Fort Knox edges Fort Campbell 29-23 in 50th Army Bowl

Mr. Charles Arnold, Teacher

Sep 28, 2026

DoWEA students compete during 50th Army Bowl high school football game between the Fort Campbell Falcons and Fort Knox Eagles at Fort Campbell on Friday, Sept. 4. Fort Knox defeated Fort Campbell 29-23.

Fort Knox High School beat Fort Campbell High School 29-23 on Friday, Sept. 4, in the 50th Army Bowl, snapping a four-game rivalry losing streak and returning the trophy to Fort Knox.

The annual game is played between the two Department of War Education Activity schools that serve Army families at Fort Knox and Fort Campbell. The series dates to 1974. Fort Campbell still leads the all-time mark 32-18, but the 50th meeting again drew students, families and Soldiers from both posts.

Fort Knox seized the first quarter, building a 20-0 lead after a defensive takeaway and a fast start on offense. Fort Knox’s Ayden McLinton finished with 174 rushing yards and four touchdowns and also led the Eagles in tackles, according to Fort Knox. Quarterback Blake Denton directed the early attack before Fort Knox had to adjust when its starting quarterback left with an injury in the second quarter. Gavin Noopon added a 28-yard field goal. Silas Tilden intercepted a pass and returned it 69 yards, setting up a Fort Knox score. Edmund Laboy added a rushing touchdown.

Fort Campbell answered in the second quarter. A quarterback keeper and a fumble recovery in the end zone cut the deficit to 20-14. A field goal just before halftime made it 20-17. The Falcons tied the game 23-23 in the fourth quarter on a fumble return. Fort Knox answered with a long touchdown run and then stopped Fort Campbell on downs in Eagles territory to close the game.

Fort Campbell Principal Jaime Romero said the matchup matters because the schools matter to their installations. “Just getting them together means a lot to the Army community,” he said.

Fort Campbell head coach Henry Mitchell said the schools have played each other since the 1970s and treat the date accordingly. Fort Knox head coach Nick Covin said before kickoff that he wanted his offense to score in bunches and expected a hard fight. Both staffs spent the night on the same points DoWEA classrooms emphasize every week: fundamentals, discipline and finishing the job when the game tilts.

The Army Bowl is not a playoff. It is a civic habit in two military towns: show up, compete cleanly, stand for the same flag, and remember that the students on both sidelines are growing up in families defined by service. In that sense the 29-23 result was a football score. The 50th meeting was a reminder that DoWEA schools exist to form capable students and grounded citizens—on the field and after the lights go out.

Fort Knox takes the trophy for the first time in several years. The series resumes next fall.