GREENE COUNTY
Greene County High School recognized its seniors on Friday night before the regular season finale. The Tigers hosted rival Washington-Wilkes in a battle for playoff seeding, and they came away with a 20-10 victory.
After being down 10-7 at halftime, head coach Terrance Banks acknowledged that his team shutting Washington-Wilkes in the second half to secure a 20-10 victory perfectly describes their squad this season.
“This game was a testament to how good our defense is because they did the same things they have been doing all season long,” Banks said. “Tackling and running to the ball with good pursuit and effort. They play for each other, and we haven’t had to change much. The boys are really getting after it and doing what they are coached to do all while executing it on Friday nights.”
The game didn’t start the way Greene County would have hoped.
After a three-and-out for the offense, the Tigers’ defense let Washington-Wilkes march down the field and score a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead.
It wasn’t until the Tigers’ special teams got involved that the black and gold found momentum.
Amari Durham blocked a punt, and the Tigers got the ball back deep in Washington-Wilkes territory. A few plays later, Durham found the end zone with the team’s first touchdown of the game.
After giving up a field goal, Greene County tried to tie the game up at the half with a 50-yard field goal from Cristian Reyes. The attempt fell short but Banks emphasized the importance of special teams as they head into the playoffs.
“I think his field goal range is 50 yards, and he regularly hits that in practice,” Banks said. “No doubt, it’s different to do it with pressure in your face and there’s a rush coming, but he has a big leg. That was about seeing what the kid can do, and it’s big for the team because a lot of times in high school football, you feel like you have to score a touchdown on every drive, but not us. We feel like if we can get him anywhere close, we’re comfortable with him kicking it.”
One of the most underrated position groups for the Tigers also showed up last Friday, as they have been most of the season.
Greene County’s offensive line opened up holes for its running backs and the Tigers then moved the ball successfully.
Banks highlighted how much that group means to the offense and understands their play will be crucial going forward.
“Their impact is huge, and I think that’s the only way to describe it,” Banks said. “I think we’ve rushed for over 2,000 yards, and that means we’re getting about 200 yards on the ground every time we play, on average. You can’t speak to how much that means for the offense, and this is high school football. When you can run the ball well, you can throw it when you want to and not when you have to make a huge difference. Four of the five started last year, and now it’s three because of injuries, but I can’t speak enough on how they play together.”
The Tigers are back in the state playoffs after an unexpected first-round exit last season. They enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed and will host No. 4 seed Hancock County this Friday.