Gibbs holds off late Elizabethton rally in 4A first round

ELIZABETHTON — The Cyclones were hoping for a playoff rebound after a disappointing close to the regular season. Gibbs had other plans.The visiting Eagles scored on each of their first-half drives and outlasted Elizabethton's second-half rally to take a 24-17 victory in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs at Citizens Bank Stadium.Gibbs (8-2) advances to a second-round road tilt at Red Bank, a 31-28 winner over Macon County.The Eagles outgained Elizabethton 316-308, largely aided by the run game. Tucker Ownby rushed for 128 yards on 31 carries with a touchdown, while Dajuan Harris brought in a combined 125 total yards with touchdowns rushing and receiving."You've got to get lined up in multiple formations with them, and they did a great job because they're so fast," said Elizabethton coach Shawn Witten. "They got us on some unbalanced plays and end-arounds and made us pay on a couple of possessions."After a Seth Seiber sack forced a punt on Elizabethton's opening drive, Keith Jones Jr. ignited Gibbs with first-down completions to Reid Daniel and Wyatt Shropshire. The Eagles went to the run in the red zone, where Dajuan Harris hit the end zone untouched with a 12-yard sweep.The Cyclones found some rhythm in the ground game on their second drive. William McDuffie and C.J. Mathes moved the football into Gibbs territory. Will Bowers put Betsy on the board with a 33-yard field goal.Gibbs struck back in a hurry. Tucker Ownby moved the chains twice with runs, then Keith Jones Jr. aired a 44-yard strike across the middle of the field to Dajuan Harris for a second touchdown.Elizabethton's third drive went backward—literally. A botched snap on a punt resulted in a 22-yard loss and placed the Eagles at the Cyclones' 20.The visitors needed just six plays to cover 20 yards. Tucker Ownby surged across from the one to make it a 21-3 game at the midpoint.Elizabethton delivered a much-needed defensive stop on Gibbs' opening second-half possession and went to work in the passing game. Brycen Blevins hit C.J. Mathes and Zack Wallin with first-down strikes, and Jaiden Wallin delivered a 15-yard burst to the three, setting up Mathes with a three-yard rushing score.The Cyclones had the Eagles reeling on the following drive, but Harris delivered a crucial 24-yard pickup on fourth down into Betsy territory. Elizabethton would block a field goal attempt with a potential scoop and score, but a penalty pushed the Eagles closer, and Mikel Van Pelt extended their lead with a 34-yard field goal.Needing 14 points and first downs, the Cyclones' offense went into its bag of tricks. A fourth-down double fake pass on a punt from Jack Blevins to Legend Pate covered 44 yards. Blevins converted another fourth down with an 11-yard strike to Zack Wallin, but the freshman's toss toward Justius Wallin on a tight end screen was intercepted by Gibbs' Waylon Spierdowis.Elizabethton forced a second punt but had to overcome two personal foul penalties in the passing game with time winding down. Blevins moved the chains with strikes to Jack Blevins and Justius Wallin. The freshman hit C.J. Mathes, who reeled in a one-handed grab and weaved through Eagle defenders for a 29-yard touchdown.A roughing-the-passer penalty on the touchdown set up Elizabethton with an onside attempt from the 50. Will Bowers' kick was deflected by a Gibbs front lineman, but the Cyclones failed to cover the football.Needing a stop with only two timeouts remaining, the Cyclones shot themselves in the foot with a personal foul and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that moved the chains with less than two minutes remaining and secured the win for Gibbs."We had some opportunities there," said Witten. "We got the stops we needed in the second half; Brycen was tough as nails standing in there and making some throws. It's two weeks in a row where the small details get magnified in the big games, and we made a few more (mistakes) than they did."The Cyclones had one pass attempt in the opening half yet ended up with a combined 209 yards in the air during the second half. Brycen Blevins completed 13 of 19 for 165 yards with an interception and a score, while Jack Blevins covered 44 yards on a pivotal fake punt pass.Mathes grabbed four catches for 66 yards and a score, adding 36 rushing yards and a touchdown.Elizabethton (8-3) will go back to the drawing board after their season, hampered by costly season-ending injuries to a handful of players, including senior quarterback Rhett Slagle and athletic receiver Justin Whitehead, among others."We got off to a great start after a tough, disappointing loss to Science Hill," Witten added. "We had multiple linemen in and out of the lineup, lost our 30-game starting quarterback (Slagle) and Justin (Whitehead)."I appreciate our guys for sticking with it and working hard. We were 8-2 and had a good opportunity against a good football team. They gave us a chance, and that's all you can ask for. You've got to convert these opportunities."The loss was the program's first opening-round home defeat while playing at Citizens Bank Stadium.