Greenback relying on experience

Greenback has been in this position before.

It was a year ago when the Cherokees made it to Cookeville for the Class 1A championship game that’s a part of the BlueCross Bowl. They were handed a 42-14 loss by Nashville Christian.

Greenback head coach Greg Ryan said he hopes that experience will help the team this week as it prepares to play Dresden in the 2016 championship.

“Dresden is a good team, a very good team,” Ryan said. “But one thing we have they don’t is the experience of being up here.

“Most of our players made it here last year, and I think a lot of our kids were kind of in awe of the environment and the situation. I don’t think that will be the case this time around, and hopefully it will be for Dresden.”

Dresden’s senior class was in seventh grade the last time the program played in Cookeville in the 2011 Class 2A championship against Friendship Christian.

While Ryan said Dresden is a good team with good players, the Cherokees have their share of good players as well.

Lineman Josh Silvey won the Class 1A Mr. Football Lineman of the Year award earlier this week in Nashville. Running back Kayne Roberts was a finalist for the Back of the Year honor and finished runner-up to Wayne County quarterback Preston Rice.

“We’ve got those two and a whole team of good players who work well together and have been through a lot and have accomplished a lot,” Ryan said. “I’m looking forward to this game between two good teams who haven’t lost yet.

“Our team has accomplished a lot like I said, but there’s one thing these kids haven’t accomplished. I hope to see them do that on Friday.”

Brandon Shields, 425-9751