JT coaches know rivalry's meaning

They traded in jerseys for headsets, all while remaining on the same sideline of the Rose City Rivalry.

John Tyler’s coaching staff features four former Lions who played in the annual clash from 1996-2004: first-year head coach Ricklan Holmes, offensive coordinator Antoine Bush, defensive backs and special teams coach Jayme Moore and secondary assistant Gerald Norman.

The four coaches comprise different periods of a rivalry nearly dead-even. JT leads the all-time series 28-27-1 entering tonight’s showdown.

Holmes suited up at a time when JT dominated the series, outscoring Lee 97-14 combined in wins in 1996 and 1997. Moore’s two varsity seasons coincided with the power shift, with JT winning its fifth straight in a 1998 overtime classic and Lee breaking the streak in 1999. Bush and Norman played for JT during Lee’s most dominant stretch, an eight-game winning streak.

One of the four has been in the JT football program 16 of the last 18 seasons dating back to the Lions’ previous state championship in 1994.

When Holmes’ playing days ended, JT held a commanding 26-14-1 edge in the rivalry. The Red Raiders reclaimed bragging rights after last year’s 39-30 victory in the highest-scoring game in the series’ 55-year history. Lee has won 13 of the last 15 contests.

“It’s always going to be a rivalry game,” said Holmes, who played at Oklahoma State and coached in Oklahomabefore coming back home to work. “At the end of the day, the winner’s going to be the big brother.”

The series shifted in Lee’s favor starting with Moore’s last year on varsity in 1999. JT defeated Lee 34-28 in one of the series most-thrilling games in 1998 before the Red Raiders recorded their first of eight straight triumphs over the Lions the next season.

“I saw both sides of it,” said Moore, who handled the kicking duties for JT in 1998 and 1999. “There’s a lot that goes into it. Bragging rights are on the line. Records go out the door. If you lose you have to hear about it for a year.”

The underdog tag carries less weight when JT and Lee meet. In 2009, a 2-5 Lee team won over an 8-0 JT squad ranked No. 8 in the state. Lee notched its lone win last year against JT, which rebounded to win 11 straight games and reach the state semifinals.

“The ball’s not round,” Moore said. “It takes some funny bounces. Both schools have great athletes. You just have to line up and play (and see) who wants it the most that night.”

The mood of rivalry altered in the late 1990s after two JT players (Joffrey Reynolds and Shannon Spurlock) transferred to Lee in consecutive years. The new millennium ushered in a more friendly encounter, the pregame and aftermath in particular when compared to decades of strife off-the-field.

“Everybody still wants to win, but in the past (the schools) seemed more of bitter rivals,” Moore added. “Off-the field they didn’t associate with each other. When they line up and play they’re after each other. Afterward, they’re buddy-buddy.”

Lee treated JT in an unfriendly manner on the field when Bush and Norman played, beating JT five times over a three-year span.

“That’s how it goes,” said Bush, who is second-in-charge as JT’s assistant head coach.  “It’s always a cycle.”

JT enters this year’s game favored, but not expecting anything to come easy against a Lee team with only three wins in its last 23 contests.

“They’ve still got some good kids,” said Bush, who started 30 consecutive games as JT’s quarterback, before going on to play for North Texas. “You know it’s going to be a good game.

“It’s a pride thing and a respect thing,” Bush said. “It’s the people you see every day, the people you grew up playing against. Everybody’s going out there (wanting) to be the champions of Tyler. Everybody, (including) all the alumni, wants to walk around that next morning saying ‘we won that game.’”

Norman experienced something in 2010 he never did in two varsity seasons as a player: a win over Lee.

“It’s something, with a staff full of John Tyler coaches, we take personally,” said Norman, a former cornerback who played college ball at Central Arkansas before returning to his alma mater. “We try to stress to the kids that although it’s not a district game, we want bragging rights for the whole year. That’s what we’re shooting for – bragging rights for the city.”

Holmes compared tonight’s game to a prize fight with the implications on the line.

“Yea, it’s not a district game, nor (does it determine) who makes the playoffs,” Holmes said. “But it’s Tyler’s championship game.”

Rose City Rivalry*

1958: John Tyler 34-6

1959: John Tyler 13-6

1960: John Tyler 48-0

1961: John Tyler 27-0

1962: John Tyler 22-0

1963: Robert E. Lee 14-12

1964: John Tyler 7-0

1965: John Tyler 8-0

1966: Robert E. Lee 3-0

1967: Robert E. Lee 10-0

1968: Robert E. Lee 10-7

1969: John Tyler 12-10

1970: Robert E. Lee 7-0

1971: Robert E. Lee 20-14

1972: John Tyler 6-0

1973: John Tyler 28-3

1974: John Tyler 27-0

1975: John Tyler 22-7

1976: John Tyler 34-6

1977: Robert E. Lee 14-6

1978: John Tyler 14-6

1979: John Tyler 13-0

1980: John Tyler 20-6

1981: Robert E. Lee 7-0

1982: Robert E. Lee 13-7

1983: John Tyler 35-7

1984: Robert E. Lee 24-12

1985: John Tyler 27-21

1986: Robert E. Lee 21-14

1987: John Tyler 14-10

1988: John Tyler 10-9

1989: Robert E. Lee 10-6

1990: Tie 0-0

1991: Robert E. Lee 28-25

1992: John Tyler 21-12

1993: Robert E. Lee 36-7

1994: John Tyler 35-14

1995: John Tyler 31-14

1996: John Tyler 55-7

1997: John Tyler 42-7

1998: John Tyler 34-28 (2OT)

1999: Robert E. Lee 28-0

2000: Robert E. Lee 6-0

2001: Robert E. Lee 14-9

2002: Robert E. Lee 21-12

2002: Robert E. Lee 28-6

2003: Robert E. Lee 31-0

2003: Robert E. Lee 35-6

2004: Robert E. Lee 44-13

2005: John Tyler 42-7

2006: Robert E. Lee 23-13

2007: Robert E. Lee 35-17

2008: Robert E. Lee 28-12

2009: Robert E. Lee 28-17

2010: John Tyler 17-0

2011: Robert E. Lee 39-30

*—John Tyler Leads 28-27-1