Greene County secured a playoff spot with a 27-7 win over crosstown rival Lake Oconee Academy on Oct. 24.
The Tigers (2-8) are the No. 4 seed from Region 8 in Class A Division II and will face No. 1 Early County (7-3) in the first round this Friday in Blakely. The Bobcats won the Region 1 championship and are ranked No. 8 in Class A Division II, per the Georgia High School Football Daily poll. They’re the favorites in this matchup.
After the win over LOA, Greene County head coach Darius Robinson was excited about securing a playoff spot.
“No matter what happens in life, we’ve got to respond. So we got kicked in the teeth. I was down in the dumps. Everybody was,” Robinson said. “But the sun came out the next day, and we had to be prepared as coaches.”
Greene County closed out the regular season on Oct. 31 with a 42-0 loss to rival Lincoln County, the No. 1-ranked team in Class A Division II and the champion from Region 8. However, the Tigers have since moved on and completely shifted their focus to Early County. They’ve had two weeks to prepare for the Bobcats.
Early County started the season 0-2, with losses to bigger schools in Westover and LaGrange, but won seven of its last eight to finish 7-3. The Bobcats’ only other loss was to Eufaula, a playoff team in Alabama’s Class 5A.
The strength of this year’s Early County team is its offense. The Bobcats are averaging 31.4 points per game. The Tigers have already faced several high-powered offenses this season and are giving up 40.5 points per game.
Early County is a run-first team, led by senior running back Devonis Lee. The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder has rushed for 1,167 yards on 120 carries with 17 touchdowns this year. He’s averaging 9.7 yards per carry and 116.7 yards a game. Lee isn’t the only Bobcats’ playmaker the Tigers’ defense should have their eyes on, though.
Early County senior quarterback Evan Grist is a dual-threat. He’s passed for only 431 yards and six touchdowns with one interception, but is the team’s second-leading rusher. Grist has totaled 784 rushing yards on 89 attempts with 11 touchdowns. Grist gets the tough yardage, averaging almost nine yards a carry.
The Bobcats also rely on Kobe Lingo, Jalen Mayes, and Kayden Kendrix on the offensive side of the ball.
Greene County has struggled against the run this season and must contain Early County’s quintet of skill players.
Early County’s defensive unit has improved as the season has progressed. The Bobcats are only giving up an average of 16.5 points per game. They’ve held opponents to 20 points or less in six of their seven wins this year.
Greene County’s offensive line must hold up against an Early County defensive front that has totaled 61 tackles for loss and 30 sacks this season. The Bobcats love to get after the quarterback and disrupt the run game.
The Tigers have been inconsistent on offense, averaging 14.5 points per game this season. Senior quarterback Landon Garretson must avoid pressure and get the ball to his playmakers in space against Early County.
It helps that Greene County has senior running back Travez Gibson back in the fold after he missed the first half of the season. He’s been a big boost for the Tigers offensively and has provided a spark when they needed it most.
Regardless of the result of Friday’s game, Robinson is happy to be in the postseason conversation.
“Kids had to go to work and look up, and now we’re in the playoffs,” Greene County’s head coach said. “And when we started the season, no one probably predicted that. But we're here now, and we're thankful for it.”
Early County and Greene County will kick off at Standifer Field in Blakely at 7:30 p.m. this Friday.