MARYSVILLE — For the second year in a row, two local football teams battled it out on their shared field in front of thousands of fans for the chance to be declared the victor of the ‘Berry Bowl.’

On Friday, Oct. 4, Marysville Getchell and Marysville-Pilchuck faced off in the crosstown rivalry game — named for the city’s renowned strawberries — and competed for a chance to display The Flat, a strawberry flat turned trophy complete with Tomahawk and Charger football helmets, in their school for the rest of the year.

The Tomahawks got off to a great start, almost scoring with a 65-yard touchdown run by running back Austin Joyner, which was pushed back due to a holding call against M-P, and ultimately resulted in a punt. But the letdown of the penalty call didn’t stop anyone from M-P, least of all Joyner, who scored five touchdowns, with 13 carries and 180 yards.

“Austin Joyner had another outstanding game,” said head coach Brandon Carson. “Killian Page also did a great job for us in his first start as a running back.”

Page scored the last touchdown of the night on a 37-yard run, topping off a serious lead for the Tomahawks. But the Chargers weren’t ready to roll over without a fight. Wil Owens scored a touchdown in the second quarter, which set off a hearty round of cheers from the grandstands, as Getchell hosted the game. He also intercepted a pass from M-P quarterback Jake Luton before halftime, to give the Chargers possession with just more than a minute left in the first half.

MG’s Jordan Russell-Robinson also scored a touchdown, this time in the fourth quarter — bringing the final score to 43-13.

Although the Berry Bowl is the new and highly anticipated game for Marysville schools and winning it comes with a certain level of bragging rights, Carson is thinking more about the Tomahawks’ record this season.

“I think it represents a chance for the community to see the kids of Marysville compete against each other,” he said. “The most important outcome was the fact that it was a league victory for us.”

The Tommies are currently undefeated, with a league record of 1-0 and an overall record of 5-0, and Carson attributes that to the depth of talent.

“Our offense has been very dynamic thus far,” he said. “We’ve had 13 different people score for us this year. I think we have played solid defense most of the time this year.”

MG’s overall record is 2-3, with a 0-2 league record.

The Tomahawks face Stanwood in an away game on Friday, Oct. 11. The Chargers host Everett at Quil Ceda Stadium on Friday, Oct. 11. Both games start at 7 p.m.