Battle for the Axe: Annual highlight in Texarkana is the Battle for the Axe, a century-old showdown between the city's two largest high schools separated by Stateline Avenue--Texas...

Acufine3200 Loc: Texarkana USA

Annual highlight in Texarkana is the Battle for the Axe, a century-old showdown between the city's two largest high schools separated by Stateline Avenue--Texas High and Arkansas High. And, since it was my first game to shoot this season, of course it rained. I used to look forward to "rain games" but artificial turf eliminates the muddy, trench battles we used to get with natural grass. Oh well...

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Cheapshot Loc: California.

Superb photographs! All simply excellent images. Night shots? What camera, lens and settings were you using to be able to freeze the action like that? Thank you for sharing.

dasher123 Loc: Gulf Coast... Paradise!!!!

Great shots acufine!!....wish I had known you when I published a magazine about Texarkana,(20 plus yrs. Ago) during the time Swede Lee was chamber of commerce exec. director (& formerly coached that Razorback high school team)! Love you city!

david vt Loc: Vermont

Nice Shots. I can never get that kind of light for HS football. But, this is Texas, where HS football is not a sport, but a religon!!!

Your timing is impeccable

Acufine3200 Loc: Texarkana USA

chashans wrote:

Superb photographs! All simply excellent images. Night shots? What camera, lens and settings were you using to be able to freeze the action like that? Thank you for sharing.

Thank you!
These were with a Nikon D750, 70-200 VR, ISO 5000, Shutter priority at 1/800, and F-stops ranged from 2.8 to 5.

The D750 doesn't get a lot of regard as a "sports camera" but at 6.5-7 fps I'm happy. The camera's low-light capability means more to me. Faces inside the helmets without a flash--wow.

Acufine3200 Loc: Texarkana USA

dasher123 wrote:

Great shots acufine!!....wish I had known you when I published a magazine about Texarkana,(20 plus yrs. Ago) during the time Swede Lee was chamber of commerce exec. director (& formerly coached that Razorback high school team)! Love you city!

Thanks!

Wow--what magazine. I've been back in the area since late 1993, but spent the first 10-years in my hometown south of here (Atlanta). My business (non-publication related) kept me in Texarkana about half the time.
Somehow, I bet we crossed paths. (I grew up working at the Atlanta bi-weekly newspaper.)

Toby

Acufine3200 wrote:

Annual highlight in Texarkana is the Battle for the Axe, a century-old showdown between the city's two largest high schools separated by Stateline Avenue--Texas High and Arkansas High. And, since it was my first game to shoot this season, of course it rained. I used to look forward to "rain games" but artificial turf eliminates the muddy, trench battles we used to get with natural grass. Oh well...

Excellent lighting and photos

Acufine3200 Loc: Texarkana USA

david vt wrote:

Nice Shots. I can never get that kind of light for HS football. But, this is Texas, where HS football is not a sport, but a religon!!!

Your timing is impeccable

Thanks!
I feel your pain. This game was held at one of the premier high school venues in the area, but still nothing compared to what the big boys in the metro areas play under. This week I'm going to head south about 20-miles and shoot in my hometown stadium which is a tad more typical of HS lighting since it's only a Texas AAA school. I'll post afterwards.

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

Great shots. Timing and composition were spot on. Really like the flying rubber bits suspended in the air in the second shot.

Jules Karney Loc: Las Vegas, Nevada

Acufine3200 wrote:

Annual highlight in Texarkana is the Battle for the Axe, a century-old showdown between the city's two largest high schools separated by Stateline Avenue--Texas High and Arkansas High. And, since it was my first game to shoot this season, of course it rained. I used to look forward to "rain games" but artificial turf eliminates the muddy, trench battles we used to get with natural grass. Oh well...

Very nice work Acufine. Nicely cropped, exposure right on. Just plain ol good stuff.

Daryl New Loc: Wellington,New Zealand

Great shots....

Acufine3200 Loc: Texarkana USA

CPR wrote:

Great shots. Timing and composition were spot on. Really like the flying rubber bits suspended in the air in the second shot.

Thanks!
The rubber “bb” sprays have replaced turf divots around here. About half of the larger schools around here now have artificial surfaces.