Kicking off the varsity football team’s (1-2) district game schedule is the 39th clash of the traditional rivalry game with the Marcus Marauders (3-0).
The Battle of the Axe (BOTA) is a must watch every year as two school rivals put their blood, sweat and tears into every play as the stadium erupts from the cheers and boos of passionate fans.
“I’m excited, the atmosphere is going to be there,” senior defensive end Sean Oliver said. “I’m all about improvement; last year was just a wake up call.”
The showdown takes place at Marcus Marauder Stadium at 7 p.m. for the second year in a row. After the Farmer’s 14-3 win last year, the team pursues a three-game win streak for the first time since the 2000 to 2002 seasons.
“The overall focus is just to beat Marcus, to win, not just win, but win as a team, win as teammates,” senior offensive tackle Michael Fasusi said. “We want to dominate and just have fun.”
Offensively, the Marauders game plan has leaned toward the rushing offense, as they have ran the ball nearly twice as much as they’ve aired the ball out in the passing game. It has shown positive results, averaging a collective 5.4 yards per carry as a team and senior running back Isaiah Kelliikipi leads with 368 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns on an efficient 5.9 yards per carry. Despite the potent ground and pound offense, the passing game is explosive in its low volume, having six receivers averaging over 10 yards per reception.
“Everybody just has to stay mentally prepared, not have any mental errors and stay composed,” junior wide receiver Traejan Mueller said. “I think everybody’s working hard, so everybody is at their best for Marcus.”
Marcus stands 3-0 in their three non-district outings. The offense scores an average of 30 points per game and allows an average of 21 points per game on the defensive side of the ball. Senior linebacker Brock Golwas has set the tone for the Marauders defense, containing opposing offenses by leading the team in tackles (21). His fellow senior linebacker Caleb Livingston has found his way into opposing backfields, leading the team in sacks (3) and tackles for loss (4). This defensive duo has been key for Marcus and allowing the offense to take off and create comfortable leads.
“With those two losses on our record, I feel like we weren’t on the same page,” Oliver said. “So coming out today, we’re going to play more as a team instead of individuals.”
The Farmer’s suffered two losses in non-district bouts against Byron Nelson and Rockwall. Despite the outcomes of the back to back losses, Farmer spirit is still high heading into BOTA.
“There’s more to look forward to this season; both of those games were close games we just lost in the fourth quarter,” Mueller said. “Our record right now is not a reflection of us.”
Spearheading the Farmers offense, sophomore quarterback Tre Williams and his aerial onslaught has dissected opposing secondaries. Williams has accumulated a clean 631 passing yards, nine touchdowns and only one interception. The offense plays widespread and leans on all receivers having three surpass the 100 yard mark in receiving yards.
“Keeping the axe means a lot to me,” Oliver said. “This has been a long tradition that’s been going on and when we win, we’ll make history.”
If this matchup is anything like last year, defense will be the deciding factor. The Farmer’s defense has been led by Oliver, leading the team in tackles (24), tackles for loss (9) and sacks (2). Oliver also dominated last year’s rivalry game with 2.5 sacks and six tackles for loss to lead the Farmer’s defense to a masterclass that held Marcus to a single field goal. This stout defense will offer many opportunities to seal the game and keep the axe for the third consecutive season for the first time in over two decades.
“I feel great,” Oliver said. “[Last year’s BOTA performance] I promise you, that was nothing.”
As the two schools clash and fight for the pride that is the axe, the groundworks have been laid down for success. Play a clean and efficient offensive game and allow the defense to create more opportunities to continually extend the Farmer lead.
“This is going to be a different Sean, I feel like myself,” said Oliver. “The Sean y’all see tonight is something you haven’t seen before.”
