Cloudland loses Homecoming Game

Published 12:09 am Saturday, October 8, 2022

BY C.Y. Peters

Star Correspondent

What a beautiful place to watch a fall football game, in Roan Mountain on homecoming night.  The trees were many different colors, the temperature was just right, and the best hotdogs in East Tennessee since Howard’s closed.

  The Parade started at the corner of the old Cloudland Food Market and traveled up main street to Orr Field.  Several thousand fans, and families, watched and picked up candy as almost every float tossed goodies to the kids.  The youth teams, cheerleaders, fire departments, area churches and even the class of 1962 joined in the parade.

Cloudland took the opening kick-off and before the first play could be run, they were penalized for off-sides.  After four plays, the Landers were forced to punt.  Austin Caraway booted a great punt to the Unicoi 39.  On Erwin’s second play, they fumbled the ball and Cloudland’s Kingston Cole jumped on it to give the Landers good field position.  After three plays, quarterback Gage McKinney was picked off at the eight-yard line ending a Lander threat to score first.

Unicoi begins moving the ball down the field.  From the 40 on first down, Caleb Palaez broke off the left side and raced 40 yards for the game’s first score.  The PAT was good and Unicoi led 7-0.  The Landers were playing without quarterback Bryson Peppers, Kyle Birchfield and Dylan McClellan. When you are missing important players, and playing a really good team, sometimes it’s just hard to overcome those obstacles.

     With 1:33 left in the first, Nehemiah Edwards went right up the middle 45-yards for another Blue Devil touchdown.  Unicoi would again get the ball on the Lander 20 after a fumble on the first play of the second quarter.  Edwards would score his second touchdown on a 20-yard run.  With 11:40 to play in the half, the Devils led 21-0.  On the Lander’s next series Matthew  Whitson picked off a pass at the 42.

  Palaez would round out the scoring in the first half with a 71-yard run to make the score 28-0.

At the half, Shana Canady was crowned the 2022 Homecoming queen.

After the half, things just went downhill for the Landers.  Edwards would score his third touchdown, then a fumble by the Highlanders and Jay Snyder would score. And just like that, the score was 42-0.

  The clock now would continuously run.  Cloudland would get on the board after a great catch by Tanner Blevins to pick up a big first down as the third came to a close.  Gage McKinney would punch it in from the two-yard line with 8:42 to play.  Austin Caraway added the two-point conversion and the score was 42-8.

  Branson Salts would add another score for Erwin at the four-minute mark. Soto was perfect on the night, kicking seven extra points for Erwin.  Unicoi would move to 6-1 while the Landers fell to 2-5.  The Landers travel to Jellico next week.