Yes, Thursday night will mark the 19th edition of the annual Battle of the Helmet game between the Pioneer Valley and Righetti football teams. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Righetti's Warrior Stadium. The game is the Times area Football Game of the Week.

Righetti wants to keep the Helmet it re-gained with a resounding 55-7 win at Pioneer Valley last year. The Panthers want to take the helmet back. Pioneer Valley beat the Warriors 35-28 at Righetti in 2022.

This time, though, there is an added dimension to the series between the teams that Righetti leads 12-6. The Sunset League game Thursday has playoff implications for both squads.

Pioneer Valley (1-7, 0-3) needs to win this one and beat traditional crosstown rival Santa Maria in its regular season finale to be eligible for the CIF Centr

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