L.D. BRUCE FIELD — Things started off right this season for Class 1A No. 8 Cedar Bluff, as the Tigers opened up their newly-renovated stadium with a dominating 42-0 performance over longtime rival Gaylesville here Thursday night.

Senior running back Robert “Bam” Henderson led the way for Cedar Bluff, including all four carries in the team's game-opening possession which covered 80 yards and ended in a 37-yard scamper for a touchdown. Henderson finished the night with 115 yards and three scores. 

The Trojans took the opening possession and started strong, moving the ball well on the ground, but a string of penalties led to a punt. Four plays later, Henderson was in the end zone. Curtis Abernathy's booming PAT made the score 7-0 with just over four minutes remaining in the first quarter.

After the teams swapped two short possessions each, the Tigers took over at their own 20 and took to the air. Senior quarterback Levi Mintz was 3-for-4 passing for 50 yards on a drive that concluded with Henderson's second rushing score of the night.

After the game, Cedar Bluff coach Jonathan McWhorter said he felt the double-digit lead was key to shifting the momentum in his team's favor.

“In the first quarter, it could have gone either way,” McWhorter said. “We got (a touchdown) late, right before halftime, and that was big.”

Even bigger was the Tigers' opening possession of the second half. On second down from midfield, Mintz heaved a long pass down the Gaylesville sideline. Senior receiver Alex Hairston raced past a lone defender and snagged the ball on his way to the end zone and a 21-point Cedar Bluff lead.

Hairston also had an interception that killed a Gaylesville drive near the end of the first half. Mintz finished the night 9-for-12 for 127 yards.

The Mintz-to-Hairston punch took all the wind out of the visitors. The Trojan offense, which had made it past the freshly painted tiger head at the 50-yard line only once all night, never crossed midfield again.

“We talked about that at halftime, wanting to come out and go up by 21 points and then hold them,” McWhorter said. “That kind of broke the game open and I'm proud of our guys for staying focused. That's what we preach to our guys.”

Henderson added his third score late in the third. C.J. Gilreath and D’Shawn Fife each added rushing scores to the Tigers’ finally tally.

The win marked Cedar Bluff’s 17th in a row over its cross-country rival. The Tigers hold an overall 54-17-2 record in the series, which dates to 1930. This week, Class 1A Region 7 action continues as Cedar Bluff travels to Valley Head. Gaylesville hosts Spring Garden.