, except for the 2018 season. That year, Cincinnati Country Day, with only 14 boys coming out for the team, didn't play SCD because of a shortened but heartwarming season. The boys won all six games but were not eligible for the postseason because they didn't play a 10-game schedule. This year, the Silver Knights return senior QB Keller Minton and junior OL/LB Sam Reder while CCD welcomes back senior Lee Thomas and Ryan Coyle.

More: How 14 boys saved Cincinnati Country Day's football program, won their community's heart

Aug. 23 – Clinton-Massie hosts Waynesville, 7 p.m.

The Battle for the Paddle, named because of the schools' proximity to Caeser's Creek, went away for seven seasons before returning in 2022, when Waynesville knocked off the defending Division IV state champions for its first victory in the rivalry since 2011. Clinton-Massie got its revenge last season, churning out 357 rushing yards in a 38-8 victory. The two rivals will play for the Paddle once again in this year's season-opener with both clubs entering with high expectations. Waynesville went to the regional finals last season in Division IV while Clinton-Massie reached the Division IV regional semifinals. Clinton-Massie was the No. 1 team in The Enquirer's ranking of Division III-V programs and Waynesville was No. 4. Waynesville returns an explosive duo on offense in quarterback Alex Amburgy and running back Garrett Lundy, who is also a standpoint linebacker. Clinton-Massie features its usual dominant backfield, led by its three leading rushers from last season: Logan Chesser, Eli Muterspaw and Cooper Carmack.

Aug. 23 – East Central hosts Lawrenceburg, 7:30 p.m.

It's been a one-sided rivalry for nearly three decades as East Central takes a 27-game winning streak against Lawrenceburg into Friday's season-opener. East Central has won 21 consecutive games overall coming off last year's dominant run to a second straight Class 4A state title. The 1994 East Central Trojans, the first team in school history to win a state crown, will be honored before the game against Lawrenceburg. Replacing a slew of seniors from last year's title run, East Central does return a few starters, especially up front on the offensive line in Wyatt Smith, Gavin Osterman and Noah Brown. Lawrenceburg returns some key pieces, including linebacker Noah Knigga, an Eastern Michigan commit, and two-way standout D'Kari Mucker at running back and linebacker.

Aug. 24 – Badin hosts Hamilton, 7 p.m., Fairfield Alumni Stadium

The two schools, separated by just four miles, met for the first time in 23 years last season with Badin opening up a fourth-straight undefeated regular season with an 18-0 victory on the road. Badin, a regional finalist last season , now carries a 38-game regular-season winning streak into Friday's home opener against the Big Blue. Nick Yordy's group is looking to reload rather than rebuild. One building block is the return of leading rusher Lem Grayson, who ran for over 900 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2023. It's year No. 3 for Arvie Crouch at Hamilton and the veteran coach led the Big Blue to their first playoff win in school history last season. Hamilton returns most of their starters this season, including quarterback Antonio Mathis and his three leading receivers.

Aug. 30 – Covington Catholic hosts Highlands, 7 p.m.

It's the 77th all-time meeting between the two Northern Kentucky powers with Highlands holding a 50-26 edge. However, the Colonels had the advantage in the rivalry for over a decade, winning 10 out of the last 11 meetings including last season's 35-21 triumph. Highlands, which fell in the state semifinals last season, returns top-tier talent like offensive lineman Max Merz and playmakers Jackson Arnold and Adam Surrey. Covington Catholic lost 23 seniors from last year's state runner-up squad. The Colonels could lean on defense with the return of leading tackler Tate Kruer along with Isaac Mason, Cash Harney and Dylan Gaiser.

Aug. 30 – West Clermont hosts Anderson, 7 p.m.

It's one of the newer rivalries, if for no other reason than West Clermont was founded in 2017 after the merger of Glen Este and Amelia high schools. The Eastern Cincinnati Conference rivals and next-door neighbors have met seven times with Anderson taking the series six times. West Clermont won the rivalry for the only time in 2022, but Anderson got its revenge in a big way last year with a 50-5 thumping en route to a regional championship . Anderson is one of the favorites in the ECC with quarterback Justice Burnam returning to run the Raptors' high-powered offense. Anderson also added talent via transfers, like Simon Kenton running back Durrell Turner and Purcell Marian transfers Jayden Egbert and Jayonn Saunders on the defensive end.

Sept. 6 – Cooper hosts Ryle, 7:30 p.m.

Ryle has controlled the Battle of Union for nearly a decade, winning nine straight in the rivalry. However, Cooper is knocking at the door of breaking that streak and has had its chances recently. Three of the last five meetings have been decided by seven points or fewer, and even last year's 28-10 Ryle win, was a tight one. Cooper led 10-7 before costly turnovers led to 21 straight points from the Raiders. Cooper, coming off a Class 5A state runner-up finish, was ranked by The Enquirer as the No. 2 team in Northern Kentucky/Southeast Indiana heading into this season led by quarterback Cam O'Hara and North Carolina commit Austin Alexander at tight end/defensive end. Ryle, The Enquirer's No. 4 team, also has state title hopes with a ton of talent returning, including Jacob Savage, Dylan Lee, Landon Lorms and Gavin Lyons on the offensive end.

Sept. 20 – Blanchester hosts Goshen, 7 p.m.

Football's King of the Road game is a treat for the families along Ohio 28 ‒ the road that connects these two programs. The King of the Road trophy hasn't done a lot of traveling, with Blanchester carrying a four-game winning streak in the rivalry. The Wildcats have cruised in that span, with four victories by an average margin of 24.5 points per game. Blanchester will have to reload an offense that led the SBAAC in scoring last season. The Wildcats do return key cogs on defense like Tristan Malone and Kane Scott. Goshen returns Camden Telina, who ran for 776 yards as a freshman last season and contributed on defense, as well.

Sept 20 – Covington Catholic hosts Beechwood, 7 p.m.

The series dates back to 1978 when legendary head coach Bernie Barre was in his fourth season with the Tigers. Beechwood holds a 26-17 lead in the rivalry, but the Tigers have just four wins since the series resumed following a two-year hiatus in 2003. Last season, Covington Catholic rallied from a 21-0 first-half deficit to stun the Tigers, 35-31. Beechwood, a state semifinalist last year, is The Enquirer's No. 1 team in Northern Kentucky in the preseason with gunslinger Clay Hayden returning under center.

Oct. 4 – Anderson hosts Turpin, 7 p.m.

The Anderson-Turpin King of the Hill rivalry is as old as the hills, so to speak, as the Forest Hills School District's backyard brawl dates back to 1976. The rivalry hit its peak in the 2007 regional championship game when Anderson prevailed by a point on a touchdown as time expired en route to a state title. Last year's playoff matchup lacked any excitement, as Anderson rolled to a 43-7 first-round win. Turpin hasn't beaten its neighborhood rival since 2019 with the Raptors winning the last four meetings. Turpin will try to turn it around in year No. 2 of the Bryan Walker era. The Spartans will be led by quarterback Devan Nigam, who set the school's single-season passing record last year.

Oct. 11 – Bellevue hosts Dayton, 7 p.m.

Bellevue and Dayton enjoy the second-oldest football rivalry in Kentucky, the Battle for the Paddle, they'll play their 151st game in 2024. The Tigers and Greendevils used to meet twice a season, in Week 1 and Week 10, but now play once a year. Bellevue holds a series lead at 97-50-3, after bowing to Dayton in 2023. Bellevue returns some key pieces to the 2023 team in RB Jordan Pendleton, QB Tristan Woodyard and receiver Brayden Sizemore. Dayton lost some key players to graduation but returns Chad Nickell, who started at quarterback and rushed for 450 yards in 2023.

Oct. 11 – La Salle hosts St. Xavier, 7 p.m.

The King of the Road matchup first took place in 1962 and has been controlled by St. Xavier ever since. The Bombers hold a 47-17-1 record against La Salle following last season's 24-13 victory. St. Xavier head coach Steve Specht is 18-4 against the Lancers. La Salle will look for its first victory in the rivalry since a 22-15 triumph in 2019. The Lancers turn to experience on defense this year with four of its top five tacklers returning while quarterback Pat McLaughlin returns under center. St. Xavier also has a returning signal-caller in Chase Herbstreit and should have key weapons with him like Daniel Vollmer and Jacob Britt running behind an offensive line headlined by Kentucky commit Tucker Kattus.

Oct. 11 – Newport hosts Newport Central Catholic, 7 p.m.

The Fireman's Bell rivalry between Newport and Newport Central Catholic has been decidedly lopsided for the Thoroughbreds, as it's been 25 years since the Wildcats have captured the bell. Newport quarterback Kyle Lee returns to lead the Wildcats against a NewCath team led by Louie Collopy.

Oct. 18 - Indian Hill hosts Wyoming, 7 p.m.

This will be a must-see matchup between the top two teams in the Cincinnati Hills League. The rivalry reached an all-time high last season when Indian Hill went on the road and snapped Wyoming's 75-game regular-season winning streak. The Braves would go on to spoil Wyoming's plans for an eighth consecutive CHL title, though Wyoming would enjoy the most postseason success in the league with a regional final run. This year's matchup could decide CHL bragging rights once again. Turn your attention to the backfield in this matchup. Wyoming's Joel Hancock and Indian Hill's Devlan Daniel are two of the best in the city.

Oct. 18 – Williamsburg hosts Bethel-Tate at 7 p.m.

This rivalry has been very competitive between the two Southern Buckeye Conference-National rivals. The two teams have consistently fielded solid squads with Williamsburg's last losing season coming in 2020 and Bethel-Tate's in 2018. Each team has won 11 times in the rivalry over the last 22 meetings and the last two games have been decided by a combined seven points. Bethel-Tate spoiled Williamsburg's perfect season last year with a 22-20 victory. Both teams are replacing a ton of talent from last season, so it will be an entertaining matchup this October with several players looking to break out.

Oct. 18 – Lakota West hosts Lakota East at 7 p.m.

In the last 20 years, Lakota West had had a 16-5 advantage (including two playoff wins) over its sister school, Lakota East. Under head coach Jon Kitna, the Thunderhawks hope to get their first win since 2018 over the Firebirds, coached by Tom Bolden. East returns Kitna's son, Jamison, under center and a couple of juniors on last year's Greater Miami Conference leaderboard, RB Ryder Hooks and WR Zion Neal. West returns several top-quality seniors including WR Trey Barnette, TE Luka Gilbert, DL Vincent Giordano and LB Grant Beerman.

Highly anticipated Cincinnati football games in 2024

• La Salle at Colerain, Aug. 23
• Gamble Montessori host Clark Montessori, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 7 at Stargel
• Loveland at Milford, Sept. 13
• Moeller at St. Xavier, Sept. 20
• Campbell County vs. Newport Central Catholic, Sept. 20 at Dixie Heights
• St. X at Elder, Sept. 27
• Moeller at La Salle, Sept. 27
• Northwest at Mt. Healthy, Sept. 27
• Williamsburg at Blanchester, Oct. 4
• Elder at Moeller, Oct. 4
• La Salle at Elder, Oct. 25
• Taft at Woodward, Oct. 25

Cincinnati football rivalries you won't see in 2024

• Williamsburg vs. Batavia
• Elder vs. Oak Hills
• Winton Woods vs. Princeton
• Scott vs. Simon Kenton
• Campbell County vs. Bishop Brossart
• Holmes vs. Holy Cross

Cincinnati rivalries we miss

• Western Hills vs. Elder - The Elder Panthers and Western Hills Mustangs had a rivalry that started in 1929 and lasted 80 years. Traditionally, they would play after the Thanksgiving Day Parade that wound through West Price Hill until 1978, when they played their last turkey-day game at Riverfront Stadium. The teams, however, continued to play in the regular season until 2009.
• Mt. Healthy vs. Woodward - Between 1985 and 1989, these two schools were part of the six-team Metro County Conference, with Aiken, Colerain, Oak Hills and Western Hills. While it was probably more true for basketball, this rivalry was the game fans didn't miss in the mid-to-late 1980s.
• Glen Este vs. Amelia - There used to be a day when you couldn't wear purple within the boundaries of Amelia proper, nor Amelia blue within Union Township, Clermont. It was good, old-fashioned fun that went away when the sibling schools merged to become West Clermont in 2017.
• McNicholas vs. Anderson or Turpin - The King/Queen of the Hill actually refers to a rivalry between all three schools. While it's maintained a three-way competition in sports such as golf and soccer, King of the Hill is not a thing with football. The last time Anderson, Turpin and McNicholas played in the regular season was in 2017 when Turpin opened the season with a loss to McNicholas, a team that lost to Anderson the following weekend.
• Beechwood vs. Newport Central Catholic - For years, this was the best Northern Kentucky game in the final weekend of the regular season, as the small-school rivals lined up against each other to tune up for long playoff runs. Six times since 1998, they have met in the playoffs but there are several years when they were in different classes and both reached the state championship game. Beechwood won eight of the past nine meetings, but have not played since 2022.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The biggest rivalry games in high school football this year (and why you can't miss them)