Bryson City – At halftime, Murphy head coach Joseph Watson told his team they had to finish.
Leading 28-21 with 2:50 left and facing a third-and-six at midfield Friday night, the Bulldogs needed one more first down to seal a win at Swain County. Like he did throughout the second half, senior quarterback Kellen Rumfelt made plays when it mattered.
He hit tight end Will Johnson over the middle, and Johnson kept the ball through a hard hit for an 11-yard gain. When Johnson got to his feet, he sprinted to the sideline and raised his arms to pump up the visiting Bulldogs fans. After a tough senior night loss to Robbinsville, Murphy bounced back with a 28-21 win at Swain County.
It was the Bulldogs (6-3 overall, 3-1 Smoky Mountain Conference) second straight win in Bryson City and fourth straight over Swain County. That marks the team’s longest win streak against the Maroon Devils since it won six straight from 1966-71.
“They are special here at Swain just because it rarely happens,” Watson said. “We’ve taken really good football teams here and not gotten it done. I’m proud of these guys.”
After Juan Allen scored Murphy’s first two touchdowns in the first half, Rumfelt took over the game. The senior completed 13 of 17 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown, plus ran for 88 yards and a touchdown.
Rumfelt has not run that much this year outside of short-yardage situations, but with linebackers for Swain County (4-3, 2-1) flooding to Allen when he went in motion, Rumfelt had some running room. That happened in the final minute of the first half, when he took cut a quarterback keeper to the right side of the field and sprinted for a 49-yard touchdown.
“We’ve had that play forever,” Rumfelt said. “But we knew it would be good against this type of defense.”
With the Bulldogs down two starting offensive lineman, they moved the ball through the air more in the second half. Swain County played more cover 3 to take away big passing plays, and though Murphy hit for a few, it was more intermediate routes. On Murphy’s final scoring drive of the game, Rumfelt completed all four passes, his final a dart over the middle to Payton McCracken, who took one step before crossing the goal line for a 5-yard touchdown with 7:07 to go in the fourth quarter.
“Their (defensive backs) like to open up towards the field,” Rumfelt said. “So anytime we can get behind the DB out of his vision, anything going away from his vision worked for us.”
That touchdown gave the Bulldogs the breathing room they needed for Swain County’s final push, as Gabe Lillard’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Gage Jones cut the lead to 28-21 with 4:43. But the Maroon Devils, would not get the ball back, as Murphy picked up two first downs to seal the victory.
Heading into next week’s game against Andrews, Murphy still has a shot at the Smoky Mountain Conference championship. Robbinsville played at Swain County on Tuesday, which ended after this week’s edition of the Cherokee Scout went to press, and plays Hayesville on Friday.
A loss by the Black Knights in either game, and a Murphy win over the Wildcats, would guarantee the Bulldogs a home game in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A playoffs, plus a second-round home game if they advance. If Murphy wins against Andrews but loses the tiebreaker to Robbinsville, the Bulldogs will still likely have a home playoff game in the first round.
The Bulldogs haven’t lost to the Wildcats since 1981, but Andrews has become a much better program the last few seasons under head coach James Phillips.
“Andrews, they consider this the year,” Rumfelt said. “But I think we’re going to change that next Friday night.”