Why do they play for an old river sign? | The history of the Navasota River sign and how the trophy joined the Battle of the River rivalry

MEXIA, Texas — The Battle of the River is more than just a football game for Mexia and Groesbeck. It’s one of the oldest high school rivalries in Texas, dating all the way back to 1901 — and at the center of it all is a unique trophy: an old Navasota River road sign.

The two towns are separated by the Navasota River, which inspired both the rivalry’s name and the trophy itself. The “Battle of the River” nickname began in the 1980s, but in 2011, the competition gained new meaning when former Mexia Superintendent John Turpin and his wife Theresa decided the game needed something tangible on the line.

After learning that Waxahachie and Ennis played for a road sign in their own rivalry, the Turpins reached out to the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT donated an old Navasota River s