For Football Coaches Who Played in the Game, Crosstown Showdown Remains Special

“Probably the most nervous I had ever been leading into a game,” said Stover, who will coach his receivers Friday night in the 62nd edition of the Crosstown Showdown at Shotwell Stadium. “I just wanted to play well and do my part to help our team win. I can remember Shotwell being full on both sides with students on the grass berms and 17,000 people in the stadium. It’s such a fun memory, and that type of emotion from that size crowd, you don’t ever forget.”

Stover is one of four former Cooper football players who will either be on the sideline or in the coaches’ booth Friday night leading the Cougars against the Eagles. Joining him on head coach Aaron Roan’s staff are offensive coordinator Will Wise, quarterbacks coach Carlson Humphreys, and defensive line coach Chad Coleman. In Stover’s four seasons at Cooper, the Cougars were 4-0 against the Eagles, including a 17-3 win in 1997 when he was the Cougars’ starting quarterback.

Stover led the 1997 Cougars, who were coming off an appearance in the Class 5A state championship game in 1996, to a 12-2 record, the District 4-5A championship, and a spot in the Class 5A quarterfinals. That team’s win over Abilene High in 1997 was part of a string that saw Cooper win eight straight and 10 of 11 contests against the Eagles from 1988-98. The Cougars lead the all-time series, 36-24-1, thanks largely to a 15-game winning streak (1966-80) and that string of 10 of 11 wins. 

Now in his second year at Cooper, Stover has now experienced the game from a coach’s standpoint. He said his feeling is dramatically different as a coach as opposed to a player.

“We prepare in every way we can for every opponent we play,” he said. “It’s no different in that way this week. I think the hardest part from a coaching standpoint is that we know each other’s play style so well, but also we can’t allow our athletes to treat this as something bigger than it is.”

Part of what has always made the game so special is that players on both sides have friends – and sometimes family – on the opposite sideline. They’ve played little league baseball on the same teams. Gone to church together. Been part of the same group of friends. But on that one Friday night each season, it’s all about what happens on the field.

“It was always a big week in the season,” Stover said. “You have grown up playing with or against each other, so you know each other really well. You want to beat each other so badly. It’s what makes the Crosstown Showdown so great. I think both sides respect each other. Both schools have a great history and have good football programs. It’s about competing and seeing which is the better team that night.”

For years, the stakes in this game were much bigger when both teams were part of the same district. Both are now part of Class 5A, but Abilene High is part of District 2-5A Division I, while Cooper is part of District 2-5A Division II. Not having a district championship to play for against each other as they did several times in the late 1990s and into the 2000s takes away a bit of the luster from the game, Stover said.

“There have been some great games in the rivalry, and it seemed they were even better when it was the last or next-to-last district game,” he said. “There have been many great players and teams over the years, and both programs have had success for a long period. The sustained success of both programs feeds into the rivalry as well.

“To be able to play in this type of rivalry with all that goes into it will be a great memory for all of these guys, on both sides,” Stover continued. “We were lucky enough to have some really good teams when I was at Cooper and we were fortunate to beat Abilene High in those years. But the atmosphere was always great, and the community was all-in for whichever team they supported.”

On the other side of town, Conlan Aguirre is one of six former Eagles who are now assistants on head coach Mike Fullen’s staff, all of whom know what it’s like to strap on the gold helmet and take on the Cougars.

Aguirre, who coaches cornerbacks, is joined on the staff by Travis Kern (tight ends / h-backs coach), Tommy Martinez (offensive line and assistant head coach), Montie Lackey (offensive skills coach), Wes Gorman (defensive line assistant coach), and Matt Roemisch (defensive line coach). Aguirre was a two-time all-district and all-state selection for the Eagles as a defensive back and played in two of the most memorable games in the series … at least from an Abilene High perspective.

In 2011, both teams were enjoying tremendous seasons when they met in the ninth game of the season. AHS dominated the game, scoring the most points by either team in the series and winning by the largest margin in series history, cementing a District 3-5A championship with a 62-6 victory.

“There was a lot of buzz going into that game as both teams were playing well that season,” Aguirre said. “If I remember correctly, tickets were sold out by Tuesday. Friday night came and it just happened to be one of those nights where everything was clicking for us. I take a lot of pride in being part of the team responsible for the largest margin of victory in rivalry history.”

The next year, Aguirre’s senior year, the Eagles pulled out a heart-stopping 31-27 win when Evan Abbe connected with Marcell Porter on a 7-yard go-ahead touchdown pass on fourth down with just three seconds left to play. Future University of Tulsa star Kevan Lucas caught an AHS single-game record 16 passes for a school-record 220 yards that night as AHS continued its march to an undefeated regular season, a District 2-5A championship, and a spot in the third round of the state playoffs.

For Aguirre, those two wins are special because they mean something in the history of football in this part of Texas.

“There is a lot that makes the rivalry special,” he said. “High school football in West Texas is special. The rich tradition of both programs is special. Shotwell Stadium is special. You want a ‘claim’ of the city. It’s the only opportunity you get on a big stage to play against kids you’ve grown up playing with your whole life. I understand the history of the rivalry and the city of Abilene itself, and this game is not just bragging rights for a year. Whatever happens, it’s etched into the history of the rivalry forever.”

And that’s what makes this week a highly emotional one for players on both sides of town.

“This is a game you have grown up watching and hearing stories about,” Aguirre said. “For many players, it’s the largest crowd that will ever watch them play. You want nothing more than to have bragging rights not just for that year, but forever. A variety of emotions flow as the week progresses. Early on, excitement and anticipation take over. You feel as if Friday can’t get here soon enough.

“As the game plan begins to be installed, your confidence increases with each rep in practice,” he said. “You start to play out scenarios in your head and envision all the ‘big’ moments. Friday approaches and, naturally, you feel anxious and even nervous because you want everything to play out just as you have scripted all week. The players who can control their emotions and settle in the fastest tend to play the best.”

And that’s what players, coaches, and fans on both sides of town want Friday night: to see their team play its best and let the best team be decided on the field.  In the grand scheme of the season, the 2022 edition might not be the biggest game these teams play all year. But Friday night’s 62nd game between the Red and Blue and the Black and Gold will still resonate throughout the city.

“The game has a bit more meaning when it is played in late October or early November with a district championship or playoff appearance on the line,” Aguirre said. “At the same time, you understand that your season does not ride on one week in early September. Ultimately, your goal is to get better and do your best to close out the week 1-0. But for everyone involved (players, coaches, fans, etc.), it is still a really, really big deal.”