Sarah Pullium Named NCHSAA Female Athlete of The Year
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports July 6, 2021
Photo courtesy of BT Douthit
Murphy Bulldogs Senior Sarah Pullium was named the Female Athlete of The Year today by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. Pullium is just the third athlete from the Smoky Mountain Conference to receive this award, joining Hailey Shope (Hiwassee Dam, 2015) and Christie Cagel (Hayesville, 1990).
Press Release: The North Carolina High School Athletic Association is pleased to announce the 2020-2021 winner of the Pat Best Memorial Trophy as the NCHSAA Female Athlete of the Year. The award is in its 36th year. This year’s winner is a four-time Team State Champion, three-time individual State Champion from Murphy High School, Sarah Pullium.
Pullium was a senior with the Murphy Women’s Basketball and Track & Field Teams, winning multiple team and individual State Championships during her four years at Murphy. On the basketball court, Pullium was a part of two state championship teams, including this year as she helped the Bulldogs trounce Princeton 76 to 34. She scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Championship Game on her way to being named the Most Outstanding Performer for the 1A Championship Game.
Pullium won the State 1A Championship in discus her freshman and sophomore years, missing in her junior season due to COVID. She returned to the top of the podium in the State Discus Championship this year, winning the event by more than 29 feet. Her efforts in Track & Field helped the Bulldogs capture two Team State Championships.
She also helped lead the Volleyball team to three conference championships and was named All-Conference two of those seasons, and Best Offensive Player this year. She also got the chance to try her hand at Soccer this year, earning Rookie of the Year honors for the Bulldogs Women’s Soccer Team.
Lady Bulldogs punch ticket to state title game
Murphy Basketball, Sports, TeamFYNSports March 9, 2020
The Murphy Lady Bulldogs are headed to the NCHSAA Class 1-A state title game after a narrow, 63-62, win against Mitchell in the Western Regional Championship game Saturday, March 7, in Hickory. With the win, the top-seeded Lady Bulldogs (30-0) will face off with third-seeded Weldon (27-1) for the championship Saturday, March 14, at Reynolds Coliseum at North Carolina State University. Tip-off for the game is slated for 12:05 p.m.
Senior Sydni Addison takes a jump shot for the Lady Bulldogs.
Despite a 40-27 lead at halftime, and pretty much dominating the whole first half of basketball, Murphy allowed Mitchell to claw their way back into the game in the third. Heading into the fourth, Mitchell cut the Bulldogs lead to 52-41.
Thanks to some very stingy defense, they were able to force three turnovers in the final 25 seconds and put senior Hannah McMahan at the line with .02 seconds left in the game, down 63-61. McMahan was able to nail the first free throw, but with the pressure mounting she missed the second and Murphy escaped with the win.
Murphy showed some signs of panic late in the Regional final game, but thanks to leaders like senior Sydni Addison they were able to compose themselves enough to walk away with another mark in the win column.
Addison finished the game leading her team with 23 points. Torin Rogers was also a vocal leader during the game and filled up the stat sheet to back it up, dropping 16 points, six rebounds, and three blocks.
Lady Bulldogs track team takes second in meet
Murphy Track, Sports, TeamFYNSports March 6, 2020
The Murphy Lady Bulldogs track team placed second Wednesday, March 5, at home, in the first meet of the season, with 82 points.
Union Co. won the meet with 93 points, while Andrews was third (63 points), Hiwassee Dam was fourth (40 points), and Tri-County Early College was fifth with 19 points.
In the 100-meter dash, Grace Nelson took first place with a time of 13.6, while in the 4X200 meter relay, the team of Faith Ann Revis, Bianca White, Kia Guerrero, and Lauren Pendley placed first with a time of 1 minute, 57.3 seconds.
Revis, Guerrero, Olivia Payne, and Grace Nelson teamed up to take first in the 4X100 meter relay for the Lady Bulldogs with a time of 54.6 seconds.
In the 300-meter hurdles, Georjah Allen took the top spot with a time of 53.7 seconds.
The team of Allen, Revis, White, and Pendley placed first in the 4X400 meter relay with a time of 4:41.9.
In the discus, Candace Dockery placed first with a throw of 82 feet, 2 inches, while Riley Dockery was third at 64 feet, 5 inches.
In the 4X800 meter relay, the team of Allen, Dakota Hogeback, Madison Worley, and Gracey Henry placed second with a time of 11:50.2, while the team of Jennifer Hernandez, Grace Hill, Adalynn Hall, and Ashlyn Stroupe was third at 13:46.3.
Stroupe also placed third in the 1,600 with a time of 6:49.5
In the shot put, Jersey Schwalm was second with a throw of 29 feet, 9.5 inches, while Candace Dockery was third with a toss of 29 feet, 3 inches.
Lady Bulldogs stay perfect, advance to semis
Murphy Basketball, Sports, TeamFYNSports March 4, 2020
It was another packed house Tuesday, March 4, as the Lady Bulldogs tipped-off the state quarterfinal game against the East Surry Lady Cardinals. The same East Surry team that this time last year ended Murphy’s state championship dreams with a last second 3-pointer.
Sophomore Torin Rogers takes a free throw Tuesday night. Rogers finished the night with 27 points.
It was the Lady Bulldogs (29-0) that got the last laugh this year however, beating the Lady Cardinals 65-45 and advancing to the NCHSAA Class 1-A state semifinals.
East Surry (20-6) started the game with a strong defense, forcing Murphy into some bad shots and creating turnovers, which allowed them to take a 21-19 first-quarter lead.
Settling down in the second quarter, the Lady Bulldogs were able to lock in defensively and rely on senior Sydni Addison to create some open looks on offense. The result was a three-point lead for Murphy, 31-28, at the end of the first half.
Senior Sydni Addison sets up on the free-throw line Tuesday night.
Coming out of the locker room for the second half, the Lady Bulldogs settled in and started looking more like themselves, sharing the ball and playing a much tighter brand of defense than they were able to in the first half. Murphy ended the third quarter on a five-point run, giving them a 48-39 lead to start the fourth.
Despite some turnovers on offense, the Lady Bulldogs blew the game open in the fourth using a defense that held the Lady Cardinals to just six four-quarter points to seal the 65-45 victory.
Division-I prospect, sophomore Torin Rogers, was the focal point of the offense all night for the Lady Bulldogs. She scored a game-high 27 points while going a 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
In a game where offense seemed hard to come by at times, Rogers did not shy away from the challenge when she was asked to step up and be the leader, creating open looks for herself and teammates alike.
Murphy will travel to Lenior-Rhyne University this Saturday, March 7, for the NCHSAA Class 1-A Western Regional Championship game, which will be played against the winner of Wednesday’s Mitchell vs. Alleghany game.
Murphy girls advance to state playoff quarterfinals
Murphy Basketball, Sports, TeamFYNSports March 2, 2020
Saturday, Feb. 29, the Murphy Lady Bulldogs and the Cherokee Lady Braves played in front of a crowd of more than 1,000 at Murphy High School in the third round of the NCHSAA 1-A state playoffs. Sophomore forward
Senior Sydni Addison sets up on defense. Addison scored 20 points to lead the Lady Bulldogs.
Torin Rogers returned to the lineup after missing the previous playoff game with an ankle injury. Rogers didn’t miss a beat, putting up 14 points in the Lady Bulldogs 63-44 route of the Lady Braves.
Sophomore Torin Rogers lines up a free throw Saturday at home.
Murphy (28-0) started the game off hot, as senior Sarah Pullium got the team on the right track with eight first-quarter points. Pullium’s push helped the Lady Bulldogs jump out to a 20-6 lead. In the second, Rogers built onto the lead with six points in the quarter, padding Murphy’s lead to 36-14.
Senior Sydni Addison was the leading scorer for the day with 20 points, including two deep 3-pointers in the third quarter that helped the Lady Bulldogs build a 22-point lead heading into the fourth. The final quarter concluded without many fireworks from either side and the game ended just as it began, with Murphy in control.
This was the fourth time that these two rivals had the opportunity to face off this year and the Lady Bulldogs definitely got the best of the Lady Braves, walking away from all four games with a victory.
Tuesday night, March 3, at 6 p.m., Murphy will host East Surry in the quarterfinals of the NCHSAA 1-A state playoffs. Murphy will have revenge on the brain coming into this one against a Lady Cardinals team that knocked them out of the state playoffs in the semi-finals last year at Lenior-Rhyne University, on a last second 3-pointer.
Lady Bulldogs pummel Union Academy
Murphy Basketball, Sports, TeamFYNSports February 28, 2020
Thursday night, Feb. 27, the undefeated Murphy Lady Bulldogs tipped off against the Union Academy Lady Cardinals in the second round of the Class 1-A NCHSAA state playoffs.
Senior Sydni Addison takes a jump shot.
The Lady Bulldogs (27-0), the top seed in the tournament, were without one of their leading scorers in Torin Rogers. Rogers is day-to-day as she recovers from an injury sustained during
Murphy girls head coach Ray Gutierrez.
the opening tip of the first-round playoff game against the Pine Lake Prep Pride. However, much like the first-round game, the Lady Bulldogs were able to take this one easily from the Lady Cardinals, 61-36.
Things were tight at the end of the first quarter as the Lady Bulldogs led 17-8, but they were able to stretch the lead to 15 going in to halftime, 31-16. Murphy came out of the locker room hot and shut Union Academy down, which enabled them to pull away and close out the game with ease, saving any late game theatrics for a later date.
Murphy will face Big Smoky Mountain Conference rival Cherokee in the third round of the NCHSAA 1-A state playoffs at home Saturday, Feb. 29. This will be the fourth time these two teams have faced each other this year, with the most recent being in the conference championship where the Lady Bulldogs won in a thriller, 59-56. Cherokee (18-9) is the ninth-seeded team in Murphy’s side of the bracket.
Murphy girls come back to take down visiting Gilmer
Murphy Basketball, TeamFYNSports December 6, 2019
The Murphy girls basketball team is going to one to watch this season in North Carolina’s Class 1-A.
Senior Sydni Addison goes up to score two of her game-high 19 points in the win against Gilmer on Thursday.
Despite trailing by six entering the fourth quarter to Georgia’s Class 4A Gilmer in the home and season opener Thursday, Dec. 5, the Lady Bulldogs blew up in the fourth quarter, outscoring the visiting Lady Cats 21-13 in the final frame to earn the two-point, 61-59 victory.
Heading into that final period, things didn’t look great for Murphy at home.
Junior Sarah Pullium drives for two of her 10 points in the win against Gilmer on Thursday.
The Lady Bulldogs took a 28-27 lead into halftime, but were outscored by seven in the third to fall behind by what most would assume would be enough for the visiting Lady Cats to earn the road win.
But senior forward Sydni Addison put up six of her team-high 19 in the fourth, along with five points from sophomore Torin Rogers and four points from junior Sarah Pullium, to will the Lady Bulldogs to the home victory to start the 2019-20 season.
While Murphy was able to score in the fourth period, it was the defense that earned the victory.
The Lady Bulldogs played a full-court, zone press for most of the game, which gave the visiting Lady Cats fits and enable the home team to earn the win.
Pullium finished with 10 points, while Rogers and junior Kaiya Pickens each scored nine.
Sophomore guard Mia Wilson scored 11, and fellow sophomore Taylor Phillips hit a 3-pointer in the fourth to round out the scoring for the Lady Bulldogs.
After a Friday, Dec. 6, visit to Nantahala, the Lady Bulldogs will travel to play Big Smoky Mountain 1-A opponent Robbinsville on Tueday, Dec. 10, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Three days later, Murphy will visit Rosman for a 6:30 p.m. region game Friday, Dec. 13.
The Lady Bulldogs are trying to get back to the state semi-finals, where their dreams of a state championship fell short last season.
Bulldogs Lose Heartbreaker In Hickory
Sports March 9, 2019
The Murphy Lady Bulldogs held the lead against the East Surry Lady Cardinals for 31 minutes and 59 seconds and held North Carolina State commit Elle Sutphin to 13 points, but it seems that fate was not on their side as the Cardinals hit a deep Hail Mary three as time expired to send the Bulldogs home, losing 41-38 in the Final Four of the NCHSAA 1a State Playoffs.
The Bulldogs were fired up to start the game, jumping out to an early 12-6 lead in the first quarter, led by Freshman phenom Torin Rogers who had 10 first quarter points. The Bulldogs kept pouring it on the second quarter with a couple of quick three’s by Seniors Aubrey Clapsaddle and Ellie Martin.
The Card’s stepped up toward the end of the half with a couple of late buckets to stop the Bulldog run and keep things from getting out of hand, as the Dogs headed into halftime up 21-14.
Torin Rogers kicked off a high scoring 3rd quarter for both teams as she flushed a three in Sutphin’s eye. Sophomore Sarah Pullium was a defensive force in the third, forcing the Cards to cough up a few turnovers and give the Bulldogs their largest lead of the game, 28-17. Thats when things started taking a left turn for the Dogs as the Lady Cardinals went on a run hitting bucket after bucket and getting a quarter ending three to fall shortening the Bulldogs lead to only 4 to start the fourth quarter, 34-30.
The Dogs couldn’t get a bucket to fall in the fourth, scoring only 4 fourth quarter points and opening the door for East Surry. The Cards took advantage tying the game up with just under a minute left. the Bulldogs remained composed however, as Bri Moore drove into the paint as fouled and sent to the line for a one and one. After the Bulldogs missed the free throw, the Cardinals gained possession and advanced the ball, giving their head coach Caleb Gilley the opportunity to call timeout with 2 seconds left and draw up a play with the season on the line. Cadence Lawson received the inbound pass after the timeout and banged in a prayer three from deep as time ran out. Torin Rogers led all scorers with 18 points.
Although the season may be over for the Lady Dogs and their seniors Bri Moore, Aubrey Clapsaddle, Reagan Ennis, and Ellie Martin, they have not one reason in the world to hang their head as they’ve made their little town proud. They fought all season long, posting a 26 and 5 record and bringing home the Smoky Mountain Conference Championship. Although this senior class may have came up one game short of the State Championship, they reached the Final Four 2 years in a row and the Elite Eight three years in a row, posted an overall 4 year record of 90-26, and brought Murphy home their first Smoky Mountain Conference title in over 20 years. The town of Murphy and its community could not be prouder of what these girls have accomplished.
It’s still a great day to be a Bulldog.
Murphy Lady Bulldogs hang on in OT to advance to Final Four
Sports March 5, 2019
On a cold, cold Tuesday night in Avery County, the Murphy Lady Bulldogs were caught in a dog fight against the Avery Lady Vikings in the elite eight of the NCHSAA 1a State Playoffs.
#35 Sydni Addison takes the ball into the paint
From the very start, the Lady Bulldogs were caught in a stalemate with the Lady Vikings as both teams were putting up points early. Until a couple of three’s by Torin Rogers and Aubrey Clapsaddle helped the dogs jump to a 15 to 9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Sydni Addison came out with a fire as she took a charge and drilled a 3 to give Murphy their largest lead yet, 22 to 9 with 5 and a half left to play in the 1st half. The Lady Vikings weren’t going to let it get out of hand however, as Senior guard Hannah McIntosh gets a couple of buckets to fall and brings the Vikes within 7 at the half, 27-20.
The 3rd quarter was all Lady Vikings. They get hot and go on a run, pulling within 1 point to start the fourth quarter, 37-36.
After a quick Sydni Addison layup and a couple of deep threes from Aubrey Clapsaddle, the Bulldogs take an early fourth quarter lead 50-42 with 2:32 left in the ball game. The Lady Vikings weren’t going away quietly however, as their defense smothered Murphy like gravy on a biscuit down the stretch, forcing turnover after turnover and eventually turning it into a 3 point game with only 18 seconds remaining in regulation. With less than 10 seconds on the clock, the Vikings show some grit and drain a three to tie the game up and send it to Overtime.
#11 Torin Rogers fires up a clutch free throw in the second half
The Vikings take a quick lead to start Overtime, but Aubrey Clapsaddle doesn’t let it last long, as she bangs in a three and then an easy layup to make it 63-60 Bulldogs. After Hannah McIntosh for the Lady Vikes answers with her own three pointer to tie the game up with less than a minute left, Murphy’s Kaiya Pickens hits a three and the Bulldogs force a turnover. The Vikings quickly foul and send Pickens to the line as she sinks both free throws to put the nail in the coffin and give the dogs a 68 to 63 victory over the second seeded Avery Lady Vikings. Aubrey Clapsaddle, Torin Rogers and Sydni Addison led the Lady Bulldogs in scoring, with 24, 16, and 17 points, respectively.
This Murphy team has shown a lot of heart this season and everyone in the gym on Tuesday was witness to that. Coach Gutierrez has gotten his team to buy into what he’s selling and along with that the community has bought in also. The visiting stands in the Avery High School gym were full of black and gold, with fans traveling over 3 hours on a miserably cold week night to cheer on this women’s basketball team that just seems to have a different swagger about them than teams in previous years.
The Bulldogs travel to Hickory on Saturday the 9th, to face off against the number 1 seed East Surry Lady Cardinals in the Final Four of the NCHSAA 1a State Playoffs.
Lady Bulldogs Advance
Team FYN Sports March 4, 2019
The 6th seed Alleghany Lady Trojans (17-11) traveled all the way from Sparta, North Carolina to the cozy mountains of Murphy on Saturday night to kick off the craziness that is March Madness and face the 3rd seed Murphy Lady Bulldogs (24-4) in the 3rd round of the NCHSAA 1a State Playoffs.
The Lady Bulldogs came out of the gates hot, winning the tip and finding Brianna Moore for the easy lay up as the Lady dogs pulled ahead early. After some back and forth between the two teams, Murphy’s Kaiya Pickens drills a 3 in the face of Alleghany’s Abigail Keesling to give the Bulldogs a 17-6 lead with 2 and a half minutes left in the 1st. Murphy’s Head Coach Ray Gutierrez implicated a full court press in the early ongoing and Brianna Moore made it worth his while, forcing a turnover and scoring another bucket, adding to Murphy’s 21-6 lead with a little over a minute left in the first period of play. After the Lady Trojans force a turnover, Abigail Keesling converts an easy lay-in to end the first quarter and cut into the Bulldogs lead making it 25-12.
#35 Sydni Addison slides across the floor after a loose ball
The lady Trojans knowing they have some work to do, come out firing to start the second half and make it a 10 point game with 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. This sparks a scoring run for the Bulldogs as Sydni Addison hits a 3 with under 3 minutes left in the half to make it 39-20. The bulldogs keep that same intensity down the stretch and end the half with a 23 point lead, 49-26. The 3rd quarter is more of the same as the Dogs keep piling it on, 71-31.
In the 4th the Lady Trojans initiate a full court press which leads to a couple of Bulldog turnovers and ignite an Alleghany run trimming the Bulldog lead 75-43 with just under 6 minutes left in the contest. Finally, Sydni Addison bangs in another 3 pointer to end Murphy’s scoring drought. With the drought ended, Coach Gutierrez subs in a wave of younger Bulldogs to allow them to gain some experience and earn some playing time and Taylor Phillips did just that, pulling a 3 that rolls around and around the rim until it finally falls, giving the Bulldogs a commanding 83-57 lead with just under a minute left.
The Lady Bulldogs end the game victorious 84-57 advancing to the fourth round as they travel to Avery County on Tuesday March 5th, to face the number 2 seed Lady Vikings in the Elite 8 of the NCHSAA 1a State Playoffs. The Bulldogs had 4 players in double figures, with Junior Sarah Pullium leading the way with 20 points, Junior Sydni Addison with 18, Freshman Torin Rodgers with 16 and Senior Aubrey Clapsaddle with 10.