I'm hearing that 2026 will be the last year for the Ryle vs Dixie rivalry.  Dixie has chosen not to play Ryle in 2027 and 2028.  It's a shame that this rivalry will not continue!  

Rivalry? Ryle puts a running clock on them each year. Dixie does not need to play them until they can begin stringing together winning seasons. 

2 hours ago, ProblemChild said:

Rivalry? Ryle puts a running clock on them each year. Dixie does not need to play them until they can begin stringing together winning seasons. 

I think that gap will likely continue to grow too.  Dixie will have their cycle of athletes like they always do, but from a sheer numbers standpoint, Ryle will continue to dwarf Dixie.  This past season, the Union Raiders had more kids on their 4th or 5th grade team than Dixie Youth had in their entire program, and the Spartans' numbers are low with many of those kids coming from Ft. Mitchell and going to Beechwood.

I think it is an excellent schedule and the only thing I would like to see changed is the last game against Ryle.  If I am Dixie there is no way I want that smoke the week before the playoffs start.  

20 hours ago, theguru said:

I think it is an excellent schedule and the only thing I would like to see changed is the last game against Ryle.  If I am Dixie there is no way I want that smoke the week before the playoffs start.  

It honestly depends on how people think Ryle will be. Ryle just graduated a great senior class, that had been a dominant group their whole lives. Now that they have graduated, do people expect Ryle to stay at that same level? Or drop back down to how they were doing before this great senior group? As before this great senior group that came through, the games against Dixie was more competitive before that group got to high school.

If people expect Ryle to drop back down now that their great senior group graduated, then I think Dixie should play them still. If people believe Ryle will continue with the success of the last few years, then I agree they shouldn't play them. 

1 hour ago, futurecoach said:

It honestly depends on how people think Ryle will be. Ryle just graduated a great senior class, that had been a dominant group their whole lives. Now that they have graduated, do people expect Ryle to stay at that same level? Or drop back down to how they were doing before this great senior group? As before this great senior group that came through, the games against Dixie was more competitive before that group got to high school.

If people expect Ryle to drop back down now that their great senior group graduated, then I think Dixie should play them still. If people believe Ryle will continue with the success of the last few years, then I agree they shouldn't play them. 

Even if Ryle takes a step back, I still wouldn't want to play them they last game of the regular season.

22 hours ago, theguru said:

I think it is an excellent schedule and the only thing I would like to see changed is the last game against Ryle.  If I am Dixie there is no way I want that smoke the week before the playoffs start.  

Excellent if Dixie is trying to get more wins. 

Not good if Dixie hopes to make a deep playoff run.

Dixie lost alot of talent from last year plus OL coach and D Cordinator. Might be a rough year.

On 4/14/2026 at 9:11 AM, In the Game said:

I'm hearing that 2026 will be the last year for the Ryle vs Dixie rivalry.  Dixie has chosen not to play Ryle in 2027 and 2028.  It's a shame that this rivalry will not continue!  

"Chosen not to play" is a bit inaccurate. Tried to schedule them for earlier in the season but could not make it work. Clearly Dixie doesn't duck anyone at all as evidenced by playing arguably one of the toughest schedules in the state (up until this season). As some have suggested, you don't want to play a really good 6A team seven days before the playoffs and they couldn't make the earlier game happen. The off-season has been really smooth so far, staff is a great mix of experienced ball coaches, the weight room is being good to us, and excited for spring practice to get a better evaluation on the kids we have coming back. 

9 hours ago, CoachStew said:

"Chosen not to play" is a bit inaccurate. Tried to schedule them for earlier in the season but could not make it work. Clearly Dixie doesn't duck anyone at all as evidenced by playing arguably one of the toughest schedules in the state (up until this season). As some have suggested, you don't want to play a really good 6A team seven days before the playoffs and they couldn't make the earlier game happen. The off-season has been really smooth so far, staff is a great mix of experienced ball coaches, the weight room is being good to us, and excited for spring practice to get a better evaluation on the kids we have coming back. 

That is not true!  Coach Engler was told that Dixie wants to go in a different direction and did not try to reschedule earlier in the season!

47 minutes ago, In the Game said:

That is not true!  Coach Engler was told that Dixie wants to go in a different direction and did not try to reschedule earlier in the season!

It is true. I’m in the building. I’ve seen the messages. I know what was said, replied to, and not replied to. I have the good fortune to have a Ryle coach as a co-worker and we had a good laugh a few weeks ago in our office about it. At any rate if the narrative is Dixie is ducking someone that just isn’t true. Just trying to schedule smarter to better suit our current talent pool. Some on here have been critical of the tough schedule and right, wrong or indifferent it was the right thing to do to drop Ryle at the end of the season. 

1 hour ago, CoachStew said:

It is true. I’m in the building. I’ve seen the messages. I know what was said, replied to, and not replied to. I have the good fortune to have a Ryle coach as a co-worker and we had a good laugh a few weeks ago in our office about it. At any rate if the narrative is Dixie is ducking someone that just isn’t true. Just trying to schedule smarter to better suit our current talent pool. Some on here have been critical of the tough schedule and right, wrong or indifferent it was the right thing to do to drop Ryle at the end of the season. 

I’m not very familiar with the Dixie program, but I know of some Dixie alumni currently playing at the next level. I’m not sure it’s the players’ talent pool that is lacking at Dixie right now with 14 wins over the past four seasons. 

Dixie has an extremely hard schedule but they have great coaches in place to be good. They lost 2 fantastic people this off season with Cody Smith going to Gallatin, Lex Sowards going back to Ryle. The guys they have brought in will only pick up from where they left off. Dixie has a great HC in Coach Burke and he has a great staff whoever those dudes play, that staff will prepare those kids to the fullest. 

2 hours ago, DiamondGator23 said:

Dixie has an extremely hard schedule but they have great coaches in place to be good. They lost 2 fantastic people this off season with Cody Smith going to Gallatin, Lex Sowards going back to Ryle. The guys they have brought in will only pick up from where they left off. Dixie has a great HC in Coach Burke and he has a great staff whoever those dudes play, that staff will prepare those kids to the fullest. 

What coaches where added?