SMC
- Thread starter hotstove9678
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Andrews maybe.
Ofcouse I'm worried we may not have Williams back. Just a guess but he is a national ranked wrestler with one loss on his record. That loss was from a forfeit at the Holy Angels tournament. It's a major tournament with the best wrestlers from a few states. He reinjured his shoulder with 10 seconds to go in the semi finals. He finished those ten seconds but didn't get to wrestle in the championship match. He also didn't wrestle the next 3 weeks. It was a football injury from this past season.
I don't have any inside information but seems possible that he might not play. That's a hugh loss if it happens. Without him winning conference will be tough not to mention we are replacing the QB also. Who knows who that will be. I'm thinking a sophomore or junior.
Ofcouse I'm worried we may not have Williams back. Just a guess but he is a national ranked wrestler with one loss on his record. That loss was from a forfeit at the Holy Angels tournament. It's a major tournament with the best wrestlers from a few states. He reinjured his shoulder with 10 seconds to go in the semi finals. He finished those ten seconds but didn't get to wrestle in the championship match. He also didn't wrestle the next 3 weeks. It was a football injury from this past season.
I don't have any inside information but seems possible that he might not play. That's a hugh loss if it happens. Without him winning conference will be tough not to mention we are replacing the QB also. Who knows who that will be. I'm thinking a sophomore or junior.
I was actually thinking Robbinsville, Andrews, and the winner of Swain/Cherokee. Murphy may struggle next year but should get back on track by 23 or 24.
Murphy won't lose to Swain or Cherokee this year. Murphy will definitely be better this year than in '23. The '23 Murphy team has no QB and a shortage of backs, no depth on the line either. The '23 team will have to depend on a bunch of young players to fill in the gaps thanks to the thinnest (then senior) class to come through in 15 years. Hopefully Skogen comes back out for football this fall because if not the '23 seniors have 3-4 or best case 5 starters in their whole class.
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I didn’t realize Murphy was so thin after this coming season. I was just thinking that the 23 or 24 teams would be pretty good because those teams will have a bunch of the undefeated JV players (who will be upperclassman then) from this past season. After reading your post it looks like 24 might be the earliest that Murphy can expect to be somewhat back to normal. There should be at least a couple of very good years between 25-27 if the current youth teams stay together.
'25-'27? You doubtful the new school will be built? Or counting the new school as Murphy?
I laughed when I read 27.
But, I did see that Cherokee county has to pay more out to a lawyer.
It could drag out
But, I did see that Cherokee county has to pay more out to a lawyer.
It could drag out
I’ve heard it could open later than originally planned. Personally, I hope it does. I’m not in a hurry for Murphy to close down.
Sometimes these things drag out longer than anticipated. But even if they don’t and the new school opens on time, the football team will have plenty of talent if those kids stay together. But that’s no guarantee, and no guarantees on who will be coaching either. So I hope it gets delayed by a few years.
Oh yeah. I think on paper they will be tough 2a school.
I still think about Smoky mountain though. You never know
I still think about Smoky mountain though. You never know
Sylva's also changed a lot since the 70s and 80s. No more Streaters coming through there. But Cherokee County is changing, too.
Murphy doesn't have the athletes they once did, I think they'll still have the occasional group come through that remind people of the old days but the conveyor belt of talent days are over. Consolidation is the only viable avenue for there to be the year over year talent to remain consistently dangerous in football long term, in my opinion.
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I agree. Just want Murphy to have one last run though before the consolidation happens. The best shot is with the current mites/midgets. Hope it stays Murphy until that group is gone.
Smoky was tough the first few years if I recall correctly. I know they had an undefeated regular season one of those years and always whipped the Heath Shuler Swain teams and the Murphy teams pretty easily during that time. They just didn’t have the talent to make a run in the 3a playoffs.
The Murphy JV team that won conference in spring of '21 was as close to a one man show as you'll see at a Murphy, Stalcup was essentially the offense. You can get by with that on JV but it's very rarely going to cut it on varsity unless that player is a QB, then maybe, think what Mitchell has done at times. The fall '21 JV team was a much more balanced attack but it was a team of good solid players, no studs, that team and the spring JV team benefitted from a weak overall SMC. No offense to either of those Murphy JV teams but they arent even close talent wise to some of the other recent JV champion Murphy teams. There are a couple younger kids on last fall's team that have the potential to be difference maker varsity players one day but they won't be upperclassmen in '23.
Stalcup played QB in youth league and has a pretty good arm, I hope they move him to QB in '23 because I'm not really sure what other viable option they would have. The current JV QB Grant would only be a 10th, would not be near ready in '23. Best case scenario for Murphy would be for a QB to transfer in, allows Stalcup to remain at back because if Stalcup played QB then you just filled one hole to open another. Hedden would probably be the RB and Ryan Payne the wingback. No clue what they would do at fullback, only player on the roster that will still be on the team in '23 that can play FB at a starter level is Stalcup. So any way you slice it Murphy is a starting skill player short heading into '23.
If Rummler sticks with football and Skogen comes back out Murphy will have a pair of big talented recievers in '23 and a really good tight end in Killian, they just need someone to get them the ball. Stalcup would be dangerous as a power run QB too, he's physical and tough. But even if things were to break right at the skill positions I think the line in '23 could be a real problem, they are going to lack upperclassmen offensive and defensive tackles probably more so than any Murphy team in a while. Queen definitely fits the bill size wise but still has a long way to go with his conditioning and in the weight room.
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Smoky beat Robbinsville those first 3 years if I remember correctly. Then we didn't play again until recently. I think we are 3-1 vs Smoky recently.
4-3 total in favor of Smoky.
Hope they are on the schedule this year. Only non conference MaxPreps had listed is Asheville week 1.
I agree that '25 has a chance to start a really good few year run. The current 8th graders are a very talented class of all around athletes and there is obviously some good looking talent behind them. The middle school boys just wrapped up undefeated seasons in basketball, baseball and track and quite a few were part of the undefeated JV football team. They killed everyone in the conference in basketball and baseball and they finished 2nd and 1st in the state in the 4x100 and 4x200 at the NC middle school track championship, so some speed should be coming too.
3/4 of the relay kids were on the JV football team last year I believe, but they need to get the other kid (Cale Harger) on a football field too. Harger is right there with Ryan Payne as the best athlete in the 8th grade class and he's bigger than Payne, has a body for football. KJ Allen's little brother is in that grade too but don't think he played sports this year, hopefully he'll come back out for football this fall.
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That new school ain’t gonna be built no time soon.
It may. But it won’t be any time soon. From what I have heard, the grant they were relying on to help fund the school was the make or break point. They didn’t get the grant so therefore, breaking ground for the new school isn’t happening because of insufficient funding. They may revisit in a couple years when a lot of this stuff passes over. They have received a ton of backlash from the community as well.
How do you guys feel about the conference overall this year? Chance it can produce a team to represent the west? Thanks for any info! Just a huge hs football fan who loves good reading material
Not sure where you’re getting your info from…. But the money they had they lost in a lawsuit….
From an outsider, Robbinsville at Asheville and Andrews at Mitchell. Not sure about others.
Go Mountaineers
Robbinsville is the team to beat right now. Robbinsville's game with Andrews being @ Andrews gives me just a little pause but I don't believe Andrews has the pieces upfront to beat Robbinsville.
Andrews definitely has the inside track for 2nd. Their game with Murphy is @ Murphy and I'm sure revenge will be on the mind from a Bulldog perspective but I would still give Andrews the nod right now. Murphy did not show thay they could handle the Andrew's power run game last season and if Bateman takes a step forward at QB this year Andrews is going to be a lot tougher to defend.
Murphy has some big questions going in that need answered before I would feel comfortable assessing their ceiling. Murphy lost a lot at wideout and defensive back and are obviously replacing a 3 year starting QB. Some of it depends on if everyone that contributed last year, that didnt graduate, is coming back out (always a question mark in Murphy these days) and if they can get a talented kid or two, like a Skogen, on the field again this season. Regardless of those concerns Murphy's line play needs to get a lot better if they want to seriously compete, it was not where it needed to be last year and some of those kids simply did not have the type of season that they were capable of from purely an ability standpoint.
Andrews definitely has the inside track for 2nd. Their game with Murphy is @ Murphy and I'm sure revenge will be on the mind from a Bulldog perspective but I would still give Andrews the nod right now. Murphy did not show thay they could handle the Andrew's power run game last season and if Bateman takes a step forward at QB this year Andrews is going to be a lot tougher to defend.
Murphy has some big questions going in that need answered before I would feel comfortable assessing their ceiling. Murphy lost a lot at wideout and defensive back and are obviously replacing a 3 year starting QB. Some of it depends on if everyone that contributed last year, that didnt graduate, is coming back out (always a question mark in Murphy these days) and if they can get a talented kid or two, like a Skogen, on the field again this season. Regardless of those concerns Murphy's line play needs to get a lot better if they want to seriously compete, it was not where it needed to be last year and some of those kids simply did not have the type of season that they were capable of from purely an ability standpoint.
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Robbinsville vs Mountain Heritage
Robbinsville at Asheville
Murphy and South Pitt.
Andrews at Mitchell
I don't think any SMC team are favorites in the west.
Robbinsville at Asheville
Murphy and South Pitt.
Andrews at Mitchell
I don't think any SMC team are favorites in the west.
Murphy has their toughest non conference slate on paper in a long time. Franklin, Commerce (GA), Fannin County (GA) and South Pittsburg (TN) are all tough games. Between those 4 and Robbinsville and Andrews in the SMC they will certainly be battle tested going into the playoffs if nothing else.
Robbinsville also has a pretty tough non-conference slate. If nothing has changed they have Heritage, Asheville, Brevard and Smoky Mountain. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong on that.
For you Robbinsville fans...should find out in the next day or two if we will be having BOTH Biscuits and Gravy this year
I was told by someone a month ago that would 4 sure know that Williams will be here. Unless that has changed.
He is wrestling in the Fargo mid July.
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Yeah you are right. Found out yesterday.
Robbinsville will still line up and play but it's a huge blow for for all. We still have a
good chance at conference. In my opinion it hurts more on defense than offensive. With 370 kids these things are huge. Oh well.
Robbinsville will still line up and play but it's a huge blow for for all. We still have a
good chance at conference. In my opinion it hurts more on defense than offensive. With 370 kids these things are huge. Oh well.