Bear River vs Box Elder Football Rivalry
Battle for the Golden Spike · 103 meetings · Marquee
Box Elder leads 74–27–2 — Reported by Standard-Examiner, 2024-08-28. First played in 1923, and Box Elder won it 51-0.
How it started
First played in 1923, and Box Elder won it 51-0. It is the oldest continuously played football rivalry in Utah — state prep historian George Felt dates it to 1923 and calls it the state's oldest. The reason it exists is simple geography: these are the only two high schools in Box Elder County. Bear River High was established in Garland in 1921, two years before the first meeting; Box Elder had been playing since 1917, when it opened its program by losing 35-0 to Utah Agricultural College's freshman team on November 3. The name comes from the county's own history — Promontory Summit, where the golden spike was driven in 1869, sits in Box Elder County.
The trophy
A replica of the golden spike driven at Promontory Summit, in Box Elder County, where the transcontinental railroad was joined in 1869. The year it was introduced is not documented.
The games that made it
The 1952 meeting is still told in Garland for Bear River's 'Oopie' screen pass in a 40-34 Box Elder win. Bear River took the 2004 game 20-15. Box Elder's 54-34 win in 2019 was the highest-scoring meeting to that point. The one everybody names is September 5, 2020 — the 100th game — when Bear River upset Box Elder 26-22. Box Elder rushed for 503 yards in the 2025 meeting and won the 2026 game 50-34.
Traditions
Bear River's coach, on rivalry week: "We don't wear purple here."
Where it stands
Played every year without interruption for a century. Still on the schedule annually.
On the record
The game database, which only reaches back to 1950, has 25–53–1 (utah-football.com, 2026-09). The two figures are not blended.
What we could not find
The trophy's introduction year and who commissioned it. Whether the schools met informally before 1923.
Both programs
| Program | 2026 | Rating | Statewide | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear River | 6-3 | +4.2 | #54 | 4A |
| Box Elder | 8-1 | +24.2 | #19 | 5A |