The Greeneville football team will face its biggest test yet on Thursday night when it travels to Alcoa to take on the winners of the last nine Class 3A state championships.
A year ago the two teams met at Burley Stadium and played to a deadlock before lightning stopped the game just before halftime. The Greene Devils have been looking forward to the rematch ever since and are excited to take the field in a matchup that will draw eyes from all across the state.
“There is a lot of excitement in our locker room about this game,” Greeneville coach Eddie Spradlen said. “Last week we had to make sure the guys weren’t looking past Cherokee and ahead to this game. But we’ve been looking forward to this one for a while. We expect a hostile environment down there in Alcoa. There will be a lot of fans in the stands on Thursday.”
Last week the Greene Devils started Region 1-4A play with a 46-0 win over Cherokee, while Alcoa sat idle after beating Bearden 24-22 in week two. Alcoa enters the game with a 1-1 record and is the No.1 ranked team in Class 3A according to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association. The Tornadoes have won nine straight Class 3A state championships and have 18 state titles since 2000. Greeneville is 2-1 on the year and is the No.2 ranked team in class 4A.
“Alcoa is a really good football team that has played some really good football teams. They are battle tested and we are battled tested. I expect nothing less than a big-time game, and its going to come down to toughness,” Spradlen said.
Through the first three weeks of the season Greeneville has shown off one of the most impressive running duos in the state, and Spradlen credits the effort of his offensive line for leading that charge. The Greene Devils are averaging 274 yards per game on the ground with quarterback Caden Baugh running for 388 yards and six touchdowns while running back Carson Quillen has covered 349 yards while scoring eight times on the ground.
“Our offensive line is playing really good right now. I need to brag on that group. They are coming off the ball and playing really physical against some good defensive lines. That’s something we hope to see all season,” Spradlen said.
The Greene Devils know that establishing the run will once again be key on Thursday, and Spradlen plans to look to Quillen early and often to move the chains.
Greeneville’s defense has been just as impressive as the offense through three weeks, and has allowed just seven points all season. The Devils are giving up just 181 yards per game, but they are going to see a new level of competition on Thursday.
Alcoa will be led by quarterback Eli Graf who can be dangerous with both his arm and legs. Graf also had a big kickoff return against Bearden that set up a last-second field goal. Spradlen knows his defense will have to contain Graf to beat the Tornadoes.
Graf’s top target will be tight end Eli Owens, a Michigan commit. Owens will line up with his hand on the ground, at H-back and in the slot, and the Devils will always have to know where he is lined up.
Greeneville may not play another game this season in which they are considered underdogs, but the Devils are embracing that role this week. Spradlen wants his group to feel like they have something to prove when the hit the road on Thursday.
“We have something to prove, we are going to go down there as the underdogs,” Spradlen said. “You have to play with that mindset, that you have something to prove in a hostile environment against a really good football team. This is the type of game where you get to see where you are as a football team.”
Greeneville and Alcoa have met four times in their history with the series tied at 2-2. Alcoa won the last official meeting in 2012, 42-0.
