NCHSAAWrestling

Robbinsville senior Willie Riddle locks horns with Franklin’s Chase Browning during the Nov. 30 home dual against the Panthers. Photo courtesy of Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Robbinsville senior Willie Riddle locks horns with Franklin’s Chase Browning during the Nov. 30 home dual against the Panthers. Photo courtesy of Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

‘The ‘Ville’ off to 10-1 start

Kevin Hensley
Friday, December 9, 2022
Robbinsville – The only surefire way to ensure improvement from start to finish is to get in as many live-action reps as possible. Back for his fourth stint as the Black Knights’ head coach, David Haney has packed Robbinsville’s 2022-23 schedule with a wide variety of competition.
Loxston Hooper, Kage Williams and Adair Panama (from left) sport the championship belts they received for conquering their respective weight classes at the Nov. 23 Jet Invitational. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Loxston Hooper, Kage Williams and Adair Panama (from left) sport the championship belts they received for conquering their respective weight classes at the Nov. 23 Jet Invitational. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Knights snack on pre-holiday opposition

Kevin Hensley
Friday, December 2, 2022
Candler – Robbinsville’s wrestling program set up shop at Enka High School last week and, in the tradition of the holiday season, carved up the competition. A dual against the T.C. Roberson Rams on Nov.
Kage Williams maintains top control over Cherokee’s Vincent Owle during a Nov. 15 dual. A two-time state champion, Williams won the 195-pound bracket at Saturday’s Dekota Smith Invitational. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Kage Williams maintains top control over Cherokee’s Vincent Owle during a Nov. 15 dual. A two-time state champion, Williams won the 195-pound bracket at Saturday’s Dekota Smith Invitational. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Knights trio dominates invitational

Kevin Hensley
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Hudson – Kage Williams has already won two 1A state championships. In two different weight classes. So it was little surprise that Robbinsville’s top grappler went 3-0 against competition from 2A, 3A and 4A at Saturday’s Dekota Smith Invitational, as Williams easily won the 195-pound bracket.
The Robbinsville wrestling program is adding another chapter to its historic legacy: the first-ever Lady Knights team, comprised of girls from Robbinsville Middle School. The coaches are Josh Winfrey (far left) and Sarah Orr (far right).

The Robbinsville wrestling program is adding another chapter to its historic legacy: the first-ever Lady Knights team, comprised of girls from Robbinsville Middle School. The coaches are Josh Winfrey (far left) and Sarah Orr (far right).

Break the walls down

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Robbinsville – As times change, so do the environments that surround us. When the Far West Wrestling program picked up steam last winter, it was mostly because of the unusually-high amount of girls that trotted onto the mat to grapple. Yes, girls.
With Todd Odom’s retirement looming, it felt appropriate to capture the memory with my “pal” (actually one of Todd’s nicknames for me) of one final tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on Feb. 19. Thanks for everything.

With Todd Odom’s retirement looming, it felt appropriate to capture the memory with my “pal” (actually one of Todd’s nicknames for me) of one final tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on Feb. 19. Thanks for everything.

Happy trails to leader of ‘The ‘Ville’

Kevin Hensley
Friday, March 18, 2022
In this industry, you develop a sort of subconscious “filter” on who – and who is not – your genuine friend.
Robbinsville wrestling head coach Todd Odom (right) shares a laugh with assistant Colby White at Saturday’s state individual tournament. After 21 years as a coach, Odom announced his retirement from the sport Sunday. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Robbinsville wrestling head coach Todd Odom (right) shares a laugh with assistant Colby White at Saturday’s state individual tournament. After 21 years as a coach, Odom announced his retirement from the sport Sunday. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

'I just know'

Kevin Hensley
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Robbinsville – “How did you know when it was time for you to retire from coaching? Coach Bob Colvin and coach Bruce Snyder both answered with exactly the same reply: ‘You just know.’  “So why retire or why retire now? I just know.
Kyle Fink, 182-pound state champion. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Kyle Fink, 182-pound state champion. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

4 Horsemen

Kevin Hensley
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Greensboro – Soon enough, there will be four more championship canvasses hanging inside the Robbinsville wrestling building. The Black Knights trekked to the Greensboro Coliseum on Friday and Saturday, and did what “The ‘Ville” is best known for: bringing home some hardware.
Several members of the Robbinsville wrestling program gather in the Greensboro Coliseum concourse Saturday night, posing with the 1A Invitational Tournament Team Runner-Up plaque. Photo courtesy of Susan Crowe/Contributing Photographer

Several members of the Robbinsville wrestling program gather in the Greensboro Coliseum concourse Saturday night, posing with the 1A Invitational Tournament Team Runner-Up plaque. Photo courtesy of Susan Crowe/Contributing Photographer

Four Black Knights capture state titles

Kevin Hensley
Saturday, February 19, 2022
Greensboro – At the culmination of the two-day, N.C. High School Athletic Association Individual Wrestling Tournament, four Graham County grapplers departed with state gold.
Members of the Robbinsville High School wrestling program gather with the 1A Western Regional Individual Runner-Up plaque, at the conclusion of the two-day tournament at Alleghany. Photos by Susan Crowe/Contributing Photographer

Members of the Robbinsville High School wrestling program gather with the 1A Western Regional Individual Runner-Up plaque, at the conclusion of the two-day tournament at Alleghany. Photos by Susan Crowe/Contributing Photographer

More action, more titles

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, February 17, 2022
Sparta – It won’t be long before Robbinsville will have to construct an addition to its wrestling facility … just for an awards room.
Robbinsville senior Jayden Nowell hooks the left arm of Swain County’s Owen Craig during the 132-pound bout of the Feb. 2 third round, dual-team championship match in Bryson City. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Robbinsville senior Jayden Nowell hooks the left arm of Swain County’s Owen Craig during the 132-pound bout of the Feb. 2 third round, dual-team championship match in Bryson City. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Black Knights fall in Western Regional finals

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, February 10, 2022
Bryson City – It was not the way things had hoped to go. Robbinsville (No. 1 seed, 22-2) knocked off Smoky Mountain Conference foe Swain County (No. 5, 18-4) in the third round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s Dual-Team Championship Tournament on Feb.