GREENE COUNTY
The Greene County football program has produced multiple star athletes that went on to play the sport for years after high school.
Arkiyus Wright is one of the newest Tigers trying to make it to the next level and has been making a great case to do so.
Wright is a hometown kid who has lived in Greene County his whole life. He started playing football in the early days of his youth, and even though it began as flag football, Wright fell in love with the sport.
The current Greene County senior has played every year since sixth grade, and he loves the sport so much that he’s been willing to push through multiple injuries throughout his career.
Whether it was a tough knee injury or just getting the wind knocked out of him, Wright acknowledged that he has always been able to push through adversity.
“My first tackle football game, I got blindsided by a kid from Jefferson, and came out with bumps and bruises,” Wright said. “Prior to that, I was battling through a knee injury and that was in sixth grade. That’s part of the game, though. I’ve been taking hits.”
The 5-foot-10, 160-pound Wright is an overall athlete who is flexible enough to play almost any position he’s placed at. Currently, Wright plays in the defensive backfield as a safety and rotates on offense at the wide receiver position.
Through five games, Wright is averaging a little over five yards per reception and is tied for second on the team with five tackles a game. He is also tied for the most interceptions on the Tigers’ squad as well.
The versatile senior also helps the Tigers on special teams by returning kickoffs. He is currently averaging almost 10 yards per game returning the ball.
The Tigers have been able to use him effectively on both sides of the field up to this point in the 2022 season, and some of his teammates can confirm.
Malik West and Johnny Kilpatrick are two Greene County players who have known Wright for most of his childhood, so they know what he brings to the table.
“He brings a lot to the defense and has many intangibles,” Kilpatrick said. “He knows a lot about the game, so he can help you out on the field if you’re confused before the play.”
“He’s just a great teammate,” West added. “He makes big-time plays on the field to help us win, and he’s a great friend off the field as well.”
Wright describes himself as a “go-getter” and is always willing to put in the extra work it takes to get better.
During the team’s most recent game against Towns County, Wright scored a touchdown on one of his multiple catches, which earned him Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Greene County head coach Terrance Banks has gotten to watch Wright play first-hand, and he believes he truly embodies what it means to be a Tiger.
“Arkiyus has never complained one time. Every day at practice, he gives great effort in every drill that he does,” Banks said. “His energy and how he finishes on the field is great. He’s also a good student in the classroom with a 3.3 core GPA.”
With just a handful of games left to be played as a Tiger, Wright acknowledged that he wants to play collegiate ball, wherever that may be.
“My goal is really to go to college on a sports or academic scholarship,” Wright said. “I just want to make it to the next level. I’m a hype man and always want to bring the energy [on the defensive side of the ball.]”
Ultimately, Wright wants to put Greene County on the map just as old Tiger legends have in the past. There are a lot of icons that have come out of Greensboro like Josh Nesbitt.
"I really look up to Nesbitt, because he came from Greensboro and came from a similar situation to what I’ve come from," Wright said. "There’s a lot of talent here, and I just want to be on that level [one day.]”
At the end of last March, Wright earned his first collegiate offer from Morehouse College in Atlanta. By the end of the season, his play could result in many more to come.