After a disheartening loss in their season opener against Franklin, the JV Yellow Jacket basketball team had two chances to get in the win column at home as they hosted Rosman Tuesday, Dec. 10 and Swain County Friday, Dec. 13. Hayesville made the most of the opportunities, coming away with a 54-37 win over Rosman and a victory of Swain by the final of 53-39.
The first quarter against the Rosman Tigers was an exciting one. Hayesville got off to a hot start with a 5-0 following the opening tip. The Tigers then grabbed the momentum with a 10-2 run to establish a 10-7 by quarter’s end. Quarter two got off to an odd start when a Tiger got turned around on the court and made an easy layup in Hayesville’s basket to give the Jackets 2 points. After that confusion, Hayesville showed patience as they focused on ball movement to maximize their chances of getting an open look at the basket. That, coupled with strong defense, gave the Jackets a 23-15 lead at halftime.
Following the break, Hayesville took total control of the game with 22 third-quarter points compared to the Tigers’ 8. Rosman managed to out score the Jackets in the fourth quarter but not enough to keep Hayesville from the 54-37 win.
Against Swain, the Jackets used another big quarter to take control of the game. After a first quarter that saw Hayesville take a slim 9-6 lead, the Jackets lit up the net for 16 in the second quarter while holding the Devils to 3 and take a 25-9 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Devils looked like a different team in the third quarter. Swain managed to create openings in the lane and attacked for 15 points. Even with the Devils’ offensive success, Hayesville was able to maintain their lead with 15 points of their own. In the fourth, Swain kept finding the bottom of the bucket and put another 15 points on the board. The Jackets were able to hold off the attack with 13 points to finish off the 53-39 victory.
Tough opponents lie ahead for Hayesville as they travel to Murphy Thursday, Dec. 19 for a 5 p.m. game against the Bulldogs. On Friday, Dec. 20 the Jackets will be in The Hive to face Robbinsville in another 5 p.m. contest.
Leaders vs Rosman
Peyton Hunt: 16 points.
Logan Caldwell: 12 points.
Will Englemann: 10 points.
Jon Dockery: 5 points.
Leaders vs Swain
Will Englemann: 20 points.
Nate Trhlin: 10 points.
Logan Caldwell: 7 points.
Jose Espinal: 5 points