Previously: No. 10 — Harlingen vs. San Benito / No. 9 — El Campo vs. Bay City / No. 8 — Cuero vs. Yoakum / No. 7 — Stephenville vs. Brownwood / No. 6 — Abilene vs. Abilene Cooper / No. 5 — Ennis vs. Waxahachie / No. 4 — Midland Lee vs. Odessa Permian

Few rivalry games in the state of Texas embody the passion and spirit we all think of when it comes to high school football like the Battle of the Ax (BOTA as it’s called locally). The game has been played since the turn of the century and Texoma’s annual grudge match always draws a packed house to either of the town’s two historic stadiums.

In fact, for this sportswriter, the Battle of the Ax is one of the biggest reasons I fell in love with the game. My father drove me up from the south side of Fort Worth, all the way up to Sherman in the early 1990’s to watch one of the games. Due to traffic, we got there a little late and had to watch the game from the top of my dad’s truck from Highway 75. We used binoculars, just like several other car loads of high school football fans. From that day forward I was hooked and Sherman-Denison will always hold a special place in my heart.



BOTA has also spawned other “BOTA” games statewide, most notably in Lewisville ISD for Flower Mound Marcus vs. Lewisville. It’s rumored some Sherman ISD administrators had moved south to Lewisville ISD, and when LISD opened up Marcus High they decided to start their own BOTA game.

It’s a natural rivalry as the two large towns sit 50 miles or so away from the urban sprawl of DFW, so you get the combination of large school football combined with the small town feel that makes the game so special. Although Denison is a good bit smaller in size these days (and they trail the series 68-42-8), they won a state title in 1984 and played for three other titles from 1995-1997. Sherman’s had more consistent success over the years, but the state semifinals is the deepest they’ve been in the playoffs.

The rivalry could take on added significance in 2017 as both teams appear to be in the middle of the playoff race in District 5-5A. In addition, it could be the final time in the foreseeable future these two play a district game as the Class 5A division split will send Denison to Division II and Sherman to Division I.

“It’s a special game, people were telling me when I arrived in town how special it is. I knew it was big, but I also thought it can’t be THAT big. I’ve coached in a lot of big games like Bell-Trinity and Lewisville-Marcus and when I stepped out on the field and we saw all the news crews out I was a little surprised, we get covered like colleges with all the production trucks lined up and Chad [Rogers, Denison head coach] told me when I first got here that it’s going to seem like there’s 20,000 people there and sure enough it felt like it,” Sherman head coach JD Martinez said.

Denison head coach Chad Rogers grew up in nearby Durant, Oklahoma, and has always been well versed in the history and intensity of the rivalry.

“BOTA always has a playoff type atmosphere to it, if you can’t get excited for that game I’m not sure you can get excited for a football game,” Coach Rogers, who has been the head man for five BOTA games, said. “It’s settled down for me the past couple of years, I grew up knowing how big the game was as a kid so those first couple of years my head was spinning. I love the game, the involvement from both communities is special, it’s a great game and tradition to be a part of.”

Often times you can have a less than stellar season, but if you can win BOTA, your job is likely safe for another year as bragging rights are certainly on the line. One excellent story was told by former Sherman head coach Drew Young back in 2010 to DCTF.

“Typical deal in 2004 — we had the best season in school history when we got to the semifinals and lost to Ennis,” said Sherman coach Drew Young. “An older guy stopped me in Wal-Mart and said, ‘Coach, you had a good season, you won the old Battle Ax.'” Young replied “Yes we did.” Then the older gentleman replied “How’d the rest of the season go?” Young proudly replied, “Got to the state semifinals, best season in school history,” the older man replied simply, “Well that’s nice.”

It’s just one more sign that in Grayson County, times can change and old animosity can fade, but winning the Ax is still everything.

Quick hits for "The Battle of the Ax": 

How many years has it been played? 116 years (since 1901)

Overall record: Sherman leads 68-42-8

Distance between schools (in exact miles): 13.9 miles

State titles won and/or appeared in for each team: Denison won the 1984 4A title, but lost the 1995, 1996, and 1997 4A title games to LaMarque.

Average attendance: combined average of both stadiums’ capacities Both stadiums seat 6,500 but overflow crowds are common; Sherman in the late 1980’s once squeezed an estimated 10,000 into Bearcat Stadium

How much animosity is there, really? Is it a fun rivalry, or does it always get chippy and cross the line? There’s no love lost between the two towns, there’s always been reports of pranks leading up to the week of the game, and the battle has the chippy play you’d expect.

Does the game have a nickname? What’s the story behind it? The Battle of the Ax. When the rivalry took a negative turn in regards to vandalism and property destruction, Denison businessman Jack Barker, who owned an ice cream parlor and store on Main Street across from the old Denison High School, wanted to create a symbol that represented good sportsmanship and excellence in the athletic competitions between the two schools. The symbol became an Ax and was first award in 1949. The winner keeps the Ax, which has the scores engraved on the blades, until next year's game.

WHY do the schools dislike each other? What’s the town history? It’s a family feud, the two towns are so close and often families are divided for a week based on school loyalties.

How has the rivalry changed over the years? The rivalry isn’t as vicious as it used to be due to a more mobile society in general, and it’s not uncommon to see kids attend elementary school in one town and move to another in high school. That was almost unheard of 25 years ago.

Any famous alumni? Coaches? Denison: Fred Washington (TCU, played one year for the Chicago Bears but was tragically killed in a car accident during his rookie season), Jordan Taylor: (Rice, current WR Denver Broncos). Sherman: Hunter Smith (Notre Dame, former punter for the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins 1998-2010), Charlie Johnson: (Oklahoma State, former offensive lineman Indianapolis Colts 2006-2010 and Minnesota Vikings 2011-2014). Coaches: Denison — Bob Brown 1991-2006; led Denison to three title appearances. Sherman: John Outlaw — legendary Lufkin coach spent seven years at Sherman and posted a 57-21 record.

How’d the first-ever game go? What is known about that one? Sherman won the first official meeting in 1901 12-0, though it’s believed a game was played in 1900 and newspaper records were lost.

Greatest game ever? Denison wins 44-43 in 2007. Denison was down 43-24 going to the fourth quarter, scored three times, stopped a fourth-and-inches attempt in its territory and then blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds. In 1995, both teams came in state-ranked and Denison won a 16-7 slugfest in a mud bowl at Sherman.