This weekend, two different teams with totally different circumstances will travel from the Elizabethton area to Chattanooga, Tennessee — site of this year’s TSSAA BlueCross Bowl state championship games.
One team, clad in orange and black, has been in this situation before.
Representing Class 4A, Shawn Witten’s Elizabethton Cyclones are looking for a three-peat after winning the state championship last season and the year prior.
So no, this is nothing new. Not since 2019, at least, when Elizabethton beat Springfield to capture its first state title in the modern era.
And last year, “Betsy” did it again by dismantling Haywood 41-14.
This season, the Cyclones (12-1) — who upset 4A favorite Greeneville last week in what has become an annual battle between the two — will face undefeated Tullahoma in an attempt to hoist their third-straight gold ball.
Picture Provided by : Mikey Hynes YHSS Correspondent
Those teams will kick off at 11 a.m. EST on Saturday at Finley Stadium.
By 2:30 p.m, though? With or without another state title, the Cyclones and their fans won’t be on buses back to Elizabethton.
Instead, they’ll be in the stands to cheer for the other team from their area: a much smaller team, clad in dark and light blue, whose players face far different — yet equally daunting — circumstances as the neighbors who are located just 15 minutes north.
The Hampton Bulldogs, out of Class 2A, are playing for their first football state championship in school history.
To reach this point, they stormed back in the final minute of last week’s 2A semifinal to beat Trousdale County — a team with nine state titles — in a matchup straight out of “David vs. Goliath.”
Picture Provided by : Mikey Hynes YHSS Correspondent
Still, one might advise Hampton’s players to not put away those stones just yet. Because the Bulldogs have one more giant left to slay.
Ty Simpson, a 5-star quarterback and 2022 Alabama football commitment, will lead West Tennessee’s Martin Westview into this matchup against the Bulldogs.
It is Westview’s first state title appearance in 20 years, and a state championship would serve as a final, befitting crown for Simpson — an Elite 11 finalist and Adidas All-American whose poise and technique have flashed on highlights throughout his senior season.
“The ball comes out hot,” said recruiting analyst Chad Simmons on Simpson. “He can make every throw… you have to respect his agility, his athleticism. Ty is a guy that’s one of the top players in the country, and he brings a lot for Alabama to work with.”
So, when Hampton steps off its bus on Saturday, it will be greeted by an opponent whose quarterback is gunning for the one accolade he doesn’t have.
But the Bulldogs aren’t focusing only on Simpson.
“The talk around here, is one kid don’t make the football team,” said one Hampton parent. “They’ve got to block for him. We’ve been the underdog a lot. Out of 38 dressing out, we’ve got maybe 16 or 17 that’ll play. Anytime you’ve got that, you’ll be the underdog.“
Underdog or not, a state championship for the Bulldogs would mean as much to them as it would for Simpson — especially for vision-challenged, do-it-all player Tyler Thompson.
If you have read our story on Tyler, you know his background.
The outlook-changing wreck. The cornea-scarring infection. The relationship-affirming aftermath. The town-inspiring perseverance.
But you also know that, before any of those events unfolded, Tyler transferred to Hampton from Elizabethton — where he was part of the state title in 2019, but where support also seemed to waver for players such as Tyler, who did not play much at Elizabethton.
Now, though, Tyler is receiving, defending and even kicking for Hampton. In other words, he’s playing a meaningful role.
That alone, he said, would make this state championship “a thousand times” more impactful than the first.
Before taking his own shot at glory, however, Tyler and his teammates will do the same for Elizabethton that Elizabethton will have done for them: they’ll pack the stands and cheer for kids from the same zip code.
“I can tell you this,” said Jason Thompson, Tyler’s dad, “they’re going to be surprised when that Elizabethton game ends and those fans stick around. Both schools have come together. Everybody’s going to be rooting for Elizabethton from the Hampton side, and rooting for Hampton from the Elizabethton side. It means a lot to our boys.”
While Thompson also alluded to Elizabethton being the school that’s “catered to,” he went further to dig into what this means for the community as a whole — not just one school.
“In 2019, everybody was there for Elizabethton,” he said. “Happy Valley, Unaka, the whole community. It’s time they return the favor.”
“All these boys know each other. It’s not about who wins or gets more recognition at this point. It’s bringing a gold ball back. Two of them, this time.”
If Elizabethton wins, it would mark yet another step in the Cyclones’ resurgence under Shawn Witten.
And if Hampton wins?
For the Thompsons and their community as a whole, that would mark a Hollywood ending that many have already set aside for Tuscaloosa-bound Simpson and his title-thirsty Chargers.
The scripts are written. The table is set.
Now, for Elizabethton-Tullahoma, Hampton-Westview and all the other games set for this weekend, there is only one question left: who will write the final chapter?
