Hilltoppers turn potential into production in season-opening win

There's an old saying that potential is a great thing, but it doesn't buy the groceries. Science Hill rolled into Elizabethton on Friday night with busloads of potential, but very few players who had ever produced any tangible results in varsity competition. By the time the Hilltoppers loaded up the buses and headed home after a 34-20 victory, the grocery cart had been filled by a talented group of players who transformed promise into production in a hostile environment. Junior running back Kiantai Harris became a household name overnight, rushing for 186 yards on just 13 carries with two touchdowns. Harris had over 100 of those yards before halftime with 80 of them coming on a game-changing touchdown run before he was slowed by leg cramps that limited his touches in the second half. Sage Milhorn, a sophomore running back who transferred in from Hampton, picked up the slack with 57 yards on 10 carries while freshman Knox Necessary turned his first career carry into an electrifying 48-yard touchdown run. Necessary followed in the footsteps of his older brothers both literally and figuratively on the scoring run. Big brother Sawyer was on the road-grading offensive line that opened the hole for him, allowing Knox to score on his first carry against Elizabethton the same way their older brother Baylor took his first carry against the Cyclones 99 yards for a touchdown. Knox's run was something that was dreamed about many times in the Necessary's backyard. "Me and Sawyer used to talk about it all the time, just us playing together," Knox said. "He's a natural athlete," Sawyer said. "Just seeing him blend in with our offense, he's very fast. Agility wise, he can move side to side very well. It's just amazing." Needless to say, a little praise from his big brother went a long way for Knox. "It means a lot," he said. "I really look up to my brothers and really love them. To hear them compliment me in any way means a lot to me." The Hilltoppers ran for 343 yards against a rugged group of Cyclones that always push Science Hill to the limit physically. All the backs gave credit to an offensive line that rose to the occasion, a line that was anchored by freshman center Aden Taylor. Taylor was rock-solid snapping the football and executing his blocks with Sawyer Necessary, Oliver Evans, Skyler Dykes and Jacob Carden handling their assignments well. A fleet of four tight ends - Jacob Horne, Logan Townson, Macky Keramidas and Zack Matherne - were also instrumental in the run game and the passing attack. "I was really proud of the offensive line," Sawyer Necessary said. "We were really productive. We were getting on linebackers and holding our gaps in the passing schemes." The work of the offensive line allowed first-year starting quarterback Pearson Harrison to operate efficiently. Harrison got rave reviews from head coach Stacy Carter and his teammates on a night when he threw a pair of touchdown passes. Defensively, the Hilltoppers held an Elizabethton team bound and determined to run the ball to 186 rushing yards on 40 carries. They bent but didn't break during a couple of long drives in the first half and managed to keep the Hilltoppers out in front throughout the contest. Parke Walters, a junior who gained valuable experience when Sawyer Necessary went down with a season-ending injury last year, anchored the defensive line at nose tackle. "My job is to take on as many people as I can so the linebackers can get through," Walters said. "It all starts with the line. If we can do our job, we can let everyone else do their job." As thrilling as Friday's win was, Carter said there are things that will need to be cleaned up moving forward. But overall, he was happy with the way his players were able to minimize their mistakes and recover from the ones they did make. "The kids grew up a lot tonight," Carter said. "I saw some good things, saw a lot of mistakes, of course. I'm proud of our effort, and I hope we can get a lot better for next week." If there's one thing we all know about groceries, every week brings another trip to the store.