JV Black Knights win Smoky Mountain Conference championship
Bryson City – There will be no need to break out the rule book to determine a tiebreaker; a phone call to congratulate a rival coach on sharing a piece of the bragging rights will go undialed.
The Robbinsville Black Knights are the undisputed junior varsity Smoky Mountain Conference champions – a claim the program has waited to make since its last outright crown was won in 2010, when most of today’s roster were toddlers.
“We talked about David and Goliath during Week 1 and continued with the mentality of ‘throwing stones until they fall,’” Robbinsville head coach Wren Millsaps said. “We were never the biggest in any game we played, but the boys continued to throw stones until each buzzer sounded.
“I love these kids. I am blessed and humbled to be a small part of their lives.”
The championship was clinched outright with a 20-6 road win over the Swain County Maroon Devils on Sept. 28. The hosts delivered their lone contribution to the scoreline in the first quarter, but from there it was all Black Knights.
Robbinsville (6-1, 5-0) shifted gears on the strength of deception: a fake punt. Cameron Allison promptly gained 30 yards on the charge; a short time later, Benton Gibby weaved through 12 yards of traffic and the game was tied, 6-6.
As the clock struck zero to end the first half, Allison pulled off one more dishonest act: an interception that morphed into an 85-yard pick-six. A quiet third soon gave way to Elijah Kirkland scoring on a 34-yard dash; his conversion run cemented the outcome.
Tucker Jones soon leapt into the evening air for an interception, halting Swain’s chances of playing spoiler.
“This game – as well as this season – has been one in which a new unsung hero always stepped up,” Millsaps said. “I’ve not mentioned any names all year, and I will continue not to, as this team has overcame expectations all year long.”
The Black Knights started the year with a pair of non-conference games, splitting the bill against Mountain Heritage (a 20-14 home win Aug. 17) and Mitchell (a 38-6 road loss Aug. 24).
Robbinsville’s perfect run through the Smoky Mountain Conference started with a 12-10 home nod against Cherokee on Aug. 31 (a game in which the Knights stopped the Braves on the 1-yard line at the final horn); and an 18-14 nudge past Murphy at home Sept. 7.
From there, Robbinsville had to remain strong while facing three straight road opponents: Andrews (a 34-0 win Sept. 14); Hayesville (a 27-6 victory Sept. 21); and the Sept. 28 exorcism of the Maroon Devils.