Sports

Nothing could erase the smile of Anna Williams (4), who was greeted by her exuberant teammates following her first varsity home run Monday against Enka. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Nothing could erase the smile of Anna Williams (4), who was greeted by her exuberant teammates following her first varsity home run Monday against Enka. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Sugar Jets end Robbinsville’s perfect run

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Robbinsville – Entering Monday, the question was seriously being floated around the area: can anyone derail the Robbinsville Lady Knights this year?

Knights falter late, suffer 1st loss

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Cherokee – Things seemed well in-hand for Robbinsville Middle School’s baseball team March 21. Carrying a 9-6 lead into the bottom of the first, the Black Knights were three outs from starting the season 5-0.
Ethan Orr blanked 10 Cherokee batters in March 21’s 9-2 victory; while Quinn Jumper (12) tripled home the winning runs in Monday’s 10-8 win at Swain County. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Ethan Orr blanked 10 Cherokee batters in March 21’s 9-2 victory; while Quinn Jumper (12) tripled home the winning runs in Monday’s 10-8 win at Swain County. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Series of fortunate events

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Bryson City – It was a game the Black Knights wanted back. Badly.
Civility went out the window late in the March 21 public forum to discuss a potential change of jurisdiction for school resource officers. Robbinsville Elementary School SRO Josh Reap (left) and Graham County Sheriff’s Office attorney David Wijewickrama (right, in suit) got into a heated argument. Standing between the two are Robbinsville Middle/High School SRO Jeff Knight; Sheriff Brad Hoxit is at far right, and the chief of detectives, Travis Brooks, is walking behind Knight. Photo by Kevin Hensley

Civility went out the window late in the March 21 public forum to discuss a potential change of jurisdiction for school resource officers. Robbinsville Elementary School SRO Josh Reap (left) and Graham County Sheriff’s Office attorney David Wijewickrama (right, in suit) got into a heated argument. Standing between the two are Robbinsville Middle/High School SRO Jeff Knight; Sheriff Brad Hoxit is at far right, and the chief of detectives, Travis Brooks, is walking behind Knight. Photo by Kevin Hensley

Chaos at forum

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Robbinsville – For almost two hours March 21, the Graham County Board of Education, sheriff’s office and members of the public discussed the change of jurisdiction for school resource officers in a mostly civil matter.

Who’s next?

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Robbinsville – They score early and often; they pepper the field with offense. “They” are Robbinsville Middle’s baseball and softball teams, which are through nine games with a combined 9-0 record.
Senior shortstop Zoie Shuler puts a charge into one of Robbinsville’s 11 hits Tuesday at Cherokee. The University of Tennessee-commit entered this season as the program’s all-time home run leader (21 to date) and is a serious contender to break the Lady Knights’ stolen base and RBI record before all is said and done. Photo by Brooklyn Brown/Cherokee One Feather

Senior shortstop Zoie Shuler puts a charge into one of Robbinsville’s 11 hits Tuesday at Cherokee. The University of Tennessee-commit entered this season as the program’s all-time home run leader (21 to date) and is a serious contender to break the Lady Knights’ stolen base and RBI record before all is said and done. Photo by Brooklyn Brown/Cherokee One Feather

Explosive innings propel Lady Knights to victory

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Robbinsville – Until the bottom of the third, it was anybody’s ballgame. Dissatisfied with the outlook, the Lady Knights brought their bats to life. The end result? A 12-run segment, aided immensely by Dreylee Webster mashing a grand slam and a 2-run dinger from Sophie Roberts.
Tytan Teesateskie continued his hot start at the varsity level last week, with the junior first baseman driving in four of Robbinsville’s runs amid a 13-3 rout of the visiting Copper Basin Cougars. To help compliment Graylen Orr’s dominant starts this year, Teesateskie has drove in seven runs during Robbinsville’s first two wins. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Tytan Teesateskie continued his hot start at the varsity level last week, with the junior first baseman driving in four of Robbinsville’s runs amid a 13-3 rout of the visiting Copper Basin Cougars. To help compliment Graylen Orr’s dominant starts this year, Teesateskie has drove in seven runs during Robbinsville’s first two wins. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Batters provide few answers for senior deliveryman

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Robbinsville – Through his first three starts of the season, Graylen Orr has left hitters mystified — more often than not, returning to the dugout in short order.
Graylen Orr fires a ball to first during Monday’s conference opener against Swain. Orr manned the hill in Robbinsville’s first win of the season last week. Photo courtesy of Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Graylen Orr fires a ball to first during Monday’s conference opener against Swain. Orr manned the hill in Robbinsville’s first win of the season last week. Photo courtesy of Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

No Gray area

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Rosman – Over the course of 101 pitches, Graylen Orr dazzled, danced and hoodwinked the Rosman Tigers (0-4). The hosts ultimately mustered just three hits in response to the Black Knights senior, who fanned 10 in a complete-game effort.
With his sister Bella looking on, Landen Eddings competes in the shotgun event at March 2’s FarWest Invitational. Photos courtesy of Cheri Lynn/Robbinsville Shooting Team

With his sister Bella looking on, Landen Eddings competes in the shotgun event at March 2’s FarWest Invitational. Photos courtesy of Cheri Lynn/Robbinsville Shooting Team

Locked and loaded

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Ryan Lynn stands with his second-place shotgun trophy at March 2’s FarWest Invitational in Marble. Lynn finished with a 200 in the event and only missed out on first place due to a shoot-off.