ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Highway 7 in Arkadelphia isn’t just a road, it's a line in the sand.
On the west side of this highway, at Formby Athletic Center. These shrines serve as a reminder to remain focused and block out the noise.
Henderson State head coach Scott Maxfield has his guys treating this one like any other game. “It’s business as usual. Get our team ready and stay on our same routine. Get our team ready to play.”
It's been a week of quiet focus for the Reddies, but on Saturday they know it'll be a completely different feeling according to Senior L'Liott Curry. "There’s nothing like it that I’ve ever been part of. It’s crazy. The atmosphere is great and what college football is all about."
An atmosphere these Reddies won’t have to travel far to experience. Just across the street, the Ouachita Baptist Tigers await them.
"You don’t have to say a whole lot about that. The guys know it, they know what it means, and they’ll be ready to go" says head coach Todd Knight.
For the past four seasons, this has been the Tiger’s Ravine. “Probably won’t say too much this Saturday. They know what is at stake and they know what to do.”
Ouachita will have the homefield advantage on Saturday, but it’s the Reddies year to make the shortest road trip in college football.
“The visiting team gets a little more amped up just because of the walk. We get to do that and it’s a unique experience for the cops to block off the road and we walk across,” Scott Maxfield. “Crowds screaming, you’ve got dorms over there and our guys screaming at us. It’s special. There is nothing like it.”
The only guarantee for Saturday. Once that walk is complete, another chapter in this historic rivalry will be added in the 94th edition of the Battle of the Ravine.
“Who else are you interviewing for their last football game of the season? That’s right, you’re in Arkadelphia for a reason. It’s the biggest game in the state,” he added.