OCPS's Battle for the Barrel

Battle for the Barrel

Boone-Edgewater Battle for the Barrel
Boone-Edgewater Battle for the BarrelThis Friday the Boone and Edgewater high school football teams will go head to head for their 68th match up. Best known as the Battle for the Barrel, this is Central Florida’s oldest high school football rivalry game.

Even though the two schools are no longer in each other’s district or division conference play, they continue to play for posterity’s sake – or to put it more simply – for bragging rights.

The crosstown rivalry began in 1952 when Orlando High School split into two high schools to better serve the growing Orlando area: William R. Boone (named after the long-serving principal of OHS) and Edgewater.

Traditionally, Boone and Edgewater played Thanksgiving weekend as the season finale. Known then as the Orlando Championship, instead of winning a trophy, the winner took home a barrel painted in the two schools’ colors, with the date and score recorded on it. Edgewater leads the Battle for the Barrel 46-19-2.

The schools played in the Tangerine Bowl (now Camping World Stadium), so alumni from Orlando High School could attend on neutral territory. The first match up had an estimated 11,000 attendees. The 50th anniversary of the rivalry in 2002 was played before a high school record-attendance crowd of 24,500.

Richard T. Crotty, former Orange County chairman, presented a proclamation recognizing Nov. 8, 2002, as the Boone-Edgewater 50th anniversary day. Watch the video. (Special thanks to Orange TV for providing the footage.)


Both schools used to play harmless pranks on each other by toilet papering and shaving creaming the other’s campus. However, the level of damage grew throughout the years, so much so that the schools considered ending play.

To remind students at all Orange County high schools that they are part of one district, Superintendent Barbara Jenkins encouraged coaches push #OCPSRivalryLove. Born from this movement, Boone and Edgewater directed their energies to hype videos on social media rather than destroy property.

In early October, Edgewater football players and coaching staff sent a get well message to Boone’s coach, Andy Johnson, who is battling cancer. This is the type of classy sportsmanship the district hopes continues between the schools during the rivalry week.

    Year-by-year scores

    2018 Edgewater 56, Boone 14
    2017 Boone 35, Edgewater 27
    2016 Boone 44, Edgewater 0
    2015 Edgewater 34, Boone 30
    2014 Boone 24, Edgewater 14
    2013 Boone 31, Edgewater 27
    2012 Boone 13, Edgewater 12
    2011 Edgewater 28, Boone 7
    2010 Edgewater 34, Boone 14
    2009 Boone 21, Edgewater 14
    2008 Edgewater 21, Boone 14
    2007 Boone 21, Edgewater 14
    2006 Edgewater 28, Boone 0
    2005 Edgewater 31, Boone 18
    2004 Edgewater 28, Boone 10
    2003 Boone 17, Edgewater 14
    2002 Edgewater 29, Boone 0
    2001 Edgewater 35, Boone 0
    2000 Edgewater 42, Boone 19
    1999 Edgewater 34, Boone 27 OT
    1998 Edgewater 10, Boone 9
    1997 Boone 20, Edgewater 7
    1996 Edgewater 20, Boone 3
    1995 Edgewater 21, Boone 10
    1994 Edgewater 42, Boone 14
    1993 Edgewater 24, Boone 20
    1992 Boone 28, Edgewater 20
    1991 Edgewater 40, Boone 14
    1990 Edgewater 28, Boone 7
    1989 Edgewater 40, Boone 13
    1988 Edgewater 22, Boone 6
    1987 Edgewater 35, Boone 6
    1986 Edgewater 7, Boone 3
    1985 Edgewater 24, Boone 7
    1984 Boone 20, Edgewater 7
    1983 Edgewater 28, Boone 3
    1982 Boone 24, Edgewater 0
    1981 Edgewater 25, Boone 14
    1980 Boone 21, Edgewater 7
    1979 Edgewater 30, Boone 0
    1978 Edgewater 20, Boone 0
    1977 Edgewater 14, Boone 6
    1976 Edgewater 21, Boone 0
    1975 Edgewater 36, Boone 24
    1974 Boone 29, Edgewater 0
    1973 Edgewater 7, Boone 3
    1972 Edgewater 20, Boone 0
    1971 Edgewater 33, Boone 14
    1970 Edgewater 46, Boone 0
    1969 Boone 21, Edgewater 12
    1968 Edgewater 38, Boone 6
    1967 Boone 13, Edgewater 12
    1966 Edgewater 6, Boone 0
    1965 Edgewater 39, Boone 6
    1964 Boone 18, Edgewater 12
    1963 Boone 18, Edgewater 0
    1962 Edgewater 28, Boone 0
    1961 Edgewater 42, Boone 26
    1960 Boone 13, Edgewater 6
    1959 Tie Edgewater 0, Boone 0
    1958 Boone 14, Edgewater 6
    1957 Edgewater 13, Boone 7
    1956 Edgewater 19, Boone 9
    1955 Edgewater 2, Boone 0
    1954 Tie Edgewater 6, Boone 6
    1953 Edgewater 13, Boone 0
    1952 Edgewater 14, Boone 0
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