More than 100 years of history fuel Paso Robles–Atascadero football rivalry game

Matt Carroll remembers strapping on the pads in the early 2000s for his first Paso Robles–Atascadero rivalry game.

A decade earlier, Dan Loney was doing the same for the Greyhounds during their storied 1993 season.

Now, the two alumni find themselves across the field from one another — Carroll leading the Bearcats, Loney the Greyhounds — in a rivalry that’s lasted more than 100 years.

Every fall, September marks one of SLO County’s most anticipated nights of high school football: Paso Robles vs. Atascadero. And on Friday, the tradition continues at War Memorial Stadium when the Bearcats host the Greyhounds.

​​No storyline captures the rivalry’s reach better than the men who once played in it, now pacing the sidelines as they lead their alma maters.

From players in the rivalry to coaching together at Paso Robles in 2016, Carroll and Loney helped lead the Bearcats to an 8-2 season before becoming rivals once again.

With years of friendship and coaching experience together, the two coaches approach the game with mutual respect, but also with the clear goal of beating each other.

“We always joke around,” Carroll said. “I want them to go 9-1, they want us to go 9-1, and that one loss is to each other.”

Carroll’s coaching journey included a stint at Templeton under Tyler Lane, now Atascadero’s offensive coordinator. He also considers longtime Atascadero coach Vic Cooper, whom Loney replaced as Greyhounds head coach, a mentor.

“I got a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Loney, Coach Lane and Coach Cooper,” Carroll said. “On the outside, when we’re not playing that week, I consider them friends.”

Early memories of Paso Robles-Atascadero football rivalry

Both Carroll and Loney can trace their earliest memories of the rivalry back to their playing days.

Carroll’s came during his first varsity season in 2004, when he lined up against an Atascadero team led by Cooper, who was in his first year as head coach.

“I clearly remember the sense of respect we have for each other,” Carroll said.

Loney’s introduction came nearly a decade earlier, in 1993, when his sophomore season delivered one of the most unforgettable games in rivalry history.

“Back then, it was the last game of the season,” Loney said. “We were both undefeated at the time, and (Paso Robles) ended up winning that game, but it was wild. They had to bring in extra seating and it was just crazy.”

That same season, both Paso Robles and Atascadero advanced to the playoffs in the same division, landing on opposite sides of the bracket. They met again in the CIF championship, where Atascadero claimed the title on Paso Robles’ home field.

“Yeah, that was my first experience,” Loney added.

Luncheon traditions

Carroll pointed to the rivalry’s history in the late ’80s and early ’90s, when he said games sometimes turned “ugly.” Out of that atmosphere came the Rotary luncheon, designed to build camaraderie between the schools.

Each year, the Rotary club for the hosting city holds a lunch for all the players from both teams.

“It’s become one of those things where we really get to know each other,” Carroll said.

As the home team, Paso Robles took on hosting duties for Wednesday’s Rotary luncheon.

“They wanted to bring the two teams together to kind of create a community and camaraderie between the two,” Loney said. “Because eventually, once school’s done, you become coworkers, and so it kinda bloomed from there.”

New generations of rivals

While Carroll and Loney’s stories connect decades of rivalry history, the players on the field this week are the ones carrying it forward, and the coaches are reliving it all over again.

For Paso Robles, quarterback Blayne Lowry will be experiencing his first taste of the North County rivalry. A transfer from Nipomo, where he spent the last three seasons, Lowry is stepping into the spotlight in one of the county’s biggest games.

“It feels good to compete in front of a whole town, and I’m excited to go win,” Lowry said. With teammates having lived through the rivalry once or twice, Lowry said he’s been told just how competitive it gets and how much a win means to the team.

Last year, Paso Robles came out on top with a 30-15 win and is 8-2 against the Greyhounds in their last 10 matchups.

One of the returning pieces for Paso is Marcus Garcia, who started at quarterback last year but has since shifted to wide receiver to give the Bearcats another weapon on the outside.

Garcia says the transition has made the game more enjoyable. He describes his chemistry with Lowry as a “father-son” connection and admits the stakes feel heavier this year with the Bearcats hosting.

“It’s like playing for your town,” Garcia said. “It was good to get a win last year and to keep the tradition of winning and beating them going.”

Leading up to the rivalry game, Garcia said the entire week feels “locked in,” with tougher practices, pep rallies on campus and the added buzz of Homecoming building toward Friday night.

Carroll said rivalry week is one of the few times he doesn’t have to create the energy because his players bring it with them to practice.

“As a head coach, there are certain weeks where I have to bring the energy, but (rivalry week), it feels electric on campus,” he said. “I don’t have to make it a special game. I just have to coach it.”

The buzz isn’t just in Paso Robles.

In Atascadero, Loney and his team have been gearing up for the same night — another chance to write their own mark on a rivalry that has shaped both towns for generations.

“Practice is definitely intense,” wide receiver Jeremy Hendrix said. “Players, coaches, everyone brings the intensity, for sure. It’s like a step-up this week.”

The Greyhounds enter the matchup eager to flip the script after last season’s 30-15 loss.

Loney, now in his second year leading the program, kept his message straightforward when asked what it would take to come out on top on Friday: “It’s simple, score more points,” he said.

For Atascadero, the challenge is not only overcoming recent history after losing eight of the last 10 meetings, but doing so on the road in a rivalry week that doubles as Paso Robles’ Homecoming.

The Greyhounds have spoiled celebrations before, and they’ll look to rely on a defense that limits the Bearcats’ scoring opportunities.

By the final whistle on Friday night, one town will celebrate, the other will wait a year for another shot at redemption.