By Michael V. Hannigan/HCN
High school football teams all over Texas are looking forward to the start of the regular season next Friday, Aug. 31.
But two teams right here in Henderson County may have just a little bit more to play for as the year kicks off.
The Brownsboro Bears will travel to Bruce Field next week to take on the Athens Hornets with the newly-minted Highway 31 Championship Trophy on the line. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
The two schools worked together to create the trophy, donated by Hayden Elder and Elder Dodge in Athens, to build the rivalry between the teams.
“There are a lot of families involved in both schools. For this year, they had a player on the varsity that his brother is on our JV,” Brownsboro Head Coach Greg Pearson told Chad Wilson of the Chandler & Brownsboro Statesman. “I feel like it is a good thing for the school districts to play each other. We are 20 miles apart right here on Highway 31.”
The new trophy already has the scores from when the two teams have squared off in the past, including last year’s 49-42 win by the Hornets.
Which means the prize currently sits in the Athens field house.
“Brownsboro I know is wanting that trophy and we would like to keep it over here in Athens,” said Athens Head Coach Paul Essary.
What’s more Texan than neighboring towns competing for pride on the gridiron on a Friday night?
“It’s going to be a heck of a game. I know Coach Pearson is going to have his guys ready to go and they’re excited in their community,” said Essary. “So we want to make sure we have everybody wearing maroon and let’s maroon out Bruce Field on August 31.”
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Thanks go to Chad Wilson for contributing to this story.
