Six weeks to 89th Battle of the Piney Woods
9/17/2014 8:43:00 AM | Football
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With six weeks to go before the 89th “Battle of the Piney Woods” in NRG Stadium November 1, GoBearkats.com takes a look back at Sam Houston's success in the past against SFA in the long rivalry that now ranks as Texas' third oldest current college annual series.
There's nothing new about a conference championship being on the line when Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin meet in the annual “Battle of the Piney Woods.”
In the early 1950s, two Kats-Jacks meetings earned Sam Houston Lone Star Conference laurels.
In 1953, Bearkat head coach Paul “Red” Pierce's team was ripping through opponents averaging 27 points per game in its first six victories while shutting out two of its first seven foes. A loss to Lone Star Conference champion East Texas was the only blemish on the Bearkats' record.
But Stephen F. Austin came to Huntsville determined to pull off an upset and, for a while, it appeared the Lumberjacks just might do it.
Running back McNeil Moore was back for his senior season and continued to be one of the Bearkats' top offensive weapons. The Sam Houston Alcalde described Moore's running style as "sparking!"
Early in the contest, Moore broke free for a 53-yard gain that set up a two-yard touchdown smash.
But the Lumberjack defense toughen and, after a second quarter touchdown and extra point, Stephen F. Austin held a 7-6 lead at halftime.
"The Kats came charging out after the intermission to quickly tally six points," the Alcalde reported.
Moore scored on a 23-yard spurt and added another six points on the next drive to put Sam Houston up 18-7 at the end of the third quarter. A touchdown in the fourth period on a three-yard run and extra point conversion by Dawton "Oz" Hughes put the contest out of reach as Sam Houston triumphed 25-14.
One week later Sam Houston completed the regular season with a 19-0 victory over Northeast Oklahoma to give the Bearkats an 8-1 season mark and a runner-up finish in the Lone Star Conference.
After consecutive post-season bowl appearances and top three Lone Star Conference finishes in 1952 and 1953, the Bearkats dropped to fourth place in the league in 1954.
Despite a 47-25 victory over Stephen F. Austin in the season finale, the Bearkats finished behind the rival Lumberjacks in the Lone Star standings for only the second time since World War II.
Sam Houston head coach Paul "Red" Pierce reloaded the next season as the 1955 race proved to be one of the tightest in LSC history.
The Bearkats rolled through their first three conference games, defeating Sul Ross 47-7, Texas A&I 36-25 and Lamar 46-13 before a 14-0 Homecoming loss to East Texas.
However, following a thrilling 16-14 victory over Southwest Texas State and a 27-7 win by the Bobcats over East Texas, the conference championship was on the line when the Bearkats traveled to Nacogdoches for the 1955 season finale.
Sam Houston's rushing attack was the best in the conference, averaging 255 yards per game thanks to Bennie Boles, a 160-pound halfback. Quarterback Allen Boren also could put the ball in the air when necessary, ranking third in the Lone Star in passing yardage.
The Bearkats opened the scoring with a 27-yard run up the middle by fullback Herman Tidwell.
"Devastating ground play and an equally adept passing attack provided the finishing touchdowns for the Sam Houston offense," the Alcalde reported.
SFA equalized after an 88-yard drive. But Sam Houston's defense turned the game around with a fumble recovery at the SFA 36-yard-line, setting up a score by Boles.
"Sam Houston was never again in trouble as the Bearkats rolled through the Jacks to cinch a tie for the Lone State Conference championship," reported the Sam Houston Alcaldi.
East Texas and Southwest Texas joined the Bearkats in the first three-way tie for the football championship in Lone Star Conference history. All three ended conference action with 5-1 records
The next chapter in the “Battle of the Piney Woods” football rivalry kicks off at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1.
Each of the past four years, crowds of more than 25,000 have packed the lower bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston to see great offensive shoot-outs.
The Bearkats have won each of the last three meetings in Houston including a 56-49 win in 2013 before a record crowd of 26,213 fans.
Sam Houston owns a 50-35-2 edge over the Jacks since the series began in 1923. Only Baylor and Texas (100 meetings) and SMU and TCU (91 meetings) are the only continuous college football series in the state older than the “Battle of the Piney Woods.”
