Mtn Home Bummers @ Harrison Gobblers Rivalry Game (Crossing George's Creek)

[Go Postal]

Mtn Home Bummers @ Harrison Gobblers
Crossing George's Creek into Enemy Territory

It's the time of the year for my alma mater, The Mountain Home Bombers and my son's alma mater, The Harrison Golden Goblins to have their annual Football RIVALRY Battle.
But first, pop a little corn, sit back and read a short little history of the origins of these two towns, how they got their mascot names and the significance of crossing George's Creek to Rival territory.  I have also included for you football stats enthusiasts, the scores from 1947 through 2015, if you don't have them.

History of Mountain Home:
Col. Orrin Dodd, who established residence in the area in the early 1850s, had a southern-style home and plantation called Rapp's Barren in this vicinity, as well as one along the White River. Slaves traveling with him on a steamboat between the Rapp's Barren and his other White River plantations in Augusta were credited with using the phrase "sweet mountain home" referring to the breezes coming off the mountains.
In 1856, when the name changed from Rapp's Barren to Mountain Home, Arkansas, it was made from a corncob vote by the locals, whereas that you voted by putting your cob in one of three bins to pick a new name.  They were Wild Rose, Claburn or Mountain Home.
Baxter County became the 68th county in Arkansas on March 24, 1873, with the small village of Mountain Home as the County Seat.


The Legend of the Bomber Name:
Before World War II Mountain Home had a football program.  However, during  World War II the team stopped playing.  In the early 40's towards the end of the war, the football team resumed play.  However, when they started playing again, they did not have a team name.  During one of their first games, someone asked the team what they were called.  As the team stood on the field in need of an answer, a fleet of bomber planes flew over the field.  The team responded "We are the Bombers".  And so it is – WE ARE THE BOMBERS!


History of Harrison:
The first school in Harrison was established in the 1860s on land donated by Captain Henry w.Fick.
Determined to create a new town as the county seat, Fick had Colonel Marcus LaRue Harrison (a Union Officer) lay out the town with wide side streets and a courthouse square. Harrison and crew were in the area surveying for the railroad. In exchange for the survey, Fick named the town after the surveyor.
Boone County was organized in 1869, during Reconstruction after the Civil War. In 1870, Crooked Creek Post Office was renamed Harrison.  Harrison was platted and made the county seat. The town of Harrison was incorporated on March 1, 1876


The History of The Goblin name:
The Harrison school yearbook was originally called the "Harrisonian" in the early '20s.
The Goblin mascot was created in 1926 by Tom Millard, a 1927 HHS graduate, to give the school newspaper a name.  The first Goblin paper was printed on October 31, 1926 with the first big story being a minute-by-minute account of the statewide tour the basketball team made with their coach, B. A. Redwine – never losing a game!  The first Goblin was a fascinating little creature with a grinning face and pointed cap.  It was accepted as a mascot by the basketball team that year and later by the football team, which was organized in 1929. For 40 years, the mascot was a smiling Goblin.  In the fall of 1968, the "Mean" Goblin first appeared to strike fear into the hearts of it's opponents.

George's Creek Bridge:

You might remember that on Highway 62 west of Yellville at George's Creek is, perhaps, the only tri-level bridge on the Arkansas highways. The highway bridge crosses George's Creek; underneath is a county bridge spanning Johnnie's Creek, and overhead is the Missouri Pacific Railroad bridge. This unusual situation was featured in Ripley's "Believe It or Not" many years ago where that you could boat, walk, drive, train and fly over the same spot at the same time in Arkansas.

But for the Bombers and the Goblins from the '60s (probably before) and early '70s (probably later), it was the halfway point between these two RIVAL schools.  It was often decorated by the home team with signs and hanging effigys to warn the visiting teams to turn around and go back home or etc, etc. was going the happen to them. This was not very liked by the Railroad and State Police of all this stuff on the train trestle and bridge.

                                                                             circa 1957


Time changes things.  The Bypass, west of Yellville, stopped the significance of George's Creek bridge.  The Bombers are in the 6A East, the Goblins are in the 5A West so that playing each other no longer has that same conference aggression vying for a playoff spot.
But...
The rivalry is still there, not just in football, but in every sport and school activity between the two towns, though not as much a fevered pitch as it was in the old days, but you can count on a full football stadium of fans at either town for this yearly rival festival.  I am a fan of both teams and I wish both of them the best of luck this season.

Comments and insights are welcomed.

Bombers vs. Goblins All-Time Football Series
             Harrison leads 49-17-3
• 1947: Harrison 20, Mountain Home 7
• 1948: Harrison 32, Mountain Home 14
• 1949: Mountain Home 33, Harrison 12
• 1950: Harrison 33, Mountain Home 13
• 1951: Harrison 35, Mountain Home 21
• 1952: Harrison 33, Mountain Home 7
• 1953: Harrison 26, Mountain Home 7
• 1954: Harrison 20, Mountain Home 13
• 1955: Harrison 27, Mountain Home 0
• 1956: Harrison 40, Mountain Home 18
• 1957: Mountain Home 19, Harrison 13
• 1958: Mountain Home 16, Harrison 13
• 1959: Harrison 33, Mountain Home 0
• 1960: Mountain Home 0, Harrison 0
• 1961: Mountain Home 6, Harrison 6
• 1962: Mountain Home 12, Harrison 7
• 1963: Mountain Home 13, Harrison 6
• 1964: Harrison 18, Mountain Home 13
• 1965: Harrison 13, Mountain Home 0
• 1966: Harrison 6, Mountain Home 0
• 1967: Harrison 19, Mountain Home 14
• 1968: Harrison 20, Mountain Home 13
• 1969: Harrison 22, Mountain Home 0
• 1970: Harrison 6, Mountain Home 0
• 1971: Harrison 21, Mountain Home 12
• 1972: Harrison 14, Mountain Home 12
• 1973: Harrison 28, Mountain Home 0
• 1974: Harrison 49, Mountain Home 0
• 1975: Harrison 46, Mountain Home 7
• 1976: Harrison 21, Mountain Home 6
• 1977: Mountain Home 16, Harrison 8
• 1978: Mountain Home 16, Harrison 14
• 1979: Mountain Home 22, Harrison 16
• 1980: Harrison 20, Mountain Home 17
• 1981: Mountain Home 21, Harrison 12
• 1982: Mountain Home 28, Harrison 0
• 1983: Mountain Home 20, Harrison 19
• 1984: Harrison 28, Mountain Home 0
• 1985: Mountain Home 28, Harrison 14
• 1986: Harrison 10, Mountain Home 7
• 1987: Harrison 20, Mountain Home 12
• 1988: Harrison 13, Mountain Home 6
• 1989: Harrison 31, Mountain Home 3
• 1990: Harrison 24, Mountain Home 14
• 1991: Harrison 41, Mountain Home 19
• 1992: Harrison 38, Mountain Home 7
• 1993: Harrison 14, Mountain Home 13
• 1994: Harrison 28, Mountain Home 7
• 1995: Harrison 13, Mountain Home 10
• 1996: Mountain Home 17, Harrison 17
• 1997: Harrison 48, Mountain Home 13
• 1998: Harrison 34, Mountain Home 7
• 1999: Harrison 28, Mountain Home 0
• 2000: Harrison 17, Mountain Home 10
• 2001: Harrison 35, Mountain Home 14
• 2002: Harrison 24, Mountain Home 8
• 2003: Harrison 35, Mountain Home 17
• 2004: Mountain Home 34, Harrison 18
• 2005: Mountain Home 16, Harrison 15
• 2006: Harrison 41, Mountain Home 23
• 2007: Harrison 55, Mountain Home 29
• 2008: Harrison 37, Mountain Home 14
• 2009: Mountain Home 35, Harrison 28
• 2010: Harrison 28, Mountain Home 21
• 2011: Mountain Home 37, Harrison 0
• 2012: Mountain Home 49, Harrison 34
• 2013: Harrison 44, Mountain Home 7
• 2014: Harrison 61, Mountain Home 21
• 2015: Harrison 42, Mountain Home 21

[Bomber_Believer]

Great history.  Should be a great match up this year.  Look for MH to be much improved this season. 

[Deuceswild]

Such a history buff, great read GP

[Coach DePriest, Sheridan]

Was that bridge on Greater ?

[Bomber_Believer]

Im suprised I havent seen more talk this week?  What gives?

[Gob-Fan]

I'm excited to see Harrison play. I've heard of a few new things they are going to be trying.....new players in new positions. Can't wait! Go Gobs!

[Gob-Fan]

I'm going with a 35-21 score Gobs over Bummers.

[MHFAN]

I know nothing about Harrison but think MH scores more points than 21.  I think will be high scoring game and would bet on 80 plus combined.  My money on the over.

[Go Postal]

Time changes a lot of things, so do the fields that we play in.
When I was in school at Mtn Home (Class of '75), our football field was at the Jr. High (the old jr high on 201 south).  Where the Bomber Stadium is now, was our high school student parking lot.
We played Harrison on the banks of the crooked creek at the High School then (the Jr High now).
Here is a picture of the Harrison home bleachers around the late 50s (?) or earlier.

and F.S. Garrison Stadium now on Baker Prairie.

The Goblins have grown a lot over the years and still are.  Harrison schools are moving their Jr High over to the High School and Middle School, so there is a lot of construction between those two schools for the new expansion and new Basketball Arena.  So parking could be a problem closer to the Goblin Stadium.  You probably won't be able to park below the Stadium on Burls Way because that is where the Fire Dept usually sets up the fireworks.  I imagine that the GOB Tram will be shuttling people between the middle school and the game.  You could maybe park at the High school and walk down the few yards to the middle school to catch the tram.
It will be "Pink Out" night for breast cancer awareness.  It always seems like a carnival atmosphere when the Bombers comes to town and a full house.  I'm not sure if the Springfield MO TV stations will be there, but they usually are when these two rival teams meet in either town.  Espn radio will probably be there for pregame.
If for some reason that you cannot make it to the game, KOOL 96.1 radio should be broadcasting the game locally.  GobTV should be broadcasting the live video stream on youtube. (go to youtube, seach GobTV, click on Bomber/Goblin game on your computer/phone/game console)
But try to make it to this clash of rivalry titans.  You never know who will score when either one has the ball...



or each other.

[Overdahill]

The 50's venue reminds me of some of the fairgrounds that still host demolition derbies

[WPWells]

Some friends from Harrison are bringing me to this game with them

[Go Postal]

Stands are starting to fill up from both towns.  GobTV is live on YouTube. 6 minutes til game time.

[WPWells]

I've rolled into town! Let's do this

[Go Postal]

I'm glad that Fred Bird was at the game, maybe he can give his unbias thoughts on both teams and the game.

Here is some random thoughts of mine on this 1st game of the season.

The fan turnout was huge, not the biggest I have seen, but it was huge to show Coach Wells on his 1st home rivalry game with Mtn Home, on how much the fan turnout and rivalry excitement can be.  Even from our neighbors from Baxter County.

The Bombers were bigger, the Goblins were spunkier.  Both seem pretty evenly matched.  Both ran the ball well, but IMO that Mtn Home did a little better.  It was good smash mouth football.  Harrison did well with two QBs.

It could have been anyone's game but,
Penalties haunted both team.
Fumbles hurt Mtn Home.  Need to hold on that ball.
Incomplete passes hurt Harrison.  Need to catch that ball.

The real game changer was Bombers not making that PAT because up to that point I thought that either team could pull out the win.

Good luck to my old alma mater on the rest of the season and
GO GOBS!

[WPWells]

Heading back to Fayetteville. I'll give my thoughts once I'm back

[Gob-Fan]

Great game! I thought Harrison defense was fantastic causing six turnovers. Gobs should have had more points on the board with those. 1st and goal on the two yard line and not getting in hurts. Good luck to MH on their season.....see ya next year! Bring on Siloam!

[WPWells]

I'm back, so here we go

First, it felt great to be at a high school game. Some buddies from the college ministry I'm involved with decided they wanted to go to this game (Harrison alums) and myself and another guy tagged along. It was a fun atmosphere.

Now, about the game: I wasn't overly impressed with any unit besides the Goblin defense. The Goblin offense will struggle to score this year. I wasn't sure why the ball didn't go to 43 Williams more often because he seemed to be the biggest playmaker on the field along with that kid returning kicks. They need to do a better job blocking for sure.

Mountain Home was more competitive than I expected tbh. They played hard. They might win a couple games in the 6A. Don't expect too much from them, though.

[woopork]

I agree with most of what ya'll are saying. It was fun to see a defense of only 2 seniors doing so well for Harrison. Their offensive execution will come along. They switched a lot of what they did because of Mt Home's defense. Going back to base, they will start scoring some points. Mtn Home runs their stuff well. Because that style is so hard to prepare for in a week, they will beat some teams this year. I wouldn't be completely surprised to see them go 5-5/4-6. I think they will beat Nettleton pretty good and make it close with Batesville.