Clarke County appears twice among the longest rivalries in the state. They
have played 100 games against the Jackson Aggies and 101 against
Thomasville.
The Bulldogs began
playing football in the fall of 1917 and scheduled games against both
schools. They lost 31-12 to Jackson but avenged the loss later that same
year by defeating them 38-0. They defeated Thomasville two of the three
games they played and could lay claim to a county championship in that
initial season.
Jackson won the initial
game which was refereed by their coach, Herbert Champion. For many years to
follow, all three were powers on the gridiron in the southwest corner of the
state.
The Bulldogs destroyed
the Aggies by a score of 91-0 in 1923 to finish with a record of 6-1-2. The
only loss came against a powerful team from Barton Academy. The demolition
likely led to the rivalry being terminated for the 1924 season. The two have
played every season since.
The ninety-one
consecutive seasons is a record for the longest continuous rivalry in the
state. No two teams have played more consecutive seasons than these two.
While Jackson leads the
overall series 65-28-7 it does not mean the games are less important to
either school. Through the 1964 season Jackson led the series 24-17 but have
won forty-one of the past fifty-two contest to pull away in the series.
Jackson won fourteen
straight between 1979 and 1992 before Clarke County won seven of the next
twelve contests. The Aggies have come out as victors in the past eight
games.
In 1958, the Bulldogs entered the
season ending contest with a perfect 9-0 mark against a Jackson team that
were 5-4 on the season. Jackson managed a 6-6 tie on their home field in a
game that could have cost the Bulldogs a shot at a state championship. They
finished fourth in the Birmingham Post-Herald poll. Total Meetings: 100 Series Record: Jackson leads 65-28-7 Home Record: Jackson: 25-7-2
Clarke County: 10-22-2 First Meeting: 11/16/1917, Jackson 0, Clarke County, 38 Last Meeting: 8/27/2015, Jackson 35, Clarke County, 0 Longest Winning Streak: Jackson 14 (1979-1992), Clarke County 4 (1959-1962) Biggest Wins: Jackson 51-0 (1950), Clarke County 91-0 (1923)
Biggest Upsets: 1958 - Jackson (5-4-1) tied Clarke
County (9-0-1) 6-6
