Based on past experiences, it would be easy for Genoa to be considered the favorite in this year’s edition of its Ottawa County rivalry against visiting Port Clinton.

The Comets are coming off three straight wins against Port Clinton — including a 62-7 win last year. None of the three games have been close.

“Well, we scored,” Port Clinton’s seventh-year head coach Toby Hammond said when asked about the positive aspects of last year’s game. “They were the best team we played. They would have won our league.”

That said, Hammond hopes a more athletic team will help them break the aforementioned losing streak.

“This may be the most athletic team in my time here,” he said. “(Genoa) had a really good group last year. Their speed difference was obvious.”

The improved athleticism hasn’t gone unnoticed to Mike Vicars, Genoa’s fourth year head coach, who said he’s heard good things about Port Clinton.

Each team opened its season successfully as Genoa beat Rossford 56-7 and Port Clinton took down Woodmore 26-14.

Hammond said he was pleased with a defensive effort against Woodmore that he considered one of the better efforts of his tenure, although he thought the blocking along the offensive line wasn’t up to par.

Two key plays turned the game in favor of Port Clinton. Steve Wingo ran an 80-85 yard kickoff return back just after Woodmore had tied the game in the second quarter. Then, Derek Colston returned an interception for a touchdown to provide the winning margin late in the game.

Meanwhile, Genoa was up to its usual work in the defeat of Rossford. Coach Vicars had nothing but good things to say about his team’s performance.

“We’re still inexperienced, but we did some good things (in the first game),” Vicars said. “We’re not on the level we want to be yet, but that’s to be expected with a young team.”

Once each team has gotten past its second game — Genoa in its bid to retire the Celestial Bowl for only the second time in history versus Oak Harbor and Port Clinton versus Gibsonburg — they can focus on each other.

Both coaches admit that they haven’t scouted each other.

“Any good coach will tell you that you focus only on your next opponent,” Hammond said.

Even without scouting, each coach has a good grip on the meaning of the rivalry.

“Any team playing against another team in their own county is a natural rivalry,” Hammond said. “The last three or four years, Genoa has just been that much better. We hope to compete better than we have in the past. Hopefully we can (beat Gibsonburg) and head up there 2-0,” which is exactly what PC did last year before getting hammered by the Comets.

Vicars also said that it’s always interesting playing Port Clinton because the Labor Day weekend always seems to occur the week of the game, creating a shorter week of preparation.

Soon enough, each team will find out how much the holiday weekend will affect this weekend’s game, and Port Clinton will find out whether its improved athleticism can help them pull off an upset.

“It’s a good, clean rivalry,” Vicars said. “Both coaching staffs have a lot of respect for each other.”

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