The rivalry football game between Dardanelle and Danville high schools, known as the Judges Cup, will be played for the last time in September 2022 and then come to an end. The rivalry between the two Yell County schools was intensely competitive and the stands were always packed for the annual matchup. While the schools will continue to scrimmage each other, the game will no longer count in the regular season standings. Both head coaches expressed sadness to see the long-standing rivalry end as an official game.

1. The end of the JudgesCupRivalry
“It breaksmy heartthat it won’tbe playedanymore.Eventhoughwe weren’tinthe same conference,it
was alwaysthe biggestgame of the year,youneverwantedtolose tothe countyrival,”saidNathan
George,a formerState championshipquarterback forDanville in1971 and alsoservedasDardanelle
assistantcoach forseveral years.
To someone onthe outside youcannoteasilyexplainthe rivalryof the JudgesCup.Onpaperitmay look
like anormal game,howeverif youhave everpersonallywenttoagame you couldimmediatelytell a
difference. The standsare packedto the brimwiththe rest of the crowd paintingthe fencesbywearing
theirgreenor redinsupportof theirtown. Little kidsplayfootballunderthe bleachersdreaming of one
day gettingto play inthe same heatedrivalryandbringinghome thattrophy,however; OnSeptember
1st
, Dardanelle andDanvillewillmeetforthe lasttime everinaregularseasonmatchupat Keenanfield.
“I hate to see it go,”said Dardanelle HeadCoachJoshPrice.“There isalwayssucha bighype aroundthe
countyin preparationforthe game that itdoesn’tmatterwhere we playbothschoolsshow upina big
way.”
Since 2001 the Dardanelle SandLizardshave won10 of 14 games. In 2002 Danville playedspoilerand
won12-6. In 2004 one of Danville’s4regularseasonwinscame againstDardanelle ina22-0 shutout.
2005 came and Danville once againreigned victorious astheywon32-29. The lastyearDanville beat
Dardanelle was2010 ina rollercoasterof gamesas Dardanelle wentup21-0 inthe secondquarterbut
Danville came backandwon 35-28.
Startingin2016 Dardanelle and Danville will stillscrimmage butitwill nolongercountasa regular
seasongame.InsteadDardanellewill openuptheirregularseasonagainst the CharlestonTigers inweek
1 and goon to playParisin week2.On the otherhand Danville will openweek1against TwoRiversand
start conference inweek2.Theirothernon-conferencegame will be inweek10 as theyplayAugusta.
Thiswill markthe endof the official gamesbetweenthe twoschools butthe Yell countyrivalrywill still
live on.Asfor George whoissplitbetweenthe schools,“It’salwaysmeantalotto me,I justreallyenjoy
watchingthe game,and I’mgoingto misswatching it. Kickoff issetfor 7 p.m. onTuesdayat Keenan
field.