Nov 26

Nov 26 Greene Central Turns Rivalry Matchup Into Statement Win Over North Lenoir

Greene Central Turns Rivalry Matchup Into Statement Win Over North Lenoir

SNOW HILL — In a rivalry separated by just 11 miles, momentum rarely stays on one side for long — but Friday night, Greene Central seized it early and never let North Lenoir grab it back. The Rams stormed past the Hawks 84–48 in their home opener, delivering a fast, physical, and high-flying performance that electrified the crowd and extended their dominance in the Battle of Browntown.

North Lenoir entered coming off a season-opening win over South Lenoir and opened this one aggressively, striking first and jumping ahead 8–4 behind early production from Cris Veal and AJ Black. But their lead evaporated quickly once Greene Central settled in.

An 11–0 Run Changes Everything

The Rams responded to North Lenoir’s strong start with an 11–0 run that flipped the tone of the game instantly. What began as a competitive start turned into a first-quarter surge that pushed Greene Central ahead 24–13.

Head coach Blue Edwards admitted he wasn’t sure what to expect after battling injuries and illness in practice.

“I was nervous on how my team would come out,” Edwards said. “Had some guys injured and some guys sick that kept them from practicing. Tonight it was really good — guys played really hard.”

North Lenoir continued to compete, but the Rams’ pace — especially in transition — became the separating factor.

Rams’ Third Quarter Turns Into a Show

By halftime, Greene Central stretched the lead to 42–24. But the third quarter became the moment the gym won’t forget.

The Rams exploded past 70 points thanks to a string of steals, fast-break finishes, and the highlight of the night:

DJ Williams picked off a pass, raced the length of the floor, and threw down a backwards fastbreak slam that brought the crowd to its feet.

Williams said that moment wasn’t a surprise to his teammates.

“I do it in practice a lot,” he said. “Hadn’t really had a chance to do it in the game and I felt like that was the perfect time to open the season with it.”

But offense wasn’t the only place he made an impact.

“I take a lot of pride in playing defense,” Williams added. “I encourage the guys to play defense as well… if I play defense it gets the crowd going, the players going, and we thrive off that energy.”

That energy showed. Greene Central forced turnovers, piled up steals, and extended the lead to 72–42 entering the fourth.

Even with the deficit growing, North Lenoir didn’t fold.
Veal and Black controlled the Hawks’ scoring load, each finishing with 14 points. Jaquell Garner chipped in 11, continuing his strong interior play from the opener, while Jakell Cannon scored 5 and contributed defensively.

The Hawks were efficient at the line (5–7) and continued to attack, but Greene Central’s depth and shot-making proved too much to match for four quarters.

Despite the lopsided final score, Edwards told his team not to get comfortable.

“Every game we play will not be this easy,” he said. “We got to continue to get better. It was certainly a game we could learn from… as long as we keep learning we will be in good shape. Defense has to get better.”

It was clear Greene Central turned this opener into a statement — but the message now is about consistency.

Greene Central’s win continues a run of dominance in a rivalry that has historically been tight.
Since 2007, the Rams are now 24–6 against the Hawks, including nine straight wins and 17 victories in the last 19 meetings.

Between the highlight plays, efficient shooting, and defensive pressure, it was a night the Rams controlled end to end — but one that reminded both teams why this matchup always carries weight.