The Rosman Tigers head over to Graham County this friday to renew a playoff rivalry that dates all the way back to the 1960's when the Tigers were a member of the old Pisgah Conference and Robbinsville a member of the A/AA Smoky Mountain Conference...
There are many common ties between the Black Knights and the Tigers with both schools being virtually the same size in terms of the number of students...Both communities are similar and not as isolated today as they were back in those early years when it was a 2-lane road between Rosman and Asheville with the same being said for the Robbinsville area...Although, I can't remember exactly when Hwy 74 expanded to 4 lanes?...Don't think it was there back then, but can't say for certain?
Anyway, friday night will be the 40th time that these two teams have faced off, and Robbinsville holds a commanding 29-10 advantage all-time against the Tigers....Best I can remember, Rosman has only won twice at Big Oaks Stadium...Once when Dan Essenburg was coaching back in the mid 90's...Think it was 1995 when Rosman beat the Black Knights 25-8, but one of those team members from those years will have to verify that?....Tigers also won(28-21) at Robbinsville back in 2006 in Coach Jim Fox's final season at the helm of the Tigers.....Other than that, it's been a long run of smackdowns, mixed with a close game every now and then...Earlier this season, it was close for a half at least(21-13) before Robbinsville kicked-in the jets, and pulled-away for a relatively easy 42-13 victory over the Tigers...
Robbinsville won 3 titles before the modern era even started with a Region 4 title in 1965, followed by state titles in 69' and 70' with a QB by the name of Mark Manuel leading the way for ledgendary Coach Bob Colvin....Manuel would go on to play DB at Wake Forest before taking over the Rosman Head Coaching job in 1976 with Assistants Reverand J.K. Pressley coaching the O and D line, and a young and very enthusiastic WR Coach in Marty "the stump" Griffin....Coach Manuel's best season came in his 2nd year in 1977 as the Tigers won the old Appalachian Conference, but lost 2 close games that year to the Black Knights, marking the first time that these two schools had met twice during the same season...Rosman was poised to win that 77' playoff game with the ball inside the Robbinsville 30yd line, and leading 9-7 with 2 minutes left in the game, but Jr. QB Billy Powell heard a whistle from the stands, and thought the play had been blown dead, so he laid the ball on the ground, and Robbinsville's Shane Laughter picked it up, and raced to the other end with the game winning points(14-9)....The next 2 games were anti-climatic for the Black Knights who thrashed Maxton 60-6 before hammering Rock Ridge(42-7)....It was the Tigers frist chance in the modern-era to earn a state title....Of course, there are more of those playoff heartbreaks with the Black Knights, like that 6-0 Robbinsivlle win in 1982 when Rosman Coach Jim Fox decided that he wanted his son to throw a pass right before the half, and the Black Knights intercepted the pass, and ran it back for a TD.... Junior QB Eddie Fox broke his hand or ankle on the play, and the 2nd half was played in a defensive stalemate...It's still the combined fewest points ever scored in a game between the Black Knights and Tigers...The epic 4-overtime battle the following year in Rosman in 1983 is still considered one of the greastest games in the mountains, and would have been remembered even more if the right call by Head official Clarence Pressley had been made because the Tigers would have probably won the state that year as well....The interesting thing about that season that is seldom if ever mentioned, is the fact that neither Rosman nor Robbinsville had won their respective conferences that season...Tryon won the Appalachian, and Andrews won the SMC for the last time to date...Both the Black Knights and Tigers beat the Conference champs from the SMC and AAC in round 1 to set up the epic playoff game...As for Head Official Clarence Pressley, the NCHSAA ruled he and his crew was NEVER to call another game that Rosman played, but that was, and still is little solace for another possible title season that slipped thru the hands of the Tigers....Jim Fox left after that 83' season to Coach Pisgah, but Rosman returned a lot of players including LBer Freddie Whitman, and the Tigers later that season ended the 5-year reign of the defending state champs from Robbinsville, beating the Black Knights 21-6 and SMC champ Cullowhee(10-7) in round 2. before losing to Jamesville(6-0) in their first state championship game appearance....
The Western Final game in 92' when the Tigers had 2 whole days(Tongue & Cheek...lol) to prepare after a postponed Monday night playoff win at Bladenboro for the Black Knights' Notre Dame box offense led by McCracken, is another sore-spot for Tiger fans to remember...It was also the final time to date that Robbinsville played for a state championship....I honestly don't remember the last undefeated Robbinsville state champion, so a Black Knights' fan would have to give us that info...I'm thinking 1970's or early 1980's, but don't really know the exact year...
That brings us to this year....The top 3 SMC teams are still going strong, and are favored to win their 2nd round games at home against their 2nd round playoff opponents...The 4th place SMC team also won it's first round game, but will now travel to the SMC Champ....Most rational fans will say Robbinsville by at least 3 or 4 TDs, and it's really hard to argue that, since the Black Knights beat the Tigers by 4 TDs in the first meeting....The Tigers face very long odds this friday more so than they did back in 2003 when they shocked the 2nd-seeded Hayesville Yellowjackets in Hayesville in the 2nd round...A game that Robbinsville Head Coach Dee Walsh is very familiar with since he was the Offensive Coordinator for Hayesville back then....The difference is simple, Rosman had double-digit number of Seniors on that 2003 team, while this team has only 4 Seniors....There was also the humiliation factor back in 2003 after Hayesville beat Rosman 50-0 on Homecoming, even going for a 2pt conversion late to make it an even 50....That 2003 Rosman team never forgot that when the two teams met again in the playoffs!
Speaking of Dee Walsh, he has a chance this season to do something that very few Coaches get the opportunity to do, and that is to Play on a Championship team(1974), and then later, Coach that same school(Robbinsville) to a state title(2014-?)....It has to be a motivation for this group of Robbinsville Seniors to try and achieve that goal for Coach Walsh who took over the Robbinsville program again in 2008...Don't remember if that 1974 team that Dee played on was undefeated or not, but I have heard and read things thru the years from SMC fans who remember that 1974 Robbinsville squad that won a state title along with fellow 2A SMC foe Murphy that season...
I have to say that I'm really proud of this year's Rosman Tigers who have faced lots of adversity all year long, but seem to be playing their best football of the season....Will it be enough to knock off an Unbeaten Black Knights' team at Big Oaks Stadium this friday?....Long odds for sure, but would for just once like to see lady luck shine on the Tigers this friday....
Roar Tigers Roar!
There are many common ties between the Black Knights and the Tigers with both schools being virtually the same size in terms of the number of students...Both communities are similar and not as isolated today as they were back in those early years when it was a 2-lane road between Rosman and Asheville with the same being said for the Robbinsville area...Although, I can't remember exactly when Hwy 74 expanded to 4 lanes?...Don't think it was there back then, but can't say for certain?
Anyway, friday night will be the 40th time that these two teams have faced off, and Robbinsville holds a commanding 29-10 advantage all-time against the Tigers....Best I can remember, Rosman has only won twice at Big Oaks Stadium...Once when Dan Essenburg was coaching back in the mid 90's...Think it was 1995 when Rosman beat the Black Knights 25-8, but one of those team members from those years will have to verify that?....Tigers also won(28-21) at Robbinsville back in 2006 in Coach Jim Fox's final season at the helm of the Tigers.....Other than that, it's been a long run of smackdowns, mixed with a close game every now and then...Earlier this season, it was close for a half at least(21-13) before Robbinsville kicked-in the jets, and pulled-away for a relatively easy 42-13 victory over the Tigers...
Robbinsville won 3 titles before the modern era even started with a Region 4 title in 1965, followed by state titles in 69' and 70' with a QB by the name of Mark Manuel leading the way for ledgendary Coach Bob Colvin....Manuel would go on to play DB at Wake Forest before taking over the Rosman Head Coaching job in 1976 with Assistants Reverand J.K. Pressley coaching the O and D line, and a young and very enthusiastic WR Coach in Marty "the stump" Griffin....Coach Manuel's best season came in his 2nd year in 1977 as the Tigers won the old Appalachian Conference, but lost 2 close games that year to the Black Knights, marking the first time that these two schools had met twice during the same season...Rosman was poised to win that 77' playoff game with the ball inside the Robbinsville 30yd line, and leading 9-7 with 2 minutes left in the game, but Jr. QB Billy Powell heard a whistle from the stands, and thought the play had been blown dead, so he laid the ball on the ground, and Robbinsville's Shane Laughter picked it up, and raced to the other end with the game winning points(14-9)....The next 2 games were anti-climatic for the Black Knights who thrashed Maxton 60-6 before hammering Rock Ridge(42-7)....It was the Tigers frist chance in the modern-era to earn a state title....Of course, there are more of those playoff heartbreaks with the Black Knights, like that 6-0 Robbinsivlle win in 1982 when Rosman Coach Jim Fox decided that he wanted his son to throw a pass right before the half, and the Black Knights intercepted the pass, and ran it back for a TD.... Junior QB Eddie Fox broke his hand or ankle on the play, and the 2nd half was played in a defensive stalemate...It's still the combined fewest points ever scored in a game between the Black Knights and Tigers...The epic 4-overtime battle the following year in Rosman in 1983 is still considered one of the greastest games in the mountains, and would have been remembered even more if the right call by Head official Clarence Pressley had been made because the Tigers would have probably won the state that year as well....The interesting thing about that season that is seldom if ever mentioned, is the fact that neither Rosman nor Robbinsville had won their respective conferences that season...Tryon won the Appalachian, and Andrews won the SMC for the last time to date...Both the Black Knights and Tigers beat the Conference champs from the SMC and AAC in round 1 to set up the epic playoff game...As for Head Official Clarence Pressley, the NCHSAA ruled he and his crew was NEVER to call another game that Rosman played, but that was, and still is little solace for another possible title season that slipped thru the hands of the Tigers....Jim Fox left after that 83' season to Coach Pisgah, but Rosman returned a lot of players including LBer Freddie Whitman, and the Tigers later that season ended the 5-year reign of the defending state champs from Robbinsville, beating the Black Knights 21-6 and SMC champ Cullowhee(10-7) in round 2. before losing to Jamesville(6-0) in their first state championship game appearance....
The Western Final game in 92' when the Tigers had 2 whole days(Tongue & Cheek...lol) to prepare after a postponed Monday night playoff win at Bladenboro for the Black Knights' Notre Dame box offense led by McCracken, is another sore-spot for Tiger fans to remember...It was also the final time to date that Robbinsville played for a state championship....I honestly don't remember the last undefeated Robbinsville state champion, so a Black Knights' fan would have to give us that info...I'm thinking 1970's or early 1980's, but don't really know the exact year...
That brings us to this year....The top 3 SMC teams are still going strong, and are favored to win their 2nd round games at home against their 2nd round playoff opponents...The 4th place SMC team also won it's first round game, but will now travel to the SMC Champ....Most rational fans will say Robbinsville by at least 3 or 4 TDs, and it's really hard to argue that, since the Black Knights beat the Tigers by 4 TDs in the first meeting....The Tigers face very long odds this friday more so than they did back in 2003 when they shocked the 2nd-seeded Hayesville Yellowjackets in Hayesville in the 2nd round...A game that Robbinsville Head Coach Dee Walsh is very familiar with since he was the Offensive Coordinator for Hayesville back then....The difference is simple, Rosman had double-digit number of Seniors on that 2003 team, while this team has only 4 Seniors....There was also the humiliation factor back in 2003 after Hayesville beat Rosman 50-0 on Homecoming, even going for a 2pt conversion late to make it an even 50....That 2003 Rosman team never forgot that when the two teams met again in the playoffs!
Speaking of Dee Walsh, he has a chance this season to do something that very few Coaches get the opportunity to do, and that is to Play on a Championship team(1974), and then later, Coach that same school(Robbinsville) to a state title(2014-?)....It has to be a motivation for this group of Robbinsville Seniors to try and achieve that goal for Coach Walsh who took over the Robbinsville program again in 2008...Don't remember if that 1974 team that Dee played on was undefeated or not, but I have heard and read things thru the years from SMC fans who remember that 1974 Robbinsville squad that won a state title along with fellow 2A SMC foe Murphy that season...
I have to say that I'm really proud of this year's Rosman Tigers who have faced lots of adversity all year long, but seem to be playing their best football of the season....Will it be enough to knock off an Unbeaten Black Knights' team at Big Oaks Stadium this friday?....Long odds for sure, but would for just once like to see lady luck shine on the Tigers this friday....
Roar Tigers Roar!
