The 1942 Greeneville Greene Devils, Coached by Ty Disney, finished with a perfect 7-0 record, the first undefeatd season in school history. GHS beat Erwin, Sevierville, Morristown, Young High from Knoxville, Newport, and Morristown for a second time (just for good measure), and Virginia High. The 1942 team allowed only two touchdowns the entire year, shutting out five opponents. There were no playoffs then, and with World War II looming, it was the last organized team for a couple of years.
It was fifty-six years before the next undefeated season, coming in 1998. It was the last season for Coach Fred Sorrells, who retired after 25 years at the helm. Greeneville beat Chuckey Doak, Cocke County, Jefferson County, Morristown West, Elizabethton, Cherokee, Sullivan South, Crockett, South Greene, and Morristown East. Greeneville rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs before losing at Elizabethton in the Quarterfinals. GHS finished with a 12-1 record, the most wins in one season for a Greeneville team up to that point.
The 2010 team, coached by Caine Ballard, was perfect in every way. They won all ten regular season games and then marched through the playoffs to the State Championship Game. They finished with a 15-0 record and set a state record for most points scored in a single season with 748 points. Non-conference wins included a 56-7 drubbing of Tennessee High, and wins over rivals Jefferson County, Sullivan South, and Elizabethton. Quarterback Willie Carmichael won the Mr. Football award.
Caine Ballard's 2013 team was nearly as dominant as the 2010 championship team. The starting defense only allowed one offensive touchdown all season. The offense put up more than 70 points twice and more than 60 points another two times. With the exception of the third round loss to Fulton, GHS scored more than 40 points in all of their games. But despite a perfect regular season, the Devils lost a disappointing game to Fulton in the playoffs and ended with a 12-1 overall record.
A juggernaut is a huge, powerful, and overwhelming force; a massive inexorable force, campaign, or movement that crushes whatever is in its path. That description perfectly suited the 2016 team. GHS scored the second most points in the state during the regular season. Defensively, they had the stingiest defense in the state, giving up only 43 points. They had seven shutouts, including 5 in a row to end the regular season. In the first three quarters of all of their games, they outscored their opponents 513-10. A second round 14-16 loss at home to Knox Central soured an otherwise stellar season.
15-0 again. For the first time, GHS beat Kingsport Dobyns Bennett, Science Hill, and Elizabethton all in the same year. They continued the streak of undefeated conference games and championships. They staged a 21 point come-from-behind victory in the Quarterfinals, and won the state championship game by a margin of 41 points. Quarterback Cade Ballard was named Mr. Football.
Greeneville capped off their third perfect regular season in a row with a win over Sullivan East. In that game, the Devils has a total time of possession in the first half of only :54 seconds. Yet, they led 42-0. GHS scored TDs on three one play drives and returned three interceptions for touchdowns. The season saw the first road win at Dobyns Bennett since 1961, and wins over rivals Morristown West, Science Hill, and Elizabethton. GHS also ran their conference win streak to 73 games, won their 12th straight conference championship, and continued the state's longest winning streak of 30 games. The season culimated with another back-to-back Class 4A Championship and a final record of 15-0.
Greeneville capped off their eighth perfect regular season with a road win at Morristown East. The season saw running back Mason Gudger, a Mr. Football Finalist, move to the 3rd All Time Rushing Leader at Greeneville High. Gudger also became the single season touchdown record holder. As a team, the Devils scored more points than any other team in the state, public or private. Their 55.3 point per game average and 553 total points was 158 points more than the next closest 4A school. A heartbreaking 3rd round loss to the Elizabethton Cyclones ended the season with a 12-1 record.
Greeneville's 9th perfect regular season included a regular season win over Elizabethton (21-0), a thrilling road win at Dobyns-Bennett 21-20, and a road win at powerful Oak Ridge 49-13. At Kingport, the Indians scored with seconds remaining and elected to go for the two point conversion and a win. Carson Quillen made the tackle at the 1 foot line to preserve the win. The Devils had to go to Anderson County for a Quarterfinal game against the eventual state champions. The 38-7 loss stung, but Anderson County was a complete team that season. Greeneville finished 12-1 overall.
Greeneville's 10th perfect regular season may be one of the strangest seasons ever played. Two games were suspended and eventually cancelled due to lightning. The Devils had come back to tie Dobyns Bennett 14-14 in the 3rd quarter when storms rolled in. At home two weeks later, the Devils and Alcoa were tied 7-7 just before halftime when storms hit. In both instances, the games would not have resumed until midnight, and the decision was made to rule them as No Contest games. That meant that the Devils had a perfect 8-0 record for the regular season. To add to unique season, Morristown West had a game postponed due to lightning, and had to push their game against GHS up five days, which meant Greeneville had a gap of twelve days since their last game, would have to play the Trojans on a Tuesday, and then turn around and play Volunteer on Friday.
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