Launch the media gallery 1 playerHistory of the Oaken Bucket
The Oaken Bucket was born out of a coach’s desire to revive their football program. Forty-seven years ago, a football coach sought to revitalize a waning football program with a friendly competition between rivals. That competition is as fierce as ever as Pleasant Hill and Calhoun high schools continue their fight each fall to win the coveted Oaken Bucket.
In 1962, Charlie Raich, Calhoun High School football coach, introduced the Oaken Bucket. His to restore interest in the school’s football program which had started just four years earlier.
The original bucket was made by Calhoun High School’s Industrial Arts program. It was an octagon planter bucket. It wasn’t until 2003 that Mr. Heafner from Pleasant Hill came across the current Oaken Bucket, which is round with a rope handle.
It is likely the competition helps breed school loyalty in the football players. Two of the players who played in the first bucket game, Terry Strauch of Calhoun and Steve Goodman of Pleasant Hill, went on to become the head football coaches at their respective schools and superintendent of their school districts.
Attending this year’s rival game on Friday, September 25, it was clear that interest in the Oaken Bucket remains high at both schools. Upon arrival, 45 minutes before game time, I found a line into the school and a crowd so large, there was not an empty seat for Pleasant Hill or Calhoun supporters. The crowd at the game was what one would expect to find at the playoffs. Both sides were animated, cheering and shouting and hoping their home team would come out of the game victoriously.
I wonder if Coach Charlie Raich would have ever imagined the rivalry an old bucket would create.
The two teams have now played 48 games against eachother. Calhoun has won 28 of those games and Pleasant Hill has won 20. Below you will find the final scores of those 48 games by year:
| YEAR | SCORE | YEAR | SCORE |
| 1962 | 6-20 Calhoun | 1963 | 14-7 Pleasant Hill |
| 1964 | 25-6 Pleasant Hill | 1965 | 28-0 Pleasant Hill |
| 1966 | 14-6 Pleasant Hill | 1967 | 0-7 Calhoun |
| 1968 | 9-6 Pleasant Hill | 1969 | 6-12 Calhoun |
| 1970 | 21-12 Pleasant Hill | 1971 | 14-15 Calhoun |
| 1972 | 0-20 Calhoun | 1973 | 8-14 Calhoun |
| 1974 | 40-8 Pleasant Hill | 1975 | 30-6 Pleasant Hill |
| 1976 | 6-22 Calhoun | 1977 | 28-0 Pleasant Hill |
| 1978 | 41-0 Pleasant Hill | 1979 | 14-16 Calhoun |
| 1980 | 52-14 Pleasant Hill | 1981 | 26-0 Pleasant Hill |
| 1982 | 32-14 Pleasant Hill | 1983 | 12-49 Calhoun |
| 1984 | 6-40 Calhoun | 1985 | 30-15 Pleasant Hill |
| 1986 | 24-7 Pleasant Hill | 1987 | 0-27 Calhoun |
| 1988 | 0-27 Calhoun | 1989 | 18-6 Pleasant Hill |
| 1990 | 0-14 Calhoun | 1991 | 0-50 Calhoun |
| 1992 | 0-55 Calhoun | 1993 | 13-37 Calhoun |
| 1994 | 6-36 Calhoun | 1995 | 0-44 Calhoun |
| 1996 | 7-41 Calhoun | 1997 | 6-32 Calhoun |
| 1998 | 21-6 Pleasant Hill | 1999 | 6-28 Calhoun |
| 2000 | 7-38 Calhoun | 2001 | 3-43 Calhoun |
| 2002 | 0-49 Calhoun | 2003 | 14-0 Pleasant Hill |
| 2004 | 8-16 Calhoun | 2005 | 0-48 Calhoun |
| 2006 | 6-42 Calhoun | 2007 | 27-6 Pleasant Hill |
| 2008 | 12-14 Calhoun | 2009 | 28-20 Pleasant Hill |
