Black Knights clinch Elite 8 playoff appearance
Robbinsville – In a game that featured 97 combined points and a collective 962 total offensive yards, Robbinsville prevailed Friday night.
Second-half heroics – which saw the Black Knights go on a 29-12 run, after giving up 35 points in the first half – helped push Robbinsville into the fourth round of the postseason, as the Knights picked up a 50-47 win over the North Rowan Cavaliers on Bob Colvin Field.
“We just had to suck it up. We sucked it up and we came through,” said sophomore Dalton Hill. “As soon as we walked down that hill (for the second half), I just felt it (the feeling that we could win). It hit.”
The two programs accumulated 35 points alone in the first quarter, with the Cavaliers (No. 12 seed, 8-4) coming out ahead 28-14. North Rowan junior Amari McArthur snagged a 62-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Jeremiah Alford just two plays into the game, with Dasan Gross evening the tilt on Robbinsville’s (No. 4 seed, 9-3) first offensive drive.
Dylan Bates caught another Alford pass for a touchdown on North Rowan’s next possession, before Cuttler Adams trampled downfield on his first of four rushing scores in response.
Kemon O’Kelley then caught North Rowan’s third receiving touchdown from Alford on the Cavaliers, before the Knights failed on a fourth-down conversion and North Rowan pulled away with a two-score lead on a 1-yard Alford keeper. Robbinsville attempted to claw back into the game on a 3-yard Kage Williams touchdown push, but the Cavaliers extended their advantage with 24 seconds left in the first half, on a 9-yard pass from Alford to McArthur.
However, as the second half began, the Black Knights found their swagger.
On the second play of the third quarter, Adams broke free and scored on a 60-yard rumble. Isaac Wiggins then picked off Alford on the ensuing possession and, though Zion Milton nabbed a Gross pass a short time later, Robbinsville was able to stop the Cavaliers on fourth down.
“We had to get our heads right and we had to be disciplined,” Wiggins said. “We came out here thinking we were going to win and they brought it to us in that first half, so we had to bring it to them in the second half.”
Adams found the end zone again – this time on a 54-yard run – and after Cody Cline’s fifth extra point, the game was tied at 35-35. The Knights defense began breaking through North Rowan’s offensive line – including a Carlos Wesley sack – and forced the Cavaliers to punt, with Adams rounding out his scoreline on the first snap of the fourth quarter, on a 19-yard sprint.
Alford and McArthur connected again for a 5-yard scoring pass in response, but Robbinsville blocked the extra point to maintain the lead. Williams later found the end zone again on a 4-yard carry and the Knights took a chance by going for a conversion, which proved successful after Gross dropped a quick pass to Adams.
Jaemias Morrow picked up a 2-yard rushing touchdown for North Rowan on the next drive, but Robbinsville thwarted a conversion attempt, and was able to both run out the clock and breathe a sigh of relief.
“We got a chewing at halftime, because we knew we didn’t come out and play like we should in the first half,” Wesley said. “So, we wanted to come play and we knew we could win this game if we did."
Murphy, Part II
The triumph set up a rematch against Smoky Mountain Conference rival Murphy (No. 9 seed, 9-4), which knocked off the No. 1-seeded Eastern Randolph Wildcats (10-1) to the tune of 64-31.
Robbinsville bested the Bulldogs 23-20 in a road game Oct. 15, when Cline hit a game-winning field goal at the buzzer. This time, the Black Knights play host and are looking to redeem a home loss against Murphy in the 2020 1A Western Regional final.
“They beat us last year in the regionals, and I think we’re all out for revenge,” Wiggins said. “We’re not going to come out cocky; we’ll come out with our heads on straight: try and bring home another state championship.”