Witten: Coleman anchors Cyclones D-Line

Published 11:53 pm Monday, July 31, 2017

A four-year starter, Elizabethton senior defensive end Cameron Coleman clocks in at 6’4″ and 300 pounds and brings plenty of experience with his size.

“Cameron obviously anchors our defensive line,” said EHS head football coach Shawn Witten. “He can play inside and outside. He comes back with the most experience. He has played in a lot of battles. He is a vocal leader. He is never out of position and gets other people lined up. He takes charge, and is fundamentally disciplined.”

Coleman, who racked up more than 80 tackles and roughly 16 sacks last season, believes that this year’s Cyclones defense will be as strong as years past, if not, stronger.

“Defensive wise, up front, we have been strong for the past few years,” said Coleman. “We lost Johnny Woodby and Alex Norwood last year, and we have a few returning seniors, so we are definitely going to be strong. Secondary, we have some big shoes to fill. We lost some people last year. The secondary is probably going to be our biggest struggle, but as long as we can get those shoes filled in, our defense is going be as strong, if not better, than it was last year.”

Last season, the Cyclones rolled into the TSSAA Class AAA Quarterfinals, where they dropped a heartbreaker at Alcoa, 17-14. However, the tough loss has only made the Cyclones hungry for more, said Coleman.

“Last year, was just kind of a kick in the tail; we could taste it,” he said. “We were right there. Three points from the state semifinals. Everybody has that in the back of their mind. Everybody wants to get a ring on their finger.”

As a senior lineman, Coleman said he knows exactly what his role is this season.

“My job is to keep the guys in line,” he said. ” I have to get everybody doing what they are supposed to be doing. I have to make my fair share of the plays. I just have to do what I have been taught to do and stop offenses.”

With the start of the season right around the corner, the Cyclones are hard at work battling through summer practices, and according to Coleman, working hard is what ‘Betsy does best.

“We have been going for like four weeks now,” said Coleman. “We get after it every single day. We are always getting in work out here, 6:30 to 11. We just want to get better every single day.”

The Cyclones will open their season on Aug. 18 as they travel to Science Hill. Last year, the Toppers and Cyclones gave the crowd at Citizen Bank Stadium a show as they fought to double overtime before the Toppers came out on top 28-21. Coleman said that he is expecting a tough offensive line from the Toppers this time around.

“Last year, they kind of struggled at that position,” said Coleman. “I have heard and also seen that they have a pretty stout offensive line this year. That is definitely going to be a challenge for us. It is going to be one for the books though. Just like last year.”