Things are a lot different now for Blackman senior quarterback Jaevion Elliott than they were 12 months ago.
And he’s enjoying the ride and making the most of it.
Elliott, a Rockvale transfer, has advanced in the TSSAA football playoffs for the first time in his career, leading the Blaze (10-1) to a 24-9 win over Gallatin in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs on Nov. 6.
Blackman will either play at Dobyns-Bennett, or at home vs. Farragut in the second round, depending on who wins the Nov. 7 game.
This time last year Elliott was sitting at home during the playoffs and didn’t play in Rockvale’s final three games after he had a season-ending injury during a Week 7 win over Coffee County.
“It just means everything for me to come here and compete for these guys and allow us to get to the second round, because I know this is what they wanted the most,” said Elliott, who was 14-of-23 passing for 166 yards and a touchdown and added six carries for 62 yards and a TD. “And I’m going to help them achieve that.”
Elliott has not only given Blackman an elite athlete at the quarterback position, but his leadership skills have blossomed as the season has progressed.
“What I’m most impressed with is that he had probably one of the worst halves of football (first half vs. Gallatin) that he’s had all year,” said Blackman coach Matt Kriesky, whose squad scored just three first-half points and was tied with the Green Wave (6-4) heading into the scond half.
“Basically I tell him, ‘You have 24 minutes guaranteed, and that’s all that’s guaranteed right now. How are you going to respond? How are you going to handle this?’ I thought he came out and did a great job of leading the offense and getting everyone going.”
Elliott entered the postseason 69-of-122 for 1,114 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing 54 times for 382 yards and seven TDs.
He also entered the playoffs with a little experience in that type of atmosphere. He came off the bench (because of an injury to Malachi Telin) to start for Rockvale in the 2023 playoffs and helped the Rockets push No. 1 seed Mt. Juliet in a 29-19 loss.
“I’ve learned more, like how to stay composed and trusting my guys,” said Elliott, on the difference in his two career playoff starts.
Elliott’s legs have been a big part of his production this season, and the second half against Gallatin was no exception. With his team leading 10-3, he reeled of a 35-yard run that set up his own eight-yard touchdown scamper to give the Blaze some breathing room.
“My job is to get the ball in their (receivers) hands,” Elliott said. “But I’m going to step up and use my legs if I need to.”
Daniel Smith had a two-yard touchdown run and Elliott hit sophomore running back Micah Nance on a 21-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter to help Blackman pull away.
However, on the touchdown, Nance was flagged for his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty (celebration) of the game that will force him to miss next week’s second-round game.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at cjoyce@dnj.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Blackman defeats Gallatin in first round of TSSAA football playoffs
