Gentry matches wins record, Palmer named queen

  • Murphy head football coach David Gentry matched North Carolina’s all-time wins record Friday night, while senior Alyson Palmer was chosen as homecoming queen, shown here being crowned by Principal Jason Forrister.
    Murphy head football coach David Gentry matched North Carolina’s all-time wins record Friday night, while senior Alyson Palmer was chosen as homecoming queen, shown here being crowned by Principal Jason Forrister.

        Murphy – Friday evening was one of crowning achievements at Murphy’s homecoming football game against Hayesville.
        The game may not have been the most thrilling of the season, but it was one that players, coaches and spectators will surely remember.
        The Bulldogs demolished the Yellow Jackets 62-14 to get Murphy head coach David Gentry his 412th win, tying the late Jack Holley atop the North Carolina high school football all-time coaching wins leaderboard.
        As they do after every game, the Bulldogs and many of the Murphy faithful made their way onto the field to surround Gentry and listen to his post-game wisdom. As his players congratulated him on tying the record, a smile stretched across Gentry’s face as he pointed his index finger at the group of young men kneeling in front of him.
        “It’s all about you,” Gentry said to the players, reiterating the mindset he’s preached since the start of the season – it’s about the players, not about the numbers.
        “It is about them,” the coach said after the game. “There’s always another number. The main thing is for this team to win, and if they win then I’ll get the numbers. Let’s just win, and we’ll let the number take care of themselves.”
        Gentry and the Bulldogs have the chance to make North Carolina football history this Friday, when they travel to Swain County to take on the undefeated Maroon Devils for win number 413. However, he was not the only individual who left Bob Hendrix Stadium with an impressive accomplishment Friday.
        During halftime, senior Alyson Palmer was named Murphy’s 2019 homecoming queen.
        Palmer, whose accolades are almost too numerous to list, is a member of the Murphy High School National Honors Society and serves as president of the Video Club, vice president of the Pep Club and as the student government secretary. She is the female representative for the Murphy High citizenship award and will complete her associate’s degree in arts from Tri-County Community College in December.
        Palmer is the daughter of Tracy Radford-Palmer and the late Donald Palmer, who recently passed away from cancer. She dedicated the night to him.
        “It means a lot to me,” she said of being named homecoming queen. “I’ve continued to push through the terrible times that I’ve been through. But what’s important is to keep pushing and not give up.”
        She was escorted by Colton Bryant, son of Travis Bryant and Lisa Hedden-Bryant, who might have been even more excited than Palmer was after she was named queen.