SwainCounty

It did not take long for Bob Colvin Field to become heavily occupied Friday night, moments after the Robbinsville Black Knights secured their 27th Smoky Mountain Conference title by defeating Swain County under the Big Oaks. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

It did not take long for Bob Colvin Field to become heavily occupied Friday night, moments after the Robbinsville Black Knights secured their 27th Smoky Mountain Conference title by defeating Swain County under the Big Oaks. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Whatizit? It’s Robbinsville, again

Kevin Hensley
Friday, October 27, 2023
Robbinsville – Friday’s divisional title game was everything it was built up to be – and then some. Two programs with a decades-old rivalry – Robbinsville and Swain County – spent 48 minutes in combat on Bob Colvin Field, vying for the premier bragging rights in the Smoky Mountain Conference.

Early exit

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Bryson City – At the end of the day, it boils down to one simple fact: Swain County had Robbinsville’s number this year. Despite the Lady Knights and Lady Devils already playing each other three times in 2023 – including the semifinals of the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament Oct. 17 – the N.C.
Black Knights senior Chase Calhoun leaves Hayesville’s Isaac Chandler lying in his wake Friday, while attempting to navigate through the Jackets defense. Calhoun later reeled in a 60-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter of Robbinsville’s 26-20 triumph. Photo courtesy of Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Black Knights senior Chase Calhoun leaves Hayesville’s Isaac Chandler lying in his wake Friday, while attempting to navigate through the Jackets defense. Calhoun later reeled in a 60-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter of Robbinsville’s 26-20 triumph. Photo courtesy of Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Enduring a sting

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, October 26, 2023
The box score from Friday's game. Robbinsville – It wasn’t pretty, but the Black Knights avoided the need for a EpiPen to prevail over Hayesville on Friday, 26-20.
Sophomore libero Suri Watty eyes a serve during Tuesday’s conference-tournament semifinals against Swain County. Watty’s stint at the service line in the third set sparked a 12-3 run for Robbinsville. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Sophomore libero Suri Watty eyes a serve during Tuesday’s conference-tournament semifinals against Swain County. Watty’s stint at the service line in the third set sparked a 12-3 run for Robbinsville. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Knights ousted in tourney semis

Kevin Hensley
Friday, October 20, 2023
Final standings for the 2023 Smoky Mountain Conference volleyball season.
Career bragging rights have been surpassed by a pair of seniors within the last week: Delaney Brooms cleared 1,000 digs and 1,000 kills Oct. 5 at Hayesville. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Career bragging rights have been surpassed by a pair of seniors within the last week: Delaney Brooms cleared 1,000 digs and 1,000 kills Oct. 5 at Hayesville. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

2 athletes, 3 milestones

Kevin Hensley
Friday, October 13, 2023
Robbinsville – While sprinting through a hectic stretch of action, two Lady Knights seniors cemented their legacy in Robbinsville volleyball history. Delaney Brooms surpassed 1,000 digs and kills in the same match – a 4-set triumph at Hayesville on Oct.
Moments after securing the program’s first outright JV conference title in over a decade, the Robbinsville Black Knights gather to commemorate the victory at Swain County High School. Photo courtesy of Tonia Walsh/Robbinsville Middle School

Moments after securing the program’s first outright JV conference title in over a decade, the Robbinsville Black Knights gather to commemorate the victory at Swain County High School. Photo courtesy of Tonia Walsh/Robbinsville Middle School

Alone at last

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, October 5, 2023
Bryson City – There will be no need to break out the rule book to determine a tiebreaker; a phone call to congratulate a rival coach on sharing a piece of the bragging rights will go undialed.

Quest for gold almost over

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, September 28, 2023
Hayesville – A win tonight would achieve something that the JV Black Knights football program has not accomplished in quite some time.
Junior Claire Barlow (3) rises above Swain County’s Kinsley Hyatt during Sept. 21’s road match in Bryson City. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Junior Claire Barlow (3) rises above Swain County’s Kinsley Hyatt during Sept. 21’s road match in Bryson City. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Rough Knights at the office

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, September 28, 2023
Robbinsville – The reintroduction to conference play did not go according to plan for the Robbinsville Lady Knights. An 8-match win streak was snapped in a 4-set loss at Swain County on Sept.
Graham County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Stewart confiscated this bag of suspected meth off a suspect during a Sept. 2 traffic stop, after K-9 Sam indicated the presence of narcotics orders in the vehicle. Photo courtesy of Graham County Sheriff's Office

Graham County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Stewart confiscated this bag of suspected meth off a suspect during a Sept. 2 traffic stop, after K-9 Sam indicated the presence of narcotics orders in the vehicle. Photo courtesy of Graham County Sheriff's Office

K-9 delivers perfect strike

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Robbinsville – A routine traffic stop yielded one of the largest meth busts in Graham County history. On Sept. 2, sheriff’s Deputy Justin Stewart pulled over a vehicle operated by John Mark Jenkins, 54, a native of Bryson City who listed 149 Maggie Wachacha Road in Snowbird as his address.