To anyone else, black tarps and garbage bags are nothing to get excited over, but for Ouachitonians they represent one of the oldest traditions on campus. When the entrances of Ouachita Baptist University and Henderson State University are decorated with an armor of plastic and duct tape, students know the week of Battle of the Ravine has commenced.
Over a century has passed since the first Battle of the Ravine was played in 1895, making this event the oldest football rivalry in Division II of the NCAA. The two lanes of highway 67 separate the rivals, which makes for the shortest traveling road trip in football.
The Battle of the Ravine brings thousands of people to Arkadelphia each year. In 2014, there were 12,228 people in attendance. The number of people attending the game outweighed the entire population of Arkadelphia.
While there have been many pranks pulled between the two schools, there are a few that are still talked about today. In 1946, Ouachita’s homecoming queen was kidnapped and held captive in Hot Springs for three days. Thankfully, the Reddies were nice enough to return her safely in time to watch the battle.
The Battle of the Ravine is not a particularly sweet time, but in one year’s case, Henderson made it that way. Reddie students painted more marshmallows than they could count, and used a crop duster to drop them on Ouachita’s football field. This prank put Ouachita in a very sticky situation.
One of the most attempted pranks throughout the years of rivalry deals with vandalism on Ouachita’s prized tiger statue. The tail of the tiger was broken and buried on campus year after year, thus, the tiger gate was born. Not only does the iron-gate now protect Ouachita’s tiger, but so do the dedicated students of OBU. Each night, a different class is given the task of guarding the tiger. Games are played, memories are made, and Reddie spirits are warded off.
This year, guarding will begin at 9 p.m. each night. Seniors kick off the week guarding on Monday, Nov. 7. The Women of EEE will serve hot chili, and the Men of Beta Beta will be grilling hot dogs. Tuesday, Nov. 8 the juniors take over the guard, with Chi Mu hosting a cookie decorating station and Chi Rho Phi offering a night of karaoke. Mid-week, the sophomores will guard. Also on Wednesday, the Women of Chi Delta will serve s’mores alongside the men of Eta Alpha Omega, who will serve cookies and cider. Thursday, Nov. 10, the freshman will take the plunge into guarding for the first time. The Men of Rho Sig will also have a bonfire and pep rally starting at 6 p.m., followed by hot chocolate, s’mores and games provided by the Women of Tri Chi and the Men of Sigma Alpha Sigma.
Unless you are a freshman, be sure to get plenty of sleep on Thursday night, because KATV will be here at 5:30 a.m. for the annual Battle of the Ravine pep rally. Show up ready to show the state of Arkansas your Ouachita spirit!
The Battle of the Ravine will be played this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Henderson’s Carpenter-Haygood stadium. Prior to the game, there will be a tailgate set up from 10:30 to 12 p.m. at Cliff Harris Stadium. Lunch will be available at the tailgate, and Ouachita students may eat for free with their student ID. The football team walk will take place at approximately 11:30 a.m.
Tickets are now available for purchase at Cone Bottoms Hall, and will also be sold on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at both school stadiums. For more information on Battle of the Ravine, contact Kyle Parris, Sports Information Director at parrisk@obu.edu.
By Ali Kinsey
