Montour and Central Valley set for Friday night high school football showdown
ROBINSON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) -- Cue the whistle! Tonight, many high school football teams in our area hit the field for their season openers!
Students and fans from all over our area will pack bleachers tonight. They're hoping their school – scores a lot of touchdowns.
Montour High School's football players dress for success.
"We're trying to be the classiest team in the school," Lou Cerro, Montour Football's head coach said. "We want to look good each and every week."
Cerro's tradition has his young men in shirts, ties, and dress pants.
Today is when they run that tradition back – the first gameday of the season.
"I was ready, I was excited – nervous a little bit," Mark Dobrowsky, a lineman for Montour Football, said. "But I mean, this what we worked for all summer – so we gotta get it done tonight."
The players have been hitting the sleds, practicing under the hot sun all summer. The Spartans hope to beat their rivals – the Central Valley Warriors – again.
"They're gonna be coming in blazing, ready to beat us – so, it's a pretty big game to start off the season," Cerro said.
Warriors head coach Mark Lyons says neither team has ever won on its home turf in this rivalry.
"Montour and ourselves have played in a lot of big football games," Lyons said. "It's always a healthy, physical, hard-fought game…"
The scoreboard is ready to light up, and the teams? They're ready to lock in.
"You want to be in front of the TV cameras, but you have to know how to handle it," Lyons said.
"It's going to be a fun atmosphere for both teams and hopefully we get through the distractions and play the football game," Cerro said.
The players are ready to play for the community they wear on their chests.
It's a great feeling -- an honor to represent our fans and all that," AJ Alston, a slot receiver and safety for Montour, said. "There's gonna be friends and family there, and we just have to put a show on to get this win for them."
Kickoff for tonight's game between Montour and Central Valley is at 7 p.m. You can watch the game on KDKA+ or stream it on CBS News Pittsburgh.