Celtics versus Lakers. Yankees versus Red Sox. Blue Devils versus Tar Heels.

In the world of sports, rivalry is inevitable. It feeds off of a common dislike of two different groups of opposing interests. Both have one goal: to annihilate the hopes and dreams of the other.

Texarkana prides itself in this spirit of competition when the Battle of the Axe comes around. A state line separating Tigers and Razorbacks lights a fire that all comes together for a Friday night contest on the gridiron.

This rivalry has had its fair share of memories for both teams. Here are some numbers to explain the magnitude of this year’s edition of this great game.

104 – This is the 104th meeting between these two storied rivals. Since 1911, the Tigers and Razorbacks have squared off to claim supremacy of the city and secure the Battle of the Axe.

20 – Last year, the Razorbacks bested the Tigers in a low-scoring affair, 7-0. It was the first win for the Razorbacks at home in this rivalry in nearly 20 years.

35.3 – The Tigers possessed a high-octane offensive attack last season that averaged 35.3 points per game. Despite losing star wide receiver Tevailance Hunt and quarterback Riley Russell, the team returns many playmakers on offense and expects to pick up the pace before district play.

18.5 – The Razorbacks struggled on the offensive side of the ball last year averaging 18.5 points per game. This year, however, they have already shown major improvements in their first two contests.

4 – Various miscues led to the Tigers getting blasted by Pflugerville Hendrickson last Thursday night. Four turnovers gave the Hawks plenty of momentum and resulted in a 56-7 blowout.

390 – Razorbacks running back Jordan Hall has rushed for 390 yards and six touchdowns. The running game will be a key part to the Arkansas offensive arsenal on Friday night.

254 – Pflugerville Hendrickson ran for 254 yards against the Tiger defense in last Thursday night’s defeat. This could make for a mismatch against the Razorback’s run-heavy attack.

2014 – Arkansas High is 2-0 for the first time since 2014 after defeating Shiloh Christian and Liberty-Eylau. Coincidentally, 2014 is the last time that the Razorbacks beat the Tigers at Tiger Stadium.

2-0 – Earlier in the week, the freshmen team bested the Razorbacks 24-0 at Tiger Stadium while the JV team won by a narrower margin of 6-0 on the road. The varsity squad looks to use widen this 2-0 advantage on their new home turf on Friday.

9500 – The usual sellout crowd for this game of over 9500 fans for both teams is expected for Friday night’s game.

This rivalry commences on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Tiger Stadium.