Century-long Lancaster vs. Depew football rivalry to end

DEPEW, N.Y. (WIVB) – Five years ago, the Lancaster-Depew football rivalry was voted New York state's best in an online poll. But this week, Depew put an end date on the century-old series.

Depew’s Interim Superintendent, Dr. Jeffrey Rabey, told WIVB News 4 in a phone interview Wednesday that the schools have discussed the future of their football rivalry and informed Section VI that Depew will only participate in the series for two more years. That will give each community one final home game before the series ends in the fall of 2026. Section VI confirmed the decision.

Rabey, who first joined the district in 2010, said discussion of ending the rivalry had "grown louder" over the last five years, fueled by concerns of student enrollment and athlete safety, not to mention lopsided scores.

Lancaster, with a student population nearly triple the size of Depew, has won every game since 2014, mostly in blowout fashion. The average final score since Depew's last win is Lancaster 44, Depew 8.

When Rabey presented the news to Depew's school board Tuesday night – which the board supported – he shared statistics that highlighted disparities in the size of each school's roster, and the size of the players themselves. He punctuated his point by showing the average halftime score of the game over their last six meetings, comparing a period when each school's starters were still in the game. Lancaster averaged 31 points in the first half, he said, while Depew averaged 0.5.

"It's not so much about the level of skill, it's more about the number of players that we would have on the team. To generate more numbers on the team we need more enrollment, and our enrollment is not going to be increasing," Rabey told News 4.

"They have an average of 67 athletes on their team. We have an average of 33. We don't see that changing drastically over time," he added. " ... Most of our players can't even come off the field during the game, and that's how injuries happens. It is an athlete safety issue."

Lancaster does not appear thrilled with Depew's decision. While Superintendent Dr. Andrew Kufel declined an interview request and calls to athletic director/football coach Eric Rupp were not returned, the district did provide News 4 with a message it shared with families regarding the rivalry.

"Recently, we were approached by Depew regarding the possibility of discontinuing or phasing out the game," Kufel said in the letter. "To be clear, we have no intention of ending this rivalry and homecoming week. This game is more than a competition—it is a cornerstone of our community’s legacy, a testament to the pride, spirit, and tradition that defines Lancaster—past, present, and future."

"The rivalry has always had its ups and downs," Rupp added. "From 2006 to 2014, Depew won six out of nine games—the largest enrollment differential since 1998. It’s not just about who wins; it’s about the communities coming together year after year."

Rabey said the decision does not extend to sports beyond football, though the schools don't meet in other sports as regularly.

The historic rivalry dates back to 1919. It has been featured on numerous occasions by The Great American Rivalry Series, and in 2020 won their "Rep Your Rivalry" poll to earn the title of the state's best rivalry.

"It was actually rated one of the best in the country at one point," Rabey said. "At its height, when Depew would host a game, our stands would be filled. There would be six to seven people deep around the perimeter fencing. It would be eclectic. Last couple years, we're not even filling our stands."

According to lore, the historic series also stopped play during the 1930s due to concerns over balance between the schools, before picking up again and continuing to the present day. Rabey was asked what would need to happen for the series to resume.

"That imbalance would have to go away," he said. "The level of competition would have to be level once again, where it's not going to impact our student athletes in a negative and demoralizing way."

As far as Western New York's high school sports governing body is concerned, all two member schools need to do is pick up the phone and agree to play again.

"Just let us know a year in advance," Section VI Executive Director Mark DiFilippo said. "We'll make whatever they want happen."