Greene County had one of its best seasons in recent years and was awarded for its success in 2023.
The Tigers, who went 10-2 and made it to the second round of the Class A Division II state playoffs, had nine players earn All-Region honors for their performances on the field this past season.
Greene County also had two players – junior defensive tackle Kevin “Juju” Wynn and junior quarterback and safety Steve Miller – earn two of Region 8’s highest honors, voted on by other coaches.
Wynn was named Region 8’s Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-foot-2, 320-pound fourstar prospect ended his junior campaign with over 70 tackles, 30.0 tackles for loss, and three sacks in 12 games.
Miller was named Region 8’s Co-Athlete of the Year. Miller passed for over 1,000 yards and rushed for over 400 yards on offense. Defensively, he had a team-high six interceptions as a junior.
“I couldn’t be more proud of Steve and Juju (Kevin Wynn). They worked hard for those honors,” Greene County head coach Terrance Banks said. “I’m also proud of the seven others that made it.”
Running backs Travez Gibson and Armari Durham earned All-Region offensive honors. Gibson rushed for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. Durham added nearly 700 yards and seven scores.
Gibson and Durham provided a spark for the Tigers’ offense, which was very run-heavy this past year.
“Travez had a great season. For a sophomore to have over 1,000 yards is huge. I’m happy for him. I am excited to see what happens for him in the next two years,” Banks said. “Armari was a first-year varsity player. He was a starter for us at outside linebacker and then to come over and get nearly 650 rushing yards, that’s huge, too. Armari had some meaningful games for us in the region.”
Three other Tigers – wide receiver BJ Mullens, as well as offensive linemen Jay’Shaun Jernigan and Jaxson Lawrence – all earned All-Region offensive honors as well. All three were seniors in 2023.
Defensively, senior defensive end Dayshaun Copeland, senior defensive tackle Jamarion Evans, junior linebacker RJ Monford, and senior defensive back Chris Lowe earned All-Region honors.
Wynn, Copeland, and Evans were the anchors of Greene County’s defensive line. The Tigers’ defensive front was hard to run on. The massive trio combined for over 9.0 sacks and 50 tackles for loss.
“In most regions, Dayshaun Copeland would be up for Region Player of the Year,” Banks said. “He made All-Region every year he was here. If it wasn’t for Kevin Wynn, we would be talking about Dayshaun as a possible Region Player of the Year. He had a great season. That was our one-two punch with Dayshaun on the edge and Kevin in the middle. Teams had to decide where to run it.”
Monford also contributed to the success on defense, with nearly 60 tackles and six tackles for loss.
“RJ patrolled the middle for us,” Banks added. “Last year as a sophomore, he did so much, but we had two other seniors that season along with Justin Hill. This season, it was just him and Justin. He did a great job of patrolling the middle and also did a great job when we needed him as an outside linebacker to bullrush and get after the quarterback. His versatility was wonderful.”
Finally, Lowe was a stalwart in Greene County’s secondary along with Miller. The senior rotated at cornerback and free safety for the Tigers. Lowe had the team’s second-best five interceptions in 2023.
“We had two guys back there making rounds in the secondary, but Chris was a second-year fulltime starter,” Banks said. “He took over the secondary. Chris was the unsung hero and heart and soul of this team. Everything he brought to the table, especially in the secondary, was great. Very proud.”
Greene County graduates 17 seniors in May but will return a lot of its starters next season. The Tigers begin spring practice in May and will continue summer workouts in June, preparing for 2024.