New chapter in old Battlefield rivalry

Ron Counts
Published: September 6, 2008

The last time Culpeper and Orange met on the football field as bitter rivals most of the players on both school’s current rosters were in elementary school, but Friday’s hard-fought affair rehashed memories of Battlefield District border wars from decades ago.

“It’s a community battle,” OCHS coach John Kayjanian said. “It’s always been that way whenever Orange, Madison or Culpeper play each other. It’s a pride thing.”

The Orange, Culpeper rivalry spans all the way back to the 1950s. The last time the two teams played as divisional opponents was nearly a decade ago.

Jim Livingston, an Orange resident who has been present at all but a handful of OCHS football games in the past 20 years, said in the past there has been so much anticipation around games between the Hornets and the Blue Devils local businesses would hang painted footballs in their storefront windows for months after the fact proclaiming the final scores.

“Culpeper is almost like a home team for us,” Livingston said. “The communities are so close, and they’ll always be an old Battlefield team.”

Livingston also remembers a time when the outcome of the annual community bout was quite different than this year’s.

“For a long time, Culpeper was so good that Orange didn’t stand a chance,” he said.

Despite the 40-0 drubbing Orange served Culpeper, the Blue Devils and the Hornets left everything on the field in an effort to continue the slugfest tradition many of their forefathers instilled.

The Blue Devils lined up for a punt after their first drive of Friday’s game stalled, or at least that’s what everyone thought.

Culpeper was in its own territory, trailing 7-0 after OCHS quarterback Quinten Hunter’s electrifying 64-yard touchdown scamper. CCHS punter Adam Mitchell took the snap and, instead of kicking the ball away, he tucked it close to his body and sprinted for an eight-yard gain that gave the Blue Devils three more downs to work with.

“Rivalries are always good,” CCHS coach Greg Martz said. “Orange has had some good teams over the years, even they’re JV guys are tough. Right now, we’ve just got some establishing to do.”

Culpeper’s defense looked like it was playing for more than just a win in the Blue Devils’ first game of the season. Christopher Bush planted Hunter with a potent sack in the second quarter, while CCHS safety John Lezcano intercepted a pass to end an Orange scoring drive and made a touchdown saving tackle in the same quarter.

“We came up with some stops on defense,” Martz said. “Momentum is huge when you play a rival. We’ve got to learn how to roll with our momentum when it’s high and when it’s low.”

The motivation level both teams came into the game with was evident in several bone-jarring hits during the contest and the lists of injuries that resulted on both sidelines.

Culpeper’s Nolan Jenkins gave Blue Devil fans a scare when he lay on the field wrything in pain and was helped to the sideline because of what Martz called severe cramping.

Orange’s Bion Anderson and Dakota Connell weren’t so lucky. Anderson suffered a concussion in the game, and Connell may have seriously injured his shoulder. Kayjanian said he will undergo X-rays sometime this week.

“The kids always play and hit a little harder when they meet.” Kayjanian said. “Both teams and both communities always know they’re going to get an exciting game when we play.”

Culpeper will likely join the Battlefield District next season, so the Hornets and the Blue Devils will get at least two more chances to write their own chapters in the history of this age-old rivalry.

Ron Counts can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 166 or