SMC Preseason Preview and Awards

2026 SMC Preview

 

PRESEASON RANKINGS

 

1. Murphy

 

 

2. Robbinsville

 

 

3. Cherokee

 

 

4. Swain

 

 

5. Andrews

 

 

6. Hayesville

 

 

7. Rosman

 

 

 

Preseason POTY-

Cameron Clem, Murphy, SR

 

Preseason OPOTY-

Kingston Welch, Cherokee, SR

 

Preseason DPOTY-

Benton Gibby, Robbinsville, JR

 

Preseason LOTY-

Jude Pinkerton, Murphy, SR

 

Preseason Newcomer of The Year-

Elijah Kirkland, Robbinsville, JR

 

Murphy- Reload, not rebuild. Even though Murphy graduated 15 seniors (including 10 starters), the Dogs are still in good shape to try to win the SMC for the 3rd straight season. SMC Player of the Year Cameron Clem returns for his final season and will lead a backfield of returners with the likes of 700+ yard rushers Michael Brown and Blake Davis. Peyton Bain will take over under center, and his big arm could help the Dogs stretch the field when they do decide to throw it.

 

They lost 5 of their 6 leading tacklers to graduation, but Anthony Catuto returns to lead the linebackers, and Grayson Hall, Aayden Williams, Davis, and Dontae Barber all return in the secondary.

 

Robbinsville- Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but rebuild, not reload. Even though the Knights lost 11 seniors to graduation, they are still poised to make their second straight trip to the NCHSAA 1A State Title game. Benton Gibby, Cam Allison, and Elijah Kirkland show the most returning production in the backfield, and Braylon Blevins will take over Luke Lovin’s spot as signal caller. Tucker Jones and Eli Lambert will be 2 more names that could make big waves in the newly refined Robbinsville offense.

 

Bradon Lane, Xamuel Wachacha, Kirkland, Gibby, Christian Koeller, and Luke Green will be the key contributors on the defensive side of the ball. Lane could be in the conversation for DPOY, or at the very least Newcomer of The Year, when the season is over.

 

Cherokee- The Braves are a wildcard this year. They have nothing to lose, with a new coach and nobody really putting a lot of faith in them the past few years. But I think they are going to turn some heads this Fall. Dawson Panther is our Preseason Offensive Player of The Year for a reason. Pair him with Kingston Welch and Noah Watty, and the Braves should be able to put up some points this year.

 

Defensively, Levi Tramper and Drallen Ledford (who you could make an argument for Preseason LOTY), along with Zaynon Taylor, will lead the charge. Tsula Howlingcrane will also make an impact on both sides of the football. Don’t be surprised if you look up and see that the Braves are 5-1 heading into an SMC showdown at Murphy.

 

Swain- Another team with a new head coach at the helm, the Maroon Devils might be seeing a new offense for the first time in a long time if Scott Riley brings the same design he was running in Cleveland to Bryson City. Most of Swain’s offensive production from last season is lost to graduation, but Ayden Kirkland, Kaiden Sawyer, and Colton Shuler will look to fill the shoes left behind.

 

Shuler and Ayden Smiley will be the top defenders on the Maroon Machine this year. Replacing Drew Scaggs and Trent Jones will be difficult, but I am eager to see what Coach Riley has in store for the Devils this year.

 

Hayesville- Youth is the name of the game for the Jackets. Their JV team is loaded, and Coach McClure has elected to leave some guys that could play Varsity minutes this year on JV to maximize reps. Their scrimmage vs. Union County a few weeks ago showed just how young they are, but they have some guys like Donivin Soto and Lance Coker who could make a splash this season.

 

Andrews- The Cats return 8 starters on offense and 6 starters on defense from last year’s 2-10 team. 2nd-year Head Coach JJ Johnson said the biggest strength entering the 2026 season is the backfield for Andrews.

 

“We return starting quarterback Brady McLelland, who has demonstrated outstanding leadership throughout the summer and continues to develop as the leader of our offense. We also return running back Kelby Waldroup, who put up solid numbers last season and is expected to play an even bigger role this year. We are also expecting Phisher Baxter to have a breakout season. His versatility at both running back and wide receiver will give us another dynamic playmaker and create opportunities for our offense.”

 

The line play on both sides of the ball is more times than not a question mark for smaller schools like Andrews. Their first game of the year is at home against a Madison team that is definitely beatable, and they can set the tone for their season if they can come out and grab a win in Week 1.

 

Rosman- Another sort of wildcard in terms of having nothing to lose. No one expects anything from Rosman, but they have a ton of experience heading into this season, which is not something they have always been able to say. They definitely have some winnable out-of-conference games to start the year, and if they are able to gain some confidence early on, then this could be their best season in a decade.

 

Derick Friend, Cleamon Dodson, Braelon Owen, and Zeke Gainey are returners from last year’s team who will be the key factors when it comes to how Rosman’s season turns out in 2026.