Greene County (2-0) will travel to northwest Georgia this Friday to play Haralson County. It will be the first meeting ever between these teams.
The Rebels of Tallapoosa are off to a 1-1 start after going 2-8 last season under former coach Scott Peavey. They replaced Peavey, who had been in charge since 2017, with Randy Crutchfield.
Last season in the playoffs, Greene traveled to the same part of the state to face Bowdon. So, according to head coach Terrance Banks, the Tigers will treat this contest like a postseason game.
“We’re on another road trip this week. We’ve had three road games, including a scrimmage, in the first four weeks,” Banks said.
“The main thing we learned from last year is that in the state playoffs, you’re probably going to have to go on the road in the state of Georgia if you’re going to win a state championship. So, we wanted to do everything we could to put our kids in that situation where they have experience going on the road and having to perform. It’s another test for us.”
Crutchfield and his players hope to spoil Greene’s undefeated record on Friday. The Rebels opened the year with a 14-10 win over Mount Pisgah Christian but lost 21-20 to Pike County last week.
Banks expects his team’s game against Haralson to be a battle.
“They’re very sound [on both sides of the ball],” Banks said of Haralson. “They don’t do anything extra. There aren’t any exotic fronts or formations. That’s the kind of team they are. They do what they do and do it well.”
Banks said he just wants his guys to treat this Friday like a playoff game and return to Greensboro with a win. He will depend on contributors Landon Garretson, Steve Miller, and Kevin Wynn to lead the way.
“First, we need to worry about what we do best,” Banks said. “How can we do this to the best of our ability? That’s what sticks out when you watch [Haralson]. They do the simple things well. I think that’s key for any team with a new coach trying to get better. We need to play our best, though.”