LONGVIEW, Texas — The Spring Hill Panthers will take on the White Oak Roughnecks for the 51st time in the "Battle of Hawkins Creek" on Friday at Roughneck Stadium.
But, there's more that connect the schools than just a six-mile stretch of George Richey Road and half-a-century of gridiron greatness.
The 2018 contest ended with a lopsided victory for the Panthers as they defeated the Roughnecks 42-14.
DID YOU KNOW:
- White Oak leads the all-time series 26-24.
- White Oak ISD superintendent Mike Gilbert was a longtime baseball coach and high school principal at Spring Hill before taking the post at WOISD.
- Former Spring Hill superintendent Mike Crossland was the basketball coach at White Oak before making the move to SHISD.
- White Oak High School band director Jason Steel is a Spring Hill graduate.
- Former Spring Hill head football coach and high school principal Gene King (1966-1975) is a White Oak graduate.
- Former Spring Hill head football coach Mark Sartain (2013-2014) was also the head football coach at White Oak (1995-2002).
- White Oak ISD assistant superintendent Mitzi Neely is a former Spring Hill High School journalism teacher.
- White Oak High School principal Donna Jennings is a 1977 graduate of Spring Hill, where she was the drum major and salutatorian.
- White Oak has produced six NFL players (Max McGee, Byron Hunt, Mike Barber, Russell Wayt, Sam Hunt, Dick Fugler). Spring Hill has had three NFL players (Chad Mackey, Barry Bowman, Brandon Carter). White Oak's McGee also score the first touchdown in the inaugural Super Bowl for the Green Bay Packers.
The bands will also go head-to-head this week! Fans of both teams are encouraged to eat at Chili's in Longview, located at 2800 Judson Road, Monday, September 9, through Friday, September 13. Show the flyer below, tell your server which band you support and 10% of your purchase will go toward that band. The band that brings in the most support will also receive an extra cash reward.
Did we mention it's also Friday, the 13th and a full moon is expected? So, anything could happen!
The game is slated to kick off at 7:30 p.m.
