There’s a reason a mention of Smoky Mountain Conference football sends shivers down the spines of opponents far and wide – the reputation of the division speaks for itself.
With a smash-mouth, hard-nosed mentality that stretches back for decades, teams from the smallest classification in western North Carolina consistently prove year in and year out that any time you line up against a young man raised in a small mountain town, you better have your affairs in order.
This style of football has transcended North Carolina football overall. The conference is the proud owner of 40 state championships, spread between five of its seven programs. The N.C. High School Athletic Association completed a reclassification process in March that re-established the playing field after COVID numbers trickled into the state that threw a monkey wrench into everyone’s Average Daily Membership, a school’s enrollment number which the association uses for its classifications. The reshuffling left Andrews, Robbinsville and Rosman in 1A, but bumped Cherokee, Hayesville, Murphy and Swain County into the 2A class. Regardless, all seven are viable contenders.
It’s not a matter of if a Smoky Mountain Conference program will hold a state championship high in December: it’s really a question of which one will it be?
- Andrews: In what looks to be a recurring theme across the league, the Wildcats (4-6, 1-4 last year) have a new coach and a new quarterback. Jason Johnson has assumed the reins after assisting under former head coach James Phillips for many years, and Brady McLelland will be Andrews’ new gunslinger.
Senior LaDannien Rattler will lead a rushing attack that includes Kelby Waldroup, Peanut Garrett, Greyson Summerall and 1A boys cross-country champion O’Malley Salinas. Cooper Orr and Gabe Aguilar are the leaders on the front line. The Wildcats have not obtained a crown since 1967, though they did advance to the fourth round of the playoffs in 2022.
- Cherokee: Under the direction of new head coach Curtis Cagle, the Braves (7-5, 3-2 in 2024) are fortunate to return senior quarterback Jonathan Saylor to the lineup this year. Saylor will be joined in the backfield by Tayvin Bark, Kingston Welch, Emiliano Garcia and Kymani Foalima-Squirrell.
Linemen Zaynon Taylor and middle linebacker Charlie Swayney also return from last season for added experience. The Braves won their only state 1A crown during the final year of the split-classification era, defeating North Dublin 21-13 in 2017.
- Hayesville: A competition for quarterback continues in Clay County, though head coach Chad McClure returns to lead the team itself. Hayesville was 4-8 overall and 2-4 in conference play last year, but has the chance to deliver a stinging performance each night out.
Nine of the Yellow Jackets’ lineman weigh more than 200 pounds, and the backfield is anchored by senior Tre Graves, who rushed for 1,088 yards in 2024. Hayesville last won a Smoky Mountain Conference title in 2003 and is the only program in the division to never reach the state finals, so the Jackets have a chip on their shoulder, even in 2A.
- Murphy: The reigning divisional champions return both their coaching staff and much of their starters from 2024. The Bulldogs (12-2, 4-1 in 2024) have the combination of quarterback Brady Grant and running back Cameron Clem suiting up again, as is wide receiver Ryan Payne.
The defensive effort will be aided by Camden Breazeale, Brody Orton and Jude Pinkerton. A winner of 11 state championships, Murphy’s last 1A title came in the abbreviated COVID season, where the Bulldogs won the “2020” crown on May 8, 2021. The Bulldogs first won a state crown as a 2A school in 1974.
- Robbinsville: Another program with a new coach and a new quarterback, the Black Knights are feeling rejuvenated as they enter the 2025 slate. Robbinsville (7-7, 4-1) has seen the interior promotion of longtime assistant coach Lucas Ford to head up the program, while senior Luke Lovin will step into the limelight after serving as Bryce Adams’ backup at quarterback last season.
The Knights have a sizable backfield, led by seniors Isiac Collins and Kyzik Teesateskie, which should have plenty of room to rumble thanks to the experience upfront of Dane Daniels, John Dominguez and Kellen Ensley. Robbinsville bears the nickname “Title Town” – and for good reason: the Knights have 15 state championships on their resume, with the latest coming in 2019.
- Rosman: After a four-year layoff, the Tigers are back in the Smoky Mountain Conference. Transylvania County’s contribution to the division will look to leave an abysmal 1-7 (1-4) mark in 2024 behind, but will have to do it with an inexperienced roster. Sophomores Zeke Gainey and Braelon Owen are competing for the quarterback spot, while Weston Arant, Cleaman Dodson and Nathan Galloway are set to rush the ball as needed.
Much of the seniority exists upfront, with tackle Jacob Mayabb set to lead the effort. The Tigers first joined the division in 1993 and have fell twice in the state 1A title game; once in 1984 to Janesville (a 6-0 shutout),and again in 1997 to North Edgecombe, 38-28.
- Swain County: A lot of pride exists high above Bryson City, where the Maroon Devils begin a quest for a ninth state title (their last was clinched as a 1AA program, in 2011). Swain also had a rough go of things in 2024, posting a 1-10 (1-4) mark, but return a lot of players that look to erase the memory.
Quarterback Andruw Cody, running backs Zeke Glaspie and Sylas Stanberry and wide receiver Corey Stillwell are all back for the Maroon Devils, as are tackle Drew Scaggs, and two-way linemen Henry Arch and Bruce Robertson. Sherman Holt reports back for duty as Swain County’s head coach.
Whichever team wins the Smoky Mountain Conference has a strong chance at a top seed in the postseason, which puts the champion in the express lane for a 1A title. The league is full of rivalries that carry over from generation to generation, giving every night of conference play an extra ingredient of intensity.
With the storied tradition of the division in the forefront of everyone’s minds, one simple question remains: which Smoky Mountain Conference team will enjoy a state championship celebration around the holiday season?