By Gary Corsair
Staff Writer
Murphy 21, Hayesville 14.
Yes, you read that right.
“We played hard. I wish it would have turned out differently, but we have nothing to hang our heads about. It’s the first time we held them under 40 points in many years,” Hayesville Coach Chad McClure said after running out of time in Friday’s Smoky Mountain Conference varsity football clash at home.
Hayesville 28, Murphy 21.
Yes, you read that right.
Two untimely turnovers cost the usually sure-handed Yellow Jackets at least one touchdown, maybe two, in a wild game marred by 25 penalties.
The first mishap hurt more than a Dear John letter. Down 14-7 at the half, the determined Yellow Jackets opened the second half with a march that would have made John Phillips Sousa proud.
Taylor McClure did most of the grunt work, busting runs of 8, 14, 5 and 12 yards to advance the rock to midfield. An 11-yard keeper and 5-yard gain by Scramblin’ Man Logan Caldwell, coupled with 8 yards on a pair of carries by Taylor, and two encroachment calls against the visitors produced a 1st down at the Murphy 14.
Then, disaster, Taylor fumbled and Murphy recovered.
“That hurt,” Coach McClure said. “If we could have punched it in or at least scored 3, that would have given us momentum.”
The fumble was one of the few things that didn’t go right for Terrific Taylor. The sensational junior led Hayesville’s ground game with 87 yards (a 4.8 average), blocked well and had a team-high 9 tackles (6 solos).
The second costly turnover came early in the fourth quarter with Murphy leading 14-7.
Hayesville had just regained possession after a 4th-and 9 saw Michael Mauney knock wideout Cameron Grooms out of bounds a yard shy of a first down. Murphy crushed Hayesville’s hopes when Wyatt Simmons picked off a short Caldwell pass and returned the ball to the 4-yardline.
“He was trying to make a play and sometimes bad things happen when you’re trying to make something happen,” Coach McClure said. “He made a lot of plays in the that game. He did very well.”
Caldwell was simply masterful, as usual, on the night. Logan hit on 7-of-11 passes for 111 yards, rushed for 41 more and made 5 tackles. The interception was only his second of the season.
Hunter Stalcup promptly romped into the end zone. The point-after kick gave Murphy a 21-7 advantage with 7 minutes remaining.
The Yellow Jackets struggled after the ensuing kickoff and had to punt. Murphy ate up valuable time, but stalled when a holding penalty forced the Bulldogs to punt.
Caldwell immediately redeemed himself by directing a 12-play, 87-yard scoring drive. Unfortunately, the clock showed 2:22 when the Black-and-Gold regained possession.
Hayesville’s always unflappable field general connected with Mauney for 15 yards and Avery Leatherwood for 11 more for a pair of first downs.
A personal foul against Murphy kept the drive alive. On the next down, Caldwell went deep for Mauney, who was jostled on pass interference. The flag was thrown at the 6, but Hayesville was awarded the ball at the 35. No matter. Caldwell and Leatherwood erased most of the discrepancy with a 21-yard completion with 1:24.
Caldwell brought his team to the goal line with a fabulous, catch-me-if-you-can dash that covered 24 yards and ended with him diving into the front corner of the end zone. Referees spotted the ball at the 1. After a 3-yard loss on what should have been a face mask penalty against Murphy, Caldwell scampered in for the touchdown and Isaac Chandler split the uprights. Murphy 21, Hayesville 14. :50 left on the clock.
Chandler’s toe produced an ideal onside kick, but Murphy, which had a man offside (evidently unobserved by an official) recovered.
Ball game.
“There were a lot of positives we can build on,” Coach McClure said. “Murphy only scored once in the second half and they are a very good offensive team.”
Mauney was one of the most impressive defenders. Mighty Mite Mike made 8 tackles – all solo.
The offensive line also earned praise on a night Hayesville rushed for 154 yards and passed for 111 more.
“I thought the offensive line had one of their better games,” Coach McClure said. “We ran the ball well. They blocked well.”
Outstanding blocking by trenchmen Cameron Payne, Lane O’Dell, Jeremy Graves, Seth McCaslin, Conner Reece and running back Taylor McClure, contributed to Hayesville’s first touchdown. The stout six provided a roomy pocket for Caldwell on 1st-and-long late in the second quarter. With :56 remaining in the half, Logan launched a strike to Kyle Lunsford, who sprinted down the sideline, gathered a perfect pass and shifted into overdrive on his way to a 39-yard touchdown. Chandler’s kick cut the score to 14-7 going into the intermission.
The loss dropped Hayesville to 0-2 in the conference and 4-3 overall. Murphy is 5-2 and 2-0 in the SMC.
The Yellow Jackets travel to Bryson City for an SMC showdown with Swain County (0-2 conference, 3-4 overall) on Friday.
Honey From the Hive
• Coach McClure said his team was buoyed by outstanding support. “I thought the fans and students really supported us. That’s important. When kids look up into the stands and see that support it fires them up.”
• There’s no doubt that at least one student made himself heard. After a play near the Hayesville sideline, Murphy’s Wyatt Simmons was jawing at one of the Hayesville kids who needled him.
• When asked about the 28 penalties whistled (three were declined), Coach McClure said, “Some of the calls were objective. I don’t know if you can ever be happy with the officiating.”
• Hayesville’s roster swelled to 42 with the addition of players from the junior varsity team. Of the new arrivals, Tre Graves saw the most playing time.
• Hayesville fans welcomed back linebacker Asher Brown, who hadn’t played since being injured in the season-opener.
• Seth Leek was unable to suit up. In fact, he may need surgery and miss the rest of the season.
• Zek Furby was cleared to play, but missed the game due to a death in the family.
• Twenty-nine years ago this week, Hayesville trailed Swain, 7-6, at halftime before exploding to smoke the Red Devils, 35-7. A kid named Chad McClure rushed for 81 yards in the victory.
Box score
Hayesville 0-7-0-7 – 14
Murphy 7-7-0-7 – 21
Scoring
Q1 — (M) Hunter Stalcup, 35-yard run. Will Joyner kick.
Q2 – (M) Cole Laney, 1-yard run. Joyner kick.
Q2 – (H) Kyle Lunsford, 38-yard pass from Logan Caldwell. Isaac Chandler kick.
Q4 – (M) Stalcup, 6-yard run. Joyner kick.
Q4 – (H) Caldwell, 4-yard run. Chandler kick.
Passing
H — Logan Caldwell, 7-of-10, 111 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int.
M – Cole Laney, 10-of-14, 155 yards, ) TD, 0 Int.
Rushing
H – Taylor McClure 18/87, Caldwell 15/41, Kyle Lunsford 5/26
M – Hunter Stalcup 19/170, Jonah Hedden 6/51, Trenton Russell 1/17, Laney 2/5, John Ledford 1/3
Receiving
H – Lunsford 2/47, Avery Leatherwood 2/36, Tate Roberts 1/10, Michael Mauney 1/13, McClure 1/5
M – Cameron Grooms 7/98, Stalcup 2/16, Dominick Rummler 1/18
Leading Tacklers
H – McClure 9, Mauney 8, Caldwell 5, Dawson Devane 5, Asher Brown 4, Lunsford 4, Lane O’Dell 4, Leatherwood 3, Tate Roberts 3, Bryan Davenport 3, Cameron Payne 3.
M – Ledford 12, Hedden 11, Kadence Leatherwood 11, Wyatt Simmons 9, Stalcup 9, Mason Cook 8.