SNOW HILL — Scott Jones remembers the moment well.
It was April 12 and his Greene Central Rams were trailing Eastern Plains 2A Conference foe Wilson Beddingfield 6-0 after two innings. Entering the contest, the Rams sported just a 6-7 overall record and had lost four of their last five games.
The continuation of the downward spiral seemed likely.
Except that it wasn’t.
“We were down but not out,” Jones said. “We kept plugging and battling and never gave up.”
Greene Central rallied for an improbable 10-8 victory that day and proceeded to reel off seven wins in a row, earning a share of the conference title alongside North Pitt.
“We realized we could win any game against any opponent, no matter what the score or situation,” Jones said. “It was the turning point of our season.”
A championship season that earned Jones The Free Press’ area Coach of the Year honors for the 2013 season.
The Rams finished the year 13-10, including a 10-2 mark in league play. Jones purposefully challenged his team with a brutal non-conference schedule that helped prepare them for the all-important league season.
“We didn’t shy away from playing anyone,” Jones said. “It’s always been my opinion that by playing the best out of conference you get yourselves ready when it matters most.”
Greene Central’s non-conference slate featured a virtual who’s who of powerful, playoff-bound opponents, including Williamston Riverside, which finished 22-4, and 3A powers C.B. Aycock, Rocky Mount, Eastern Wayne and Southern Wayne.
Although the Rams didn’t win many of those games, they did accomplish their ultimate goal of winning a conference championship.
“At the end of the day that’s what you set out to do,” Jones said. “Lots of wins against inferior opponents look nice on paper, but they don’t always get you ready for the conference road ahead.”
Other than the comeback at Beddingfield, the individual high point was an 8-0 Senior Night blanking of a North Pitt squad that came into the game having lost just twice all season — and none in league play.
“The best game we played all year,” Jones said. “(Senior left-hander) Ben (Brann) pitched a one-hitter, (senior) Chad (Murphy) hit a big home run, and our other seniors (Josh Head, Montrell Warren and Mason Head) all contributed as well. It was the perfect way for those kids to go out on Senior Night.”
The fact that Greene Central was eliminated in the first round of the state playoffs by an outstanding Wendell Corinth Holders team failed to put a damper on the successful season.
“The previous year we didn’t even make the playoffs and not a lot was expected out of us this year,” Jones said. “We got off to a slow start, but we fought through it, never backed down, and came to realize that we were as good a team as anyone on our schedule. The lessons that this team learned and the things they were able to accomplish made it all worthwhile.”