The Saratoga Springs-Shenendehowa high school football rivalry dates back more than a half-century.

“I try to tell our kids, ‘You're not allowed to wear green around here.’ And we refer to him as the team down south. So we try not to use those words,” said Eric Hayden, Saratoga’s head coach.

What You Need To Know

  • This will be the 55th meeting since 1979, with Shen leading the series 34-20

  • The winner of this Class AA regular season finale will secure the No. 3 seed for the postseason

  • Shen and Saratoga will kickoff at 7 p.m. Friday on Spectrum News 1

The two storied programs have met 54 times since 1979, with the team from down south leading the series 34-20.

“They really eat it up. I mean, the stories that these guys have, dating back to the 80s, the 90s, the 2000s are great, great memories for the coaches,” said Brian Clawson, Shen’s head coach.

From Blase Iuliano and Brent Steuerwald to Terry Jones and Clawson, the rivalry has now entered a new era. Bring in Hayden, a second-year head coach at Saratoga, but very familiar with this rivalry as a former player.

“You felt the intensity. You would walk in Price Chopper with your jersey on a Friday, you go get lunch because you got senior privileges, and there would be people on Price Chopper saying, ‘Go get them tonight,’” Hayden recalled.

Hayden will look to give the Blue Streaks their first win over Shen since 2018, when the two teams meet in the Class AA regular season finale this Friday night. The winner will also secure the No. 3 seed for the postseason.

“This year's different. Saratoga's in the playoffs right now. They're a team on the rise. Our team understands that, and they really excited to play them this week,” Clawson said.

This week, Clawson and Hayden have made sure their players understand the importance of the rivalry and the history behind it.

“We got to practice a little bit harder to give one percent extra effort, which we try to do every week,” said James Pepper Jr., a senior tight end and linebacker for Shen. “But there's just that mental aspect that gives you a little boost, energy because we know it's Toga. We know they're good too.”

“It just comes down to believing we can win,” said Caleb Casey, a senior full back and defensive back for Saratoga. “We know we're a good team. We know we're talented enough to beat a good team like Shen.”

Some new, some old, and even some returning faces, but still the same storied rivalry with a new chapter to be written. Shen and Saratoga will kickoff Friday 7 p.m. on Spectrum News 1.