Robbinsville stuns Maroon Devils in prime time showcase
Robbinsville – On Hall of Fame night, Robbinsville put on a display that will be discussed for years to come.
A much-hyped showdown with the Swain County Maroon Devils (7-2) proved to be a lopsided affair, as the Black Knights (9-0) controlled both sides of the ball in a resounding 43-6 victory.
“The first series set the stage,” Robbinsville head coach Dee Walsh said. “Their kids came out, and everybody thought they were going to be bigger and stronger, and we whipped them all the way down the field. That happened a lot. We’ll take it.”
The game was played Monday under the Big Oaks, as heavy rainfall Friday forced a postponement from Friday night. Robbinsville’s dominance helped the Black Knights remain the only undefeated team left in western North Carolina.
“They’re taking it seriously; they’ve bought in,” Walsh added. “The coaches are doing an awesome job and the kids are trying real hard. We’ve got some good players. When everybody is playing together, for the team, good things happen.”
Lex Hooper kept the Devils on their toes all night, rushing for a quartet of touchdowns and picking off a Damian Lossiah pass at midfield in the second quarter.
“We jumped on them at the start, put seven on the board. I tell you, our line is just unreal,” Hooper said. “Our defense stepped up a whole lot tonight, holding them to six points.
“Before the game, everybody talked and said, ‘We’re going to win this game on defense. We hold them on defense and our offense will take care of the rest.’ We kept the momentum all night. We just have to play our game, and we can win every time. We beat a really good team tonight; taking nothing away from Swain.”
Wade Hamilton would also nab a Lossiah pass in the end zone on fourth down in the second stanza – one possession before Hooper – but the true tale of the outcome was on the frontlines. The Maroon Devils’ sizable line was no match for the Knights quickness, as Rylee Anderson, Hooper, Rossi Wachacha, Colby Lovin and Candler Edwards each dropped Lossiah for a loss over the course of the game.
Anderson and Edwards also had fumble recoveries, as the Knights silenced critics worried about the shaky defense on display earlier in the season.
“We knew we had to come into the game and play with emotion,” Edwards said. “We played ball for four quarters and didn’t let up. It was a team effort.
“We knew our offense could score points, but defense wins championships. We knew we had to step up.”
Other Robbinsville scores would come on a 6-yard carry by Anderson early in the second, a 29-yard field goal by Cody Cline just before halftime and a 14-yard connection between Nathan Collins and Clayson Lane.
Swain’s lone touchdown came on a 20-yard Lossiah keeper in the fourth quarter.
“You’ve got really good kids doing really good things. That’s what excites me,” said coach Lucas Ford. “You’ve got a kid like Colby Lovin – who’s a great kid – stepping in and doing good things for us. Candler set the tone early; he played low and he played hard.”
Short rest
Robbinsville has the inevitable task of playing twice in four days, as Andrews (4-5) comes to Graham County on the Black Knights’ senior night Friday.
Amidst the jubilation of Monday night’s win, Walsh quickly pointed out that his team had little time to celebrate.
“We’ll be sore, but we’ll come to play on Friday,” Walsh said.
“That’s the next game; one at a time.”