Vaunted backfield duo reunited in playoff opener
Robbinsville – He’s back.
While Black Knights’ junior Cuttler Adams has shouldered much of the workload in Robbinsville’s ground attack this season – he has recorded 1,850 yards in 2022, including a 140-yard showing in Friday’s postseason kickoff against Cherryville – Cuttler has been without his tag-team partner from the 2021 slate: Kage Williams.
The two picked up the nickname “Biscuits and Gravy” last year.
Williams’ made his long-awaited return quietly at Hayesville in the Oct. 28 regular-season conclusion – albeit on special teams. That was just enough to whet his appetite, and when Cherryville rolled into Graham County on Friday, Williams was ready for full contact.
He did not disappoint: two rushing touchdowns – perfectly complementing Adams’ pair of scoring runs – and two extra points significantly contributed to the final outcome: a 40-14 thrashing of the Ironmen, as the Black Knights advanced to round two in the process.
“Up until this year, I had never not been able to play a football game, so to watch for the first time was very hard,” Williams said in reflection. “It tore me up not being able to get on the field.”
A right shoulder injury suffered during his sophomore year of football lingered throughout his second varsity season for Robbinsville’s wrestling program as well. Williams won the 182-pound state crown as a freshman and competed in the 195-pound class as a sophomore – and even with a torn shoulder, he still collected championship gold.
Post-wrestling season, surgery was a must.
“The recovery was very long and it was hard,” Williams said. “It took me a long time to start trusting my shoulder again.”
It has been a season-long goal for Williams to don pads once again. He had been visible on the sideline at each contest, but was dedicated to finding his way back onto the gridiron.
He got his chance at Hayesville, kicking an extra point that sealed up Robbinsville’s 21-9 win over the Jackets. It was at that moment Williams knew he had to go back to what brought him to the dance.
“I decided to start kicking so I might have a chance to see the field again,” Williams said. “After watching a few games, I finally got cleared to kick extra points. After that (the Hayesville game), I knew I had to play.”
Williams was a feared part of both the backfield strikes and stubborn defense that helped Robbinsville (8-3) reach the 1A Western finals last season. So his presence Friday was very welcome by the Knights.
“On my return, I was just hoping to see the field for a few plays – let alone, score twice,” Williams said. “It was one of the greatest feelings in the world, getting into that end zone again.”
Williams scored the opening salvo against the Ironmen, an 18-yard rush with 2:52 left in the first quarter. His final strike was a 15-yard sprint at the 5:04 mark of the third.
Cuttler ran his pursuit of the school rushing record to 4,339 yards – Rylee Anderson finished with 6,164 after the 2019 season – with his contributions fanning across the second (15 yards) and third (22 yards).
Speaking of which: how exactly did Cuttler and Kage come up with “Biscuits and Gravy?”
“I was trying to figure out a name for me and Cuttler that was something nobody had ever used before,” Williams said. “We settled on Biscuits and Gravy.”
Mixed into the final tally was a 35-yard touchdown pass from younger brother Bryce Adams to older brother Brock in the second, as well as a 15-yard Roman Jones touchdown dash with 8:32 left in the game.
Robbinsville’s defense shut down Cherryville (3-8) in the first half, forcing two fourth-down turnovers, a punt and a denial at the Black Knights’ 2 yard line as the halftime buzzer sounded.
The Ironmen finally responded to a 33-0 deficit on a 2-yard Tobias Miller push in the third and 15-yard scoring pass from backup quarterback Josh Ward to Landon Hahn. The Knights limited Cherryville to just 38 rushing yards in the contest overall and recorded four sacks, with three solo efforts (Williams, Tytan Teesateskie and Jude Campbell) and two collaborative takedowns (Bryce Adams and Quinn Jumper).
Blake Powers also scooped up an Ironmen fumble early in the fourth quarter.
Familiar faces
The Smoky Mountain Conference ran the table Friday, going a perfect 6 for 6 in the first round of the playoffs.
But one of those wins ensures the second round will be a rematch between fierce rivals. Robbinsville (No. 8) welcomes Cherokee (No. 24, 3-8) to Modeal Walsh Memorial Stadium at 7:30 p.m. today, after the Braves traveled to Starmount (No. 9, 7-4) and upended the Rams 28-21.
The Braves’ have a sizable line and held the Black Knights in check for the first 2 1/2 quarters of the Oct. 7 regular-season matchup. Robbinsville went on to rattle off 30 points in a span of 15 minutes to defeat Cherokee, 30-13.
The game was moved up one day due to the threat of heavy rainfall across much of western North Carolina on Friday.
Gates open at 6 p.m. Admission is $8, and no conference passes will be accepted. Kickoff on Bob Colvin Field is at 7:30 p.m. If you cannot make it to the game, it will be streamed. Visit grahamstarsports.com to secure your access.