Stay Golden Through the Playoffs – Murphy Hosts Polk County

Nothing Gold Can Stay – Robert Frost Didn’t Know the Bulldogs

 

By Brandon Stephens

 

(Murphy) – – The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) greasers and socs rumble reminds some of us the preparations most high school football teams are making this week for the six-week journey to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) state championship game.  The greasers and socs rumble in 1967 might be a little scarier than a Friday night football game, but the word dangerous may come into the Murphy Bulldogs’ (7-3, 3-2) lexicon when thinking about the Polk County Wolverines (4-6, 3-3).  The Wolverines are not an unfamiliar team for Murphy fans.  You have to drop back a few decades when Polk County was part of the Smoky Mountain Conference.  From the novel you might want to take Johnny’s words to heart and stay Golden. 

Polk County Wolverines

Dangerous is a word that is not utilized very loosely when describing the Polk County Wolverines.  There are good athletes in every corner of this team’s depth chart regardless of the player being and under or upperclassman.  The Wolverines utilize a spread offense that is very effective when it comes to the pass game, which is lead by seasoned Senior Quarterback Lawson Carter.  Carter has a good arm that completes 60 percent of his passes, which are launched to good receivers. Senior Wide Receiver Antionio Simpson (#1) is probably the favored target with Keaundrae Green (#3 – also a Senior) next in line.  Simpson has 879 yards this season and Green nearly 625 yards, both with 8 touchdowns each.  That makes up more than half of the 22 passing touchdowns scored by Polk County.

Based on Polk County’s performance the pass is utilized 40 percent of the time.  The other 60 percent of the time Carter will likely hand off to Sophomore Running Back Lorenyzo Sanchez who has rushed for 900 yards and 8 touchdowns.  From time to time, Carter will call his own number and that has parlayed for 4 of the 14 rushing touchdowns the Wolverines have scores on the ground.

Polk County is a team with a lot of young players.  Several of the skilled positions on both sides of the ball are held by Freshmen and Sophomores with a Junior (Billy Booker) at the defensive Rover.  The lines averages 200 pounds and appear to be either Seniors or a Sophomore or Freshman.  The Wolverines play in the split conference with teams like Hendersonville, R-S Central, Chase, East Rutherford, Patton, and Brevard.  When Polk has won it has been closer than the losses.  The losses have ranged from 28 to 44 points.  The more massive win was over R-S Central 43-12 or Patton 57-12.

Murphy

The Murphy Bulldogs are going to have to take some of the lessons learned recently with their meeting at Cherokee.  While the Bulldogs won decisively, the passing game the Braves laid on Murphy is the type of game that may be seen on Friday night.  The loss of Junior Will Shore may have impact to the coverage game.  Murphy will have to play a good assignment game thinking of zone or man coverage to scheme the best way to cover a pass as Carter has refiled the ball to make plays up to 57 yards, the longest this season.

The Bulldogs are running and passing well and appear ready for the postseason.  Hunter “Rhinestone Cowboy” Stalcup continues to rack up rushing and passing yards, leading the team in both areas.  Stalcup is standing at 1,386 yards rushing for 21 touchdowns and 324 passing yards for an additional 5 touchdowns, for a total of 1710 all-purpose yards and 26 touchdowns.  Freshman Cameron Clem and Ryan Payne are right behind him with rushing and pass reception yards respectively.  Defensively the Bulldogs are led in tackles by Sophomore Camden Breazeale and Brody Orton followed by Junior Kadence Leatherwood and Stalcup.

The Murphy Bulldogs are always practicing the tradition of highlighting their hair golden for the playoffs.  They may not be “doing it for Johnny” as noted in the Hinton novel for the rumble.  This year the team has been led with youth and passion, which may give some respect to the Frost poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay.”  It talks about the first green is gold and as the season goes the and the dawn comes, nothing gold can stay.  These Bulldogs are golden in the later stages and may stay longer if they rumble like Ponyboy Curtis.  They can stay golden with some WORK and maybe WETSU.  Maybe that’s why its good to have a Curtis or two coaching?

The youth of this team has had some impressive work from Freshman Cameron Clem.  Clem has worked diligently to carry and make impressive rushes that place the Bulldogs in good field position and from time to time into Touchdown Town.  How has the season been for Cameron?

Staying Golden is always a goal for Sophomore Quarterback Brady Grant.  This season has been one that Grant has slid into like the Quarterback position has been home for him.  A few times he has felt the strain of being chased or sacked, but the grace of getting a touchdown pass has been warming too.  Stay Golden Brady.

It is a good regular season to have for Murphy Head Football Coach Joseph Watson.  It is time to buckle down and run through the gauntlet set in the state football playoffs.  The idea of playoffs breaks a nice smile across Coach Watson and the spirit to get ready for the upcoming game.

The Murphy Bulldogs will host the Polk County Wolverines on Friday (November 3^rd) at Bob Hendrix Stadium/David Gentry Field at 7:30.  Team FYN Sports will provide game updates and stream the game on FYNTV.com.

Stay Golden

Each season going into the playoffs there has been a tradition for Bulldog players to dye their hair to a golden color to highlight Murphy Gold.  Reference is made here to the 1967 novel by S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders. The 1980 movie is a must see casting many superstars.  The book makes reference to the Robert Frost Poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay.  The movie clip is included here to give you understanding in the event you don’t have time to read it before the game.  If you do…Stay Golden.

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