By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Prevailing wisdom holds that football games are won in the trenches. If so, Hayesville should have a winning season in 2025.
“It’s still early,” Hayesville head football coach Chad McClure said near the end of his first week of practice. “Our line worked hard in the off season, they’ve gotten stronger and they know our system, so that helps.”
They also got larger. Some of Hayesville’s trenchmen are big enough to eat hay and sleep in a barn.
The Yellow Jacket offense is traditionally run first, pass if you must and McClure has good reasons to stick with that approach. Last year’s leading rusher Tre Graves is once again in fine form. He’s not the only Jacket who can lug the ball.
Having numbers also feeds McClure’s guarded optimism. Thirty-five players – including 14 seniors — are on the varsity roster and 30 others will begin the season on the JV team.
“We have some good running backs and more depth than we’ve had in recent years,” McClure said. “It’s exciting right now. You never know until you put the full pads on and get after it.”
The Yellow Jackets will be in pads for a scrimmage at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8 at Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva.
“We feel like that will be a good test for us,” McClure said.
Next week’s scrimmage will be more than a test; it will be an experience.
“People from the Chattanooga Jamboree called and wanted us to come down there. I think that’s going to be a really cool experience for the kids. They get to play in a college stadium against a really good team, South Pittsburgh. There’s a lot of positives that can come out of that.”
Hayesville will be one of eight teams showcased in the jamboree at Chattanooga’s Finley Stadium. Hayesville vs. South Pittsburg will be the final game of the night. Kickoff at 9:30 p.m.