BY IVAN SANDERS

CORRESPONDENT

After an inspirational opening to the game as the Elizabethton mixed ensemble honored the memory of those that perished on 9/11, the Elizabethton Cyclones were ready to do battle in seeking their second win inside their new stadium.

With a near-perfect passing night leading to three Hunter Tyree touchdown tosses, the Cyclones kept the Boone Blazers in check to take a 21-7 victory.

“Anytime you get these two teams together it’s a battle,” said Cyclone head coach Shawn Witten. “Both teams are resilient with both teams fighting for something.

“There’s something about this football team that’s special as they continue to just get better. They executed to about an ‘A’ game tonight.”

The Cyclones (2-1) found the end zone first after Drew Bowers picked off Boone quarterback Gabe Sanders to set Elizabethton up in business at the Cyclone 49-yard line.

Jeremiah Turner had runs of eight and four yards and Tyree found Conner Johnson for a 15-yard pickup to the Boone 24.

Jeremiah Turner added a two-yard gain with Tyree connecting for 13 yards to Jalen Smith to the Blazer 13.

Jacob Turner carried the pigskin to the seven on first and goal. Tyree then hit Johnson who managed to stay on his feet to score the touchdown giving the Cyclones a 6-0 advantage after Dylan Nordby missed the point-after.

The Cyclones seized the momentum just before half as they tacked another score on the board with only eight seconds remaining before the intermission.

It was Tyree once again utilizing the airways to find Jeremiah Turner from seven yards out. Elizabethton decided to go for the two-point conversion and found success with Tyree carrying the ball across the goal line for a 14-0 Cyclone lead.

Boone (0-3) came out of the half and ate up almost 8:18 of the third quarter before being stopped by a stellar Cyclone defense on the Cyclone five-yard line to end the threat.

After both teams went four and out to bring the quarter to an end with the Cyclones leading 14-0, Elizabethton managed to find pay dirt again.

Tyree hit Bowers in stride for a 73-yard scoring pass just 46 seconds into the fourth quarter to extend the Cyclone advantage to 21-0 after Nordby’s PAT.

The Blazers managed to dent the board a little too late as Sanders was elusive on a 13-yard scoring jaunt to the end zone.

Luis Tovar booted the extra point to make up the final score of 21-7.

It was an all-out defensive effort by the Cyclones led by the front line which included a seven-yard sack of Sanders by Johnny Ray Woodby.

Woodby said that the practices leading up to the game had the Cyclones defense fired up and ready to play.

“We have been practicing much better and with a lot of intensity this week. There wasn’t any bad blood, we just wanted to get pumped up for the game.

“On the sack, coach told me to short scoop and there wasn’t anybody there but the fullback, and I was able to clear him and get to the quarterback.  We really stepped up and played better this week.”

Witten said he was proud of his team’s defensive effort after last week’s performance.

“The defense was tough, and we made them settle for just one score. This is just such a great football team.”

The Cyclones hit the road next week traveling to Unicoi County to take on the Blue Devils in a Region 1 3-A tilt.