After not playing for nearly a month, Greene County defeated Washington-Wilkes with a dramatic win.
The Tigers from Greensboro needed some late-game theatrics on their final possession of the game. They put together a scoring drive, which was capped off by senior running back Amari Durham’s one-yard touchdown with 3:22 left. On the ensuing drive, senior safety Steve Miller, who recently flipped his commitment to USC, intercepted his second pass to secure the 28-21 win.
“Obviously, playing one game in 28 days took a toll on us. I think we started off rusty on both sides of the ball,” Greene County head coach Terrance Banks said. “I’m very proud that in the fourth quarter, we established ourselves with the game on the line. We knew what we had to do. We pushed the ball down the field on offense, and then on defense, we got a key interception to ice it.”
With the game on the line, Banks saw his players’ resiliency, which helped lead the team to the big win.
“I think we knew the goals that we set for ourselves, and they knew a loss would have derailed much of that,” he said. “They were trying to handle business to keep those dreams for the season alive.”
In the first quarter, Miller took a direct snap and rushed for a short touchdown, putting Greene County in the lead. Miller also recorded his first interception in the first quarter, picking off Washington-Wilkes quarterback Tamari Curry. Regardless, the home Tigers took a quick lead with a score, but it didn’t last long. It was back-and-forth, with the teams notched at 14-14 at the half.
Greene County took a 21-14 advantage late in the third quarter, but Washington-Wilkes responded by tying it up. The score remained deadlocked until Durham’s score late in the fourth quarter.
The visiting Tigers relied on their run game all night to carry the offense. They rushed for a team total of 265 yards, scoring four touchdowns, with a strong effort from Durham and junior Travez Gibson.
Durham rushed for 136 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns, his second being the most important. Gibson added 91 yards via the ground on 21 rush attempts and reached the end zone once.
Banks credited the offensive line for paving the way for the team’s ground game to succeed.
“The offensive line deserves the credit,” Banks said. “They’re the real heroes.”
Defensively, Greene County forced several turnovers, mainly by Miller. But the visiting Tigers also made it hard for Washington-Wilkes to run the ball. They totaled 10 tackles for loss in the close win.
Laryous Burt was a force in the backfield, totaling nine tackles and two stops for a loss. Tamari Roberts and RJ Monford each had eight tackles, with Kevin Wynn adding five and three tackles for loss.
“We made a few mistakes but played well on both sides of the ball,” Banks said. “The defense got to eat.”
Next up for Greene County (6-1, 1-0 Class A Division II Region 8) is rival Lake Oconee Academy (5-3, 0-2). This will be the first meeting between the No. 6 Tigers and Titans. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.