Rivals – Football – St. Amant Gators Vs. East Ascension Spartans

Gator hunts. Shout-outs. Spirit sticks. Bragging rights. The most intense and longstanding high-school football rivalry in the area is arguably the one between the East Ascension Spartans and the St. Amant Gators. The two teams have played consistently since 1979, a year after St. Amant High opened and young people in Ascension Parish who all had formerly attended EA were split between the two schools. The level of play between the two teams and the shared sense of community among spectators make this rivalry unique.

Game night is a gathering of not just passionate student fans, but also Ascension Parish’s deeply rooted residents, many of whom have lived in the area for generations. “There’s not a seat left in the stands, and sometimes the fire marshal isn’t able to let anybody else in,” says St. Amant head football coach David Oliver. “There’s really nothing like it.”

Oliver worked previously as an offensive coordinator at Southern University, and he adds that even the famed Bayou Classic—Southern’s annual game against in-state rival college Grambling—can’t compare to the EA-St. Amant rivalry.

EA head football coach Paul Bourgeois estimates there are 10,000 spectators in attendance at the annual game, whether it’s played at his team’s Spartan Stadium or on St. Amant’s home turf, known as “The Pit.”

A few nights before the game, students, parents and local residents attend the Spartan-Gator Shout-Out, a tailgate party and spirit contest. Boosters from both schools sell T-shirts and jambalaya and donate proceeds to the schools’ athletic departments. They’ve given close to $100,000 over the past six years, says Oliver. The students, players and cheerleaders dance to live music, catch up with friends and enjoy the parish’s signature dish, Cajun jambalaya. Then each side takes turns shouting and chanting until a winner is declared and is given the Spirit Stick.

On game day, EA students participate in the annual “Gator Hunt” at school, during which they track down stuffed alligators hidden around campus. During the game, they wear camouflage, further signaling their gator-hunt theme, while St. Amant fans wear orange to declare, “Bring it on.” The St. Amant team has even begun wearing special orange jerseys, made just for the game, that read, “Beat EA.”

Another factor that contributes to this rivalry’s intensity is the parity between the two teams. Both play in the highly competitive 5-5A district, which also includes the talented Catholic, Dutchtown and Woodlawn high schools. Over the past three years especially, the EA-St. Amant game has been a war of equals, with the outcome decided in the last few seconds.

“When these two teams get together, it’s anyone’s game,” says Bourgeois. “It’s intense and a high level of play.”

Something else defines this competition: the emotional and physical closeness of the two schools. They’re located about three minutes apart in Gonzales, separated only by Airline Highway. For decades, the school communities have been intertwined. Students from each institution are friends or sweethearts. And local families experience divided loyalties under the same roof. It’s routine for one parent to have attended EA and the other, St. Amant.

It makes the rivalry that much more enjoyable, offers Bourgeois.

“Everybody knows everybody at the game,” he says. “It’s a real community event, and everybody does a good job of keeping it fun and positive.”