HARROGTAE – South Greene Head Coach Shawn Jones finds himself in rare air after a 55-6 thumping of Cumberland Gap at DeLynn Cline Stadium on Friday night, becoming just the third football coach in Greene County history to win 100 games.
“It’s awesome. It’s all about these kids. I just steer the ship is what I tell everybody. It’s a big thing getting 100 wins, but I owe it all to these kids. All the way back, Coach (Marc) Wright was on my first team and my first win I ever had, and now he’s coaching with me, so I’m just blessed to be around these kids and I owe it all to them and my coaching staff. We’ve got a small coaching staff and I wouldn’t take nothing for them. It’s all about the community and kids and just blessed to be here,” Coach Jones expressed after the game.
Jones reaches elite company as only the third coach in Greene County history to reach the 100-win mark. Jones, already South Greene’s all-time winningest coach, trails only Greeneville’s Fred Sorrells (154) and Caine Ballard (122) in the county ranks.
South Greene extends its winning streak to six games and holds a 2-0 record in Region 1-2A. That sets up a week 11 matchup with Happy Valley to potentially decide the Region 1-2A Championship. The Warriors are currently 7-0, but have not played any region competition yet.
The win was a big one in many ways. One was the magic number for South Greene to host a home playoff game next month. Although playoff seeding is still up in the air, the Rebels can breathe easier knowing they won’t have to travel for the first round of November’s playoffs.
“Proud of the whole team to get this win. Now we for sure have a home playoff game and we’ve got a conference championship to win,” Jones stated.
The Rebels gained 324 total yards. Nash Rader threw for 122 yards and rushed for 81 yards and combined for four touchdowns, two passing and two rushing. Tripp Neas was a bulldozer between the tackles and in open space with 119 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. The defense held Cumberland Gap to 182 total yards.
“We were kind of upset before the game because their coach said we were kind of small on defense. So, that was a big deal on defense. Our offense was just like it always has been. Just out there playing well,” Jones said.
The offensive line paved the way for both athletes and the offensive unit as a whole. Heath Norton and Pablo Rosario’s leadership and strength up front have been a key part to South Greene’s success this season.
“We were really good up front. We can’t do anything without those two in the backfield though. (Rader and Neas), I mean, they’re dawgs. And No. 10, Charlie (Lane) is a dawg. Can’t do it without them,” Rosario stated.
“I feel like we’re making advancements each week. We’re always getting better. As long as we keep continuing to do that, I think we’re just gonna pave the way for these guys because they’re great athletes. They’re capable of doing it they just have to have us up front taking care of business,” Norton expressed.
Both also explained how much it meant to be a part of Coach Jones’s milestone moment on Friday.
“It means a lot. Coach Jones is a really good coach. I think he deserves it and he deserves the praise. He does well with the program and to just be a part of it is nice and feels great,” Norton stated.
“It means the world. It’s so good for him. Heck of a coach,” Rosario said.
South Greene began with solid field position and chipped away before reaching the red zone. Rader handled it himself and found a hole for a 16-yard touchdown.
On the next drive Neas and the Rebels only needed one play to find paydirt with a 40-yard rushing touchdown. They led 13-0 after one quarter of play.
The score quickly changed at the beginning of the second quarter with another scoring play. Rader scrambled out and found Lucas Couch along the sideline. The senior tight end weaved in and out of open space and between blocks before finding himself in the end zone for a 51-yard receiving touchdown. The Rebels led 19-0 with 11:44 left in the second quarter.
Finding the end zone again was no problem for Tripp Neas. He went untouched for a 44-yard rushing touchdown to boost South Greene’s lead to 26-0.
Trent Haynes was a menace on defense all night and led the Rebels with seven solo tackles and an assist. But, his biggest play of the night came on an intercepted pass that he took with him to the end zone for a 46-yard pick-six. The lead grew to 33-0 at the halfway point of the second quarter.
Charlie Lane waited until the end of the half to get involved on offense and hauled in a 60-yard bomb from Rader that resulted in a touchdown. The play almost never was as nothing appeared to be open. Rader scrambled to the sideline and heaved up a pass at the last second. He was hit late and hard out of bounds, but that didn’t impact the throw and Lane was able to hover underneath the ball and take it to the house.
South Greene led 41-0 at the break.
The offensive starters went out for a couple more plays and that was all they needed to score once more. Rader broke free for a 59-yard rushing touchdown to open up the half only a minute in.
The defensive starters also went out for a quick drive and needed just a few plays to score. Lane stepped in front of an inaccurate pass and somehow shrugged off tacklers and changed the other direction for a lengthy 41-yard pick-six.
Kole Carter scored a five-yard rushing touchdown late for Cumberland Gap.
The Rebels improved to 6-1 with their sixth-straight win in a 55-6 victory on Friday night. They enter their off week next week during fall break. They return back to action on Friday, October 17 at Concord Christian for an early start time of 2:30 PM.
