CHEROKEE COUNTY
Local runners leading way
It was a great few days for Cherokee County’s cross-country runners.
On Sept. 27, local runners were all over the leaderboard at the Hiwassee Dam Eagles Meet at McNabb Farm. Hiwassee Dam junior Ethan Russell took first in the boys five kilometer race with a time of 18 minutes, 1.37 seconds, while Tri-County Early College sophomore Fern Crayton took first in the girls five kilometer race with a time 22:09.49.
The Murphy boys was first in the team competition with a score off 33 points, topping Hiwassee Dam by 15 points. Freshman Cruz Yarbro led the Bulldogs with a sixth-place finish in a time of 21:56.29.
Three days later at the Alexander/Asics Invitational in Fairburn, Ga., both Russell and Andrews sophomore O’Malley Salinas shattered their personal-best times. Salinas’ time of 15:35.92 was a new personal best by more than 50 seconds. That’s also the top time not only in the Smoky Mountain Conference, but the entire N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A classification.
Meanwhile, Russell’s time of 15:57.65 was a new personal best by more than 20 seconds, breaking his own Hiwassee Dam school record while also achieving one of his season goals of running under 16 minutes.
MURPHY
Sign up for basketball
Registration for Murphy youth basketball will take place today from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at The Rock Gym, 695 Connahetta St.
Kids in grades 1-6 are eligible to sign up and play. Cost is $50 per child, with additional siblings $25 each.
Teams with more than 15 players may be subject to tryouts. Bring a copy of your child’s birth certificate and a current sports physical.
ANDREWS
Hoops in the Valley
Registration for Andrews youth basketball will take place from 6-7 p.m. today as well as from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, at Andrews Elementary School, 205 Jean Christy Ave.
Kids in grades 1-6 are eligible to sign up. Cost is $50 per child, with additional siblings $25 each.
Teams with more than 15 players may be subject to tryouts – with the exception of peewee teams, which will take the first 15 kids who sign up. Bring a copy of your child’s birth certificate and a current sports physical.
RALEIGH
Free hunting webinars set
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is offering six free hunting webinars through December.
The next free webinar will be on Delta-Water Fowl hunting Tuesday, Oct. 10. The following will be on Upland Game Hunting on Friday, Dec. 8.
Classes will be held remotely from 7-8 p.m. and conclude with a 30-minute question-and answer-session. To register, visit GoOutdoorsNorthCarolina.com. A recording of the presentation will be made available the week following the webinar on the commission’s YouTube channel. There have been four previous webinars on deer hunting, deer processing, squirrel hunting and DU-Waterfowl hunting.
PREP SCHEDULE
Oct. 4
Cross country: Robbinsville’s Black Knight Invite, 4 p.m.
Soccer: Murphy at Cherokee, 4:30 p.m.
Oct. 5
Soccer: Andrews at Tri-County, 6 p.m.
Volleyball: Blue Ridge at Nantahala, 5 p.m.
Andrews at Murphy, 6 p.m.
Oct. 6
Football: Robbinsville at Murphy, 7:30 p.m.
Cherokee at Andrews,
7:30 p.m.
Swain County at Hayesville, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 9
Soccer: Tri-County at Hayesville, 4 p.m.
Blue Ridge at Murphy,
6 p.m.
Andrews at Swain County, 6 p.m.
Volleyball: Hiwassee Dam at Cherokee, 6 p.m.
Oct. 10
Volleyball: Hiwassee Dam at Nantahala, 5 p.m.
Andrews at Hayesville,
6 p.m.
Murphy at Cherokee, 6 p.m.
PREP RESULTS
Sept. 25
Volleyball: Victory Christian 3, Nantahala 1 (25-10, 22-25, 25-12, 25-12)
Sept. 26
Volleyball: Murphy 3, Hayesville 2 (23-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-21, 15-3)
Swain County 3, Andrews 0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-18)
Sept. 27
Soccer: Swain County 3,
Tri-County 2
Sept. 28
Volleyball: Hiwassee Dam 3, Nantahala 0 (25-12, 25-8, 25-15)
Robbinsville 3, Murphy 2 (25-18, 19-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-8)
Cherokee 3, Andrews 0 (25-8, 25-11, 25-8)
Sept. 29
Football: Murphy 21,
Hayesville 14
Swain County 20,
Andrews 0
Robbinsville 46,
Cherokee 6
Oct. 2
Soccer: Murphy 3, Swain County 1
Andrews vs. Highlands
Tri-County 0, Cherokee 1
Compiled by Sports Writer Justin Fitzgerald.