The rivalry between the Camden Fairview Cardinals and the El Dorado Wildcats heated up Tuesday, when the Cardinals unveiled the “7 South Showdown” trophy that will be awarded to whichever team wins their annual face-off.
The Cardinals football team held their media day Tuesday morning, hosting news outlets from throughout the state, who learned about the team’s expectations for the upcoming season and their journey towards repeating as 5A South Conference champs.
The main sponsor of the Showdown trophy is the Inside High School Sports show of Yunglife Studios Media Inc, a sports media company owned and operated by Antonio Davis. The show features Davis and co-host Patric Flannigan, former sports editor of the Camden News, talking about some of the most important topics in high school athletics. Davis and Flannigan were there to help present the trophy in front of student-athletes, coaching staff and media representatives.
This rivalry is one of just a few in the state where a trophy is awarded to the game-winning team. To go along with the main trophy are offensive and defensive MVP trophies and two smaller-scale representations, with one going to each school to mark the inaugural year of the trophies being awarded.
Last year, the Wildcats came to take on the Cardinals in one of the biggest non-conference games of the season for both teams. The game was an offensive thriller, with the Wildcats winning 40-36 in the final minute of the game by forcing a goal-line stand from the Cardinals. Wildcats quarterback Sharmon Rester completed 10-of-16 of his passes for 247 yards and four touchdown while rushing for another touchdown. Cardinals running back Ja’Toney McGhee rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries.
Their annual games showcase one of the most intense rivalries in the South Arkansas region. The Wildcats are 14-7 over the Cardinals in the last 21 seasons. The last time the Cardinals defeated the Wildcats was in the 2020 season when they won big on the road, 45-20.
The yearly game brings out some of the biggest and most aggressive performances from both teams.
One individual that will this year get to experience a new side of the rivalry is former El Dorado offensive coordinator and, now, head coach of the Camden Fairview Cardinals, Nick Vaughn. He was hired to coach the Cardinals on Jan. 27 after spending the last three seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Little Rock Parkview Patriots. Before arriving at Parkview, he spent 12 seasons with the Wildcats as the offensive line coach turned offensive coordinator.
“It brings familiarity, just because being a part of it as an assistant down in El Dorado, you can’t see what Camden had to offer, how good their kids are and how well coached they were with Buck James there. I tell you it brings respect, but also the understanding of the rivalry itself between the two communities,” Vaughn said.
Vaughn joked that the trophy being added to the game gives him a chip on his shoulder, since he never had the chance to help bring it home for the Wildcats.
“I think at the end of the day, we do this for kids. It’s all about kids. It’s not about me, it’s not about (El Dorado head coach Steven) Jones. It’s about our kids and our communities,” Vaughn said. “I think there’s a lack of interest with everybody in North; it’s just for whatever reason, part of it is the viewership, maybe who covers what, but at the same time, we want to make sure that people don’t forget about us here in South Arkansas, because we have a lot to offer to you.”
Davis reiterated to the media that he wanted give as much exposure to South Arkansas athletics that teams in Little Rock and Fayetteville get on a consistent basis.
“We had around 20 guys that signed Division I and Division II scholarships. We want to be able to bring the same exposure and the same playing field that the schools of north have down here in south,” Davis said.
The battle for the first annual 7 South Showdown trophy will be played on Friday, Sept. 2, when the Wildcats host the Cardinals.