Cherokee – Following an open week, the Murphy varsity football team hit the road Friday night and came home with a 35-0 win over the Braves to open Smoky Mountain Conference play.
The Dogs (3-2) opened the scoring in the first quarter as Michael Brown rushed it in from 4 yards out. After failing on the two-point conversion, the Dogs led 6-0.
Brown found the end zone again on another 4-yard rush. After successfully converting the two-point attempt, the Dogs led 14-0.
Murphy quarterback connected with Blake Davis for the Dogs’ only score in the second quarter. Grant found Davis for a 24-yard passing touchdown. Jerry Bui kicked the extra point, and the Dogs led 21-0 at halftime.
The Dogs came out and found the end zone twice in the third quarter. Brown scored his third touchdown of the night after a 1-yard rush. Bui made the extra point, and the Dogs led 28-0 for their first score of the second period.
The Dogs’ second score of the third quarter was on a 1-yard rush from Brody McFaddin. Bui made the extra point, and the Dogs took a 35-0 lead.
Both teams went scoreless in the third quarter, and the Dogs secured their first conference win of the season.
Grant had 140 yards in the air with one touchdown and one interception.
Brown led the team on the ground with 117 yards and three touchdowns. Davis had 83 yards, with the team’s longest rush of 36 yards.
In the air, Ryan Payne led the team with 58 receiving yards. Grayson Hall had the team’s longest with 31 yards on his only catch in the game.
The Bulldogs’ defense held Cherokee (2-4) to 39 rushing yards and 18 receiving yards.
Murphy head coach Joseph Watson said he was proud of the players and all of their efforts against Cherokee.
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“It felt like forever since we had played, and I was happy to get back out there and happy to see everybody continue to play well. I felt like Michael Brown had a really good night being the lead back for us,” Watson said.
“And just the speed and tempo our defense played with, those guys are fun to watch. I’m just happy with our effort and how everybody played.”
Watson said Brown – as well as Grant and Payne on offense, and Brody Orton and Landen Lape on defense – stood out Friday.
“Mike [Brown] had a good night and Brady [Grant] as well. And any time we can get Ryan the ball, it’s a good thing because he makes things happen. Defensively, Brody [Orton] had a really good night. Brody had nine tackles, two pass breakups and a tackle for loss,” Watson said.
“Landen Lape had one of his better games on defense. 10 tackles, a couple for loss. The [defensive] back and linebackers did a really good job in pass coverage. We were around the ball multiple times. I think we had nine pass breakups, which you would like to see a little less of and maybe have a couple interceptions. They were in good position to make plays.”
The Dogs now look ahead to Friday’s matchup against Rosman as they celebrate homecoming.
“It’ll be great to be home, coming off the hill and we knew it coming into the season that you only had four of these home games, and you gotta take advantage of every home game that you have. We’ll have a big crowd, and see a lot of those former players and a lot of people coming back to the school,” Watson said.
“We’re just going to prepare like we always do, and continue to do things that try to help us succeed. We’re just going to take it as any other game and prepare like it’s any other game, and just stay in our routine and that’s how we focus the week.”
Up next
The Dogs will return home to David Gentry Field on Friday, when they face Rosman (2-4) and celebrate homecoming.
This will be their first matchup against Rosman since March 26, 2021. That was Rosman’s last season in the 1A Smoky Mountain Conference before making their return this year after the most recent reclassification.
When the Dogs faced off against the Tigers, Murphy won 50-0 and led 43-0 at halftime.
In that game, then-junior quarterback Kellen Rumfelt threw for 117 yards, then-senior wide receiver Isra Smith rushed for 95 yards and then-junior Payton McCracken caught for 110 yards in the air.
The seven Bulldog touchdowns came as Juan Allen, John Ledford and Ty Laney found the end zone on the ground twice, while Smith rushed in one touchdown.
Kicker Annie Kate Dalton was 6/6 on extra points. On defense, McCracken had an interception.
The Dogs will welcome Rosman to Murphy for the first time since 2019. In their 2019 pre-COVID matchup, the Dogs won 43-6. Murphy will look to do the same at 7:30 p.m. Friday against the Tigers.