PERRYSBURG, Ohio — The Maumee River splits the cities of Whitehouse and Perrysburg, which contain two high schools that have garnered quite a rivalry over the decades.
On Friday night, the two football programs, the Anthony Wayne Generals and the Perrysburg Yellow Jackets, will square off in a Northern Lakes League battle. However, the scoreboard won't be the only symbol of victory.
Making its debut at Steinecker Stadium in Perrysburg will be the 'Battle of the Maumee' cannon.
"When we had that rivalry with Maumee, everybody went for that bell," Perrysburg industrial tech teacher Jeff Smith said. "I felt we needed that tangible item that the kids could battle for. It's everybody's cannon now."
The past rivalry Smith speaks of is that between Maumee High School and Perrysburg High School. For more than 60 years, the Panthers and the Yellow Jackets fought for the 'Ding-Dong Bell.' 2022 marked their final matchup (for now.)
With Maumee leaving the NLL and moving to the Northern Buckeye Conference in 2023 and having not won the bell since 2017, the competitiveness between Perrysburg and Anthony Wayne has shifted the focus.
Maumee and Perrysburg have split the last four meetings and each have been tabbed league champions twice in that span.
With a new rivalry brewing, Smith and fellow Perrysburg educator and physics teacher Nate Ash decided to come up with the idea of a cannon. Initially brought up in June, the two spent several hours creating the design and then putting that vision together.
"We're using old barnwood, so this is like a relic really," Ash said. "There would be some knots in the wood that we would have to work around. It was a lot of fun, but a real challenge to put together."
They estimate the cannon weighs over 100 pounds and features both team logos on each side, with a plaque in the middle that reads 'Battle of the Maumee,' The cannon currently sits in the cafeteria inside Perrysburg High School, but will fall into possession of the team who wins the football game on Friday night between Anthony Wayne and Perrysburg.
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