GREENE COUNTY
Greene County lost a heartbreaker last Friday against defending state champion Bowdon on the road. The Red Devils trailed for most of the game but took a 28-23 lead with under a minute left.
However, the Tigers didn’t go down easy as they marched down the field and tried to retake the lead.
The final play came down to a controversial call, which didn’t go in Greene County’s favor.
Senior wide receiver Chris Lowe caught a pass from quarterback Steve Miller near the goal line, and it appeared to have broken the plane, but the referees ruled him short. The Tigers didn’t have time to run another play as the clock ran out, and their season ended in the second round of the playoffs.
Greene County held a 23-14 lead late in the third, but Bowndon put together a comeback in the fourth. The Red Devils running attack was too much for the Tigers to handle in the last two quarters.
Senior quarterback Kyler McGrinn powered the Red Devils to victory. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound signal caller rushed for two late touchdowns in the fourth quarter to get his team back into the game.
Greene County’s defense had trouble stopping McGrinn all night long. McGrinn rushed for a total of 182 yards on 29 attempts and scored all four of the Red Devils’ touchdowns this past Friday.
The Tigers’ defensive front of four-star prospect Kevin Wynn, South Carolina State commit Dayshaun Copeland, and Ja’Marion Evans had all they could handle against Bowdon’s offensive line.
The Red Devils did a great job of keeping Greene County guessing.
Whether it be a jet sweep or counter with senior Jordan Beasley or a quarterback- designed run with McGrinn, they picked up yards.
Bowdon picked up yardage through the air on several third downs as well. McGrinn passed for 79 yards on 4-of-10 attempts, with completions to Beasley and senior pass-catcher Mason Daniel.
In the first quarter, Greene County held a 7-0 lead before Miller threw an interception, and the Red Devils then tied it up. McGrinn scored from the 1-yard line on a quarterback keeper to even it up.
The Tigers’ running game got going in the second quarter, led by junior Armari Durham and sophomore Travez Gibson. They each had productive runs as Greene County led 16-14 at the half.
However, Bowdon’s defense settled in and limited Greene County to seven points in the second half.
The Red Devils loaded the box and the Tigers’ offense was one-dimensional. They couldn’t manage to find a solution as Bowdon’s defense suffocated their run-game during the last two quarters.
The Tigers competed until the final whistle but fell just short against a battle-tested Bowdon team.
While the loss hurts, Greene County had a successful campaign in head coach Terrance Banks’ second year. The Tigers finished the season with a 10-2 overall record and a 4-1 mark in region play.
Greene County’s double-digit win season was the first since 2005 when the program went 13-1 and lost in the semifinals. The Tigers also won a state playoff game for the first time in five years.
In Banks’ first season, Greene County went 6-5 and placed second in the region standings, but lost in the first round. So, it’s safe to say that the Tigers have vastly improved in a short amount of time.