Hello Old Friend: The 88th meeting of Trion and Gordon Lee

The regular season has kicked off for high school football in NWGA. One of the longest running and intense rivalries in our area is between the Trion Bulldogs and Gordon Lee Trojans. These two met for the 88th time Friday night,  and while for many it may not be the most important rivalry, it is without a doubt one of the longest running and most consistent in the entire state.

Gordon Lee began playing football in 1930, and Trion had their inaugural campaign in 1933. The two met for the first time in that ’33 season and the Trojans thumped the Bulldogs 41-6. Trion rebounded the following year to win 27-0 and the rivalry was born. These two teams have now met eighty-eight times, and for seventy-seven straight years, with the only exceptions coming during the WWII era.

Over the years, Trion and Gordon Lee have had countless close games, battles for region titles and playoff births, and even a few bench clearing brawls. They have also spent most of those eighty-eight seasons playing in the same region, with the two squaring off in the last game of the regular season.  This year is a little different as the Bulldogs moved to class A division 1 and the Trojans to region 6-AAA. Dispite those changes, the rivalry continues, but this year moved to the opening game of the ’22 season.

This past Friday night in Chickamauga, both teams looked to set the tone for the upcoming season. Trion jumped out to an early 17-0 lead with some tough running from RB Logan Eller and a touchdown reception from Kade Smith to Toby Maddux, and by taking advantage of good starting field position. The Trojans got things going on a fifty-nine yard touchdown run by RB Nate Dunfee to cut the deficit to 17-7. The Bulldogs added another TD run from Eller and then stopped the Trojans deep inside Trion territory to end the half.

The third quarter began with a muffed kickoff by Trion, leading to a short field for Gordon Lee and a two yard touchdown carry by Dunfee which brought the score to 24-13. The Bulldogs’ rushing attack took over late in the third and into the forth quarter, highlighted by Eller and Maddux rushing for 207 and 122 yards respectively, and Eller crossing the goal line five times on the evening. In the end, the Trojans fought hard but  the Bulldogs came away with a 45-19 victory in the eighty-eighth chapter of one of the biggest, and oldest, rivalries in the state.

Trion and Gordon Lee will continue their seasons this coming Friday night.  The Trojans will be hosting the Armuchee Indians who are coming off a victory over Gordon Central, and the Bulldogs traveling to Lafayette to take on a Rambler team who had a big win at Chattooga this past Friday.