Riverside Cyclones vs. Troy Trojans: The end of a rivalry (for now)

WATHENA, Ks. (News-Press NOW) -- SportsZone's Game of the Week features a Kansas rivalry matchup, that will come to a close at the end of the season.

In week seven of high school football, the 4-1 Riverside Cyclones will welcome their rivals in the 4-1 Troy Trojans for what could be the last time for the foreseeable future.

This will be the last time these two teams face off for quite some time, as the Trojans announced earlier this year a move down to 8-man football next season.

After losing their season opener to the Jackson Heights Cobras 21-0, the Cyclones have jumped out to a four-game win streak.

During that win streak, the Cyclones offense is averaging 40 points per game, while the Cyclones defense is only allowing four points per game.

Cyclones Head Coach Bryce Paden said the game against Jackson Heights prepared them for the season, helping lead them to the win streak.

"Our kids have done really well this season, and we knew the game against Jackson Heights was going to be a tough one," Coach Paden said. "We lost that game 21 to nothing but I think that game propelled us moving forward."

The Cyclones have a senior-led group and Coach Paden said the team leaders have led by example for the entire season.

"They are not a ton of vocal leaders, they show what they do every day to the young kids," Coach Paden said. "We are able to shine light on those kids as they are doing great things and that's the expectation moving forward -- this is the way you need to play."

The rivalry between Riverside and Troy has been around for a while, with it originally being between Wathena and Troy before they consolidated with Elwood. Coach Paden said despite not playing Troy before the last four years, it still means everything for all the communities involved.

"It's always nice to have a game in county and show off what you got," Coach Paden said. "It's exciting for all the communities involved and we're excited for it."

Now just 10 miles down the road, Trojans Head Coach Derek Jasper said the team could have moved down to 8-man football sooner because of enrollment. While he said he was not happy with the decision, it also will bring a new level of excitement to coaching a different brand of football.

"I was disappointed in the decision but it was inevitable," Coach Jasper said. "Yes it is going to be different, but it's going to be exciting playing new teams with different play styles."

With the Trojans moving down to 8-man football at the end of this season, the team has jumped out to a 4-1 start. Coach Jasper said the team is staying focused ahead of their rivalry matchup in what could be the biggest game of their season.

"It's not hard to focus when we're playing Riverside," Coach Jasper said. "It was easy to get their focus this week and there's bigger things ahead like districts and playoffs, but this week, this is the biggest game."

The final rendition between the Riverside Cyclones and Troy Trojans in this rivalry game is sure to be one for the books. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. in Wathena, Kansas.

Tune in for SportsZone at 10 p.m. this Friday, Oct. 10, for the highlights from this game and other games from around the area.