Greene County’s Laryous Burt did a little of everything in the Tigers’ 28-20 win over rival Putnam County last Friday.
Burt had two touchdowns – a fumble return for six and a receiving score – and nine tackles, including a sack.
Burt, whose primary sport is basketball, didn’t want to take all the credit. He also wants to keep working hard.
“It’s amazing. We got the win at the end of the day,” he said. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do. I’m proud of our team. We’ve got a lot more to do. Tonight showed I can do a lot. Not just basketball but football as well.”
Greene head coach Terrance Banks was proud of Burt.
“He’s our secret weapon. I don’t think a lot of people know about him. They know about his basketball acumen,” Banks said. “I think if he gets a few more games like this, some people will be looking at him for football because that first step is tremendous. The sacks and the huge touchdown he caught was a thing of beauty.”
Putnam scored on the game’s opening possession in two plays to take an early lead. However, midway through the first quarter, Burt recovered a fumble and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 6-6. The Tigers successfully went for two and converted it, taking an 8-6 lead with 3:50 left in the first quarter.
“All I saw was open field,” Burt said. “It was a big-time play.”
Midway through the second quarter, Greene defensive tackle Kevin Wynn blocked a Putnam field goal attempt. And on the next War Eagles’ possession, Burt sacked quarterback Jamarion Robertson on third down.
Burt’s sack led to Greene running back Armari Durham rushing for a 72-yard gain. A few plays later, wide receiver Steve Miller took a snap out of the wildcat formation and tossed a touchdown to RJ Monford in the flat.
Greene held a 15-14 lead at the half. The Tigers lost a fumble to start the third quarter, setting up Robertson for an easy score after a pair of tough runs by Rashod Daniel. They still led 15-14 with 9:40 left in the third quarter.
Things went from bad to worse for Greene when Putnam recovered an onside kick, but its defense held firm on fourth down a few plays later. The Tigers scored on the next offensive possession, extending their lead.
Burt revived Greene’s momentum as he hauled in a 12-yard score from Garretson, giving Greene a 21-14 lead.
The Tigers extended their lead to two scores when Garretson found Miller in the corner of the end zone for six. However, the War Eagles scored late as Robinson found Daniel for a 56-yard passing score with 1:57 left.
Greene recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock, solidifying the 28-20 win over Putnam.
“Man, it’s a rivalry. This happens every time we play Putnam. It’s a physical battle,” Banks said. “These kids stay next door to each other. It’s a small community, and we knew it would be a fight. For us, I wanted my boys to know last year, we were the hunters, and now we’re the hunted. Everybody wants a [piece of us] this year.”