MARTINS FERRY — The Martins Ferry Purple Riders are expecting a bit stiffer of a challenge come Friday.

After breezing through their week one game opponent, Expression Prep, for a 55-0 final score, the Purple Riders are gearing up for a game against Malvern (1-0) inside the Dave Bruney Athletic Complex.

The Hornets, a perennial playoff team in Ohio Division VII, defeated Valley Christian in week one, with running back Julius Gore rushing for two touchdowns in a 16-8 victory.

“Malvern’s obviously been a small school power for a while,” Martins Ferry head coach Justin Kropka said. “And, you know, we knew what we were signing up for when we signed them. It’s going to be a battle. Their kids are used to winning and traditionally they’ve always had a winner, they’ve been in regional finals —

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