Author: Henry Meier
While the football team’s 48-14 win last Saturday over Whittier in front of a packed stadium was just another victory for an undefeated Tiger squad this season, it also had a deeper meaning. For the 62nd year in a row the Oxy-Whittier game marked a battle for “The Shoes,” a rivalry that determines who takes home a bronzed trophy of a former Whittier football standout’s cleats that were stolen before a Tiger-Poet matchup back in 1939. After Whittier beat Oxy that year the player “re-claimed” his shoes from the Tiger’s sideline.
While this event marked the beginning of the saga, the rivalry didn’t officially start until 1946 when “The Shoes” were bronzed and given as a trophy to the winner of the matchup after the game. Since that time the battle for The Shoes has been a pivotal game with extra significance each season.
The victory evened the score of the series between Oxy and Whittier to 32 wins each and made it 18 wins in the past 23 years for Oxy. However, this year’s win was especially sweet for Oxy football. Not only did it clinch an undefeated regular season for the Tigers, it avenged last year’s loss to the Poets who upset Oxy 67-61.
“‘Winning’ the shoes back is a great way to end the regular season,” Alex Groh (junior) said. “Our team ended our season last year with a tough loss at Whittier, and the way they took the shoes from us was like a slap in the face.”
Now the Tigers have much more to look forward to as they prepare for playoffs. “We as a team have far greater goals for ourselves, so the win was like any other,” Todd Mark (sophomore) said. “To go undefeated is a great tribute to our hard work.”
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