The Greene County boys basketball team’s season came to a heartbreaking end Feb. 27, as the Tigers fell 56-55 to top-seeded Mitchell County in the first round of the GHSA Class A Division II state tournament.
The No. 4 seed Tigers grabbed a 55-53 lead with less than 15 seconds remaining, but the Eagles responded with a go-ahead three-pointer from sophomore Jadarian Hudson. Greene County attempted to inbound the ball on the ensuing possession, but Mitchell County fans stormed the floor before the Tigers could run another play, and time expired.
Head coach Mark Wright reflected on the chaotic final sequence after the game.
“It’s a little off-putting,” Wright said. “… We were up 55-52 with about 14 seconds left after Keith Hall hit a huge shot, but then we got a technical foul immediately. Mitchell County made one of two free throws to cut it to 55-53. Then they got the ball to a guard who’s a non-shooter, and he came down and shot a three with two guys in his face. He made it with 3.8 seconds left. The fans then stormed the floor, and we didn’t get a chance to inbound the ball. I was out of timeouts, and the refs just ran off the court.”
Despite the bitter finish, Wright commended his team’s resilience and growth throughout the season.
“This group played with heart; they never wavered, and they never changed their attitude,” Wright said. “We had only eight of 29 games with a full roster, so we faced a lot of adversity. Through it all, the kids never played the blame game, they never got too low — they came to practice and games ready to compete every day.”
Wright also emphasized developing his younger players, saying the experience they gained this season will be invaluable moving forward. He highlighted the progress of Hall, Ethan Wright, Qua Williams, and Klemonta Riley as key pieces for the future.
“These younger guys got a taste of varsity basketball and how to handle adverse situations,” Wright said. “They didn’t falter — they performed and produced. That’s promising for the future.”
Greene County had just three seniors — Jordan Knox, Dontriel Grable, and Gavin Brown — but returns a solid core next season. Wright is optimistic about what lies ahead.
“We’ve got a lot returning, and this experience will make them stronger,” he said. “We’ll learn from this, grow from it, and come back ready to compete.”
Though the loss was a tough way to close the year, Greene County showed it could compete with one of the state’s best and built a foundation for the future. The Tigers finished the 2025-26 season with a 9-20 overall record.