History of the Battle Axe

The “Battle Axe” was conceived and presented by Earle Teas, who then was Pipestone’s head football coach, to Coach Arling Anderson and the Luverne football team in the fall of 1957. The occasion was the celebration in Luverne of their 1957 untied and undefeated football season. The final game of the year, the annual battle with Pipestone, had been canceled because of a flu epidemic.
 
Coach Teas, in presenting the trophy to the Luverne coach and team, described the traditional rivalry between the two teams as a “healthy” one.
 
The trophy, presented as a surprise to the Luverne group, was a 16-inch long log with an axe driven into it. The axe-head is red on one side and green on the other, representing the schools’ colors. Inscribed on the handle is “The Old Battle Axe.”
 
Coach Anderson, in accepting the trophy for Luverne, stated that he thought the traveling trophy was a good idea. He felt it would lend a special motivation for both teams in their annual grid-iron battle, and added that a special case would have to be built for the trophy because it was too heavy to be displayed in the Cardinal’s trophy case.
 
Coach Teas proposed that the trophy remain in Luverne for the year after it was presented, but then it should be the prize that would be the property of the winner of the next year’s ARROW-CARDINAL tilt, and thereafter remain in possession of the team that would win the annual football classic.
 
2022 will be the 65th game played since this trophy was created.

Year

Pipestone

Luverne

Pipestone Coach

        Luverne Coach

1958

7

20

Earle Teas

Arling Anderson

1959

13

26

Earle Teas

Arling Anderson

1960

0

33

Earle Teas

Arling Anderson

1961

13

6

Earle Teas

Arling Anderson

1962

21

6

Earle Teas

Robert Lorentzen & Ernie Dahlberg

1963

7

31

Bill Klitzke

Larry Kover

1964

13

36

Bill Klitzke

Larry Kover

1965

13

12

Bill Klitzke

Larry Kover

1966

12

14

Bill Klitzke

Larry Kover

1967

0

34

Bill Klitzke

Elmer Menage

1968

26

33

Bill Klitzke

Elmer Menage

1969

27

6

Bill Klitzke

Elmer Menage

1970

20

0

Bob Nangle

Elmer Menage

1971

23

8

Bob Nangle

Elmer Menage

1972

13

28

Bob Nangle

Elmer Menage

1973

16

33

Dick Fortier

Elmer Menage

1974

12

0

Dick Fortier

Elmer Menage

1975

21

8

Dick Fortier

Elmer Menage

1976

21

6

Dick Fortier

Elmer Menage

1977

48

7

Dick Fortier

Elmer Menage

1978

18

7

Dick Fortier

Elmer Menage

1979

34

14

Dick Fortier

Elmer Menage

1980

34

8

Dick Fortier

Elmer Menage

1981

28

6

Dick Fortier

Elmer Menage

1982

20

0

Warren Buerkley

Elmer Menage

1983

13

16

Warren Buerkley

Bob Osterday

1984

18

14

Warren Buerkley

Bob Osterday

1985

0

6

Warren Buerkley

Bob Osterday

1986

12

14

Warren Bailey

Bob Osterday

1987

8

26

Warren Bailey

Bob Osterday

1988

6

34

Warren Bailey

Bob Osterday

1989

8

0

Warren Bailey

Bob Osterday

1990

13

6

Warren Bailey

Joel Swanson

1991

6

28

Warren Bailey

Joel Swanson

1992

7

27

Warren Bailey

Joel Swanson

1993

19

22

Warren Bailey

Joel Swanson

1994

6

25

Warren Bailey

Joel Swanson

1995

7

12

Tim Bjorge

Joel Swanson

1996

7

0

Tim Bjorge

Joel Swanson

1997

22

20

Tim Bjorge

Joel Swanson

1998

6

37

Tim Bjorge

Joel Swanson

1999

9

7

Darren Baartman

Joel Swanson

2000

14

24

Darren Baartman

Joel Swanson

2001

14

34

Richard Schroyer

Joel Swanson

2002

21

7

Richard Schroyer

Todd Oye

2003

7

14

Richard Schroyer

Todd Oye

2004

12

19

Richard Schroyer

Todd Oye

2005

6

24

Richard Schroyer

Todd Oye

2006

7

10

Richard Schroyer

Todd Oye

2007

13

41

Troy Bouman

Todd Oye

  2008                   0              33 Troy Bouman Todd Oye

2009

14

17

Troy Bouman

Todd Oye

2010

0

7

Troy Bouman

Todd Oye

2011

6

35

Troy Bouman

Todd Oye

2012

7

28

Troy Bouman

Todd Oye

2013

22

21

Troy Bouman

Todd Oye

2014

18

16

Troy Bouman

Todd Oye

2015

21

6

Clay Anderson

Todd Oye

2016

6

23

Clay Anderson

Todd Oye

2017

14

0

Clay Anderson

Todd Oye

2018

33

12

Clay Anderson

Todd Oye

2019

13

12

Clay Anderson

Todd Oye

2020

0

22

Scott Boomgaarden

Todd Oye

2021

20

16

Scott Boomgaarden

Todd Oye

2022

20

27

Scott Boomgaarden

Todd Oye

2023

 

 

 

 

2024

 

 

 

 

2025

 

 

 

 

2026

 

 

 

 

2027

 

 

 

 

2028

 

 

 

 

2029

 

 

 

 

2030