As East Robertson’s team wrapped up their last game at the TSSAA BlueCross Bowl Class 2A state championship held at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, they lost to Riverside with a score of 13-7. In spite of the loss, Elijah and Isaiah Groves embraced each other while their fellow teammates filed off the field.
The Groves brothers and their younger sibling, Zach, played a key role in East Robertson making it to the state championship game in Chattanooga for the first time in their school’s history, even though they did not clinch the title this time.
Following the end of the football season, Elijah and Isaiah Groves are now focusing on the upcoming high school basketball season and planning numerous visits to college football programs in the months ahead.
“I know where I’m going so I’m really going to just play basketball with my teammates and work on being ready when I leave for Lexington (Kentucky) in the summer,” said Elijah, a senior linebacker who committed to Kentucky in July.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 210 pounds, Elijah Groves is a four-star linebacker with a ranking of No. 7 in Tennessee and the 25th nationally on the 247Sports Composite. He received 15 Division I offers, including from schools like Memphis, Middle Tennessee State, UAB, and Virginia Tech. Despite the loss, Elijah made two catches, earning 19 yards, and contributed four tackles along with a fumble recovery on Saturday.
“Too many mistakes, too many penalties … that’s what cost us,” Elijah commented referring to East Robertson’s 10 penalties for 100 yards.
His brother, Isaiah, a junior, is wrapping up the season with more than 3,000 rushing yards, managing to accumulate 112 yards in 23 carries during the championship game. As a 2A Mr. Football finalist, Isaiah secured East Robertson’s sole touchdown in the second quarter. Keeping in view his impressive performance, Isaiah’s recruitment will gain significance as he heads into his senior season in 2024.
Isaiah is a three-star back and ranked 21st among Tennessee prospects for the 2025 class. Already attracting offers from Kentucky, Missouri, N.C. State, and UAB, he anticipates receiving an offer from Purdue as well.
“I’m ready to get out there and go and see some schools,” Isaiah mentioned. “I do plan on getting to Missouri, Kentucky, and I want to get up to Purdue to get that offer. There’s a lot of things I want to get done before next (high school football) season starts.”
Youngest brother, Zach, has garnered significant interest from Power 5 schools, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Purdue, N.C. State, UAB, and Charlotte. Surpassing his brothers in number of offers remains a possibility.
“I have some time to think about my options,” Zach said, reflecting on his performance in the game. “I’m not in any rush. I’ll just concentrate on me and getting better and that other stuff will work itself out.”
Zach closely observed Elijah and Isaiah through their recruitment process this season. He accompanied Elijah on a Purdue trip last spring. Zach’s interest also led him to attend Tennessee’s spring practice and witness the Vols in action in Knoxville during UT’s games against Austin Peay and South Carolina.
“It was loud there,” Zach recalled about the South Carolina game. “I had a lot of fun so I’m looking forward to getting back there and branching out and seeing some other schools.”
Connect with sports writer George Robinson at [email protected] and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.
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