Football fans, mark your calendars.

The Cooperstown and Richfield Springs football teams will renew their long and once heated rivalry in the season-opener for both teams next fall.

Richfield will travel to Cooperstown on Saturday, Sept. 2 for a 2 p.m. non-league game to open the 2006 season.

"I'm happy we're playing Richfield again," said Cooperstown head coach Steve Pugliese, who played for Cooperstown in the 1970s when the rivalry was known as the Rt. 28 War. "The players may not feel the rivalry like I did when I was a player, but I know a lot of the older generation still get excited when we meet."

The last time the teams met was September of 2004, when the Redskins won 24-6, also at Lambert Field.

"These games always give the feel of old-fashioned football," Pugliese said. "It used to be that it didn't matter what else you did as long as you beat Richfield Springs. The rivalry may not be as strong as that anymore, but I know I never wanted to lose to Richfield as a player and I don't want to lose to them as a coach either."

Pugliese said he will have a young team next season, and doesn't know what to expect after a 5-4 season last year.

"We'll lose our quarterback (Chris Bush) to graduation and most of the line, so we're going to need our seniors to show leadership and younger players to step into starting roles," Pugliese said.

The Redskins will play four of their seven regular season games at home, including three in a row from Sept. 23 to Oct. 7.

The complete 2006 Cooperstown football schedule is as follows: Aug. 26: scrimmage at Cobleskill; Sept. 2: RICHFIELD SPRINGS, 2 p.m.; Sept. 8: at Waterville, 7 p.m.; Sept. 15: at Herkimer, 7 p.m.; Sept. 23: MT. MARKHAM, 2 p.m.; Sept. 30: LITTLE FALLS, 2 p.m.; Oct. 7: ADIRONDACK, 2 p.m.; Oct. 14: at Sauquoit, time pending.

Cooperstown will also either play in sectionals beginning Oct. 21, or play crossover games on Oct. 21 and 28.