Brontae Harris, seen during Cullman's home opener against Florence, might be new to the school, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t already heard plenty about the Bearcats’ most important annual battle.

Welcome to Hartselle Week, Brontae Harris.

The senior might be new to the Cullman football program, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t already heard plenty about the Bearcats’ most important annual battle.

“They’ve been telling me it’s pretty big, so I’m looking forward to it,” said Harris, a Hanceville transfer. “I’ve tried to match it up with some of the rivals that we had, but they said it’s nothing like it. They said it’s one of the craziest games ever.”

When Cullman (4-2, 2-1) heads to Hartselle (4-2, 1-2) this Friday, Harris’s chief concern will be corralling a crucial Class 6A, Region 8 victory. However, there are a few personal goals he’d like to care of, too.

“This is the biggest game I’ve ever been a part of,” said the defensive back, whose 2014 highlight reel features a pair of interceptions and a kickoff return for a touchdown. “It’s a good game to show that I can compete at 6A, moving from 3A. It’s a big game for me.”

Unlike Harris, this isn’t Mark Britton’s first Hartselle Week.

Over the course of a long and storied football career, he’s taken on the Tigers as a player, assistant coach and head coach. There have been wins. There have been losses. But more importantly, there’s always been respect between the proud programs that are a lot more alike than either would probably like to admit.

According to Britton, both teams have high expectations for their players, are rife with tradition and are perennial postseason contenders. Throw in the fact both reside in two “really good sports-minded communities,” and you’ve got all the makings of a good old-fashioned rivalry.

“As a coach, these are the type of games that are a lot of fun to prepare for and be a part of,” Britton said. “I think even if we were both undefeated or if we both didn’t have any wins, it would still be a big game for us.”

Don’t mistake Hartselle Week for Hartselle Hate Week, either. Aside from the few fans at every school who tend to take rivalries just a tad too far, Britton feels the longstanding clash between Cullman and Hartselle has remained a healthy one.

“It’s not ugly. It’s not a bad blood-type game,” he said. “But it is a pride game. Both of us want to win it. Coach (Bob) Godsey and his staff do a super job, and they’ve got great support, just like we do at Cullman.”

One of Britton’s favorite parts of this time of year is that it doesn’t take much for fire up his troops. With the thought of taming the Tigers in mind, enthusiasm and intensity are at their highest, which usually results in some of the Bearcats’ best practices each fall.

“You just want to go out there, do your best, get everything right you can and just have a good week and win it,” senior Daniel Hunter said. “It’s just one of those things. It just means a lot to us.”

Cullman held up its end of the rivalry last year with a 14-6 home thriller for its first win in the series since 2007. Hunter would obviously like to go out with back-to-back triumphs against Tigers, which would extend the Bearcats’ all-time advantage to 47-42-4, according to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society.

“It just makes you want to win that much more,” the trusty center said.

So does Cullman’s lengthy losing streak at Hartselle. Since 1997, the Bearcats have dropped eight in a row, including a second-round playoff bout in 2010, inside the feisty confines of J.P. Cain Stadium.

“We really want to be the senior group that does that,” Hunter said of ending the skid.