“The Force” not with The Georgia Force against Murphy
Murphy Bulldogs, Team FYN Sports September 9, 2019
A special report from the voice of the Murphy Bulldogs, J.R. Carroll!
The Georgia Force’s pregame sign read “Murphy Who”, and the Bulldogs took the sign as an insult and showed their displeasure with it on the first offensive play they ran. The Force took the opening kickoff and went three and out.
After a punt, Murphy was set up on the 20 yard line. Kellin Rumfelt handed off to Devonte Murray on a sweep to the right side. After shedding three tacklers, Murray raced 80 yards for a touchdown. That started an onslaught of scoring by the Dogs en route to a 40-9 drubbing of the Sugar Hill, Georgia team.
Devonte Murray carries for the Bulldogs. Image credit: hudl
Murray would lead a Bulldog rushing attack that netted 563 yards and five touchdowns. He finished with 13 carries for 180 yards and two touchdowns.
The scoring in the first quarter continued after another change of possession. Justice Dorsey broke loose on a 76 yard run for the second Bulldog score. Point attempt was good and Murphy led 14-0, but the Murphy scoring hadn’t finished in the first quarter.
After another four and out by the Force, Ray Rathburn, who finished with nine carries for 94 yards and a touchdown, hit paydirt from 6 yards out. The point attempt failed and Murphy led 20-0 at the end of the first stanza.
The Force got their first scoring opportunity in the second quarter when they intercepted an errant Rumfelt pass on their own 24 yard line, stopping the fourth Murphy drive. They were unable to move the ball and Murphy got the ball back around their own 49 yard line.
Another Murphy miscue turned the ball over to the Force as the Force recovered a Murphy fumble around the Bulldog 41 yard line. After a couple of first downs the Force was held on third down and kicked a successful 20 yard field goal making the score 20-3.
After a failed onside kick, Murphy was in great scoring position from the five yard line. Rumfelt rolled out and found Murray for a 5 yard touchdown strike. The two point conversion attempt failed and Murphy led 26-3 at halftime.
Murphy took the second half kickoff and capped off the drive as Murray hit paydirt for the third time on a three yard rush. Point attempt by Luke Ritz was good and Murphy led 33-3. Murphy let some of their younger talent finish out the game. Neither team threatened to score in the third period.
Murphy gave sophomore Chandler Wood a chance to show his stuff in the fourth stanza and he took full advantage of the opportunity. He had two long touchdown runs that were negated by penalties, and the penalties in this game were numerous.
Wood finished his night with 13 rushes for 81 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown came in the fourth quarter with a 7 yard touchdown. Ritz’s kick was good and Murphy led 40-3.
The Forces’ lone touchdown came later in the fourth quarter when Stacey Walker returned the kickoff for a 72 yard score. Point attempt was no good and that netted the final score 40-9.
Two different cultures met in this game and when that happens you always have a learning curve of the way things are done in the other teams’ environment. The game was kept much closer by flags at critical times. Murphy was penalized 19 times for 165 yards. The Force had 12 of their own for 115 yards.
The Murphy offense lined up for a play. Image credit: hudl
The Force, who relied heavily on their passing game, went 12 for 24 for only 109 yards. Rumfelt completed six for twelve for 84 yards and a touchdown. Murphy had 563 yards total offense while the Forces’ gained 200 yards, many of those coming in late in the third and fourth quarter.
Next week the Bulldogs host the number one ranked team in western North Carolina. The Christ School, led by Appalachian State commit Navy Shuler at quarterback, comes to David Gentry Field. Navy is the son of former University of Tennessee and NFL quarterback Heath Shuler.
Join on Thursdays for the Smoky Mountain Conference Report from 8 to 9 on FYN Sports as we will have Heath on the show. Kickoff for the game Friday night is at 7:30 p.m.
Dogs edge Franklin 15-7
Murphy Bulldogs, Team FYN Sports August 31, 2019
A special report brought to you by the voice of the Murphy Bulldogs- J.R. Carroll!
Murphy overcame mistakes and turnovers to beat the Franklin Panthers in the Pit at Franklin 15-7.
Franklin took the opening kick and scored when Seth Price of the Panthers hit paydirt with a 25 yard.
The PAT was good and Franklin led 7-0.
On the ensuing drive Murphy drove down to the 10 yard line . After two penalties and an errant snap they found themselves in a fourth and goal from the 20 yard line. Franklin held and took over around the 17. Franklin went four and out.
The Murphy Bulldogs celebrate a touchdown!
Murphy again was driving and got down to the ten yard line. After another penalty moved the dogs back to the 15 a pass to Devote Murray was stripped by a Panther defender and returned to the Panther 46. Rumfelt made a touchdown saving tackle on the play. Franklin moved the ball down to the 25 of Murphy before the Dog defense stiffened and took over on downs.
Murphy would not be denied a third time. After a 50 plus yard reception from Rumfelt to Peyton McCraken, which set the Dogs up at the panther 25, Murphy picked up a first down at the 9 yard line. Three plays later Rumfelt found McCraken again for 6 points. After an offside penalty from Panthers, Murphy decided to go for two on the PAT. Murray scored the two and Dogs led Franklin 8-7. They would not relinquish that lead the rest of the night. Despite having two turnovers and a rash of penalties Murphy went in at the half with the 8-7 lead.
Murphy took the opening kick in the second half, and drove down to 25. The Rumfelt to Murray connection, which was deadly all night, connected again for a 25 yard TD. The PAT was good and Murphy led 15-0. Franklin resorted to a series of QB runs before they went back to their regular offense. The Panthers moved down to the 5 yard line, and did not make a first down on a fourth down play. Four plays later Rumfelt rolled out and found Justice Dorsey for an 85 yard reception but a block in the back penalty negated most of the gain.
The Murphy Bulldogs score on a touchdown pass.
That was the last time anyone threatened to score as both teams played a very tough defense.
Murphy finished the night with 186 yards rushing, with Devonte Murray accounting for 143 of those yards. Murray also tacked on another 66 yards on the receiving end. Rumfelt was 10 for 16 for 160 yards.
Join the team…#TeamFYNSports!!! Become a Sports Reporter
Announcements, Featured July 11, 2019
When it comes to sports coverage if it is happening in North Ga, Team FYN Sports is #AllOverIt
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Join us on the sidelines for Friday Night Lights as a member of our sports crew!
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Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
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Sports talk Thursday with Lauren Hunter-First United Church of the Southeastern Conference
Sports August 16, 2019
On Wednesday I stopped by one of the local rec departments to iron out some details for an upcoming event that Team FYN Sports plans to cover. As often happens in small towns where time seems to move a little slower, you can’t go into a place where people are as close as a rec department and just have your meeting and leave. You end up talking about something like, in this case sports, that leads into one topic after another. Add a couple more people into the mix that you haven’t seen in a while and soon enough you glance down at your watch and you’ve been there for two hours with no idea where the time went. Southerners especially know what I mean.
Anyway, naturally with this being SEC country we had to talk about college football. And even more so when one of the people in the conversation was a Tennessee fan (you know who you are!)
Eventually our conversation turned to memories of our first college football games. The memories spanned years and were entwined with heartfelt stories of family, friends and Sanford stadium. There were tales of witnessing games where records were set and broken, of firsts and lasts. A couple of us could even recall games with rivalries so bitter that a rowdy fan from the opposing team was either physically injured or injured with glares.
Ah the glorious Sanford Stadium! And during a Georgia/Tennessee game, too!
For each of us that was sitting in the room we had a look of wonder in our eye. We were recalling memories that were so precious to us that we wouldn’t trade them for all the University of Florida defeats in the world. Especially the ones were loved ones were involved. Those are always the most precious.
Hearing those glorious tales took me back to my own first University of Georgia game. I couldn’t tell you who they were playing, but I remember watching the team run out with the big Georgia flag and feeling a since of pride I hadn’t felt before. I was with my mom and my grandparents. I had never seen my Nana get so rowdy. And my Papa Skip was especially proud to have the three most important women in his life with him and dressed in red and black. And a new love was born for me.
As a side note, my brother would later commit the ultimate sin in that side of the family and declare himself to be a Florida fan. I’m sure it broke Papa’s heart at the time, but he soon got over it when he had someone to accompany him to the Georgia/Florida game besides my Nana. Such is the seriousness of rivalries in the Southeastern Conference.
Here is a gem of a picture featuring my brother Devin, wearing a Florida shirt, and I with Governor Brian Kemp, who is a UGA alum. Even the governor gave Devin a hard time for being a Florida fan!
I know I probably sound like a broken record by now, but I firmly believe that nothing besides religion brings people together like a football game. Which is probably why it’s so common to refer to football as a religion in the South. You may hate someone during the week, but come Saturday morning if you’re both wearing red and black you’re going to at least be cordial.
I know that it may be more intense in other college towns, but in Athens people will arrive a full day early to claim their tailgating spots. Red and black tents flood the streets of downtown on every plot of grass that grows. Women (including myself) will go to get their nails and hair done ahead of time, and dress to the nine in ninety degree weather. There is no telling how many hundreds of thousands of dollars get spent on food and drinks for one weekend of tailgating alone.
I was recently watching an old episode of the show Designing Women. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the show, it’s about four women running an interior design firm in Atlanta. In one scene Julia Sugarbaker, who is the sharp-tongued primary owner of the firm, is leaving for a football game with one of her co-workers. Sadly, she was going to a Georgia Tech game, but we’ll overlook that part for now.
As the two characters are heading out the door, Julia says that she and her husband used to plan their weekends around the Georgia Tech games. She quips, “In the East, football is a cultural exercise. In the Midwest, it’s cannibalism. In the West, it’s a tourist attraction. But in the South, it’s a religion!”
Sports talk Thursday with Lauren Hunter-Back in season
Sports August 9, 2019
If any of you are under the age of 18 and reading this article, then I imagine this week was probably a tough week for you. I say that because the majority of schools in the state of Georgia started back this week.
I can remember being in high school and having a knot of dread in my stomach the night before the first day of school. I’ve never been a morning person, so having to get up early was my first problem. Add in all of the homework and having to spend my days in one building…it was easy to tell I wasn’t a school person.
The good news is there was always one bright spot in all of this gloom, and that was football season. I know I’ve said it before on our sports show, Instant Replay, and probably in this column as well, but in high school I lived for football season. I never missed a game, home or away. Granted I was in the colorguard with the marching band, so most of the time I HAD to go. But I can still remember a handful of games where we weren’t required to go, and some of my friends got together and still went anyway.
Those were good times, but I dare to say that these are even better. I’m thankful to have a job that pays me to follow a sport that I love. But on the other hand, it’s a job that’s helping me to get an inside look on other sports that are sometimes forgotten, especially in the South where football is a religion.
I covered my first softball game on Tuesday. I have watched and worked softball games in the past, so in my defense I knew what to expect, but it was my first time reporting on a game. It was the Lumpkin County Lady Indians against the Pickens Dragonettes in the Lady Indians home opener. One thing I loved about this game was that it wasn’t just smooth sailing, if you will. Just to give a brief recap, the Nettes put three runs on the board first. By the fifth inning, it was looking as though the Lady Indians might lose their home opener. But as with all great teams, the Lady Indians weren’t going down without a fight and ended up coming back to win 4-3. Ironically, I went to the next game where they played each other tonight and the Nettes ended up winning 9-4.
Softball is just one of several high school sports that is played in the fall. There’s also volleyball and cross country. While I haven’t gotten the chance to go cover either of these events yet, I know that I probably will be in the near future.
I’ve never personally played volleyball competitively, but I know several people who have. And from what I do know about it, there’s more technique to setting and hitting the ball than there seems. Whenever I play for fun at the beach I just feel lucky to get it over the net. But there are certain ways to prepare before you serve the ball and where to place your feet when you’re in an official match. I don’t see how players keep up with everything, other than that they practice. I know it’s got to feel great whenever you take all of your frustration out by smacking the ball.
Now I enjoy running, but I could never run cross country. I’ve seen the joke that says “my sport is your sport’s punishment” and to be honest, that’s how I feel because I don’t know how they do it. I can remember talking to cross country runners in high school, and them telling me that they would get up at 6 a.m. to run. And for some of them, the distances they would run blew my mind. But the other incredible thing to me about cross country is how much of a mental sport it is. Not only do runners have to be trained physically to maintain a certain time, they also have to be trained physically to encourage themselves to keep going.
The point I’m trying to make is that even though I’m still learning about other sports, I respect them because I do know how hard they work. I see the social media posts, I know people that play, and I see the teams out practicing well before their season starts. And even though the summer is ending and we’re back to school, the exciting thing is we’re past the days of camps and well on our way to the actual competition. I can’t wait to see what all of these young athletes accomplish.
Sports talk Thursday with Lauren Hunter-For love of the game
Sports May 30, 2019
Recently I’ve started watching the show Friday Night Lights again. Let me just say- this is partially important because I’m not a big TV show person. I don’t have the patience to sit through an hour-long episode nor do I usually have the time to keep up with a series. But I figure with pre-season football kicking in and the fall season quickly approaching, revisiting a show that revolves around high school football is one of the best ways to get me hyped up for what’s to come.
Watching this series has also made me think about a couple of things. For one, why do we as a society rally so much around a sport that’s played by boys no older than 18-years-old? Second, do we put too much pressure on athletes who play the game? And finally, is the hype and the pressure truly worth it?
I think the answer can be summed up pretty easily- yes. And why? For love of the game.
But the love of the game is different for each of us. We’re not all going to attend every single football game or spend thousands of dollars to sit in Sanford every Saturday. We all have our limits, and in my opinion that’s perfectly okay.
Why else would my friend Erin and I bundle up in the freezing cold for playoffs? Because we love football!
I like to say that there’s something about having a team that you love that will get inside of you and never leave. I find it fascinating that there are towns across America like Dillon, Texas that will show up in the thousands to support their Panthers. Coaches and players are local celebrities, and you get your butt in the stands every Friday night just as religiously as a pew on Sunday morning. I came from a high school of nearly 4,000 students and a county of almost one million people, but the same spirit that rallies much smaller towns across the country still pulses through mine.
Yes, oftentimes I’m afraid that means we put too much pressure on the athletes who play the game. In my own personal experience, at the high school level we had so many students that it was nearly impossible to know the daily goings-on at the field house. But it was that age-old cycle of that when we would win, the coaches and players would be praised. One loss and the attitude switched faster than the direction of a twister.
But one of the many great things about this country is we have the freedom of choice in many of our decisions. Even though the athletes and coaches who play these games catch a lot of grief, they still have the choice to walk away. Some do. But for those who don’t? I’d venture to say it’s for love of the game.
When it comes to putting pressure on athletes, especially young ones, I believe the relationship is a two-way street. They should know what they’re doing, but despite all the love we have for the game, we need to understand when enough is enough. I’ve heard the term “daddy ball” thrown around a lot before, and it makes me sad to think that there are parents out there who try to live through their children. It’s important to love and support them, but even more important to let them develop their own love for their game.
Finally, like I mentioned earlier, everyone’s love for the game is different. My Papa Skip, who I probably talk to the most about sports, has a different appreciation for them than I do. I’ll use UGA football as an example. He attended classes at UGA- I never have. He still goes every year to the UGA/Florida game in Jacksonville- I’ve only gone once. He pays each year to have season tickets for the home games- I CERTAINLY don’t do that, although when he doesn’t want them I get first dibs (thanks Papa!)
The point I’m trying to make is while we all may say we love sports, we each love them differently. We each have a certain line we’re willing to cross. But at the same time, come Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday or playoffs, we rally behind our team. And we each get our butts in the stands. Why? For love of the game.
Sports talk Thursday with Lauren Hunter
Featured Stories, Sports May 23, 2019
About five years ago I told my dad, who is one of my biggest fans but also one of the most blunt people you’ll ever meet, that I wanted to be the first female head coach in the NFL.
“You can’t do that, Lauren,” he said.
“Why?” I argued.
I was expecting some drawn-out response about how I didn’t know enough about football.
“Because you can’t go in the men’s locker room,” he said flatly.
Ah, I hadn’t thought of that.
That was my senior year of high school, and never did I think I would be where I am now.
I grew up an UGA fan; my grandad attended college there in the ’60s and the red and black passed down into my veins. I learned to spell Georgia by chanting the fight song in my head (I still do subconsciously whenever I have to write it out!) I had an UGA cheerleader outfit and one of my baby pictures has me holding a stuffed bulldog. One of my nana’s fondest memories is of dancing around the living room with me as an infant when Georgia scored a big touchdown against Georgia Tech. I’ve never considered myself athletic, but I believe I owe a lot of my passion for sports to Papa Skip and Nana.
Papa Skip, Nana, my momma and I at the Georgia v. Florida game in 2017
Flash forward a few years and the first time I stepped foot on a sideline was as a cheerleader for the 8th grade Mill Creek rec football league. Cheerleading was not for me, and within a year I traded in pom poms for a six-foot flag pole as a member of the Mill Creek High School Colorguard.
In high school I lived for Friday night lights, and I have many fond memories of screaming myself hoarse for the Hawks while in the stands with the marching band. It was a well-known fact that I was the most spirited person in the band when it came to football, and while my coach would be yelling at me to pay attention during our warm-ups I’d be busy trying to figure out how much yardage we’d gotten from the last pass.
I guess my fellow classmates took note of my love for the game as well, because they voted me their Homecoming Queen my senior year. That is still one of my all-time favorite memories from high school- hearing my name called while standing on the 50 surrounded by family and friends.
My senior year of high school I was elected Homecoming Queen. This was the moment after my name was called. Look at my dad’s face!
I graduated from Mill Creek in 2015 but I had a hard time staying away from Markham Field. The University of North Georgia doesn’t have a football team, and Mill Creek decided to get really good the year after I left (this was the fall of 2015, the year they got knocked out by Colquitt County one round before the state championship.)
In the spring of 2016 I heard of an opportunity to work for the Gwinnett Braves, Triple-A minor league affiliate for the Atlanta Braves. Needing a summer job but hoping to avoid retail, I took it. I spent the next two summers as a Guest Relations Representative scanning tickets and welcoming fans. In addition to my already-sound knowledge of football, I learned all I could about America’s favorite pastime and a new love was born.
I spent one more summer at Coolray Field before graduating college, and this time it was as a member of the Promotional Team. That may be the most fun I ever had at work. Our team set up the on-field promotional games, signed up contestants, sold 50/50 raffle tickets and overall worked to make sure people had a good time. I certainly did- the memories I made with my team that year will forever be some of my favorites.
For a while I told people that I wasn’t interested in sports journalism, but the Lord as he fortunately often does had other plans. I got the opportunity to intern with the UNG Athletic Department my senior year of college, and I left Gwinnett County to plant some roots in the North Georgia mountains.
I worked for the Gwinnett Braves (now Gwinnett Stripers) for three seasons. Here I’m in my third season as a member of the Promo Team.
Two months ago I still wasn’t certain that I’d ever work in sports again, but when baseball started back up I knew I couldn’t live without it. I was fortunate enough to find an opportunity to apply with FetchYourNews.com, and even more fortunate to get an offer. And here we are.
I don’t tell you all this to brag on my accomplishments or give you some long-winded biography. I want to be just as much a part of your community as you all are now a part of my daily life. When I come to your sideline I want to know each of you and each of you know me. Part of being a great sports reporter is establishing a relationship with your team and community. Part of that relationship includes establishing trust, and how can you can trust someone if you don’t even know them?
One of the biggest reasons I keep working in sports is because of the the communities they create and the people I get to meet. There’s something about having a team to rally around that gets inside of you and never leaves. The people I have met so far and the connections I have made are priceless and will forever be a part of who I am and a big reason for why I do what I do.
So here’s to the journey ahead, and here’s to memories that are yet to be made and the relationships yet to be formed. I can’t wait North Georgia!
–Lauren Hunter
Sports talk Thursday with Lauren Hunter- Thank a coach!
Sports July 25, 2019
Over the last week and a half BKP and I have been going from school to school interviewing head football coaches for our North Georgia Coaching Series. Now if any of y’all know BKP, you’ll know what I mean when I say that he’s been doing most of the talking and I’ve been doing most of the observing. But this doesn’t bother me, it gives me a chance to learn more about the programs I’ll be spending a lot of time with this fall.
With that being said, there’s one thing in particular I’ve been noticing in our interviews, and that’s how much these coaches truly care about their players and their programs.
Now me saying that might make some of y’all think, “Well, duh. That’s what they’re supposed to do.” Well, maybe. But I like to think I’m pretty good at picking up when someone is just putting on an act for appearances. And I can say with all sincerity that none of these coaches are doing that.
Obviously when BKP and I go into these interviews, he asks questions about what the teams have been doing during the summer and how they’re planning to prepare for the regular season. But he also asks the coaches if they can highlight a few players that have really stood out. This point in the interview, I believe, is where a coach who didn’t care would possibly just say a couple names and move on.
But these coaches not only name the players, they tell us about why they stand out. And it’s a sign of the hard work of these athletes, but there’s also a sense of pride from these coaches as they name them. A couple of coaches have mentioned that it’s hard to name just a few, because all of their players have worked hard. And it’s not that the rest of the team doesn’t matter or that they don’t care about them, but the ones that they mention they do so without hesitation because they’ve been there with them through the summer truly coaching them. There’s no so-so about the commitment these coaches make- they’re all in.
Another thing that has amazed me about these coaches, not just in the interviews but learning about them off the field, is how much they care about their community as well. A couple of them, such as Chad Cheatham at Fannin County and Chad McClure at Hayesville, are natives to their communities. It’s home to them, and they’re not going to be just halfway in their commitments to their programs.
When Coach Caleb Sorrells of the Lumpkin County Indians was first named as head coach, the school hosted a meet and greet for him. It was one of the first stories I covered in this position.
In his address to the parents, Sorrells promised to not only invest in the team as players and athletes, but as men who would one day be employees and fathers. I remember being caught off guard at first because I was expecting him to talk about plans for the future of the program, the summer schedule and what not. He did talk about these things, but I believe by telling the parents that he was going to invest in the players as men showed that it was going to be a priority.
Although I know more about the commitment that Sorrells has made because I’m positioned in Lumpkin County, he’s not the only one in the area who gets involved in the community and works to build up the athletes’ character.
Tim Cokely with the White County Warriors has an entire wall of his office decorated with signs of good character qualities to instill in the team. Chad Cheatham, who I mentioned earlier, referees basketball in the football off-season just because, and the community loves him for it. I’m sure that many of the other coaches in the area do similar things and I just don’t know about it yet.
These are commitments that we see played out by coaches in movies and don’t always think to look for in real life. And because I grew up in Gwinnett County, population one million, if there was this sort of commitment by coaches I didn’t always see it because there were so many people. I love living up here in North Georgia in a smaller community where an act of kindness, especially where sports are concerned, rarely goes unnoticed.
We think about football as a sport that instills a since of discipline, but why is that? Because there’s a coach that sets that standard and inspires the team to do the same. As a community we love football and we love our team, and we can thank a coach for that.
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Community January 17, 2019
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The Murphy Bulldogs snatches The Cherokee Braves Undefeated season record 35-12!
Cherokee County Schools, Murphy Bulldogs, Murphy High November 5, 2017
Cherokee, N.C.- The Murphy Bulldogs game Friday night against The Cherokee Braves was an intense game no doubt! Previously, Cherokee was undefeated until the Bulldogs came in and handed them their first loss of the season. A few weeks ago, I interviewed Murphy’s Coach Nelson, a statement I remember was the coach answering with “These boys are a second half team. They come back stronger.” Well, that statement proved to be true.
In the 2nd Q, it was Murphy’s #32, Slade McTaggart who score the first touchdown followed by #3 Katelyn Jones making good on the PAT. It wasn’t until the 3rd Q when the game started to pick up. Murphy scored two more touchdowns, while Cherokee was just making their first touchdown of the game by #5 I Evans. PAT by #30 T Pete was no good. The 4th Q Murphy came in even stronger by scoring three more touchdowns with every single PAT being good. Cherokee was finally able to score their last and final touchdown, again, by #5 I Evans. That PAT was blocked however.
This Friday, The Murphy Bulldogs will have a home non-conference game against South Stanly (5-6,4-3) from Norwood, N.C. @7:30 pm November 10th, 2017. Come cheer on The Murphy Bulldogs and show that Bulldog pride!
The Murphy Bulldogs dominate The Rosman Tigers 48-22
Murphy High, Sports, Team FYN Sports October 30, 2017
Murphy, N.C.- Friday night, The Murphy Bulldogs (8-2,4-1) hosted a conference game against The Rosman Tigers (2-8,1-4) for their Senior Night. For many of the players, this would be their last home game as a Senior at MHS. Lot’s of proud parents walked their children onto the field with a look of pure joy. The coaches gleamed with pride and proudful expressions as the Seniors walked onto the field. It was bittersweet.
It was a cold night temperature wise, but the Bulldogs wasted no time at warming up the field with their impressive win against the Tigers. The final score was 48-22! The first TD was scored by #10 Keivon Allen for 16 yds followed by a PAT by #3 Katelyn Jones. In the 2nd Q, #28 Devonte Murray was handed the ball and scored a 21 yard TD. QB #1 Joey Curry followed up with three more TD passes with #3 Katelyn Jones making good on 3 of the 4 PAT’s. The 3rd Q, Murphy score 2 more TD’s bringing them to a score of 48. Despite Rosman’s 3 TD’s and 3 onside kick recoveries, they fell all too short to The Bulldogs dominating defense.
When I asked The Bulldogs, Coach Gentry how he prepared the boys for this game, he stated that he felt he didn’t need to over work them. That you would only over work the players had they not tried in their previous game. Fact is, the boys did try, and they worked hard. However, you may not win every game. Obviously this coach knows what he’s talking about because The Bulldogs came back with a vengeance and took victory over The Rosman Tigers
This Friday, November 3rd, come out and show your Bulldogs support when they face off against Cherokee in a away game. Kick off starts @7:30pm!
Maroon Devils outlast Bulldogs, 29-27
Murphy Bulldogs, Murphy High October 22, 2017
By Tiffany Santos, TeamFYNSports Reporter:
The crisp October air set the tone for the friday night football game between the Murphy Bulldogs (7-2, 3-1) and Swain County Maroon Devils (5-4, 4-1). The last time Murphy went up against this rival, the Bulldogs handed the Maroon Devils a harrowing loss (35-3). October 20th’s game between the rivalry schools was a different story. The Bulldogs put up a great effort but fell short by a 2-pt loss with a final score of 29-27; Swain taking home the win and the bragging rights.
In the 1st Quarter, senior #12 Brodie Bowman from Swain County scored the first touchdown with a 9-yard blast to paydirt. However, #11 Tanner Wiggins’ PAT was no good. With the missed kick, Swain started the game with a lead of 6-0.
Murphy answered with a touchdown by senior quarterback (#1) Joey Curry, who threw a pass complete to senior receiver (#4) DeAndre Jackson for 58 yards. The PAT was spot on by senior kicker and female football superstar (#3) Katelyn Jones. With this touchdown Murphy led Swain 7-6 as the 1st quarter came to a close.
The 2nd quarter exploded with two touchdowns for Murphy, and two for Swain. It seemed like each team was coming in strong without backing down. With 0:51 seconds left in the 1st half, Murphy quarterback (#1) Joey Curry threw a 17-yard pass complete to (#2) Micah Nelson. Jones once again showed how she earned her jersey, making good on her PAT kick. The TD and PAT tied the score up 20-all going into halftime.
By the end of the 3rd, Murphy was leading Swain with a score of 27-26, but a 24-yard field goal was successfully attempted by Swain County #11 Tanner Wiggins, bringing the lead to Swain County with a 29-27 score. It’s safe to conclude that penalties and mental mistakes may have cost Murphy the game, as the Bulldogs were penalized a total of 14 times for 131 yards on the night.
Nearing the end of the 4th Quarter, a player for the Bulldogs made a mistake that put Murphy in a 4th and 72 play. The player recovered the ball that was fumbled by his own team, but mistakenly ran the wrong way. Thankfully a teammate was able to stop him from running any further.
“I ain’t blaming this on anybody, I blame this on everybody. Not just one side,” Murphy Bulldogs Coach Gentry told TeamFYNSports. “Everybody that stepped on this field tonight didn’t do their job. It’s that simple. It’s not what tonight is, it’s how you react to it, and how big you come back!”
All-in-all, the Bulldogs and Maroon Devils put up a good fight, but in the end the Maroon Devils were the ones to taste victory. Sportswriter’s note: They say those that never win, never learn from loss. From hearing Murphy’s head coach speak about this defeat, I believe the Bulldogs will be able to learn from this game and make any changes necessary to continue on the road to the State Championships.
The Murphy Bulldogs (7-2, 3-1) have a home conference game vs Rosman (2-7, 1-3) this Friday, October 27th, 2017 @ 7:30pm.
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Murphy Bulldogs takes the win against East Surry, securing their spot in the last round of the playoffs
Murphy Bulldogs, Sports, Team FYN Sports November 26, 2017
MURPHY, N.C.- The Murphy Bulldogs won Friday’s game against the East Surry Cardinals, which secured the bulldogs place in the final regional game being held in Mount Airy this Friday Dec 1, 2017.
As the team captains took the field, the bulldogs won the coin toss, showing the coaches had great faith in their defense. The coaches would not be disappointed. After a strong defensive showing by the Bulldogs, Chase Roberts (#40) ran for 1-yard to put Murphy on the board first, with a 7-0 lead following the perfect PAT by Katelyn Jones.
A few plays follow the kickoff, Tanner Creelman (#25) picked off a pass to give the ball back to the explosive Murphy offense.
Joey Curry (#1) and Slade McTaggert (#32) took turns chopping up the Cardinals on the ground as the Bulldogs pounded the ball upfield, until Curry connected with Micah Nelson (#2) for a 54 touchdown strike. Jones aced the PAT and the Dogs were rolling, 14-0.
Roberts, who plays both sides of the ball, came away with the second interception of the night for the Bulldogs on the next series, and an unsportsmanlike conduct call against the Cardinals put the Dogs right back in scoring position, but they were unable to capitalize on this possession. As the quarter came to a close, Murphy was in control of their own destiny with a 14-0 lead.
With 11:54 remaining in the half, East Surry finally found the end zone, cutting the lead to 7.
It wouldn’t take Murphy long to answer, however, as Devonte Murray (#28) carried the ball from 5 yards out on 3rd down to put Murphy back up by 14. PAT good, 21-7.
Murphy would put another touchdown on the scoreboard before the half, completely dominating on their way to the final four in the 1AA State Championship brackets.
Bulldogs McTaggart (#32) rushed for a team-high 180 yards and two touchdowns. It was the Bulldogs #40 Chase Roberts who lead the team with three touchdowns, of which two being scored in the first half of the game.
Bulldogs senior QB #1 Joey Curry completed 6-of-12 passing attempts with one touchdown in the game. The Bulldogs once again showed their strength on the ground, with a rush-heavy offense, rushing for 437 yds, with 103 pass yds respectively.
East Surry struggled on the field with several penalty flags being thrown for unsportsmanlike behavior and personal fouls. After all was said and done, East Surry somehow managed to score four player ejections from the game for these penalties, but falling short on the win against Murphy.
In the end, the Bulldogs won the game with a final score of 49-27.
The Murphy Bulldogs will go toe to toe with the Mount Airy Granite Bears (13-0,5-0) for a spot at the state championships. If the Bulldogs defeat Mount Airy on Friday, then this will be the Bulldogs 12th time since 1972 going to the state championships. Below you will find a list of the final four teams who will vie for a spot in the state championship game.
Murphy Bulldogs demolish South Stanly in last night’s game
Murphy Bulldogs, Sports, Team FYN Sports November 12, 2017
It was freezing cold last night when the Murphy Bulldogs (10-2,5-1) played against South Stanly (5-7,4-3)in the first round of playoffs. You could tell the Bulldogs were ready for a battle before the game started. The boys were pumped along with the coaches as they embarked on their journey towards the first game of the playoffs.
Murphy won the coin toss, but elected that South Stanly kick off with Murphy to receive the ball. #89 Travis Seabolt returned the ball to the Bulldogs 47 for 12 yards. With 7:50 mins left in the 1st Q, the Bulldogs scored the first touchdown and the PAT was good by #3 Katelyn Jones.
#10 Kaivon Allen scored a 21 yard touchdown. A two-point conversion was attempted and made good by #10 as well. QB #1 Joey Curry scored the third touchdown, but the two-point conversion that was attempted by #32 Slade McTaggart was unsuccessful. This bringing the score to 21-0.
In the 2nd Q, #1 Joey Curry threw a pass incomplete to #12 Hagan Newton to the Bulls 17 yard line for 0 yards . A penalty was handed to South Stanly for defense roughing the passer for 15 yards.
It wasn’t as if the Bulldogs needed any help with scoring, but the Rebel Bulls scored a safety for which brought the already embarrassing score to the 30-0, Bulldogs. It seemed as if South Stanly came back in the second half a little more charged, scoring 13 points. Unfortunately the possibility to win was long gone in the first half of the game.
The final score was 44-13, Bulldogs! Murphy will face off against North Stanly in New London, NC for the second round of playoffs, this Friday November 17th, 2017, with kick off starting at 7:30pm.
Murphy Bulldogs #32 Slade McTaggart
Rec Super Bowl Saturday Schedules Set
Business November 1, 2017
The Mountain Football League playoffs have finally reached their final destination for 2017: Super Bowl Saturday. This weekend, several of North Georgia’s finest young athletes will meet on the gridiron at Fannin County High School, battling to take home the league’s top honor of Super Bowl Champions.
Here are the results from last weekend’s final round of the playoffs:
6U: Fannin defeated Gilmer 22-0. Will play East Hall in the Super Bowl. East Hall defeated Chestatee 34-0.
7U: Fannin defeated Dawson 32-0. Will play Gilmer in Super Bowl. Gilmer defeated Pickens 46-0.
8U: Union defeated Fannin 20-0. Will play Chestatee in Super Bowl. Chestatee defeated Gilmer 25-19.
9U: Chestatee defeated West Hall 34-8. Will play Pickens in Super Bowl. Pickens defeated Dawson 26-0.
10U: Fannin defeated Gilmer 29-0. Will play Dawson in Super Bowl. Dawson defeated Union 12-0.
11U: Chestatee defeated Fannin 20-7. Will play Gilmer in Super Bowl. Gilmer defeated Dawson 7-6.
Follow us on Twitter @teamfynsports next weekend (or on Facebook) as we will have complete Super Bowl coverage from the sidelines on Saturday.
Updated Game Times:
6u Super Bowl
East Hall vs Fannin 10Am
7U Super Bowl
Fannin vs Gilmer 1145Am
8U Super Bowl
Union vs Chestatee 1:30pm
9U Super Bowl
Chestatee vs Pickens 3:15Pm
10U Super Bowl
Dawson vs Fannin 5pm
11U Super Bowl
Gilmer vs Chestatee 6:45 Pm
Murphy Bulldogs will host Rosman Tigers tonight 10/27/17
Murphy Bulldogs, Sports, Team FYN Sports October 27, 2017