Olean and Portville Set for First-Ever Varsity Football Matchup
Seven miles apart, Olean and Portville finally meet on the football field in a historic community matchup
(L-R) Mayor Sherburne, Coach Burrows, Coach Brooks, Mayor Evans at Bradner Stadium OleanOLEAN - They are neighboring communities separated by just seven miles. Their athletes have competed against one another in plenty of sports over the years. But on the varsity football field, Olean and Portville have never met.
That changes Friday, Sept. 18, when the Olean Huskies host the Portville Cuba-Rushford Bolivar-Richburg football team at Bradner Stadium in Olean. Kickoff is set for 7:00pm.
The matchup brings together two programs that historically competed in different classifications because of school enrollment. Olean has traditionally played at Class A or B level, while Portville has competed in the smaller Class C and D classifications. This season, the programs are close enough in classification to create a matchup that has been generations in the making. And both communities plan to make the most of it.
The Olean High School Sports Boosters and Portville Sports Boosters are teaming up to turn the first meeting into more than a football game. The two organizations will share in proceeds from special activities surrounding the matchup, bringing the communities together while supporting student-athletes on both sides.
A special online apparel store has also been created by Sports Locker with commemorative merchandise celebrating the Olean-PCRBR matchup. Fans can show their colors before game night while supporting the booster organizations.
Game night will have a little extra spirit as well, with Olean and Portville temporary face tattoos, eye-black stickers, and other activities planned for fans. There will also be more than bragging rights on the line.
OHS Sports Boosters Treasurer Meme Yanetsko invited Olean Mayor Amy Sherburne, an Olean High School alumna and Olean resident, and Portville Mayor Tony Evans, a Portville resident, to make a friendly wager.
The mayor representing the losing team will wear a football jersey from the winning team to their next council meeting and explain during the meeting why they are wearing their neighbor's colors.
Adding another layer of history to the matchup are the two men standing on the sidelines.
PCRBR Head Coach Josh Brooks is entering his ninth season leading the Panthers. Brooks took over the varsity program in 2018 after previously serving as an assistant coach under longtime Portville coach Gary Swetland. A longtime member of the Portville school community, Brooks spent nine years as a physical education teacher before moving into administration.
Across the field will be first-year Olean Head Coach Terry Burrows, although Burrows is certainly no newcomer to Olean football. He has spent approximately 15 years coaching within the Huskies program, working at the modified, junior varsity, and varsity levels and serving as varsity defensive coordinator before being named head coach in 2026.
But Burrows' history makes this particular game even more interesting.
Before he became an Olean coach and educator, Burrows was a Portville Panther himself. A 1980 graduate of Portville Central School, he was a multi-sport athlete and the Panthers' starting varsity quarterback during the 1978 and 1979 seasons under legendary Portville coach Bob Connell.
On Sept. 18, the former Panther quarterback will stand on the opposite sideline as head coach of the Olean Huskies.
For one night, two neighboring communities will finally have the football matchup they have never had before, complete with local history, community pride, two booster clubs working together and one mayor who will eventually have some explaining to do at a council meeting.
Fans from both communities are encouraged to fill Bradner Stadium and be part of the first chapter of Olean vs. Portville football. The Olean vs. Portville Cuba-Rushford Bolivar-Richburg football matchup will take place Friday, Sept. 18, at 7:00pm at Bradner Stadium in Olean.
To purchase commemorative Olean-PCRBR Game Apparel: sportslocker.chipply.com/ohspcs or additional information about the game, activities or booster collaboration, please contact Meme Yanetsko, 716-378-6951 or memeyanetsko@gmail.com.