UPDATE: Game time for the Class 2A Playoff contest between West Greene and Oneida has been moved to 2 p.m. on Saturday because of expected inclement weather on Friday night.
The West Greene Buffaloes (1-9) are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022 and are looking to make some noise and they travel to Scott County to square off with the Oneida Indians (5-5) on Saturday at 2 p.m.
“Even though we’re 1-9, playoffs are special. There’s teams that wish they got to play another game of football this week. There’s teams around the state that wish they had one more week of practice. There’s a lot of kids walking out of their facility and it’s the last time they’ll ever walk in a football facility. So, November football is a little special,” Buffaloes Head Coach Evan Monroe stated.
The Buffaloes picked up their first win of the season last Friday with a 40-6 beating of Cumberland Gap on senior night in Mosheim. Coach Monroe and company are hoping to carry over that same success into this week’s win-or-go-home matchup. “Playoff football is different. It’s a different intensity. I think it requires a different level of focus,” Monroe mentioned.
Oneida and West Greene aren’t very familiar with one another. They have only met five times in each program’s history, but Oneida has dominated those five meetings. The Indians hold wins in all five games and have outscored the Buffs 215-45 in those games.
West Greene defeated Cumberland Gap to become the No. 3 seed from Region 1-2A and Oneida lost to Eagleton to finish as the No. 2 seed from Region 2-2A.
The Indians are averaging 15.1 points per game and allowing 19.7 points per game. The Buffaloes are scoring 12.3 points per game and allowing 36.2 points per game.
West Greene has been to the playoffs 12 times previously. They’ve won one playoff game and that was against Cumberland Gap in 2012. Oneida has been to the postseason 40 times in their program’s history. They won the Class A State Championship in 1992. The Indians have been semifinalists seven other times.
The winner has a potential tough matchup in front of them. Gordonsville (10-0) won Region 4-2A and are lined up in the same pod as West Greene and Oneida. Gordonsville plays York Institute (1-9) in the opening round. Marion County (9-1), Jackson County (6-4), South Greene (7-3), and Polk County (5-5) are grouped with them in the upper part of the bracket.
The game is scheduled to kickoff at 2:00 PM on Saturdayat Oneida High School.
