Gridiron goes ‘NUTS’ for the annual Buckeye Squirrel Bowl!

DEVILLE, Louisiana (KALB) – If there’s one central Louisiana tradition that seems to make sense, it’s Buckeye’s annual Thursday night Squirrel Bowl.

“This is what high school football is all about,” Buckeye head football coach Ben McLaughlin said.

On the eve of squirrel hunting season, which begins the first day of October, Buckeye fans don their camo as they go wild for the chance to take home the Squirrel Bowl Trophy.

“I saw it when I was a high school kid, and I was always looking forward to being in all of that,” said Buckeye senior Brandon Hornsby. “Even though I always hunt squirrels, I was ready to play that Thursday night game.”

The other half of the tradition is for students to skip school the Friday after the game to go squirrel hunting.

Usually, the Panthers are preparing to serve their opponents under the lights, but in Week 5, some players might be focused on serving up some squirrels to eat.

Buckeye’s Jacob Dryden explained how he’s preparing for the season.

“What I do is I hang them on this stand that I bought and clip it to their feet,” Dryden said. “I cut around the neck and tore off the skin, and just ripped them open and pulled out all the guts. I cut off their heads and they are fine.”

Buckeye will face off against Grant, with the winner getting bragging rights and good luck on their morning hunt.

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