KensleyPhillips

The accommodations at K’s Kennels make the visitors jump for joy. Business owner Kensley Phillips looks on as Willow expresses her excitement with the stay. Photos by Kevin Hensley/editor@grahamstar.com

Pampered pups

Latresa Phillips

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Tallulah – All of us have heard the saying, “Find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” If you don’t believe it, just ask 19-year-old Kensley Phillips. Phillips is proof that passion can become profit and loving what you do is just gravy on the dog bone.

Lady Knights junior Zoie Shuler has been named the Smoky Mountain Conference's Player of the Year for the second-consecutive year. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Shuler repeats as Player of the Year

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Liz Carpenter, Honorable Mention Robbinsville – The Lady Knights' departure from the playoffs wrapped up the Smoky Mountain Conference's inclusion in the postseason race – thus summoning the release of the annual, esteemed All-Conference representatives.

Brock Adams: State Champion, 110- and 300-meter hurdles; 10th place, high jump. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Hurdles, jumps: oh my!

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Cuttler Adams: 5th place, 100-meter dash; 8th place, long jump Greensboro – To Brock Adams and Zoie Shuler, it was simply another day at the office: punch in, handle the task at hand and punch out. For the record books, Friday’s 1A track & field state championship meet – held at N.C.

Kensley Phillips cuts past Mitchell's Mary Beth Woody during the second half of the 1A West/Midwest All-Star Game on Saturday. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Hey now, you’re All-Stars

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, March 23, 2023

It truly speaks volumes about the success of your program when you can send four players to two different showcases to end their high-school careers.

Lady Knights senior Desta Trammell was recently announced as the 2022-23 Smoky Mountain Conference Girls Player of the Year – her second time earning the distinction. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Pursuit of her Destanee: complete

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Liz Carpenter, Sophomore, All-Conference Robbinsville – What else can be written about Desta Trammell? She has grown up loving the sport of basketball. The competitiveness. The tenacity. The skill. The discipline. The ups. The downs.

The Lady Knights’ collaboration of Katie-Lyn Gross, Kensley Phillips, Zoie Shuler and Delaney Brooms (from left) broke the 4x400, indoor-track school record Jan. 11 at Swain County, clocking in with a time of 4:34.98. The previous mark was 4:45.20, set by Ashlyn Waldroup, current coach Kaitlyn Carringer, Meghan Myler and Shawnda Martin during the 2015-16 season. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

400 meters, 4 segments: 1 record obliterated

Kevin Hensley

Friday, January 20, 2023

I’ve often called the 4x400 relay the “most exciting five minutes in sports.” Maybe it is because after three-plus hours, the competition draws a track meet to a close. Maybe it is because it comes after the single-longest track event of the day: the 2-mile run.

Robbinsville senior Kensley Phillips (right) drives past Brevard’s Shaniya Cook during Dec. 29’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Invitational appointment with the Lady Devils. The Lady Knights’ shooting guard was all over the floor in the lopsided victory, picking up her first career triple-double in the process. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Repetition is key

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Sylva – It takes a lot of chips falling into place for any basketball player to record a triple-double. For such a polished, versatile athlete like Kensley Phillips, everything clicked from the opening tip of Dec. 29’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Invitational finale for Robbinsville.

Robbinsville seniors Brock Adams (left) and Kensley Phillips were recently named as the school’s 2022 Heisman High School Scholarship winners. Photo courtesy of Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Success pays off

News Staff

Friday, November 11, 2022

Robbinsville – A pair of Black Knight seniors were recently awarded for their academic and athletic endeavors. Brock Adams and Kensley Phillips were selected last week as Robbinsville’s 2022 Heisman High School Scholarship recipients.

Robbinsville senior Kensley Phillips fires a shot toward a pair of Smoky Mountain defenders in a Sept. 19 road match. Phillips has been named the Co-Smoky Mountain Conference Player of the Year. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Phillips named Conference Player of the Year

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Robbinsville – For the first time in her career, Kensley Phillips has been named the Player of the Year. For the second time in her coaching career, Kadey Phillips has been named the Coach of the Year.

The Robbinsville Lady Knights surprised senior Kensley Phillips with gifts immediately after Oct. 6’s home match against Andrews, to help celebrate Phillips surpassing the 1,000-dig threshold. Surrounding Phillips are (back row, from left): Claire Barlow, Liz Carpenter, Aubrie Wachacha and team manager Eden Orr; (front row, from left): Fala Welch, Tai Owle and Olivia Lewis; kneeling in front, Delaney Brooms (left) and Suri Watty.

Can you dig it?

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, October 13, 2022

Robbinsville – Just two days after her older sister hit a coaching milestone, Kensley Phillips found her own way into the annals of Lady Knights volleyball history. Kadey Phillips recorded her 100th career win as head coach of the Lady Knights at Swain County on Sept. 27. Skip ahead to Sept.