Hoover, Louisville rivalry readies for TV debut

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Chris Beaven, Canton Repository

They refused to look ahead.

They didn’t talk about it. They tried not to think about it.

And a pair of dominant opening wins are the proof that the Hoover and Louisville high school football teams didn’t

get caught looking ahead to their televised showdown Thursday night.

Now, though, the anticipation is starting to build, and they are eager for their annual matchup.

“You’d have to be dead not to be excited,” said Hoover head coach Don Hertler Jr., whose team routed Washington, D.C., Coolidge, 34-6, last Friday.

Louisville pounded out a 28-0 win that same night at Ravenna.

When you’re playing 10 games, you can’t put a lot of stress on one game,” Louisville head coach Paul Farrah said.

“But they finally got a little excited on Sunday when we had a practice.”

This is the 87th meeting between Louisville and North Canton. The series began with two games in 1924 and has

been an annual event for the communities since.

What’s new this year, though, is the entire state gets to see it for the first time. The 7 p.m. kickoff at Louisville

Stadium will be televised live by FSN Ohio.

Farrah said it wasn’t a tough decision to move the game from Friday to Thursday to accommodate the broadcast.

“You’ve got to think of what’s good for the kids and the whole city instead of anything else,” he said. “This is great exposure for Louisville, the high school and our kids.”

Hertler, in his 14th season as Hoover’s head coach, does not recall the Vikings ever having a game televised live during the regular season.

“It’s obviously a rare and exciting thing,” he said.

But playing on TV will not cause either team to lose sight of what makes

Thursday night special — the game itself.

“It’s such a great rivalry for each community,” Hertler said.

Louisville leads the series 50-30-5, having won the last two years.

“It’s always a neat thing to be on TV, but it’s even better to be a part of this tradition of Louisville and North Canton,” Farrah said. “It’s been going on for more than 80 years now. Our kids are just excited to be a part of that tradition.”

Hoover at Louisville

Louisville Stadium

7 p.m. Thursday

TV FSN Ohio

NETWORK

Hoover Vikings Football

Hoover Vikings Football

Hoover vs Louisville Rivalry