Rivalry games don't usually need an introduction, but when you're playing that familiar foe to end the regular season, it adds more meaning than a midseason contest. Especially when both teams are fighting for playoff positioning, the showdown gets magnified even more.

For the first time in eight years, Clarkstown North and Clarkstown South will meet in the regular season finale. With pride, bragging rights and playoff seeding at stake, the battle for the Supervisor's Cup already feels even bigger.

"Records go out the door, the kids get excited about it," Clarkstown South coach Mike Scarpelli said. "I know with North-South it's been a very healthy rivalry game. Year in and year out, it's been down to the wire."

He continued, "If you won every year or didn't win, this is your year now. (The players) take that to heart. It’s important. It's just a fun week for the school too, with the school spirit, and the kids really get engaged with a North-South game. It's like a Michigan State-Michigan game, that's what's great about rivalry week."

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Clarkstown South is looking to bounce back from a tough loss to Rye. The previously undefeated Vikings were handed their first loss of the season in a 27-0 shutout. Now 4-1, they hope to stay close to the top of the standings with a win over their crosstown rivals.

As for Clarkstown North, the 3-2 Rams are entering Friday's contest hot, having won three straight games after losing their first two. Since they abandoned a spread offense experiment and went back to a smash-mouth, run-heavy style of play, they have revitalized their offense. Clarkstown North has outscored Eastchester, Sleepy Hollow and Pelham 102-21 over the last three weeks.

"Obviously, North-South is a big deal for Clarkstown, but we've been playing some great football these last three weeks," senior fullback and linebacker Tristan Lebson said. "We want to keep that going, and carry this momentum into the playoffs.

”We feel that Class A is wide open, but obviously we can't look past South. They're a good team, and it should be a good game. I'm very excited."

The Supervisor's Cup has stayed in Clarkstown South for the last three years, with the Vikings dominating the rivalry as of late. The Rams will look to break that streak in front of a packed opposing crowd.

Players from both sides are quite familiar with each other. Most of them went to school together through their middle school years before going their separate ways for high school. While some friendships remain, Clarkstown North is tired of hearing the same story the last few years. Meanwhile, the Vikings will tell you winning never gets old.

"We've grown up with these kids forever and we all know each other, so playing against them is always special," Clarkstown South co-captain James Spiegel said. "It'd be very important (to win). We want a home playoff game, but in the future, whenever we hang out with the North people, we can always talk about how we beat them."

Going beyond this Friday night, there's no downplaying the importance of this game in regard to playoff seeding. With six teams currently standing at 4-1, Clarkstown South included, the playoff picture will be even clearer after this weekend. Clarkstown North hopes to improve its current position.

According to The Journal News/lohud’s seeding calculation and standings, the Vikings are currently No. 7 in Class A. The Rams are not too far away, coming in at No. 10.

"You play such a short season unfortunately," Rams coach Joe Trongone said. "The way the point system works, you don't really know. This week is huge for several teams in A. An upset here, an upset there, and it just changes the whole bracket for who you play. That's the other thing, every game has meaning when you play such a short regular season schedule. Every week, those numbers will change."

Given the importance for postseason implications, it's like the playoff feeling arrives a bit earlier than usual. The weather is getting colder, the urgency in practice and attention to detail rises, and the win-or-go-home feeling starts to dominate.

Although Friday's result won't be finite, who would want to lose to a rival?

"We're playing North, then the playoffs start, the game is on Friday night — where else would you rather be?" Scarpelli said. "You're in a great situation right now, so the kids get excited. It's just a nice flow to the end of the season, having a rivalry game and starting the playoffs. The kids walk around a little more confident. We get it. We're 0-0, they're 0-0, playoffs are 0-0, nobody cares about stats, nobody cares about records, it's just a matter of who wants it more? That's what it comes down to, who wants it more?"