Mount Airy – Murphy finally met a team with an offense that generates even more excitement than the Bulldogs’, as Mount Airy ran wild in the second and third quarters en route to a 64-26 win Friday night.
No. 10 seed Murphy
(9-4) ends its season in the third round of the class 1A N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs after looking explosive during the first two rounds. The Bulldogs did manage to score more points against the Granite Bears’ dynamite defense than any other team this season, a small consolation prize.
Meanwhile, No. 2 seed Mount Airy (13-0) moves on to the final-four round in the West bracket this week against No. 3 seed Eastern Randolph (12-1), which had no problem dispatching No. 11 Thomasville (9-4) 40-19. No. 1 seed Robbinsville (12-1), which knocked off No. 9 seed Swain County 30-24, will face No. 4 North Rowan (11-2) in the other playoff game out west.
After one quarter, the score was only 6-0 in favor of Mount Airy, which got on the board thanks to a 34-yard touchdown run by tailback Taeshon Martin. Murphy took a 7-6 lead early in the second quarter, when halfback Zach Skogen connected with quarterback Brady Grant on an 8-page pass in the end zone and Jerry Bui kicked the extra point.
After Mount Airy’s Tyler Mason scored a touchdown to put the Granite Bears up again, Murphy struck back when Grant connected with wide receiver Ryan Payne on a 37-yard catch and run. Mount Airy scored two touchdowns in quick succession from 55 and 3 yards out, but Grant and Payne hooked up for another six points, this time from 70 yards, to keep the Bulldogs within striking distance at 29-19.
Unfortunately for Murphy fans, their team wouldn’t score again until the fourth quarter, when the game was no longer in doubt. Mario Revels ran one in from 58 yards to put Mount Airy up 36-19 at halftime, before the Granite Bears rolled off three touchdowns – via a 2-yard run, 79-yard fumble return and 37-yard run – to lengthen their lead to 57-19 after three quarters.
Hunter Stalcup, the key to Murphy’s offense this season, scored on a 27-yard pass from Grant before Mount Airy intercepted a pass and returned it into the end zone to stop the scoring. Stalcup, who had 1,910 yards rushing with 29 touchdowns on the season, was held to only 46 yards on 17 carries by the Granite Bears’ stingy defense.
Grant didn’t have to take to the air much down the stretch for Murphy, but he showed what his arm can do by completing 12 of 17 passes for 220 yards and three scores. Payne’s 107 receiving yards led the Bulldogs.
Look for a Murphy football season wrap-up in a future edition of the Cherokee Scout.