Football Recap: Huntland Starts Season with Victory on the Road

Huntland had to travel to play their first game of the season, but the final result was worth the trip. They came out on top against the Whitwell Tigers by a score of 24-14 on Friday. For the Hornets, this counts as revenge for the 27-0 win the Tigers walked away with the last time they faced one another back in August of 2024.

Grant Jernigan

Rushing Yards (Career)

08/22/25 @ Whitwell	115
11/08/24 @ McEwen	53
08/30/24 @ Grundy County	43
10/25/24 @ Cornersville	42
11/01/24 vs Collinwood	40

Leading Huntland to victory were Grant Jernigan and Bryant Mooney. Jernigan rushed for 115 yards and one TD on only eight carries, while Mooney rushed for 115 yards and one touchdown on only 13 carries. Those 115 rushing yards gave Jernigan a new career-high.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Huntland was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 308 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 179 rushing yards in four consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Whitwell's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Adam McDougal, who picked up 112 receiving yards and one score. McDougal also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, forcing one fumble, making four total tackles, and defending one pass.

Coming up, Huntland will be playing at home against Forrest on Friday. As for Whitwell, they are packing up and heading out on the road for their first away game of the season: they will face off against Bledsoe County at 8:00 p.m. on Friday.