6 Ohio High School Football Traditions That Fans Take Very Seriously
It’s Friday night in October, and the bleachers fill up long before kickoff.
For many Ohioans, rivalry games are about more than the final score.
Here are the Ohio high school football traditions that fans don’t take lightly.
1. Victory Bell
The Victory Bell goes each year to the winner of the regular-season high school football game between Massillon and Canton McKinley, according to MassillonTigers.com.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame says the series dates to 1894 and calls it one of the oldest high school football rivalries in the country.
You can trace the bell to Locomotive Engine No. 922 on the Nickel Plate Railroad.
After the engine retired in 1957, the bell went to the two schools as a trophy.
Many fans in both towns build their week around that game.
If you visit either town the night before, both schools hold bonfire rallies.
2. Block M Run-Through
Massillon’s high school football team starts its pregame run-through with the band forming a block M, according to MassillonTigers.com’s list of Massillon football traditions.
The band forms the M so the players have a pathway to the sidelines when they enter the field.
Inside the M, cheerleaders hold a themed hoop for the players to run through.
The band urges them on with “Tiger Rag.”
Tailgating happens before every home game.
A calliope playing fight songs entertains the fans on the home side as they enter the stadium.
Once you’re inside, look to the northeast corner of the field, where a 20-foot tiger balloon is inflated.
The band’s pregame show starts when the drum major launches his baton high into the air.
Fans hope for good luck if he catches it.
If you catch the last home game, senior football players, band members and cheerleaders are recognized.
3. Battle on the Miami
Troy and Piqua high schools play the Battle on the Miami.
If you root for Troy, Dayton station WDTN reported a 28-14 win in the 142nd edition, played in Piqua in September 2026.
That kept the Traditions Trophy in Troy for the fourth straight season.
You can see how close the all-time series was before this year’s game in the 2025 recap from Press Pros Magazine.
It had Troy ahead 69-66-6 after the 141st edition.
4. Crosstown Showdown
The Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown spotlights high school football games in Cincinnati, Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Indiana each week of the season, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
If you follow the series, the Showdown was back for its 29th season.
You can catch the last game on Oct. 23, when McNicholas is at Badin.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association’s calendar ends the regular season two days later, on Oct. 25.
Elder High School was the only school to have played in every Showdown through 2023, Cincinnati station WCPO reported.
How the Showdown Began
The Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown began in 1998 as a one-day high school football showcase of four games at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium, according to the event’s website.
WCPO reported in 2023 that the Showdown would also feature community pep rallies at Cincinnati-area Skyline Chili restaurants throughout the season.
5. SPARKY Trophy
Bellaire and Martins Ferry high schools play for a trophy known as SPARKY.
The Intelligencer described the trophy in 2025 as symbolic of football conquest over a down-river rival.
If you’re counting years, the series dates to 1905.
The teams were 5-5 over the last 10 SPARKY Trophy games.
You can check how the 2025 game went: Martins Ferry won 40-12 to keep the trophy.
Bellaire still led the all-time series 59-56-7 afterward.
6. Tom Grashel Trophy
Ironton and Portsmouth high schools play for the Tom Grashel Memorial Trophy, the Herald-Dispatch reported.
Spectrum News 1 said the Ironton-Portsmouth rivalry began in 1899.
The trophy is named for the late football coach and athletic director for Portsmouth, who died in 2008.
If you’re new to the series, the teams had met more than 130 times.
Whichever side you’re on, a coach said the winner gets to walk the streets.
The loser walks the alleys for a year until the next shot.
Psst! How much do you know about football history? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
Football History Trivia
Answer these questions on high school and pro football history. We bet you can’t get them all right. Prove us wrong?
Hall of Famers Bob Brown and Benny Friedman attended the same Cleveland high school. Which one?
Beat McKinley Week
Massillon's high school football team treats the Canton McKinley game as a week of traditions, according to MassillonTigers.com.
The high school is heavily adorned in orange and black banners and crepe paper, and it's open to the public on the Thursday before the game.
Senior band members and cheerleaders provide entertainment at the Monday Booster Club meeting.
The mayors of Massillon and Canton place personal wagers on the outcome.
The Beat McKinley parade and bonfire are on Friday evening.
The rivalry history says thousands attend the parade.
If you're in town Saturday morning, fireworks bombs are launched every 15 to 30 minutes.
All-morning tailgating is among the pregame activities, too.
Once you're in the stadium, orange and black balloons are released as the team enters the field.
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