With high school football summer practices in full swing, the Lake Oconee News is doing a series breaking down the schedules for Morgan County, Greene County, and Lake Oconee Academy. This week, it’s the Greene County Tigers.
Greene County is trending in the right direction after a successful 2023 season under coach Terrance Banks.
With many starters returning this year, the Tigers are primed for more success, but they face a tough schedule.
Greene County’s 2024 schedule includes six non-region games and four region contests. The Tigers are also set to play several teams that made the state playoffs last season and will be tested every week of the year.
“We’ve got a very strong schedule this year and are looking to go 1-0 every week,” Banks said. “Our guys have been working hard all summer, preparing for the upcoming season. We can’t wait.”
Greene County begins its 2024 season with six straight non-region games. The Tigers will host Putnam County in the opener but will have three consecutive road games at Twiggs County, Haralson County, and Morgan County. On Sept. 13, they will return home to host Laney, followed by Miller Grove the next week.
Banks is excited for his players to face rivals Putnam County and Morgan County. The Tigers haven’t played the War Eagles or Bulldogs in the same year since 2019, when Larry Milligan was head coach.
“Depending on who you talk to, one rival is bigger than the other. For the older generation, Putnam County is our biggest rival. For the younger generation, it’s Morgan County,” Banks said. “Regardless, it’s a cool opportunity for my guys to compete against guys they grew up with. Putnam and Morgan are both good teams and made the playoffs last season. These games will mean something, and we are excited about them.”
The other remaining non-region contests on Greene County’s schedule – Haralson County, Laney, and Miller Grove – will mean just as much.
The Rebels, Wildcats, and Wolverines promise to provide some strong competition.
Greene County’s region schedule begins at home against Warren County on Oct. 4, followed by a road matchup with Washington-Wilkes the following Friday. The Tigers will host crosstown opponent Lake Oconee Academy the next week before traveling to face rival Lincoln County on Nov. 1 to end the regular season.
During the most recent GHSA reclassification, Class A Division II’s Region 8 lost last season’s league champion, Aquinas, which moved to Class AAA. Towns County also chose not to play a varsity schedule this year.
So, Greene County, which finished behind Aquinas in the standings last season, is a favorite to win the region.
“We don’t want to think about that, though, especially because our region will still be very good,” Banks said.
Washington-Wilkes and Lincoln County are two teams Banks thinks could be his squad’s biggest threat to win the region. However, the Tigers’ head coach doesn’t want to rule out Lake Oconee Academy or Warren County.
“Washington-Wilkes and Lincoln County are two teams that we beat last season, and we know they’re going to be coming for us,” he said. “Warren County had a few tough seasons the past few years but will be ready for us. And I know LOA will be a huge game, and they’ll also be looking to knock us off.”