By Aaron Johnson
Enquirer contributor

OXFORD - Lakota East and Lakota West High Schools may be archrivals, but fans of the two football teams agree on at least one thing: the decision two years ago to play the game between the schools at Miami University's Yeager Stadium.

"It's a good idea to have them play here," said Greg Hammer, whose daughter is in the Lakota West marching band. "Since both schools are the same size (enrollment of 1,800), holding it at a larger venue allows more of the community to get involved, and to see them play."

Capacity at each school's stadium is 3,400. Yeager Stadium, which holds 27,000, hosted about 7,000 on Saturday afternoon.

Younger siblings could be seen throughout the stadium, wearing Firebird red (West) and Thunderhawk silver (East) and playfully taunting each other about whose brother was stronger out on the field.

Laura Ransick and Erica Combs, sophomores at West and East, respectively, have been friends for years. The game is like a second homecoming. for them and their peers.

"It's the biggest game for each school each season," Ransick said. "If we lose, we'll never hear the end of it."

Unfortunately for Ransick, East rallied from a 14-point, first-quarter deficit and pulled away to defeat West, 49-28.