Just after the Apollo 11 conquered the moon in 1969, Brighton High School opened its doors as a split off of Hillcrest High School. The relationship between the two schools sparked traditions and rivalries. The football teams began a rivalry called the “Battle of the Pig Skin.”  The basketball teams continue to this day a “Battle of the Jug” complete with a travelling trophy jug.  

“The basketball rivalry is alive and well whenever the two teams happen to meet in any given year,” said Athletic Director and former Brighton basketball coach Garrett Wilson. 

The swimming teams developed a “Battle of the Paddle” through the years. The wrestling rivalry, however, took on a darker shade of intensity. Don Neff, the newly appointed and now legendary wrestling coach at Brighton, colluded with Tex Casto, the wrestling coach at Hillcrest, to “promote the sport of wrestling.” An old axe became the symbol of wrestling superiority and the “Battle of the Axe” was born.  

Marielle Rawle, Brighton High principal and BHS ‘85 alumnus, recalls “the Battle of the Axe was the peak sporting event of the year at Brighton in the 80’s. The gym was full to the ceiling when Hillcrest and Brighton wrestled.” Coach Neff and assistant coaches Dave Chavis, Mark Montague and Manfred Lassig became fight promoters complete with handbills distributed to the surrounding Brighton community. Wrestling teams through the years counted the season a success or a failure based on the result of the single annual Battle of the Axe match. The sport thrived at both schools.

Neff, Chavis and Lassig were on hand last month to witness the 54th annual running of the rivalry that they nurtured through the early days. “The rivalry has diminished in quality and crowd size,” Neff said, “but the legacy continues.” It continues as the longest continual high school sports rivalry in the state of Utah. While there was a wrestling match in the Hillcrest gym, a celebration of the sport of wrestling broke out. Wrestlers from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s made their way to the new Hillcrest gym to relive high school wrestling glory. The match was officiated by 2018 Brighton graduate and two-time wrestling state champion Brayden Stevens. Many who wrestled as high school athletes in the Axe are still involved in the industry as officials and coaches. 1973 Brighton state champion Ralph Fallentine coaches the Cyprus Pirates girls team. Brighton’s first state champion, Steve Taylor, coaches the Taylorsville High wrestling team. All reflect on the Battle of the Axe rivalry as the pinnacle of wrestling rivalries. Alta and Corner Canyon patterned a wrestling “Battle of the Shield” rivalry after the Axe when Corner Canyon split off of Alta.

Brighton hasn’t owned the Axe since before the pandemic. The current batch of Brighton seniors were in danger of being the first class of wrestlers to never have bested Hillcrest as three consecutive green stripes grace the axe handle from 2022, 2023 and 2024.

This year, on Dec. 17 2024, when that annual rivalry was held, Brighton won with a comeback statement 55-24. Will Clayton, a senior who had never been on the winning side of the Battle of the Axe said “it was the best wrestling experience in my four years when I pinned my Hillcrest opponent in the Axe with one second to spare.” 

Connor Dedman, a senior whose brothers wrestled in the Battle of the Axe over the years and yet never lost to Hillcrest, said, “I can now look the legacy Brighton wrestlers in the eye. We ended our time with an Axe win.”  

The JV match, dubbed the Battle of the Hatchet, was also won by Brighton 24-0. The girls teams of Brighton and Hillcrest joined the travelling trophy rivalry last year with their own Battle of the Axe. Hillcrest won the first year and followed up this year with a convincing win 48-18. The rivalries on all fronts are alive and well 55 years after Don Neff lifted the first axe.

Senior captain and wrestling All American Ben Tillman said “finally beating Hillcrest Wrestling is a milestone. It shows the progress we have made with our program over the past few years.  We are back on track with the tradition that the Brighton wrestlers before us set. It is a successful season!” λ