Depew to limit annual football rivalry with Lancaster to two more years, citing player-safety and competitive imbalance

The Depew Union Free School District announced at its March 18 board meeting that it will limit participation in the Depew–Lancaster varsity football rivalry to two additional seasons, citing a decade-long competitive imbalance and student-safety concerns.

Interim Superintendent Dr. Raby told trustees the district informed Section 6 of its intent to participate in a rivalry game only through the next two seasons so both communities can celebrate the series one last time on their respective home fields. Under the plan described at the meeting, Lancaster is expected to host one final rivalry game in fall 2025 and Depew would host one final game in fall 2026.

At the meeting, officials outlined disparities the district said justified the change: over a recent six-year snapshot the presenter said Lancaster averaged about 67 players on its roster while Depew averaged about 33, and that average game scoring favored Lancaster heavily (the presenter said average total scores were 44 for Lancaster and 6 for Depew). Regarding first-string play at halftime the presenter characterized the average as about 31 for Lancaster and "half a point" for Depew on average.

Board members emphasized student safety as the reason for the change. One trustee said the decision "is all about looking out for student safety" and another urged those criticizing the change to avoid targeting district staff. Trustees and the interim superintendent said the decision followed ongoing discussion and was not made on a whim; the board asked Dr. Raby and athletic staff to execute the plan.

The announcement was an administrative action communicated at the meeting; no formal board vote on the rivalry policy was recorded in the public excerpt of the meeting. The superintendent and trustees said the decision is intended to protect student athletes by avoiding repeated mismatches given the roster and competitive differences they documented.

Ending: District officials said the limited schedule is intended to allow both school communities and alumni to commemorate the rivalry one final time while the district reassesses participation in future schedules.