Remembering the Legend: “The Voice of the Cyclones,” John Holsclaw

Published 9:40 pm Thursday, October 13, 2022

BY C.Y. Peters

One of Elizabethton’s greatest athletes was John Holsclaw, on and off the field.  He was the voice of the Cyclones for many years on WBEJ.  He was always laughing and talking about Cyclone football, basketball, and occasionally about the Tennessee Vols.  Anything orange, John was the man.  He graduated from Elizabethton High in 1959.

John won 14 varsity letters and was quarterback for the Cyclones football team, scored 36 touchdowns and even took the Cyclones baseball team to the state runner-up his junior season, and was a great basketball player.

John was always an important man around town and was well respected, held a local office for many years and helped many people during his time here.  John was a great family man who loved his wife Donna and his children. Donna was beside him every Friday night in the press box at Brown-Childers Stadium.

One of the biggest highlights of high school for Holsclaw was winning the 1958 Tennessee-Virginia all-star game MVP where he scored the winning touchdown to give Tennessee a 14-13 win.  John played some football for the University of Tennessee and attended ETSU.

 He was the former Carter County Property Assessor for twenty-seven years and was a member of Elizabethton Church of Christ, where he had served as a Deacon.

In 2018 Elizabethton City Mayor Curt Alexander recognized Holsclaw during halftime of the South Greene game for his many years of service. During his years covering the Cyclones, Holsclaw broadcasted roughly 500 football games and 1200 basketball games including the state basketball run for the Lady Cyclones and his favorite game which was the 2014 Lady Cyclone state championship contest from Murfreesboro.

He was a former Lyons Club member and enjoyed golfing, fishing, hunting, announcing sporting games and attending sporting events.  He was inducted into the Carter County Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

John went to be with his Lord on Thursday, November 29, 2018.