L.D. BRUCE FIELD — Cedar Bluff defensive coordinator Scott Clifton likes to hug. Needless to say, after his defense held Class 1A No. 8 Collinsville to 14 points Friday night—none in the second half—there were hugs all around for his defensive starters.

“Our first-string defense has only given up 21 points all season,” Clifton pointed out as he made his way off the field following the Tigers’ 26-14 win.

Friday was the first time all season, really, that Clifton's starters had played an entire game. After ensuring they would stay on the field by giving up a long touchdown pass and a 12-play, 84-yard scoring drive in the first half, the Tiger defense came out of the locker room determined to make a statement in a matchup none of Cedar Bluff's 16 seniors had ever had go his way.

“After three years of losing close games, I’m just really proud for our coaches and our kids,” said Cedar Bluff head coach Jonathan McWhorter, clearly showing his excitement after his team’s first win in the rivalry since 2008. “A lot of times they don’t understand why I’m being so hard on them, but it’s to have moments like this. These are the games that you remember for the rest of your life.”

Initially, it appeared Collinsville might extend its winning streak. On the opening drive, quarterback C.J. Jones hit Daniel Bradford for a 48-yard touchdown to give the visitors a 7-0 lead. Jones would finish the game with 212 yards passing.

After swapping possessions, Cedar Bluff answered by sending running back D’Shawn Fife onto the field. The sophomore, forced into a starting role after the loss of Robert “Bam” Henderson earlier this season to a knee injury, carried the load on a nine-play 49-yard drive that pulled the Tigers to within one after a missed PAT.

Fife carried five times for 35 yards on the drive, including the final seven yards for the touchdown with 1:41 left in the first quarter. He finished the night with 161 yards and three scores on 32 carries.

The Cedar Bluff defense stiffened on the next Collinsville drive, holding the Panthers to six yards of offense and forcing a punt.

The Tigers stretched the lead to 12-7 early in the second on Fife’s second score of the night, a 17-yard run. The two-point try failed.

Collinsville came right back with the longest drive of the night, marching from its own 35-yard line. Jones completed the drive several minutes later with a short pass to receiver Deshawn Moore. The PAT gave the Panthers a 14-12 lead with 7:04 remaining in the second quarter.

But the lead didn’t last long. Three minutes later, Tiger quarterback Levi Mintz passed to Alex Hairston from the 2. The senior wide receiver’s acrobatic catch at the goal line put the Tigers back in front to stay. Mintz rushed for the two-point conversion to make the score 20-14.

Still showing plenty of fight, Edgar Padilla returned the ensuing kickoff 71 yards to give Collinsville possession at the Cedar Bluff 17. But the Tiger defense rose to the occasion, holding the Panthers out of the end zone. A field goal attempt missed wide right with second remaining in the half.

Collinsville mounted another long drive on its opening possession of the third quarter, but again the Tiger defense held inside the red zone and the Panthers came away with nothing.

Fife scored his third touchdown of the night with 3:26 left in the third to give the Tigers their final margin of victory.

“It was a prize fight, and we don’t have a lot of guys left standing,” Collinsville coach Alan Beckett said after the game. “I thought they were very physical tonight, they took us away from being able to run the ball.”

Beckett added: “Credit to them, they were able to run the football on us—like we haven’t seen in several years.”