Montague meets Whitehall on bridge for coin toss ceremony before Friday’s “Battle for the Bell”

By Jason Goorman on September 17, 2018

LocalSportsJournal.com

The Montague Wildcats have won the coin toss.

On Sunday night, the Montague and Whitehall high school football teams and their fans met for a classic pre-game coin toss on the bridge over the White River that conjoins the two rivaling towns.

The Wildcats won the coin toss and will decide Friday on their field at 7 p.m. if they will receive or defer the opening kickoff.

The small-town rivalry between the two schools is no secret in the high school football world.

The “Battle for the Bell” is one of the best high school football rivalries in Michigan and can be compared to the clash between Michigan and Michigan State. And while that classic college matchup can be extremely heated between fans, the clash between the Wildcats and Vikings is one that the neighboring towns cherish.

From a historical perspective, Montague has owned the rivalry over the past 20 seasons with a 15-5 record. But from 1978-1997, Whitehall held a 12-8 advantage. Since 1950, the two schools have met 74 times and the Wildcats hold a 38-36 winning record over the Vikings.

LSJ photographer Leo Valdez was on hand for Sunday’s coin toss. Check out a few photo highlights from the meeting on the bridge.

: The Montague football teams walks on the bridge before meeting the Vikings in the middle for the annual coin toss that was started backup in 2016. Photo/Leo Valdez

: The Whitehall Vikings football team gears up for a meeting and coin toss with rival Montague. Photo/Leo Valdez

: MHSAA referee and White Lake resident Chuck Hulce gets ready for the coin toss with Montague and Whitehall. Photo/Leo Valdez

: Montague Coach Pat Collins and Whitehall Coach Tony Sigmon. Photo/Leo Valdez

: The Montague and Whitehall football teams stand together for a photo on the bridge over the White River that connects the two towns. Photo/Leo Valdez

: Whitehall cheerleaders before the coin toss. Photo/Leo Valdez

: The Montague marching band marches on the bridge. Photo/Leo Valdez

: Montague Coach Pat Collins walks past his players and referee Chuck Hulce. Photo/Leo Valdez

: Chuck Hulce poses with the coin before the toss on the bridge. Photo/Leo Valdez

: Young Montague football players join together before the coin toss. Photo/Leo Valdez

: Whitehall’s No. 72 Brandon Rake tires to get a hand in the face of Montague quarterback No. 23 Sebastian Archer during last season’s “Battle of the Bell”. Photo/Tim Reilly

: Montague celebrates winning the bell following its win in 2016. Montague has won the “Battle of the Bell” for the. past three seasons and will renew the rivalry this Friday at Montague’s field for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Photo/Tim Reilly