The wait is finally over.
The two schools in Greensboro on Highway 44 – Greene County and Lake Oconee Academy – will meet for the first time on the gridiron at Tiger Stadium on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
The impact of this rivalry game means a lot to each team — bragging rights and, most importantly, playoff seeding. The Tigers (6-1, 1-0) are tied for second in the Class A Division II Region 8 standings. The Titans (5-3, 0-2) are in fifth, as the top four seeds get a postseason berth.
Greene County is coming off an exciting 28-21 win over rival Washington-Wilkes. The Tigers are riding a three-game winning streak after losing to rival Morgan County, now ranked No. 2 in Class AA.
Lake Oconee Academy started the season 5-0 but has lost its last three games, two of which were region losses. The Titans desperately need a win this Friday to get back into the playoff picture.
Greene County head coach Terrance Banks doesn’t want his players to overlook LOA. He acknowledged how he’s preached humility in practice the last few weeks and knows it will be a fight.
“I think the biggest thing is that LOA plays hard. They do multiple things well and don’t quit,” Banks said. “And I mean, look, it is what it is. They will be very excited to play us on Friday night. They’ve been able to get wins and have a lot of success this year. We will be getting their best effort.”
Lake Oconee Academy head coach Patrick Stewart knows about Greene County’s star-studded roster, which includes two Division I prospects: Florida State commit Kevin Wynn and USC pledge Steve Miller.
“We looked a lot at them during the bye week. They’ve got Juju [Kevin Wynn], RJ [Monford], and Steve [Miller]. They’ve also got athletes they try to [spread the ball] around to,” Stewart said. “We’ve got to plan for that. They’re a well-coached team full of athletes; we must have a great plan.”
Friday’s matchup also means a lot to the community. These two schools are 8.2 miles apart, a 13-minute drive along Highway 44 in Greensboro. So, bragging rights would mean a lot to each team.
Greene County and Lake Oconee Academy compete against each other in many other sports, but this will be the first matchup on the gridiron. Players on each team have been competing against each other for years since their youth days, so there’s a lot on the line for players on both sidelines.
“Man, we could go into next week with a lot of fire,” Stewart said.
Banks agreed.
“I think it will be a fun one at Tiger Stadium,” Banks said.