NEDERLAND, Texas — Every big game requires you to picks a side, and in mid-county one rail line runs through two roads – that as a fan – will take you in opposite directions.
Ask locals and they’ll tell you the rivalry between Nederland High School and Port Neches-Grove is defined by a railroad.
“Just the dynamic from one side of the tracks to the other is like nothing else,” Nederland head football coach Monte Barrow said.
Go west and you’ll find Nederland High School.
“You’re 'frenemies,' 'frenemies' for a day, I guess," Barrow said. "And then, you know, the next morning, you're it's back to how life was."
Just east is Port Neches-Groves.
“A couple of miles separating these two communities…” PN-G broadcast technology teacher Greg Picazo said.
For 100 meetings, these schools have played in a setting that can only be described as “Mid-County Madness.”
“There's nothing like it," Picazo said. "You hear about Permian and you hear about Midland Lee but Nederland PN-G is the best in the state."
But while the worthiest opponents might be divided on the field, they often share a history and here the signs of the past live in the present.
“Bum Phillips, obviously just what a legendary human being he is not just a football coach, but the kind of man he is,” Barrow said.
The game is also known as the Bum Phillips Bowl, something Wade Phillips, Bum’s son, knows all about.
“We’re really proud of that and it’s such a great; they’ve been playing 100 years. How great is that?” Wade Phillips said.
Wade is a former NFL head coach. He played at PN-G while Bum Phillips, is the former head coach of the Houston Oilers. He coached at both high schools.
“You can't explain it," Wade said. "I've coached in a lot of different states, a lot of different places, but they don't play a game like that, like this high school game anywhere."
This year PN-G took home the hardware with a 41-16 win over Nederland.
“Our communities run so close together and it’s so much history, so it’s big for our kids,” PN-G head coach Jeff Joseph said.
But what’s really on the line is pride.
“They get to brag the whole year, on their team, whichever one wins," Phillips said. "So it's pretty, it's a lot of fun that way.”
That's no matter which side of the tracks you’re from.
“It's like going against family," Picazo added. "But we don't like each other this week.”
According to PN-G, Port Neches leads the series 54-39-7 all-time.