Gary Corsair • Clay County Progress Hayesville quarterback Lance Coker, No. 12, tosses a flare pass to Tre Graves, No. 6.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Preseason hopes of finishing near the top of the Smoky Mountain Conference have evaporated, but Hayesville’s determined Yellow Jackets plan to end the regular season with a win and then surprise some people in the playoffs.
Hayesville (2-7 overall, 1-3 in the SMC) travels to Andrews (4-4 overall, 1-3 SMC) on Friday with goal of avenging a frustrating 7-2 loss to the Wildcats in the second game of the season.
“We expect the same kind of game against Andrews,” Hayesville Coach Chad McClure said. “They’re a lot like us. They try to control the ball.”
Expect the Yellow Jackets to keep the ball on the ground for the most part… with one significant wrinkle.
“We had a lot of turnovers. We need to clean that up. We have to execute and play the way we’re capable of,” McClure remarked. “A win going into the playoffs would be huge for us.”
Expect a whole lot more points on the scoreboard if Hayesville plays up to capability.
The Yellow Jackets proved they could move the ball against Robbinsville (4-5 overall, 3-1 SMC) on Friday, but crossing the goal line proved problematic for Hayesville.
Robbinsville led 7-0 at halftime and wore the Jackets down with a relentless ground game after the intermission in a 28-6 triumph.
“We had a lot of missed opportunities that changed the game. We got inside the red zone but didn’t finish,” McClure said. “I thought our guys did a decent job, especially in the first half. They wore us down a little bit in the second half.”
The very first possession was the highlight for Hayesville.
The Yellow Jackets burst out of the gate by marching 62 yards in eight plays after the opening kickoff. The game plan worked to a T when Tre Graves busted for 13 yards off left guard on a second-and-4 and again two plays later when Tate Roberts rifled a 17-yard pass to Ben Bethel, who fought his way down to Robbinsville’s 16-yardline for a 31-yard gain.
A touchdown seemed certain, but Hayesville’s drive ended at the eight when a fourth-and-2 option pass fell incomplete.
The Yellow Jacket defense was also decent, especially early on. Robbinsville only gained 15 yards on its first possession before punting the ball back to the hosts.
Hayesville’s second drive began promisingly enough with a 4-yard carry by Graves and a 7-yard burst by Dawson Devane for a first down just shy of midfield. Unfortunately, the offense stalled and punter Johan Webb lofted a beautiful 38-yard kick.
Again, Hayesville’s defense held. Robbinsville’s fourth-down pass was incomplete as Michael Mauney threw a blanket on the intended receiver.
Hayesville immediately gained a first down on an 11-yard run by Graves. With 6:30 left in the half of a scoreless game, all seemed right in Jacketland.
Then things went south. A lost fumble proved doubly deadly. The turnover not only ended Hayesville’s march; it gave Robbinsville the ball just 24 yards from the goal line. The Black Knights needed just one play — a Bryce Adams pass to Cooper Adams in the end zone — to break the stalemate.
Down 7-0, Hayesville answered in impressive fashion. The response began with Webb’s 18-yard kickoff return. Mauney provided an exclamation point on a third-and-9 pass Lance Coker zipped to Bethel. The projectile was over Bethel’s head and slipped through his hands, but Mauney, who was 5 yards behind the intended target, dove and caught the ball to keep the drive alive.
Two plays later, Mauney came through again. This time, he caught a Coker pass and broke two tackles for a 20-yard gain that moved the rock to Robbinsville’s 30. Coker’s sling to Kendall Boyer gobbled up another 18 yards and gave the Yellow Jackets a first-and-10 at the 4-yardline with 1:32 on the first-half clock.
Happy days were clearly here again, but two holding penalties created third-and-goal at the 13. An interception with :17.2 on the clock officially ended the scoring threat. Robbinsville was fortunate to lead 7-0 at the half.
The Black Knights opened the second half with a 10-play, 65-yard scoring drive. Robbinsville 14, Hayesville 0.
Playing catch-up was suddenly more difficult. First downs were much harder to come by for the home team after the intermission.
“Offensively, I thought we moved the ball well at times,” McClure said. “We just have to finish.
Penalties really hurt us. We got to the 4-yardline and didn’t get any points.”
The digits finally came in the third quarter. Graves lit the fuse with a sensational kickoff return in which he exploded 60 yards through a sea of Black Knights.
The euphoria of the most exciting play of the night quickly faded as an illegal procedure penalty erased a 6-yard run by Graves. An incomplete pass followed. The outlook was bleak as Hayesville lined up on fourth-and-9 at the 28. Then Bethel split the middle of the defense and Roberts delivered a strike into the end zone. The point-after kick sailed wide. The Yellow Jackets trailed 14-6. They were very much in the game.
Then they weren’t.
Robbinsville’s Roman Jones, who was told by doctors he’d never play football again being seriously injured in a motorbike accident when he was in middle school, ripped off four consecutive gains. Two plays later, the Black Knights scored on a 32-yard touchdown pass with 2:24 remaining in the third. Robbinsville 21-6.
Hayesville’s back was clearly up against the wall against a team with a much larger front line on offense and defense. “When you get down 14 or 21 points you have to try to change your game plan a little bit,” McClure said.
Robbinsville added its final touchdown with 8:57 left to play.
Penalties and incomplete passes short-circuited Hayesville’s revised plans.
The most noticeable revision came before the game, when McClure decided to alternate Roberts and Coker at quarterback. The adjustment smacked of genius. Robert was 5-of-9 for 72 yards and a touchdown passing, while Coker hit on 9-of-15 for 89 yards. Together, the duo accounted for 161 yards in the air — Hayesville’s highest total of the year.
“Our plan going in to rotate those guys,” McClure stated. “Both guys did good at times. Our quarterback rating was better (72.3 compared to 16.4 the previous game against Cherokee).”
Bethel was the prime recipient of the air balls. He caught five passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. He also made five tackles. “Ben had a nice game,” McClure stated.
Mauney had three receptions for 34 yards. Boyer and Graves had two catches apiece.
Graves led Hayesville 54 yards rushing, but his teammates only managed 16 yards on seven carries. Graves finished with 150 all-purpose yards (carries, receptions and two kick returns for 79 yards).
Defensively, Hayesville surrendered 237 yards rushing and 117 passing, but the Jackets never surrendered.
“Dawson Devane and Kasen Chastain both had seven tackles and two tackles for losses,” McClure said. “We had a lot of guys getting to the football.”
Colton Bruggers also made seven tackles. Roberts and Graves had six apiece. Bethel and Brown had five take-downs.
Hayesville 0-0-6-0 = 6
Robbinsville 0-7-14-7 = 28