The North Greene Huskies entered Friday night’s Region 1-1A contest with an opportunity to tie the program’s longest win streak at four consecutive wins. By the end of the first quarter, the Huskies had done more than enough to secure their fourth win of the season en route to a 56-8 thumping of Hancock County.
“I’m happy with our execution. Watching film I was more concerned with: how do we execute? Do we do the things we do, well? Which is what we did tonight.” said Coach Eric Tilson.
North Greene won its fourth game in a row for the first time since 2005, and the Huskies are 4-1 for the first time since 2012.
The Indians, who dressed only 17 players for the game, were unable to rise to the occasion and slow down a high-powered North Greene offense.
North Greene received the opening kickoff and wasted little time getting on the board when Thomas Darnell found a wide open Brandon Weems behind the Indians’ secondary. Weems hauled in a contested catch and fell into the end zone for the game’s first score. Juan Soto added the extra point, and the Huskies were off to the races.
“I was especially proud of our quarterback making good decisions tonight. They stacked the box on us, and I was like, ‘okay, we’ll throw over the top.” Tilson said of Darnell. “I put a lot of faith in him [Darnell] and let him make a lot of decisions. Most of the time I have a run play called I have a backside concept called and I have a pass concept called over on the other side, and he makes the decision where the ball goes. And he has the ability to do it.”
Darnell finished the game 7-of-9 passing for 221 yards and five touchdowns.
After a quick three-and-out, Darnell found Jake Duffy in the flat on the first play of the next drive. Duffy turned up field and found daylight down the sideline for a 60-yard house call. Soto made good on his second extra point of the game.
The first frame fireworks were not yet completed for the Huskies, as Darnell found an open Kelson Eastep for a 30-yard touchdown for the third North Greene score in the first quarter. Soto added the extra point.
Hancock County had no answer for the North Greene offense, and their own offense found no rhythm in the first half, as each possession resulted in quick three-and-outs. Ramos’ punts were booming in distance, but Duffy returned each punt into plus territory, giving his Huskies’ offense great field position to start each of their first half drives.
Duffy scored on two more possessions for North Greene in the second quarter. One was a 13-yard reception, while the other came on a two-yard option pitch that Darnell wisely pulled from the pocket of Yeshua Vaught and flipped to Duffy for an easy walk into the end zone.
Vaught is usually the vaunted offensive playmaker for the Huskies, but on Friday night it was the senior’s defensive attack that helped keep the Indians’ offense at bay. In fact, Vaught propelled the North Greene defense to a stellar night; one in which the Huskies held the Indians to only 75 yards of total offense. Much of that total came in the second half when Vaught and other starting defensive players were pulled in favor of valuable repetitions for younger Huskies.
After halftime, North Greene forced a running clock with their 42-0 lead, and it was notuntil late in the fourth quarter that the Indians found the end zone with a strip fumble that was returned for a defensive touchdown.
Leon Johnson gave the Huskies some additional offensive support, scoring on two carries that combined for 108 yards.
North Greene improved to 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in Region 1-1A. The Huskies will welcome Williamsburg, KY to the Tundra next Friday night in a rematch of last year’s game. A game, Tilson says, that his Huskies will face the best quarterback they will see all season long. It is a game that will test North Greene’s ability to play with high caliber opponents, and a team for whom Tilson had lots of praise.
“I told our kids that it is nice to us execute and do our things well tonight, I am excited to see our team play against teams [like Williamsburg, KY] that has won State Titles, that are winners. If you’re a winner, you want to go toe-to-toe with those guys.”
Johnson was the Huskies’ leading rusher with 108 yards on two carries; both of which went for scores.
Duffy led the Huskies in receiving, hauling in three catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Eastep caught two passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns. And Brandon Weems brought in two receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown.
North Greene will host Williamsburg, KY next Friday night at the Tundra. Kickoff is set for 7:00.
