Gary Corsair • Clay County Progress Hayesville Coach Chad McClure considers his options.
By Gary Corsair
Senior Sports Writer
Hayesville earned four first downs and 62 yards during a scoreless first quarter Friday at Cherokee, but three lost fumbles and an interception turned hope to horror and helped the Braves pocket a 22-0 win.
“It was the same old story. We struggled offensively,” Hayesville Coach Chad McClure stated after his Yellow Jackets fell to 1-2 in the Smoky Mountain Conference and 2-6 overall.
Hayesville managed only 76 yards during the final three quarters as turnovers and short punts repeatedly gave Cherokee — 2-1 conference, 5-3 overall — favorable field position.
Hayesville’s struggle to advance the ball was clearly linked to injuries to key players. Second-year quarterback Tate Roberts’ ailing shoulder again limited him to playing defense exclusively. Fullback Dawson Devane, a bullish runner, fierce blocker and tough-as-nails linebacker, was unable to play due to concussion protocol.
“It’s always hard when you’re having to move people around. Dawson is one of our leaders,” McClure stated.
Hayesville’s coach hopes to have Dawson in the lineup Friday when Robbinsville — 2-1 conference, 3-5 overall — visits Frank R. Long Memorial Stadium.
“Robbinsville plays a very tough schedule. Their record is very misleading,” McClure said. “They beat Cherokee, 46-16, the team we just played, handily. The only thing we can do is keep working hard. We know what to do, we just have to do it.”
There’s a slight chance Roberts will spend some time at quarterback against the Black Knights.
“His shoulder is improving. We’ll see,” McClure said. “We’ve got to figure out our offense. We have to be more consistent. I’ll take some of the blame. I have to react better to certain situations.”
Hayesville’s offense was plenty consistent on a sustained drive that ate up the final 7:13 of the first quarter and 1:36 of the second.
The Black-and-Gold moved the ball from their 15-yardline to Cherokee’s 24 as Graves carried for a pair of first downs, Kaden Ledford’s 17-yard romp secured another first and picked up seven yards on a third-and-3. Then the drive stalled. A fourth-and-12 pass out of the shotgun fell incomplete and Cherokee took over.
Hayesville’s next drive ended the same way. The Yellow Jackets’ final possession of the halftime lasted just one play — a fumbled snap Cherokee recovered — and the Braves led 7-0 at the half.
The offense continued to sputter in the second half. Hayesville fumbled the ball away twice in the third quarter. In the fourth, Hayesville surrendered the ball on a punt and a fourth-down incompletion.
Defensively, Hayesville did a credible job against a Cherokee team averaging 30 points per game. The Yellow Jackets only allowed two touchdowns. Unfortunately, Hayesville also gifted six points.
“Our defense was solid most of the time. We really only allowed 14 points. We gave them a score on a fumbled snap,” McClure stated.
The botched snap was more than a nail in the coffin; it was a railroad spike.
Hayesville was still in the ballgame when the miscue occurred with Cherokee leading 7-0 with :24 left in the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets were buried at their 16-yardline when disaster struck on a second-and-14. Quarterback Lance Coker leaped to catch a high snap from the center, but the ball glanced off his fingertips and was scooped up by a Brave who carried it into the end zone. A two-point conversion gave the hosts a 15-0 lead.
Hayesville couldn’t do anything after the ensuing kickoff and had to punt. Unfortunately, the kick only traveled 15 yards and Cherokee took over at Hayesville’s 35. The Yellow Jackets were determined to keep the Braves out of the end zone, but Cherokee reached pay-dirt in nine carries for its third touchdown.
Hayesville’s defense was led by Ledford and Kasen Chastain, who had seven tackles apiece. Tre Graves and Will Brown made five tackles each.
Graves led the offense with 77 yards on 18 carries. Unfortunately, the rest of the team only rushed for 21 yards. Ledford averaged 4.5 yards on his four carries.
Johan Webb’s 33-yard kickoff return was another bright spot.
The passing game was downright woeful. Only 3 of 18 passes were caught, all by Michael Mauney, who had 40 yards on catches.
Hayesville 0-0-0-0 = 0
Cherokee 0-7-8-7 = 22