Murphy – In a game advertised as the “Border Battle,” Murphy High School will take on South Pittsburg (Tenn.) High School at David Gentry Field at Bob Hendrix Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10.
South Pittsburg, which is about 30 minutes west of Chattanooga, Tenn., will be traveling 121 miles to make the trip to Murphy. Like the Bulldogs, the Pirates also have a proud football tradition, winning five state championships, taking home the trophy in 1969, 1994, 1999, 2007 and 2010.
South Pittsburg had a chance to bring home another state title in the fall, but lost to Fayetteville 20-14 in the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association 1A football state championship. North Carolina opted to play football in the spring and Murphy started its playoff run Friday with a 28-20 win over Thomas Jefferson.
Before this season, Murphy played an out-of-state school every year since 2004. The Bulldogs beat Georgia Force Christian from Sugar Hill, Ga., and Life Christian Academy from Forest Park, Ga., 40-9 and 45-28, respectively, in 2019. Murphy hasn’t played against a school from Tennessee since Oct. 19, 2007, when it lost at Chattanooga’s Tyner Academy 48-29.