Revenge-minded JVs wear out Warhorses, 28-8

  • The Hayesville JV Football team consists of, front, from left, Peyton McGaha, Braden Thompson, Carter Whitfi eld, Ben Bethel, Tre Graves, Patrick Denton and Pacey Cable; middle, Lance Coker, Kaden Ledford, Carson Reese, Rylan Graves, Brendon Lynch, Brady Jones, Nate Worley, Raul Rivera-Prieto, E.J. Abrams and Damian Soto; back, Damian Soto, Wyatt James, Christian Marr, Will Brown, Lawson Bailey, Brendon Collins, Rayland Martinez and Leyton Bailey. Not pictured are Mason Buckner, Caden Dalrymple, Colton Brug
    The Hayesville JV Football team consists of, front, from left, Peyton McGaha, Braden Thompson, Carter Whitfi eld, Ben Bethel, Tre Graves, Patrick Denton and Pacey Cable; middle, Lance Coker, Kaden Ledford, Carson Reese, Rylan Graves, Brendon Lynch, Brady Jones, Nate Worley, Raul Rivera-Prieto, E.J. Abrams and Damian Soto; back, Damian Soto, Wyatt James, Christian Marr, Will Brown, Lawson Bailey, Brendon Collins, Rayland Martinez and Leyton Bailey. Not pictured are Mason Buckner, Caden Dalrymple, Colton Brug

    By Gary Corsair

    Sports Writer

     

    The “Revenge Tour” begins Thursday.

    Hayesville’s high-scoring, undefeated JV football team certainly appears ready to avenge losses suffered when they were young bucks just learning the game.

    “I’ve had these kids since they were in seventh grade and they’re ready. The start of conference play starts what we call the 'Revenge Tour,'” Hayesville JV Coach Brett Graves remarked.

    Bullseye No. 1: Andrews (1-1). Thursday, 6 p.m. on the Yellow Jackets turf.

    “It should be a good game,” Graves said. “We don’t need any motivation.”

    Hayesville has two good games under its belt — no, make that great games.

    Last Thursday, the Yellow Jackets rushed for 220 yards and tallied 20 — in the first half alone — on the way to a resounding 28-8 beat-down of visiting Owen, which didn’t score until :30 remained in the game.

    Hayesville set the tone from the get-go by marching 95 yards to pay-dirt on its first possession. The impressive drive included two crucial fourth downs that kept the Black-and-Gold moving.

    “We went for it twice on fourth down,” Graves recalled. “We just went for it and the kids responded. We refused to give them any type of momentum.”

    Approximately 400 hometown fans witnessed the exodus to the goal line that ate up nearly seven-and-a-half minutes and culminated with Trey Graves galloping in from 24 yards out and Peyton McGaha running the two-point conversion.

    McGaha used his arm to produce a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter. McGaha connected with Lance Coker for a 9-yard score early in the stanza and completed a 31-yarder to Ben Bethel with just :03 on the first-half clock.

    Graves praised his quarterback and receivers for rising to the occasion when Owen stacked the front line to slow Hayesville’s potent ground game.

    “They started with a three-man front, then started stuffing the box. It was like they were daring us to throw it. So we did. It worked out,” Graves said.

    Things didn’t work as well for Owen, which entered the game with a 1-0 record. The Warhorses were repeatedly handcuffed by a defense led by linemen Patrick Denton and Will Brown, end Lance Coker and linebackers Caden Dalrymple and Kaden Ledford.

    A highlight for the defense came after a bad snap on a Hayesville punt attempt on the Yellow Jackets' second possession gave Owen the ball on the 30.

    “We kept them out of the red zone. That’s huge,” Graves said.