Homecoming began for the Greenville High School football team at 10 p.m. sharp.

That was exactly 14 minutes after the final horn sounded on the Tigers’ 21-14 win over Citronelle High School Friday night at Tiger Stadium.

“We said at 10 p.m. we wanted to 2-2 and 2-1 in the region,” GHS head coach Earnest Hill said. “We talked about waiting to celebrate homecoming until 10 p.m. after we had done what we needed to do on the field.”

The Tigers’ win didn’t come easy.

Greenville struggled offensively in the first half. The Tigers turned the ball over on downs twice, fumbled at the Citronelle 10-yard line and had a pass intercepted at the 1-yard line.

The Greenville defense kept the Tigers in the game. Late in the first half, Greenville got four stops inside the 6-yard line to keep Citronelle out of the end zone and send the game to halftime scoreless.

“I hope that gives our kids some confidence,” Hill said. “They showed tonight that we can stop people when we have to, and that we can score when we have to.”

The Greenville offense opened the third quarter with a 39-yard, 10-play scoring drive that was capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Jerome Watkins.

Sophomore kicker Winston Simms booted the point after attempt through the uprights to give GHS a 7-0 lead.

After another stand by the Greenville defense, this time at their own 16-yard line, the Tigers marched 84 yards for a score. Watkins once again did the honors from 2 yards out. The point after attempt failed and GHS led 13-0.

“Coming out in the second half we played a lot better on offense,” Hill said. “Our coaches did a good job of making adjustments and we were able to move the ball. We ran it downhill and were able to have some success.”

Citronelle cut Greenville’s lead to 13-7 with 10:25 to play in the game, but the Tigers answered when Watkins found junior Myles Haynes for a 35-yard touchdown pass. The pair connected again on the two-point conversion attempt for a 21-7 GHS lead.

After a Citronelle touchdown and a Greenville fumble, junior Aquintas McDole intercepted a pass at the 8-yard line to seal the win for the Tigers (2-2, 2-1 Class 5A, Region 3).

Greenville will host Charles Henderson High School next Friday at 7 p.m.