Cyclones continue momentum, storm past Chiefs
Published 1:15 pm Monday, September 16, 2024
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Cyclones quarterback Rhett Slagle cuts back against the Cherokee defense on his way to a touchdown.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton running back J-Bird Wallin and coach Travis Hurley celebrate after Wallin’s rushing touchdown.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders The Betsy Band performs during halftime of Friday’s game against Cherokee.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Tuffy celebrates a Cyclones score by carrying a flag in front of the Betsy Band and the student section.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Senior running back Landry Buckles cuts through a running lane in the Cherokee defense.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton defensive end Kyron Smalls sacks Cherokee quarterback Landon Jeffers.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Cyclones running back J-Bird Wallin steamrolls a Cherokee defender on his way to a score.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Cyclones wide receiver Justin Whitehead watches the football into his arms for a touchdown.
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Star Correspondent
The football storm called Elizabethton Cyclone football continues to build momentum as the visiting Cherokee Chiefs found out Friday night. The Rogersville team tried to quell the build-up but ended up on the opposite end of a 41-13 defeat at Citizens Bank Stadium on Senior Night for Elizabethton.
Tight early going
The Cyclones hit the scoreboard first after taking the opening kickoff and putting together a long drive that culminated when quarterback Rhett Slagle plowed through a group of Chief defenders and into the end zone with 5:05 remaining in the first quarter.
Will Bowers continued his early-season success, connecting on the point-after attempt to make it 7-0.
Kickoff specialist Caleb Campbell did a great job pinning the Chiefs back on the kickoff, but lightning struck when Cherokee quarterback Landon Jeffers broke out to the right end of his offensive line and bolted 82 yards for a touchdown as the first quarter expired. Adam Fridman converted the PAT, tying the game 7-7 after the first 12 minutes.
Second quarter belongs to the Cyclones
After a wake-up call from the Chiefs, Elizabethton turned up the energy in the second quarter, registering three long touchdowns to build their lead to 28-13 at the half.
Landry Buckles put the Cyclones ahead when he broke off a 34-yard scoring run with 9:32 in the quarter. J-Bird Wallin added the second score when he blasted through the Cherokee line and romped 48 yards for a touchdown with 5:10 remaining before intermission. The final score of the half came when Slagle connected with Justin Whitehead on a 32-yard pass with just 1:01 left.
Bowers remained perfect on the night, converting all three of his PAT attempts.
The lone score for Cherokee in the second quarter came when Jeffers found Jaydan Gonzalez on a 19-yard scoring pass. The PAT was blocked by the Cyclones.
Quiet second half
The second half didn’t have many fireworks, but the Cyclones managed to find the scoreboard twice more to extend the margin.
J-Bird Wallin stepped into the phone booth and put on his “J-Train” uniform in the third quarter. The bruising running back took a handoff from Slagle and delivered a Derrick Henry-style forearm to a Cherokee defender attempting a tackle, leaving the Chief flat on his back as Wallin carried the ball in for an 11-yard rushing touchdown.
Bowers converted the kick, extending EHS’s lead to 35-13.
Justius Wallin capped off the Cyclones’ scoring in the fourth quarter with a nine-yard rushing touchdown. The snap on the PAT attempt was high, resulting in a failed kick, leaving the final score at 41-13.
By the numbers
The numbers favored the Cyclones in first downs (19-10), but the total yardage was close, with EHS holding a 374-325 advantage.
Elizabethton rushed 42 times for 282 yards, while Slagle completed 9 of 13 passes for 92 yards. Cherokee’s Jeffers completed 17 of 31 passes for 197 yards. Both quarterbacks had an interception.
The Cyclones were penalized eight times for 85 yards, while Cherokee had six flags for 65 yards.
Defensively, the Cyclones recorded three sacks, with Bryson Rowland tallying one and Kyron Smalls collecting two. Elizabethton’s Tucker Taylor also added an interception.
J-Bird Wallin led Elizabethton’s ground attack, carrying the ball 13 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Justius Wallin had 16 carries for 106 yards and a score, while Buckles added seven carries for 49 yards and one touchdown.
Next game
The Cyclones (2-1, 2-0) will hit the road Friday night for a short trip to William B. Greene Jr. Stadium on the campus of East Tennessee State University to take on the Daniel Boone Trailblazers (0-4, 0-2). It will be a home game for Boone.
After a couple of highly successful seasons, the Trailblazers are trying to find some positive footing. In their first four games, Boone has given up 171 points while scoring only 14.
The Trailblazers have lost to Erwin, North Carolina (56-0), West Ridge (42-7), Crockett (35-7), and Morristown West (38-0). Head coach Jeremy Jenkins and his team would love nothing more than to defeat the Cyclones and hopefully turn their season around.
Elizabethton, meanwhile, has rebounded nicely after losing to a very good Science Hill team to open the season. They have won two straight, with victories over Region 1-4A foes Grainger and Cherokee.
Head coach Shawn Witten’s team will look to build on that momentum, as this game marks the halfway point in the season.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
