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The Bulldogs celebrate with their trophy after holding on for a 13-7 win over Cumberland Gap Friday night. (Photos by Jay Compton)

Senior DB Anthony Turner (left) and Junior running back Aiden Roark (right) with the Battle of the River Trophy. Turner was named the Elevation Defensive Player of the Game while Roark was named Elevation’s MVP.

Claiborne junior cornerback Kristopher Ford (20) breaks up Cumberland Gap’s final fourth down pass intended for Tate Murphy (14) late in the fourth quarter of Friday’s 13-7 Bulldog win.

Cumberland Gap senior quarterback Tate Murphy extends the ball into the end zone at the end of his four-yard TD run for the first points of Friday’s game.

Bulldog junior receiver Kristopher Ford brings in a 27-yard touchdown catch on the final play of the second quarter to tie Friday’s game at 7.

Bulldog senior Anthony Turner comes down with an interception in front of Cumberland Gap receiver Hunter Gibson and Claiborne safety Owen Stone.

Cumberland Gap receiver Aiden Peters fights for a first down as he gets tackled by Anthony Turner on a fourth down play in Friday’s game.

Cumberland Gap’s Gabriel Daneils lays a big hit on Claiborne’s Kaden Lovin along the sideline during Friday’s game.

Claiborne and Cumberland Gap didn’t disappoint on Friday as they renewed their Battle of the River rivalry. It was a hard-hitting affair with both defenses rising up to make stop after stop, but the Bulldogs were able to pull out a 13-7 win as they celebrated homecoming.

Penalties and dropped passes kept both offenses from getting on track in the early going as they traded possession throughout the first quarter. Cumberland Gap got the ball at their own 29 after a fourth down stop with 3:58 to go in the quarter and put together the best drive of the night. Tate Murphy completed passes to Landon Eldridge and Hunter Gibson and Allen Brooks got the ground game going as they drove into Bulldog territory. Brooks ran for first down inside the 10 early in the second quarter but left the game with a shoulder injury. A few plays later it was Murphy lowering his shoulder and breaking into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown. Fredrico Alfe’s kick made it 7-0 with 9:55 to play in the half.

Claiborne turned to a heavy formation with Aiden Roark running the ball behind a couple of extra linemen and found some success. That drive ultimately stalled and after an exchange of possessions the Bulldogs got the ball back at their own 21 with 4:30 left in the half.

Roark ran for a pair of first downs as Claiborne moved to the Panther 42 with the clock running under 2:00. Isaac Daniels passed to Kristopher Ford to set up a 4th and 2 and Kaden Lovin converted the first down. Another pass got the Bulldogs inside the 20, but Daniels was sacked by John Mac Owens and Noah Meyer at the 27. Claiborne was left with just one last play in the half and Daniels found Ford for a 27-yard touchdown down the left sideline as time expired. Roark’s kick tied the game 7 at halftime.

During homecoming, Daisy Bailey was named the 2024 CHS Homecoming Queen.

Cumberland Gap got the ball to start the second half, but an Anthony Turner interception gave the Bulldogs the ball at the Panther 37. They marched down the field on the strength of runs by  Lovin and Roark. Roark capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 6:16 to play in the third quarter. Lovin ran in the conversion after a bad snap on the PAT try, but a holding penalty took the two points off the board and the long kick sailed wide so the Bulldogs lead was 13-7.

An Owen Stone interception stopped a promising Panther drive, then Claiborne was stopped on fourth down and the quarter ended with the score still 13-7.

Cumberland Gap was driving into Claiborne territory and they picked up a first down inside the 25 when Hensley’s diving attempt at a catch was ruled complete. But on the next play Hunter Sturgill was hit hard and the ball sprung about seven yards down field and was recovered by the Bulldogs.

The teams again traded possession for the rest of the period with Roark pinning the Panthers back at their own 9 with a beauty of a punt with just over four minutes to play.

Murphy passed to Hensley for seven yards and then found Gabriel Daniels for 12 yards and a first down. On fourth down, Murphy found Daniels deep down the left side for a 27-yard gain out near midfield. Cumberland Gap faced another fourth down and again Murphy and Daniels hooked up for 14-yard gain and a first down in Claiborne territory with 2:12 to play.

A short run followed by a holding penalty pushed the Panthers back. Stone nearly had another interception and Cumberland Gap faced a 4th and 15 after another short run. This time they went for some trickeration as Murphy pitched the ball back to Landon Eldridge and snuck out of the backfield on a wheel route. Eldridge was hit as he got the pass off and it floated up long enough for Ford to recover and break up the play.

The Bulldogs took over and ran the final 1:08 off the clock with a pair of kneel downs as they held on with the 13-7 win.

Claiborne (4-5) hosts Pigeon Forge on Friday for senior night and with a berth in the Class 3A playoffs on the line.

Cumberland Gap (0-9) will end their season on Thursday at Eagleton.

Following the game the Bulldogs were presented with the River Rivalry trophy. Roark was named the game’s MVP after leading Claiborne in rushing, scoring a touchdown, making several tackles for loss from his defensive end position and booting a couple of nice punts. Anthony Turner was named the Elevation defensive player of the game and Murphy the Elevation offensive player of the game.

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