Robbinsville topples Cherokee to reach Sweet 16
Robbinsville – If that was the final home game of the season, what a way to go out.
The Black Knights peppered 39 points across the first three quarters of the Nov. 10 playoff affair against Cherokee, clinching a Sweet 16 berth by knocking off the divisional rival 39-12 under the Big Oaks.
It was the first pairing between No. 8 seed Robbinsville (9-3) and No. 24
Cherokee (3-9) on Oct. 7 where sophomore Bryce Adams was thrust into the spotlight.
Starter Donovan Carpenter had guided the ship to a 6-1 mark, but a first-quarter tackle in the first Braves vs. Knights clash resulted in a broken collarbone.
Bryce was called on to run the offense and, though it has taken a few weeks, he has his legs under him.
“My teammates and the coaching staff has really helped me get here; they’ve helped me keep my confidence,” Bryce said.
Bryce finished the Nov. 10 outing 8-for-9 in the air, slinging 131 yards and two touchdowns – both to his older brother, Brock. The senior receiver defied gravity to snag a few of the throws, but shrugged it off after the win by simply boasting, “He threw them right where I could catch them.”
“He’s throwing darts, left and right,” senior lineman Carlos Lopez said. “For somebody as young as he is to be performing on such a high level like he is, I’m so proud. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”
Two of the completions were good for touchdowns: an 18-yard heave in the first quarter and a 33-yarder in the third, which came during the immediate fallout from a Cuttler Adams fumble recovery.
For his part, Cuttler had 17 carries and 181 yards on the night. He also recorded another hat trick, fanning out respective 31-, 9- and 40-yard tramples across the goal line in the first, second and third quarters.
Robbinsville’s other touchdown came from fullback Kage Williams, who pushed his way into the end zone from 1 yard out midway through the third.
Cherokee’s touchdowns came on a pair of 2-yard runs: quarterback Tso Smith in the second and Xavier Otter’s carry with 39 seconds left in the game. The showing was also Robbinsville’s third consecutive contest where its defense limited the opponents to 14 points or less.
“Everybody wanted to win, since this could be our last game here at the Big Oaks,” Lopez said. “Everybody was so in sync with each other. We couldn’t have asked for a better outing.”
The game was moved up one day to avoid heavy rainfall from Hurricane Nicole.
Wild road trip
After enjoying the first two rounds at home, Robbinsville will hit the road Friday to face the No. 1-seeded Eastern Randolph Wildcats (10-1).
After the 288-mile trip, the action will kickoff at 7 p.m.
The Wildcats received a bye in the opening round, before knocking off No. 17 Mountain Heritage (5-7) 28-12 on Nov. 10.
Eastern Randolph dropped its season opener to Eastern Alamance 42-27, but has ran the table since.
Of note, the Wildcats were eliminated handily last season – after also receiving the top 1A Western seed – by another Smoky Mountain Conference school: Murphy. The Bulldogs handed Eastern Randolph a 64-31 loss on Nov. 19, 2021.
If you cannot make it to the game,
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If you wish to make the trek, the address for the school is:
309 Eastern Randolph Road,
Ramseur, NC 27316.