Greenville Middle School edged rival Charles Henderson Middle School 16-8 Thursday night at Tiger Stadium.

“It was a very physical game,” Greenville Middle School head coach Daniel Ingram said.

Thanks to a strong defensive effort, the Tigers raced out to a 16-0 lead by halftime.

Our defense was very coachable this week and it showed,” Ingram said. “We started the game on offense and we looked good. Then we had a fumble due to miscommunication, but the defense stepped up and we got a pick six.”

Mark Bradley intercepted the Charles Henderson pass and returned it for the score. Bradley then caught the two-point conversion from quarterback Barrett Bush.

Following the score, the Trojans threatened, but were once again turned away by the Greenville defense.

“They drove the length of the field just to be held out by our defense, and we got the ball back on downs” Ingram said.

After taking over on its own 3-yard line, Greenville running back Dequarius Peterson reeled off a 97-yard scoring run. Greenville running back Skylar Moore added the two-point conversion to boost Greenville’s lead to 16-0.

With Greenville’s offense sputtering in the second half, the Trojans made it a ballgame. After trimming the Tigers’ lead to a single score, the Trojans threatened to tie the game, but the Greenville defense once again stiffened and held the Trojans on downs.

“Troy has a very good football team,” Ingram said. “This was a big game for us. I am very proud of our entire team. The young men that are seen during the game will get most of the credit, but the guys that bust their tail on the scout team are just as important.”

Greenville will wrap up its season Tuesday when it plays host to Millbrook Junior High School.

“It would mean a lot to the players to wrap up this season with a great crowd,” Ingram said.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.