Sports

Aubrie Wachacha (left) breaks to hammer the set from Desta Trammell during Tuesday’s home match against Highlands. Photo courtesy of Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Aubrie Wachacha (left) breaks to hammer the set from Desta Trammell during Tuesday’s home match against Highlands. Photo courtesy of Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Fine tuning

Robbinsville – Make no mistake about it: the Lady Knights are getting a good mixture of opposition from the early portion of their schedule. Wedged between sweeps of Little Smoky Mountain Conference programs Nantahala (0-2) on Aug.
Junior running back Cuttler Adams (4) emerges from a mixture of Knights and Cougars in Friday’s season opener at Asheville. Adams finished the game with 153 rushing yards. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Junior running back Cuttler Adams (4) emerges from a mixture of Knights and Cougars in Friday’s season opener at Asheville. Adams finished the game with 153 rushing yards. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Late gasp falls short

Asheville – Trailing by 6 with 3:50 left in the ballgame, Robbinsville started a downfield campaign to victory from its own 15-yard line.
Robbinsville’s Kensley Phillips, Claire Barlow, Desta Trammell, Suri Watty and Delaney Brooms (from left) celebrate after a kill during Tuesday’s home opener against Asheville Christian Academy. Photo by Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Robbinsville’s Kensley Phillips, Claire Barlow, Desta Trammell, Suri Watty and Delaney Brooms (from left) celebrate after a kill during Tuesday’s home opener against Asheville Christian Academy. Photo by Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Lady Knights split bill to begin season

Robbinsville — In a span of two days, the Lady Knights were able to feel both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
Members of the Robbinsville Black Knights begin pre-practice warm-ups Tuesday. Robbinsville kicks off the season Friday at Asheville High School. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Members of the Robbinsville Black Knights begin pre-practice warm-ups Tuesday. Robbinsville kicks off the season Friday at Asheville High School. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Football is back!

Robbinsville — It’s finally here. The Robbinsville Black Knights make their return to the gridiron Friday, for their first game since the 1A Western Regional Final at Mitchell on Dec. 3.
Rising Lady Knights junior Zoie Shuler recently finished a 5-week, multi-state trek with her travel softball program, the 16U Carolina Cardinals. Shuler opened a lot of eyes along the way, as she continues to eye taking her talents to the collegiate level.

Rising Lady Knights junior Zoie Shuler recently finished a 5-week, multi-state trek with her travel softball program, the 16U Carolina Cardinals. Shuler opened a lot of eyes along the way, as she continues to eye taking her talents to the collegiate level.

Summer of Zoie

Robbinsville – Most high-school athletes spend the summer enjoying the break from the grind of the often grueling year-round schedule. Zoie Shuler never considered pressing the brake pedal. A rising junior, Shuler has already made waves during her first two years at the varsity level.
Ben Wachacha recently traveled to Greensboro, to represent Robbinsville in the AAU Junior Olympics.

Ben Wachacha recently traveled to Greensboro, to represent Robbinsville in the AAU Junior Olympics.

Reaching Olympian levels of success

Greensboro – For Ben Wachacha, William Cable and Caden Lail, the last two weeks have been perhaps some of the most exciting of their young lives.
The 2022 Robbinsville Lady Knights volleyball team. All names are listed from left. Front row: Kensley Phillips, Desta Trammell, Tai Owle, Fala Welch and Abbi Sawyer. Back row: manager Eden Orr, Delaney Brooms, Claire Barlow, Aubrie Wachacha, Liz Carpenter and head coach Kadey Phillips. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

The 2022 Robbinsville Lady Knights volleyball team. All names are listed from left. Front row: Kensley Phillips, Desta Trammell, Tai Owle, Fala Welch and Abbi Sawyer. Back row: manager Eden Orr, Delaney Brooms, Claire Barlow, Aubrie Wachacha, Liz Carpenter and head coach Kadey Phillips. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Back to the basics

* Robbinsville volleyball season preview Robbinsville – Losing six seniors presents a daunting task.
Lights glisten while showcasing the restored floor inside the Robbinsville High School gymnasium. The effort took a mere three weeks to complete. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Lights glisten while showcasing the restored floor inside the Robbinsville High School gymnasium. The effort took a mere three weeks to complete. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

High school gym floor undergoes renovation

Robbinsville – Do not adjust your sets: it is the same floor that was already in place.
Asheville-area resident Mike Plemmons looks on as a car goes flying by during Saturday’s leg of the CCR-SCCA Dragon Hill Climb, which was held inside the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. Plemmons has been involved with racing for over 40 years. Visit our Facebook page for more photos from Saturday’s portion of the event. Photos by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Asheville-area resident Mike Plemmons looks on as a car goes flying by during Saturday’s leg of the CCR-SCCA Dragon Hill Climb, which was held inside the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. Plemmons has been involved with racing for over 40 years. Visit our Facebook page for more photos from Saturday’s portion of the event. Photos by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Need for speed

Santeetlah – Race and road rally cars of all shapes and sizes participated in the 16th Dragon Hill Climb event over the weekend. The Central Carolinas Region of the Sports Car Club of America started hosting the event – this year called Dragon SCCA Hill Climb – in 2011. The 2.
Sophomore Graylen Orr – shown delivering a pitch April 11 against Brevard – was 1-of-3 Black Knights that received an All-Smoky Mountain Conference Honorable Mention. Photo courtesy of Crystal White/Contributing Photographer

Sophomore Graylen Orr – shown delivering a pitch April 11 against Brevard – was 1-of-3 Black Knights that received an All-Smoky Mountain Conference Honorable Mention. Photo courtesy of Crystal White/Contributing Photographer

Black Knights receive 3 honorable mentions

With the conclusion of the 2022 spring sports season in the rearview mirror, the All-Smoky Mountain Conference baseball and softball awards were recently announced. Though no Robbinsville players made the All-Conference list, the future is bright.