BHS Football: Aztecs fighting for more than the Axe

BARSTOW • The winner of the 86th Axe game will be able to hoist the coveted hardware and breathe a slight sigh of relief at the end of tonight.

Only a very slight one though.

The victor will be a bit closer to a playoff berth in a tough Desert Sky League when Barstow (6-2; 1-1 DSL) and Victor Valley High Schools meet at 7 p.m. tonight at Ray Moore Stadium.

Neither team can clinch a playoff berth but Victor Valley (6-2; 0-2 DSL) will likely miss the postseason with a loss.

“It doesn’t end with us winning ... or losing actually,” Barstow coach Jose Rubio said. “It still comes down to next week.”

Even with postseason ambitions in the mix, the Axe itself is still meaningful, Victor Valley coach Leland Eudy said. Several Barstow seniors agreed and added that giving up the Axe in their final year would be a nightmare.

“It’s tradition and it’s always exciting when Victor and Barstow play each other,” Eudy said.  “It’s a lot of fun. If it doesn’t go good, it’ll still be a lot of fun.”

There was a noticeably different vibe at Barstow’s practice on Wednesday as Rubio brought out the Axe from the high school’s trophy case and told each of the players to touch it before the end of practice. Many players spent a several minutes longingly examining the Axe and its maroon-and-gold paint job.

“There’s such a long history of the Axe and this rivalry has been going on longer than we’ve been born,” Barstow lineman John Britto said. “To be a part of that is just a great thing.”

In recent years, the Axe Game hasn’t had much importance in regard to the postseason. Barstow has kept the trophy the last three years straight and five of the last six years. The Aztecs have outscored the Jackrabbits 168-83 in those games.

The Jackrabbits started to break from that pattern a year ago. The teams entered the fourth quarter tied before Barstow exploded for two late touchdowns to win the game 28-14 in 2008.

“I thought we had a good shot at them last year,” Eudy said. “We kind of feel like we were kind of catching up to our other league teams. We are getting to the point were teams aren’t taking us for granted. It’s been that way the last two years. It’s got a lot more meaning the last two years.”

It’s created a situation that is ultimately healthy for Barstow, Victor Valley and the DSL but stressful for coaches.

“As a sports enthusiast, yeah,” Rubio said when asked if it makes for a more interesting game. However, “as the head coach of one of the teams it’d be nice to come in thinking that you don’t have to do much to win it.”

Both teams have spent significant time talking about the game and its legacy this week. Eudy and Rubio are veterans of the Axe Games as players. Eudy played in the 1970 game, when the Jackrabbits upset a Barstow team coming off a CIF championship, while Rubio participated in the ’86, ’87 and ’88 contests. Each team also has several assistant coaches who played in the game. For the Jackrabbits, Eudy tends focus on game planning while leaving the reminiscing to his coaches.

“I don’t do a lot of talking about my memories because I’m too old to be talking about my memories,” Eudy said. “My younger coaches are the ones that talk about their memories of the Axe and playing for the Axe.”