Science Hill survived the storms Friday night to win Friday night鈥檚 season-opening football game against Elizabethton.
The Hilltoppers overcame a game effort by the Cyclones, an hour-long lightning delay for a 27-20 victory at Kermit Tipton Stadium.
Nalique Anderson caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Lane Clement, made a sack of Elizabethton quarterback Rhett Slagle on a key fourth down to help the 鈥橳oppers preserve the victory.
鈥淗e made huge plays when we needed him to,鈥 Science Hill coach Stacy Carter said. 鈥淗e had a huge interception earlier in the game. We kept stopping ourselves, not being able to kick field goals to not score with short fields, a fumble when we didn鈥檛 need a fumble. A lot of things went against us, but it鈥檚 good to scrap out a win.鈥
Clement, the much-hyped transfer quarterback from Wyoming, struggled at times going 17 for 31 for 129 yards. But, he came through when he was most needed. He talked about playing at Kermit Tipton in front of a sold-out crowd.
鈥淐oming from my old school, I was never in these type of games,鈥 Clement said. 鈥淭o be in this atmosphere with a team that wants to win it that bad, to win that way, it was a blessing. Nalique is a freak. I knew he was going to be open. He鈥檚 a playmaker and you鈥檝e got to put the ball in playmaker鈥檚 hands.鈥
Another playmaker, Aiden Perry, racked up 100 rushing yards on eight carries before leaving the game with a leg injury. Anderson rushed for 82 yards and Ian Mathes finished with 62 for the Hilltoppers.
Science Hill raced out to a 14-0 lead before the game was stopped for a lightning delay at 1:40 of the first quarter.
Facing fourth and inches, Perry broke through the line up the right sideline and rushed 36 yards for the game鈥檚 first touchdown. The Hilltoppers scored on the next possession on a 17-play, 93-yard drive.
Mathes broke free for an 18-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead right before it was announced over the public address system that lightning was in the area.
The momentum shifted to the Cyclones in the second quarter with a pair of touchdown passes.
When the game resumed at 9:14 p.m., Science Hill looked to pull ahead by another touchdown but a 56-yard pass play from Clement to Jabriel Fain was called back for an illegal man downfield.
The Cyclones grabbed the momentum at that point.
Elizabethton closed within a touchdown on a 75-yard pass play from Justin Whitehead to Zach Wallin. Then Justius Wallin intercepted a Clement pass and returned it to the Science Hill 3. Rhett Slagle hit Justius Wallin for a game-tying, 6-yard touchdown two plays later.
Science Hill pulled back ahead on the next possession with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Clement to Darren Hill. The extra-point was blocked as the Hilltoppers held a 20-14 lead.
Elizabethton rallied to tie again with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Slagle to Justius Wallin. The Hilltoppers returned the favor by blocking the Cyclones鈥 extra point.
鈥淲e had opportunities to stay in the game and win it,鈥 Elizabethton coach Shawn Witten said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 ask more from our guys. We got off to a slow start offensively, fought our way back and had a chance to go up 21-20. Just so much good out of it because our kids played so hard. The lightning delay helped us a little. We got some energy back and we used every play in the playbook.鈥
It included a dropped pass on fourth-and-2, which would鈥檝e put Elizabethton in position to pull off the mild upset. Slagle finished 16-of-30 passing for 138 yards with Whitehead making eight catches for 89 yards. Zach Wallin had 97 receiving yards.
Instead, Science Hill pulled ahead for good with a 49-yard drive that culminated in Clement鈥檚 9-yard touchdown pass to Anderson.
鈥淗e came through in the end, made a good pass when there was pressure on him,鈥 Carter said. 鈥淗e did some good things for us.鈥
NEXT UP
Science Hill travels to Morristown West next Friday. Elizabethton will face an old rival at Tennessee High.
