The annual city game is trending up again. After six seasons when neither Greater Johnstown nor Bishop McCort Catholic/McCort-Carroll brought a winning record to the rivalry game, coach Tom Smith’s Crushers are undefeated heading into Friday’s 7 p.m. contest at Sargent’s Stadium at the Point.

Last week, Greater Johnstown snapped a 10-game losing streak, and while the Trojans will be a decided underdog against their crosstown rival, coach Tony Penna Jr.’s youthful 1-4 team brings some positivity to the Point after experiencing a win.

“We’re a highly motivated team, and we’re highly motivated to play this game on Friday night,” McCort-Carroll coach Tom Smith said.

Playing a city rival in a series that dates to 1933 is motivation enough.

However, off-field developments over the past four months also have added to his team’s focus, Smith said, referring to a series of District 6 and PIAA hearings, appeals and subsequent injunctions filed in relation to Bishop McCort transfers from Greater Johnstown (three) and Windber (three).

One of the Greater Johnstown transfers, Kaleem Taylor, was ruled eligible at the initial July 10 District 6 hearing and has been a key contributor. Two others, brothers Zymir and Julius Reed, were ruled ineligible at the initial 9 ½-hour hearing and after an appeal. The Reeds currently are attending school and playing football in Ohio.

“We’re focused on winning the football game, doing whatever it takes to win the football game,” Smith said. “That’s all that matters to us right now.

“We’ve been focused the last two weeks. I don’t expect that to be any different on Friday night.”

Penna also said his players and coaches are moving forward after the offseason developments.

“That’s an absolute non-issue,” Penna said. “This is Johnstown-McCort, and Johnstown-McCort always has been a big deal. We’re coming to play football. Johnstown is playing McCort.

“Throw the records out the door. Business as usual.”

The 5-0 Crushers have produced one dominating performance after another on the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference schedule.

The series extends back 92 years, including several lengthy interruptions until the Trojans left District 7 and began playing a LHAC schedule in 2001.

Greater Johnstown leads the all-time series 22-17-1, but McCort-Carroll/Bishop McCort Catholic has won six consecutive meetings since the Trojans’ most recent victory in 2017.

The teams didn’t face each other during the COVID-19 season in 2020.

Each program struggled throughout the past seven seasons, although McCort-Carroll took significant strides, going 5-6 and reaching the 2024 District 6-2A playoffs.

Last year, Greater Johnstown snapped a 43-game losing streak and won two games.

This season is the first that at least one of the teams entered the city rivalry game with a winning record since 2017. That year, each team was 6-1 entering a Week 7 contest Greater Johnstown won, 23-15.

The Crimson Crushers finished the 2017 season 10-3, as the District 6 Class 2A runner-up. The Trojans went 8-4, as the District 5-6-9 Class 4A runner-up. Neither program had a winning record from 2018 through 2024.

Greater Johnstown won five straight games in the city rivalry series from 2013 to 2017 and seven of eight meetings dating to 2010.

The Crimson Crushers had a six-game winning streak from 2004 to 2009.

Greater Johnstown won the first 14 games in the series, which twice was stopped because of one-sided scores, including 10 shutout wins and only 26 points allowed by the Trojans defense in 14 games from 1933 through 1973.

Bishop McCort shocked the Trojans with a 28-14 win in a 1989 series reboot.

The Crimson Crushers and Trojans tied 14-all in 1991, and Bishop McCort won 27-8 in 1992 before another eight-season stoppage.

“There is a lot of pride in this game no matter what staff you’re on,” said Smith, who has coached on both teams. “Who is going to run the city on that night?

“The players in both programs are full of pride and there is a lot of history that runs through this game.”

Another large crowd is expected at the Point, which welcomed 5,000 fans to McCort-Carroll’s Week 4 win over Richland.

“It’s a special rivalry that (was renewed in) 1989,” Smith said.

“We’re looking for this one to be just as spirited as the others.”

The history is important, but the present includes some of the area’s top performers.

“They’re outstanding in all phases of the game. Their depth is incredible,” Penna said of the Crushers.

“They have great players all around. There is no one guy you can focus on.

“They do a good job of spreading the ball around to players.

“They do a great job controlling the trenches. Watching them on tape, I haven’t seen a flaw in their game.”

Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.