RINGGOLD, Ga. — In the school’s young existence, North Murray High seems to be already making its own traditions.

The Mountaineers picked up momentum in the second half Friday to defeat Ringgold for the second time in school history 14-7, giving coach Preston Poag two-of-three wins in his third year at the helm.

“This is definitely a rivalry,” Poag said. “It’s always two good teams.”

Pong admitted though his team has now topped the Tigers two years in a row, it wasn’t how he expected the game to play out. With senior quarterbacks starting for both teams, the game could have easily been fleshed out through the air.

But going into halftime, the game was scoreless.

“They are both really good offenses, but we said all week that the defense would win it,” Poag said. “ You would never think it would be like this.”

North Murray scored its two touchdowns starting with a 12-yard run from D’Ante Tidwell late in the third quarter. Early in the fourth, Mountaineers quarterback Preston Poag Jr. found Ladd McConkey for a 40-yard strike.

The momentum was just what they needed.

“I felt our team was just doing so much better than (Ringgold),” North Murray receiver Will Campbell said.

Just as the Mountaineers pushed a Ringgold three-and-out after pulling the 14-0 lead, Campbell patted Poag Jr. on the shoulder and gave him a few words of encouragement.

“Let’s do it again,” he said.

Campbell ended the night with five catches for 75 yards, as his counterpart McConkey caught five balls for 111 yards and his one touchdown.

Tidwell finished with 15 carries for 106 yards.

With the Mountaineers leading with confidence, the clock was ticking down for Ringgold. It was left with about five minutes to come up with two scores. That didn’t happen, unfortunately, coach Robert Akins said.

“They just outplayed us,” he said. “We were behind the sticks all night and could not get our route combinations together. They shut us down just like this last year. We had to push to get it tied up, but we didn’t.”

Poag Jr. won the battle of two veteran quarterbacks, finishing 10-for-12 passing with 194 yards and one interception. Ringgold signal-caller Cole Kibler finished 13-for-28 with 120 yards and one interception. He scored the Tigers’ only touchdown on a 1-yard run.

As North Murray approaches its 10th year next fall, it wouldn’t bother Campbell to keep building up the traditions.

“I just believe in everybody on our team, and I just want us to keep winning like we are now,” he said. “I expect big things out of us coming up.”

The win gives North Murray a 1-0 start in Region 6-3A and improves its record to 2-1. The Mountaineers host Calhoun next Friday.

“They are a powerhouse, and we just have to have a good week of practice,” coach Poag said. “We’ll just have to see what happens.”

Ringgold (1-2, 0-1) travels to Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe next week.