By Gary Corsair
Senior Sports Writer
Hayesville sure seemed to want Friday night’s varsity football game more than the Bryson City boys.
The Yellow Jackets (2-5 overall, 1-1 Smoky Mountain Conference) used emotion and clutch plays to earn a 12-7 victory against a Swain County (0-6) team that has a speedy tailback and adult-size bodies in the trench.
“I thought the difference was that we played with more emotion and passion,” Hayesville Coach Chad McClure said.
The will to win remained strong through a scoreless first quarter and a period where Swain led 7-6 and a raucous final stanza in which the Yellow Jackets seized the lead and held it.
“I’m proud of the kids,” McClure said. “They gutted it out. They responded. It just seemed like no matter what situation they faced, they believed they could stop them. I felt like it was a huge win at this point of the season.”
Will Brown believed all 12 times he tackled a Maroon Devil or opened a hole for Tre Graves or Dawson Devane. “We shuffled things around and moved Will Brown to center and he played his best game overall. He’s always been one of our best blockers,” McClure said.
Yellow Jacket Ben Bethel definitely believed he could stop Swain on a third-and-10 in the first quarter. “Mr. Velcro”made an incredible, leaping, one-handed interception that was quite simply one of the most amazing defensive plays ever made in a Smoky Mountain Conference skirmish. Later, he made a great catch on a Lance Coker pass.
“Bethel made an incredible interception. And he had five tackles,” McClure stated. “He definitely makes us better.”
Tate Roberts was also convinced – and convincing. More than half of his 10 tackles were bone-jarring. His most important cruncher came on a third-down run that would have given Swain a first down if Roberts hadn’t dislodged the rock, which was recovered by Hayesville’s Kasen Chastain in the fourth quarter with Hayesville leading 12-7. “Tate was another kid who really hit had,” his coach remarked.
The two biggest believers were Michael Mauney and Tre Graves.
Mauney made four tackles (one temporarily knocked Swain’s leading rusher out of the game), completed a 24-yard slotback option pass, returned kicks for 44 yards and caught three passes for 97 yards. All three receptions were doozies.
His first catch – a 15-yarder on fourth-and-9 – set up Hayesville’s first touchdown, which broke the 0-0 deadlock early in the second quarter. Mauney was even better in the fourth quarter.
With Swain leading 7-6, Mauney broke Swain’s back when he got wide open on third-and-12, gathered a Coker aerial and jetted into the end zone for a 66-yard touchdown that gave Hayesville its margin of victory. Two minutes later, Mauney made a sensational catch when he went airborne between two defenders for a 35-yard reception on a third-and-16.
“Mauney is pound for pound one of the best football players I’ve ever coached,” McClure said.
Graves is well on his way to entering the exclusive “best ever” fraternity. The hard-charging junior halfback/linebacker rushed for 83 yards, made six tackles, led the team in emotional outbursts after crucial defensive plays, broke a thrilling 61-yard run and scored a touchdown that snapped a scoreless deadlock. “Tre Graves had a really good night. He broke a big run and played aggressive defense,” McClure said.
The Yellow Jackets had to be aggressive.
“It was a very physical game. We didn’t back down. We made big plays,” McClure said.
Those big plays were the difference between winning and losing.
“We came through with some big third- and fourth-down plays,” McClure stated.
The only time that wasn’t the case was during a sluggish third period.
“In the third quarter, our field position was terrible,” McClure said.
Hayesville may have been buried in the third, but the Jackets were on top 6-0 entering the final 12 minutes.
“We just kept bowing our backs. Our kids are competitive. They keep working hard,” McClure remarked.
The hard workers included Coker, who scrambled well and passed for 97 yards in his second start at quarterback. “Coker played well for only his second start,” McClure said. “He’s still learning. He made some mistakes but did a pretty good job of keeping his composure. He did a good job of keeping his eyes down field and finding receivers.”
Another noteworthy effort came from Dawson Devane, who recovered a fumble and played with determination before and after being sidelined for nearly a quarter after receiving a vicious hit.
McClure also praised punter Johan Webb, who also handled kickoff duties.
The victory was Hayesville’s second in its last three games after an 0-4 start.
“It feels good to get a conference win,” McClure remarked. “It’s been a tough year for them. My message for them was to just keep the faith, trust the process and good things will happen. Things don’t always go the way you think they will, you just have to keep pressing.”
Swain’s offense certainly felt the pressure. Eight Jackets had four or more tackles, including Colton Bruggers (six), Kaden Ledford (five), and Chastian (four).
Hayesville goes hunting for its second conference win at Cherokee (4-3, 1-1) on Friday.