Cyclones

from Gridiron 2021

by Elizabethton Star

Rangers

2021 Elizabethton High School Fighting Cyclones Gunning for their third straight...

Cyclones have a huge bullseye on back heading into 2021

BY IVAN SANDERS

STAR SPORTS EDITOR ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com

The Elizabethton Cyclones will soon find out how an elusive, exotic animal feels when they kick off their 2021 campaign as the back-to-back defending Class 4A State Champions as every team they play will be stalking them with like a hunter wanting to be able to plant their foot on their backs and shout to the highest mountain - we took down the champs.

This is something that hasn’t been lost on Cyclones head coach Shawn Witten.

“There are great challenges,” Witten shared. “We have set the bar really high and there are tons of expectations. We have got to perform at a high level. Over the last 24 months, people in this area are tired of hearing about Elizabethton.

“Our road gets extremely tough. Guys before them have set the bar high and we graduated 25plus players that have been in those big football games that have paved the way to get us over the hump and there are great challenges.”

All one has to do is to look at the brutal schedule the Cyclones have for the season to realize that the competition is salivating to take their shot at the Cyclones.

“Used to, the third week of October was our

biggest game and now it’s the third week of the season. As coaches and as players, we are not going to lower that standard,” Witten stated. “We have got to get the guys to compete to raise the bar and challenge themselves. You can be two ways as a program - you can be a program where no one wants to play you or a program where everybody wants to play you. “Our first six games are as tough as they have ever been. I Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton Cyclone Head Coach Shawn Witten think that it’s exciting and motivates you every day.” And while the identity of the 2021 Cyclones hasn’t yet been established, the success of this team has been replicating a formula that Witten and his coaching staff implemented and has followed on their way to winning 30 straight games and two state titles. “Time will tell what our identity will be,” Witten noted. “The system has proven that there is a winning formula. We have to get guys to play within the winning formula. “The core value of your football team is your sophomores and juniors -they have to be the unsung heroes. They are role players and have to take on that role and maximize

Bryson Rollins Quarterback

that opportunity.

“You have got to have people who will block, who will make the tackle, guys to be possession receivers to help move the chains, and special team role players,” continued Witten.

Witten was asked what the keys on both sides of the football were heading into a new season in 2021.

“To be a really good offensive team, you have to be able to run the football,” Witten said. “We can’t beat ourselves by turning the ball over and make mistakes.

“You have to have anchor defensive linemen who can stop the run and be disciplined. There is a way to go about winning.

“Our football teams over the last 14 years have been able to thrive in tough situations,” commented Witten. “That means situations that you have to execute two-minute drills, field goal situations, and special teams situations showing that we understand the critical parts of the game. I feel that is where we have made the most ground in the last couple of years in winning the state championships.”

While the streak could potentially come to an end in 2021, Witten still sees his team having a path back to the podium in Chattanooga this year to defend their title.

“You win with people, you lose with people but the greater the bond the better you are going to have a chance to win in the long run. We may take our bumps and bruises early, but I think we are going to be a stronger team in the end,” Witten stated.

“We may come up short a couple of games but as long as we set ourselves up, we have the opportunity to defend our title. Is it going to be easy - by no means no but if the guys come with the great attitude as they have I think that we will be okay.”

August

20 at Science Hill 27 RHEA COUNTY

September

3 GREENEVILLE* 10 DANIEL BOONE 17 at Grainger* 24 ANDERSON COUNTY

October

1 at Sullivan East* 8 Open 15 at Volunteer* 22 Open 29 at Seymour*

ALL CAPS denotes home games. * denotes region games.

2021 Elizabethton Cyclone Football Roster

No. Name Class Ht. Wt. Position 4 Cameron Baker 10 6’2 210 WR/DB 5 Cade Russell 11 6’0 205 ATH 6 Jesse Whitehead 10 6’2 180 WR/DB 7 Zeth Mullins 10 5’9 170 ATH 8 Josh Sweeney 11 5’9 160 WR/DB 9 Jeriah Griffin 9 5’10 160 ATH 10 Bryson Rollins 12 6’1 205 QB 11 Eli Blevins 10 6’1 165 WR/DB 12 Gib Maupin 10 6’1 170 QB 13 Bryson Rowland 9 5’8 160 WR/DB 14 TJ Little 12 6’3 170 LB 15 Luke Whaley 10 5’9 160 WR/DB 16 Eli Williams 11 6’1 220 LB 17 Jake Roberts 12 6’0 190 WR/DB 18 Dalton Mitchell 11 6’0 175 ATH 19 Teddy Orton 11 5’11 180 WR/DB 20 Zion Reddick 10 5’10 225 LB 21 Nate Stephens 11 5’10” 175 ATH 23 Bryson Davis 12 6’3 215 DL 24 Dillon Woodby 12 5’10 190 TE 25 Mason Williams 11 6’3 175 LB 26 Billy Woodby 9 5’10 210 LB 27 Kaleb Holzer 10 5’10 175 RB/LB 28 Blake Stewart 12 6’0 220 LB 29 Caleb Campbell 9 5’11 155 K 30 Sean Smithdeal 11 5’7 145 K 31 Jacob Shelton 11 5’11 180 LB 32 Andrew Blevins 10 6’1 210 DL 33 Markel Chappell 10 6’2 235 DL 34 Jon Siepert 10 5’10 145 LB 36 Landry Buckles 9 6’0 165 LB 37 Will Taylor 9 6’0 155 LB 40 Harrison Lane 12 6’0 175 LB 41 Hunter Franklin 10 5’11 200 DL 44 Caleb Johnson 12 6’1 190 DL 45 Michael Bolton 9 5’8 135 LB 46 Maddox Tressler 10 5’10 170 LB 47 Wesley Shankles 11 5’8 200 LB 48 Diesel Russell 9 5’10 165 LB 50 Seth Campbell 9 6’4 315 OL 51 Denton Gilliam 11 6’3 225 OL No. Name Class Ht. Wt. Position 52 JC Andes 10 6’1 200 DL 54 Kyron Smalls 9 5’10 265 OL 55 Drew Turner 12 5’11 215 DL 56 Jacob Whitaker 11 5’10 200 OL 57 Brock Stewart 9 5’10 210 DL 58 Andrew White 10 6’0 215 OL 60 Owen Slagle 12 6’1 255 OL 61 Carson Atkinson 9 5’8 180 OL 62 Gavin Kodak 9 6’0 220 DL 63 Eli Guess 10 6’1 205 DL 66 Conner Johnson 12 6’3 280 OL 67 Grayson Hatfield 12 6’3 260 DL 68 Corey Green 10 6’1 245 OL 70 Dylan McDuffie 11 6’1 240 OL 71 Carter Muncey 9 5’10 200 OL 74 Trenton Taylor 12 6’5 285 DL 77 Caden Draine 11 6’4 225 OL 78 Sam Bowers 11 6’4 330 OL 79 Josh Hayes 10 6’0 250 OL 80 Brad Cannon 11 6’4 230 DL 81 Carter Nagy 10 5’11 165 WR/DB 82 Mason Ball 10 6’4 225 LB 83 Alex Riddle 10 5’9 160 WR/DB 84 Jeremiah Norris 9 6’0 165 WR/DB 85 Logan Campbell 9 5’6 140 WR/DB 86 Edwin Mendez 10 5’10 170 WR/DB 87 JT Long 12 5’11 175 LB 88 Blaine Tolley 9 6’0 175 TE 89 Landon Hughes 9 6’2 205 DL 90 Ben Adams 9 6’2 200 TE 92 Andrew Vance 9 5’10 190 DL 99 Ethan Henderson 9 5’10 195 DL Head Coach- Shawn Witten • Mascot- Cyclones • Colors- Orange and Black

Assistant Coaches - Jeff Pierce, Jordy Harrison, Brian Jenkins, Dave Campbell,

Terry Moore, Michael Grindstaff, Devin Whitehead, Matt Campbell, Jacob Woodby, Matt Myers Terrence Turner, Ryan Witten, and Brock Pittman. Team Chaplain: Michael Koruschak. Team Trainers: Dr. Danny Smith, Dr. justin Smith, and Dr. Erin Kiser.

Support Staff: Howell Woods, Collin Nidiffer, and Daniel McCauley.

Star Photo/Ivan Sanders

The 2021 Elizabethton High School Cheerleaders are as follows: (front L-R) Sara Zimmerman, Morgan Guinn, Cassidy Estep. (middle L-R) Cagney Bennett, Kiarra Kerr, Kaylee Hollifield, Hailey Beverly. (back L-R) Lindy Simerly, Haley Stresemann, Lainey Snodgrass, Mallory Grindstaff, Madison Holly, Maely Ingram, Rheagan Haynes, Rebekah Hardin, Xandi Crockett.