‘The Game’ rivalry week – A look back at the history between Rye and Harrison football
RYE, N.Y. — A matchup that has almost a century worth of history is on the horizon. It is called “The Game” for a reason, and both teams understand the significance of this matchup. One normally expects rivalries like this to be on the collegiate and professional levels like the classic Ohio State vs Michigan or Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens battles.
But for these young athletes, the intensity, urgency and overall atmosphere of this week increases exponentially. The Rye Garnets against the Harrison Huskies, one of the most storied rivalries in high school football.
This rivalry started with Harrison opening with four consecutive wins from 1929 through 1932, three of those games ending in shutouts. But history would not repeat itself in 1933, as Rye finally gutted out a 12-7 victory. Prior to the game, a fight broke out between the two ball clubs, which resulted in a three-year suspension of the series.
As the series resumed, Harrison won three of the next five games before Rye ended up winning four straight of their own.
The record was 11-6-2 in favor of Harrison up until 1950, which is when the “Fabulous Fifties” took off for the Rye Garnets. Pure dominance is how one could describe the Garnets as they won 33 straight games starting in the 1951 season against all opponents, Harrison included.
On Thanksgiving in 1955, both teams were undefeated heading into the matchup. As Rye led 12-0 throughout the duration of the game, Harrison scored to make it 12-6. But on the final play of the game on a flea flicker, Harrison scored to tie and an extra point closed the deal out, 13-12 and officially ending the Garnets winning streak at 33.
Legendary Rye head coach Ben Bedini incredibly went on another 33-game winning streak only to be stopped by Harrison again on 4th and inches.
After the strong 50’s performance by Rye, the rivalry record sat at 16-13-2 as the Garnets won 10 of the next 12 matchups.
The “Rye 80’s and Huskie 90’s” was the theme for the next two decades. From 1983 to 1990, the Garnets won six out of seven games. A late 99-yard kick return snapped Harrison’s eight-game win streak in 1983. Ironically a decade later, a Hail Mary pass with time expiring saw the Huskies win a 10-6 ball game. The 1996 season was the only time the Garnets won in the 90’s.
Heading into the 2000’s the series was tied 3-3 heading into 2004, for some odd reason the Section I Football Committee denied Rye’s request to retain the classic game. In 2005 the rivalry returned, as Rye capped off its third win in a row over Harrison in a 14-0 ball game.
In 2006 the game was headlined “Surreal Shaker” as this classic ended in a 19-18 ball game. In 2010, Rye tied Harrison for having the longest winning streak at eight games. But an epic drive which concluded with “The Catch” ended the Garnets streak at eight in another classic game 21-20.
Around this time the overall record was 41-36-3, in favor of Harrison. In 2015, the overall record was 42-39-3.
In their recent matchup earlier this year during their spring season, Rye defeated Harrison 21-13 on April 17. Over the past couple years Rye has asserted clear dominance over Harrison winning 20 of their last 21 matchups, making it known the 21st century will clearly be the Rye Garnets era.
On Saturday, Oct. 2 at 3:30 p.m. the rivalry continues, as both ball clubs come in undefeated looking to once again square off in Section I’s most storied rivalry.
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