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On Friday, March 26, the Yellow Jacket football team travelled to Cherokee looking for their first win of the season. After a competitive first half, the Braves managed to pull away and handed Hayesville its fifth loss of the year by the final of 42-17.
Hayesville got on the board in the second quarter when Blake McClure motored down the sideline for a 46-yard touchdown. Isaac Chandler’s PAT tied the game at 7-7. Later in the quarter, Chandler nailed a 25-yard field goal to give the Jackets 10 points. Cherokee used 13 additional points of their own to build a 20-10 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, quarterback Logan Caldwell found Kyle Lunsford for the touchdown and Chandler tacked on the extra point to give the Jackets 17 points. Unfortunately, that was the last time Hayesville would put numbers on the scoreboard. The Braves added 8 points in the third and 14 in the fourth to seal their 42-17 victory.
“We didn’t finish the first half or start the second half well,” said Hayesville head coach Chad McClure. “Cherokee scored three times in a span of about three minutes which was really the difference.”
The Jackets now prepare for their final home game on Friday, April 2 when they host Rosman. With the Tigers leaving the Smoky Mountain Conference, this could be the final time the teams face off. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Seniors from multiple sports will be honored during the evening’s festivities.