Fort Campbell’s 2019 football schedule will feature a bevy of new opponents and the renewal of a couple of historical rivalries as the Falcons move to a new Class 2A district.
The Falcons will open their season Aug. 23 with a home game against Crittenden County. The last time they met on the gridiron was in 1986 – a 7-0 Fort Campbell win. Long-time Fort Campbell statistician Donny Caver said the Falcons are 12-1 all-time against the Rockets, with Crittenden County’s only win coming in 1985 (7-6) when they won the school’s only state championship.
Fort Campbell will be on the road the next two weeks at Trigg County (Aug. 30) and Todd County Central (Sept. 6). Fort Campbell and Trigg have met every year since 2001 and 46 times overall. It will be the first time they have played in August.
The Rebels are on the Falcon slate for the first time since 2010 when Fort Campbell won 61-0. Todd County’s last win over Fort Campbell came in 1999.
Fort Campbell hosts Grayson County Sept. 13 in the first matchup between the two schools. The Class 5A Cougars were 8-4 last year and are the largest school on the Falcon schedule.
The Falcons host the annual Army Bowl Sept. 20. Fort Campbell beat the Eagles 27-12 for their lone win in 2018 and have won 16 straight against Fort Knox in the annual event.
Fort Campbell begins district play Sept. 27 when they host former rival Mayfield. The Falcons and Cardinals played in some epic battles in the late 1970s and early 1980s with one usually keeping the other from advancing to the postseason.
The Falcons last played Mayfield in 2016 and have lost four straight games to Mayfield dating back to their last win over the Cardinals in 2008. Mayfield was 14-1 last year and advanced to the Class 2A state championship game.
Fort Campbell travels to historic Ty Holland Stadium Oct. 4 for their second district game against Murray. The Tigers beat Fort Campbell 38-0 last year and have won three straight games in the series. Fort Campbell last beat Murray in the 2009 playoffs 28-21 on a last second touchdown. Fort Campbell went on to win the last of three straight state titles that year.
On Oct. 11, Fort Campbell plays at Caldwell County in the third of four straight district games. Caldwell County beat the Falcons 48-15 last year and have won six straight in the series. The Falcons last beat Caldwell in the first round of the 2009 Class 2A playoffs.
After an Oct. 18 bye week, the Falcons host Ballard Memorial Oct. 25 in a matchup that could very well determine which of the two teams make the postseason. It will be the first-ever game between Fort Campbell and Ballard Memorial, who finished 3-8 last year and gave up 46 points a game.
The Falcons close out the regular season Nov. 1 with a 221-mile trip to Eminence to play the Class 1A Warriors, who were 7-3 last year but did not compete in district play.
Fort Campbell was 1-9 last year and missed the playoffs for the second straight season. They return to Class 2A where they won three straight state titles from 2007-09 and won 18 of their last 21 playoff games. The Falcons moved to Class 3A in 2011 and advanced to the state semifinals. They were 2-5 in their last seven Class 3A playoff games.
