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By JESSE SMITHEY
Shawn Witten knows a thing or two about dual-threat quarterbacks.
Having played at Virginia Tech during the Michael Vick years, Witten saw one of the best to ever play that way do it on a daily basis.
And while by no means is Shawn Witten’s quarterback this season on his Elizabethton High School football team a Vick clone, Witten can, however, astutely pinpoint what makes Bryson Rollins special as a dual-threat quarterback.
Bryson Rollins (10) of the Elizabethton Fighting Cyclones on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. (Photo by Danny Parker)
It’s the running style and character traits that the Cyclones have used as catalysts for Class 4A state championships the past two seasons and that they hope to use one last time at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Class 4A BlueCross Bowl Championship.
Elizabethton (12-1) will face off against unbeaten Tullahoma (14-0) at Chattanooga’s Finley Stadium. That’s where Rollins, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior, will try to get his run on to cap his career with a three-peat.
The three-year starter enters the contest with a single-season, career-high 1,420 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground to go with 1,645 yards passing and 22 touchdowns this fall.
He is just 191 yards away from hitting 4,000 career rushing yards and four TDs away from 70 career rushing touchdowns. He has already topped 6,000 career passing yards and has 83 career passing touchdowns.
Rollins is 42-1 as a starter.
“If anyone knows Bryson and his personality … his running style — that’s just who he is. He has great poise, great confidence. He’s got a great football I.Q. He sees the football field really well,” said Witten.
“He’s not a burner. He’s not super fast or super quick. But he’s strong. He can run inside or outside. He does a great job of sliding and getting down to not take big hits. This year, his leadership skills have just been phenomenal. Super laid back. The stage is never too big or too low. He’s the same person each and every day. He is a patient runner. He just has a knack for making plays and seeing the field really well.”
Snubbed from the Mr. Football conversation this season, Rollins has been at his best down this home stretch. In the last six games, he has averaged 130 yards passing and two touchdowns per game to go along with 122 yards rushing and 1.5 rushing TDs per game.
On Saturday, he and the Cyclones will have to disrupt a tight-knit defense and team in Tullahoma, a program that will feature seniors in 21 of 22 starting positions. Even its Mr. Football finalist kicker, Justus Chadwick, is a senior.
Tullahoma coach John Olive’s team lost a heartbreaker, 15-14, in last year’s 4A quarterfinals. The longtime coach knew his Wildcats would return a solid offensive unit for 2021 but there were too many unknowns about the defense that was coming back; graduation hit it hard.
But as it turned out, Tullahoma’s defense this fall proved to be outstanding. No team has scored more than 21 points on it, including the two games the Wildcats played against Pearl-Cohn and the semifinal last week against Haywood.
Those are two electric, high-powered offensive teams. All told, Tullahoma has intercepted 20 passes and recovered 21 fumbles.
“The defense is the surprise,” said Oliver, who is in his 28th year at Tullahoma and actually coached Witten in a high school all-star game in the late 1990s. “Last year’s defense was really good. It was probably the best defense, up to that point in time, that I had ever been associated with. But we graduated so many kids who could run so well. We had defensive ends last year who could run 4.7s and 4.8s. We had a defensive tackle who could run a 4.7. We lost those young men (to graduation).
“We thought our defense (this year) would be average. We thought our offense would still be really good. That’s been the big surprise. We’re probably getting ready to face the best offense we’ve seen all year long. But I give the credit to up front. We have some really physical football players. Linebackers are very smart and intelligent. They’re seniors and get to the football. And the secondary has done nothing but make plays.”
Tullahoma has a dual-threat quarterback of its own in senior Ryan Scott, who is 26-1 as a starter. He has 2,000 yards passing and 400 yards rushing and 29 total touchdowns (21 by pass).
Scott has completed 72.5 percent of his passes this fall.
“He’s an outstanding young man, who continues to make big plays – particularly on third downs – over these last two years,” said Olive.
But will he outperform Rollins and the Cyclones? That will be tough.
They have experience in their corner.
Tullahoma has never played in a state championship game.
“The guy has grit,” Olive said about Rollins.
“He’s tough. He can hurt you inside. He can hurt you outside. He can throw the football. Rollins, in my opinion, is just the epitome of a football player.”
GAME NOTES
ELIZABETHTON (12-1) is seeking its third consecutive state championship in Class 4A and fourth title overall, the first coming in 1938. An Elizabethton win would give Region 1-4A five consecutive championships, dating back to the 2017 and 2018 titles won by Greeneville.
ROAD TO STATE: def. Carter (47-14), def. Anderson County (45-7), def. Greeneville (13-7), def. Upperman (23-6)
PLAYER WATCH
Bryson Rollins (QB, senior, 6-1, 205): 42-1 as a starter, 115-187 passing, 1676 yards, 22 TDs, 6 INTs; 215 carries, 1386 yards, 21 TDs
Jake Roberts (WR/DB, senior, 6-0, 190): 66 catches, 1041 yards, 17 TDs; 4 carries, 53 yards, TD; 23 tackles, 3 INTs
Cade Russell (RB/DB, junior, 6-0, 205): 176 carries, 943 yards, 11 TDs; 39 tackles, 8 PBUs, 2 INTs
Elijah Williams (OLB, junior, 6-1, 225): 84 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 3 sacks
Trenton Taylor (DL, senior, 6-5, 285): 74 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 10 QB hurries
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
TULLAHOMA (14-0) is in the TSSAA BlueCross Bowl for the first time in program history (since 1922), in this its 27th appearance in the postseason.
ROAD TO STATE: def. Chester County (49-12), def. Montgomery Central (42-7), def. Pearl-Cohn (21-7), def. Haywood (44-19).
PLAYER WATCH
Ryan Scott (QB, senior, 6-1, 175): 26-1 as a starer, 124-171 passing (.725), 1958 yards, 21 TDs, 4 INTs; 71 carries, 407 yards, 8 TDs
Keishawn Cummings (RB, senior, 6-0, 215): 115 carries, 929 yards, 18 TDs
Jacob Dixon (WR, senior, 5-10, 160): 60 catches, 832 yards, 8 TDs
Justus Chadwick (K/P, senior, 6-0, 180): Mr. Football Kicker finalist, 57 touchbacks, 35.9 yards per punt, 60-62 PATs, 6-9 FGs, long 49
Cayden Tucker (ILB, senior, 5-10, 170): 97 tackles, 10 TFLs, 2 FF, 3 sacks, INT
Krys Uselton (DB, senior, 5-11, 150): 5 INTs, 40 tackles
Brandon Painter (ILB, senior, 5-9, 185): 99 tackles, 11 TFL, 5 FF, 5 sacks
Landon Foutch (DB, senior, 5-11, 165): 6 INTs, 42 tackles
Matt Daniels of Century 21 is the proud sponsor of 5Star Preps’ coverage during the 2021 BlueCross Bowl Championship Week. Click on the business card above to learn more about Matt Daniels, the realty areas he serves and to contact him for help with your realty needs.