Entering its 91st year, the rivalry between the Depew Wildcats and the Lancaster Legends is a fierce one. Dating back to 1919, the rivalry got so intense in the 1930s that it was temporarily ended for almost a decade due to concern for fan safety. This year, it is all about the coaches. Depew’s new head coach Mark DiRienzo is rebuilding his program, while two year veteran Lancaster head coach Eric Rupp hopes to lead his team to another victory over the Wildcats, who lost to the Legends last season 43-7.
MVP
Tim Gardner
Lancaster
SCHOLAR ATHLETES
;)
Ian Conners
Lancaster
Ian has been a member of the varsity football team for the past 2 years. He has been at the top of his class for many quarters of his high school career. He is a member of Project Lead the Way and the gifted math program at UB. He hopes to attend Princeton to study engineering.
Carl Dotterweich
Depew
Carl is a 2-year letterman and also plays hockey and lacrosse. Carl was voted a division all-star in hockey. He is a member of National Honor Society and plans to study engineering in college.
HALL OF FAME
Tom O'Donnell
Lancaster
Tom played for Lancaster High School his Junior and Senior years, 1978 and 1979. He played wide receiver and caught a few passes against the Wildcats during the series. His coach was the legendary Joe Foyle, a Great American Rivalry Series Hall of Fame Inductee as well. After high school, Tom attended Buffalo State College and played a year of football. Tom then joined the US Army and served as a Military Peace Officer. Tom returned to Lancaster High School and helped coach wide receivers from 1993-2015 as a volunteer. Tom was a founding member of the WNY Parkinson's Foundation in 1998. To quote Tom, "Excuses are nothing more than stepping stones to failure."
Mike Barker
Depew
Mike Barker played varsity football for Depew High School his Junior and Senior years in 1987 and 1988. He was the only Junior to start on the legendary 1987 team, which was Coach Frank Constantino's last team. The team finished the regular season undefeated, won their division, and beat Lancaster 20-6. Mike was a key component in their offensive success. In 1988 he was the team captain and was voted a Division IV All-Star. Since graduating Mike has supported Depew athletics as well as numerous community organizations, donating his time to organizing many fundraisers. Mike is one of Depew Athletics' biggest advocates and is president of the Alumni Association. In 2014, he was honored and voted a member of the Depew School District's Wall of Fame.
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