Martins Ferry, which has been playing football for 110 years, can join an elite group Saturday afternoon when it meets arch-rival Bellaire for the 111th time in the seventh longest rivalry in Ohio.

A win over the Big Reds at Nelson Field would give the Purple Riders 700 high school football victories. Only Massillon Washington (867), Canton McKinley (828) and fellow Ohio Valley Athletic Conference member Steubenville (800) have collected more wins in the Buckeye State.

“It would be an honor and a privilege to get to 700,” veteran Martins Ferry head coach Dave Bruney, who is 21-17, all-time against Bellaire, said. “We’d be in the top 50 nationally, but Bellaire isn’t too far behind.”

Bruney, who has 268 of those wins in 38-plus years, is right. The Big Reds check in with 672, which ranks just outside the top 10 at 11th.

Bellaire head coach Mark Spigarelli, who also played and coached in the rivalry, knows what is at stake.

“I know Ferry is trying to get 700 wins. I also know they’d like nothing better than to get it against their long-time rival,” he said. “We’re going to try and do everything in our power to keep that from happening.”

The Purple Riders are still alive for a playoff berth. A win would ensure that.

Bellaire and Martins Ferry first met on the gridiron in 1907. After a two-year lapse, the schools that are separated by a mere six miles along the Ohio River on Ohio 7, resumed playing. They met twice in each of the 1910 and 1911 seasons and have played every year since 1983, including twice in 2004 when they met in their lone playoff encounter. They did not play each other in 1915, 1922, 1937, 1952 and 1982.

The Big Reds hold a slim 53-50-7 edge in the all-time series, including 20-7 last year inside the Dave Bruney Football Complex. However, the Purple Riders have owned the 2000s with 13 triumphs in 18 meetings.

Each team has been able to string together wins streaks of five games or longer. Bellaire has won six games in a row three times: 1921-27 (no game in 1922), 1964-71 (no game in 1967) and 1983-88. They also five straight from 1953-57. Meanwhile, Martins Ferry won five straight from 1928-32, 1941-45, 2001-04 and 2007-11.

There have only been two overtimes games and the Big Reds have prevailed in both: 24-21 in two OTs in 1985 and 34-28 in 2012.

The rivals have played to seven ties, the last coming in 1962. All but one has ended in a scoreless battle, that one was 7-7.

The 1918 result is listed as 1-0 in favor of Bellaire.

Talk about the rivalry being evenly matched. Check out the combined scoring: Bellaire 1,484 points; Martins Ferry 1,426.

Forty-four games have ended in shutouts. The Purple Riders own half of them, with the Big Reds earning 16. Six have ended 0-0.

The six rivalries longer than this Belmont County showdown are: 1. Canton-McKinley vs. Massillon Washington (1894); 2. Sandusky vs. Fremont Ross (1895); 3. Dover vs. New Philadelphia (1896); 4. (tie) Troy vs. Piqua and Ironton vs. Portsmouth (1899); and 6. Orrville vs. Wooster (1903).

One thing is for sure, whomever comes out on top will take home the SPARKY Trophy, which represents Sportsmanship, Participation, Achievement, Rivalry, Knowledge and Youth.