BY SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
ROBBINSVILLE – Tye Mintz, filling in at quarterback for an injured Brandon Buchanan, netted a total of 167 yards on Friday, Nov. 7 as the Braves (3-8) traveled to Robbinsville to take on the undefeated Robbinsville Black Knights (11-0). Mintz completed 19 of 34 passes for 136 yards and 1TD and ran 10 times for 31 yards and another score, but the Black Knights were just too much on the cold night as they came away with the victory 50-20.
Logan Teesateskie led the Braves defense with 15 tackles followed by Jaron Bradley with 14 and Kennan Panther, who is second in the state in tackles, with 12. Teesateskie also had two interceptions in the game.
The first half was all Robbinsville as they scored five times with Skyler Matheson being involved in three of those. He started out with a 54-yard touchdown run less than a minute in. Then, later in the first quarter, Cruz Galaviz ran it in from 9 yards out for the score.
Two minutes into the second quarter, Matheson threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Lane Milsaps and five minutes later Matheson ran for a 17-yard score. Millsaps followed that with a 4-yard run with just one minute left in the quarter and Robbinsville took a 36-0 lead into the locker room.
Tye Mintz (#7), Braves back-up quarterback, scores a touchdown in the third quarter. On the game, he completed 19 of 34 passes for 136 yards and 1TD and ran 10 times for 31 yards and another score. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather)
Cherokee came back in the third quarter firing. They started the first possession at their own 35-yard line and put together an 8-play drive that culminated in a 15-yard touchdown run by Mintz. The two point conversion was no good and Robbinsville led 36-6 at the 8:17 mark of the third.
Robbinsville started their next possession at their own 42-yard line, but they wouldn’t have it long as Teesateskie intercepted the ball at the Robbinsville 45. Nine plays later, Mintz hit Jason McMillan in the dark corner of the end zone for a touchdown. McMillan then caught the two-point conversion from Mintz to make it 36-14 at the 3:34 mark.
Robbinsville had great field possession following an onside kick try by the Braves, and on the next play, Matheson hit Chandler Jumper for a 6-yard touchdown pass. The point-after was good and Robbinsville extended its lead to 43-14 with three minutes left in the third.
The Braves had to turn the ball over on downs on the next possession, and Robbinsville started from their own 41-yard line. Three plays later, Matheson ran it in from 12 yards out for his third rushing touchdown of the game. The point-after was good and Robbinsville led 50-14 with 9:44 left in the game.
Braves fans got a chance to warm up though as McMillan took the ensuing kickoff 84 yards to the house. The two-point try failed and Robbinsville led 50-20 which is how the game would end.
The Braves travel to Pine Lake Prep for the first round of the 1A state playoffs on Friday, Nov. 14 with a scheduled kickoff at 7:30pm.
To view or purchase photos from this game, visit https://onefeather.smugmug.com/SPORTS/FOOTBALL/2014-FOOTBALL-Cherokee-at/
