For as long as fans can remember, the Waynesville Tiger vs. Rolla Bulldog football game has been one to circle on the schedule.
It’s called a rivalry game. Most teams have them. The Waynesville Tigers actually have three they call rivalry games – against Rolla, Camdenton and Lebanon.
The Waynesville/Rolla contest has had a little more history, however. The two squads have been conference rivals most of the time they have been tackling each other.
Waynesville records show that the series between the two programs began in 1959, the year football was established at Waynesville High. That season the Tigers’ inaugural team played the Bulldog B team.
According to Rolla records, the two schools have played 56 times in varsity competition. And, as expected, the competition has been extremely tight, with Rolla leading the all-time series 28-27-1. In the last seven seasons Rolla has won six times, including last season’s 67-26 rout. Scores of recent games between the two have been unusually high-scoring, with the winner scoring at least 34 points in each of the last seven years.
Since the 1970s, the squads have been conference rivals in the Mid-States Conference, the MID-Mo Conference and, currently, the Ozark Conference.
And the fact that there is just 30 miles separating the two communities has included components of both an intense and friendly rivalry. Because there are buddies on each team, and they want to beat each other badly! Every year many of the players know each other; compete against each other in various school programs and together in many summer activities.
The perfect rivalry game. And now it will have an official name and a traveling trophy going to the winner for bragging rights for the year.
Salem Publishing Company, which owns the Pulaski County Weekly and Phelps County Focus publications as well as The Salem News in Dent County, is sponsoring the event. Starting with this year’s Tiger vs. Bulldog varsity matchup Friday, Oct 14 in Waynesville, the winner will be awarded the traveling trophy, to display at their school at least until the following year’s game.
“Every year we like playing the Bulldogs,” said WHS Athletic Director Cory Ace. “It’s good for the kids, too. It’s a healthy rivalry; we love playing them. It’s always a close game and the kids know one another. The kids enjoy playing in that game.”
“It’s a great one to have,” agreed Rolla Athletic Director Mark Caballero. “The communities are close and the kids know each other. It’s just a little more personal when you know the other side. You definitely want to win, to give yourself the bragging rights. You keep it in the right perspective; it’s a healthy rivalry.”
And as the decades have piled up the number of Tiger vs. Bulldog games, the rivalry extends off the field and into the bleachers. Many of the fans in the stands at one point were also playing against each other during their high school days, assuring large, connected crowds.
Dennis Roberts was a student-athlete at Rolla as well as one of the longest-tenured coaches in the school system. He was a coach on the RHS sidelines during the Waynesville football rivalry for parts of four decades.
“Back then, all the good athletes played football, baseball, basketball, track…everything,” Roberts said of his playing days. “So you got to know all the kids (from Waynesville). With the teams being 25 miles apart, the kids know each other. There are a lot of kids who live in Rolla whose parents work on the Fort (Leonard Wood), and other Waynesville kids whose parents work in Rolla. It’s always been a really good rivalry.”
Rick Vernon is the most successful football coach in Waynesville history, serving as head coach from 1982 until 2014. He had several outstanding teams, including the Missouri Class 5 2007 state champion, and has sent four of his former Tiger players on to the National Football League.
“There have been a lot of great football games,” said Vernon, a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, of the Tiger/Bulldog rivalry. “It’s almost always a close game, and the players wake up Saturday mornings sore.”
One season that stands out was 1996, when Waynesville, Rolla and Camdenton were all in the same district, and all three teams entered district play undefeated and state-ranked. The three teams beat up each other, with Camdenton beating Waynesville, Rolla beating Camdenton and Waynesville beating Rolla. Back then only one team moved on from district, and with all the tie-breakers it was Camdenton that moved on in the playoffs and Waynesville and Rolla stayed home.
All three teams ended 1996 was just one defeat. And Camdenton ended up winning the state championship.
“That ’96 year, with all three going into district undefeated,” Vernon said. “Any three of those teams could have won state that year.”
Jon Franks has been a part of the rivalry since 2016, when he became Rolla head coach.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Franks said of the Route 66 Showdown beginning. “Ever since I’ve been here, I’ve been told this is our big rival game. It will be nice to have something to solidify it with a traveling trophy. That will be a nice addition to the schedule. Ever since I’ve been in the Ozark Conference (Franks had a lengthy stint as Lebanon defensive coordinator before coming to Rolla), you walk on the field and see the Waynesville kids warming up and you say, ‘Holy cow!’ They always have athletes the others don’t seem to have. They’re physical and good athletes…that’s a good recipe.”
First-year Waynesville head coach Kyle Barkley is new to the rivalry this fall. But he’s heard about it.
“Between the community and schools, it’s always a fun time,” Barkley said of rivalry games in general. “They have great crowds; a great time. As an athlete, that’s all you can ask for.”
And the players on both sides are looking forward to being the first team to take the traveling trophy back to their school.
“It’s definitely exciting, especially with the history of the game,” said Tiger senior Niko Fau. “It’s filled with emotion on both sides, and usually the game stays close. I definitely keep up with the schedule in the summer and find where that game comes up.”
“It’s exciting, because we’ve always played Rolla since middle school,” said WHS senior Davin Vernon. “And it always seems to be neck-and-neck; it doesn’t matter what the teams’ records are.”
“I’d say this is our largest rivalry,” said Tiger senior Josh Bess. “They’re only 30 miles away. There is always tension in that game; it’s really fun.”
“It’s always good competition,” said Waynesville senior Chase Thomas-Plummer. “We’ve been playing against those guys for the longest time. It’s a fun-filled rivalry, with great sportsmanship.”
The opposite side feels the same.
“The best memories I have is playing all the guys I know over there,” said Rolla senior Aaron Cook. “And I know a few of them.”
“It’s a little personal,” said RHS senior Brock Owens. “It’s always been a rivalry. And it’s always a tough game.”
“It’s a great game to play,” said Bulldog senior Broc Lyle. “And since it’s my senior year I’d love to win that game and bring that trophy home.”
“It’s a very important game,” agreed Rolla senior Kennedy Kearse. “We want to win that first trophy in our senior year.”
