Submitted photo This trophy will be awarded annually to the winner of the Dunkirk-Fredonia varsity football game.

The ancient Dunkirk-Fredonia football rivalry now has a new tradition: Winners get a trophy.

The Central Connection Mayors Cup will go to the winner of Friday’s game in Fredonia. It’s the brainchild of Fredonia Mayor Michael Ferguson.

“I got together with Southpaw Signs and Stripes and they’re going to donate it,” he said. “It’s a five tiered black marble trophy with a bronze football on top.”

Ferguson said, “Some of the rivalry in the past has come across as negative,” but he wants to add a positive and fun element to it.

“Hopefully, it will be a trophy that will be passed around for years between the two schools,” he said. Plaques with the scores and winners of each game will get engraved on the trophy.

Ferguson based the concept on college football rivalries between neighboring schools where items are awarded to the winner. A good example from upstate New York is the Cortaca Jug, given to the victor of the annual SUNY Cortland-Ithaca College football game.

The Dunkirk-Fredonia game trophy gets its name from the Central Connection concept pushed by some Dunkirk and Fredonia officials in recent years. It attempts to highlight and enhance ties between the communities and with SUNY Fredonia.

Ferguson said he hopes offering a trophy to the football game winner will start a trend where winners of Dunkirk-Fredonia contests in other sports are awarded.

For now, Ferguson is really getting into the Dunkirk-Fredonia football game spirit. He is trying to finalize a fun bet with Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz, along the lines of the Buffalo and Kansas City mayors betting chicken wings and barbecue when the Bills and Chiefs meet in the playoffs.

Ferguson is also trying to get together a pizza party for the winning team at a local establishment.

“We just hope people come out and support your team,” he said. “Wear your maroon, or orange or black, whoever you’re rooting for.”