Pick-six dooms Black Knights
Robbinsville – One errant pass.
With 7:57 left in Friday’s home game against Murphy, Robbinsville held firm to a 7-6 advantage. The Black Knights had not trailed all night and with the way things were going on the field, all they had to do was sustain the lead.
A long punt by the visiting Bulldogs had placed Robbinsville at its own 4-yard line. Roman Jones quickly made up some ground, posting consecutive 4-yard carries to begin the series. On 3rd and 2, the Knights went for a quick pass, in an attempt to move the chains.
The play did not go according to plan. Instead, the ball ended up in the clutches of Murphy’s Camden Breazeale, who had no one in front of him as he sprinted 12 yards for an interception return. Following a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Brady Grant to Kenyon Nichols, the Bulldogs led 14-7.
Robbinsville failed to produce a response before the final buzzer.
“We just didn’t block well all night,” said Black Knights head coach Dee Walsh. “We played great on defense and had a lot of enthusiasm, but on offense … blocking is a selfish thing. We have worked on that all year.”
The low-scoring, smash-mouth affair was indeed a defensive battle from the opening whistle, with both sides unable to cash in on turnovers and golden opportunities to find the end zone. Robbinsville (2-5, 1-1) finally broke a first-quarter stalemate with exactly one second remaining in the period, scoring in transition on a 2-yard Jones push. His successful venture was set up by a Quinn Jumper interception, which placed the Knights at the Murphy 33; Angel Cervantes connected for his lone PAT of the evening.
The Bulldogs waited until 46 seconds remained before halftime to make their first dent: an 8-yard pass from Grant to Nichols. Bryce Adams broke through the scrum to block the PAT in resounding fashion, which solidified the score until the fourth stanza.
Ryan Payne ended Robbinsville’s attempt to tack on another before halftime with a deep interception, which proved to be the final big play of the clash until Isiac Collins pulled down a Grant pass to shift possession back to the Black Knights late in the third. But Robbinsville went 3-and-out after the theft and just a few minutes later, Murphy (6-1, 2-0) deflated the atmosphere surrounding the Big Oaks.
Changes aplenty
It turns out that Friday’s game will not be the final one in Robbinsville this year.
Due to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s ruling that football season in Western North Carolina will be extended one week – a fallout from the devastation of Hurricane Helene – the Black Knights will return home Friday, Nov. 1 to face the T.C. Roberson Rams (3-1). Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m., and the game will be live-streamed on grahamstarsports.com.
In exchange, Swain County and Robbinsville have elected to move the regular-season finale to Friday, Nov. 8. The action in Bryson City will be carried on the Maroon Devils Network.
Immediately ahead are back-to-back road games: the Black Knights make the short trip to Andrews (4-2, 1-1) for a 7:30 p.m., appointment Friday, Oct. 18 against the Wildcats; before traveling slightly further to face Hayesville (2-5, 1-1) at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 25.
Week 8: Oct. 11, 2024
* Cherokee 27, Andrews 0
* Hayesville 12, Swain County 7
* Murphy 14, Robbinsville 7
* Upcoming games: Andrews vs. Robbinsville; Cherokee (4-3, 1-1) vs. Hayesville; Murphy vs. Swain County (0-6, 0-2).