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At 4-0 in the region and 7-2 overall, Green Hill will go to Mt. Juliet’s Roger Perry Field/Elzie Patton Stadium at 7 p.m. Thursday for the regular season-ending Mayor’s Cup game not concerned with where it fits in the playoff picture. The Hawks will play their first two postseason games (if they win) on the Hill.

“That game alone’s going to bring a lot of extra stuff,� Green Hill coach Josh Crouch said of the Mt. Juliet game. “To be able to secure that win, I think we did that in ’21, we were able to secure it before we played that game. Playing in that place regardless of any records or anything is going to be a hostile environment. We’re going to get their best shot and to win three straight against those guys would be pretty impressive, especially considering we’ve never beaten them in freshman or JV football.�

Wilson Central slipped to 5-4, 0-4 and will finish the season at 7 p.m. Thursday at Gallatin’s Calvin Short Field (the Waveyard).

As usual, quarterback Kannon Burroughs finished most scoring opportunities for the Hawks, overcoming a slow start to complete half of his 16 passes for 190 yards, three touchdowns and an interception which ended in a Green Hill score. Running back Zach Cartwright did much of the moving between the 20s with 129 yards on 12 carries.

“We settled down a little (in the second half),� Green Hill coach Josh Crouch said. “First half we came out, first time on grass, first time on different lighting and just overthrew a couple of balls early in the first quarter.

“Running down in this direction is a little bit different from running in that direction. I think we were just getting used to the playing surface when we got here. It’s beautiful. It’s a great field. It just took us a little bit to get used to. We started throwing down and it just messed with the trajectory for the first part of it. We settled in and Kannon threw great in the second half.�

Chaz Martin was back in the Wilson Central backfield after missing a game with a sprained ankle. He finished with 21 yards on nine carries before retiring with a retweaking of the ankle, leaving him fewer than 60 yards from the Wildcats’ single-season record for rushing yards in a season. Central was also without one of its two Qs (quarterbacks), J.R. Arnold, who was injured during the week in practice.

His passing partner, Colby Scott, did all the throwing in this game. A pass which did not count was an interference foul on Green Hill which advanced Central to the Hawks’ 20-yard line. The series ended with Topher Allen’s 2-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 Wildcat lead.

Lawson Brewer’s onside kickoff surprised Green Hill as Kendrick Lewis recovered for the Wildcats. But that possession ended in a punt.

“We played the game to win and our kids played hard,� Wildcats coach Ben Kuhn said. “Chaz kind of tweaked that ankle again so we took him out to keep him safe. We’ve got the guys to play with them. We just don’t have the depth and depth hurt us. We’re going to keep building our roster. We really like what we got. We have some good kids. We’re just playing a lot of young guys.�

Green Hill then drove 90 yards to Burroughs’ 2-yard tying touchdown.

Burroughs was driving the Hawks to a go-ahead touchdown when he threw into the end zone while being grabbed by a defender. His pass was intercepted in the end zone by Mason Crume, who apparently tried to advance the ball instead of going down for a touchback to the 20. Instead, the ball was stripped and scooped by Will Butler for a Green Hill touchdown and a 14-7 lead.

“Will Butler is a special player,� Crouch said. “He’s a headsy kind of kid.

“I think he’s a Division I-type player… He makes us look better (as) coaches.�

A more conventional fumble was recovered by Green Hill defensive end Isaiah Pride on the Wilson Central 31. Burroughs zipped a first-play touchdown pass to Luke Pfeiffer for a 21-7 lead going into halftime.

The Hawks also dominated the third quarter with their second straight 21-0 period. Burroughs whipped a 15-yard scoring strike to Ayden Sadler, a swing pass to Butler for a 21-yard score and a 35-yard scoring scamper by Nathaniel Brogden on his only official carry of the night (another rush was negated by a penalty).

With the running clock in the fourth quarter, Central snapped the run with 3:07 left on Scott’s 19-yard touchdown run.

“At the end of the day, we’ve won five games and we’ve struggled when we get in the region,� Kuhn said. “But we’re still building down here. We’re still working and it’s going to take time. I told our seniors at the end of the game ‘One day you guys are going to be able to come back and watch us beat team like this’. We’re just not there yet. And it’s not because these kids aren’t working hard or we don’t have great kids. It’s, as a program, we’re not there yet, and we’re going to.�

Green Hill 42, Wilson Central 13Green Hill|0|21|21|0—42

Wilson Central|7|0|0|6—13

First quarter

Wilson Central—Topher Allen 2 run (Lawson Brewer kick), :52.

Second quarter

Green Hill—Kannon Burroughs 2 run (Caden Chandler kick), 8:55.

Green Hill—Will Butler fumble recovery in end zone (Chandler kick), 4:01.

Green Hill—Luke Pfeiffer 31 pass from Burroughs (Chandler kick), 1:17.

Third quarter

Green Hill—Ayden Sadler 15 pass from Burroughs (Chandler kick), 8:20.

Green Hill—Butler 21 pass from Burroughs (Chandler kick), 4:58.

Green Hill—Nathaniel Brogden 35 run (Chandler kick), 2:04.

Fourth quarter

Wilson Central—Colby Scott 19 run (kick failed), 3:07.

Team statistics

|GH|WC

First downs|20|10

-Rushing|10|7

-Passing|8|1

-Penalty|2|2

Rushes-yards|25-222|44-81

Passing yards|190|24

-Comp.-Att.-Int.|8-16-1|1-5-0

Penalties-yards|8-85|10-90

Punts-avg.|1-20.0|6-25.7

Lost fumbles|1|3

Individual statistics

RUSHING—Green Hill: Zach Cartwright 12-129, Kannon Burroughs 5-41, Nathaniel Brogden 1-35, Brady Coleman 4-16, Joey Ackerly 2-3, Spencer Johnson 1-(-2). Wilson Central: Chaz Martin 9-21, Topher Allen 10-47, Kaden Rau 1-7, Trevor Katzenmiller 1-8, Duncan Pipkin 8-25, Colby Scott 5-14, Beckham Fehrman 1-(-6), Kendrick Lewis 3-15.

PASSING—Green Hill: Kannon Burroughs 8-16-1—190. Wilson Central: Colby Scott 1-5-0—24.

RECEIVING—Green Hill: Ayden Sadler 2-30, Luke Partin 1-20, Dylan Hawks 2-78, Luke Pfeiffer 1-31, Zillon Beard 1-10, Will Butler 1-21. Wilson Central: Topher Allen 1-24.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—Green Hill: Caden Chandler 25 (wide right).