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For some Eastern Iowa football teams, Rivalry Week comes early this season.

Early, as in right away.

“This certainly adds to the excitement (of a season-opener),” said Vinton-Shellsburg Coach Pat Farley, whose team opens at home Friday against county rival Benton Community. “It’s a game that means a lot to us. It’s a game that means a lot to them. And it’s a game I would love our kids to win.”

Even though Solon-Mount Vernon is now a district matchup that will be played later in the season, Week 1 is not short on neighborhood rivalries. In addition to the Benton County brouhaha at Vinton:

* Monticello and Anamosa hook up in a Jones County matchup at Anamosa.

* Lone Tree hosts Highland in a game that matches schools that shared a program at one time.

* South Winneshiek and Turkey Valley, who played two important games last year — one for a district title, one in the Class 1A quarterfinals — face off at Jackson Junction.

* Oh, and there’s that little northeast-Cedar Rapids squabble between Kennedy and Xavier at Saints Field, one of three Metro-vs.-Metro openers.

“It’s fun. That’s high school football,” said Kennedy Coach Tim Lewis.

If you’re looking for bulletin-board material from Lewis or Xavier Coach Duane Schulte, don’t bother.

“The whole ‘Kennedy, we-hate-you’ thing that people expect, or would like to see, it’s just not there,” Schulte said. “We get along with Tim and his staff as much as anybody.”

Said Lewis: “I think sometimes a lot of people want to make a lot of the rivalry, but there’s no hatred there. I respect the heck out of Coach Schulte and what he done there. I think sometimes people want to put hatred in there, but there is none. It’s just a great high school rivalry.”

Xavier (10-3 in 2009) advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals last year and opens the season ranked No. 3 by The Associated Press. Kennedy was 5-6 and hopes to build on its substate upset of Bettendorf.

In the other all-Metro games, Prairie (3-7) meets No. 10 Washington (9-3) at Kingston Stadium while No. 7 Linn-Mar (9-2) entertains Jefferson (1-8) at Armstrong Field.

If construction remains on schedule, it will be the Lions’ final season at Armstrong before Linn-Mar unveils a new stadium in 2011.

Rivalries are one storyline Friday. Solon’s winning streak is another.

Solon captured the last three Class 2A state championships before moving up to 3A this year. The Spartans have won 41 consecutive games; they open at DeWitt Central.

“The jump to 3A certainly brings different demands,” said Coach Kevin Miller. “It’s going to be a real grind. It’s going to be a real test. We’re going to find out about our football team and the dynamics of our personnel.

“With that in mind, I feel real good about this team, that they’ve been there and they’ve experienced success.”