ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – At 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, players, coaches, trainers and staff of the Ouachita Tigers' football team will begin their walk across Highway 7/67 to face their rivals, the Henderson State Reddies in the 90^th Battle of the Ravine. For the freshman it will be an initiation into a rivalry like no other. For the seniors, it will be one last time to claim bragging rights that will last a lifetime. For one of those seniors, it will be an opportunity to fulfill a legacy that runs three generations deep.

Jordan Sharp, a senior from Arkadelphia, Ark., has been a part of the tradition that is the Battle of the Ravine since his first breath. He is the fifth member of his family to play football for Ouachita and is a third generation Tiger. For as far back as he can remember, he's always wanted to be a Tiger and he's always wanted to beat the Reddies. For Jordan, the rivalry is more than just the game.

"If I had to sum it all up in one word, it would be unique," Sharp said. "We're right across the street from each other, there's no other rivalry like that. Not in the state, not in Division II, not in the NCAA. All the students on both campuses are involved, you can feel the emotion building up all week. It's Thursday and I can really sense the intensity and the urgency picking up."

He added, "By the time we get ready to walk across that highway and walk into their stadium, there's no describing it. Outside of Jesus Christ, Ouachita has had the biggest influence on my life. I've grown up around Ouachita Football. Knowing I'm going to be playing in my last game, to be a part of that, to be a part of a family whose legacy is Ouachita Football makes it even more special."

To say that the Sharp family has a place in Ouachita Football history would not do them justice. Jordan's grandfather, Ike Sharp, played in three Battle of the Ravine games, the most famous in 1949 when he executed three consecutive onside kicks to rally the Tigers from behind in the final seven minutes of the game. Ike was also "rumored" to be part of the rescue party that recovered Ouachita's abducted homecoming queen.

Jordan's father, Ouachita Athletic Director David Sharp, and uncle, Paul Sharp, played for Ouachita in the 1970s. David finished his career holding records for the most extra points made in a season. Paul would go on to coach national championship teams at Southwestern Oklahoma State. Both served as assistant coaches for the legendary Buddy Benson.

Jordan's cousin Adam Sharp played in two Battle of the Ravine games after the rivalry renewed in 2006. Jordan's first Battle of the Ravine game came in 2013, when the two teams had to go to three overtimes to decide a winner. He will play in his fourth on Saturday. It should be noted that all five of the Sharp men played for and made impacts on their respective teams special team units.

"When I was growing up, the week of the game, I remember my uncle and grandfather asking my dad, Hey, how are we looking this week? Or, what was practice like today? They'd want to know if the guys were ready to play. It was a sense of brotherhood because we're all a part of this and it means so much to us as Ouachita Tigers."

Coaches and players will often say that no one game is more important than the next. For anyone who has ever been involved in the rivalry that is Ouachita and Henderson, they will tell you that no game is more important than the Battle of the Ravine. When asked if this was the most important game of the year, Jordan replied, without hesitation, absolutely.

"Both teams could come into the game 10-0 or 0-10 and it wouldn't make a difference. The level of competition on every play in this game is like no other. Both sides are giving it their all on every single snap. There's no love lost between our schools, I mean, I think there's an unspoken mutual respect, but make no mistake, both teams want to beat the other one."

Jordan relishes the opportunities and experiences he's had as a student-athlete at Ouachita. In 2014, he played for an undefeated Tiger team that won at Henderson for the first time since 2008 and clinched an outright GAC championship. He's 1-2 in Battle of the Ravine contests and has an opportunity on Saturday to do something that no other Sharp has done before him. He'll be looking to become the first member of his family to get a win in their final Battle of the Ravine. Jordan knows emotions will be running high.

"I go into every game knowing that no matter if we win or lose, what matters most is knowing I will always have victory in Jesus Christ, but behind that, I'll be thinking about how I've grown these past four years. I'll be thinking about my grandpa and my uncle and how even though they aren't here anymore, they are always with me. It hit me this morning that it will be my last game and the embrace I always have with my dad at the end of the game, will be something special this Saturday. It'll be something I never forget and will always have with me."

Jordan and his fellow seniors will make their final walk on Saturday and be putting on the pads for one last Battle. They'll be passing on a legacy to the underclassman that has been a part of Ouachita and Arkansas history dating back to 1895. It's a legacy of football and family that Jordan bears proudly and hopes to pass on to the next generation of Sharps.