A RIVALRY RENEWED

YOUNGSTOWN OH- On Monday, both the Youngstown East Golden Bears and Chaney Cowboys had their Community Pride Picnic, getting ready for the big rivalry, the Youngstown City Classic that has been one of the biggest rivalries in NorthEast Ohio and since the 1920s.

The Rivalry came to a halt in 1998 when East closed their doors before reopening as the Panthers in 2007. Since 2007, The now Golden Bears (formally known as the Panthers) swept the Cowboys with the last game before the emergence of Chaney athletics was 22-20. After the 2010 football season, it was announced that Chaney would drop athletics to become a Performance Art high school. However, YSU hall of fame inductee and coach Rick Shepas at the time brought the program back as their Athletic Director during their comeback. The first game back was technically in 2018 during a Saturday Morning Junior Varsity game, a preview for the future at the time.

Both teams have been known as well to have talented players who have made it to the league and were college stars. For Chaney, you had Frank Sinkwich, Matt Cavanaugh who won three Super Bowls who won a National title with the Pittsburgh Panthers, Brad Smith, an All-State quarterback who broke the record for the Missouri Tigers where he passed for 2,000 yards and rushed for 1,000 yards. He would then play for the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.

For the Golden Bears, one of their star players who made it pro was the late James Snowden Jr who played offensive tackle for the Washington Football Team (Redskins) from 1965 to 1971. John “Tony” Copeland, a safety and running back who made the All-City-Team and played for the Dallas Cowboys. Robert Green who rushed for 1,300 yards in 1961 and played for the Youngstown Hardhats and Nicholas Latessa who was a member of the 1949 City Series Championship team under coach Dick Barrett.

This Friday, Head Coach Chris Amill will battle his former assistant in Mark Assion. Amill, was an assistant under PJ Fecko and Mooney for 15 seasons while Assion led Jackson Milton to back to back playoffs appearances from 2015 to 2016. Amill will look to improve the Cowboys to four and five this week while coach Assion looks to grab his second victory as East’s head coach.

Series since 2019: Chaney 27 East 0
2020: 22-2

YSN’s Ian O’Brien caught up with a few players from East to talk about what this game means and the experience it brings. Both teams will meet in a Grit City Classic this Friday at 7pm!!

*Contributed by YSN’s Ian O’Brien*

Interview with Mario Wright:

Interview With Isiah Johnson:

Interview With A’Kisse Waller: