Sports

Sam Jokich/For the Cherokee Scout: Bob Hendrix Memorial Stadium will have to wait until February for “Friday Night Lights” this year thanks to delays to the high school sports calendar caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Friday Night Lights (in February?)

Noah Shatzer
Wednesday, August 26, 2020

During a normal year, elecricity would be crackling through the valley this fall as the Andrews Wildcats and Murphy Bulldogs prepared for their opening games of the high school football season.

Murphy has canceled all school-sanctioned conditioning and workouts for the next two weeks after an undetermined amount of positive COVID-19 tests among athletes. Photo by Sam Jokich

Better safe than sorry

Noah Shatzer
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Out of an “abundance of caution,” Murphy High School announced Sunday evening that all school-sponsored athletics workouts for the next two weeks have been canceled after a handful of COVID-19 tests returned positive among the high school’s student and adult population last week.
Shown, following the victory, are (from left, front) Riley Smith (Copper Basin), Payton Palmer (Hiwassee Dam) and Kaitlyn Goode (Copper Basin); (middle) coach David Goode, Rylie Payne (Hiwassee Dam), Lauren Brooks (Hiwassee Dam), Allison Stiles (Hiwassee Dam), Karlie Curtis (Andrews), Sydney Payne (Hiwassee Dam), Ansleigh Hogsed (Murphy), Riley Dockery (Murphy), head coach Mark Brooks and coach Shannon Palmer; and (back) coach Dwayne Stiles.

Rebels Bring Home Rings

Noah Shatzer
Thursday, July 30, 2020
After losing their spring sports seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the members of the Lady Rebels travel softball team, were prepared to handle the challenge of working their way through the loser’s bracket after falling in their first game of the World Series competition in Cleveland, Tenn., in late June.
Andrews senior Gage Gillespie, who has qualified for the state swim meet all three of his years swimming under Bachteler, is just one of the many high school swimmers who will be affected by the closure of Murphy Health and Fitness’s pool this winter.

Swimmers Left Out to Dry by Winter Closure

Noah Shatzer
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
When local high school swim coach Frank Bachteler stopped in at Murphy Health & Fitness, he was surprised and disappointed to find out that the club would not be covering their pool this upcoming winter.
Acentric Rodeo/Contributing Photographer: Marble’s Trevor Boatright ropes the hind legs of an escaping calf during the team roping competition during the National High School Finals rodeo in Guthrie, Okla.

Rodeo Roping Royalty

Noah Shatzer
Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Guthrie, Okla. – After a successful first two rounds in the team-roping competition at the National High School Finals rodeo, Marble resident Trevor Boatright knew that he and his

Murphy High School defensive coordinator Thomas Nelson, with a spray bottle of sanitizer and rag at the ready, watches defensive back Juan Allen go through sled drills during one of the Bulldogs’ off-season workouts.

Better Late than Never

Noah Shatzer
Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Much, if not all of what is known about the feasibility of a fall high school sports season in the state of North Carolina is still up in the air at this point in time.