County teams end with Judge's Cup battle
GREENBRIER It didn't take Greenbrier head coach Randy Tribble long to learn how intense the rivalry is between the Panthers and the Vilonia Eagles.
Tribble said he was told during the interview process, "You've got to beat Vilonia."
Tonight, the Panthers and Eagles meet at Greenbrier's Don Jones Stadium, with the victor winning the Judge's Cup and bragging rights.
Greenbrier will be trying for their first 5A-West Conference win. Vilonia defeated Morrilton last week 35-14 last week for their first win in 5A-West play.
Even though tonight's game will be the last game of the season for both teams, the game still carries a lot of weight, perhaps even more.
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"You can tell it's real important to the people around here," Tribble said.
Tribble added he's been encouraged to win in his classes and in the hallways.
The game will be a clash of offensive styles between Vilonia's running attack and Greenbrier's spread looks.
Defensively, the Panthers will have to adjust after facing some sort of spread offense for their last six games.
"They're very much power-oriented," Tribble said. "You have to commit so hard to stop the run. It takes a lot of work in practice."
Although the Eagles are only 1-5 in conference play, they have been very competitive. Three of the conference losses were by single digits, including a last-minute loss to Siloam Springs. In nonconference play, Vilonia defeated Monticello and Beebe, both playoff-bound teams from the 5A-Southeast.
Greenbrier has struggled in conference play, losing all six of their games by double digits. However, the Panthers have shown signs of improvement in all three phases of the game. In several games, the Panthers stopped themselves with penalties and turnovers. And as Tribble has said, teams in the tough 5A West will take full advantage of those mistakes.
But tonight, the records will not matter as the Faulkner County rivals try to end their seasons on a winning note.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.