BlackKnights

Lleyton Hooper has Mountain Island Charter’s Ethan Hayes searching for answers during the 144-pound bout of Saturday’s first-round playoff dual. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Lleyton Hooper has Mountain Island Charter’s Ethan Hayes searching for answers during the 144-pound bout of Saturday’s first-round playoff dual. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Back to the grind

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Robbinsville – The Black Knights are in a very familiar position: the regional rounds of the state dual-team tournament. It’s a hump that Robbinsville (31-2) has struggled to get over since winning the state championship in 2017 – the only 1A team crown in program history.
Capping off a 17-0 season, the Robbinsville Middle School Black Knights relish the moment after winning the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament Jan. 24. Photos by Fala Welch/The Graham Star

Capping off a 17-0 season, the Robbinsville Middle School Black Knights relish the moment after winning the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament Jan. 24. Photos by Fala Welch/The Graham Star

17-0

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Robbinsville – Unmatched. Unparalleled. Unrivaled. Somewhere along the way, the 2023-24 Robbinsville Middle School Black Knights embarked on a mental mission to ensure those three descriptors prefaced any discussion about the damage they inflicted on the opposition.
Robbinsville's Christian Koeller leaps into position for top control during Saturday's first-round match against Mountain Island Charter. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Robbinsville's Christian Koeller leaps into position for top control during Saturday's first-round match against Mountain Island Charter. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Knights hit the road for regional rounds

Kevin Hensley
Monday, January 29, 2024
Newland -- The Robbinsville Black Knights made it to yet another 1A Western Regional Dual Team Final on Wednesday night, but were unable to punch their ticket to a state-title match. Robbinsville (32-3) took a sizable lead over Alleghany (No.
Amidst a first-quarter flurry, no one was at the basket to stop Xamuel Wachacha’s transition basket – and if they dared to interfere with the proceedings, Eli Lambert had a front-row seat to the bucket. Photo by Fala Welch/The Graham Star

Amidst a first-quarter flurry, no one was at the basket to stop Xamuel Wachacha’s transition basket – and if they dared to interfere with the proceedings, Eli Lambert had a front-row seat to the bucket. Photo by Fala Welch/The Graham Star

How legends are made

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Robbinsville – It was over before it really got started. Following a 10-day layoff, the Robbinsville Middle School Black Knights (No. 1 seed) showed no signs of rust when they hit the floor to duke it out with the Andrews Wildcats (No. 4) in Jan.
Senior power forward Aubrie Wachacha was not fazed by Swain County’s Carley Teesateskie (12) and Molleigh Woodard (14) while putting up this inside shot Tuesday night. Photo by Fala Welch/The Graham Star

Senior power forward Aubrie Wachacha was not fazed by Swain County’s Carley Teesateskie (12) and Molleigh Woodard (14) while putting up this inside shot Tuesday night. Photo by Fala Welch/The Graham Star

Lady Knights back to .500 in conference

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Robbinsville – Inclement weather built a 12-day gap between games for the Robbinsville High basketball program. The Swain County Devils waited in the wings.
Cuttler Adams scored a touchdown and rushed for over 100 yards in the Jan. 8 Blue/Grey All-American Bowl, which led to the much-heralded running back receiving the game’s MVP award. Adams is pictured on the field at Cowboys Stadium with his family (from left): Tillman, Chloe, Brandi and Coy Adams.

Cuttler Adams scored a touchdown and rushed for over 100 yards in the Jan. 8 Blue/Grey All-American Bowl, which led to the much-heralded running back receiving the game’s MVP award. Adams is pictured on the field at Cowboys Stadium with his family (from left): Tillman, Chloe, Brandi and Coy Adams.

Dem mountain boyz

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Chase Calhoun made enough of a splash in the 6th Annual Indigenous Bowl that he was named the exhibition’s Defensive MVP. One traveled 909 miles to reach his destination; the other logged 2,166. Both returned to Graham County with national exposure and appropriate hardware.
The Robbinsville Black Knights gather around their 27th Smoky Mountain Conference title, moments after defeating Swain County on Monday to clinch the prize. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

The Robbinsville Black Knights gather around their 27th Smoky Mountain Conference title, moments after defeating Swain County on Monday to clinch the prize. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Many have tried; many have fallen

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Bryson City – With all the well-documented success the Robbinsville wrestling program has experienced since its 1976 launch, it would be easy to assume that an air of superiority exists for the Knights in the Smoky Mountain Conference.
Robbinsville’s Novie Dutcher (left) and Abby Wehr close in for a corner trap on Nantahala’s Zoey Passmore during the Lady Knights’ Jan. 11’s road win. Photos by Fala Welch/The Graham Star

Robbinsville’s Novie Dutcher (left) and Abby Wehr close in for a corner trap on Nantahala’s Zoey Passmore during the Lady Knights’ Jan. 11’s road win. Photos by Fala Welch/The Graham Star

Hawk-eye accuracy

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Trey Lambert soars past the defense of Nantahala’s Landon Neal for a fourth-quarter basket Jan. 11. Nantahala – Set to embark on a 3-game loop through 75 percent of the Little Smoky Mountain Conference, Robbinsville’s time on the road was limited to just one game last week.
Robbinsville’s Kellen Ensley (215) stares down Mountain Heritage’s Braxton Batchelor at the dawn of overtime in the semifinals of Saturday’s James Orr Invitational. Ensley would soon take a 13-11 decision over Batchelor and was later named the Most Outstanding Boys Wrestler of the tournament. Photo by Audrey Colvin/The Graham Star

Robbinsville’s Kellen Ensley (215) stares down Mountain Heritage’s Braxton Batchelor at the dawn of overtime in the semifinals of Saturday’s James Orr Invitational. Ensley would soon take a 13-11 decision over Batchelor and was later named the Most Outstanding Boys Wrestler of the tournament. Photo by Audrey Colvin/The Graham Star

Mat masters

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Robbinsville – Another year, another well-rounded showing in their annual home showcase. Saturday’s James Orr Invitational ushered 12 programs from three states into Graham County. But even in a tournament with classifications thrown out the window, the No.
Black Knights senior Kage Williams grapples with Brevard’s Ray Laney during Jan. 3’s home tri-match. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Black Knights senior Kage Williams grapples with Brevard’s Ray Laney during Jan. 3’s home tri-match. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Highway tested

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 11, 2024
"We're not afraid to travel" has been a long-standing mantra of the Robbinsville wrestling program. After all, how else can you test the theory of finding the best competition to make yourself the best if you are unwilling to log a few miles?