Game of the Week: Murphy vs. McGill

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - In week nine, the high school football Game of the Week features one of the biggest and oldest rivalries in Mobile, Murphy (5-3, 3-3) at McGill-Toolen (8-0, 6-0).

“It’s probably the biggest [rivalry] in the state of Alabama," said McGill Head Coach Bart Sessions.

“This is big for me. Beating McGill, that’s what I want to do," said Murphy lineman Matthew Deakle.

“No matter how we are, it’s always the biggest game of the year," said Jackets wide out Harrson Imsand.

It has been the talk of the town all week, the game. In it, two schools separated by barely one mile, Murphy and McGill-Toolen renewing a rivalry that dates back to 1935.

“The people who are accustomed to Murphy and the people who are accustomed to McGill, they’ll tell you a whole lot more about it than I will," said Murphy head coach Ronn Lee. "There are old men talking about this game all over the county right now. It’s something that’s special to everybody in Mobile.”

But it means the most to the seniors who have experienced four years of Murphy-McGill. Seniors like Deakle, a Panthers offensive lineman, who knows bragging rights aren’t always the most important aspect of a rivalry.

“They’re in our division so we have to beat them to go further in the playoffs," Deakle said. "So besides them being a big rival that’s important, too.”

McGill brings in an unblemished record, 8-0.

“It’s kind of the high school version of the Iron Bowl," Sessions said. "It’s a game that will be talked about for years and years to come. I’m sure they’re telling their kids the same thing. We tell our kids we’re 8-0, but if you’re 8-1 with a loss to Murphy you’re going to forget those 8 pretty quick.”

Not 8, but 9 in 2011. In his junior year, Imsand watched his jackets fall to 9-1 at the hands of Murphy on the last game of the season.

That's something he doesn't plan to repeat.

“We want to take last year’s loss as a motivation and get revenge on this," Imsand said. "And they messed up our season and this is our senior year, and we want to take this.”