Riverside coach Jesse Rosenberger and Beaver High mentor Jeff Beltz have quite a history with each other, one that dates back more than two decades. It's one that gets their competitive juices flowing when they step on the same field.

"I don't want to lose to him just as much as he doesn't want to lose to me," Rosenberger said.

Friday at 7 p.m., their teams collide when they open the season at Riverside's Memorial Stadium in a WPIAL Class AA Midwestern Athletic Conference game.

Rosenberger's and Beltz's rivalry is a friendly one. The two were co-captains at Geneva College in the early 1990s. Rosenberger was an offensive lineman, while Beltz played wide receiver. Prior to that, they played against each other in high school.

When their current teams suit up Friday, it's Beaver that will come in with more recent success. The Bobcats have beaten the Panthers each of the past two years, including a 20-13 victory last season.

On top of that, Beaver made the WPIAL playoffs each of those seasons -- the Bobcats finished fourth in the MAC a season ago -- while Riverside has been shut out of the postseason both times.

If Beaver is to extend both streaks, it will need to do so behind a first-year starting quarterback who is no stranger to stardom. Christian Herstine, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound junior, is a baseball standout and one of the top pitchers in Class AA.

Herstine had recurring migraine headaches that plagued him earlier this year, but now healthy, he could be set to make a big impact.

"He's been under the lights before in baseball, which will help here," Beltz said. "He has the ability to stay poised. It's a maturing process. He's going to gain confidence and get better."

Beltz hopes to keep the heat off Herstine early by utilizing what he calls one of the deepest group of running backs he has had in his 11 seasons. Senior Sam O'Neill, who led the Bobcats in rushing last season, leads the unit, and will be joined by, among others, senior Tom Helbling and junior Curt Lanctot.

Beltz stressed that the play of his revamped offensive line will be critical to any offensive success. The Bobcats have just three starters back offensively.

When it comes to returning offensive talent, Riverside owns the edge. The Panthers return their leading rusher, passer and receiver.

It's the quarterback portion in that trio that is questionable for the time being. Junior Tommy Mansfield injured an ankle the first week of practice and did not play in either of the Panthers' scrimmages. Rosenberger hinted that Mansfield could be cleared to play Friday.

If he does, he'll have a lethal weapon at his disposal in senior receiver Reese Howells, who had 23 catches last season.

"I think the kids sense that they can do great things this year," Rosenberger said of his offense.

The focus of Riverside's wing-T attack will continue to be running back Jared Desensi, a 5-9 senior who rushed for 632 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2009.

Aiding him will be the return of three starting offensive linemen, including talented senior Sam Mansfield.

"Their running back is super," Beltz said. "If that wing-T gets going, it's going to be hard to keep him in check all day."

In some rivalries, coaches and players might toss a few choice words or insults at one another in the days leading up to a game. But in the case of Beaver-Riverside and the coaches involved, no barbs are thrown through the media, just compliments.

"I see a tough football game. I've never played a Beaver team that was a pushover," Rosenberger said. "They're big, they have very good skill, and they're extremely well coached."

Said Beltz, "Riverside always has had tough teams. Sometimes they enjoy not being pretty. It's like old-school football."

And an old-school friendship, too.

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