TSSAA football championship: Springfield offense struggles in 30-6 loss to Elizabethton in 4A

Cecil Joyce
The Tennessean

COOKEVILLE — Springfield is building a strong football tradition, having reached the Class 4A state championship game two of the past three seasons.

However, for the second time in as many trips to the BlueCross Bowl, the Yellow Jackets left Tennessee Tech's Tucker Stadium with a blowout loss, falling to Elizabethton 30-6 in Saturday's 4A title contest.

Springfield (11-4) had a seven-game winning streak snapped with the loss after starting 4-3 and getting hot late in the season with a squad consisting mostly of underclassmen.

"It's a good tradition," said Springfield quarterback Kevontez Hudson, on the team reaching the BlueCross Bowl twice in three years. "It makes people want to come to Springfield. I feel at home here."

"If there are expectations, the kids are putting it on themselves," added Springfield coach Dustin Wilson. "The kids expect it from themselves."

After failing to get a first down in the first half and trailing 16-0 at intermission, Springfield fell down 23-0 midway through the third quarter. But the Yellow Jacket offense finally got untracked after that.

Hudson hit fellow Gabriel Kelly on a 66-yard touchdown completion to give the team's offense a little life.

"We started passing the ball," said Kelly, who finished with 73 yards on two receptions. "We opened up the passing game. The passing game was open in the first half. We finally started opening it up in the second half."

Springfield didn't threaten again, however, as Hudson was picked off twice — both by Elizabethton's Cade Maupin — in the final quarter.

The Yellow Jackets were held to just 41 first-half yards while Elizabethton (15-0) racked up 175 yards — 100 through the air. Springfield had four three-and-out drives and one that stalled on a fourth-and-1 from its own 42.

Springfield gathers after their loss to Elizabethton in the Class 4A championship game at Tucker Stadium in Cookeville, Tenn., Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019.

Things could have been worse in the first half for Springfield, as the Cyclones missed a short field goal and had an extra point blocked.

Hudson finished with 25 yards rushing and was 5-of-14 for 106 yards for Springfield.

"They were putting pressure on our O-line (in the first half)," Hudson said. "We couldn't get the ball moving."

Elizabethton quarterback Bryson Rollins was named the game's MVP after going 11-of-12 for 105 yards (most of that in the first half) and a touchdown and also rushing for 153 yards and a TD.

It was the third time in school history Springfield reached the state title game, with the Yellow Jackets winning the 1993 Clinic Bowl for the program's lone state championship. They dropped a 54-13 decision to Greeneville in the 2017 BlueCross Bowl.