Casting out the Devils… Cyclones expel Greeneville with a 14-13 defensive battle in JV play
Published 12:40 am Wednesday, October 23, 2019
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Cyclone JV quarterback Dalton Mitchell picks up a critical first down that allows Elizabethton to take a knee and run out the clock.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
The Elizabethton JV defense comes up with a big stop against a Greeneville runner attempting to reach first down.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Cyclone receiver Josh Sweeney puts a move on a Greeneville defender. Sweeney would score on the play and a two-point conversion would give the Cyclone JV a 14-13 win over the Greene Devils.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Cyclone wide receiver Peyton Johnson fights for extra yardage after catching a pass from quarterback Dalton Mitchell.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Cyclone JV defensive back Hayden Nave (24) holds onto the shirt tail of a Greeneville runner while teammate Jack Farris (4) comes to lend a hand,
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Cyclone quarterback Dalton Mitchell looks for an opening running lane while being pursued by the Greene Devil defense.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Bradley Cannon of Elizabethton makes a diving stop on the Greeneville quarterback in Monday's JV game from Citizens Bank Stadium.
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
The Greeneville Greene Devil junior varsity probably had in mind when they came to Citizens Bank Stadium Monday to vex the Elizabethton Cyclone JV for what had happened to the varsity team on Friday night.
Unfortunately, the Cyclones gave Greeneville a dose of medicine that hopefully will keep the Devils out of Elizabethton for a while with another come from behind effort that saw Elizabethton rally from a 13-0 halftime deficit to take a 14-13 win.
The Cyclones had opened the door for the Greene Devils in the early going with two turnovers that led to the two first-half scores.
‘We got the ball at the start of the game and had it for seven minutes,” said JV Cyclone head coach Brian Jenkins. “I made a bad play call and we threw an interception. I mean we drove right down the field on them from the kickoff to the interception.
“I made another bad play call on the second interception and I will take that. The offensive line – this is the best game they have played all year long,” continued Jenkins. “Those guys were big and strong and they (OL) showed up and played their behinds off and we couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Coming out of the locker room, Elizabethton’s defense had got a second wind and forced the Greene Devils to give the football back over to the Cyclones thanks to an interception by Dalton Mitchell.
Mitchell then would go back to work under center as the Cyclones moved the ball downfield once again and this time Mitchell found Peyton Johnson on a seven-yard scoring strike with 5:50 left in the third quarter.
Sean Smithdeal’s point-after failed and the scoreboard read 13-6 Greeneville.
The Cyclones still trailed heading into the fourth quarter by the same score, but thanks to some penalties and a failed fourth-down conversion by the Greene Devils, Elizabethton got the football back in good field position.
Once again, Jenkins turned to Mitchell’s arm as Mitchell rifled a 16-yard touchdown pass to Josh Sweeney with 5:06 left to play to make it a 13-12 game.
The Cyclones initially thought about kicking the PAT but took a timeout to talk things over.
When the team came back to the field, it was the offensive unit and Mitchell found TJ Little for the two-point conversion that put the Cyclones out front for the first time at 14-13.
The Cyclone defense got the football back once more and a steady diet of Nate Stephens and Mitchell allowed the Cyclones to work the game clock down to all zeroes as Elizabethton took the big win.
“We have a bunch of fighters and gamers,” Jenkins added. “They get out here and they play their tails off every night and that’s all you can ask for.
“We have had eight games and seven of them have been decided by seven points or less. So that is a lot of fighters.”
The Cyclone JV will be back on the field next Monday evening when they take on the South Rebel JV at Citizens Bank Stadium at 6 pm.
