Greene Central Falls Just Short in 37–36 Thriller Against Wallace-Rose Hill in 3A Playoff Opener
TEACHEY — In one of the most thrilling first-round games of the NCHSAA 3A playoffs, No. 17 Greene Central went toe-to-toe with No. 16 Wallace-Rose Hill before falling just short, 37–36, at Legion Field on Friday night.
The Rams (5–6) left everything on the field, trading blows all night with the Bulldogs (6–5) in a game defined by explosive plays, momentum swings, and a controversial missed call in the fourth quarter that loomed large.
A Back-and-Forth Battle
Quarterback Josh Cetnar opened the scoring with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Trey Bynum, putting Greene Central ahead 6–0 midway through the first quarter. After Wallace-Rose Hill’s Bubba Lamb answered with a 2-yard score, the Rams responded instantly as Dejuan Cobb raced 47 yards to the end zone to regain the lead, 14–6.
Lamb struck again before halftime with a 50-yard touchdown, sending the Bulldogs into the locker room up 21–14. Despite trailing, Greene Central’s defense made key stops, highlighted by a fourth-down tackle from senior standout Sam Avent, who finished with a remarkable 25 tackles.
Momentum Shifts
The Rams got another huge defensive play in the third quarter when Ben Ramsey intercepted a pass to keep the deficit at seven. Moments later, Cobb found the end zone from 20 yards out to make it 21–20 late in the quarter.
With Greene Central closing in, Wallace-Rose Hill faced a critical third-and-17 early in the fourth. As the Rams looked poised to seize momentum, Lamb appeared to shove defender Kam Vandiford in the back before hauling in a 30-yard pass — a clear push-off that went uncalled. The play set up a touchdown that extended the Bulldogs’ lead to 29–20 with 8:45 remaining.
Greene Central wasted no time responding. On the next play, Cetnar hit Avent for a 50-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 29–28. But Wallace pushed back, scoring again to go up by nine with just over two minutes left.
The Rams fought to the final whistle, as Cetnar connected with Sanders for a 5-yard touchdown to make it 37–36 with 1:10 left. Greene Central’s onside kick was unsuccessful, allowing Wallace-Rose Hill to run out the clock and escape with the one-point win.
Offensive Leaders
Cetnar was exceptional in his final outing, completing 16 of 19 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns while adding 31 yards rushing. He connected with six different receivers, spreading the ball across the field.
Cobb carried 12 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns, while Bynum caught three passes for 98 yards and two scores. Avent added two receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown, capping an all-around performance that defined his senior leadership.
Coach Wilson’s Reflection
“We fought. We did what we wanted to on offense,” head coach Jay Wilson said. “When you look it up, we had our rushing yards, we had our passing yards, we did some good things on defense. There were just a couple of plays we needed here or there — it was a heck of a ball game.”
Wilson reflected on the type of game that could have gone either way. “It was one of those games that if you play five times, you never know what would happen each time,” he said. “I am so proud of my guys for how they stuck through it today and the entire season.”
When asked what message he had for his players, Wilson didn’t hesitate.
“Tell them I love them,” he said. “I hope whatever we did this year, or the four years they were with me, makes them better men. Because at the end of the day, you’re going to win, you’re going to lose — but my job is to develop men. They’re going to be fathers and sons and they have to be leaders.”
