Neil Beasley's top Texas high school football rivalries

Could anyone in their right football mind pick the 10 best rivalry games in Texas? No, but let’s try anyway. We could start with the Battles – the Battle by the Bay, the Arroyo and the Bridge? Or maybe the Highway Battle of 114, of 287, for Beltline or for Hwy 6? Shouldn’t the Battle of the Cattle, the Clash of the Causeway, and the Oak Cliff Super Bowl rank in the top based on the name game alone? Texas high school football rivalries are every bit as epic as their monikers afford. Each one is unique of course, but they all have one thing in common; decades of passion. It matters to a Texan when their kid suits up in the same uniform that his brother, father or even his grandpa wore! High school football runs deep in the veins of Texas. Of the 10 best chosen by the staff at DCTF, I’ve covered seven of them. Here’s what I saw.

The Battle of the Ax between Sherman and Denison began over 100 years ago! World War I hadn’t begun. Can you imagine the stories buried with some of the first generations? The game we saw in 2016 (and build-up) was everything we hoped it would be and more. It seemed all of Sherman showed up for the pep rally the night before and Denison served up an inspirational game day team breakfast. Both Denison head coach Chad Rogers and Sherman’s J.D. Martinez get it!  They are family/community/team-first individuals who relish the honor of carrying on the tradition, be it as a Bearcat or Yellow Jacket. And, oh by the way, the game was a beauty; last-second end-zone INT to seal the win for Denison. Can’t wait to come back for more Ax!