It was a home sweet homecoming for Elizabethton on Thursday night.
The Cyclones raced out to an early lead and cruised to a 55-27 victory over Sullivan East in Region 1-4A action at Citizens Bank Stadium.
With the win, Elizabethton improved to 2-4 on the year, while East falls to 2-5 on the season.
It was all Elizabethton early.
After the Cyclone defense stopped the Patriots on the opening drive of the game, Elizabethton went to work as Cade Russell capped off an eight-play, 70-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run.
The EHS defense forced a three-and-out on the next East drive, and the EHS offense took advantage as Dalton Mitchell found Jeriah Griffin for a 25-yard touchdown pass.
That allowed Elizabethton to take a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.
Nate Stephens found the endzone on Elizabethton’s next two drives with both scores being from a yard out.
Russell scored his second touchdown of the night with just under six minutes to play in the half as the senior running back scored from three yards out as EHS pushed the lead to 35-0.
East got on the board with 1:47 to play in the half when Drake Fisher and Masun Tate connected for a four-yard touchdown pass. On the next play from scrimmage when Corbin Laisure intercepted a pass for a pick-six as East cut the EHS lead to 35-14.
The Cyclones answered quickly as Gib Maupin found Teddy Orton for a 69-yard touchdown.
Orton and the Cyclone defense got in the scoring act a few plays later as Orton grabbed a Patriot pass and took it 26 yards to the house.
That gave EHS a 49-14 halftime lead.
With a running clock, the third quarter went quickly with no score as Elizabethton was able to get several younger players playing time.
Kaden Roberts scored early in the fourth for East on a 2-yard run, and Tyler Cross caught a Fisher pass for an eight-yard run as the Patriots cut into the EHS lead.
Elizabethton capped off the scoring when Jaiden Wallin found the endzone from three yards out.
Stephens finished the game with 119 yards on 14 carries, while Wallin had eight carries for 62 yards.
Mitchell went 8-of-11 for 101 yards. Maupin was 5-of-10 for 107 yards, while Orton had three catches for 106 yards. Griffin had four catches for 50 yards.
Roberts had eight carries for 150 yards to lead the Patriots.
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