Crossville began playing
football in 1926 and scheduled a game against nearby Geraldine. The teams
have played every year since until the 2023 football season when Crossville
stepped back from fielding a team for a few seasons to rebuild their
program.
The
two schools created a rivalry known as The Battle of Skirum Creek.
The teams have played a total of 101 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.
While Geraldine has found recent success, the 2004 game stands out as a classic contest, with Crossville emerging victorious in a dramatic triple-overtime game.
The Bulldogs have
dominated the series in recent years winning fifteen of the last eighteen
contests. Geraldine has not lost to Crossville at home since the 1997
season. While Crossville leads the overall series 57-41-3, 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. The winner of the game hoists a trophy annually. The rivalry has deep roots and is a significant event for both communities in DeKalb County
Total Meetings: 101 Series Record: Crossville leads 57-41-3 Home Record: Geraldine: 24-17-0
Crossville: 24-17-1 First Meeting: 1926, Geraldine 26, Crossville, 0 Last Meeting: 10/28/2022, Geraldine 42, Crossville, 13 Longest Winning Streak: Geraldine 5 (2011-2015), Crossville 9 (1974-1982) Biggest Wins: Geraldine 53-0 (2021), 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