Let’s Talk Playoffs!

OtisDriftwood

All-Conference
Sep 22, 2001
6,965
1,867
113
Eat Wilkes will be physical and have speed up front and skill positions. I think 3 in backfield won state in track last spring. Playing at Murphy on cold Nov night will be tough!
Would love to see it! But first, East will have to get through Corvian, and Murphy will have to get through CSOD or a healthier Swain, assuming the Dogs take care of business against Albemarle or Cherokee.
 

Tarheel50

Senior
Aug 31, 2011
1,057
901
73
No clue, but you weren't actually asking were you? I hate the kid got hurt, but looked like it was a missed down block on #56 and #50 got taken out in the process.

Of course if we're going to throw around accusations I'd add that Swain was going at #71 of Murphy's knees all night and eventually took him out of the game in the 4th Q.
LT dove straight at the knee. No other argument can be made.
 

EWCards

All-Conference
Aug 19, 2004
1,370
1,166
83
I would love for us to get a shot at Murphy. It would be a heck of a game. I know we played down there a few years ago, came back with an L 38-34 off POOR play calling.

Again, one game at a time, long road ahead of us.
 

TarVikes1

Junior
Nov 23, 2017
177
211
43
Something in the HSRatings system changed overnight. It now has Murphy coming out of the west. But all of the games between Murphy, Corvian, Starmount, East Wilkes are all within 1-3 points
 
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EWCards

All-Conference
Aug 19, 2004
1,370
1,166
83
Something in the HSRatings system changed overnight. It now has Murphy coming out of the west. But all of the games between Murphy, Corvian, Starmount, East Wilkes are all within 1-3 points
Is that a subscription only or is it free?
 

EWCards

All-Conference
Aug 19, 2004
1,370
1,166
83
Eat Wilkes will be physical and have speed up front and skill positions. I think 3 in backfield won state in track last spring. Playing at Murphy on cold Nov night will be tough!
The qb and the 2 wings. One of the 2nd string rb was apart of it as well as the kicker.
 

EWCards

All-Conference
Aug 19, 2004
1,370
1,166
83
For all the historians, what's the lowest seed to ever make it to a state championship, regional, etc.
 

recycled2

Freshman
Jul 7, 2025
47
77
18
Murphy plays very dirty. Have all year.
That is open to interpretation. I will admit they seem to have some plays that cross the line. I think much of it comes from the fact that they seem very undisciplined. Do I think they cross the line? Yes, do I think it is a team wide problem? No.
 

beamer24

All-American
Jul 16, 2009
7,570
6,231
113
Davie County made it to states years ago as like a 10th seed or something and got throttled at Wake Forest but they filled there side of the stadium up.
 
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SMC Observer

Sophomore
Apr 10, 2012
318
182
43
I’ve heard that some swain fans have been accusing Murphy of playing dirty since Friday night, even going so far as to accuse the Murphy coaches of teaching kids to play that way. We know that is complete BS. Don’t take the bait. Just a few sore losers crying because they got stomped.
This is a very physical Murphy team, definitely the most physical since at least spring of '21 and probably further back than that. A lot of these fellow SMC fans are not used to seeing Murphy play like this nowadays. Swain and Robbinsville have had multiple big physical groups in the last 15 years that were also accused by some of being dirty, when in reality a really physical football team is going to toe the line between what is considered hard nosed football and what may go too far at times...

Do I think there's been some plays that crossed the line this year? Yes, but you can say that for almost any football team any season, this is a contact sport played by teenagers. In no way do I think anything that's happened this year qualifies the whole group as being "dirty" and like you said in no way shape or form have the Murphy players been encouraged to cross the line by the coaching staff. Coach Watson, Coach Curtis. etc. are not those kind of coaches or men.
 
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Deana_King

Senior
Staff member
Mar 4, 2019
525
875
93
That was the one I remember.
Rosman knocked off heavyweights (Cummings, Thomasville, & Maiden I think) and got home field advantage (back then if you knocked off a higher seeded team you earned that spot) and a higher seeded Starmount team that was loaded had to travel 3.5 hours to play in the mountains. Had a very questionable call on a punt return TD that in all likelihood would have given the Rams a win.

Starmount played #16 seeded North Edgecombe for title in 1998. BUT NE was no ordinary 16 seed having lost some early games due to the destruction of that flood in that area and some injuries to their major players.

 
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Ball704336

Freshman
Jul 14, 2025
86
92
17
Rosman knocked off heavyweights (Cummings, Thomasville, & Maiden I think) and got home field advantage (back then if you knocked off a higher seeded team you earned that spot) and a higher seeded Starmount team that was loaded had to travel 3.5 hours to play in the mountains. Had a very questionable call on a punt return TD that in all likelihood would have given the Rams a win.

Starmount played #16 seeded North Edgecombe for title in 1998. BUT NE was no ordinary 16 seed having lost some early games due to the destruction of that flood in that area and some injuries to their major players.

I remember that one. Starmount should have several state championships from the 90's and early 2000's. For different reasons things just didn't work out.
 

Deacs&Rams

Junior
Sep 23, 2018
260
256
63
I remember that one. Starmount should have several state championships from the 90's and early 2000's. For different reasons things just didn't work out.
The part of that article that mentions that they were 100-21 so far in the decade is pretty crazy. The next year they only lost one game. (worst call ever)

So I think they finished out the 90s being 112-22
 

DaBluePrint1

All-Conference
Aug 25, 2012
2,742
2,461
68
Corvian looked rather scary on film…yep Rams… good draw on your side of the bracket not to pick them up…EW if you guys get past Hayesville… this Corvian team is for real…A tough draw for anyone in 2a in the West from what i see.. perfect game to beat them… from what i see as well..They are beatable yes… just saying …A West Wilkes type physical.. with waaaaaaaaay more speed..and two amazing lineman..
 

80prepster

Redshirt
Sep 26, 2025
22
20
3
I remember that low scoring game between Starmount and Rosman. It was cold!!!

A few years earlier, the Rams led Thomasville 3-0 until late in the game….when the Dogs scored a touchdown on a controversial call. Starmount should have won that game. I think Mt. Airy beat Thomasville the very next week.
 

Deana_King

Senior
Staff member
Mar 4, 2019
525
875
93
I remember that low scoring game between Starmount and Rosman. It was cold!!!

A few years earlier, the Rams led Thomasville 3-0 until late in the game….when the Dogs scored a touchdown on a controversial call. Starmount should have won that game. I think Mt. Airy beat Thomasville the very next week.
That was against Swain. Josh Oakes hit a school record 52-yard FG late in the 4th quarter and Swain “completed” a long pass and scored a few seconds before the clock ran out.

Talk about sick..knowing the guy didn’t catch it and seeing it on the highlights made it even worse. That team had the chance to repeat because that defense was so tough. Led the state in points allowed. Current Rams coach Josh Pardue was on those 98 and 99 teams so that why his teams can play defense!
 
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80prepster

Redshirt
Sep 26, 2025
22
20
3
That was against Swain. Josh Oakes hit a school record 52-yard FG late in the 4th quarter and Swain “completed” a long pass and scored a few seconds before the clock ran out.

Talk about sick..knowing the guy didn’t catch it and seeing it on the highlights made it even worse. That team had the chance to repeat because that defense was so tough. Led the state in points allowed. Current Rams coach Josh Pardue was on those 98 and 99 teams so that why his teams can play defense!

The game I was thinking of Deana was Starmount at Thomasville in 1990 that the Rams should have won. If I’m not mistaken, it was the first time the Rams had played the Bulldogs in the playoffs, and may have been before your tenure. There have been too many close ones….Rosman, Thomasville, Monroe, Bandys….
 

Ball704336

Freshman
Jul 14, 2025
86
92
17
Corvian looked rather scary on film…yep Rams… good draw on your side of the bracket not to pick them up…EW if you guys get past Hayesville… this Corvian team is for real…A tough draw for anyone in 2a in the West from what i see.. perfect game to beat them… from what i see as well..They are beatable yes… just saying …A West Wilkes type physical.. with waaaaaaaaay more speed..and two amazing lineman..
CSD looks scary in that game against Corvian as well.
 
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Deana_King

Senior
Staff member
Mar 4, 2019
525
875
93
The game I was thinking of Deana was Starmount at Thomasville in 1990 that the Rams should have won. If I’m not mistaken, it was the first time the Rams had played the Bulldogs in the playoffs, and may have been before your tenure. There have been too many close ones….Rosman, Thomasville, Monroe, Bandys….
Yeah we lost 7-3 to Thomasville at THS. Said Carlos stepped out of bounds
 

Tarboroviking18

All-Conference
Mar 24, 2023
1,049
1,695
113
Corvian looked rather scary on film…yep Rams… good draw on your side of the bracket not to pick them up…EW if you guys get past Hayesville… this Corvian team is for real…A tough draw for anyone in 2a in the West from what i see.. perfect game to beat them… from what i see as well..They are beatable yes… just saying …A West Wilkes type physical.. with waaaaaaaaay more speed..and two amazing lineman..
I doubt they better than last year. I didn't consider them unbeatable last year either TBH.
 

DaBluePrint1

All-Conference
Aug 25, 2012
2,742
2,461
68
CSD looks very scary against Corvian.. not sure how Corvian scored so quickly to even win that game with so little time remaining. Both are good teams.