Many people know of the Oaken Bucket game between rivals Indiana and Purdue football, but not many know of a smaller, yet older more competitive rivalry game. The rivalry game I am referring to is the Monon Bell of Wabash College and DePauw University. The first meeting between the schools was November 22, 1890, when DePauw won 34-5, but the Monon Bell trophy was not awarded until 1932. The most recent meeting was November 12, 2022, when DePauw defeated Wabash 49-14. Wabash leads the game series 63–56–9.

Lewis Cass High School has a connection to both of these two colleges and the rivalry they hold. Two Lewis Cass alums have played or coached in this historic series. Casey Crozier a 2018 Cass grad played for Wabash, and our very own head football coach, Clayton Mannering, a 2008 alum coached at DePauw. I talked to these two gentlemen and asked about their connections to the historic game and what it means to them.

First, here is some background on Mr. Crozier’s time at Wabash College. Crozer said he played at Wabash from 2018-22 as an outside linebacker. The Monon Bell game has great importance for both schools, but it has a different level of importance for the players. When asked about the Bell game and its importance to Crozier when he played, he said, “The Bell game is one of the greatest rivalries in sports. The first bell game was played in 1890, so it’s been around for quite a while. Both teams have this game circled on the calendar every year. Having a great season is always the goal, but if you end the year with the Bell nothing else matters. It’s what gets you through early morning off-season workouts and practices.” After playing for Wabash all four years of college, I figured Casey had a favorite memory of the game. When asked, Crozier responded with, “My favorite Bell game memory would have to be from my senior year. We fell to an early 21-0 lead but mounted a second-half comeback to win the game 42-35. It was great because it perfectly encapsulated the “Wabash Always Fights” motto. When things look bleak, keep fighting and give yourself a chance.” Wabash has various clubs at their school, but one of the most known on campus is the Sphinx Club. Former Sphinx Club member, Casey Crozier, explained the importance of this club to Wabash College. He said, “The Sphinx Club is one of the oldest clubs at Wabash. They are the keepers of records and traditions. Wabash has a lot of really neat traditions that have been around for a while so to have a group that is dedicated to keeping those alive and well is something not a lot of places have.”

Next, for the DePauw view on the importance of the game, we talked to Clayton Mannering known to most as Coach Mannering. When asked how long he coached at DePauw and what position he held on the coaching staff, Mannering said, “I coached at DePauw from 2013-2019 as a tight end, then the D-Line coach for three years before coming back to offense and coaching the O-Line for two seasons.” Next, when asked about the Monon Bell game and its importance, Coach Mannering’s response was, “It’s hard to describe how big of a deal the Monon Bell is for both schools. Wabash and DePauw are separated by 30 miles, which is very close for college rivals. They have played 128 football games, and Wabash leads the series 63-56-9. Both schools want to beat the other so badly that alumni and students will talk about the Bell Game all year. This puts a ton of pressure on players and coaches, but also makes it an incredibly fun game to be a part of.” As for Coach’s favorite Bell memory, Mannering replied, “In 2016, we had a very good team, but had lost seven years in a row to Wabash. In that year’s Monon Bell Game, we scored a go-ahead touchdown with under a minute left, and then one of my favorite kids I’ve ever coached, Nate Orrison, sealed the victory with a sack/fumble recovery. It was such a huge weight lifted off of our shoulders, and the Monon Bell has gone back and forth pretty evenly since then (3-3 since that game).” Finally, when asked to tell about a Bell game tradition at DePauw University, Coach replied, “After a Monon Bell win, the athletic director at DePauw will take the Bell around to all the different fraternities and houses on campus until early the next morning, so that the student body can celebrate with the Bell. After that, the Bell sits in the cafeteria for a week so everyone can ring it, and then it stays in the weight room building for the rest of the year. Football players will ring it every time they go by, and it’s a great feeling when you’re on the other side of the building and hear it ring.”

So, this Saturday, at 1:00 p.m. make sure you tune in to watch the 129th Monon Bell game between DePauw University and Wabash College on ISC Sports network. You may just watch another game for the record books!