By Donald Heath
Special for the Effingham Herald
Effingham County football coach John Ford says if he’s offered tickets to the Masters he might have to decline.
That’s what three trips to Augusta in nine days can do to you.
Friday’s trip to the area, however, was a fruitful one. The Rebels played one of their best games of the season and easily defeated Greenbrier 37-7.
ECHS (4-4, 4-2 Region 1-5A) won two of the three games in the Augusta area, a scheduling nightmare caused by the effects of Hurricane Helene.
Only four days earlier, in a rare Monday night tilt, the Rebels saw Lakeside dominate the fourth quarter in a 58-38 loss.
“Certainly, the kids were disappointed, but they bounced back nicely,” Ford said. “I was concerned about Greenbrier because we only had two days of real practices.”
The Wolfpack (3-4) came into the game as one of the most improved teams in the region. Greenbrier went winless in 2022 and followed with a 1-9 season in 2023. But the squad showed it could be a playoff candidate after playing region toughies Brunswick and Lakeside competitively earlier this season.
ECHS never let the Pack get comfortable. Rebels quarterback Tucker Perkins threw for 272 yards and four touchdowns and the defense intercepted four passes – returning one for a score – in the rout.
ECHS led 27-0 midway through the second quarter.
Perkins and Trayvis Hunter hooked up for scoring tosses of 79 and 33 yards in the first quarter.
Perkins added a second-quarter TD pass to JR McKenzie and a fourth-quarter score to Q King.
Perkins, a junior, has thrown for 2092 yards and 24 touchdowns this season.
“(Perkins) has been outstanding, he reads his progressions well and spreads the ball to the open receivers,” Ford said. “The offensive line did a good job and the defense played well. They all did their jobs.”
Hunter finished with six catches for 159 yards. King added seven catches for 77 yards.
Jmere Doe-Davis, who stars as a running back, played some defense as a nickel defensive back and had a 45-yard interception return for a score.
Greenbrier’s lone touchdown came on a kickoff return.
ECHS will be back in action against Glynn Academy on Friday for Homecoming and ends the regular season hosting Statesboro for Senior Night.
Winning one of the games will ensure ECHS a spot in the state playoffs.
“We’re fighting for our playoff lives every week so we have to make sure we have a good week of practice,” Ford said.
