Class A Division II's No. 6 ranked Greene County easily defeated Class AA opponent Miller Grove, topping the Wolverines 33-0 Saturday afternoon in Greensboro.
The Tigers improved to 5-1 overall as they closed out non-region play.
Greene head coach Terrance Banks said he was proud of his team, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
“I can’t speak to how the boys handled the adversity of the week and the storm, practicing and dealing with all that stuff, and we were the more prepared and focused team on Saturday,” Banks said. “I think it showed, especially defensively. It wasn’t anything special. We did what the defense has been doing all year and executed at a high level. I’m proud of the way we handled things.”
The Wolverines never got anything going offensively. The Tigers’ defense held them to just five first downs and 85 yards of offense. Greene dominated the entire game, resulting in their first shutout.
They also created turnovers, with senior defensive back and Mississippi State commit Steve Miller grabbing an interception, stalling out an important Wolverines’ possession. The Tigers’ defense also forced several turnovers on downs, leading to their offense scoring on the far end of the field.
Senior defensive lineman Kevin Wynn, a Florida State commit, was dominant in helping stop the run. Senior linebackers Laryous Burt and RJ Monford helped plug the gaps and made big-time plays, too.
Offensively, Greene was sparked by its solid ground game, which rushed for over 300 yards. The Tigers stalled out on two drives inside the red zone, but beyond that, played a clean game.
Junior tailback Travez Gibson rushed for two touchdowns. Seniors Amari Durham and Doremus Alexander rushed for one score each via the ground, but all three helped move the chains effectively. Junior quarterback Landon Garretson tossed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Miller, who also plays wideout.
“The mentality from those three guys (Gibson, Durham, and Alexander) and Landon played well. It was the mentality, man,” Banks said. “Coaches are never 100 percent happy, but I thought the effort we played with was phenomenal. It was a split effort [on offense]. It was a testament to how we played.”
Miller Grove never stood a chance, with Greene dominating in all facets of the game for four quarters.
Greene County was scheduled to begin region play this Friday at Tiger Stadium against Warren County; however, the game has been postponed since Warren County is not in school this week due to damage from Hurricane Helene. A possible makeup date is scheduled for the start of next month.
The Tigers already have a bye next week, so they won’t see the field again until Oct. 11, when they play Washington—Wilkes on the road.
Banks said he and the team will spend the next few weeks preparing for that game.