Black Knights take part in 7-on-7s
Waynesville – This week marks the end of Robbinsville’s most-active offseason in many years.
Athletes, coaches and the Black Knights fan base are reinvigorated by a regime change; in return, attendance for summer workouts has been higher than usual.
Robbinsville took full advantage of the active participation by tackling a pair of 7-on-7 scrimmages last week. The Knights traveled to Franklin on July 9 and Tuscola on July 10.
“I felt like we made a lot of progress in two days,” said first-year Robbinsville head coach Lucas Ford. “Wednesday at Franklin was a learning experience: for myself – first and foremost – the other coaches and the players.
“Thursday was much smoother. I thought we were much more confident in everything we did. The offense peaked really well. We threw the ball exceptionally well.”
The exhibitions are played in a format designed to get the quarterback, receiving core and defensive secondary the opportunity for live action against other teams. Helmets are donned, but athletes take the field without pads.
Robbinsville was only tasked with facing the Panthers on July 9, but the trip to Waynesville proved more fruitful.
The morning session was an FCA 7-on-7, featuring Andrews, North Buncombe and the hosting Mountaineers. Each program swapped out 25-minute segments against an opponent, utilizing one side of the 50-yard line for the showcase.
The Black Knights turned to senior Luke Lovin as the quarterback across both days. A mixture of tight ends Isiac Collins and Kyzik Teesateskie combined with sophomores Cameron Allison and Xamuel Wachacha as Lovin’s primary targets.
“Luke threw the ball extremely well,” Ford said. “He’s added about 15 pounds of muscle and hasn’t lost any speed. That’s going to do nothing but help him stay healthy.
“I was very pleased. We learned to compete; it was good to get out on the field and compete against somebody else.”
The first official day of practice is Monday, July 30. Robbinsville kicks off its season by hosting Tuscola at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22; a full schedule can be found in the 2025 Pigskin Preview, which will be published next month.
For those who are unable to attend, home games will be live-streamed through grahamstarsports.com.