Football season has returned, and the Greeneville Greene Devils will be opening the season with a trip to Burke-Toney Stadium to take on one of their long-time rivals in Morristown West.
“This is a big-time rivalry game for our fans, but sometimes I don’t know if these kids understand how big this game is for a lot of people in our community,” Spradlen said. “All they know is that we’ve beat them a bunch recently, but if you talk to anyone who played here 20 or more years ago they hate Morristown West more than anybody.”
The series with the Trojans has been lopsided in recent years in Greeneville’s favor, but many Greene Devil fans remember when that was not the case. For many this game is one that brings a little more passion out of the folks clad in green.
Greeneville has won the last seven games in the series dating back to 2016. That includes a 42-6 win a year ago, but in 2022 and 2023 the meeting was a one-score game, and Spradlen is expecting another “dog fight” on Friday night.
The two teams met every year from 1975 to 2008 when Greeneville was a member of the IMAC. The series resumed in 2011 and has been played every year since then except 2019 and 2020. The Trojans still lead the all-time series 27-21, but since the teams moved to different regions the Devils lead 8-4.
“Coach (Cody) Baugh was talking to them about it in our team meeting yesterday. He wants to beat Morristown West as much as he wants to beat anybody, and we’ve tried to get these guys to understand how much this game means,” Spradlen said. “They don’t like us, and we are going to get their best. We’ve had some dog fights with them, and I expect that again. This one is going to be a four-quarter dog fight.”
In a season opener there are things every coach worries about, like cramps, turnovers, and penalties. The Greene devils have worked hard to avoid those issues early in the year, but Spradlen knows that often the team that plays the cleanest game and handles adversity the best has the best chance to win, especially in August.
“We have to be able to rotate guys. We know in these early games no matter how hard we condition somebody is going to cramp,” Spradlen said. “Somebody you aren’t planning depending on is going to have to make a play. I look forward to seeing who that is.”
On offense the Greene Devils return some big pieces in the passing game including quarterback Caden Baugh behind center. The senior will be counted on to lead the way this season, and he will get plenty of help from a veteran receiving group that includes All-State senior Zaydyn Anderson.
Where the Devils are looking for somebody to prove themself once the lights come on is at running back. Mr. Football finalist Carson Quillen is playing baseball at Vanderbilt, but Spradlen knows that running the ball will still be a crucial part of the Devils’ offense.
Maddox Bishop, Jude Dyer, Yordan Mills and Dion Phipps will all get a chance to carry the ball on Friday against the Trojans.
Morristown West comes into the year looking to replace much of its starting lineup on offense, but junior quarterback Riley McClelland returns and the Devils expect to see a potent passing game on Friday.
One player that does worry Spradlen is powerful running back Malachi Monroe. The 5’10” 220 lb. bruiser will be a load to bring down, especially for Greeneville’s new-look linebacker corps.
Greeneville has to replace all three starting linebackers from a year ago. Spradlen likes the options he has, but he still needs three guys to prove they deserve those roles through their game-day performance. At last week’s jamboree Jack Lister, Jude Dyer and Cole Smith were the first guys the Devils sent into the huddle.
Greeneville is coming off of a 9-3 season in which it advanced to the Class 4A quarterfinals. Morristown West went 4-6 and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Morristown and the game will broadcast live on WGRV – 99.5 FM.
