The Cornersville Bulldogs (5-3, 3-1) took Highway 64 East to the hometown of Johnny Majors in Huntland to battle with the Huntland Hornets (4-4, 2-1) on Thursday night.

The game was moved to Thursday night due adverse weather predicted for Friday night, but it did not seem to affect the Hornets as they used a punishing running game to batter the Bulldogs 35-7.

Huntland’s Cameron Reed ran for 285 yards and four touchdowns as Huntland torched the Bulldog defense for 455 yards on the ground.

Cornersville won the toss and elected to defer until the second half.

The Hornets began to showcase their running attack from the first snap and methodically moved the ball with Reed and Kolbi Stewart breaking through the Bulldogs’ defensive line.

The Bulldogs linebackers and defensive backs were being forced to make tackles as the Hornets moved downfield, but on a second-and-four from the Bulldogs’ 26-yard line, Bryson Turner fumbled and Trenton Posey recovered for Cornersville.

The Bulldogs started their first possession at their own 34-yard line and after a four-yard run by Brady Calahan, Cason Warner got loose on a 32-yard run to the Hornets’ 30-yard line.

The drive stalled on fourth down as a Jackson Farler pass to Tanner Edwards was complete, but short of the first down marker and Huntland took over on downs.

Huntland again pounded the ball on the ground with Turner running for 46 yards to the Bulldogs’ 24-yard line.

Huntland moved to the 11-yard line where Stewart ran for the touchdown and with the extra point by Abraham Morris being good at the 2:11 mark of the first quarter, Huntland led 7 to 0.

The Bulldog offense could not get going and Cameron Estes punted to the Hornets’ 32-yard line.

The second quarter had barely begun when Reed burst through the line for a 46-yard run to pay dirt and Morris’ kick again was good as the Hornets increased their lead to 14-0.

The Bulldogs’ offense began to gather itself and pushed the ball down field, but a Calahan fumble gave the ball back to Huntland.

The Bulldog defense rose up and stopped the Hornets and the offense came back on the field and began their drive from their own 48-yard line.

Runs by Warner and Calahan moved the ball to the Hornets’ 11-yard line and with 4:49 left in the first half, Calahan ran it in for the touchdown.

Jackson Williams successful PAT cut the Hornets lead to 14-7.

Huntland took the kickoff and moved to their own 44-yard line and Reed got through the line and outran the Bulldog defenders to score the TD and Morris’ kick again was good, pushing the lead back to 14 points at 21-7.

The Bulldogs had one more chance in the first half as Farler found Edwards with a 34-yard completion to the Hornet 11yard line.

Two short runs by Warner and Calahan could not push it in and time ran out in the half with Cornersville trailing 21-7.

The Bulldogs took the second half kickoff and moved down field, but the drive was halted when on fourth down from the Hornet seven-yard line, Farler’s pass fell incomplete, adding to the Bulldogs frustration.

“When you get the ball in the red zone you have got to score against a good team like Huntland,” Cornersville coach Gerard Randolph said.

The third quarter saw both teams defense playing old-fashioned, hard hitting football.

The Bulldogs began the fourth quarter and again pushed the ball downfield to the Hornets’ 18-yard line, but Farler was stopped short on fourth-and-eight and the Hornets took over.

Stewart ran for a first down then Reed burst around the right side and ran 71 yards for the score to push the lead with Morris’ kick to 28-7.

On first-and-10 from the Bulldogs’ 35-yard line, Alex Hillard raced around the left side for 32 yards, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed the ball back to the Hornets’ 48-yard line.

Now forced to pass with time ticking away, the Bulldogs’ passing game could not get the completions it needed and again Estes was forced to punt.

The Hornets took over on their own 21-yard line and with Stewart carrying the rock, pushed the ball to the Huntland 41-yard line.

Reed got through the line and out ran the Bulldog defenders 51 yards for his fourth touchdown and Morris’ kick made the score Huntland 35, Cornersville 7.

From there until the end of the game Cornersville fought an unsuccessful battle with the clock as well as the Hornet defenders.

“We couldn’t get a rhythm going after they came out and hit us in the mouth, in games before we could, but not tonight,” Brady Calahan said.

Farler summed up the Bulldogs frustration when he said. “They didn’t do anything we didn’t see on film.”

“They (Huntland) did a great job tonight of getting the ball to their playmakers.” Randolph said.

The Bulldogs travel to Columbia to face Division II-A foe Zion Christian School Eagles (4-4) for the final regular season game Friday night.

Note: The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association has found that Fayetteville used an ineligible player and have been forced to forfeit all Region 5-A games and the region championship title. The Tigers appealed the findings to the TSSAA on Tuesday, October 29.

Update: Reportedly, A temporary restraining order and injunction to make a player eligible — and thus get back in the football playoffs — filed by Fayetteville High School has been granted against the TSSAA, Fayetteville principal Adam McCormick posted on the school's Facebook page and the Tuesday appeal meeting with the TSSAA was cancelled. Fayetteville will be allowed to participate in the playoffs until the case is settled in court.

Scoring Plays

First Quarter

Huntland– Kolbi Stewart 6-yard run, Abraham Morris PAT, 2:11.

Second Quarter:

Huntland– Cameron Reed 46-yard run, Abraham Morris PAT, 11:41.

Cornersville – Brady Calahan 11-yard run, Jackson Williams PAT, 4:49.

Huntland– Cameron Reed 56-yard run, Abraham Morris PAT, 3:05.

Fourth Quarter:

Huntland– Cameron Reed 72-yard run, Abraham Morris PAT, 9:11.

Huntland– Cameron Reed 59-yard run, Abraham Morris PAT, 3:24.

Total Offense: Cornersville 329, Huntland 465.

Rushing: Cornersville 212, Huntland 455.

Passing: Cornersville 117, Huntland 10.

First Downs: Cornersville 13, Huntland 19.

Penalties: Cornersville 4-50, Huntland 3-40.

Turnovers: Cornersville 1, Huntland 1.

Cornersville Offense

Cornersville:

Rushing: Cason Warner 12-91, Brady Calahan 13-76-TD, Alex Hillard 2-18, J Farler 5- 14,Wes Calahan 4-13.

Passing: Jackson Farler 8-18-117-0-0.

Receiving: Brady Calahan 5-80, Tanner Edwards 2-34, Eli Welch 1-3.

Kicking

PAT: Jackson Williams 1-1.

Punting: Cameron Estes 2-59.

Returns

Kickoffs: Alex Hillard 2-79, Jackson Mitchell 2-33, Rhett Woodard 1-12.

Defense:

Tackles: J Mitchell 5.5, Cameron Estes 5, Tracy Wood 4.5 (TFL), Cason Warner 3, Dylan Baus 3 (TFL), Rhett Woodard 2.5, Devon Massengill 2, Alex Hillard 3, Trenton Posey 1 (FUM REC), Michael Bungay 1, Bailey Foss 1, Boone Solomon .5, Blake Jones .5, Mason Calahan .5.

Region 5A Standings

Huntland 6-3, 3-1

Cornersville 6-3, 4-1

Moore County 5-4, 2-2

Mt. Pleasant 7-2, 2-2

Richland 6-3, 2-2

Fayetteville 3-6, 0-5