Bryson City – Swain finished the regular season by winning 5 of their last 6 games and finishing 2nd in the Smoky Mountain Conference. Last Friday the Devils took care of Robbinsville 14-0 to conclude the regular season. With the win the Devils finish with a 5-1 conference record and 5-6 overall. Swain will enter the playoffs with a 5-5 record.
The Maroon Devils offense sprang to life in the second half Friday, posting a touchdown in the third and fourth quarters. Chris Miller and Brodie Bowman each rushed for a touchdown. Keshaun Beaner paced Swain’s rushing attack with 78 yards on 15 carries, while Bowman wasn’t far behind, finishing with 70 yards on 16 carries. Holden Petty made good on both extra point attempts.
Swain’s defense was the star on the night. The Devils limited Robbinsville to only 148 yards of total offense on the evening and earned their first shutout of the season. On the ground Swain limited the Knights to 111 yards on 38 carries, including only 33 yards in the second half.
Linebackers Wren Gunter and Ice Littlejohn buoyed the defense, Gunter finished with 16 tackles, while Littlejohn had 8. The defensive line was solid all game. Senior Johnny Woodard finished with 13 tackles, including 2 sacks, while fellow senior Craig Cutshaw finished with 9 tackles and Will Paul had 6.