Battle of the Ax
BY TYLER CLIFTON
KFYN SPORTS DIRECTOR
SHERMAN – Caitlyn Rolen was lying down with pillow and blanket in tow at the front of a line steadily growing in nature throughout the course of Friday night and into Saturday morning, as people withstood cold temperatures to buy their limit of four tickets to this week’s 111th annual Battle of the Ax, the longest running football rivalry in the state of Texas.
Piner Middle School eighth grader Chase Wilson does his best to sleep despite cold temperatures late last Friday and into early Saturday outside Bearcat Stadium in Sherman. Wilson was one of many people waiting to get their allotment of up to four tickets for today's Battle of the Ax.
Close to 30 people immediately went to the ticket line at the conclusion of Sherman’s 26-23 victory against McKinney to get tickets for a game one week into the future.
Sherman travels to Munson Stadium this week to face rival Denison, and there will be many people who will be unable to attend the game due to the schools simply running out of tickets. Sherman athletic secretary Beverly Duke said it took less than an hour to sell the 450 remaining tickets the school was allocated.
Denison got rid of its allotment Monday morning and opens the gates at 6:30 p.m. today to sell the remaining tickets not sold to students.
Rolen and former Bearcat lineman Josh Higgins were both representing their families at the front of the line alongside young Cash Carter. Higgins volunteered on behalf of his parents, but it took a little more than that to coerce Rolen into camping outside.
“My aunt wanted to make sure she got tickets for the Battle of the Ax,” Rolen said. “It cost her some money though.”
Sharla Stephenson has been to two of these rivalry games and was with daughter Shannon watching one of the Ice Age movies on a small television.
“We had no clue it sold out so quickly,” Shannon Stephenson said. “It used to not be like this.”
Terry Ingram, a 1977 Sherman High graduate, met family in line to bravely weather the conditions. Glenn Dube did the same for the love of his wife and daughters, who used to be Bearcat cheerleaders and highsteppers.
Grayson County College freshmen David Grigg and Jeremy Loving, 2008 Sherman graduates, were bound and determined to get their seat for tonight’s game.
“We’re closer in line this time,” said Loving, as this was the second time the duo has taken on this adventure. “We’re more prepared now, as it was colder then.”
The weather was nothing for Shelly Floyd, mother of Bearcat senior J.J. Floyd and a supply sergeant who recently returned full time from duty in Iraq. She had the benefit of a heater but said doing without it wouldn’t affect her in the least.
Floyd was one of at least three players’ mothers in line braving the winds to get other family and friends access to the big game. Shannon Shelton and Tory Minor’s mother Samantha were late walk-ups (if you call 1 a.m. late for such an endeavor), while quarterback Madison Carter’s mother Donna was near the front of the line.
Floyd served one lengthy tour of duty overseas but did get to witness one football game in late October of last year. She also returned in the spring and served as a good-luck charm of sorts to the baseball team and even witnessed son J.J. hit a home run (ironically at home against Denison) in which he gave her the ball upon its retrieval.
“I’ve never done this before – I just walked up the last time,” Floyd said. “This is nothing and is relatively easy compared to some of the stuff I’ve been through.”
