Murphy – On a night where Murphy made big plays to stay afloat, the Bulldogs needed one more to seal the victory against Thomas Jefferson. This time, it was Ryland Dickey’s turn.
With less than three minutes remaining and the Bulldogs leading 28-20, Thomas Jefferson quarterback Bryce Jergenson scrambled on fourth-and-14 and completed a pass to Malachi Gary, who sprinted down the left sideline for a 58-yard gain to Murphy’s 18-yard line. Three plays later on third-and-9, Dickey stepped up.
As Jergenson moved to his right, Dickey followed a receiver to the end zone. The pass was tipped and ended up in his hands. It was the final big play the Bulldogs needed to defeat the Gryphons 28-20 in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A state playoffs Friday night.
“We were both on the ground, and I somehow ended up with it,” Dickey said. “It turned the game around for us.”
Murphy (7-1 overall) will travel about four hours northeast to face Elkin High School (6-1) at 7 p.m. Friday in the second round. While there are no presale tickets available, tickets will be sold at the gate and no one will be turned away.
It was a close game all night, with neither team leading by more than one possession. The Bulldogs relied on explosive plays, while the Gryphons (6-1) were better at sustaining drives.
After going scoreless in the first half against Robbinsville, Ty Laney took a handoff and ran for a 63-yard touchdown on Murphy’s third play from scrimmage. Following a three-and-out by Thomas Jefferson and a punt by the Bulldogs, Jergenson tied the game for the Gryphons with a 48-yard touchdown run. The sophomore was a problem for Murphy all night, finishing with 190 yards passing and 86 yards rushing.
“He has real good speed, and he has a real good nose to run and saw things a lot,”
Gentry said of Jergenson. “He was a good player, and he could pass the ball, too.”
As the Bulldogs struggled to put drives together, Jergenson scored another touchdown with 4:34 remaining in the second quarter, this time a five-yard run on a third-and-goal to give Thomas Jefferson a 14-7 lead. As halftime neared Murphy’s energy waned, only to be picked back up by another explosive play.
With 1:20 left in the first half, Kellen Rumfelt hit Hunter Laney in stride for a 54-yard touchdown. On the extra point, Rumfelt caught the snap as the holder and sprinted into the end zone for the two-point conversion to give the Bulldogs a 15-14 lead.
“Coming out I feel like we were a little slow, and that really just showed us we’re about this and we can do this,” senior Ray Rathburn said. “I feel like that drive right there won us the game.”
Following the play, the light tower to the left of the press box went out, causing a short delay. The teams took the usual 20-minute halftime break during the delay, then finished the final 1:20 of the second quarter before moving on to the second half.
After scoring on explosive offensive plays in the first half, Murphy added turnovers to its winning formula in the second half. Landon Jordan stripped Jergenson on Thomas Jefferson’s first drive of the half, and John Ledford’s 39-yard touchdown run gave the Bulldogs a 21-14 lead two plays later.
The Gryphons answered back with 1:24 remaining in the third quarter when Jergenson sprinted 12 yards to the end zone for his third rushing touchdown of the game. However, Thomas Jefferson was called for unsportsmanlike conduct on the play and missed the extra point.
The two teams exchanged interceptions on the next two drives to start the fourth quarter, and after a Gryphons three-and-out, Murphy faced a crucial fourth-and-10 at the Thomas Jefferson 33-yard line. The Bulldogs ran their signature “buck sweep,” with Rathburn taking the carry and scoring a touchdown.
Last week, Gentry said his team didn’t do what it needed to to beat Robbinsville. This week, they stepped up and are moving on.
“In the playoffs, and when you play a good team, you have to push it up a notch,” Gentry said. “You can’t just play average play. You gotta go out there and get it every play.”