Nov. 28, 1985
* Robbinsville warmed up for the 1985-86 basketball season by traveling to Andrews to scrimmage the Wildcats. For the Black Knights, Allen Rattler had a team-high eight points. Darrin Self posted seven, while Darby Snider added six. In the girls exhibition, April Holder put up a Lady Knights-leading 12 points. Ella Mae Teesateskie supplied 10, while Tracy Teesateskie added eight. Update: Holder went on to set the girls school record for most career points – a mark she still holds to this day.
Nov. 28, 1975
* A mishandled punt and two lost fumbles spelled disaster for Robbinsville, as the Black Knights' undefeated campaign came to a screeching halt against the Maxton Eagles, 36-14. "It hurts so bad you want to quit, but the next day it's not so bad and later on, you eventually get over it," shared Robbinsville head coach Bob Colvin. The Knights were 11-0 entering the game. Update: Indeed, the defeat spoiled what could have been the original run of five-straight 1A titles, as Robbinsville won it all in 1973, 1974, 1976 and 1977 – defeating Maxton in the Western finals each time.
Nov. 28, 1969
* The Knights bested St. Paul's 32-26, punching a ticket to the program's first state finals appearance. Terry Odom reeled in a 79-yard touchdown pass from Mark Manuel to jumpstart Robbinsville in the first quarter; the two connected again moments later for a two-point conversion. The Bulldogs responded with a 5-yard scoring heave from Ronnie Jackson to Bobby Barnwell, but the conversion failed. Manuel extended Robbinsville's lead in the second quarter, on an 11-yard pass to Dale Walsh. The duo replicated the success moments later, pushing the Knights ahead 16-6. Buddy Fields later dove across for St. Paul's on a 1-yard dive, then repeated his performance on a 7-yard dash – which followed a Robbinsville fumble. The Knights rallied from the 20-16 deficit in the fourth, when Ronnie Waldroup pushed across from one yard out. Waldroup found Lowell Snider for the conversion, before Larry Sawyer sealed the win on a 70-yard sprint. Manuel passed to Jacob Jackson for the final two-point addition.
* Robbinsville (10-2) was gearing up to host the 1A championship game, with the Manteo Redskins (11-1) trekking from the coast to Graham County for the showdown. Admission was set at $3 for adults and $1.50 for students. Update: Manteo now competes in the 2A/3A Northeastern Coastal Conference. The mileage between the two programs is a slim 526.9 miles; by comparison, a trip to Robbinsville, N.J., is just 399.4 miles.
-Compiled by sports writer Kevin Hensley