Murphy – Caught between the noise of head coach David Gentry tying the North Carolina all-time coaching wins record and the crowning of Murphy’s homecoming queen was the return of one of the Bulldogs’ senior players.
Lineman Brady Satterfield took the field for the first time since injuring his knee in the Bulldogs’ final scrimmage of the preseason back in August.
With a hefty brace supporting his left knee, Satterfield and the rest of Murphy’s offensive line manhandled the Yellow Jackets to open up lanes that allowed the Bulldogs’ running back corps to run wild.
“It feels amazing, like nothing I’ve ever been in before,” Satterfield said of being back on the field.
“Just being a part of the team is honestly one of the best things in my life right now. Everybody coming together to get me this brace and finally being able to play. I plan to keep playing as much as I can, as long as I can.”
Behind Satterfield and the o-line, Murphy finished with a whopping 534 rushing yards on 43 rushing attempts against Hayesville, scoring eight times on the ground.
In the first quarter alone, senior running back Devonte Murray found the end zone three times on the ground and senior wing back Justice Dorsey added a fourth score.
“It was fun. This game was about having fun and getting coach closer to that record,” Murray said after the game. “We just wanted to come out focused and that’s what we did.”
Murray would finish with a team-high 154 rushing yards on just 11 attempts, edging out sophomore Chandler Wood, who tallied 151 rushing yards and two scores on nine attempts in the second half.
Junior Ray Rathburn also got in on the action, rushing for 51 yards and finding the end zone twice in the third quarter.
“I think all the backs ran well tonight,” Gentry said. “We had good blocking up front and they used the blocking real well. They run hard, we’re just very fortunate to have them.”
The Bulldogs secondary had its strongest game of the season, coming away with three interceptions in the victory.
Junior defensive back Degan Smith came away with his first two picks of the season and sophomore Juan Allen came away with his first.
The Murphy defensive line was stout as always, holding the Yellow Jackets to 3.2 yards per carry on 45 rushing attempts and 5-13 on third down conversions.
Junior Dallas Rayburn led the Bulldogs with 16 total tackles, with senior Colby Stalcup and Wood adding two sacks apiece and freshman Landon Johnson claiming his first career sack for Murphy.
Dancing with the Devils
With the potential to establish Gentry as the All-Time Winningest Coach in North Carolina Football History outright and Smoky Mountain Conference Title implications on the line, the Bulldogs take to the road to face the undefeated Swain County Maroon Devils next week in Bryson City.
Gentry explained that the key to coming out of the game with a victory will revolve around the battle of time of possession.
“They like to keep the football on you all the time and don’t like to give you the ball much,” Gentry said of Swain County’s play style. “When they’re on their game, they like to keep on the ball and just grind down the field and you wind up getting the ball one time a quarter.”