Seniors Kam Hebrock from Oak Glen and Kaleb Hanlon from East Liverpool lead their teams into tonight’s Battle of the Bridge at Oak Glen High School. (The Review/Michael Burich)

NEW MANCHESTER, W.Va. — The Oak Glen football team suffered a heartbreaking loss last week, however, the Golden Bears do not have time to feel sorry for themselves as Oak Glen is set to take part in the annual Battle of the Bridge rivalry game against East Liverpool.

The Golden Bears hit the road last Friday night to take on Tyler Consolidated, however, Oak Glen left Tyler County coming out on the short end of a 29-21 loss in overtime to the Silver Knights.

“Unfortunately, we lost the turnover battle,” first-year Oak Glen (6-2) head coach TJ Miller said. “We have to take care of the football. We have to close teams down when we have the opportunity. That loss falls on me. I will take the brunt of that. I have to make sure we are prepared for those key moments. That loss falls on me.”

This week, the Golden Bears and Potters are set to renew their annual rivalry at 7 p.m. at the Bears’ Den.

“It’s a big game,” Miller said. “Both teams are close to each other. East Liverpool plays a very competitive schedule. Their record is not indicative of the type of team they are. They have lost to some really good programs. It is a big game. It is a big game for both teams. I’m expecting a battle Friday night.”

The rivalry is a special one.

“The proximity,” Miller said asked what makes the rivalry special. “It’s the Battle of the Bridge. They have a very good program. They have a very good team. They are really well coached. Their kids cross the river. Our kids cross the river. They see each other in town. I think the proximity makes it special. It is a fun game for both teams. It is a great gate for whichever school is hosting the game.”

East Liverpool enters the game this week coming off a 26-19 win against Weir last Friday night up at Patterson Field.

“They have a lot of great athletes,” Miller said. “It starts with No. 0 — Dre’Keim Abercrombie. The biggest thing is they’re fast and they’re athletic. They also have (Tamar) Tisdale and the (Meshach) Harris kid. They have a lot of athleticism. They have a lot of team speed.”

The Potters enter this week’s game with a record of 3-6.

“Defensively, they are similar,” Miller said. “Their secondary is very good. They have a lot of team speed. They fly to the ball.”

This season, East Liverpool has defeated Carrollton, Cambridge and Weir with losses coming to Indian Creek, Salem, Beaver Local, St. Clairsville, Brooke and Edison.

Abercrombie is a threat to score whenever he gets the ball in his hands, and he showed that with a return score in the Potters’ victory in Week 1 against the Warriors.

“You just said it, they have so much speed,” Miller said. “We are going to have to account for that. We are going to have to come up with a good gameplan.”

The offensive line is one of the main strengths for the Golden Bears this season, and the guys up front are going to have to play a key role this week if Oak Glen wants to come away with another victory.

“We are going to have to control the clock and win the line of scrimmage,” Miller said. “We are going to have to take care of the ball. If we are able to do those three things, we are going to have a lot of success Friday night. Defensively, we are going to have to take away the big play. We are going to have to limit the big plays. If we are able to do that, I think we are going to have a lot of success Friday night.”

Another strength for the team this season has been its mental toughness and its ability to respond to adversity. It will be important for the home team to respond well following last week’s loss.

“I am extremely proud of their effort,” Miller said. “They fought until the end. It was a physical game. We’re working on the little things. We are trying to limit our penalties. You have to deal with adversity, and I think our kids have responded really well to it this season. They have done a great job. They have been mentally focused. We are taking it one game at a time. We are taking things one day at a time and one game at a time. Our focus is 100 percent on East Liverpool. We have watched a lot of film. We are going to be ready to go against the Potters.”

The Golden Bears battled until the end in their loss to the Silver Knights, and the boys from Hancock County are going to continue to battle throughout the remainder of the season.

“I am proud of their effort,” Miller said. “I am going to keep working hard for them, and they are going to do the same.”

Oak Glen is still in playoff contention as the Golden Bears find themselves in 13 place in the West Virginia Class AA rankings. The top 16 teams in each class make the playoffs in the Mountaineer State.

This is the final week of the regular season in Ohio. The top 12 teams in each region qualify for the playoffs, however, East Liverpool has been mathematically eliminated.

The Potters did make the playoffs in each of the previous two seasons.