TRAVERSE CITY — Traverse City smells like teen spirit.
The big crosstown showdown between Traverse City Central and West Senior high schools' football teams is tonight, and students at both schools are in the thick of the excitement.
"It's the biggest game of the year," said Central freshman Sean Williams, who quarterbacks the school's junior varsity team. "It gets everyone fired up."
The big game comes a little earlier this year. It falls in week six, rather than capping the season in week nine. The addition of Ogemaw Heights to the conference altered the schedule, and the schools no longer square off right before the playoffs.
"This is more of a regular game in the season rather than one with all the marbles," said Cody Inglis, Central's athletic director.
But for students and fans, it's hardly a regular game.
"I'm really pumped up," said West sophomore Brittney Kurkowski, 15. The junior varsity cheerleader waited in line Thursday to purchase a bright-yellow shirt for the game. "Everything's so exciting, everyone's talking about it."
Central's freshman team quarterback Anthony Kratovil was glad to be in the middle of the action.
"It's a big deal to be a part of it," he said. "Varsity is just a few years away."
Friday marks the 15th battle between the Traverse City rivals since West split off as a separate high school in the fall of 1997. The new school dominated in the early years, and has an overall record of 10 to 4 over Central. But the Trojans have taken three of the last six games.
"It's going to be a blowout," said Central's Williams. "We're just a fast group of guys, and we're going to outplay them."
Students at West aren't so sure.
"We're going to win," Kurkowski said.
Titans senior football players Levi Gourdie and Nick Richardson, both 17, look forward to their last regular season game against the Trojans. They said the move to week six hasn't dampened anyone's spirits.
"We're just as excited," Gourdie said.
Richardson said the game atmosphere is wild.
"Last year, it was so loud, we couldn't even hear the quarterback," he said.
A lot of those deafening cheers emanate from the two schools' student sections, where kids come decked out in themed outfits to support their teams. This year, West students will be in "rave" outfits -- think lots of neon -- and Central kids will be cheering as part of a zoo.
West senior Logan Kellams, 17, is excited about heading to college next year, but she said she'll miss the student section.
"Especially as a senior in the front row," she said as she painted a rock outside West in support of her school. "The older classmen are teaching the freshmen how to get wild."
"It's intense," said Central senior Matthew Medina, 17. This marks his last year for the showdown, a game he's attended since middle school. "It's just an amazing feeling, because it's us supporting our team out there."
