(Kelli Graves • Clay County Progress) Sophomore Avery Leatherwood tries to outrun a Bulldog as he looks for an opening.
Hayesville’s annual meeting on the gridiron with the rival Bulldogs from Murphy took place Friday, March 12 at Frank R. Long Memorial stadium. Murphy got off to a strong start and never looked back, handing the Jackets their third loss of the season by the final of 54-21.
Although Hayesville had some decent drives in the first quarter, the Bulldogs controlled the scoring and had built a 14-0 lead by quarter’s end. Hayesville found the end zone in the second thanks to a touchdown run from freshman Taylor McClure. Isaac Chandler’s PAT was blocked to hold Hayesville to 6 points in the first half. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs added 13 points to grow their lead to 27-6 by halftime.
Murphy continued to have scoring success in the third quarter as they put 15 points on the board. The Jackets also managed to put together a scoring drive, culminating when senior Blake McClure pounded through for a touchdown. Caldwell scampered to the corner of the end zone to complete a 2-point conversion.
The fourth quarter started with Hayesville trailing the Bulldogs 42-15. Even with the game out of reach, the Jackets never stopped fighting. Hayesville’s offense continued to move the ball and put more points on the board. Sophomore Avery Leatherwood snagged a pass from Caldwell and ran in for an 8-yard score. Chandler came on for a PAT which sailed through the uprights. When the final horn sounded, Murphy celebrated a 54-21 victory.
“We have had success at times on both sides of the ball, said head coach Chad McClure. “We just need to be more consistent and cut down on penalties and turnovers.”
As Caldwell gets more comfortable running the offense, Hayesville can expect to find more scoring success. Speaking of the sophomore, McClure said, “He has to trust the process, continue to improve, learn from his mistakes and always move on to the next play. He is a competitor and wants to win. As a dual-threat, he only makes us better offensively.”
On his son Taylor McClure’s strong performance, McClure commented, “He has given us more depth at running back which will help us down the stretch, giving us more options offensively.”
Another freshman Caldwell targeted Friday night was Asher Brown. Brown’s speed made him a deep threat and one that could cause chaos for defenses. “Asher is very athletic and will continue to improve. “This is only the second year he has played football,” McClure said of Brown. “He, along with our other young players, are getting better every week which is exciting for the future of Hayesville football.”
The immediate future for the Jackets features a showdown with the Wildcats in Andrews Friday, March 19. After dropping their opener to Murphy, Andrews has picked up wins over Swain and Cherokee. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Leaders vs Murphy
Logan Caldwell: touchdown pass, 166 total yards.
Blake McClure: touchdown, 106 total yards, five total tackles.
Taylor McClure: touchdown, 38 total yards, forced fumble, fumble recovery, seven tackles.
Avery Leatherwood: touchdown, 56 total yards, four tackles.