By Gary Corsair
Staff Writer
Taylor McClure has made dozens of big plays in three years of varsity football — and he’ll make dozens more before graduating in 2024 – but TMac will be hard pressed to best a pair of momentous plays that propelled Hayesville to a 14-13 upset of Christ The King in the second round of the Class 1-A playoffs.
Taylor made two of the most impressive plays of the season — by anyone in the state, at any level — to deliver the 12th-seeded Yellow Jackets (7-5) past the fifth-seeded Crusaders (9-3) Friday in Huntersville in a knock-down, drag-out battle Hayesville Coach Chad McClure described as “nerve-racking.”
Taylor’s most memorable OMG moment with :50 left in a seesaw battle with Hayesville up by one not only saved the game, it made the season. Taylor’s heroics came when CTK, stalled at the Hayesville 10-yardline after three zero-gainers, attempted to ice the game with a field goal, only to have Taylor blast through the line and block the kick.
“That block saved the season for us,” Hayesville Coach McClure said. “Another heads-up play was Logan Caldwell picking up the ball after Taylor blocked the kick.”
Caldwell not only collected the pigskin, he advanced it to midfield to eliminate the possibility of CTK stealing the game with a safety.
Twenty-three seconds later, the Yellow Jackets were on their way to the third round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association playoffs. The Yellow Jackets travel to Mount Airy to face the No. 4 seed Granite Bears (11-1) on Friday, Nov. 18.
“It was nerve-wracking,” Coach McClure said. “To win that way showed a lot of resiliency. They’re a fun group, a special group of kids.
The team’s leading rusher and top tackler was especially special. Taylor “Hit-and-Run” McClure rushed for 118 yards and made 12 tackles on a soggy field. One of his early tackles turned the tide.
Taylor’s first incredible play — a bone-crushing tackle late in the first quarter with Hayesville trailing 7-0 took the starch out of the blue shirts and reinvigorated the Yellow Jackets. Taylor lived up to his nickname of Hit-and-Run McClure on a first-and-10 when CTK quarterback Reid Maxwell passed to sure-handed Jake Dulski, who was immediately wrapped up by Hayesville’s Michael Mauney. While Mighty Mite Mike wrestled Dulski, Taylor ran from 15 yards away and leveled the Crusader receiver with a vicious — but clean — body slam that would make Hulk Hogan cringe. Dulski stayed down for two-and-a-half minutes before being helping off the field, but thankfully was able to return.
The Yellow Jackets were a different team from that moment. Both sidelines knew it.
“Hayesville is a resilient team and didn’t get down when we jumped on them to start the game. They kept fighting,” CTK Coach Brian Decker stated.
“There are a handful of plays that make the difference in any game,” Hayesville Coach Chad McClure remarked. “I felt like that hit Taylor made was the turning point. We didn’t have a great start. I thought that Taylor’s hit sparked us a little.”
The spark promptly became a full-blown flame when Hayesville marched to the goalie and Taylor — who else? – punched the ball into the end zone. Isaac Chandler’s kick knotted the score at 7-7.
The deadlock stood until the opening minutes of the second half, which began with Chandler’s kickoff.
The Crusaders showed some residency of their own with an 8-play, 60-yard drive as Maxwell completed 3-of-3, the third pass a jaw-dropping one-handed catch by Dulski, who was blanketed by Mauney. The point-after kick was wide left, a mistake that would prove to be the difference between tying and losing.
Down 13-7, Hayesville’s attempt to regain control went awry when a personal foul led to a fourth-and-16 punt.
Maxwell and Dulski promptly connected for 8 yards, followed by standout running back Fausto Arias getting 2 for the first down after Maxwell audibled.
The Crusaders got no farther. Caldwell intercepted Maxwell’s sideline fling with 4:50 remaining in the third period, setting the Hayesville table at the 50.
Short gains by Logan and Taylor and a beautiful leaping pass reception by Mauney left Hayesville facing fourth-and-3. Another gut-check moment. Once again, Taylor stepped out of the phone booth, this time blasting through the blue for 6 yards.
Two plays later, Taylor bolted for a 10-spot. Gains by Dawson DeVane and Caldwell advanced the rock to CTK’s 3. Taylor busted into the end zone on the next play, then held the ball for Chandler’s second point-after kick, which put Hayesville up — for good — 14-13.
Arias found yards hard to come by on CTK’s next possession and the Crusaders had to punt from their end zone when Taylor and Cameron Payne pressured Maxwell into throwing an incompletion on third-and-long.
Hayesville’s defense continued to flex muscle the next time CTK got the ball, a drive that began ominously for the visitors when the Crusaders ran a reverse for 17 yards. Once again, the Black-and-Gold defense answered the bell.
On first-and-10 at the Hayesville 45, Avery Leatherwood stuffed Arias for a 1-yard loss. On second down, Leatherwood dumped Will Zuhosky for a 2-yard loss. On third, Payne sacked Maxwell for a 6-yard negatory. On fourth down, with 2:45 left to play, Mauney and Caldwell broke up a pass.
The victory was Hayesville’s best defensive outings of the season. Arias, who averaged 103 yards a game and 5.7 per carry, was held to 86 yards and an average of 3.6. Maxwell, who averaged 150 yards passing per game, was limited to 133.
Taylor wasn’t the only standout defender. Mauney made 8 tackles, Leatherwood had 6 and Lane O’Dell, Cameron Payne and Bryan Davenport each had 4.
“Our defense has been playing really well,” Coach McClure said.
Offensively, Dawson DeVane and Kyle Lunsford each ran for an average of 6 yards per carry. Lunsford also had a reception. Mauney, who was taunted by CTK students every time he lined up on the home side of the field, made two leaping catches.
The Yellow Jackets only went upstairs six times. “We stuck with our game plan and kept the ball on the ground,” Coach McClure said. “The offense line has gotten so much better, especially picking up blitzes. Without those guys, we don’t end up winning.”
The keep-it-on-turf strategy worked as O’Dell, Cameron Payne, Jeremy Graves, Zek Furby, Seth McCaslin and tight ends Leatherwood and Davenport consistently dominated the boys on the other side of the trench.
“We didn’t have a great start, but they just kept playing,” Coach McClure said. “They find ways to stick around until they find a way to win.”
Coach McClure characterized the win as a total team effort, which is exactly what Hayesville will need to upset Mount Airy.
“They’re a very good team,” Coach McClure said. “They have a lot more speed than Christ The King. They look pretty solid. We’ll have to have a good defensive game Friday night.”
Indeed. Mount Airy beat North Rowan, 57-7, in Round 2 after destroying North Stokes, 72-0, in the first round.
Honey From The Hive
• Taylor McClure overheard after a 1-yard gain in the third quarter: “I can’t get up when he’s holding my leg!”
• How big of an upset was Hayesville’s win over CTK? This big, every top 10 team except CTK advanced to round 3.
• Overheard from a Hayesville fan after Logan Caldwell was knocked out of bounds on a scramble, “That was ridiculous! Y’all don’t know Jesus, do you?!”
• Chad McClure showed what a class individual he is when CTK receiver Jake Dulski was injured. McClure went onto the field and knelt by Dulski while a Hayesville trainer attended to him.
• Coach McClure also went on to the field when a Hayesville player said that a member of the officiating crew used profanity. “That’s not right, that’s not acceptable,” McClure told the crew chief, who denied any of the referees cursed.
• Lineman Jeremy Graves suffered a shoulder injury against CTK but will probably play against Mount Airy.
• A Hayesville victory over Mount Airy will pit the Yellow Jackets against either No. 1 East Rudolph or No. 8 Robbinsville.
Box Score
Hayesville 7-0-0-7 — 14
Christ The King 7-0-6-0 — 13
First Downs
Hayesville 10, CTK 16
Hayesville Passing
Logan Caldwell 3-of-6, 10 yards
Hayesville Rushing
Taylor McClure 20/118, Kyle Lunsford 4/23, Dawson DeVane 3/81, Caldwell 9/17, Tre Graves 1/1
Hayesville Receiving
Michael Mauney 2/7, Lunsford 1/3
Hayesville Tackles
Taylor McClure 12, Michal Mauney 8, Avery Leatherwood 6, Bryan Davenport 4, Lane O’Dell 4, Cameron Payne 4, DeVane 3, Caldwell 3, Lunsford 3,