Greene County will look to put its season-opening loss behind it Friday night when it hosts Wilkinson County.
In their Aug. 21 rivalry matchup against Putnam County, the Tigers struggled offensively, finishing with only 76 total yards in a 21-0 shutout defeat.
Despite the result, head coach Chris MacFarland saw positives in his team’s first game, particularly on defense.
“Obviously, it’s not the result you wanted, but there were some positives,” MacFarland said. “Defensively, I thought we played very well.”
Greene County’s defense surrendered 231 rushing yards and three touchdowns to the War Eagles, but MacFarland said the unit was repeatedly put in difficult situations and continued to respond.
“It was a bend-but-don’t-break type of night, and the defense was put in some bad spots, but they kept coming back,” MacFarland said. “That’s what we’re asking them to do — just never quit and keep going.”
Offensively, penalties, turnovers and inexperience hurt the Tigers’ ability to sustain drives. One of their better opportunities came late in the game, but quarterback Brody Moreno was intercepted at the Putnam County 1-yard line, ending the drive and a chance to get on the scoreboard.
“Offensively, a lot of nerves,” MacFarland said. “We had a lot of first-time kids really not play to their ability because they’re just unsure right now. And the more we rep, the more we practice, the more we keep putting them into situations, the better they’re going to get.”
There were some bright spots in the rushing attack.
Senior JaQuez Hull carried eight times for 37 yards, while sophomore Johnathan “PJ” Lawrence added 31 yards on seven carries. Both backs provided some of Greene County’s most consistent offensive production.
MacFarland believes the two can give the Tigers a dependable one-two punch.
“It’s nice to have that little one-two punch,” he said. “They both do different things, but they’re both very consistent.”
That rushing attack could be important Friday against a Wilkinson County defense that struggled to stop the run in its opener. The Warriors fell 45-13 to ACE Charter on Aug. 21, allowing 256 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
For Greene County, the focus this week is on correcting mistakes, particularly penalties and turnovers.
“We’ve got to eliminate mistakes,” MacFarland said. “There were two or three first downs that we got and the next play we had a penalty and put you behind the sticks. We had turnovers. Those are always going to be drive killers and usually end up being why you lose a football game.”
The Tigers will also continue developing their offensive line. MacFarland believes a stronger rushing attack will eventually create opportunities in the passing game through play action.
“We’re just going to keep building that,” he said. “The more we run, the easier it’s going to get for us to develop a passing game because play action and those kind of things will start working themselves out.”
While Wilkinson County brings plenty of athleticism, MacFarland said the biggest priority is getting Greene County ready to execute.
“They’ve got good athletes; their quarterback is very athletic, and he throws the ball pretty well,” MacFarland said. “For us, though, it’s more about getting ourselves ready.”
MacFarland believes the jump from Game 1 to Game 2 can be significant, especially for a team with several players experiencing varsity football for the first time.
“I think the greatest improvement every year is from Game 1 to Game 2,” MacFarland said. “The first time we get a chance to put pads on and play in a live game, with everything being special teams and live, you can make a lot of adjustments from that.”
Now, the Tigers will have a chance to put those adjustments into action on their home field.
“I expect them to take on that challenge, and I think we’ll have a great week of practice and move forward,” MacFarland said.