Crossville began playing
football in 1926 and schedules a game against nearby Geraldine. The teams
have played every year since and created a rivalry known as The Battle of Skirum Creek.
The teams have played a total of 94 times since that first meeting that was
won by Geraldine 26-0.
The two schools look
forward to their annual meeting with great anticipation. Sometimes the fans
get a little over zealous. Once someone cut donuts on the football field and left a Crossville town limit
sign behind. The acts are never violent and there is usually no serious
property damage.
In
2006, the two schools played the first day game since 1939. The game was postponed due to weather
and tornado threats and played the following Tuesday afternoon. It was Geraldine's second win at Crossville since 1972.
Crossville handed the
Bulldogs their only defeat of the season in 1981 and knock them out of the
state playoffs. Geraldine defeated the Lions in 1983
for their only win of the season.
The Bulldogs have
dominated the series in recent years winning thirteen of the last fifteen
contests. Geraldine has not lost to Crossville at home since the 1997
season. While Crossville leads the overall series 55-36-3, Geraldine has
closed the gap significantly in recent history.
Crossville gained an
advantage in the rivalry when they won twenty-one of twenty-five games
between 1974-1998.
The schools are only
about seven miles apart in DeKalb County which is one reason this remains one of the top
rivalries in the state.
Total Meetings: 94 Series Record: Crossville leads 55-36-3 Home Record: Geraldine: 18-16-0
Crossville: 23-10-1 First Meeting: 1926, Geraldine 26, Crossville, 0 Last Meeting: 10/30/2015, Geraldine 38, Crossville, 17 Longest Winning Streak: Geraldine 5 (2011-2015), Crossville 9 (1974-1982) Biggest Wins: Geraldine 63-27 (2013), Crossville 36-0 (1988)
Biggest Upsets: 1956 Crossville (3-3-3) upset
Geraldine (7-3) 6-0
2000 Crossville (9-4) handed Geraldine their only regular season loss 28-22
