Fas10 your seatbelts

Robbinsville – Nine of the last 10 Western Regional championships in the state 1A classification have been split between Robbinsville and Murphy.

This Friday night, that statistic will increase to 10 of 11.

Following the Black Knights’ 28-20, second-round home victory over the Mitchell Mountaineers (No. 3 seed, 7-1), Robbinsville (No. 2, 9-0) is just one game away from a return trip to the state championship game. Murphy (No. 4, 8-1) traveled to Elkin and knocked off the No. 1-seeded Elks (6-2) in a 29-24 thriller.

Simply put, the stakes can get no higher for Smoky Mountain Conference football – and arguably, for western North Carolina – when Robbinsville welcomes Murphy to Modeal Walsh Memorial Stadium.

“It’s for all the marbles,” Black Knights coach Dee Walsh said. “We told the kids that they don’t need to be looking down the road; this is it. Murphy is going to bring everything they’ve got, and we’ve got to bring everything we’ve got.

“They’re a good football team – with a good football program – but we’re trying to be the same thing. I’m sure after we beat them (in the regular season to win the conference championship), they’re going to do everything they can to win – but I’m sure our kids will, too.”

“We’ve got to have a good week of practice,” senior lineman Candler Edwards added. “We’ll have to play good all four quarters.”

The game will be streamed on justagamelive.com. Proceeds from the stream go toward supporting Black Knights’ athletics. On radio, the contest will be broadcast on WBHN-FM 94.1.

Reaching the summit

Before the matchup with Murphy could be solidified, Robbinsville had to first take care of business.

The visiting Mountaineers posed quite the challenge Friday. Mitchell stopped Robbinsville’s first drive by forcing a punt, then promptly spent the next seven-plus minutes churning across the field. A 4-yard carry into the end zone from Tanner Duncan and subsequent extra point by Cole Woodard eventually capped a 16-play possession for the Mountaineers. 

Robbinsville got on the scoreboard early in the second, when quarterback Nathan Collins upped the docket on a 7-yard run. Cody Cline’s extra point tied the game at 7-7. 

Mitchell’s ensuing possession was swiftly interrupted by a Dasan Gross interception for the Knights, which led to a 30-yard rumble into the end zone from freshman Kage Williams. Cline’s extra point pushed Robbinsville’s lead to 14-7. 

The Mountaineers would later force a punt after Gabe Brandt dropped Collins for a loss on third down. The next drive resulted in a 3-yard scoring run from Duncan, but Rossi Wachacha broke through the line and blocked Woodard’s extra point attempt, which allowed Robbinsville to take a 14-13 advantage into the locker room.

Collins scored again on a 1-yard keeper in the third and coupled with Cline’s third extra point of the night, gave the Knights a 21-13 lead. Robbinsville padded its advantage early in the final stanza, when Collins broke free and sprinted 78 yards to the end zone. 

Mitchell’s final score came with 6:40 left, when quarterback Ty Turbyfill used a push from his offensive line to break the plane. Woodard’s extra point trimmed the deficit to 28-20 and though Ty Sparks recorded his second fumble recovery on the ensuing Robbinsville drive, the Mountaineers were forced to punt with four minutes left and the Knights ate the remaining time off the clock. 

“They came out strong and hit us in the mouth like they said they were going to,” linebacker Eddie Brooms said of Mitchell. “But we’re used to adversity, and we can power through it. Our coaches had us well prepared.”

“We knew we were the better team and everybody did their job tonight,” Collins added. “I couldn’t be any prouder of this group. You have to go into a game thinking you’re going to win. All of us knew we were capable.”