Murphy – The Murphy Middle School boys basketball team’s core group of players won recreation league championships in fifth and sixth grades in 2019 and 2020, so expectations were high when they made up the bulk of the Bulldogs this year.
But going undefeated? That was a new level, yet it’s exactly what Murphy did, finishing off a perfect season with a 57-37 win over Cherokee in the Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament championship on Jan. 26. It was the school’s first championship since 2007.
“We had an idea that we could be really good this year,” Murphy coach Robert Payne said. “We surprised ourselves and everybody to go undefeated.”
The Bulldogs played a fast-paced style and won by an average of 38 points per game. Murphy had four kids score in double figures: Ryan Payne averaged 14.3 points per game, Cale Harger 12.8, AJ Rice 10.5 and Tyler Payne 10.1.
While the Bulldogs cruised to the title, there were some challenges off the court. Murphy Middle has dealt with COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the season, including one that shut down the school just before winter break. At one point, the team lost two starters and had five players out. Payne added that Murphy’s varsity coaches are excited about this group’s potential. The Bulldogs have had just two winning seasons in the past nine years and have finished over .500 in the Big Smoky Mountain Conference just once over that same period. Since winning both the regular season and tournament titles in 2010, the Bulldogs’ only conference championship was a Cinderella run to the 2019 tournament title.
Middle school success doesn’t always translate to high school success, but Payne said this team has what it takes.
“Everything is a competition for these kids,” he said. “When you have kids who are competitive and want to compete at anything, that translates over to their time on the court. They refuse to lose, and they want to win at all costs.”