Bruce and Calhoun City will meet for the 66th time overall, but only the third time in postseason play when they clash helmets this Friday at “The Boneyard.”
The previous two meetings were in 1995 and 1996 and are the two games that are really at the heart of this rivalry.
There were many great games before, and have been a few since, but nothing compares to those two meetings in late November with a trip to Jackson on the line.
Joel McNeece
The 1995 tilt matched an undefeated Bruce team and a 9-3-1 Calhoun City squad.
Bruce won the regular season matchup 14-6, so Calhoun City coach Mike Ray changed things up for the playoff meeting. They went to more of a spread formation with all everything scatback Santo Armstrong in the slot. The Wildcats then used their size advantage up front and handed the ball to 6’1”, 220 pound fullback Chad Cook who powered his way right up the gut.
He broke the scoreless tie with 3:16 to play with a seven yard run up the middle for a touchdown.
Bruce had two opportunities to score on their opening two possessions, but after a penalty wiped out a big fake punt play where Freddy Bullard threw to Andre Anderson deep into Wildcat territory, they were forced to punt.
Their next drive stalled inside the 20 and Bullard’s field goal attempt came up just short.
Those were the only two possessions Bruce penetrated Calhoun City territory all night.
“This was two great football teams out there on the field,” Wildcat Coach Mike Ray said.
‘City would advance to the state title game where they were beaten by Taylorsville 35-6.
The following year, Bruce won the regular season matchup 22-0. Both teams entered the North Half title game 11-2.
Courtney Pierce drew first blood for the Trojans with a 28-yard touchdown run midway through the opening quarter. Bullard’s extra point gave the Trojans a 7-0 lead.
That lead would hold up until Wildcat QB Anthony Moore hit David West over the middle with a 31-yard touchdown pass with 39 seconds to play in the game. The trip to Jackson would have to be settled in overtime.
The Trojan defense stuffed the Wildcats on the opening possession of OT when Pierce broke through the Wildcat line on fourth down from the three and forced a fumble as Moore was trying to hand off to Bernard Sykes.
Bruce would then take their turn only needing points of any kind to earn the win. The Trojans advanced it five yards before Coach Phil Ferguson sent Bullard in who drilled the 22 yard field goal into the wind sending the Trojans to Jackson for the third time in six years.
There, they would defeat previously unbeaten Ackerman 15-6 for the state championship.
Few expect another classic matchup this Friday when the two teams meet again. By all accounts, the unbeaten and the deserved number one ranked Wildcats are a prohibitive favorite over the Trojans. But fans of the game like myself are dreaming of another overtime, another classic in this great rivalry.
Email Joel McNeece at joelmcneece@gmail.com & follow him on Twitter @joelmcneece