Burlington Central, Hampshire renew rivalry

Updated: August 25, 2011 8:56PM

For all the talk about the changes surrounding the Burlington Central and Hampshire football programs during the offseason, tonight’s season opener between the longtime rivals will have a decidedly familiar feel.

Granted, the matchup comes a bit earlier in the season than in the past and it won’t carry the weight of being a conference game, but expect the intensity level to be high as usual.

The Rockets have some extra incentive as they try to win in new head coach Rich Crabel’s debut, and the Whip-Purs will be looking to make a statement out of the gate as they embark on their first season as a member of the ultra-competitive Fox Valley Conference.

More than anything, though, both teams will be looking to claim bragging rights when they renew pleasantries in Hampshire.

“I’m glad we’re keeping the rivalry,” Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh said. “There’s so much history behind it and I’m glad we have that going. Our guys understand the rivalry, they enjoy it and they know a lot of the guys on the other side.”

Earlyseason success has been hard to come by for both Burlington Central and Hampshire in recent years, so starting the campaign off in the right direction could prove critical as both squads look to get back on track after underwhelming 2010 seasons.

The Rockets haven’t won a season opener since 2004, and last year they started the campaign with five straight losses before finally notching their first victory in a 48-6 rout of the Whip-Purs in Week 6. That served as a springboard to a 3-6 finish, but Central still failed to reach the playoffs for a third straight year.

Hampshire started 0-3 each of the past three years, and the Whips are coming off a 1-8 finish in 2010 in which they failed to qualify for the postseason for the second straight year.

Junior Kyle Anderson makes his varsity debut at quarterback tonight for a young Hampshire squad. Chase Lundry, a senior running back and defensive back, and Cody Ackmann, a senior tight end and linebacker, are two key returners for the Whips.

Junior quarterback Ryan Ritchie is back for Central, and that should be enough to give Hampshire some concern. Ritchie completed all seven of his passes for 205 yards against the Whips last year and also ran for 79 yards and a touchdown in that game.

Senior receiver Zach Ranney, senior linebacker Chandler Crary and junior tailback Joel Bouagnon are three other players to watch for the Rockets, who have won nine of their past 12 meetings against Hampshire.

“We have kids that their backyard backs up against some of the Hampshire kids’ backyards,” Crabel said. “The rivalry aspect is not something we talk about a lot, but it’s there.”

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