CCHS FOOTBALL-The Clay County High School football team is made up of seniors Jimmy Burchett (#3), Ricardo McElroy (#7), Keaton Arms (#11), John Hamilton (#23), Joseph Marcom (#28), Alec Kerr (#44), Hunter Kyle (#53), Levi Garrett (#54), and Stone Lynn (#61); juniors Brayden Allred (#2), Austin Anderson (#6), Leighton Brown (#21), Ben Maxfield (#18), Weston Birdwell (#22), Logan Jennings (#24), Kanyon Short (#27), Hayden McGee (#56), Ernesto Sanchez (#58), Wyatt Browning (#62), Caleb Weir (#64), Jess Cox (#68), and Parker Smith (#71); sophomores Hayden Adams (#8), Worm Smith (#10), Nate Adams (#12), Eli Burnette (#45), and Kaden Strong (#74); and freshmen Nolan Adams (#1), Cole Eads (#5), Reece Adams (#9), Waylon Cherry (#20), Brady Dailey (#32), Kason Monroy-Hidalgo (#50), Colton Brown (#55), Hunter Manley (#59), and Matt Weir (#70). Managers include Ella Cummings, Deanna Norris, Monica Cisneros, Aly Copeland, Connor Chapman, Lexi Head, and Whit Caslikowski. The team is coached by Bruce lamb and assistants Jimmy Maynord, Mike Dickerson, Carl Ledbetter, Wilson Cates, and Steven Arms. (photo courtesy cchsmedia.zenfolio.com)

CELINA-The AP #9-ranked Clay County Bulldog football team is off to a quick 2-0 start with back-to-back shutouts of Jackson County and Clinton County, KY respectively.

The Dawgs are coming off a bye week and are set to face Cornersville (1-2) tonight here at John Teeples Field in their home opener.

Led by nine seniors and new head coach Bruce Lamb, Clay County entered their 2022 campaign with high expectations and so far they’ve lived up to the hype.

“Does it put a little pressure on you?  Absolutely!” Lamb said before the kickoff of the season, “but I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

The talented Bulldog senior class includes Alec Kerr, Joseph Marcom, Jimmy Burchett, Keaton Arms, Levi Garrett, Hunter Kyle, John Hamilton, Stone Lynn, and Ricardo McElroy.

“They give you everything they’ve got on every play, good leadership, and those guys are the core of this team,” Lamb said.

Clay County traveled to Cornersville last year and beat the other Bulldog team 38-12 on the road.

Cornersville lost 31-20 to Richland (2-0) in Week 1 and fell to Forrest (2-1) by a score of 23-6 the week after, before notching their first win last Friday night 24-0 over Huntland (0-2).

They finished with a record of 9-3 last season, with their other two losses coming to Fayetteville, who finished at 11-2, and 14-1 McKenzie—2021’s Class A runner-up.

Like McKenzie, Cornersville also won silver balls in 2017 and 2018.

Following Cornersville, the Dawgs will host Jo Byrns next week, before a trip to Westmoreland (9/23) follows and another away game at Red Boiling Springs comes next (9/30), both prior to hosting Scott County (10/7).

A voyage to Grundy County is set for October 14, before the Dawgs finish out the season with a two-game home stand with York (Oct. 21) and Gordonsville (Oct. 28).

Though there are some tough opponents mixed in, all eyes are squarely placed on the regular season finale, which again is expected to serve as the region title game.

“That’s our goal,” Lamb said.  “We want to win the region title.

“You win the region, the State Championship goes through Celina, TN and that’s what we want it to do.”

Hear Lamb’s thoughts on Cornersville and much more on the Horizon Sports Network’s broadcast of tonight’s game beginning at 6 p.m. with the Carquest Pregame Show.