Murphy – It was a packed sports year in Cherokee County. With COVID-19 pushing back the 2020-21 sports calendar, all fall sports had two state championships within a calendar year.
Despite the challenges of playing sports in a pandemic, local student-athletes rose to the challenge. Here are the ones that stood out the most in 2021.
Two Nantahala boys reach century mark
It’s impressive to have one player reach 1,000 career points in a season, but two is something else. That’s exactly what happened to Nantahala boys basketball this year, as seniors Dillon Mclean and Zac Taylor reached the mark just weeks apart.
McLean was first, topping 1,000 points against Hiwassee Dam on Jan. 27. He had previously set the school record for most three-pointers in a single game when he hit 10 against Blue Ridge. Taylor joined Mclean on Feb. 9, hitting a three from the left wing against Summit Charter.
Hiwassee Dam boys, girls hoops take Little Smoky
It was a good year at The Nest, as both Hiwassee Dam varsity basketball teams took home a conference championship.
It was the second straight title for the boys team, which went undefeated in the Little Smoky Mountain Conference. Junior Sam Bardford won Little Smoky Mountain Conference Player of the Year, while senior Connor Davis and freshman Dominick Rummler were named All-Conference.
The Lady Eagles went 5-1 to win their second conference title in three years. Seniors Kiara Anderson, Katie Gibson and Chloe Roe were All-Conference selections. The Lady Eagles also had a first-round home playoff game, defeating North Stanly before falling to Mitchell in round two.
Lady Bulldogs take back-to-back titles
In March 2020, Murphy girls basketball head coach Ray Gutierrez had to do one of the hardest things in his coaching career when he told his undefeated team they wouldn’t be able to play in the state championship game due to COVID-19. One year later, the Lady Bulldogs made it to the state championship again and made the most of the opportunity, crushing Princeton 76-34.
After losing to conference champion Robbinsville twice in the regular season, Murphy snuck into the 16-team 1A West field as the No. 13 seed. It didn’t matter, as the Lady Bulldogs won each of their five postseason games by at least 12 points, including a 49-37 win at the Lady Knights in the Elite 8.
In the state championship, Murphy trailed early in the first quarter before breaking the game wide open by halftime. Junior (and Richmond signee) Torin Rogers was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player, while senior Sarah Pullium was named the game’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player.
“There’s no ‘co’ for this championship,” Rogers said after the game.
Murphy legend Gentry goes out on very top
A spring season didn’t stop Murphy football from winning another state championship. Once again, the Bulldogs reached the mountaintop, defeating Northside-Pinetown 14-7 on May 8 for the program’s 10th title.
After losing to Robbinsville in the regular-season finale, the Bulldogs grinded out four playoff wins, including one against the Black Knights in the Western Regional final, to win the 1A title. With the Panthers shutting down Murphy’s running game, junior quarterback Kellen Rumfelt stepped up, completing 12 of 15 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game in the third quarter with an injury.
It turned out to be the final win for legendary head coach David Gentry, who retired in June. Gentry won a state record 426 games over a 50-year coaching career, 366 of which came in his 38 years at Murphy. He led the Bulldogs to a total of nine state championships, 12 Western Regional championships and 15 Smoky Mountain Conference championships.
Longtime assistant coach Joseph Watson took over as head coach this fall, leading the Bulldogs to a 9-5 record and 12th straight Elite Eight appearance.
Bulldogs runners
dominate seasons
It was a banner year for Murphy runners. First, the Bulldogs won their third Smoky Mountain Cross Country Championship in January. They carried that momentum over to the track, where they won their fourth straight conference championship and first regional championship since 2017.
Seniors Chase Pierce and Caleb Jones had 1-2 finishes at both the cross country conference and regional championships, while Pierce was also named the Most Outstanding Male Track Athlete at the Smoky Mountain Conference Track & Field Championships. He won the 800- and 1,600-meter run at both the conference and regional meets, helping Murphy to conference titles in both the 4x400 and 4x800m relays.
Pullium named state Athlete of the Year
After winning what’s believed to be a school record seven state championships, Murphy senior Sarah Pullium was named the N.C. High School Athletic Association Female Athlete of the Year in July. She became the first Murphy athlete to win the award, and only the second in Cherokee County history after Hiwassee Dam’s Hailey Shope won the award in 2016.
Pullium was a three-time state champion in the discus as well as a two-time team state champion in both outdoor track and field and girls basketball. She was also a two-time conference selection in volleyball. In her senior year, Pullium was a key post presence on the Lady Bulldogs’ state championship basketball team and won her third straight state title in the discus. At the Smoky Mountain Conference championship meet, her throw of 140 feet set new school and conference records.
Today, Pullium is a freshman at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, where she is a member of the track and field team.
Andrews football defeats Murphy
The Wildcats made history in the spring season by beating Swain County for the first time since 1998, then beat Mitchell on Sept. 10 in a game head coach James Phillips called the program’s “biggest win in decades.”
However, both of those wins paled in comparison to Oct. 29, 2021, at Hugh Hamilton Stadium. On that night around 10 p.m., fans and players celebrated an event 40 years in the making, as Andrews beat Murphy 22-12. It was the Wildcats’ first victory over the Bulldogs since 1981.
Murphy scored a touchdown in the final minute of the second quarter to take a 12-7 lead at halftime, but it was the last time they would score all night. A five-yard run by Isaac Weaver on Andrews’ second half drive put the Wildcats ahead, and he scored again in the fourth quarter following a Bulldogs fumble. Cole Anderson’s interception with 3:19 sealed the deal.
Murphy volleyball goes to Final Four
It was a banner year for Lady Bulldogs volleyball. In January, Murphy went undefeated in the regular season to win a fourth straight conference championship before losing in the Elite 8.
After head coach Nikol Edwards stepped down, new head coach Jordan Lovingood stepped in – and the Lady Bulldogs didn’t miss a beat. Murphy had another undefeated season in conference play to win a fifth straight regular-season championship, then advanced to the 1A Western Regional final for the first time since 2011.
The Lady Bulldogs were unable to win their first volleyball state championship, falling to Union Academy in four sets in the regional final. Senior Torin Rogers was named Big Smoky Mountain Conference Player of the Year, while Lovingood was named Coach of the Year.