LUDINGTON — Manistee and Ludington battle on Friday night to claim a rivalry win and to snag the Dad’s Trophy.
The Chippewas and Orioles are playing in the 145th matchup in the fourth oldest Michigan High School football rivalry.
“You’re brought up in this town and I am sure Ludington as well, playing pop warner all the way through varsity,” said Manistee senior Jeffrey Huber. “You’re taught to just beat Ludington or to beat Manistee, vice versa.”
A trophy to take home this historic win just adds to the competition, but there is a reason to why it is called the Dad’s Trophy.
“So it started off with a few dads from Ludington and Manistee,” said Ludington senior Levi Laman. “They started just saying ‘hey I think we will win this year’ and eventually someone made a trophy. Whoever won that year they would get to keep the trophy between all the dads. Eventually the school made it official and they created the trophy.”
The trophy is a golden football with the dates attributing Manistee or Ludington with the year they came away with a win. The most recent win goes to Manistee, 41-12. The Chippewas have held on to the golden football for the last two seasons and for their head coach Troy Bytwork, showing off the trophy in a glass case doesn’t do the wins justice.
“My secrets get out. Yeah the trophy is in my vehicle right now,” said Bytwork.
Bytwork’s players joked about how he keeps it in the back of his car to drive around town and show off the glorious wins.
The Orioles and Chippewas take this rivalry to the field on Friday at 7 p.m., looking for a win and to take home the golden football.
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