Greene County improved to 2-0 on the season with a 36-0 rout of Twiggs County this past week.
The Tigers relied heavily on their ground game and dominant defense against the Cobras on the road.
Greene head coach Terrance Banks thought his team did better this week at executing the “small things.”
“I think the number-one thing was just the fact that it was a chance to get better at the small things,” Banks said. “I think that means offensively, we were able to run the ball for over 255 yards, and defensively, we only gave up 37 yards [to Twiggs County]. I think that was big for us as a team.”
The Tigers jumped on Twiggs County from the start of the contest and held a 21-0 lead at the half. Their dominance on both sides of the ball continued into the second half to secure the win.
Greene’s Travez Gibson was a force to be reckoned with on the ground. The junior running back led the Tigers in rushing with 125 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns last Friday against the Cobras. His partner in crime, senior Amari Durham, added 86 yards on the ground and a pair of scores.
The two tailbacks combined for 176 yards and a touchdown in a win over Putnam County in week one.
Banks is excited about Gibson and Durham’s high-level execution through the first two weeks of the regular season. He said they’ve made the transition for new quarterback Landon Garretson easy.
“Well, last season, they combined for over 1,800 [rushing yards], and it’s great to have both of them back,” Banks said. “Having them back for a young man like Landon, who has only started two games, is great. He has the safety of handing it off to two running backs who can help get the ground game started. I think that’s been huge for us, and I know it’s been a boon for Landon as well.”
Garretson also had a solid outing, completing 10 of 13 passes for 111 yards, a touchdown, and a pick. His favorite target was wide receiver Kalil Dorsey, who had six catches for 53 yards and a score late in the second half to ice the game.
Defensively, Greene was dominant, with its front seven never allowing Twiggs’ running game to take off.
Senior defensive tackle Kevin Wynn, a Florida State commit, created chaos in the Cobras’ backfield. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound four-star racked up five tackles, including a sack and a forced fumble.
Senior outside linebacker Laryous Burt, the star of Greene’s first win, also made several big-time stops.
Banks credited Wynn, Burt, and sophomore middle linebacker MJ Peek for helping stop the run.
“We were worried about a drop on that defensive line when we lost Dayshaun Copeland and Jamarion Evans, two young men that signed scholarships, but to get what we’ve gotten from Laryous Burt and MJ Peek has made up for those losses,” he said. “We knew about Juju (Kevin Wynn) but thought about who the others would be. So far, they’ve played very, very well together.”
Senior safety Steve Miller, a Mississippi State commit, grabbed an interception. He and fellow senior defensive back Ivan Porter didn’t allow any balls over the top, playing primarily to stop the run.
Banks said he would be remiss if he didn’t mention how pivotal Miller and Porter have been in the secondary.
“Ivan [Porter] hasn’t lit up the stat sheet, but his plays have been huge for us,” he said. “He and Steve [Miller] are two young men who have been big for us defensive-wise this year.”
Greene’s next game will be on the road this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Haralson County (1-1) in Tallapoosa.