Cherokee – Much like their varsity counterparts would do the next night, the junior varsity Black Knights won a game on a post-touchdown play.
Taking on Cherokee in a pivotal Smoky Mountain Conference showdown on Sept. 8, Robbinsville was able to thwart a two-point conversion attempt by the hosting Braves in the waning seconds of the contest. The stop ensured Robbinsville (2-2) would succeed Cherokee, 28-26.
“This was the type of game that you wish you could have for every JV football game,” Robbinsville head coach Wren Millsaps said. “It’s the tough games that you have to claw and scratch to win that helps each player decide who they want to be.
“I’m so very proud of this team, as they were resilient and rolled with the punches.”
To illustrate just how tight the game was, the Knights finished with just three more offensive yards than the Braves: 248-245. But the possessions could not have looked more different. Robbinsville had 203 rushing yards; Cherokee recorded 222 yards in the air.
Ryleon Waldroup feathered out three touchdowns across the second and fourth quarters, on runs of 43, 2 and 15 yards. Quarterback Luke Lovin sprinted in on a 10-yard keeper in the first quarter to produce Robbinsville’s first touchdown.
Waldroup led the ground attack for the Knights with 85 rushing yards on 10 carries.
“Ryleon had a great game running the ball and came up big when we needed him the most,” Millsaps added.
The Black Knights will stay on the road today, as Robbinsville has a 6 p.m. appointment at Murphy.