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By Ron Marvel

Star Correspondent

Trailing 14-0, the Cyclones showed great toughness and heart, battling back to force a tie game not once, but twice. However, the Indians scored the decisive touchdown to salvage a 28-21 win. The Cyclones hosted Dobyns-Bennett at Kermit Tipton Stadium in Johnson City Friday night, as the facilities at Elizabethton High School are still being used by emergency management teams after last week’s floods.

The Indians jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half as QB Austin Sykes scored two rushing touchdowns. Elizabethton had difficulty getting their offense going in the first half, but Head Coach Shawn Witten and his staff made locker room adjustments, and the Cyclones began moving the ball effectively against the Indians in the second half. Landry Buckles scampered in from seven yards out, and Rhett Slagle connected with Justin Whitehead for a 44-yard TD pass to tie the game at 14-14.

The Indians responded as Sykes hit Rome Pruitt for an 18-yard touchdown, putting them ahead 21-14. But the Cyclones answered back, with J-Bird Wallin rumbling in from three yards out with 1:58 left in the game. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a dead ball foul moved the ball to the Cyclones’ 38-yard line, where Sykes threw an 8-yard TD pass with 40 seconds left, securing a 28-21 victory.

The Cyclones fell to 4-2 on the season and will travel to Northview Academy next week.

Wallin led the Cyclones in rushing with 75 yards, while quarterback Rhett Slagle completed 12 of 20 passes for 111 yards.