Cherokee – The Bulldogs were only ahead 7-6 at halftime, but the mid-game adjustments and inspirational pep talk seemed to work, as Murphy came out strong in the second half to defeat Cherokee 35-12 on Friday night.
“We need to do a better job of being focused and ready to play from the opening kickoff, especially in the playoffs,” Murphy head coach Joseph Watson told the Cherokee Scout. “We came out in the second half a little more focused, with a better understanding of what we needed to do, and played complementary football. Our offense, defense and special teams all played together and took advantage of what they got.
“We overcame some early adversity and showed who we are.”
Murphy (7-3 overall, 3-2 in the Smoky Mountain Conference) opened the scoring with a bang, as Trenton Russell grabbed a pass by Brady Grant and ran it 55 yards into the end zone. The extra point by Will Joyner put the Bulldogs up 7-0 after the first quarter.
Cherokee (5-5, 1-4) came back in the second quarter, scoring on a 16-yard touchdown pass, though the extra point failed. Both teams struggled to get moving until the halftime horn sounded.
Coming out with renewed energy for the third quarter, Murphy made it 14-6 when Cameron Clem scampered 19 yards for a touchdown and Joyner added the point after. Shortly thereafter, Jonah Hedden crashed into the end zone from 1 yard out, with Joyner’s kick giving the Bulldogs a 21-6 lead.
Cherokee tried to keep it close, as a 12-yard touchdown run and failed two-point conversion made it 21-12 after three quarters. However, the Bulldogs’ famed cardio kicked in, leading Murphy to two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
In the first score, Hunter Stalcup took a handoff and ran 63 yards for a touchdown, taking the air out of the Braves’ comeback hopes. Stalcup put on the finishing touch with a 1-yard TD run, with Joyner’s extra point putting the Bulldogs up 35-12, where it ended.
Both sides of the ball contributed to Murphy’s victory. The offense racked up 467 total yards, 387 in a punishing ground attack. Meanwhile, Grant went 4-for-6 through the air for 80 yards and a score, which helped keep Cherokee’s defense from putting nine players in the box against the run.
Stalcup led the way for the Bulldogs’ offense with 214 yards on only 17 carries, also nabbing two catches for 22 yards and a 31-yard kickoff return that gave Murphy a spark to open the second half. Clem added 131 yards on 12 tries.
On defense, the Bulldogs’ gritty play held Cherokee to 2121 total yards, only 85 on the ground.
With the win, Murphy received the No. 10 spot in the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s class 1A football playoffs. The Bulldogs will host No. 23 Polk County on David Gentry Field at Bob Hendrix Stadium this Friday night in round one.
“They are a quality football team, not a traditional first-round game,” Watson said of Polk County. “They are a tough team and play in a good league. But we’re peaking at the right time, coming off two road wins, and it’s a good time to be playing well.”
