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Senior Bryc Garrison leads off during Friday’s game with Hayesville. Garrison swiped two bases in the contest to become Robbinsville’s new record holder for most stolen bases in a single season. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Senior Bryc Garrison leads off during Friday’s game with Hayesville. Garrison swiped two bases in the contest to become Robbinsville’s new record holder for most stolen bases in a single season. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Show must go on

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, May 2, 2024
Robbinsville – Friday’s 7-2 loss to Hayesville effectively halted Robbinsville’s quest for its first-ever Smoky Mountain Conference championship. That’s the bad news.
Senior Memory Frapp became the Robbinsville Lady Knights’ all-time “strikeout queen” Monday, surpassing the program’s former standard in a 14-4 rout of Hiwassee Dam. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Senior Memory Frapp became the Robbinsville Lady Knights’ all-time “strikeout queen” Monday, surpassing the program’s former standard in a 14-4 rout of Hiwassee Dam. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Moment committed to Memory

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, May 2, 2024
Robbinsville – It was business as usual for Robbinsville (18-2, 10-0), which posted a pair of 5-inning, lopsided home victories. A 10-0 blanking of Hayesville (1-14, 1-10) on Friday was eclipsed by a 14-4 disposal of Hiwassee Dam (7-7, 5-5) in a make-up affair Monday.
The Black Knights had not won a round of golf against the Murphy Bulldogs since Robbinsville’s last conference title in 2000. That changed Monday, with the team slicing by Murphy in the second round of the annual divisional tournament. From left are Avery Brown, assistant coach Jody Brown, Trey Lambert, Isiac Collins, Isaiah Brown, Nathanael Shope, Cody Crisp, assistant coach Jeremy Brown and head coach Kent Williams. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

The Black Knights had not won a round of golf against the Murphy Bulldogs since Robbinsville’s last conference title in 2000. That changed Monday, with the team slicing by Murphy in the second round of the annual divisional tournament. From left are Avery Brown, assistant coach Jody Brown, Trey Lambert, Isiac Collins, Isaiah Brown, Nathanael Shope, Cody Crisp, assistant coach Jeremy Brown and head coach Kent Williams. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

‘Ever’ is a long time, but ...

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, May 2, 2024
Cashiers – From the edge of the green, Isaiah Brown chipped a birdie shot clean into Hole No. 9 at Old Edwards Club. It was all over for the rest of the field from there.

Spring brush fires continue to spark

Marshall McClung
Thursday, May 2, 2024
The woods may be “greening up,” but spring fire season is not over just yet. The Graham County 911 Center received a report of a brush fire burning on Upper Tuskegee Road around 7 p.m., April 23. The caller had stated the blaze was the “size of a baseball field.
Benton Gibby lays it all on the line to snag a fly ball Tuesday against Hayesville. Gibby made the catch and Robbinsville went on to preserve an 11-7 win over the Yellow Jackets. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Benton Gibby lays it all on the line to snag a fly ball Tuesday against Hayesville. Gibby made the catch and Robbinsville went on to preserve an 11-7 win over the Yellow Jackets. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Buzzkills

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, April 25, 2024
As both the high school baseball and softball teams continue to vie for a piece of the conference title, the next generation of varsity players are showing that the standard can – and will – be matched for years to come.
Freshman Presley Caylor (10) hit her first-ever varsity home run Monday, which gave the 16-win Robbinsville Lady Knights yet another achievement to celebrate amid what is already a monumental year for the program. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Freshman Presley Caylor (10) hit her first-ever varsity home run Monday, which gave the 16-win Robbinsville Lady Knights yet another achievement to celebrate amid what is already a monumental year for the program. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

‘Back, back, gone!’

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Eighteen games into the season, opponents are still trying to find the weak point on the Lady Knights’ roster. Good luck. Just in the last week, Robbinsville (16-2, 8-0) made short work of its latest sprint.
Luke Lovin earned his first win of the year April 18 against Rosman, posting 6 ⅔ innings of work against the Tigers. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Luke Lovin earned his first win of the year April 18 against Rosman, posting 6 ⅔ innings of work against the Tigers. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Round 1 goes to the Jackets

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Hayesville – On the surface, everything that the Black Knights have clawed and scraped at this season was lost Monday. Nothing could be further from the truth – there’s still a lot of baseball and a lot of scenarios that could easily play out in Robbinsville’s favor.
The Robbinsville Middle School Black Knights won the Smoky Mountain Conference track & field championship Monday at Cherokee. From left are Braylon Blevins, Cameron Allison, Xamuel Wachacha, Mason Silvers, Ben Koeller, Eli Lambert, Braydon Lane, head coach Wren Millsaps, Channing Mull and Colton McCoy. Not pictured are Austin Angelo, Ethan Chekeleelee, Kenai Wolfe, Carsan Snider, Kam Woods, Jaxson Blundell, Khayton Swimmer, Braydon Allison and Elijah Kirkland.

The Robbinsville Middle School Black Knights won the Smoky Mountain Conference track & field championship Monday at Cherokee. From left are Braylon Blevins, Cameron Allison, Xamuel Wachacha, Mason Silvers, Ben Koeller, Eli Lambert, Braydon Lane, head coach Wren Millsaps, Channing Mull and Colton McCoy. Not pictured are Austin Angelo, Ethan Chekeleelee, Kenai Wolfe, Carsan Snider, Kam Woods, Jaxson Blundell, Khayton Swimmer, Braydon Allison and Elijah Kirkland.

Strength in numbers

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Cherokee – Just because you have a large quantity of athletes on your roster, it does not always mean you have a large amount of quality to go with it. But sometimes, the stars align.

Lake clean-up returns May 4

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Lake Santeetlah – The annual effort to help keep one of Graham County’s main tourism draws aesthetically pleasing is just around the corner. The non-profit Lake Santeetlah Preservation Group has announced that its next clean-up will take place Saturday, May 4.
Graylen Orr improved to 5-0 on the year Tuesday, tossing 5 ⅓ innings in Robbinsville’s 10-1 road victory at Hiwassee Dam. Photos by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Graylen Orr improved to 5-0 on the year Tuesday, tossing 5 ⅓ innings in Robbinsville’s 10-1 road victory at Hiwassee Dam. Photos by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Both Orrs in the water

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Ethan Orr walked back into the home dugout on cloud nine April 2, moments after he launched his third long ball of the year. Tuesday at Hiwassee Dam, Orr unloaded home run No. 4.