Carter County athletes receive all-state nods
Published 2:07 pm Tuesday, January 2, 2018
This week, the Tennessee Football Coaches Association released its 2017 All-State teams, and seven local athletes made the cut.
In Class A, Unaka quarterback John Ramsey and Rangers receiver Blake Isaacs made the offensive team while Cloudland running back Jordan Coffey was also selected.
This past season, Ramsey accounted for 2,040 yards passing while connecting for 21 touchdowns. Isaacs caught 59 of Ramsey’s passes for 1,080 yards and 12 touchdowns. Isaacs was also selected as a Tennessee Sports Writer Association All-State player.
For Cloudland, which made it to the second round of the TSSAA Class Playoffs this year, Coffey was a crucial part of the Highlanders’ offense as he rushed for 1,738 yards on 245 carries. Coffey ended the season with 23 touchdowns.
In Class AA, Happy Valley seniors Brayden Sams and Landon Morefield both made the team. Sams was selected as a defensive back after playing an essential role in the Warriors secondary. The Happy Valley defensive was a turnover machine as the Warriors recorded four shutouts in 2017 including a 22-0 defeat of Oneida in the first round of the TSSAA Class AA playoffs.
Morefield made the All-State team as an offensive lineman as he used his size and athletism to wreak havoc defensive lines.
The Warriors went 8-4 this season and 3-1 in their league before making it to the second round of the playoffs.
In Class 4A, the Elizabethton Cyclones had two players make the cut. Junior quarterback Carter Everett was saved a spot after a season in which Everett tossed for 2,734 yards while completing 218 of 317 passes. Everett finished the year with 33 touchdown passes.
Cyclones receiver Ryan Wetzel had 994 yards receiving on 78 catches while recording 18 touchdowns for ‘Betsy.
The Cyclones went 9-3 on the year en route to a TSSAA Class 4A playoff game at Anderson County, where Elizabethton fell 38-21.