By By SCOTT NOVAK and ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - There are very few things that Dowagiac and Niles residents agree upon.
There are even fewer things that those who played football for the Vikings or the Chieftains agree about.
But on Friday night when all is said and done, they all agree that it is a shame that the Chieftains and the Vikings won't meet on the gridiron again.
For those who have stepped on to the football field and worn the blue and gold or the orange and black, Friday nights each fall have been special.
For the 102nd time since 1896, the Chieftains and Vikings will put on their shoulder pads, lace up their shoes and strap on their helmets.
Dowagiac and Niles are a &#8221fraternity“; when it comes to football players.
Those who have participated in this annual fall ritual share a common bond.
They pass down the tradition from one team to the next. From one generation to the other.
Each year the senior class passes the torch to the next squad. They call them on the telephone and wish them luck, or they stop them on the street and utter those now famous words… &#8221beat Dowagiac“; or &#8221beat Niles.“;
There are those who truly believe that if they only could win one game a season it would be the Dowagiac-Niles game.
Moments are frozen in time like a broken watch.
There are those games that will be talked about for years to come, some for decades to come.
No one forgets the Niles-Dowagiac game they played in. Stop a player on the street from either community and ask them about their football team and they will tell about one contest.
Niles High School Principal Jim Knoll will never forget that one special play his sophomore year.
Knoll stated that he still talks with former players about that game and that it is nice to be able to communicate with players from Niles and Dowagiac.
So, what's the one thing Knoll said the Vikes have over the Chieftains? &#8221Dowagiac can never catch us. We're one win ahead,“; Knoll said laughing.
Jerry Staten, who has coached in numerous Dowagiac-Niles games over the years, said that coming to Dowagiac he learned about the rivalry and that many communities do not have such a game on their schedule.
Former Dowagiac player Kyle Belew, who is now a junior varsity coach for the Chieftains, recalls all three games that he played in with a fundness you can see in his eyes.
Mike Behnke, a varsity assistant coach for Dowagiac, also remembers playing in those games and how it felt to beat the Vikings.
Though he didn't play football for Niles, head coach Dave Janicki hopes his squad will leave a lasting memory of being the last squad to end this rivalry.
Janicki also stated that his team is tied for first in the division and that they need to win the game to have a chance at the division title next week against Lakeshore.