Ypsilanti, Lincoln forge a new cross-town football rivalry

The matchup comes as the result of Ypsilanti’s move from the now-defunct Michigan Mega Conference to the Southeastern Conference.

Appropriately enough, the game is homecoming for Lincoln - and a true homecoming for at least one person.

Ypsilanti interim coach Jason Malloy, who replaced David Poole last week, had his first head-coaching job at Lincoln in 2006. He’ll be back on his old field for his second game as Ypsilanti’s coach.

“It is ironic, isn’t it? It feels kind of funny, but it’s a good emotion.” Malloy said.

“A lot of those seniors are kids I brought up for varsity. There are a few kids who played under me that I built great relationships with. Life takes us in certain directions, but it’s kind of cool to get back and play a game against them.”

The game features two athletic quarterbacks - Lincoln’s Andrew Dillon and Ypsilanti’s Terrance Moore - who play similar games. Malloy, who brought Dillon up to varsity as a freshman, has coached both quarterbacks.

“They both have really dynamic arms,” Malloy said. “They both have good speed, good bursts out of the pocket. And both schools try to use them the same way - to be able to make plays with their feet or their arms. If the pass is not there, both schools believe they can count on the quarterback to make a play.”

Just as Malloy’s Lincoln team was in 2006, Ypsilanti is winless this season. Lincoln, 2-4, is fighting to get as many wins as it can.

And none would be bigger for either school than beating their new cross-town rival.

“Trust me, we’d all like to have more wins than we do,” Lincoln coach Chris Westfall said. “But the fact that the kids are close, and that the student bodies are so connected, makes (the game) still important.”

Both schools are looking to get an advantage in what should be a long - and certainly overdue - rivalry.

“The fact that these kids have to live together, live in the same community and go to the same places, that’s why it’s very important to them,” Westfall said.

“To be honest with you, I think Lincoln takes a ton of disrespect from others schools in the area because of the past. So our kids take that a little bit personally, too.

“There really wasn’t much of a rivalry on the schedule until Ypsi came around. It’s good to have this game in the division every year. It makes high school sports fun.”