Passing the test… Cyclones regroup after the half to thwart Governors upset bid, 31-17
Published 1:04 am Saturday, October 5, 2019
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cade Maupin escapes a diving Governors defensive back for a good gain.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton quarterback Bryson Rollins rolls out toward the goal line in Friday's game from William Blount.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton lineman Carson Streseman has a bead on a Governor running back.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cyclone wide receiver Parker Hughes sidesteps a William Blount defender on a kickoff return.
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
MARYVILLE – One knows it is bad when the teacher that prepares his students for a test is the one who is feeling nauseous after his students pass the test in the final minutes.
That was the case on Friday night as Elizabethton head coach Shawn Witten could have probably used some Phenegrin to calm his stomach after his Cyclones trailed for most of their contest against William Blount before the defense stood strong to will their team to a 31-17 victory on the road in Maryville.
Seth Cooper staked the Governors to an early 7-0 lead on a nine-yard run with 7:31 showing on the first-quarter clock. Job Matossian booted the point-after on the score.
The Cyclone offense struggled to gain any footing spinning their wheels on their possessions before Jaxton Holly blasted a 42-yard field goal just 3:23 before the half. The teams would go into the locker room with William Blount holding a 7-3 lead.
William Blount added a monstrous field goal from 53 yards away by Matossian to extend the Class 6A Governors lead to 10-3 with 9:36 showing on the third-quarter clock.
The Cyclones finally caught the Governors on a Bryson Rollins three-yard run and Holly converted the PAT to make it a 10-all contest.
Elizabethton just couldn’t hold the Governors down as William Blount took advantage of a fumbled pitch from Rollins to Cade Maupin with the Governors recovering and taking the football to the EHS one-yard line.
Trey Clemmer capped the drive with a one-yard plunge and Matossian’s PAT made it a 17-10 William Blount lead with 11:49 left in the contest.
Elizabethton once again pulled even as Rollins hit Parker Hughes in stride for a 43-yard scoring strike and Holly tied the game at 17-17.
One of the biggest plays of the night took place with 6:23 left to play when defensive back Jake Roberts stepped in front of a Clemmer pass and took it to the house on a 52-yard pick-six score to give the Cyclones their first lead of the contest at 24-17 after Holly’s kick.
With the game still up in the air, Deuce Morton sealed the win with a pick-six of his own that covered 67 yards. Holly converted his PAT and the game had its final score of 31-17.
For the game, the Cyclones recorded 19 first downs and had 321 yards of total offense. Rollins completed 12-of-17 passes for 164 yards and had two interceptions.
Hughes was on the receiving end of six catches for 95 yards and the score. As a team, the Cyclones had 34 carries on offense covering 157 yards led by Rollins with 21 carries for 86 yards and Maupin adding 67 yards on 12 touches.
“We didn’t play well offensively. I am just so proud of our guys the way they stuck together because they could have easily panicked. When things started to get away from us, we stepped up and made some plays tonight so its all on the guys in the orange and black tonight.
“We put our defense on the field way too long tonight. Last week we put up a lot of numbers but tonight it was all about our defense. We talked about it all week long about the challenge we were going to get tonight. Give William Blount credit. They were well prepared for this game tonight.”
The Cyclones (6-0) head back to the Knoxville area again next week when they travel to Maynardsville to take on Union County.
