HAVANA, Fl. (WTXL) - For decades, Rickards and Shanks High Schools had a really good football rivalry. Shanks High dissolved into the now Gadsden County High School, but that rivalry still exists.
Both Gadsden County's Corey Fuller and Rickards head coach Quintin Lewis are Rickards grads, growing up in the same neighborhood off Orange Avenue.
"This is Corey Fuller's Alma mater, oh man what a great time," laughed Fuller Tuesday. "Again, Redskins and Raiders get to face the legend, I love it!"
"He's still a Redskin, blue and gold guy himself," added Lewis. "He has to represent where he is right now. It'll be a tough game. Hopefully we come out victorious."
Both teams are also looking for their first win of the year. The Raiders are young., while Gadsden County is trying to learn how to win again. Both coaches agree they're on the cusp of doing big things, and one team will walk away with a win on Friday night.
"We're probably one or two things away from winning three games in a row," said Lewis. "We're putting it together. We're putting it together one thing at a time, one day at a time. As long as they're putting the time in in practice, as long as they're in the lab working, we'll be okay."
"We let two games get away when we had the chance to win even with the lack of experience and the lack of winning," said Fuller of his Gadsden County team. "I can almost guarantee in a different situation where these kids had won a little bit, they would have found a way to win those first two weeks. I think we'll find a way this week."
The rivalry, dubbed the Soul Bowl, kicks off Friday night at 7:30 at Gadsden County High School.
