Murphy – Long before Friday night’s game ended, Murphy public address announcer JR Carroll told the thousands in attendance that no fans would be allowed on the field after the game.
So when James Phillips addressed his Wildcats in the postgame huddle, he told his team to bring the party to them. But first the even-keel coach had one thing to say to his team: “CHAMPS!”
He didn’t have to say anything else. His team’s play did all the talking for him. Andrews shook off a Murphy opening drive touchdown and dominated the rest of the night, sealing the Wildcats’ first Smoky Mountain Conference championship since 1983 with a 42-12 win.
“There’s a lot of things that go through your head and a lot of work by so many people,” Phillips said.
“Mostly the kids. This group has stuck with me and stuck with each other more importantly, and the coaching staff did a tremendous job.”
Following the huddle, the Andrews (10-0 overall, 5-0 Smoky Mountain Conference) players greeted their fans with a lap around the visitors bleachers. Some had marked their seats hours before the game. Phillips said when his team arrived at Murphy High School at 5:15 p.m., there were about 200 fans greeting them in the visitors parking lot.
The visiting bleachers filled up approximately 90 minutes before kickoff, and the Wildcats fans continued to pour in. By the end of the night, they were still cheering as the once full Murphy side had mostly emptied out.
Andrews fans have been cheering all year, watching their team not only win a conference championship, but complete its first undefeated regular season since 1967 and win its most games this century. But the celebration didn’t start immediately, as the Wildcats waded through the initial Murphy (7-3, 4-1) storm.
The Bulldogs took the opening drive 61 yards for a touchdown, with Cole Laney’s two-yard run putting Murphy in front 6-0 with 7:59 to go in the first quarter. That was the first time Andrews (10-0, 5-0) had trailed all year. Then they went three and out on their opening drive.
However, Andy Tatham gave the Wildcats a spark on the ensuing drive, intercepting a pass at the Bulldogs 27-yard line. Five plays later, Isaac Weaver was in the end zone after a 6-yard run and a 7-6 lead with 3:01 to go in the quarter.
“One of the biggest things I talked about before we started the game is it’s going to be a wave of emotions,” Phillips said. “They’re going to have a huge wave of emotion, at home, conference championship. We’re going to have to weather those punches from them.”
That sequence turned Murphy’s brief dream of an SMC title into a nightmare. Murphy would finish with six turnovers, came up short twice on fourth down and committed 11 penalties.
“I think you can look back in all the games we lost this season that if we don’t take care of the football we don’t win,” Murphy head coach Joseph Watson said. “It’s the main thing we have to do. We have to take care of the football and take advantage of opportunities when we have chances.”
Weaver made a diving interception on a pass tipped by Cole Anderson early in the second quarter deep in Andrews territory, then caught a Donovan Bateman pass and took it 89 yards for a touchdown.
A Murphy turnover on downs was followed by an Andrews punt, but the Bulldogs muffed it and Andrews recovered at the Bulldogs 14-yard line. Two plays later, Weaver had his third touchdown of the night on a 7-yard run and a 21-6 halftime lead.
Andrews and Murphy traded turnovers to start the second half, but the Wildcats capitalized on the Bulldogs giveaway, with Weaver’s 1-yard run extending the lead to 28-6 with 4:01 to go in the third quarter. Hunter Stalcup’s 12-yard touchdown run trimmed the Andrews lead to 28-12 with 1:47 left in the third quarter, giving the Bulldogs a brief glimmer of hope.
It didn’t last. Murphy forced an Andrews punt, but then was stopped on fourth down. On the next play after the fourth-down stop, Austin Martin took a handoff 36 yards for touchdown, then ran for a 55-yard touchdown on the Wildcats next drive.
After celebrating with fans, friends and family after the final buzzer, the Wildcats returned to the field for a picture in front of the scoreboard. They smiled wide with index fingers pointed high in the air. Assistant coach Jamie Martin reminded them of a similar picture they took after winning the Cracker Bowl as Pee Wees. 11 years later, the Pee Wee champions are now varsity Smoky Mountain Conference Champions.
“People look at us as a small little high school that don’t get a chance,” Austin Martin said. “But here’s our chance right now.”