By Mike Louviere

In 1938, football was becoming a major sport in the U.S.

Bowl games had been started for high raking teams to play for championships.

California had the Rose Bowl, Florida paying tribute to its major crop hosted the Orange Bowl, New Orleans promoted sugar with the Sugar Bowl, and Dallas, Texas staged the Cotton Bowl.

For several years, there had been a rivalry between two cross town teams in Orange. Civic leaders decided Orange was worthy of a bowl game of its own and decided to host the Rice Bowl.

The fierce rivalry was between Anderson and Curtis schools.

The Leader reported: “Howell Stadium will be the scene of one of the hardest fought grid battles of the current season when the arch-rivals, Curtis and Anderson meet under the lights next Friday, December 2.

Earlier in the year, the teams played, and Curtis won. The game would be a playoff of sorts and rules had been laid down that would match the weights of the boys and put the teams on even footing.

The coaches had been conditioning the teams. Curtis was wanting to win another victory over the Buccaneers and Anderson wanted to ease the sting of the early season loss to the Southsiders.

At 4 p.m., a parade would be held through the streets of the business district and residential sections of the town. The Bengal Guards and the Lutcher Stark Boy’s Band would march, the fire department would participate and there would be a caravan of automobiles. The parade would honor local State Highway Patrolmen A.S. Weir and C.C. Bearden. The two patrolmen had been in charge of traffic control throughout the season.

The Bengal Guards and the Boy’s Band would perform before the game and at halftime.

Over 2,000 people attended the game at Howell Stadium. Curtis won the game with a score of 28—0.

The first two quarters were scoreless. In the third quarter, Curtis scored three touchdowns and in the fourth quarter, one touchdown was made.

Anderson had seven first downs, Curtis five. Curtis advanced 240 yards as opposed to Anderson gaining 163.

The day of the game was the birthday of Mrs. H.J. Lutcher Stark. Frank Hubert, director of the Lutcher Stark Boy’s Band presented her with a large bouquet of flowers. The band formed the letters “NITA” and “LUTCH” on the field and concluded the performance by honoring Colonel George Hurt, the director of the Texas University Longhorn Band by forming the “Flying T” as they marched off the field. Col. Hurt was in attendance at the game.

During the game, the band played “Trisgian” in honor of Col Hurt who had been in Orange for two months the preceding summer training the Guards and the Band.

The Rice Bowl has passed into history, but football fever has remained alive and well in Orange over the 80 years since the Rice Bowl was played.

“And now you know.”