Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Star Correspondent

The Elizabethton Cyclones were looking to stay on a collision course with the Greeneville Greene Devils for a shot at the Region 1-4A title with a road trip to Northview Academy in Kodak on Friday night.

Although the Cougars were hoping to derail the Cyclones’ plans, there was no stopping a career night by junior Cyclone quarterback Rhett Slagle. The Cougars may have been left considering renaming their field “Slagle’s Pasture” after the signal caller led the Cyclones to a 49-20 victory.

Slagle had a perfect night throwing the football, hitting 21 of 21 attempts for 282 yards and four touchdowns, while carrying the ball 15 times for 74 yards and two scores.

Elizabethton jumped out quickly in the first quarter, taking a 21-0 lead as CJ Mathes put the first score on the board with a 14-yard run. Slagle later connected with Zack Wallin on a 33-yard scoring pass before hitting Justius Wallin for a 40-yard strike with 30 seconds left in the quarter. Will Bowers converted all three of his point-after attempts.

Slagle opened the second quarter by hitting Justin Whitehead for a 15-yard scoring pass just 2:05 into the quarter. Bowers converted the PAT.

Northview finally found the end zone when quarterback Mason Phillips hooked up with Calvin Ferguson on a 24-yard strike with 8:29 left in the first half. The PAT failed, and the Cyclones led 28-6.

The Cyclones got the score back when Slagle scooted into the end zone on a 10-yard run with 3:53 left before halftime. Bowers’ kick extended the lead to 35-6.

Phillips helped pull his team a nudge closer with 30 seconds left to play in the first half on a five-yard run, but the two-point conversion failed, leaving the score at 35-12 at intermission.

Elizabethton added to its lead in the third when Zack Wallin picked up his second receiving score of the night on a 25-yard pass from Slagle. The Cyclones took a 42-12 lead into the fourth quarter after Bowers booted the PAT.

Each team recorded a score in the fourth quarter. Slagle called his own number on a five-yard run with 8:16 to play, as Bowers added the point-after. The Cougars got a 20-yard score from Bryson Metcalf, with Metcalf converting the two-point conversion for the game’s final score of 49-20.

The Cyclones had 418 yards of total offense on the night compared to the Cougars’ 284. Elizabethton recorded 17 first downs, while Northview had nine. Phillips completed 16 of 29 passes for 227 yards for the Cougars.

Zack Wallin caught seven passes for 118 yards and two scores to lead the Cyclones in receiving. Kyler McGovern had a sack for the Cyclones.

Elizabethton will be on the road again Friday night as they travel to Church Hill for a tussle with the Volunteer Falcons.