The Terrance Banks era as head coach at GCHS got out to a great start on Friday night.
The Tigers defeated the B.E.S.T. Academy as they were able to overcome a slow start offensively and play sound defense to secure the victory over the Eagles.
“The credit goes to our defense. Hopefully, that will be our calling card,” Banks said. “They played great and gave up the one touchdown, but we had about seven sacks.”
According to Banks, Tigers’ sophomore Kevin ‘JuJu’ Wynn “wreaked havoc” on B.E.S.T quarterback Khylen Harris-Norman all night long. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound defensive lineman was credited with three sacks and two tackles for loss against the Eagles.
Greene County also saw contributions on defense from Dayshawn Copeland, who did a “great job of controlling the middle,” Banks added. He also gave credit to senior Arkiyus Wright and freshman Jailen Ruff for coming up with “huge interceptions.”
“I think that was all big for us. Our defensive line was able to create havoc,” Banks said. “That forced B.E.S.T. to throw the ball after we shut down the run. We were able to get some early interceptions. That kind of steadied us until the offense was able to get it going.”
The end of the first quarter was scoreless between the Tigers and Eagles. The two programs were feeling each other out in the opening minutes, but a fumble in Greene County’s favor changed the outcome of the contest at the 7:31 mark in the second quarter.
The Tigers faced a 4th-and-long, deep in their own territory, and brought out the punt unit. 2021 All-Region selection Quay Burdette sent a booming kick deep inside B.E.S.T territory. The returner muffed the ball, which was recovered by Greene County.
Senior running back Malik West would score two plays later on a nine-yard rush. He took the handoff from quarterback Steve Miller and bounced outside, evading Eagles’ defenders. That put the Tigers up a score with 6:49 remaining in the second quarter.
West would find the end zone again at the 4:39 mark of the third quarter. He punched in his second score of the game from six yards out, which extended Greene County’s lead to double-digits. The Tigers led 14-0 after they made an extra point.
The Eagles would go three-and-out on the next drive as Greene County’s defense continued to wreak havoc. The Tigers were able to continue to pressure Harris-Norman as he struggled. They took over on the B.E.S.T. 31-yard line after a botched punt.
Greene County piled onto its lead on the ensuing drive. Miller connected with wide receiver Javaris Harris for an eight-yard score a few plays later, which put the Tigers up three scores. They led 21-0 following the PAT with 1:05 remaining in the third quarter.
The Eagles finally got on the board late in the fourth quarter as Harris-Norman linked up with Kwevion Harris for a score. However, Greene County would respond as Miller connected with Harris again, but this time for a 27-yard strike for a touchdown.
“Steve (Miller) had some struggles early on but didn’t make any mistakes. He wanted to play well,” Banks said.
“Once he was able to calm down, he was able to be himself and play free. We’ve also got great running backs. Malik (West) had our first two touchdowns.
When Steve was able to see what the defense was doing, he was able to go from there. He threw two touchdowns to Javaris (Harris), which was big for us.”
The Tigers dominated B.E.S.T. in all facets of the game. This win was a huge confidence boost for them as they get set to face rival Morgan County on Friday in Madison.
Banks pointed out that he’s trying to teach his current players what he preached at Meadowcreek and Newton County - his previous two head coaching stops - which is to “never back down.”
“I told our kids that teams who win in November have to take bus rides,” Banks said in reference to the long trip on Friday. “That’s what it’s all about. My calling card as a head coach is, ‘We don’t run from anybody.’ I don’t care who it is. If the Atlanta Falcons call for a game, we’re going to have to play them, too. So, that’s the mentality I want these boys to have, which is that Greene County doesn’t back down from anybody. I told them that they would have to get used to that. That was the mentality that we took on the road trip. Getting them to have to face adversity as much as possible, as early as possible; will carry them in the long run. Whether that’s this season or the next season. Whenever they face it again, they’ll understand.”