There’s a football game being played in Dallas on Sunday. You might have heard about it.

It’s called the Super Bowl, and although neither the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Green Bay Packers can lay claim to the title “York County’s Team”, you can be sure that plenty of TV sets from county line to state line (and well beyond) will be tuned in to this.

Some take center space in the “man caves” of guys who know more than a little something about football.

Guys like Tim Roche, Kevin Kezal, and Scott Descoteaux, each of whom answers to “Coach” during the high school football season.

Unlike the rest of us, each of them has patrolled a sideline the way Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin and Green Bay’s Mike McCarthy do.

Okay, maybe not with a worldwide audience second guessing their every move.

But when you’re game planning for a “Battle of the Bridge” skirmish, it might feel that way.

Who better, then, to step into the shoes of Tomlin and McCarthy and draw up a winning strategy.

So how do you stop Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Pack Attack?

“Rodger is a talented quarterback,” said Kezal, who has been head man at Thornton Academy for 11 seasons. “You’ve got to make them drive the field, and take away their running game. Force him to make some mistakes.”

Said Biddeford’s Descoteaux (four seasons), “It’s funny, when you climb the ladder in football, some things don’t change. If you block really well, find a way to run the ball late in the year, and play pretty good defense, I think you have a good opportunity to win. I think Pittsburgh runs the ball a little bit better than Green Bay does. If I’m Mike Tomlin, I highlight the things I do best.”

Over on the other side, Roche, Wells’ coach for the last 12 years, whispers his plan for thwarting the Steelers into McCarthy’s ear.

“Stop the running game,” said Roche, who describes himself as a rabid New York Jets fan. “I think (All-Pro linebacker) Clay Matthews and those guys are probably ready to do that. I’m telling (nose guard) B.J. Raji (a.k.a. ‘The Freezer’) to go crazy. Just line up over (banged up Maurkice Pouncey) that guy, and the minute that ball moves, take him. I think that’s the key to the game, right there. I think he could change the game.”

Pittsbugh’s offense centers around Ben Roethlisberger, whose prowess on the field ”“ two Super Bowl wins in the previous four years ”“ have been overshadowed by his “misadventures” off it.

Both signal callers are among the elite at their position, but given the choice between the two, all three coaches say they would take Rodgers.

Each admits that the “character issue” that dogs Roethlisberger ”“ he served a four game suspension at the start of this season for an off-season incident ”“ colors his thinking.

“The character part is (troubling), said Roche. “So I’ll go with Rodgers in a second. I do like his style of play. Roethlisberger is a great quarterback, and this is his third Super Bowl. If he wins it, he’s in with (New England’s Tom) Brady and these guys. But Rodgers can move, he can throw a great ball, and he’s a leader out there.”

Said Kezal, “I think you take Rodgers. He’s the whole package. I think he’s a much better character guy. A coach at any level doesn’t want to deal with that. It detracts you from getting ready. There’s something to be said for that. I think Rodgers is the real deal.”

Descoteaux took a more even handed approach.

“If they could wear (Tiger) Orange and Black next year,” he said, “I’d take either one. They’re just different. I think they suppliment their teams really well. One quality in quarterbacks that gets talked about a lot, Ben Roethlisberger knows how to win games. He’s been the type that no one (credits) his skill. But boy, does he know how to win. I like the way Rodgers throws the ball. But I’ve got a feeling, that if the game is on the line, it’s going to be Roethlisberger who will be making the big plays. I’m not sure I love his character. I wish sometimes that it didn’t matter.”

As for a winner, our coaching trio gave it to Green Bay, but the verdict wasn’t unanimous.

Kezal: “It should be a decent game. I’m going to go with the Packers. When the Patriots lost, I became a ‘Cheesehead’ fan. I don’t like the Jets, I don’t like the Steelers. Go Packers.”

Roche: “I’m not sold on Green Bay. (But) I think I’m hoping because I don’t want Pittsburgh to win.”

Descoteaux: “I think Pittsburgh is going to win the game. I’ll be surprised if it comes down to a late one. (He) Roethlisberger has been there. He’s got the experience. That counts for something.”

— Contact Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com.