Christian Estrella attended the Douglas-Bisbee football rivalry game for as long as he could remember. Then he started playing in it.

The three-year varsity tight end and linebacker is just the latest Estrella to take part in one of the nationโ€™s longest lasting rivalries. All of Estrellaโ€™s older brothers and step-brothers played in the iconic game; so did his father.

Now, Estrella is preparing to play in his last rivalry game โ€” and wants to bring the Copper Pick trophy home. The Bulldogs play Bisbee for the 148th time Friday night. The rivalry between the mining towns is the fourth-most-played high school football game in the nation, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. The teams played twice every season from 1906-51. The series was discontinued from 1991-94.

โ€œWell, itโ€™s a really big honor, first of all, to be in one of the longest rivalries in high school history. And itโ€™s just exciting,โ€ Estrella said. โ€œThereโ€™s a lot of energy and itโ€™s great.โ€

Second-year Douglas coach James Fitzgerald says the rivalry with Bisbee is โ€œmore importantโ€ than other games.

Junior Christian Karlinsey attended his first Copper Pick game when he was 8 years old. It gave him something to look forward to โ€” and once he made the team, something to work toward.

โ€œIโ€™m really hyped,โ€ Karlinsey said. โ€œIโ€™ve been hitting the weight room since the offseason, Iโ€™ve been working hard, I havenโ€™t missed a practice since January. Iโ€™m going real hard.โ€

Second-year coach James Fitzgerald said his team is preparing as hard as they can, watching film and taking care of themselves. The team just had its first grade check-in, and all players will be eligible to play Friday.

Fitzgerald said the best way to prepare for the rivalry game is to stay focused. That was tested Monday afternoon, when a monsoon hit during practice. The Bulldogs continued working on different drills until lightning struck nearby. The team then took shelter in the locker room.

โ€œYou canโ€™t say itโ€™s like any other week because itโ€™s not,โ€ Fitzgerald said. โ€œItโ€™s more important, so the kids have to realize that, too.โ€

Fitzgerald moved to Douglas last summer and lost his first rivalry game to Bisbee, 22-21. Now that heโ€™s lived in town for more than a year, Fitzgerald knows how important the game is to the community.

โ€œI consider this my first full year โ€” because games arenโ€™t won in the fall, theyโ€™re won in the offseason,โ€ Fitzgerald said. โ€œSo, being able to have the guys for a full offseason, a full spring, has been very beneficial. Iโ€™m really excited for this year.โ€

Manny Mejia was part of last yearโ€™s varsity squad, and he said the loss hurt. This year, heโ€™s hoping itโ€™s the Bulldogs who make a statement.

Thereโ€™s just one thing he really wants: โ€œRevenge. And bringing The Pick back home where it belongs.โ€

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Contact sports reporter Norma Gonzalez at 262-3265 or ngonzalez@tucson.com. On Twitter @normacatalina12