Once called the “fiercest football rivalry in Central-Ohio”, the annual West Jefferson versus Jonathan Alder football game will no longer be played. The newly revamped rivalry will end just two years into the ten-year contract signed in 2013. Differing school sizes are to blame for the match up between cross-county foes end, as Alder moves towards becoming a Division III team and the Roughriders moved down to a Division VI team in 2015.

    Pioneer Alum and current Head Football Coach Brett Glass stated that it was West Jeff’s decision to end the yearly meetings. Glass is 2-0 against West Jefferson as a head coach and says that his rivals were “terrible” while he was in high school. His memories as a Pioneer player competing against the Roughriders include scoring his first varsity touchdown as a junior and watching his younger brother play more as a freshman against the brown and gold than he did during his senior year. During Glass’ first year as head coach in 2014, the rivalry started back up.

    The last time the squads had played against each other was 2005, and the Pioneers had walked away with an adamant 48-18 victory. Nine years later, the growing gap between the schools was evident as the Pioneers again walked away victorious, 28-6. In 2015, the Pioneers won the contest, which many believe will be the last ever between the schools, at a score of 43-26. The Thursday night televised game was delayed by weather at the halftime break and had to be finished Friday night.