By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Hayesville’s JV was atop the world for 30 glorious seconds midway through the fourth quarter Thursday before Murphy turned glory to agony in the final seconds at Frank R. Long Memorial Stadium.
A Yellow Jackets win seemed imminent when Caden McClure cannonballed up the middle, cut to the sideline and sprinted 41 yards for 6 and Luke Buckner busted into the end zone for a two-point conversion to put Hayesville up 15-14, but Murphy managed a 71-yard scoring drive to steal the contest, 20-15.
The Jackets, 1-2, made the Bulldogs work for most of those yards during Murphy’s decisive 12-play touchdown march. Hayesville twice stopped Bulldogs for no gain, Bentley Everette deflected a pass in the end zone, and every defender bent his back on fourth-and-goal from the 10 with :23.9 on the clock, but Murphy’s running back just kept pushing and grinding for the touchdown.
“We had opportunities,” Hayesville’s Head Coach Chad McClure said. “On fourth-and-10, I thought we had him tackled at the line of scrimmage, but he found a way to get in.”
The heartbreaking loss was reminiscent of Hayesville’s season-opening, 22-14 overtime loss to Swain.
“It was the second time we lost a game like that,” McClure remarked. “We could be 3-0 if you take away a few plays.”
The game itself wasn’t the only loss.
“Carson Finn was injured in the first half,” McClure stated. “He was diagnosed with a mild concussion at halftime and we had to change things up.”
Finn is doubtful for Friday’s 5 p.m. home game with Georgia Force Christian.
Hayesville drew first blood on the third play from scrimmage when Brett Hanna bolted 43 yards out of the shotgun but the touchdown was erased due to holding. The Yellow Jackets punted on the next play.
Not to worry. Hayesville’s defense made Murphy punt and the Yellow Jackets offense immediately went to work. Buckner kept the ball for at least 10 yards before the pigskin popped loose, bounced forward and Finn dove on it for an unconventional 24-yard gain. The Jackets moved across midfield on a 25-yard pass from Buckner to Dustin Lockaby, who broke two tackles. Two plays later, Buckner shuttled the rock to Hanna for a 31-yard touchdown. Hanna’s extra-point put Hayesville on top 7-0 with :17.8 left in the first quarter.
The Jackets came close to taking a 14-0 lead in the locker room at halftime, but a gutsy race against the clock ended when Murphy intercepted a pass at its 12-yardline with :17 on the clock.
The Bulldogs went up 8-7 with a nine-play, 63-yard drive to open the third quarter. Murphy’s fourth-quarter touchdown gave the visitors a 14-7 lead.
Hayesville responded with Lockaby’s 17-yard kickoff return, a six-yard keeper by Buckner and the aforementioned brilliant touchdown run by McClure followed by Buckner’s plunge for 2 points that briefly gave Hayesville the lead.
Buckner led the offense with 39 yards rushing on six carries and 5-of-8 passing for 81 yards. He also made seven tackles.
McClure was also a two-way terror. He gobbled up 89 yards on just six tries and made six tackles.
Hanna shined with five carries for 49 yards, a 35-yard pass reception, seven tackles and a point-after kick.
Devin Ramey led the defense with 14 tackles. Jamie Cowan had nine take downs. Brock Garrett and Mason Parker each made four tackles.
The Yellow Jackets also benefited from two receptions apiece by Lockaby — he also had six tackles — and Brady Gerdes, and three tackles and a deflection by Beechum.