“NCHSAA staff members have received additional reports of volleyball teams being quarantined, which we know will impact their first contests next week. Collectively we must do everything we can to mitigate against the continuing spread of COVID-19, and it is our belief that the above steps will assist those efforts.”
FYN Sports Post Season Football Awards and Outstanding Players
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports May 17, 2021
Our team here at FYN Sports got together at the end of this years “spring” North Carolina High School football season and voted on our end of year awards. Players were chosen based not just on their stats alone, but also on their contributions to their team that may not show up in the stat book. We have had a blast covering North Carolina football this year, and hope to continue on with some of the relationships we have made in the fall. Thanks to everyone who watched and supported our broadcasts and read our articles. Our sole mission is to highlight and promote student athletes in a positive way, and below we have highlighted the “best of the best” with our post season awards.
Player of The Year: Nathan Collins- Robbinsville
Collins was 24-1 as the starting Quarterback for the Black Knights. He filled up the stat sheet all year, throwing for over 700 yards and 3 touchdowns, while rushing for 683 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led his team to 2 SMC titles, 2 Western Regional Championship appearances and 1 State Championship Title.
Offensive Player of The Year: Kellen Rumfelt- Murphy
Rumfelt was on a mission to prove himself this year, and he did just that. He threw for 1,234 yards and 9 touchdowns while leading his Bulldogs to the NCHSAA 1A State Championship. In that State championship game, Rumfelt threw for over 200 yards and a TD in the first half, helping his team come away with a 14-7 victory.
Defensive Player of The Year: Drew Martin- Andrews
Martin was a key component to helping his Wildcats post their best record since 2011. He led his team in tackles and was the motor of the defense. A historic season for Andrews was jumpstarted by the play of Drew Martin.
Coach of The Year: David Gentry- Murphy
Gentry led his Bulldogs to yet another State Championship ring, the 9th under his reign as Head Coach. Gentry’s coaching record speaks for itself. The Hall of Fame coach and all time North Carolina wins record holder needs no introduction.
“Newcomers” of The Year:
The “Newcomers” of The Year are players who are in their first year on Varsity who are making a splash and contributing to their team significantly already.
Cuttler Adams, Kage Williams, Brock Adams, Carlos Lopez- Robbinsville
Taylor McClure, Asher Brown- Hayesville
Ty Laney, Cole Laney, John Ledford- Murphy
Drew Martin, Isaac Weaver, Donovan Bateman- Andrews
Kaden Trantham- Cherokee
Gabe Lillard, Elijah Watty- Swain
Outstanding Quarterback:
Nathan Collins- Robbinsville
Kellen Rumfelt- Murphy
Outstanding Running Back-
Lex Hooper- Robbinsville
Ray Rathburn- Murphy
Gavin Wilson- Andrews
Outstanding Wide Receiver-
Payton McCracken- Murphy
Tyler Anderson- Hayesville
Outstanding Offensive Lineman-
Yousef Mugharbil- Murphy
Ethan Taylor- Hayesville
Candler Edwards- Robbinsville
Carlos Wesley- Robbinsville
Aaron Dereberry- Andrews
Outstanding Defensive Back-
Payton McCracken- Murphy
Juan Allen- Murphy
Taylor McClure- Hayesville
Cuttler Adams- Robbinsville
Outstanding Linebacker-
Ray Rathburn- Murphy
Landon Jordan- Murphy
Drew Martin- Andrews
Outstanding Defensive Lineman-
Rossi Wachacha- Robbinsville
Carlos Wesley- Robbinsville
Benjamin Wachacha- Robbinsville
Rashad Davis- Murphy
Outstanding Athlete-
Kage Williams- Robbinsville
Blake McClure- Hayesville
Isaac Weaver- Andrews
Don Bradley- Cherokee
Carson Taylor- Swain
Outstanding Kicker-
Cody Kline- Robbinsville
Annie-Kate Dalton- Murphy
Lady Bulldogs Repeat as State Champs, Complete Dominant Playoff Run
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports March 6, 2021
Trinity, NC- The Murphy Lady Bulldogs faced the Princeton High School Lady Bulldogs in the NCHSAA 1A State Championship at Wheatmore High School in Trinity, North Carolina.
The Bulldogs topped off their DOMINANT playoff run with a 76-35 win over Princeton.
This was the fourth State Championship in school history and although they did not finish the season undefeated, it was perhaps the most impressive season in the history of the program. They were on the road for every playoff game, defeated the #1, #2, and #3 ranked schools in the state, all while outscoring playoff opponents by 132 points (336-204).
Murphy came into the game and left no doubt from start to finish who the best team in the state was. They had a chip on their shoulder after not being able to play in last years State Championship game, which was cancelled thanks to the COVID-19 protocols.
They found themselves down 5-0 early in the First, but that would be the only time they trailed in the entire game after rattling off a 12-0 run and ending the quarter leading 19-14.
The start of the Second quarter was all Kaiya Pickens. She knocked down three straight three pointers and accounted for 13 of the Dogs 26 points in the quarter. Torin Rogers capped off the second quarter with a deep buzzer beater three from the parking lot, allowing Murphy to take a 45-23 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The deep ball was falling early and often for Murphy, as they knocked down 8 threes in the first half.
In the Third quarter, Sarah Pullium ignited the Bulldogs on both sides of the ball as they held Princeton to 4 points in the entire quarter, and outscored them 24-4.
In the Fourth, some of the younger girls on this Murphy team gained some experience as Murphys starters sat for most of the quarter, and the Bulldogs ultimately came away with a 76-35 victory.
Murphy didn’t just dominate the game on the back of the three ball, they also outscored Princeton in the paint by double digits.
Torin Rogers led all scorers with 22 points. Sarah Pullium and Kaiya Pickens were right behind Rogers as Pullium tacked on 20 and Pickens 18. All three girls sat for most of the fourth quarter with the game already being out of reach.
This was the 128th Win for Head Coach and Athletic Director Ray Gutierrez during his tenure at Murphy.
Number of Fans Allowed at Football Games Increased to 30%
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports February 24, 2021
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced today that the cap on fans at sporting events would be increased.
The new order does not go into effect until Friday at 5 P.M. so this Thursdays games will still be under the 100 spectator rule.
Outdoor sports are allowed to have a maximum of 30% of the venues capacity, so even though we wont see stadiums filled, we will see an exponential increase in fans.
Indoor venues are also allowed a maximum of 30% capacity, but that is capped at 250 people no matter if 30% of the venue exceeds that number.
2,000 people is my best guess on what local area stadiums can hold. 30% of 2,000 is 600, so you can bounce that number around in your head when considering about how many fans will be allowed inside games.
At least this way all the parents of the kids will get to attend. We are taking steps in the right direction, and we can only hope that things will get back to normal sooner than later.
NCHSAA 1a Preseason Football Rankings
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports February 4, 2021
Football season is right around the corner in North Carolina. What a weird season it will be with games starting at the end of February.
The FYN Sports team has sat down and compiled our North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1A Football Rankings.
We took into account how the teams finished last year, the players that they had returning, and the strength of schedule that they will be playing. It is a shortened 7 game schedule for all North Carolina teams, so that was also taken into account.
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East Surry
East Surry throttled Tarboro in the Big 1A State Championship 56-28 last year. They lost a few seniors to college and one impact player who early enrolled since the season was moved, but they also return two division 1 guys and a handful of D2-D3 talent. We’ve got them going into the season ranked at Number 1 for a reason.
Photo From East Surry Athletics Facebook Page
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Tarboro
Tarboro advanced to the Big 1A State Championship last year and lost to the aforementioned East Surry Cardinals. That was the only blemish on their schedule last year, and the first loss the Vikings had suffered since 2016! In 2017 and 2018 they won back-to-back State Championships. I have heard rumors of Tarboro being in Little 1A or Big 1A. Same with a few other teams on this list. I would expect Tarboro to compete in either classification.
Photo From @TarboroFotball on Twitter
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Robbinsville
Photo From RHS Digital Media on Facebook
The kings of the Smoky Mountain Conference last year, overcoming “big brother’ Murphy twice. They beat Northampton 45-14 in the Little 1A State Championship. They are losing their main offensive weapon and star running back to graduation, but the Black Knights will look to reload as always. Coach Dee Walsh has the Knights competing for a title every year it seems. The Black Knights will look to repeat as State Champions by first winning the SMC again this year, a task some say is harder than winning the State title.
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Murphy
10-3 overall record last year, with 2 of those losses coming against defending Little 1A State Champions and Conference rival, Robbinsville. In the third round of the State Playoffs last year, they fell to Robbinsville 24-13 after previously losing to the Black Knights 17-14 at home in the regular season. Coach David Gentry definitely cannot be happy losing to that team across the County Line twice, and seeing them hoist the State Title means the Bulldogs will be out for blood this year. Circle Murphy @ Robbinsville on your calendar!
Photo courtesy of Stacey Posey
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John A. Holmes (Edenton)
The John A. Holmes Aces were rolling last year until they ran into Tarboro in the regional championship in Big 1A. 12-1 with a defense that allowed 7 or fewer points in games last year, I think that they will pose a threat to make a run at the Title, especially if Tarboro moves down and East Surry has lost more talent than it seems.
Photo From Edenton Aces Facebook page
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Mountain Island Charter
Photo from Irishsportsdaily.com
Southern Piedmont Conference Champs last year. Lost to East Surry in the Elite 8 in Big 1A. A high powered offense that scored 50 or more in 6 games last and has quite a few Juniors returning on the offensive side of the ball. The Raptors are building something and have finally made it over the hump with last years’ 11-3 season.
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Mitchell
Mitchell is the first team on this list where playing in February (and the weather that Febrary brings) could really hurt them. The Mountaineers are no stranger to bad weather in the winter months, and with the way this COVID season will work, they can’t afford any games lost due to inclement weather. Last year, they lost to East Surry in the Big 1A Regional Championship game. Look for them to have another good year, and perhaps find themselves back down in Little 1A.
Photo From sprucepinechevy.com
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Swain County
Last year, the Maroon Devils lost to Mitchell in the 2nd round of the Big 1A State Championships. In the regular season, they unfortunately faced Murphy and Robbinsville in back-to-back weeks on their schedule, where they fell to Murphy 15-14 and then were gassed by Robbinsville 43-6. It may be weird to see a team that finished third in their Conference ranked in the Top 10 in the State, but you have to remember what conference they play in, and the fact that these guys just seem to be able to compete year-in and year-out regardless. The Veer is a hard thing to beat in High School football.
Photo From Swain Pride on Facebook
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Northampton County
A cinderella story in last years Little 1A State Playoffs, they upset both Rosewood and North Edgecomb to advance to the State Championship before eventually falling to Robbinsville. 11-2 in 2017, then again in 2018 and the number 1 seed entering the playoffs where they lost to Rosewood in the third round. Northampton has produced a pretty good run of football teams here recently and I expect this year to be no different.
Photo from RRSpin.com
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Rosewood
The Eagles lost to Northampton 26-20 in the 3rd round of Little 1a playoffs in 2019. They went 11-2 and were the Carolina Conference Champions. In their lone regular season loss, they found themselves in a pretty tight one with 3A/4A C.B. Aycock. With a lot of returners and a good coaching staff, Rosewood is set to make waves yet again.
Photo from HUDL
NCHSAA- No more Little 1a and Big 1a Football in 2021
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports December 3, 2020
High School football is going to look entirely different come 2021.
After a 2020 season that will present its own challenges and has already been moved to the spring, don’t expect things to get back to our expected norm in the years to come.
The Board of Directors voted for a complete overhaul of the state football playoffs. Beginning next year there will no longer be any subclassifications, meaning that there will no longer be any Big 1a and Little 1a, instead there will only be the 1a classification.
Previously, there have been 8 state champions crowned in North Carolina. Two in each classification. Now the NCHSAA will only be crowning 4 state champions, as the classifications will no longer be cut in half. This mean 128 less teams in the NCHSAA state playoffs.
The board also voted to reduce the number of regular season games from 11 to 10, including an endowment game.
Realignment for the classifications will happen on December 10th.
NCHSAA: Athletes playing indoor sports required to wear masks
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports November 13, 2020
When you enter a High School gym in North Carolina, things will look a lot different than what you have become accustomed to if you have been to sporting events in Tennessee or Georgia.
Not only will the coaches and fans be wearing masks, now the players will be wearing them too.
In an email sent out yesterday to North Carolina High School Athletic Association members, the association announced that players are required to wear face masks during practices and contests, beginning Monday.
Previously, athletes were not required to wear masks when they were actively competing or practicing.
The NCHSAA also said a student with a medical condition that would not allow them to wear a face mask during competition would need medical clearance from a licensed doctor.
Que Tucker, the NCHSAA commisioner wrote in the email:
This decision has been a long time coming, and I would expect it to overflow into sports and activities that are not just inside.
The NCHSAA has already made it known that North Carolina High School sporting events will only be allowed 25 fans total. Most schools are only allowing home team parents.
NCHSAA: Spectators will be required to wear masks at sporting events
Sports, TeamFYNSports October 26, 2020
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association announced last week some new information regarding health and safety protocols for when NCHSAA sanctioned events finally resume.
Once things ramp back up in North Carolina, spectators will be limited to 30% of venue capacity, or 100 people, whichever is less. Seven people per 1,000 Square feet will be the measurement that is used if an arenas capacity is unknown.
Events at indoor venues will be limited to 25 spectators. That does not include players, coaches or event staff.
Governor Roy Coopers executive orders and mandates are the reason that the NCHSAA has had to make these rules and regulations.
If anyone on a team or any personnel surrounding that team tests positive for COVID, anyone who was around that person and in close personal contact with then for more than fifteen minutes will be required to quarantine for 14 days after the last exposure to the positive individual.
For athletes and coaches/personnel to return to team activities, they must pass this checklist:
- at least 10 days have passed since a positive test
- no fever or use of fever-reducing medication;
- improvement of symptoms, excluding persistent loss of taste or smell;
- Return to Play form from a licensed health care provider
The NCHSAA will require masks to be worn at all times at contests by everyone except for the athletes that are participating in the contest that is taking place. Those expected to wear face coverings include: officials, spectators, coaches, staff, and others.
If you have attended any Georgia High School sporting events lately while the NCHSAA has been postponed, you will realize that the NCHSAA implemented a lot of rules that the GHSA is not enforcing.
NCHSAA releases offseason guidelines
Sports, TeamFYNSports August 26, 2020Earlier today, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association released guidelines for offseason skill development. These guidelines are eerily similar to and closely follow the previous phase 2 guidelines, while giving a little insight of what coaches can and can not do and expect of their players during the offseason.
“Any coach who promotes the idea that taking part in off-season skill development is required is blatantly out of compliance with the intent and purpose of this rule,” the guidelines say.
The objective for these guidelines as told by the NCHSAA is “To provide guidance for member schools to consider in designing return-to-activity protocols in accordance with state, county and NCHSAA regulations. It allows for a coordinated reopening following the initial stay at home orders and may also be used if conditions dictate the need for increased restrictions in the future; thus, the NCHSAA has developed a multi-phased approach.”
Some key takeaways from the release are:
- On a given day, an athlete is limited to 90 minutes of skill development or weight training/conditioning during the academic school year calendar, inclusive of all weekends, holidays, workdays, etc. Skill development sessions are not. Sport specific sessions are not to exceed 90 minutes in duration (inclusive of warm-up, cool-down, meetings, video review, breaks, etc.).
- Eighth graders are not permitted to participate in skill development sessions on high school campuses.
- Contests or combined practices between member schools are prohibited during off-season skill development
- Any individual affiliated with an NCHSAA member high school must abide by the skill development, out-of-season workout rules. If this individual also coaches a “non-school” or “club team” outside the sports season but during the school year, and has any students from the high school on that outside team, he or she cannot work with any of them during a dead period and are restricted to the maximum number allowable per sport.
- Due to possibility of recurrent outbreaks in the coming months, administrators must be prepared for periodic school closures and the possibility of some teams having to isolate for two or more weeks while in-season. The NCHSAA will provide guidance regarding practice and/or competition during temporary school closures, the cancellation of contests during the regular season, and parameters for the cancellation or premature ending to post-season events/competitions.
Dead Periods:
1. 1st five student days of the academic school year
2. Last five student days of 1st semester
3. Last ten student days of 2nd semester
4. Additional sport season dead period will be announced by the Board of Directors
Phase 2 extended past sports resumption date
Cherokee County Schools, Murphy Bulldogs, Murphy High, TeamFYNSports August 5, 2020
Earlier today, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced that he was extending phase 2 of the reopening plan until at least September 11. The North Carolina fall sports season was set to begin on September 1st.
Phase 2 of the reopening began on August 3rd and allowed athletes to practice with some equipment, including balls, but still does not allow the use of protective equipment which is vital to football.
Phase 2 also requires social distancing.
The NCHSAA has yet to comment on the governors decision and the effect it will have on the upcoming season. As of now though, sports will not be happening on September 1st.
“We do not have anything to share at this point. We will be providing an update to the membership very soon,” NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker said.
As of Wednesday morning, a majority of NCHSAA member schools have resumed sports workouts. It is the first time a majority of schools have resumed sports activities since sports were suspended due to the coronavirus in march.
Stay tuned to FYN Sports for an update on the ongoing situation and to hear the NCHSAA’s latest stament.
NCHSAA moves into phase 2
Cherokee County Schools, Murphy High July 28, 2020Phase 2 of the reopening plan will begin on August 3rd. The new phase does not change the number of student athletes who will be allowed to practice in groups, but it does introduce some new equipment. Social distancing will still be enforced, however kids will finally be able to start practicing with balls again.
Some other new things that come with phase 2 are:
- Sharing of equipment is permissible within small groups.
- Wearing protective equipment remains prohibited.
- Equipment must be disinfected frequently.
- 1st Responders are not required.
The NCHSAA Staff has been working closely with the NCHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) on recommendations for member schools regarding summer activities that align with NC DHHS directives. The guidance utilizes a phased approach for NCHSAA athletes and is intended to help school administrators, coaches, parents, students, and communities navigate a gradual reopening of high school athletic activities.
The health and safety measures outlined in this plan were formed utilizing CDC, DHHS, and NCHSAA information at this time. It is recognized, however, that the information and circumstances concerning COVID-19 remain fluid and variable. Therefore, these guidelines are subject to change in conjunction with new knowledge of COVID-19 or changing social conditions.
Again, these guidelines do not become effective until August 3rd.
NC High School sports delayed until Sept. 1st
Business July 15, 2020
The start of fall high school sports has been delayed until at least September 1st, being pushed back a month from the original start date of August 1st, due to the COVID pandemic.
Also, for the first five days of the 2020-2021 school year, all sports activities will be paused to allow students and school staff to focus on getting the school year started and back to as much normalcy as possible.
NCHSAA commisioner Que Tucker released a statement regarding the ever-changing status of the situation:
“We acknowledge that playing certain sports are more problematic at any time without a vaccine; however, we remain in consultation with our Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) members, and they believe we can and should offer a sports program, with all necessary modifications, delays, etc. In the coming weeks, we will continue working with the SMAC as we plan our next steps for the fall, as well as determining when equipment could be shared-i.e. balls- and/or if we can move into Phase 2 of the summer workouts/conditioning,”
Gov. Cooper leaves athletics decision up to NCHSAA
Murphy Bulldogs, Murphy High, Sports, TeamFYNSports July 14, 2020
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper held a press conference earlier today, where he announced that school systems will be operating on Plan B which is a split, virtual and in person system this fall. School districts are also allowed to operate under plan C, which is strictly virtual online learning. Regarding sports, he announced that he is leaving the decision about whether or not to have upcoming athletics seasons to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA).
Cooper stated,“The NCHSAA will be making the decisions about high school sports and what they’re going to engage in.” He went on to say, “I love fall sports and enjoyed playing them in high school. I know a lot of our student-athletes want to get back into playing sports. NCHSAA will be consulting with public health experts, including our staff here at the Department of Health and Human Services. It’s my understanding that they will be making specific decisions a little bit later on in the process.”
Plan B is what the Governor has implemented going forward, which will probably work out to where about 50% of students will be taking classes in person and the other 50% will be taking online classes. Earlier this month Que Tucker, the NCHSAA commissioner, said earlier this month that Plan B would be the most concerning if implemented because it leaves so much unknown.
She also commented, “By Aug. 17, if we have an understanding from NCDHHS that we can proceed with higher-risk sports and what those health and safety guidelines would be, we could then move forward and be able to play some games. If you back up from that, when the governor makes an announcement, we’ll have a better feel for the Aug. 1 date for first official practice for fall sports or whether we’d have to push things back to Aug. 15 or Sept. 1 I try not to draw any lines in the sand or cross any lines. If we get an Oct. 1 date, for example, to go ahead and play some sports, it would be incumbent upon us as a staff to put together some sort of a schedule for those kids to play, even if it’s a month or a month and a half, and end with a conference championship. But it’s not fair to students or coaches to preempt what the governor and his team are trying to do to keep us safe as North Carolinians.”
North Carolina will remain in phase 2 of the reopening process for three more weeks, which leaves the NCHSAA operating under phase one of their plan.
NC High School & Middle School Sports Postponed Indefinitely
Community, Press Release, Sports March 12, 2020
CHAPEL HILL, NC – Due to the threat from COVID-19, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) has made the decision to postpone the 2020 Men’s and Women’s Basketball State Championships and all interscholastic athletics indefinitely.
“As much as we would like this opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches, and their communities, we know that ultimately any decision we make must err on the side of caution,” said Commissioner Que Tucker.
The Board of Directors also moved to suspend interscholastic athletics beginning at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 13, 2020, through Monday, April 6th, 2020. The NCHSAA Board of Directors will assess this situation regularly over the next few weeks. This includes all workouts, skill development, practices, and contests.