ANOTHER BIG GAME — Big Red will take the field for another big playoff game Friday night when they battle Columbus Bishop Watterson in New Philadelphia for the Region 11 championship. - Andrew Grimm

NEW PHILADELPHIA – A match up that has intrigued many around the state has come to fruition.

That match up is between Big Red and Columbus Bishop Watterson, and the stakes are a regional championship trophy and trip to the state semifinals.

It takes place Friday night at Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium in New Philadelphia with the opening kick scheduled for 7 p.m.

Big Red and Watterson, both 13-0, finished as the top two teams in the Division III, Region 11 standings and went back and forth in those rankings all season, Watterson ultimately claiming the top seed.

The Eagles also finished as the No. 1 ranked team in the Ohio Associated Press poll in the division. Big Red was ranked as high as No. 2 at points in the season, received first place votes and finished No. 3 in the final poll.

Where it matters most, though, gets decided on the field, not a poll or computer rating. And coming out on top in that regard, Big Red head coach Reno Saccoccia knows will be a challenge.

“This is a great time of year,” he said. “I just feel that our players have earned everything they’ve gotten up to this point. This is another road block, another challenge … that’s what this game is.

“We just have to keep playing the way we’ve been playing and turn it up another notch. Regional championships don’t come by every day, so we want to make sure we’re prepared for it and do our part in making it a great game.”

Big Red is looking for a third-straight regional title after winning back-to-back trophies in Division IV the past two seasons. Big Red has 20 regional crowns overall.

Watterson, which was the state runner up a year ago in Division III, is looking for back to back Region 11 titles and its 10th regional championship overall.

Both teams took care of business handily in the regional semis to get here, Steubenville taking down Dover for a second time this season 42-14 and Watterson taking down Licking Valley 30-0.

The Eagles shutout in the game was the fifth its defense has pitched this season. They allow an average of just 5.3 points per game.

Offensively, they score an average of 40.3 points and have broke the 40-point mark nine times. They’ve won their playoff games by a combined score of 108-7, the last two being blankings.

They have wins over Big Walnut, Dublin Scioto, Westerville North, Tiffin Columbian, Chardon, Bishop Hartley, KIPP Columbus, Columbus St. Charles, Harrison, St. Francis DeSales and Vincent Warren in addition to the win over Licking Valley.

“They’re a solid football team in all three phases of the game, offense, defense and special teams,” Saccoccia said. “They’re just steady in all three and they play football the way it was meant to be played. They might compare to some teams we’ve seen as far as schemes go, but they’re by far the best team we’ve seen all year.”

Big Red, meanwhile, has averaged 37.6 points per game for and allowed an average of 14.8. Steubenville has won its three playoff games by a combined score of 134-35. Since playing in three close games early in the season, Big Red has won by more than 20 points in each of the next 10 games.

“I’d like us to remain as consistent as we’ve been,” Saccoccia said. “We’ve had really good practices and have taken that onto the field on Friday night. The bigger the game, the more important the small things are.

“This game, like any big game, is going to be about protecting the football and tackling. If we can protect the football, not turn it over, and be good tacklers, we should at least be around late in the game. Those are the things we’re trying to impress upon our players.”