You’re unlikely to find too many places outside of English class where the difference between “the” or “that” matters. “Bring me the ball” or “bring me that ball” have similar enough meaning in everyday conversation.

But in the context of a football rivalry, and in particular a rivalry that’s spanned more than 100 years, those two words couldn’t be more different. Denison coach Chad Rogers, whose team takes on rival Sherman in the 121st "Battle of the Ax" Friday night, sums it up.

“We ask each class ‘Do you want to be known as THAT class that lost the ax or THE class that kept it for another year?’” he said. “No one wants to be THAT class.”

And for the last six seasons, no one at Denison has been THAT class. The Yellow Jackets have stung their nearest and longest – if not dearest – rivals by an average score of 41-21. It’s the longest continuous stretch that Denison’s held the Ax.

Sherman leads the overall series 68-43-8. That includes two different stretches where they held the Ax for a dozen years. Coach J.D. Martinez understands how important it is for his 2019 team to be THE team to reclaim the famed trophy, but he doesn’t belabor that point with his Bearcats.

“We really don't talk about the history, a streak, [any of that],” he said. “The only thing we talk about is this year’s team and Sherman. We talk about Sherman Bearcat pride…what we want to do and what we want to accomplish.”

Feeling the Moment

Both coaches had plenty to think about as they prepared for Friday’s game. While they’re aware of who won last year and the year before, as kickoff approaches the history falls away – at least for the participants, and they narrow their focus onto the game itself. In addition to the longevity, the fact that the game now opens each season adds to the importance. After all, it’s not everywhere you find two teams at any level of football who open the season with their biggest rivals.

“Sherman-Denison, you’re opening up with your oldest rivalry, and let's go ahead and do it,” Martinez said. “It's really pressure-packed. You know, it's the same thing as if you just open up with Texas-OU weekend.”

Rogers said the rivalry remains a topic of conversation everywhere he goes in Denison year-round, but Ax talk and focus reach another level during Battle week. 

“The game gets talked about all 365 days,” Rogers said. “You can’t go into a store or restaurant without seeing a picture or mural of the Ax. And everyone has a story. I saw a guy in Wal-Mart on Sunday and he told me that his team had the Ax all four years he was in high school. It’s like a common language that everyone knows.”

Thanks to Fox Sports Southwest and Texas Football Days, more people outside of Texoma will get a first-hand look at the rivalry and what it means to each community. The spotlight is welcome, Martinez said, though it will be difficult to tell through the television just what it feels like to be in the stadium and on the field.

“It’s kind of magical to be honest with you,” Martinez said. “My first time, I remember going through the week and thinking I was fine all the way through it. And then, about five minutes before kickoff, everything just went [sucking air sound]. All of the air gets sucked out of the stadium and you’re standing there thinking, ‘what the heck just happened?’ Everything just gets tight on you.”

Preseason Perfection

Opening the season with the Battle of the Ax puts a premium on the work that takes place beginning Aug. 5, but really the work begins long before the pads come on again.

“It’s great motivation for our kids in the spring and the summer,” Rogers said. “They know that we start the season with it and they know they have to come to preseason practice in shape.”

Martinez echoes his rival’s thoughts. 

“When you open up with your big rivalry immediately, there's nowhere to hide,” Martinez said, “so you better you better get out there and play. You have to prepare for it and you better be ready.”

The Winning Mindset

Since 2013, Denison’s had the upper hand. While each game has it’s own story, Rogers said getting his players to make a simple mindset change – as if it were just that simple – proved pivotal to gaining an upper hand.

“We just started making the game about us,” Rogers said. “Before that, it was about Sherman, and while we respect them tremendously, this game is all about us. It’s about our community. We want to make our town proud.”

Focusing on themselves is not a mindset unique to Denison. Martinez, by tuning out what’s happened in year’s past, directs his Bearcats to do the same. 

“We just have to focus on the task at hand,” he said. “That’s our quote of the week. Nothing else matters. Our focus only needs to be on one thing and we don’t need to worry about anything else. Not the TV, not all of the fans in the stands, not any of the hoopla. We just have to go out there and play our best football game.”

About that Hoopla

Try as they might to tune it all out, both coaches understand that the hoopla surrounding the game is part of what makes it special. In Denison, Rogers has given up trying to adhere to the old philosophy that no one game is more important than another. 

“This is just a crazy, crazy week,” he said. “It’s not just another game, and we don’t try and act like it is. We want our kids enjoying this experience. In our community, you can have five generations of family who have played on this team or in this game, and that’s amazing.”

If there’s a game in the state – high school or college – with a harder ticket to get than the Battle of the Ax, neither coach knows about it. This year’s game sold out in less than 13 minutes, according to a Monday tweet from Denison football and only a scant few tickets will be available at the Bearcat Stadium gates Friday. 

“We just don’t have enough tickets for the game this year,” Rogers said. “Everybody is looking for them and it’s already sold out.”

The venerable stadium’s official capacity is 6,500, though legend tells that as many as 10,000 have packed in for the Battle of the Ax.  

So it’s about time the rest of the state got a first-hand look at this historic rivalry. 

 “The Battle of the Ax is for Texoma Pride,” Martinez said. “Everyone involved is really excited that they get to showcase to everyone what this game does [for the communities] and what it means.”