A history making soccer season has come to an end for the Hayesville Yellow Jackets. On Saturday, Nov. 9 Hayesville hosted Queen’s Grant in round two of the state playoffs. After receiving a bye in the opening round, the Jackets were favored to take down the Stallions. On a cold fall night, a 2-0 Queen’s Grant victory ended Hayesville’s title hopes.
The first half saw the teams feel each other out with possession exchanges. Queen’s Grant made several shots on goal but Yellow Jacket goalie Kylan Bunch was able to stop the ball before it found the net. Hayesville had no success on the Stallions’ end of the field and the teams paused for halftime in a 0-0 deadlock.
Only 2:02 into the second half, Queen’s Grant exploited gaps in the Jacket defense for a goal and a 1-0 lead. Any time Hayesville tried to answer, the Stallions’ speed proved to be too much and Queen’s Grant would regain control. With 17:28 left in the match, the Stallions found the goal again to extend their lead to 2-0. Hayesville made several charges towards Queen’s Grant’s goal but was unable to overcome the opponent’s speed. Jacket Nation applauded their team as the horn sounded, ending Hayesville’s season.
The Jackets end the year with a 9-2 record and a Smoky Mountain Conference championship. With a slew of players graduating, next year’s squad will have a new look but the same goal — championships.