Oct 1, 2014 By Creg Milko multimedia Editor 5 min read

Newton’s Third Law states: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. There exists a Darth Vader for every Luke Skywalker, an Ivan Drako for every Rocky Balboa, a War Eagle for every Roll Tide. After a heartbreaking 33-27 loss, Waynesburg football has found its arch-nemesis. Its adversary. Its true rival–the Bethany Bison.

The energy in the air right before Carter Hill’s pass intended for Zac Capan was intercepted was that of pure joy. The Jackets, down 19 points at halftime, were about to pull off the greatest comeback victory in the program’s 111 year history.

As junior linebacker Larry Kpadehyea grabbed the ball from the clutches of Capan, all that could be felt was the absolute opposite: pure heartbreak.

This isn’t something that the Jacket faithful have felt for the first time. Last season, the lasting image fans took from the Bethany game was that of wide receiver Eric Blinn catching a strike at mid-field compliments of then-Bison senior quarterback Matt Grimard to secure a 27-20 victory.

The match-up prior to 2013 told a tale more favorable to the Jackets. Head coach Rick Shepas’ team won the game at Bethany Shepas’ way-running the football. Down 21-7, Waynesburg battled back on the ground, and pulled off the comeback win 24-21.

That game mirrored the Jackets loss on Saturday in many ways, with the opposite result. Senior running back Jake Forsythe’s 183 yards were the most by a Jackets’ running back since that game. Waynesburg had to battle back from a deficit caused in part by Eric Blinn’s pass-catching ability. There were two key differences, and the biggest was that when the final gun went off, Waynesburg was not ahead on the scoreboard.

The other key difference has to do with the man taking the snaps for the Bison. In 2012 and 2013 it was Matt Grimard. Saturday it was sophomore Brian Vales. The two are hard to pick apart. Both are very mobile quarterbacks, who possess an innate ability to throw the ball as well. Through four games, Vales’ 226 yards rushing is on pace to hit roughly the same amount of rushing yards, as Grimard did his sophomore season. If Vales throws for 300 yards and three touchdowns next week, his passing numbers will also mirror that of Grimard’s.

Opposite of these two mobile quarterbacks the past three years has been Hill. In many respects, Hill has been the opposite of Bethany’s quarterbacks. What Hill has lacked in mobility, he’s made up for in his passing ability. In fact, Hill finished with 34 more completions, five more touchdowns and six fewer interceptions than Grimard through the air. Those numbers earned Hill first team All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference honors. A widely disputed award among members of the Bethany camp.

“When you lose a player, who I think was the first team All-PAC quarterback,” were Bison head coach Bill Garvey’s exact words. These words did not go unheard by head coach Rick Shepas or Carter Hill. In fact, as those words came out of Garvey’s mouth, an already pretty quiet room went completely silent, and the eyes of many media members began to roll. But those words simply added fuel to a fire that has been blazing for two years now.

The closeness of the last two games in the series are rivaled only by the closeness in proximity of the two schools. A sea of orange made the 40 mile trip from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania to Bethany, West Virginia, as Waynesburg fans took up at least half of the seats inside Bison Stadium. The Jacket faithful always travel well, especially to Bethany. Located an hour’s drive from Waynesburg, the Bison are the second-closest PAC opponent after Washington & Jefferson.

Many would argue that Washington & Jefferson is Waynesburg’s true rival, but really, the Presidents are more like the Jackets’ kryptonite. The Orange and Black have won only three games against the Presidents since the two schools began playing decades ago. In fact, since Shepas took the reigns of the program from previous head coach Jeff Hand, the Jackets have never won a game against W&J.

The Waynesburg-Bethany series has been much more competitive. The Jackets lead the series 29-18-7. Five of the last seven games between these two teams have been decided by a touchdown or less. In that seven season span the Bison lead the series 4-3, and in the last eight match-ups, these two teams have split them 4-4.

Couple a group of close games and closeness in proximity with the animosity that these teams show for each other, and you have a true small college rivalry. Over the last three years, many would argue that these teams have produced some of the most exciting games in the conference.

Much like the tales of Superman and Lex Luther, or Batman and the Joker, the tales of these two teams have been truly captivating. Of all the rivals I have mentioned, they have one thing in common: at any given moment, one can steal victory from the other. When Waynesburg and Bethany face off against each other, the playing field is leveled. Though they may have come up short, the Jackets and will undoubtedly meet the Bison again, and undoubtedly, they will write another legendary chapter in the book that is their newly kindled rivalry. Bethany’s action, will once again invoke an equal and opposite Waynesburg reaction.