Black Knights senior joins exclusive club
Robbinsville – Though it was in the back of his mind, doing what was best for the team was Bryce Adams’ priority Jan. 8.
Mired in a 3-game losing streak, the Black Knights were desperate to end the run of bad luck and steer the proverbial ship back on course. While nursing lingering injuries sustained while running Robbinsville’s offense on the gridiron, Adams seamlessly transitioned from quarterback to forward on the basketball court for his farewell season.
Admittedly, Adams has been a little worse for the wear, but his pursuit of history was relentless. As the first nine games of the season ticked off the calendar, so did the points needed to reach an elite level in the annals of Robbinsville basketball history. Entering the 2025 home debut, Adams needed just 10 points to reach his destiny.
He drew a foul early in the third quarter against the North Buncombe Blackhawks, a 4A program out of Weaverville that had sent the Black Knights into the Christmas break with a bad taste in their mouth. With 99.9 percent of his family and loved ones in attendance – and his older brother Brock watching the PPV livestream – Bryce swished both attempts from the free-throw line, clean as a whistle.
The second of the series made the Robbinsville senior just the fifth boys player in the history of the school to join the coveted 1,000-point club, a moment not lost on Bryce as the game was paused, an announcement was made, a commemorative ball was presented and a photo-op took place to celebrate the milestone.
“It felt really great and accomplished what has always been a lifelong goal,” Bryce said. “I’m just so grateful to be able to do this and none of this would be possible without God, my team and my coaches. All the thanks goes to them.”
Brock scored his 1,000th on the final shot of his career – conveniently enough, a foul shot in the third round of the state playoffs at Eastern Randolph in 2023. Bryce finished Jan. 8’s game with 18 on the night, meaning his next bucket alone helped him shirk a quick tie with his sibling.
Next up on the list is Luke Perkins (1,100), then Robbie Wiggins (1,152). The all-time leader is Tyler Long (1,188); following Tuesday’s win over Hiwassee Dam, Bryce now sits at 1,025, which leaves him just 163 shy of the school record.
With at least 12 more games guaranteed on the season docket, he will need to average 13.6 points per game to pull it off – a reasonable expectation for such a versatile player.
But for Bryce, it all goes back to that key word: priorities. Sure, the pursuit of history will be in his mind – but so will the pursuit of a championship. Robbinsville won it all in 2022-23 and wants to get back to the mountaintop again this year.
“The next goal is always, ‘team first,’” said Bryce. “Go win conference and win the tournament championship.”