GREEN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The Colerain versus La Salle football series is back on starting in 2021.
The West Side schools announced Tuesday afternoon the signed two-year agreement for Week 1 of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
BREAKING: Cincinnati La Salle and Colerain sign agreement to renew the neighborhood football rivalry. The Lancers will open the 2021 season vs Colerain at Lancer Stadium. The Lancers then travel to Colerain the following season to open the 2022 campaign. pic.twitter.com/BRLCpdpDi0
— La Salle Athletics (@LS_LancerATH) March 5, 2019
La Salle will host the 2021 game while the 2022 game will be at Colerain.
“This is very exciting for both programs and our communities,” Colerain athletic director Craig Ulland said. “To open the season with La Salle, our neighborhood rival, is what high school football is all about.”
The series appeared to be over after the contract for Week 1 of the 2019 season was denied Aug. 27, 2018 — just three days after Colerain defeated visiting La Salle 23-0 in front of an estimated 6,100 at Cardinal Stadium as part of the 21st annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown.
The 2018 game had been the fifth meeting between the two schools since the rivalry resumed in 2014. Colerain leads the all-time series 13-11, but La Salle has won three of the past five games.
"We are thrilled to renew such a great rivalry game with La Salle," said Colerain coach Shawn Cutright. "We've had some epic battles over the years and couldn't be more excited to play La Salle in 2021. We are only separated by 3.8 miles and all the players know one another. It just makes sense to play a rivalry game of this magnitude for our community."
RELATED: Join the Cincinnati area high school sports Facebook group
In mid-September 2018, La Salle and Lakota West announced a home-and-home deal for Week 1 of the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Former Colerain coach Tom Bolden was named the Lakota West coach in December, so 2019 will be the sixth consecutive season Bolden will face the Lancers during the regular season.
La Salle (4-5 in 2018) plays at Mason (8-3) during Week 2 of the 2019 season to fulfill the second year of that contract. The Lancers will add Winton Woods (12-2 in 2018) to the Week 2 schedule for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, according to La Salle Interim athletic director Jim Barre.
As for 2018 state runner-up Colerain (14-1), the Cardinals announced in January they will play at Huber Heights Wayne (7-4) during Week 1 of the 2019 season. The Cardinals are open for Week 1 of the 2020 season and looking to host an opponent, according to Ulland.
Colerain will play host to St. Xavier (5-6 in 2018) in Week 2 of this upcoming season (Sept. 6) and the 2020 game will return to St. X. The Bombers lead the area with the most consecutive postseason appearances (10) among Division I programs.
The Colerain-St. X game has been scheduled in Week 2 since the 2013 season. The rivalry has featured two of the nation's top programs since 2003, according to MaxPreps.
The Ohio high school football season officially begins the week of Aug. 26. Official daily practice begins Aug. 1.
