6A South Warren (2-0) at 5A Greenwood (2-0)

These two local rivals will meet for the 14^th time!  This time at the Swamp! 

The series began in September 2013 with a 38-0 Spartan white-washing!  And South has won the rest pretty comfortably with two memorable exceptions! The 2 Gator victories in this series came in 2016 and 2022.  In 2016, stalwart Gator QB Jackson Adams played a great game and engineered an impressive 17-16 OT victory at The Swamp (Greenwoods Home Field)!  In 2022, “Super-Gator” Lofton Howard powered Greenwood to a 35-21 win that earned the Gators the #2 district spot and sent the Spartans to the 3 seed and the road for the first round of the playoffs).  With South moving up to 6A, these teams are no longer in the same district, so that takes a couple logs off the fire right there.  Still a solid matchup for both teams schedule.

Greenwood Information

The Gators got out of the gate for the season with a very nice win vs Westmoreland, TN 26-6.  They generated over 200 yards rushing with a better than 10 yards per carry average.  Impressive!  Senior RBs Davis Chaney and Nathan Self are key cogs in the Gators rushing offensive engine and will be looked for more production in this game. 

In the game vs Warren East, Greenwood got out to a 2 TD lead then East scored and then a final TD for Greenwood in the first half.  All the games points were scored before halftime.  As @TheBallCoach said pretty lackluster second half.  That has to change quickly for this Friday!

I think Greenwood is a much-improved team over last season and they have seniors in a lot of the most important spots on the field BUT this is a big step up for them IMO.  We’ll see how it goes.

South Warren Information

South played just medium to medium-low to open the year against a down Bryan Station team.  The Spartans outgained Station roughly 500 to 230 yards, but the game was still close early in the 3^rd Quarter.  JR QB Camden Page has apparently won the QB battle and leading the Spartan offense.  He threw for 275 yards and 3 TDs vs 1 INT (not including 65 rushing yards and another TD) vs Station.  SR RB Kayden York ran for 85 yards and 3 TDs.  SR WR Jake Carter had 8 catches for 173 yards and 1 TD for Sparty.

Defensively SR LB Drayson Moore led the way with 10 tackles on the night.

But South does what they do probably as good as anyone and that is completely throw away the last game, regroup, and come back better prepared the next game.  And they did exactly that.  They drove to Louisville Southern High School (OH JCPS!) to face a highly regarded 6A Manual team and from what it seems just outplayed them.   No stats but this was no fluke either. 

Game Preview

This is a game that typically hasn’t suited the Gators well historically as Greenwood has been a better running team than passing team, so when matched against South, the Spartans have historically been very very stingy against the run.  And while I really think this new Greenwood squad is a big improvement over last year, the historical similarities are certainly there.  I just can’t see any scenario where Greenwood makes this a close game.  BUT I do think Greenwood can challenge for the second district spot and host a playoff game and that would be a big accomplishment for this season IMO. 

Who wins this game and why?

South Warren will have their way with the Gators. I do think Greenwood has improved and will be able to compete for a home playoff game with the Spartans now in 6A too, I like the angle that they have everything to gain and nothing to lose. The Gators defense looks the part, good looking front 7 with some speed to go along with their size. That’ll be the key to the game for me, if Greenwood can find a way to get some stops they may not get a win but they won’t get embarrassed. Offensively I don’t believe they’ll stand a chance against that Spartans defense, they do incorporate some misdirection and they’re more open to slinging the ball down field than recent years so I supposed some opportunities can arise but that’ll be dependent on some mishaps that South doesn’t normally make. Gators milk the clock, move the chains and get their defense off the field I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 2 score game. Spartans just need to be who they are and put them down early and often or they’ll find themselves in a position they shouldn’t be in.
 

Spartans 38 Gators 7

Bump.

This will be a running clock by halftime.  Spartans are going to have what ever they want against the Gators.

This one was delayed by lightning. They're about halfway through the 1Q now, with SW and G'wood locked in a 0-0 ballgame.

?: South Warren vs. Greenwood at stfanclub.com

Gators now threatening at the SW 15 following a long interception return and a SW encroachment penalty.

And of 1Q 

0-0

Gwood ball 3rd and 10 at the Spartans 40 to start the 2Q

Touchdown Gators, Chaney punches it in.

9:32 2Q

7-0

 

3 and out, Spartans punt to the Gators 30, returned to the Gators 40.

8:00 2Q

 

Page QB sneak for 6, fake XP possibly but the 2pt attempt was good.

3:11 2Q

8-7 Spartans 

85 yard kickoff return TD for Chaney, really good player for the Gators. 2pt conversion no good.

2:57 2Q

13-8 Gators

 

Interception Gators, SW QB Page’s 2nd one of the night.

1:39 2Q

Gators ball at their own 14.

Spartans 28 TD pass from Page to Carter to end the half, wild catch. Spartans get the 2pt conversion attempt, 15 yd yard penalty on the attempt didn’t matter.

16-13 Spartans

South Warren will get the ball out of the break, very curious to see how Greenwood comes out in this 2H. They lacked a lot of energy against the Raiders last week, much different opponent in the visitors locker room this Friday evening though. The Gators front 7 has dominated South, they cannot run the ball but Page has started to get comfortable tossing the football.

Long drive for the South to open the 2H, Touchdown.

5:53 3Q

23-13 Spartans

46 yd pass TD Page to Carter 

2:36 3Q

30-13 Spartans

22 unanswered points.