Players, fans enjoy Lancaster-Depew rivalry as end nears

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- For 106 years, Lancaster and Depew have battled it out in one of Western New York's oldest football rivalries.

On Friday night, that historic matchup took place at Lancaster's Foyle-Kling Stadium for the last time. Depew will host the final game in the entire series next year.

"Lancaster-Depew is really sort of the fabric of the community, that rivalry," said Mark Favata, voice of the Lancaster Legends. "So I'm really excited to see people kind of relive it one last time here at Foyle-Kling. It's a close-knit community and nights like these are really special."

Heading into Friday's game, Lancaster had won 14 of the last 20 matchups. On Friday, Lancaster won 49-14, but the game was about more than a record -- it was communities gathering for a tradition that has touched many generations.

"It's hard because you don't want this rivalry to end," said Lancaster football coach Eric Rupp.

Depew decided to phase out the rivalry due to safety and roster size differences between programs.

For those who were a part of it, the memories are priceless and will last far beyond the end of the rivalry.

"I'm just grateful I got to experience this before it's over," said Lancaster student Kari Kowalski.