Greeneville traveled to Afton on Monday evening to open the 2026 soccer season against Chuckey Doak. Five different players found the back of the net as the Greene Devils broke the match open in the second half and rolled to a decisive 8-1 victory.
Greeneville coach Jerry Graham reflected on his team’s performance afterward. “We’re always pleased to start the season with a win — especially a quality win against a well-coached Chuckey Doak team,” Graham said. “I’m super pleased with the number of players who were able to contribute tonight and the quality of play we had on the field, especially with so many guys finding the back of the net.”
It didn’t take long for Greeneville to strike. Emmerson Hensley scored less than a minute into the match to give the Devils a 1-0 lead.
In the 10th minute, Greeneville pushed the advantage to 2-0. After his penalty kick was deflected, Sam Gourley tracked down the rebound and drove it past the Black Knight keeper.
The quick start provided an early spark.
“We had a little bit of a lull after those first two goals,” Graham said. “But anytime you can get early goals like that, it builds confidence in what we’re trying to do.”
Both teams generated chances over the final 30 minutes of the first half, but strong goalkeeping on both ends kept the score at 2-0 heading into the break.
Greeneville extended its lead in the 43rd minute when Justin Benagas delivered a crossing pass that found Gourley in the middle for his second goal of the night.
Chuckey Doak’s Dominic Hahnlen capitalized on a defensive breakdown in the 56th minute, cutting the deficit to 3-1 with a well-placed shot.
The Devils quickly responded. In the 63rd minute, Hensley and Matthew Lindberg each scored to stretch the lead to 5-1.
Two minutes later, Hensley completed his hat trick with a header into the net, pushing the advantage to 6-1.
With the match in hand, Greeneville continued to press while rotating in several players for valuable varsity minutes. Gabe Oakley added a goal in the 70th minute, and Kevin Moreno capped the scoring in the 74th to seal the 8-1 win.
Greeneville will host Morristown East on Thursday night at Burley Stadium with kickoff set for 6:00. Chuckey Doak travels to Unicoi County for a 6:30 start.
