2007 Football: Does Gallatin-Hamilton game need a little spicing up?

This Friday is the long-awaited, gridiron grudge match between Gallatin and Hamilton, the latest in the series dating back at least as far as 1929.

Other than obvious bragging rights and a "W" in Grand River Conference standings, is there any other laurel going to the victor?

Brookfield and Marceline have the "Bell Game." Northwest Missouri State and Truman State play for the "Hickory Stick." Other schools have some sort of symbol or "spoil" that goes to the winner. Why not Hamilton and Gallatin?

Here’s what we need to do. Let’s get the highway department to approve placing a sign on Highway 13, halfway between the two towns, maybe at the turnoff to Rt. M.

This will be a two-sided sign, red on the side facing Hamilton, and blue on the side facing Gallatin. The writing will be identical on each side…simply saying "We Won!"

Here are the rules. If Gallatin wins, Hamilton fans must look at the red side of the sign for a full year as they travel north. The blue side would be covered during that time. If Hamilton wins, then Gallatin fans must look at the blue side of the sign for a year, with the red side covered on the south side.

On second thought, this probably wouldn’t be a cost-effective idea. The sign post would have to be protected by bumper guards on all four sides in order to prevent an "accidental" collision with a four-wheel vehicle. And I don’t know that they make a metal surface that is impervious to "discoloration."

*****

Gallatin’s 46-6 victory a year ago made it four in a row for the road team since 2003, a distinction that might not bode well for Gallatin, the host of this year’s clash. Also, neither school has won two straight since Hamilton put together back-to-back wins in 2002 and 2003.

The last four years of the rivalry have been special, in that the two teams have alternated victories from 2003 to 2007. Only two other times in the 79-year history of Gallatin-Hamilton games has this happened (1975-78 and 1983-86).

Gallatin’s 40-point winning spread was one less than a 1998 Bulldog victory (41-0), but pales in comparison to Hamilton’s 48-2 romp in 1994. The winning team has scored no less than three touchdowns in each of the last six meetings.

Gallatin has won eight of the last 11 meetings, but Hamilton’s string of 20 straight games from 1938 to 1959 without a loss (tie in 1940, no games played in 1943-44) may never be equaled.

One more useless, but interesting stat. Since the series began in 1929, Gallatin has scored 926 points to Hamilton’s 1,139.

*****

Both coaches might tell you they consider Friday night’s game a toss-up, and they could be right.

For the second straight year, Gallatin enters the game at 3-0, while Hamilton is coming off a loss to South Harrison.

The Hornet starting lineup is filled with freshmen and sophomores, but Coach Dave Fairchild has a solid nucleus of experienced players. Moving junior Joe Pickrell from guard to the backfield has paid off for the Hornets after sophomore Dylan Chadwick suffered a knee injury in the opener against Albany. Chadwick could be back any time, at least on the defensive side of the ball.

Hornets to keep an eye on, on both sides of the ball, include senior E/DB Jon Pickrell, senior RB/DB Ivan Greenwood, junior QB Cale Brown, junior E/LB Zach Dixon, sophomore RB Andrew Straker, senior RB Logan Smith, freshman LB Trevor Dixon, freshman DB Keagan Prather, junior LB Davod Reeder. Junior T/DT Coty Fordyce and senior C/DE Greg Dalton.

Gallatin enters the contest averaging 39.6 points per game and 8.2 yards per offensive play. The Bulldogs have allowed a total of 13 points in three games, and an average of 3.4 yards per offensive play to the opposition.