Hayesville

Success halted

Hayesville – The Lady Knights carried a 17-set win streak into Tuesday’s Smoky Mountain Conference showdown at Hayesville.
Anna Wehr is not your typical teenage girl: she does not enjoy being the center of attention – unless she’s  performing in front of a crowd on behalf of the Stardance Performing Arts dance studio. Here, a lyrical number titled “Dust Bowl” temporarily sees her peers form a semi-circle around Wehr. Photos by Kevin Hensley/editor@grahamstar.com

Anna Wehr is not your typical teenage girl: she does not enjoy being the center of attention – unless she’s performing in front of a crowd on behalf of the Stardance Performing Arts dance studio. Here, a lyrical number titled “Dust Bowl” temporarily sees her peers form a semi-circle around Wehr. Photos by Kevin Hensley/editor@grahamstar.com

Stepping into the spotlight

Dance has helped define Anna Wehr as a person. Performances even allow Wehr to show the audience glimpses of her personality – such as during a light-hearted jazz routine like “Feeling Good.” Blairsville, Ga.
Senior Bryc Garrison leads off during Friday’s game with Hayesville. Garrison swiped two bases in the contest to become Robbinsville’s new record holder for most stolen bases in a single season. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Senior Bryc Garrison leads off during Friday’s game with Hayesville. Garrison swiped two bases in the contest to become Robbinsville’s new record holder for most stolen bases in a single season. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Show must go on

Robbinsville – Friday’s 7-2 loss to Hayesville effectively halted Robbinsville’s quest for its first-ever Smoky Mountain Conference championship. That’s the bad news.
Senior Memory Frapp became the Robbinsville Lady Knights’ all-time “strikeout queen” Monday,  surpassing the program’s former standard in a 14-4 rout of Hiwassee Dam. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Senior Memory Frapp became the Robbinsville Lady Knights’ all-time “strikeout queen” Monday, surpassing the program’s former standard in a 14-4 rout of Hiwassee Dam. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Moment committed to Memory

Robbinsville – It was business as usual for Robbinsville (18-2, 10-0), which posted a pair of 5-inning, lopsided home victories. A 10-0 blanking of Hayesville (1-14, 1-10) on Friday was eclipsed by a 14-4 disposal of Hiwassee Dam (7-7, 5-5) in a make-up affair Monday.
Benton Gibby lays it all on the line to snag a fly ball Tuesday against Hayesville. Gibby made the catch and Robbinsville went on to preserve an 11-7 win over the Yellow Jackets. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Benton Gibby lays it all on the line to snag a fly ball Tuesday against Hayesville. Gibby made the catch and Robbinsville went on to preserve an 11-7 win over the Yellow Jackets. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Buzzkills

As both the high school baseball and softball teams continue to vie for a piece of the conference title, the next generation of varsity players are showing that the standard can – and will – be matched for years to come.
Freshman Presley Caylor (10) hit her first-ever varsity home run Monday, which gave the 16-win Robbinsville Lady Knights yet another achievement to celebrate amid what is already a monumental year for the program. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Freshman Presley Caylor (10) hit her first-ever varsity home run Monday, which gave the 16-win Robbinsville Lady Knights yet another achievement to celebrate amid what is already a monumental year for the program. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

‘Back, back, gone!’

Eighteen games into the season, opponents are still trying to find the weak point on the Lady Knights’ roster. Good luck. Just in the last week, Robbinsville (16-2, 8-0) made short work of its latest sprint.
Luke Lovin earned his first win of the year April 18 against Rosman, posting 6 ⅔ innings of work against the Tigers. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Luke Lovin earned his first win of the year April 18 against Rosman, posting 6 ⅔ innings of work against the Tigers. Photo by Jacquline Gayosso/The Graham Star

Round 1 goes to the Jackets

Hayesville – On the surface, everything that the Black Knights have clawed and scraped at this season was lost Monday. Nothing could be further from the truth – there’s still a lot of baseball and a lot of scenarios that could easily play out in Robbinsville’s favor.
Robbinsville senior Delaney Brooms unloads a 3-point attempt over the defense of Hayesville’s Emma Ashe during Feb. 20’s meeting in the semifinals of the conference tournament. The Knights and Jackets were paired together in the first round of the playoffs exactly one week later, with Hayesville pulling away late to advance in the postseason race. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Robbinsville senior Delaney Brooms unloads a 3-point attempt over the defense of Hayesville’s Emma Ashe during Feb. 20’s meeting in the semifinals of the conference tournament. The Knights and Jackets were paired together in the first round of the playoffs exactly one week later, with Hayesville pulling away late to advance in the postseason race. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Lady Knights unable to recreate playoff magic

Hayesville – It was the fourth time this year that Robbinsville had drawn the Lady Jackets as its opponent. The Lady Knights made the trek to Clay County on Tuesday to face their conference rival in the first round of the state playoffs. Robbinsville (No.
Black Knights senior Donovan Carpenter keys in on a first-half jumper during the regular-season finale Feb. 13 at Cherokee. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Black Knights senior Donovan Carpenter keys in on a first-half jumper during the regular-season finale Feb. 13 at Cherokee. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Upsets joust Knights

Cherokee – You never know how the chips may fall once you reach the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament. Both of Robbinsville’s boys teams were afforded the No.