Each week leading up to the 85th "Battle of the Piney Woods" at Reliant Stadium in Houston October 23, GoBearkats.com presents the 20 greatest games in Piney Woods history.
November 24, 1930 - Sam Houston 20, Stephen F. Austin 0
At the end of November in 1930, all that stood between head coach J. W. Jones' Sam Houston team and the Bearkats' first ever conference championship was the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks.
Led by Gaston Beard, Doyle Coe, Belva Jackson, Pete Shields and Welton Love, the Bearkats were sweeping through the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA).
The team's only loss of the year was by one point to Rice 13-12 in Houston.
Defensively, the Bearkats has produced six shutouts, defeating East Texas 21-0, Saint Mary's 12-0, Texas A&I 19-0 and North Texas 13-0.
In Sam Houston's nine games leading up to the SFA tilt on November 24 in Huntsville, opponents had crossed the Bearkats' goal line only three times.
On offense, the Kats were a scoring machine rolling up 56 points in one game and averaging three touchdowns per game.
Love's passing was a primary weapon and Jackson was an elusive runner who had dashed 70 points for a touchdown in the Saint Mary's victory.
Stephen F. Austin under coach Gene White had won only one game and tied another in its first six games of the season. The Lumberjacks were coming off a 64-0 whipping at the hands of West Texas A&M the previous week.
But Coach Jones warned the Bearkats the Lumberjacks would put up a strong effort against their arch rival and man who had coached Sam Houston in each of its battles with SFA since the first in 1923 was proven correct.
The Sam Houston Alcalde reported "The men from our sister college put up a desperate fight."
The article added "But their cause was lost. Driving with determination that could not be denied, the Bearkats steam-rolled the Lumberjacks and won their first conference championship."
Dave James, Jackson and Coe each scored touchdowns.
"It was a marvelous game that the Kats played and a fitting climax to a wonderful season," the Alcade summed up.
Following the season, both Beard and Coe were first team All-TIAA selections. Coe became the first Bearkat to earn All-Southland Conference honors three years in a row.
Sam Houston would remain a member of the TIAA for one more season. In 1932, the Bearkats began play in the new Lone Star Conference. Sam Houston, East Texas, North Texas, Southwest Texas and Stephen F. Austin all were charter members of the new league.
A new chapter in the "Battle of the Piney Woods" football rivalry begins Saturday, Oct. 23 when Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin meet at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
The move of the series to Reliant Stadium for the next four seasons comes from a partnership between Lone Star Sports & Entertainment (LSSE) and the two universities. LSSE is an independent event management company which is closely affiliated with the NFL's Houston Texans.
Battle of the Piney Woods tickets are now on sale through the university's athletic website. Fans also can purchase tickets at the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone at Bowers Stadium or by calling ticket office at (936) 294-1729.
NEXT WEEK: Kats hold off Lumberjack rally for Thanksgiving Day victory
1938 - Sam Houston 13, Stephen F. Austin 6
