Let’s go ahead and address the elephant in the room. Murphy has NEVER won a state championship at the 1 AA level. NEVER even played for a State Championship at that level. With their 500+ enrollment, they have no problem beating the Plymouth’s and Jones Counties (both with enrollments of 300+) of the world in the small 1A division.
FACTS: Murphy started playing 1AA in 2001. Here are the playoff scores:
2001 East Surry 17 Murphy 13
2002 Starmount 38 Murphy 12
2003 Hendersonville 27 Murphy 13
2004 Bessemer City 28 Murphy 21
2005 Thomasville 41 Murphy 0
2006 Mount Airy 42 Murphy 20
2007 W. Montgomery 54 Murphy 21
2008 Hendersonville 27 Murphy 20
2009 Albemarle 35. Murphy 28
Now comes along the Early College concept. Voila! Murphy ships about 75-100 students 5 miles up the road to that school (and by the way, according to School Board policy, these students are not allowed to participate in athletics at Murphy, therefore do not count in Murphy’s enrollment!!) How sweet! So Murphy now has the same athletes, but gets to play in 1A!
Beginning in 2010, Murphy starts its winning tradition again playing the 1A schools and beating most of them.
Now it’s 2017 and because of the reduction in the number of 1A schools making the playoffs, Murphy once again finds itself back in 1AA.
2017 Mount Airy 49 Murphy 35.
I rest my case!!!!!
FACTS: Murphy started playing 1AA in 2001. Here are the playoff scores:
2001 East Surry 17 Murphy 13
2002 Starmount 38 Murphy 12
2003 Hendersonville 27 Murphy 13
2004 Bessemer City 28 Murphy 21
2005 Thomasville 41 Murphy 0
2006 Mount Airy 42 Murphy 20
2007 W. Montgomery 54 Murphy 21
2008 Hendersonville 27 Murphy 20
2009 Albemarle 35. Murphy 28
Now comes along the Early College concept. Voila! Murphy ships about 75-100 students 5 miles up the road to that school (and by the way, according to School Board policy, these students are not allowed to participate in athletics at Murphy, therefore do not count in Murphy’s enrollment!!) How sweet! So Murphy now has the same athletes, but gets to play in 1A!
Beginning in 2010, Murphy starts its winning tradition again playing the 1A schools and beating most of them.
Now it’s 2017 and because of the reduction in the number of 1A schools making the playoffs, Murphy once again finds itself back in 1AA.
2017 Mount Airy 49 Murphy 35.
I rest my case!!!!!