MT. JULIET ― Even with Dominic Waller’s limited experience, the Green Hill senior, and first-time football player, understands just how hard it is to finish a TSSAA regular season undefeated.
Waller’s second-half interception of Mt. Juliet quarterback Tyler Travers was one of many plays Green Hill’s defense had to make before pulling off a 12-10 win Thursday that captured the Region 4-6A title for the Hawks and kept them unbeaten (10-0, 6-0).
“I don’t think anyone has given our defense enough credit,” Waller said. “But that’s OK. We like to go under the radar, and then when you play us, you realize just how good we are.”
It was an emotional outburst for Green Hill once the game was over. Mt. Juliet drove into Green Hill territory inside of a minute left in the game. But Travers’ fourth-down pass in the flat short-hopped his intended target with 26 seconds left and Green Hill began to celebrate.
“I’ve never been a part of a 10-0 season,” Green Hill coach Josh Crouch said. “I’ve never been a part of a region championship (as a player at Smyrna). And we’ve done that, here, two times in four years.”
Green Hill will host its 6A playoff first-round game at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 against Blackman. Mt. Juliet will also host its first-round playoff game next week against Coffee County.
Crouch was part of Smyrna’s 2006 Class 5A state championship team, but that Bulldogs team didn’t win its region title.
Crouch was doused twice with a water cooler on a night where a driving rain didn’t let up until after the game ended. He led his team near midfield to accept the Mayor’s Trophy for beating Mt. Juliet (9-1, 5-1) for the second straight year and handing the Bears its first loss of the season.
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“We want to enjoy this feeling, but not so much that we have a big letdown in the first week of the playoffs,” Crouch said. “But it feels great to get this win and finish the regular season undefeated. But there’s more to do.”
Green Hill’s defense has quietly put together the program’s most impressive 10-game resume in its short history. The Hawks have five shutouts this season and held a Golden Bears team that was averaging 33.8 points to just 10 points. If not for Page holding opponents without a point for the first six weeks of the season, Green Hill’s defense may have been the talk of Middle Tennessee.
“What they did this year was insane,” Green Hill quarterback Kannon Burroughs said after rushing 21 times for 108 yards and a touchdown. “Our defense is the reason why this team has so much confidence in every game we play.”
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Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.