By Deby Jo Ferguson
Sports Writer
The Hayesville Middle School Yellow Jackets fell to Cherokee 66-26 in their second round of the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament which was played at Hiwassee Dam School on Saturday, Jan. 22.
The Jackets came out holding their own in the first quarter, but trailed 16-10 behind the Braves at the buzzer. Will Brown scored 4 points with one jumper and 2 from the charity line. Also adding points for the Jackets were Landon Trout and Tre Graves with a basket each. EJ Abrams and Peyton McGaha got in on the scoring with one point each from foul line.
In the second quarter the play got tighter with both teams adding 8 points. The Braves maintained their lead and were up 24-18 at the half. Tre Graves hit a 3-pointer and one free throw. Brown and Abrams added 2 points each.
Cherokee was hot on the boards during the third quarter, sinking 17 points. Hayesville managed to rattle the rim for 8 additional points. Trout hit two baskets for a total of 5 points. Graves sank a 2-pointer and McGaha had one from the charity line.
The final quarter of the game belonged to Cherokee thanks to 25 points. Although the Jackets were unable to score, fans saw play from all members of the team in their final attempt at a comeback The Braves took the win 66-26.
Hayesville’s top three scorers were Tre Graves with 8 points, Landon Trout right behind with 7 and Will Brown added 6 points.
According to head coach Andrew Brown, “Cherokee was a tough game for us Saturday night. They are a good team and finished second in our league for a reason. We played them close for a half, but then the shots stopped falling for us and we just couldn’t make up the ground.”
Coach Brown then looked back at the freshly-ended season, saying, “Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted, but their effort, attitude, and desire to get better has made this season one of the most enjoyable coaching experiences I’ve ever had. It’s been a pleasure to coach them. This group of eighth graders are going to be fun to watch as they go into high school and will bring a lot of talent and potential to the program. And our younger guys have some real promise as well. The future of Hayesville basketball should remain bright.”