Anderson becomes all-time Black Knights rushing leader
Robbinsville – Rylee Anderson entered Friday’s regular-season home finale against Andrews just 152 yards shy of rewriting the record books.
Anderson broke free on the third Robbinsville snap from scrimmage for a 68-yard rushing touchdown. With 5:07 left in the game, he powered his way downfield on a 9-yard carry that cemented his status as the Black Knights’ all-time rushing leader.
True to character, Anderson passed the credit for his success to everyone except himself.
“I just want to thank God for giving me the ability to beat the record, but it’s all up to the line,” Anderson said. “That’s the only reason I’ve got it. They’ve all been great and there is no way I could have done it without them.”
Kurt Odom previously held the benchmark at 5,602 yards. Anderson has 5,614 and is guaranteed at least two more games to widen the margin, as Robbinsville (10-0, 5-0) is in prime position for a first-round playoff bye after Friday’s Smoky Mountain Conference title game at Murphy (9-1, 5-0).
The all-time western North Carolina record belongs to Brevard’s Manny Deshauteurs, who recorded 6,632 yards from 1997-99. That means Anderson has a shot, but he will need 1,018 more before Robbinsville’s season comes to an end.
Perfect 10
Playing in their second game in four days, the Black Knights’ potent offense struggled against a fresh Andrews (4-6, 1-4) team. Still, Robbinsville held the Wildcats to just seven points in a 28-7 victory.
“This was sort-of expected, caught between two big-time emotional games,” Knights head football coach Dee Walsh said. “We didn’t really practice. We went out Tuesday in shorts, because the kids were really, really tired and sore. Then we were in the gym Wednesday and Thursday because of rain. That kind of threw us off our ‘A’ game a little.
“Wins are wins; there is no such thing as a ‘bad win.’ It was an important game. We’re 10-0 and in a good position now.”
In addition to Anderson’s score, the Knights would build a 21-0 lead at halftime thanks to a 7-yard pass from Nathan Collins and Lex Hooper in the second quarter, followed by the latter powering across the goal line on a 4-yard carry with 2:03 left in the first half.
Hooper scored the final Robbinsville touchdown with 48 seconds left in the third quarter. Andrews’ lone score occurred with 4:56 remaining in the third stanza, as Tucker Holloway would drop a pass into the hands of recent junior varsity call-up Isaac Weaver, who sprinted up the visitor sideline for a 50-yard touchdown.
Who’s the Big Dog?
The aforementioned Robbinsville/Murphy showdown at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Bob Hendrix Stadium in Murphy will not only determine the 2019 division champion, but promises to carry some heavy playoff implications.
The Black Knights are No. 3 in the North Carolina 1A MaxPreps rankings – a generated algorithm that takes into account difficulty of schedule, as well as win/loss records – while the Bulldogs are No. 5.
Robbinsville has not won at Murphy since 2015, when the Black Knights reached the state finals.
“They’re big and strong,” Walsh said. “They’ve got some really good players. It’ll be two really good teams. It could be the first one of two (the teams could meet again in the playoffs). This is one of the games that you practice all year for; you want to get into this situation and give yourself a chance. This is real pivotal for playoff seeding. The kids, coaches and community are excited.”