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Sports

Mehlville and Oakville Continue Rivalry Friday Night

The annual football game will be held this year at Oakville at 7 p.m.

It's not a district game.

It's not a playoff game.

It's not Homecoming.

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And for Mehlville coach Eric Meyer it is just another football game on the 2011 regular schedule.

But don't tell the players on the Mehlville and Oakville teams and the two communities that it is not a special game.

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The Panthers and Tigers renew their rivalry Friday at 7 p.m. in a Suburban West Conference contest at .

"I treat this game like any other game," Meyer said. "It is business as usual although I think there is more meaning for some of the players who know each other."

Both teams are coming off losses last week and enter the game with 1-2 records.

Offense was an issue for each team as Oakville scored just six points in a loss against Parkway South while Mehlville could manage just seven against Lafayette.

"We just made too many mistakes last week, especially with our offensive blocking," Meyer said. "I think the key Friday night is going to be on the line of scrimmage. They have good athletes and we have good athletes. Whoever wins the battle up front will probably win the game."

Mehlville won that battle in last year's game as the Panthers rushed for 298 yards en route to a 25-7 victory.

The records are identical coming into the game this season but sometimes records mean nothing in a rivalry game.

That was shown two years ago. Mehlville suffered through a winless season in 2009 while Oakville won nine games and made it to the playoffs.

But the Tigers needed two late touchdowns, including one with 18 seconds left to pull out a 22-19 victory.

Mehlville had won the previous three games against Oakville, holding the Tigers to single figure points in each game.

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