By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Hayesville may be tested for the first time this season when the undefeated Yellow Jackets, 2-0, play in Sugar Hill, Ga. on Friday night.
“We have a little tougher challenge this week,” Hayesville Coach Chad McClure said. “They’re pretty good. They’ve got some weapons and some big kids. We’ve got our hands full.”
Georgia Force Christian may be thinking the same thing about Hayesville.
The Patriots’ 3-0 record and 42.6 points per game average, 11 allowed, concern McClure, but Georgia Force Christian may not be as good as its numbers.
Georgia Force Christian outscored it’s last two opponents — Utopia Academy for the Arts and South Carolina Spartans — 95-6 after opening the season with a 33-27 overtime win over Cabarrus, but the combined record of the conquered is 0-6. The Patriots haven’t played anyone.
Neither has Hayesville.
“I’m not sure how good our opponents have been,” McClure said. “Our kids are playing well.”
Class 2A Madison, 0-2, didn’t put up much of a fight against the high-flying Yellow Jackets on the Mars Hill University artificial turf last week.
Hayesville rolled for 250 yards on the ground with an average of 6.6 yards per carry, tallied two touchdowns on returned interceptions, scored 13 points on Isaac Chandler kicks, held the Patriots to 126 yards on the ground and averaged 27 yards on kickoff returns.
Can you say total dominance?
“Our special teams, the kicking game are really doing well right now. I can’t remember a game where we’ve kicked two field goals. Most of Isaac’s kickoffs are into the end zone,” McClure stated.
Hayesville scored 7 points in the first quarter, 24 in the second and 17 more in the third for a 48-7 lead.
None of the scoring drives consumed more than 4:20 and nearly every tally was fueled by big gainers:
• Touchdown No. 1 was set up by a 16-yard jaunt by Taylor McClure and a 12-yard run by Tre Graves.
• Touchdown No. 2 was set up by Isaac Chandler’s 48-yard jet sweep.
• Isaac Chandler’s 27-yard field goal was set up by Petyon McGaha’s 18-yard kick return and a 17-yard ramble by Seth Leek.
• Touchdown No. 3: McClure 33-yard romp into the end zone was the big play.
• Touchdown No. 4 was set up by Michael Mauney’s 32-yard interception return.
• Touchdown No. 5 was set up Graves’ beautiful 34-yard punt return and Tate Roberts’ 14-yard roll out.
• Chandler’s second field goal, also 27 yards, was set up by Graves’ fantastic 43-yard kickoff return, followed by Mauney’s leaping catch of a Roberts’ bomb for 36 yards.
• The big play on touchdown No. 6 was the touchdown – Mauney’s thrilling 33-yard interception return to pay dirt.
• Touchdown No. 7 was also the big play — Colton Bruggers’ 21-yard interception return.
For the second week in a row, the Yellow Jackets dominated every facet of the game. Once again, there were plenty of heroes. Where to begin?
Chandler had a night to remember with two field goals, 7 extra-point kicks, a 48-yard run, a 39-yard pass reception, five kickoffs into the end zone and a tackle.
Mauney, aka Double M, picked off two passes, returned one for a touchdown, totaled 71 yards on his pick returns, made four tackles, and caught two passes for 39 yards.
“Teams look over there and see this short little corner and try to pick on Michael, but he plays big. Ben Bethel, a sophomore, is playing our other corner and he had four or five tackles.”
Rambling running backs McClure and Graves absolutely shredded the Madison defense. McClure romped for 56 yards on five carries, an average of 11.2 yards, while Graves gobbled up 60 yards on eight tries, an average of 7.5 yards. He also had 77 yards on kick returns.
TNT, Taylor and Tre, blocked with fervor.
“Our receivers are blocking too,” McClure said. “Isaac, Seth Leek and Jacob Jones are playing wing/flanker for us and are doing the job. I could go down the list and name all kinds of people. It’s just fun to watch. They’re just playing hard for each other.”
TNT did the most damage, but they weren’t the only detonators. McGaha gained 37 yards on five hauls, 7.4 average, Cole Vining carried eight times for 49 yards, 6.1, Roberts picked up 16 yards on three tries, 5.3, and scored a touchdown, Leek rolled for 18 yards on his only carry and Dawson Devane carried twice for 7 yards, 3.5.
Roberts also completed four-of-six aerials for 88 yards. McGaha got loose for an 18-yard punt return and looked good at quarterback.
“They both bring different things to the table. They’re both accepting a role. They’re cheering each other,” McClure said.
Hayesville’s improving offense line deserve a good deal of credit for the healthy rushing averages.
“I feel like our offensive line is improving each week,” McClure said. “First play of the game, the whole right side of the line just drove them back about four or five yards. That’s good stuff. They are doing a great job for us.”
“They” are center Lane O’Dell, guards Patrick Denton and Ethan McGuffie, tackles Will Brown and Dante Robinson and tight end Devane.
The Yellow Jacket defense was also impressive.
Besides Mauney’s heroics, McClure had a team-high seven tackles, Colton Bruggers picked off a pass and took it in for 6 points; Bethel had five take downs and caught a pass on offense; Slade Crouch made four tackles, E.J. Abrams had three and McGuffie caused and recovered a fumble.
“Defensively, we had two interceptions returned for touchdowns. I can’t remember that happening in one game,” McClure said. “The defense is flying around. Madison did some things we hadn’t seen, but our kids adjusted well. Our defense is really playing well.”