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Back in 1987, Seneca Valley, a perennial power from Germantown coming off a 4A state title, surrendered a chunk of its students to a new school in Gaithersburg. Thus, Quince Orchard was berthed. A gridiron war ensued in Montgomery County.

In 1989, the two 4A schools met on the gridiron for the first time, the mother school humbling its offspring. Throughout the '90s they engaged in more fierce battles, but the result was often similar to that first meeting - Seneca triumphed.

Of course, that was to be expected. Quince Orchard had yet to establish themselves and Seneca Valley was a school of legends. The Screaming Eagles won 12 state tiles, including three straight state championships from 1992-1994 and from 1997-1999. In '97 and '98 they went 26-0. But the Cougars showed signs of life. In 1991 they exacted revenge, defeating the Screaming Eagles on their way to a state title. (It was the last title Quince Orchard would win for 16 years.)

After 15 more years, the rivalry suddenly ended. Seneca Valley moved down to Class 3A, while Quince Orchard stayed in 4A. The two teams haven't met since 2002.

But on Friday night in Gaithersburg, the rivalry is restored.

"There will be a lot of emotion," said Quince Orchard coach Dave Mencarini, whose team moved down to Class 3A this year. "This used to be a big rivalry and this year will be a kickoff in restarting that rivalry again."

Here's some fuel for the fire: Seneca head coach Fred Kim coached at Quince Orchard for two years before taking the job at his alma mater (Seneca Valley) in 2004. When Kim left, his top assistant, Mencarini, was promoted to head coach. The two will clash for the first time this Friday.

But this isn't a Bill Belicheck-Eric Mangini relationship, where master barely acknowledges the pupil's existence.

"Dave was my right-hand man at Quince Orchard," Kim said. "He's a great friend of mine."

"We speak on a daily basis," Mencarini said. "It's going to be fun coaching against one of my best friends."

Fun? Best friends? That's no way for a heated rivalry to start. Luckily, both coaches added an addendum to their statements.

"We're buddies, but that's not going to stop me from trying to kick his [butt] on Friday," Kim said.

"We're friends and all, but it can get pretty heated during a game, and I do want to beat him," Mencarini added.

Now that's more like it.

Besides the two head honchos, there are assistant coaches on both sides who came up as Eagles and are now Cougars -- and vice versa. There are more than a couple fathers who graduated from Seneca whose sons now play for QO.

"We all know each other pretty well," Kim said. "There's definitely some history there. "

But unlike in years past, Quince Orchard is no longer the new program trying to gain its footing. In fact, the roles have been reversed. The Cougars won a state championship in 2007, while the Eagles - though they've been consistently tough - haven't won a title since the 1990s. This year Quince Orchard is 7-0, ranked eighth in the state and in first place in the 3A West rankings.

"I really am pleased," Mencarini said. "We've been battle tested and we've persisted. We entered the season with high expectations and we're meeting our goals."

Seneca Valley, meanwhile, is 5-2 and fighting for a postseason berth. They have missed the playoffs just once in the last 19 years, but the Screaming Eagles are currently fifth in the 3A standings. Only the top four teams from each region earn a postseason bid.

"This is a big game for us," Kim said. "A win against Quince Orchard gets us back in the playoff hunt. And beating a ranked opponent would be a huge boost of confidence and it would put us back on the map."

A loss, however, would be devastating. Quince Orchard would like nothing more than to end Seneca Valley's playoff hopes.

"I don't want to play these guys a second time," Mencarini said. "We want to beat them and put them away from the playoffs.

"Seneca Valley is one of the hottest teams and they are very dangerous right now; there's a lot at stake for them," Mencairni continued. "But we have a lot at stake, too. We're trying to nail down a playoff spot and earn home-field advantage. "

Seneca Valley graduated the glut of their 2008 squad that went 12-1 and almost won a 3A title. So after they dropped back-to-back games to open the season (against a pair of teams that are a combined 13-1), pundits wrote the Eagles off. Since then the Screaming Eagles have stormed back with five straight victories, including key wins over Damascus and Northwest. The sudden turnaround was not surprising or unexpected, said Kim.

"At the beginning of the year, we knew our lack of experience would hurt us," Kim said. "We lost to two pretty good teams. But then we made a few changes, and we got back on track. We're on a roll and the kids are playing with confidence."

The results are showing up on the scoreboard. After scoring just 15 points total in the first two weeks, Seneca is putting up 31 points per game. Defensively, they've given up just 10 points per game (excluding the first two weeks) and have pitched a pair of shutouts, including last week's 33-0 win over Blake.

Seneca's opportunistic defense has already forced 12 turnovers in seven games. They are led by nose guard Bernard Wolley, a player whom Kim dubbed "unbelievable" and "one of the best in the county." Wolley, who leads the team in tackles for loss, is quick off the ball and can make plays in the backfield. Safety Dimitri Parker is a ball hawk; he is tops on the team in interceptions and has recorded a pick in all but one game this season. And linebacker Pierre Hinton anchors a corps of solid wrap-up tacklers who can track running backs sideline-to-sideline.

"Seneca's defense is really good, and they force you to execute," Mencarini said. "We've got to be patient and take what they give us. They force a lot of turnovers so we have to be careful."

Quince Orchard can't sleep on Seneca's offense either. Running back Ed Cunningham is coming off his best game of the season, a 14-carry, 138-yard, four-touchdown performance. Meanwhile, quarterback Max Nicholson has bounced back after starting the season slowly (two interceptions against Clarksburg). The diminutive gunslinger has played much bigger than his 5-foot-9 stature, completing 67 percent of his passes for 706 yards and 10 touchdowns. His top target is Parker, who has 17 catches and four touchdowns.

"We've got to control the football, and we have to hold onto it," Kim said. "But we also have to have a balanced attack and make some things happen through the air."

It's essential that the Screaming Eagles control the clock, because stopping Quince Orchard's offense is no easy task. The Cougars are averaging 37 points per game behind the quarterback-tailback combo of Drew Murphy and Ben Sasu. Sasu is one of the top runners in the state, accumulating 828 yards and 18 touchdowns. Murphy, meanwhile, has completed 55 of 77 passes for 796 yards and six touchdowns. Even better, he hasn't thrown a single interception.

"Drew has been outstanding," Mencarini said. "He's done everything we've asked."

Murphy's top two targets are the big, physical Karim Jones and speedster Pernell Brantley.

It's the front five, however, that motors this well-oiled machine. Tackle Matt Bracho and center Jon Levin lead a hulking, physical offensive line that is arguably the best in Montgomery County 3A.

"Their offensive line is strong and well-coached," Kim said. "They just run people over. We can't let our defensive line get pushed back by those guys. If that happens we will lose."

Quince Orchard's defensive line is fairly formidable as well. Defensive end Tyler Magill and tackle John Stoesser anchor a group that constantly pressures the quarterback and controls the line of scrimmage.

The rest of the defense has been solid. Inside linebackers Danny Tonelson and Daquan Mincy are veteran field generals. Cornerback Kevin Adams leads the team in interceptions. And safeties Chris Hower and Mitch Carney bring experience and savvy.

Expect Quince Orchard to force Seneca Valley into long drives, when an offense is more prone to making mistakes. The Cougars, who are giving up just 12 points per game, have forced an astounding 17 turnovers and are plus-9 in turnover margin.

"I'm really pleased with the defense," Mencarini said." We've been tremendous getting interceptions and fumble recoveries. Can we get better? Of course, but overall we've done well."

Quince Orchard certainly has done well, dominating both sides of the ball. Of course, Seneca Valley has matched them over the last five games. So who has the advantage? The Cougars boast more depth, playmakers and experience. Seneca Valley, however, has players stepping up and is desperate for a win.

But this is an old rivalry game. And when rivals meet the game goes down to the wire.

"It's going to be a hard-fought, high-energy game," Mencarini said. "Both teams are going to be very well prepared. I'm looking forward to it."

So are we all.

Prediction: Seneca may be red-hot and desperate, but Quince Orchard is playing just as well and has a bit more talent. Plus, they're playing at home. I'll take the Cougars and that big offensive line in this one. Quince Orchard 24, Seneca Valley 17