Previously: No. 10 — Harlingen vs. San Benito / No. 9 — El Campo vs. Bay City

Just because a rivalry game doesn’t have a name, that doesn’t make it less intense, and a perfect example of that is down in DeWitt County where Cuero and Yoakum have held a family feud that’s been going strong since 1911. The rivalry is summed up nicely by this quote from former Cuero QB Brandon Mays in the Victoria Advocate, “The older guys used to say you better not get beat by Yoakum.”



Luckily for Cuero fans it hasn’t happened often as the Gobblers have dominated their rivals from just up the road, leading the series 69-32-6. That dominance has only enhanced the rivalry as Yoakum — each and every time they step on the field with Cuero — feels they have something to prove, while Cuero plays with a sense of urgency as they don’t want to be one of the teams that loses to their bitter rival.

Cuero has run up their impressive mark over their rivals largely on the strength of their dominance which started in 1964. The Gobblers didn’t lose to the Bulldogs from 1964 until 1977 and that streak coincided with one of the great runs in the history of Texas high school football as Cuero won 44 straight games from 1973-1975, winning back-to-back titles in 1973 and 1974 before seeing their streak end at the hands of Ennis in an upset loss in the 1975 title game.



Yoakum’s seen more recent success against their bigger brother as the Bulldogs won three straight from 2011-2013 and even in losses the past few years, they’ve been very competitive. The 2017 edition promises to be one of the most highly anticipated games in the long history of the rivalry. Yoakum is fresh off a state runner-up finish in 3A Division I, and Cuero made the 4A Division II quarterfinals a year ago. Both teams have multiple FBS prospects and commits, so it should be an electric atmosphere at Gobbler Stadium.

“It’s a bigger rivalry for us more than to Cuero. Cuero’s always been the big dog and they’ve gotten the better of us for most of the time, so for us we really want to try and get that chip off our shoulder and it's really due to Cuero’s success. It’s a great measuring stick for us each year,” Yoakum head coach Bo Robinson said.

Despite the dominance Cuero has had over Yoakum, it’s still a big game for Cuero according to head coach Travis Reeve.

“It’s a long standing rivalry over 100 years old, it’s important to our kids and community," he said. "The rivalry in my twelve years here has always been intense, and since Coach Robinson has arrived in Yoakum, he’s done a great job with that program and with their improvement. It’s taken the game to a new level. It’s like family, we don’t want to lose to them, but after the game there’s mutual respect, and when we aren’t playing them we root for Yoakum.”

Quick hits about Cuero vs. Yoakum:

How many years has it been played? 106 years first game was in 1911

Overall record: Cuero leads 69-32-6

Distance between schools (in exact miles): 16.6 miles separate the two schools

State titles won and/or appeared in for each team: Cuero has appeared in ten state title games, winning titles in 1973, 1974 and 1987. The Gobblers were runner-up in 1970, 1975, 1985, 1986, 1993, 1998 and 2004. Yoakum’s lone state title game appearance was in 2016 as a runner-up.

Average attendance/combined average of both stadiums’ capacities: Cuero’s Gobbler Stadium seats 7000, while Yoakum’s Bulldog Stadium seats 5000. The game always features a sold out crowd.

How much animosity is there, really? Is it a fun rivalry, or does it always get chippy and cross the line? It’s been a fairly civil rivalry for the most part, but the 2017 game is expected to be a feisty affair as both teams have legitimate state title aspirations.

Does the game have a nickname? What’s the story behind it? Ironically this local rivalry doesn’t have a nickname that has caught on yet.

WHY do the schools dislike each other? What’s the town history? There’s a lot of ties between the two communities, the kids from both teams all know each other and often times are related.

How has the rivalry changed over the years? Cuero has long dominated the rivalry but Yoakum’s recent rise has raised the bar in this DeWitt County battle.

Any famous alumni? Coaches? Yoakum’s Charlie Hall played at U of Houston and for the Cleveland Browns, and is the grandfather of current Yoakum stars Josh and Jordan Moore. Cuero boasts Arthur Whittington, who played at SMU and for the Oakland Raiders; Alois Blackwell, who played for the U of Houston and the Dallas Cowboys; Clint Finley (Nebraska and the KC Chiefs) and has been a head coach at Los Fresnos and Big Spring. Former Cuero head coach Buster Gilbreath is a TXHSFB legend. He led Cuero to the 1973 and 1974 state titles, and Cuero held a 44-game winning streak before falling to Ennis in the 1975 state title game.

How’d the first-ever game go? What is known about that one? Yoakum won the first meeting in 1911, 7-6.

Greatest game ever? 2002 was one of the great games. 5-1 Yoakum was a heavy favorite over a 2-4 and struggling Cuero squad. Yoakum led 3-0 late in the fourth quarter, but fumbled deep in CHS territory. Cuero kicked a FG on the final play of regulation to send the game to OT tied at three. Cuero scored on their series in OT to take a 10-3 lead, Yoakum on their series moved to the Cuero one-yard line before fumbling and losing a heartbreaker 10-3.