By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
The JV Yellow Jackets gave Murphy a scare before succumbing 12-6 at Frank R. Long Stadium in Hayesville last Thursday.
"We had a chance to win," Hayesville Coach Brett Graves said. "Any time you only give up 12 points you put yourself in a position to win the game."
Trailing 6-0 after three quarters, Hayesville tied the game with five minutes left in the game after Kabe Shaheen forced a fumble. "Kabe stepped up defensively," Graves said. "He hit a kid so hard that the ball went up 10 or 15 feet up in the air."
Landon Cheeks scooped up the ball and carried it 12 yards before being dragged to the turf. On the next play, Johan Webb scampered 20 yards into the end zone. The two-point conversion failed.
Unfortunately, Murphy answered with a touchdown and the Yellow Jackets didn't have enough time to score again.
The deciding play came on a 4th-and-13 with about two minutes remaining. Hayesville came close to getting the first down, but fell short by three yards. Murphy then ran out the clock.
Graves cited the following players for leading the Yellow Jackets:,Jonathan Godinez-Diaz, Brett Hanna and E.J. Mapusua.
Hayesville's JV returns to action at Swain at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7.