Murphy football's Cameron Clem will miss season opener vs. Franklin with hamstring injury

Murphy football star running back Cameron Clem is out for its season opener against Franklin on Aug. 21 after tweaking his hamstring last week, Murphy coach Joseph Watson told the Citizen Times.

His absence is a big blow to the No. 5 Bulldogs as they come off a state championship game appearance and face No. 4 Franklin in a top-five matchup.

Clem has been one of Western North Carolina's top running backs since he was a freshman. He rushed for 1,831 yards and 30 touchdowns on 177 carries, with 1,146 of those yards coming during Murphy's playoff run.

The Bulldogs will likely turn to running back Blake Davis in Clem's absence. He ran for 740 yards and five touchdowns on 72 carries.

Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Murphy football's Cameron Clem will miss season opener vs. Franklin with hamstring injury