Cyclones blow past Patriots to claim District 1-AA crown

ELIZABETHTON — The district title drought is over. For the first time in 11 years, the Elizabethton Cyclones are District 1-AA champions, blanking Sullivan East, 9-0, on Friday night at Citizens Bank Stadium. "It is very exciting," Elizabethton senior and District 1-AA most valuable player Reece Vernon said. "It was hard to get here. I am very proud of our boys, we have had a great season and we are hoping to get better as we go into postseason. We look good right now, no injuries, all healthy so guys are doing great right now." Zach Curtis scored four goals for the Cyclones, while Drake Teague and Lambert had two goals each and Vernon added one for the Cylcones, with the match ending at the 68th minute mark against the surprising Patriots, who stunned Unicoi County on penalty kicks in the semifinals on Tuesday. "We have had a tough schedule and that was intentional and it is just to get ready for this moment. We kind of expected we would win this," Schulz said. "Let's be honest, we have got two (other) teams in our district. We have got a senior-heavy team with a lot of talent and we expected to be in this position." Elizabethton (9-4-4) will host Volunteer in a Region 1-AA semifinal on Tuesday, with a win sending the Cyclones into the Class AA sectional round on Saturday. They expect to meet Greeneville in the Region 1-AA finals on Thursday. "It is a big game. I think will take it home though and I think we will probably play Greeneville," Curtis said. "All we have got to do is win next (Tuesday) and we have got a guarantee to the state so that is going to be really exciting for my senior year." It didn't take long for the Cyclones on the board, with Lambert kicking the ball past Sullivan East goalkeeper Will Phillips 10 seconds into the match. Phillips and the Patriots' defense defended the goal well for much of the next 20 minutes to keep the score at 1-0. "They came out with energy and I figured they would. I told the team just kind of move the ball around and see if they will chase and wear them out," Schulz said. "We played a little bit faster than what I wanted to, but they saw the space behind and they started playing it over the top. I wasn't going to slow it down. They saw it and they played it." That began with Curtis, who got loose on a breakway for his first of four goals at the 17-minute mark of the first half. "I just got a good ball at the top in the middle and I just drove in and I waited for the keeper to come out and as soon as he came out I was just good for my spot," Curtis said. "That might be the most goals I have ever had in a game. It was pretty exciting, but it was mostly just my teammates getting me good balls and just hustling for them." That was followed by four more goals in an eight minute span as the Cyclones figured out Sullivan East's strategy and pulled ahead by six goals going into the halftime break. Teague had two of his three assists in the opening half as well. "They were playing far back, you call it 'parking the bus'," Vernon said. "What we figured out is they would crowd, but our strikers were much faster than their defenders so we just started putting it over the top and goal after goal." Elizabethton had already beaten Sullivan East, 10-1 and 8-0, during the regular season, which is way Vernon said the Cyclones may have started a little slow. "I think that took a lot mentally, I think that might be why it took awhile for us to wake up," Vernon said. "Going into it we were all like 'we have already won this game.' It took a second to wake up, get going and took care of business and now we will see Volunteer on Tuesday." The second half only lasted 12 minutes with the Cyclones scoring on goals by Teague, Curtis and Vernon. Connor Blevins also had an assist in the win. Vernon, who earned MVP honors, was joined on the all-District 1-AA team by fellow teammates Teague, Blevins, Jackson Miller and goalkeeper Tucker Taylor, who wasn't challenged often in this match. "It has been a dream since freshman year," said Vernon, whose brother, Riley, earned the same award with the Cyclones. "My brother won it two years back so it is exciting to win it now." Sullivan East (2-13-1), which will travel to face District 2-AA champion Greeneville in the District 2-AA semifinals on Tuesday, placed Nolan Woolwine-Senter, Isaiah Valencia and Phillips on the all-district team. Unicoi County was represented in the third-team district by Isaac Kite, Nehemiah Campbell, McKinley Norris and Benny Acevado. Schulz is appreciative of the senior leadership on his club, which includes Curtis, who is excited for what awaits next week. "We took care of business. We have been working real hard during preseason and all the way into the season," Curtis said. "We practice about five times a week so it is about time we finally clicked and get ready for postseason."