Dayton High School football standout Mason Johnson gathered with teammates and parents at the traditional pre-game bonfire the night before the annual renewal of the Dayton-Bellevue rivalry. The host Greendevils and Tigers play for the 150th time Friday at venerable O.W. Davis Stadium. The “Battle for the Paddle” kicks off at 7 p.m.
The annual Greendevils bonfire is usually held at Gil Lynn Park in Dayton, but they had to move to a different location Thursday when a steady evening rain scuttled plans at the park.
“We’re all here in Dayton at one of my teammate’s house just hanging out in the yard,” Johnson said. “The parents stepped up so we could keep the tradition alive.”
The Greendevils hope to continue their newfound tradition of beating Bellevue. Dayton (2-4) has won three games in a row in the series and four of the last five, reversing the rivalry’s course and bringing the traveling trophy back to Dayton. Bellevue (3-3) had won the previous five contests, 15 of the previous 16, and 27 of 31.
The Tigers lead the all-time series, 97-49-3. The first game was played in 1926 when Bellevue won 12-0. The Tigers and Greendevils have played continuously for 97 years. That makes it the second-oldest high school football rivalry in Kentucky, behind only Louisville Male and DuPont Manual, who played each other for the first time in 1893 and stage the series’ 141st game Oct. 27.
No Kentucky teams have played each other more often than Bellevue and Dayton, who played each other twice that first year. They also played twice a season from 1941-55 and again from 1975-2004 and also from 2015-19. They began playing once a year again in 2020. In 2007, the rivalry game was christened “Battle for the Paddle” in a nod to the neighboring schools’ closeness to the Ohio River.
“We won it when I was a freshman so the trophy has kind of always been around since I’ve been in high school,” Johnson said of the two-sided traveling trophy, a large paddle inscribed with game scores which currently hangs in the cafeteria on the first floor at Dayton High School.
The winner’s trophy is currently displayed at Dayton with the green side facing out.
“We like having it at Dayton,” said Johnson, one of 14 seniors for the Greendevils.
Head coach and Dayton graduate Jesse Herbst played in the series from 1986-89 when he was a running back and defensive back. The Greendevils lost the second game in his first year as head coach in 2019 but have emerged with three straight convincing wins. Dayton won last year, 46-0, at Bellevue.
“Just a very big game for both schools because it’s been around for so long,” said Herbst, now 4-1 against Bellevue as head coach. “Players at both schools know each other. We were all friends with the Bellevue guys when I played because the schools are so close. But the friendships ended for two hours when we got on the field.”
Bellevue head coach Chad Montgomery, who celebrated his 41st birthday Thursday along with Tigers assistant and fellow birthday boy Cam Barrett, played in the series from 1997-2000 as a running back and defensive back. This is Montgomery’s first season as Bellevue head coach. He was formerly head coach at Dayton, ending his stay there in 2018.
“We want to get the trophy back to Bellevue with the yellow side facing out,” Montgomery said. “Our kids were young last year. This year, they are a lot better, more prepared, and we hope to play better.”
To keep the victory trophy at Dayton, coach Herbst said his squad needs to stay focused.
“We need to play smart, solid football,” Herbst said. “We sometimes beat ourselves, but we need to focus on beating Bellevue on Friday.”
Johnson, one of several Dayton offensive weapons along with quarterback Chad Nickell and back Dangelo Jimenez, would like to see a complete team effort, something he and Nickell can factor into virtually every play.
“On offense, we need to play as a team,” Johnson said. “On defense, we’ve got to get to the ball and get it on the ground. This is a big deal. We want to make all of Dayton proud. We’ve got to play good football on both sides and special teams.”
Johnson, team leader with 316 rushing yards on 6.2 yards per carry with a team-best eight catches for 107 yards and four total touchdowns, also plays safety and returns kicks and punts. He’s thrown seven passes, as well.
“I don’t like having him off the field,” Herbst said. “He brings a lot of energy. We like to find a lot of ways to get him the football.”
Nickell, a junior, also plays linebacker and placekicker. He’s thrown for 294 yards and four touchdowns, rushed for 144 yards with three more scores while converting two extra-point kicks.
Jimenez, a senior two-way lineman who also carries the football, has rushed for 105 yards. He leads the defense with nine tackles for loss, ranks second with 53 total tackles and is co-leader with one interception, which he returned for a touchdown. Senior linebacker Enrique Soard leads the team in tackles (54) and sacks (1.5).
In addition to being a milestone in the rivalry, Friday’s contest also kicks off the Class A district schedule for both teams. This is the first of three 3rd District seeding games for each squad. Newport Central Catholic and Newport follow Bellevue on the Dayton schedule. Bellevue plays Newport next then NewCath.
“It can’t get any bigger than Friday,” Herbst said. “There’s a lot riding on this game.”
For Dayton’s seniors, it’s their last battle for bragging rights with Bellevue. In his final season, Mason Johnson would love to saddle Bellevue with a loss and keep admiring the paddle in the school cafeteria.
“It looks really good with the green side facing out,” Johnson said. “We definitely want to keep it that way.”
