The Battle of the Birds is the annual county rivalry between the Mayfield Cardinals and the Graves County Eagles. The series began in 1993. For years it was played solely at War Memorial Stadium, with the teams switching home sidelines each season. It now alternates between War Memorial and Jay F. Buckley Field at Graves County High School.
28–6
Mayfield–Graves
34
Meetings since 1993
2
Current streak: Mayfield (2025–2026)
9–1
Last 10 meetings
Next meeting: 2027 at War Memorial Stadium.
Streaks and eras
15
Mayfield’s longest streak (2009–2023)
1
Graves’ longest streak (never consecutive)
23–4
Since 2000
5–2
1990s (1993–99)
By the numbers
- Largest Mayfield win
- 48-7 (1995)
- Largest Graves win
- 28-0 (2006)
- Highest-scoring game
- 56-28 in 2012 (84 points)
- Lowest-scoring game
- 10-6 (2001)
- One-possession games
- 4
- Shutouts
- Mayfield 7, Graves 1
- All-time points
- Mayfield 1,027, Graves 451
- Average score
- Mayfield 30.2, Graves 13.3
One-possession games
- 2000 — Mayfield 21-14
- 2001 — Mayfield 10-6
- 2004 — Graves 14-6
- 2024 — Graves 35-28
Decade by decade
Records are Mayfield–Graves. Mayfield swept the 2010s (10–0). Graves has never won consecutive meetings.
| Decade | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s (from 1993) | 5–2 | 7 |
| 2000s | 7–3 | 10 |
| 2010s | 10–0 | 10 |
| 2020s (through 2026) | 6–1 | 7 |
Series notes
- The first Battle of the Birds was in 1993. Graves won 21-9. Mayfield answered the next five years, including shutouts in 1994, 1996, and 1997.
- Early meetings were played at War Memorial Stadium, with the teams switching home sidelines. The series now alternates between War Memorial and Jay F. Buckley Field.
- Mayfield’s longest winning streak is 15 games, from 2009–2023. Graves snapped it with a 35-28 win in 2024, the Eagles’ first Battle of the Birds victory since 2008.
- Mayfield reclaimed the series in 2025 with a 40-7 win at War Memorial, the 33rd Battle of the Birds. The Cardinals followed with a 31-15 win at Graves County in 2026. Mayfield’s largest margins are 41 points: 48-7 in 1995 and 48-7 in 2019.
- Graves has never won consecutive meetings. The Eagles’ six wins came in 1993, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2024. Their largest was 28-0 in 2006, the only time Mayfield has been shut out.
Results are from Mayfield’s season schedules and the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
Year by year
| Year | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Graves | 21-9 |
| 1994 | Mayfield | 28-0 |
| 1995 | Mayfield | 48-7 |
| 1996 | Mayfield | 28-0 |
| 1997 | Mayfield | 35-0 |
| 1998 | Mayfield | 37-6 |
| 1999 | Graves | 38-26 |
| 2000 | Mayfield | 21-14 |
| 2001 | Mayfield | 10-6 |
| 2002 | Mayfield | 23-12 |
| 2003 | Mayfield | 13-3 |
| 2004 | Graves | 14-6 |
| 2005 | Mayfield | 23-0 |
| 2006 | Graves | 28-0 |
| 2007 | Mayfield | 17-0 |
| 2008 | Graves | 29-12 |
| 2009 | Mayfield | 28-13 |
| 2010 | Mayfield | 43-18 |
| 2011 | Mayfield | 21-7 |
| 2012 | Mayfield | 56-28 |
| 2013 | Mayfield | 49-21 |
| 2014 | Mayfield | 21-0 |
| 2015 | Mayfield | 46-14 |
| 2016 | Mayfield | 42-14 |
| 2017 | Mayfield | 45-31 |
| 2018 | Mayfield | 56-21 |
| 2019 | Mayfield | 48-7 |
| 2020 | Mayfield | 24-14 |
| 2021 | Mayfield | 35-21 |
| 2022 | Mayfield | 36-0 |
| 2023 | Mayfield | 42-7 |
| 2024 | Graves | 35-28 |
| 2025 | Mayfield | 40-7 |
| 2026 | Mayfield | 31-15 |