Friday night at Howard, two local football rivals fought it out in the Knox County version of Army-Navy or Ohio State-Michigan.
The Danville Blue Devils and the East Knox Bulldogs played the 66th annual Devil-Dog Game. Results were not available at press time, but full coverage of the game will be printed in Wednesday’s Mount Vernon News.
Danville held a 40-24-1 advantage going in, but East Knox had won four straight Devil-Dog games, so the Danville seniors had never tasted victory in this rivalry. Danville, 7-2 and 5-1 in KMAC play, is ranked No. 3, Div. 7, Region 25, while East Knox is 2-7 overall and 1-5 in KMAC, but records are thrown out the window when the Devil-Dog trophy is on the line.
The trophy holder going in was East Knox, and Bulldogs coach Andrew Beatty is proud to be a part of this history.
“It is an incredible thing to be a part of such a storied rivalry like this,” Beatty said. “This is a game that people from all over the state talk about and something that can really alter the feel of a season in many ways. I am honored to lead these young men into such an important game. The team is excited and eagerly anticipating this game. They have many friends, and rivalries, on the opposing team, so this is extra special to them.”
Matthew Blum, coach for the Danville Blue Devils, seeks to bring the trophy back to Danville.
“The tradition of this game means everything to our program,” Blum said. “We don’t like to over-focus on any opponents, but this game is always circled on our schedule. Specifically this year, it’s a big one because our senior class has never beaten East Knox. It was a major focus for us in the offseason, and I know our kids will be ready to roll Friday night.”
Beatty added a few nuances in preparation of the game.
“We practice with intensity and urgency every week,” Beatty said, “but there is certainly something special in the air on Devil-Dog week. We have been working hard to pick up the pace and intensity. The speaker at practice is turned up extra loud and placed close to the huddle to allow for some extra level of noise to navigate along with the chaos that can come from that.”
Blum has not altered practice, but each offseason deals with the game.
“This week is a normal practice week for us,” Blum said. “However, in the offseason, we always have a 'Beat East Knox' period, which would be a tough finisher after a full workout. This was always to remind us that we needed to outwork them in everything we do.”
