BASKETBALL
Lady Dogs win JV SMC
The Murphy High School girls junior varsity basketball team defeated Hayesville 38-35 on Saturday to win the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament.
Hayesville led during the first half, but the Lady Dogs kept it close. Hayesville took a 19-16 lead to halftime.
In the second half, the Lady Dogs tied it up with a late push in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, took the lead with about four minutes left. With 6.5 seconds left, Hayesville went to the free throw line with a chance to tie the game, but only made one shot. The Lady Dogs went to the free throw line and extended their lead and win the game.
The Lady Dogs were led by Ellie McClure with 15 points, while Gracie Hall was also in double digits with 11 points. Amelia Joyner had seven points, Piper Dalton had three and Ally Gaddis had two points.
FOOTBALL
3 arrested after deaths
Three people have been arrested in Transylvania County in the August 2024 deaths of two Rosman High School football players.
Rosman juniors Layne Jones and Jayden Reynaldo were killed after crashing an ATV into a tree and were pronounced dead at the scene, WLOS reported. Ashley Marie Darity, Patricia Whitehead and Brandon Rathbone all face charges in connection with the deaths of Jones and Reynaldo.
Darity faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter, Whitehead faces two counts of aiding an underage purchase of alcohol and Rathbone is facing one count of aiding an underage purchase of alcohol, according to Transylvania County court records.
Jones and Reynaldo died on Aug. 25, 2024, just days after they played the Andrews Wildcats in their season opener on Aug. 23, 2024.
ATHLETICS
Spring sports coming soon
As the winter sports come to a close, spring sports kick off as soon as Thursday. The first to kick off their 2025 spring season is the Murphy girls soccer team, as the Lady Bulldogs travel to Franklin on Thursday.
Pending the end of basketball season, Murphy baseball will play their first game Tuesday, March 4, at home against Franklin at 4:30 p.m. Murphy softball plays their first game Thursday, March 6, as the Dogs host Tellico Plain, Tenn., at 4:30 p.m.
Andrews baseball kicks off their season Monday, March 10, as the Wildcats travel to Towns County, Ga. The softball team’s first game is Tuesday, March 4, at Copper Basin, Tenn.
Hiwassee Dam baseball played its first game Monday, when they travel to Tellico Plains, Tenn. Lady Eagles softball will host Franklin on Thursday, March 6, in their season opener.
Track starts their season by heading to Western Carolina University for an invitational Friday, March 7. Boys golf’s first event is Tuesday, March 4. Tri-County Early College’s first girls soccer game of the season is at home Thursday, March 6, against Blue Ridge Early College.
OUTDOORS
New trail could come
There is a drop-in community meeting scheduled from 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at the Murphy Fire Department, 1 Firehouse Lane off Hiwassee Street, to discuss a bicycle and pedestrian plan for the town.
The “Murphy in Motion” meeting is for community input to share ideas on creating a safer and more connected town. They are seeking community input on a potential trail dedicated for the sole purpose of being for cyclists and pedestrians.
BASKETBALL
Hawks fall to Highlands
The Nantahala Hawks varsity basketball team secured the No. 2 seed heading into the Little Smoky Mountain Conference tournament by defeating Highlands on Feb. 13.
They had a rematch with the Highlanders in the first round of the LSMC tournament on Feb. 18, where the Hawks lost 62-49. This was their third meeting of the season against the Highlandsers.
Highlands went on to lose to Hiwassee Dam in the LSMC championship game.
WRESTLING
‘Mayhem’ set in Peachtree
The American Championship Wrestling Federation returns to the Peachtree Community Center, 125 Memory Lane, on Saturday night for their third event of the year, “March Mayhem.”
ACWF superstars Frodo, Flex Ferguson, Mountain Man Jeremy Stiles, Stryker, Axel “Freakin” Gunn, Kevin Seiber, The Freak, Billy Havoc, MD King, Fabuloso and Robert Starr will all be in action.
Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for kids 6-12 and free for ages 5 and under.
Compiled by Sports Editor Cannon Crompton. Email items to sports@cherokeescout.com.