By Gary Corsair
Staff Writer
Hayesville’s commitment to good citizenship was tested Friday evening by a rough-and-tumble Tuscola varsity football team during Homecoming at Frank R. Long Memorial Stadium.
The Class 3-A Mountaineers ended the Class 1-A Yellow Jackets’ four-game win streak in a bruising 42-14 downy-brook marred by six personal fouls, another six that could have been flagged and 175 penalty yards.
Unbeaten Tuscola, now 4-0, set the tone for a night of late hits, taunting and ankle-twisting after tackles on the opening kickoff when the Mountaineer Blaine Conard gathered Isaac Chandler’s kickoff and exploded up field. On the way to the end zone 81 yards away, Conard was helped by a missed call.
“That return on the opening kickoff kind of got us off to a bad start. There was a blatant block in the back that wasn’t called,” Hayesville Coach Chad McClure remarked.
The officials also overlooked an overzealous Mountaineer who blocked a Yellow Jacket to the Astroturf, then kept him pinned down and wouldn’t let him up even though Conard was crossing the goal line 70 yards away.
Tuscola’s over-aggressiveness was an eye-opener. Hayesville was also caught off guard by the visitor’s hurry-up, no huddle offense in the first quarter.
“We didn’t expect them to come out playing up-tempo. We weren’t ready for that. That affected us a little bit,” Coach McClure said.
The Mountaineers continued to dominate as they rolled to a 21-0 lead in a first half that saw Hayesville penalized four times for holding — one was declined. Tuscola’s players were also playing grab and grope, but the zebras only flagged the visitors once.
“Holding is sometimes iffy,” Coach McClure said. “I felt they were holding as well.”
Not that they needed to.
“I don’t think we’ll see a line as big as that again. They don’t play both ways; they have linemen that just play offense and others who only play defense,” McClure said.
Faced with blocking bigger and better-rested players, Hayesville’s linemen were in for a long night.
Hayesville’s defense yielded 326 yards on the ground. The Yellow Jackets offense was occasionally stalled by errors in the trenches.
“They’re a very good football team,” Coach McClure said. “I think we competed at times, but we hurt ourselves at times.”
One of those hurting times came during Hayesville’s first drive after Tuscola scored on the opening kickoff. The Yellow Jackets gained 23 yards on their first four plays before coming up empty twice. Facing a crucial third-and-10, Hayesville used a timeout because a couple of players were out of position. After an incomplete pass, Avery Leatherwood punted a 32-yarder.
Tuscola promptly marched 67 yards in 6 plays to push the score to 14-0.
Hayesville’s second drive also began with promise as Taylor McClure immediately gained 11, Kyle Lunsford gobbled up 8 more yards and McClure took the ball past midfield with a 9-yard haul.
This time, Tuscola called timeout. When play resumed, Hayesville stalled with a holding penalty, a 2-yard loss and an incompletion that necessitated a punt.
Leatherwood’s 36-yarder resulted in an incredible display of athleticism, grit and determination by sophomore Tate Roberts, who grabbed the ankle of Tuscola start Jett Benson and refused to let go as Benson twisted and squirmed until Tate dropped him.
That was one of the few times Hayesville contained the Mountaineer quarterback, who rushed for 105 yards on 14 carries — a healthy average of 7.5 yards per.
With Benson and Dez Rodriguez alternating on carries, Tuscola marched to its third touchdown.
Trailing 21-0, Hayesville answered with a convincing possession that began with Lunsford carrying twice for 11 yards. The Yellow Jackets crossed midfield when Taylor McClure romped for 13 more. Unfortunately, a holding call and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty buried the hosts.
Facing third-and-28, Hayesville responded with the Jackets’ second great play of night when Leatherwood hauled in a bullet from ever-cool Logan Caldwell for a 35-yard gain with 2:40 left in the first half. The next three plays went backward 8 yards.
Just before the intermission, Michael Mauney picked off a bomb in the end zone, a play just as exciting as Roberts’ tackle.
“I’m really pleased with Tate — who’s just a sophomore — and Michael Mauney,” Coach McClure said. “They do a lot of things people don’t see, like sealing off the ends.”
They also do a lot of things people do see. Mauney had 74 yards in kick returns, made six tackles and intercepted a pass. Roberts had four tackles.
As usual, Hayesville’s coaches made needed adjustments at halftime.
“We had to regroup at halftime,” Coach McClure said. “In the first half, there were times we moved the ball, but we were hurt by untimely penalties, some mistakes and missed assignments.”
Hayesville had little trouble moving the pigskin when the third quarter started. Bryan Davenport started the ball rolling with a sweet 32-yard return that ended with a face mask penalty that put the Yellow Jackets 3 yards into enemy territory.
Lunsford then took over, carrying for 7, 3, 9 and 6 yards, and gaining 12 on a pass from Caldwell. Three of Lunsford’s touches resulted in first downs.
Taylor McClure’s 3-yard carry pushed the rock to the 2-yardline, but Hayesville faced fourth down. The Yellow Jackets then drew the Mountaineers off sides and McClure finished the mission with a 1-yard plunge into the yellow. Isaac Chandler’s kick cut the lead to 21-7.
After Tuscola answered with a 8-play, 70-yard scoring drive, Hayesville mounted another scoring drive. Lunsford twice gained first downs, but the Caldwell’s arm was the weapon that produced the points.
First, Caldwell nailed Leatherwood for 15 yards. Three plays later, on second-and-25, Caldwell connected with Taylor McClure, alone in the end zone for a 36-yard TD.
“We felt like we’d been throwing to Avery a lot and they were beginning to key on him. So we had Taylor run a combination route and he slipped behind their coverage,” Coach McClure said.
Tuscola added two more touchdowns before the final horn in a game that exposed Hayesville weaknesses. “We have to do a better job of tackling,” Coach McClure remarked. “Our special teams didn’t play as well as they have been.”
Hayesville never stopped competing.
“The second half is a testament to the guys,” Coach McClure said. “I don’t think the final score was really indicative of the game. It was more like a two-touchdown difference.”
The first loss of the season was a bitter pill to swallow, but the Yellow Jackets aren’t choking on it. They have nothing to be ashamed of – in fact, Hayesville’s 14 points is the most points a Tuscola opponent has scored this year.
“We did some good things we can build on,” Coach McClure remarked. “We’re 4-1. If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that we would be 4-1 and I would have said, ‘I’ll take it.’ I’m disappointed in the loss, but still excited for the potential of this team.”
The Yellow Jackets have a bye week before resuming their quest to reach their potential in an away game at Andrews on Sept. 30.
“It’s a good time for a bye. A week to heal up before we start our conference,” Coach McClure stated. “This is where it gets big. It’s not going to get any easier. We just have to keep getting better.”
Honey from the Hive
• Somebody cue the Twilight Zone music. The losing team in Hayesville’s last four games has scored 14 points each time.
• Who’s the best quarterback in the Smoky Mountain Conference? Hayesville’s Scramblin’ Man, Logan Caldwell, that’s who. Caldwell leads all SMC quarterbacks in yardage (549), touchdown passes (8) and fewest interceptions (0).
• At least one of the officials at Friday’s Hayesville–Tuscola game noticed the pregame pyrotechnics show. “I wonder if they have a permit to shoot off those fireworks,” he mused just prior to kickoff.
• Taylor McClure led Hayesville in tackles for the third time in five games.
• Comment shouted by a Tuscola assistant coach to a Mountaineer player, “You’re playing like you were born in a barn.”
• Hayesville has had three different rushing leaders in its last three games: Kyle Lunsford (12/73) against Tuscola; Taylor McClure (14/73) vs. Lookout Valley; and Dawson DeVane (11/82) against North Georgia Force.
• Believe it or not, last Thursday’s triple-overtime JV game wasn’t the longest game Coach Brett Graves has been involved in. “I had a game that went seven overtimes,” Coach Graves said. “At that point you run out of plays to call.”
Box score
Hayesville 0-0-14-0 – 14
Tuscola 14-7-7-14 – 42
Hayesville scoring
Q3 – Taylor McClure, 1-yard run. Isaac Chandler kick.
Q3 – McClure, 36-yard pass from Logan Caldwell. Chandler kick.
Hayesville passing
Logan Caldwell 7-fo-16, 111 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int.
Hayesville rushing
Kyle Lunsford 12/73, McClure 11/45, Dawson DeVane 7/-1, Caldwell 8/0
Hayesville receiving
Avery Leather wood 4/65, Lunsford 2/10, McClure 1/36
Hayesville leading tacklers
McClure 9, Bryan Davenport 7, Michael Mauney 6, Dawson DeVane 4, Eli Chandler 4, Leatherwood 4, Seth Leek 4 Tate Roberts 4