A look back at the Elizabethton Boys State tournament appearances
Published 1:19 am Thursday, February 20, 2020
BY CY PETERS
The Elizabethton Cyclones has made their way to the TSSAA
Basketball State Tournament five times and hold a 6-5 win-loss record.
Basketball State Tournament five times and hold a 6-5 win-loss record.
Although the Cyclones started playing basketball in the
twenties, it was 1944 before making a state tournament appearance.
That year they didn’t leave with a championship trophy but they did take home
the MVP title.
the MVP title.
Carl Treadway who led the Cyclones in scoring all three
state games earned the title as the State’s best player.
state games earned the title as the State’s best player.
Carl scored 18-points in the opening game against Hillsboro, the Cyclones won 34-27.
Memphis Southside was next as they squeezed by Lawrenceburg by one point
in their opening game.
Memphis Southside was next as they squeezed by Lawrenceburg by one point
in their opening game.
Treadway scored 16-points carrying the Cyclones to a 35-33 win. In the championship
game, Nashville West came out on top 38-30 with Treadway being held to 11.
Taylor, Manning, Holsclaw all turned in good performances for Elizabethton.
Betsy would return in the 1951-52 season in which McNairy Central would
become State Champs.
The Cyclones would only get to play one game this year – a 55-44 loss to Hillsboro.
Campbell and Turbyfield would score nine points each but McClellan was the high point
player with 18.
Elizabethton was only behind at halftime 22-21.
The following year, the Cyclones returned and lost to DuPont who would
go on to be crown State Champs.
go on to be crown State Champs.
At that time the TSSAA held a consolation game. Hillsboro, who beat the
Cyclones out the previous year, would not be so lucky this game as the Cyclones took
third in the state with a 53-44 win.
Top players for Betsy were Sams, Campbell, Meredith, Nidiffer, and Garrison. The state
tournament was held in Johnson City.
It would be thirty years before the Cyclones would return to a
state tournament and now the teams played according to the size of the
school.
The 1982-83 team would travel to Nashville for this year’s
tournament.
tournament.
The Cyclones ended the season with a 31-7 record. Len
Dugger was in his third year as head coach and the Cyclones had beaten
all the teams in upper East Tennessee.
Dugger was in his third year as head coach and the Cyclones had beaten
all the teams in upper East Tennessee.
They would play Oakland in the first game as they won by only one point 53-52.
Keith Turner led Elizabethton with 15 points, James Henry and Kevin Kiser scored ten
each.
each.
Oakland led by four points at the end of the first as both teams
played even in the second with Oakland leading 26-22 at the break.
played even in the second with Oakland leading 26-22 at the break.
The Cyclones would tie the score at the final of the third and would
outscore Oakland by one in the final period for a 53-52 win.
outscore Oakland by one in the final period for a 53-52 win.
Briarcrest shot over 92 percent from the free-throw line and held a
29-2 record, edged the Cyclones by six points to end a championship
threat in 83.
29-2 record, edged the Cyclones by six points to end a championship
threat in 83.
Kevin Kiser turned in a great performance scoring 24
points and tied with Henry leading in rebounds.
points and tied with Henry leading in rebounds.
The score was tied at the first stop but Braircrest outscored
Elizabethton by four in the second.
Elizabethton by four in the second.
They would increase their lead to 12 by the end of the third. Betsy outscored
Briarcrest in the final period by 32-26, but fell a little short losing 80-74.
Kelly Webb, Chuck Madgett, Don Holsclaw and Keith Trammell all scored for the Cyclones.
Nearly twenty years later the Cyclones make it to Murfreesboro
where the state tournament had been moved and is the present site of the
TSSAA Basketball Championships.
where the state tournament had been moved and is the present site of the
TSSAA Basketball Championships.
Tony Hardin was head coach and his team had won 30 games. The Ridgeway
Roadrunners held a 35-4 record when they shot 87 percent from the line in the
first half, as the Cyclones only shot one from the charity stripe in the half.
In the second half, the Roadrunners hit 75 percent behind the three-point line for a
49-42 win.
Vince Redd led Elizabethton with 17 points, B.J. Miller and Lester Bailey followed with nine.
Charles Peters lll, Brad Holsclaw and Jordan Lambert all scored for Elizabethton. A big
blow for the Cyclones came before the state tournament when they lost starter Walter Brown
blow for the Cyclones came before the state tournament when they lost starter Walter Brown
to injury.
