Elizabethton Cyclones quarterback Bryson Rollins runs for yardage during the 2021 Class 4A BlueCross Bowl Championship against the Tullahoma Wildcats on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Photo by Danny Parker)
By JESSE SMITHEY
CHATTANOOGA — Nobody wanted the trophy Saturday afternoon, and it was totally understandable as to why.
Gold is the accepted currency for the Elizabethton football team. Not silver.
After suffering a heartbreaking, double-overtime loss in Saturday’s Class 4A BlueCross Bowl state championship, no Elizabethton player felt moved to walk to midfield in the postgame ceremony to accept the runner-up trophy from the TSSAA.
For a split second, Elizabethton coach Shawn Witten stepped forward when he saw no player budged. But ultimately, senior quarterback and team leader Bryson Rollins made the journey to accept the wooden trophy topped with a silver gold football.
And as he returned to the sideline with it, Witten met Rollins halfway and embraced him with a consoling hug, sharing some private words with the player who tossed the interception in double overtime that gave Tullahoma a 21-14 win but also the same player who put the Cyclones on his back all season to guide them to a third state final in a row.
Witten didn’t share what he told Rollins in that moment.
But he disclosed to the media on why Rollins moved to the forefront to get the trophy.
“That’s what champions do,” said Witten. “You go get the trophy when you win. You go get the trophy when you lose. That’s why he has done it his entire career. He’s an even better person than he is a player.
“He’s a role model for all the kids back in Elizabethton that want to put on the orange and black one day. If you ever want to be somebody, you want to be Bryson Rollins.”
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Rollins finished his career 42-2 as a starter with more than 10,000 combined rushing and passing yards. He also logged 152 total touchdowns (84 passing, 67 rushing, one receiving).
He certainly would have been in line for game MVP honors Saturday had Elizabethton (12-2) won. He ran 35 times for 138 yards and a touchdown rushing to go with 131 yards passing and a score. He also punted five times for a 37.2-yard average, playing a huge role in the field-position battle in the second half when the Cyclones and Wildcats (15-0) were locked in a 7-7 chess match.
Instead, the MVP honors went to his quarterback counterpart: Ryan Scott, one of 21 starting seniors at Tullahoma. He went 12-for-16 passing for 124 yards. He also ran for 88 yards and a touchdown.
But his 5-yard, third-down scoring strike in the second overtime wound up being the difference. Because when Elizabethton tried to match the score on a Rollins’ lobbed throw into the back corner of the end zone to senior Jake Roberts, Tullahoma defensive back Krys Uselton made the leap and intercepted it to end the game.
The Wildcats won their first-ever state title in the program’s 100th season, denying Elizabethton a third consecutive 4A championship.
Rollins-to-Roberts was the most successful passing option Elizabethton had all season and it also tied the game at 7-all with 4 minutes, 51 seconds left in the second quarter. The three-yard touchdown pass brought an end to a 13-play, 80-yard scoring drive that spanned some 6:50.
The same defensive battle brand of football that reigned in the first half only intensified in the second half.
“You can’t get comfortable in a game like this. It’s a fight for every yard,” said Elizabethton receiver/defensive back Jake Roberts.
Roberts intercepted a Tullahoma pass at the goal line to prevent a Wildcats score on the opening drive of the third quarter.
Two of Rollins’ punts were downed at the Tullahoma 1 and 2, respectively, midway through the third quarter and early in the fourth.
“We knew they had a really good kicker and that field-position was going to be big,” said Witten. “Bryson, he can do it all.
“That’s why he’s the best player in the state.”
But Tullahoma played the field-position game well, too, and backed Elizabethton up to its 11 with 7:38 to play in regulation. The Cyclones looked poised to pull ahead in regulation three plays later when Rollins heaved one deep to midfield where Caden Russell hauled it in. A personal foul penalty during the play negated the gain, and Elizabethton eventually punted.
Tullahoma returned the punt to the Elizabethton 25 and then drove inside the 5. When the Cyclones held and forced Tullahoma coach John Olive to make a decision to go for a touchdown or kick a field goal on fourth-and-goal from the 1, Olive elected to go for the touchdown and not get the likely automatic three points from his Mr. Football finalist kicker.
Witten said he and his staff thought Tullahoma would choose the field goal. When that didn’t happen, Elizabethton made Olive pay. It stopped the fourth-down run short of the goal line with 2:29 to play.
“It was great see our guys execute with the game on the line,” said Witten.
The Wildcats got one last possession to try and get into field-goal range before the end of regulation. But that didn’t happen, and their final play in regulation didn’t sniff the goal line as Scott couldn’t get off a Hail Mary. He flipped it to a back instead.
Elizabethton scored first in the first overtime on a 1-yard run by Rollins. Tullahoma matched that score with a 10-yard run on the first play.
Tullahoma took the lead first in the second overtime on a 5-yard pass from Scott. Rollins went to the air on second down of the Cyclones’ second-overtime possession after a 1-yard gain on first down.
“In the first overtime, we ran the ball in. Then we had to go play defense. We’re a little tired. We got stuffed on first down (in second overtime). Just tried to put the ball up and go make a play,” said Witten. “Maybe get pass interference. Get the ball first-and-goal on the 5.
“It’s just what we do. You got to give the ball to 10 (Rollins) and make some plays there. We’ve been really good at that all year long and we just decided to put the ball in the end zone.”
Rollins fought back emotions to still face the press following the loss, a sign of a mature leader.
“This year, it just didn’t happen. You win some. You lose some. Everything is not all about football,” he said. “Life’s more than football. Football turns you into a great young man. The coaches we’ve had the last four year are incredible.
“Me and Coach Witten have a special connection. He’s like my second father.”
5STAR PHOTOS: Elizabethton Cyclones vs. Tullahoma Wildcats (2021 Class 4A Championship)