Let’s try this again. After almost a month long wait the Battle for the Milk Can is back on the schedule and on Friday night West Greene will make the much-anticipated trip to South Greene.
Pride, bragging rights and playoff standings will be on the line when the cross-county rivals meet on Rebel Hill in the Region 1-2A clash.
“I expect this to be a tough ball game, it always is with West Greene,” South Greene coach Shawn Jones said. “It seems like they always bring their ‘A’ game against us. We know they want to beat us. And now it’s more than just the West Greene game, it’s a conference game. We need to come in focused, do our thing, and hopefully everything falls into place.”
The game was originally scheduled for September 27, but rains and flooding from Hurricane Helene for its postponement.
For much of the past decade the Battle for the Milk Can has only been for bragging rights as West Greene was playing in Class 3A and South Greene in Class 2A. But now playoff positioning is on the line after the Buffaloes moved into Region 1-2A last season.
South Greene comes into the contest with a 6-1 record and at 3-0 sits on top of Region 1-2A, but they will need a win on Friday to stay in front of the league. A win on Friday would also guarantee the Rebels would be at home in the first round of the playoffs. A win over West Greene and a Hampton loss to Eagleton on Friday would clinch the Region 1-2A championship for the Rebels.
West Greene is 3-5 on the year and 1-2 in league play. The Buffaloes are not out of the playoff picture but the only way they can make the postseason without winning on Friday is if Eagleton loses to Hampton and 0-8 Cumberland Gap over the final two weeks of the year.
The Rebels enter the game riding a six-game win streak, most recently topping Eagleton 28-20. West Greene is coming off a 58-0 loss to West Ridge and has not scored in its past two contests.
Despite the difference in recent performances the Rebels are preparing for a knock-down-drag out battle with the Buffaloes. The player they will be most focused on stopping is West Greene’s Austin Franklin. Franklin is the Buffs’ best athlete, and can change the game anytime he gets the ball in his hands, whether that is on offense, defense or special teams.
Franklin has moved around the offense this season, starting at quarterback and returning to the position after Austin Brown was injured. He has also lined up at receiver and running back, and South Greene is preparing to see him in all of those roles on Friday.
“We expect them to move Franklin around and we have to know where he is at all times,” Jones said. “They have had kids in the past that can beat you by themselves, and he is another one. Whether he is at quarterback or slot or running back we have to know where number two is at. He’s a special kid and he makes them go.”
South Greene has spread the ball around on offense but will first look to running back Nash Rader to make big plays. His backfield partner Tripp Neas is another threat to move the chains on the ground. South Greene can get it done through the air as well with quarterback Jacob Susong and receiver Trey Gentry having a strong connection.
West Greene coach Evan Monroe believes that his team will be prepared for the Rebels offense, and if they execute they can slow down the multi-faceted attack.
“The game plan has to be to shut the run game down,” West Greene coach Even Monroe said. “They have two terrific backs that can really hurt you if you let them. The Neas kid has played lights out the last few weeks, Nash is always dangerous, and Susong can hurt you with his feet. We have to be disciplined in the run game.”
The Rebels and the Buffaloes have met every year since 1974 and South Greene leads the series 35-15. The Rebels won last years’ meeting 29-14 while the Buffaloes won 16-14 in 2023. South Greene has won six of the last eight in the series, but before that West Greene won seven straight.
“These are the types of games as a player that you remember for the rest of your life,” Monroe said. “I think this one means a little bit more, and I think everybody understands that. It’s a game that will be a hard-fought, hard-nosed, four-quarter game. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win. We just have to play our butts off for four quarters.”
