Football Recap: Murphy Comes Up Short Despite Aayden Williams' Big Defensive Game + How To Watch

After flying high against East Surry last Friday, Murphy came back down to earth. The Bulldogs came up short against the A.C. Reynolds Rockets on Friday, falling 34-14. The Bulldogs were up 14-0 in the first quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead.

Blake Davis

Rushing Yards

09/05/25 vs East Surry	46
08/29/25 @ Heard County	69
08/22/25 @ Franklin	109
09/12/25 @ A.C. Reynolds	140

Despite the defeat, Murphy saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Blake Davis rushed for 140 yards and one touchdown on only 13 carries. Those 140 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Davis.

Murphy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Aayden Williams, Grayson Hall, and Dontae Barber picked up one apiece.

It was another big night for Kayden Ray, who picked up 142 receiving yards and a pair of scores for A.C. Reynolds. Ray showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 68 yards. Jayden Castillo made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.

Murphy's loss dropped their record down to 2-2. As for A.C. Reynolds, the win also got them back to even at 2-2.

Murphy will have a little extra prep time after the defeat as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Cherokee at 7:30 p.m. on the 26th. The Bulldogs are facing the Braves at the right time seeing as the Braves are stuck on a three-game losing streak. As for A.C. Reynolds, they have already played their next matchup, a 70-20 loss against Freedom on the 19th.