GREENVILLE — Greenville continued building confidence for the 2026 football season Thursday, hosting Tri-County North and Milton-Union in a 7-on-7 scrimmage at Alumni Stadium. Both the varsity and junior varsity squads saw action as a strong crowd turned out to watch the passing competition, which provided the Green Wave another opportunity to sharpen its execution and continue gaining confidence heading into the fall season.
For second-year head coach Steve Channell, the passing scrimmages are about far more than wins and losses. They provide an opportunity to teach, evaluate, and continue changing the culture of the Green Wave program.
“Always in 7-on-7 it’s a teaching situation, so you know there is going to be a breakdown,” Channell said. “There’s no pass rush, there are none of those things, so there are some things that naturally have to get better. But overall, after the 7-on-7, the kids’ confidence level keeps getting better and better and better.”
That growing confidence has been evident throughout Greenville’s summer workouts.
“We saw that a little bit in the Northmont 7-on-7,” Channell said. “The biggest thing is the mental feeling about, ‘You know what, we’re no longer going to be the doormat for everybody.'”
The Green Wave enters the season with much more familiarity than a year ago, when Channell took over the program late in the offseason and spent much of his first year establishing expectations rather than installing schemes.
“We only did one 7-on-7 last year because I knew we weren’t ready,” Channell said. “Last year we only did one and it was OK, but there were so many other things to teach. Teaching the offensive and defensive concepts was very difficult, but there were so many other things being taught — how to dress, how to be on time, how to be responsible for what you’re doing. Those were the big pieces.”
Building commitment throughout the program also became an early priority.
“The football piece is still coming, but it’s all those other things,” Channell said. “Getting kids to show up. I have a list of kids who say they’re going to play, but you don’t know where they’re at. It’s just that level of commitment across the board.”
Now entering Year 2, Channell said the difference is significant because nearly every returning player already understands the team’s terminology and expectations.
“You have to remember, all these kids were coached last year in the same system, so I don’t have to start at square one,” he said. “I’m able to advance it a little bit this year and know they’re going to pick it up and understand what’s being taught.”
That familiarity has allowed Greenville’s coaches to expand both the offensive and defensive playbooks during summer workouts.
“Year two, we should have an easier progression into the system we’re installing, offense, defense or whatever,” Channell said. “It’s an easier transition because they know the terminology, and I’m able to be a little more advanced and a little more diverse. Some of the things we did here tonight I could have never done last year.”
While the summer scrimmages are designed primarily for instruction, Channell likes what he has seen from the Green Wave’s playmakers as preseason preparations continue.
“Our skill guys are going to be good for us this year,” he said.
Greenville will continue using its remaining summer workouts and 7-on-7 competition to sharpen execution before preseason full team scrimmages, followed by the regular season, with Channell believing the program is noticeably further ahead than it was a year ago, both on the field and in the culture surrounding the team.
Greenville will conclude its preseason 7-on-7 schedule Monday, July 20, when the Green Wave hosts Richmond, Indiana, at Alumni Stadium. The varsity and JV passing scrimmage is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
