Robbinsville – Camden Breazeale scored on a pick-six and Cameron Clem made a late fourth-quarter first down to give Murphy a 14-7 win as the Bulldogs (6-1) beat the Robbinsville Black Knights (2-5).
The win puts the Bulldogs in first place in the Smoky Mountain Conference and in the driver’s seat to claim the conference crown.
Robbinsville took the opening kick, but the Knights’ drive stalled out after one first down and they had to punt from their own 25 yard line. Murphy would take over on their 29, but the Dogs were unable to keep the drive alive and had to punt the ball back to the Black Knights.
After the Black Knights went three and out, they had to punt again to the Dogs, with Murphy starting at the 14 yard line. Disaster struck on the second play when Quinn Jumper stepped in front of a Brady Grant pass and picked it off to set the Black Knights up on the Dogs’ 33 yard line.
After a five-yard penalty, Robbinsville’s Bryce Adams kept the ball and raced 27 yards to move the ball to Murphy’s 11 yard line. Two plays later, the Black Knight quarterback moved the ball to the 3.
Robbinsville converted on a fourth-down play from the 2, as Roman Jones punched it in for a touchdown. Robbinsville added an extra point, and Robbinsville led 7-0 with one second left in the first quarter.
The two teams would exchange possessions before the Bulldogs mounted their first scoring drive, which culminated in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Grant to Kenon Nichols with 46 seconds left in the half. The extra-point attempt was blocked, and the score at halftime was Robbinsville 7-Murphy 6.
Murphy would mount a drive in the third quarter and got deep into Black Knight territory. The drive was highlighted by Ryan Payne, who made a circus catch on a 36-yard pass play that set the Dogs up at the Black Knights’ 15. The drive was thwarted when a Grant pass was picked off by Islac Collins.
The next Murphy score was not by the Dogs’ offense. After the teams changed possessions moving into the fourth quarter, Breazeale picked off a Bryce Adams past and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown at the 8:08 mark in the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion, a pass from Grant to Payne, was good, and Murphy took the lead 14-7.
When Breazeale was asked how he read the play, he said, “We had been running wide receiver drills all week at practice, and I had seen that play a million times. I just recognized the play and was able to get out there and grab the ball.”
Robbinsville drove the ball into Murphy territory once again, but the Dogs’ defense stiffened and got a fourth-down stop to take possession at the two-minute mark in the game. The Dogs needed to keep possession to seal the win. Faced with a third and eight, Clem picked up the biggest first down of the night for Murphy as he ran over a would-be Robbinsville tackler for a nine-yard gain. After that, Murphy assumed the victory formation three times to run out the clock and seal the win.
Murphy rushed for 132 total yards against Robbinsville, with Clem leading all rushers with 40 yards. Grant was four for nine for 57 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, while Payne led all receivers with three grabs for 49 yards.
When asked how it feels to be in drivers seat for the race in the Smoky Mountain Conference, Murphy head coach Joseph Watson said, “We understand that there is still a long road ahead. We have to be ready each week. We have a lot games remaining, we understand the importance of staying disciplined and continue to keep improving.”
Watson said about Breazeale’s interception, “Camden is an outstanding football player, and we’re proud of him. He is battling back from an early-season injury, he continues to give his all on every snap. We ask a lot from him, and when you consistently play with that level of effort, good things happen.”
The Bulldogs will face Swain County at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Murphy. The Maroon Devils come into the game 0-6, but the Murphy-Swain rivalry has proven time and time again that it doesn’t matter what the records are when these two teams meet.