Photo by Marc Lancaster Tate Roberts, No. 5, make sure everyone is on the same page before receiving the snap from center Michael Colandrea, No. 70.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Tre Graves burned turf like a wind-stoked wildfire, Tate Roberts led his commandos with the skill of General MacArthur and the O line dominated with a capital D as Hayesville disposed of Union Academy, 37-35, in a Class 1-A playoff thriller Friday.
Graves ran roughshod for five touchdowns, three two-point conversions, 339 yards and scored 36 points as No. 18 seed Hayesville overcame a 15-point halftime deficit and stunned No. 15 Union Academy in the first round of postseason play on the Cardinals’ home field.
Yes, stunned. Hayesville was the only 1-A Eastern Division team to upset a lower-seeded opponent. That advances the Yellow Jackets (4-7) into Round 2 this Friday against undefeated Mountain Heritage (9-0), the No. 2 seed.
“Hayesville is a very tough team. We knew they were going to be tough to stop in their run game,” Union Academy Coach Mason Sledge stated. “They were really well coached and they came to play physical football and they did that. The more physical team won.”
No one was more physical than Roberts, who delivered two of the most bone-crunching shots of the season. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a quarterback/safety hit like that before,” raved longtime sports photographer Marc Lancaster. “Tate was laying some lumber,” Hayesville Coach Chad McClure agreed.
Roberts wasn’t the only lumber layer: 5-foot-6 Michael Mauney did a Captain Crunch number on 6-foot-3 Union Academy standout Breshen Bennett on the opening play of the second half that changed the complexion of a game the Cardinals led 28-13.
Bennett had burned Hayesville for two touchdowns on pass plays in the first half, the second touchdown coming on a quick toss to behind the line of scrimmage. When Union Academy began the third quarter with the same play, “Money” Mauney drilled Bennett like an impacted molar for an 11-yard loss. Three nothing plays later, Union Academy punted from its 5-yardline, which led to Hayesville scoring on a Graves run and two-pointer to cut the lead to 28-21.
“Mauney’s hit on the first pass play after halftime that dropped Bennett for a loss behind line of scrimmage was a turning point,” McClure said.
Bennett, who gained 120 yards on his two touchdown catches in the first half, did not catch another ball after Mauney torpedoed him. The decision to jam Bennett at the line of scrimmage was implemented at halftime.
“We stretched our secondary to come up and be more physical with him and not let him have free releases and we gave a little more help over the top,” McClure commented.
“They started jumping anything short and they moved the safety over top to take away the deep ball,” Sledge said. “We still had opportunities to get him ball in middle of field, we just missed them.”
Union Academy’s biggest missed opportunity came with Hayesville on top 37-35 with 7:30 left to play. The Cardinals were sitting pretty with first-and-10 at Hayesville’s 25 when Brendon Collins and E.J. Matsuma stuffed running back Eli Williams like an undersized turkey. The double-whammy slammy resulted in a fumble that Yellow Jacket standout Will Brown recovered.
“I thought offensively we put ourselves in a place to win the game. Unfortunately, the ball didn’t roll our way at the end with a fumble,” Sledge said. “If we score on one of the two opening possessions in second half I like our chances of pulling the game out.”
Plenty of time remained for the Cardinals to get another shot at a win, but Hayesville slammed the door with its most convincing drive of the night. Graves, showing no signs of fatigue, romped for gains of 12, 18 and 11, the later good for a first down with 3:50 on the clock.
Union Academy clung to hope when Hayesville faced third-and-2 with 2:07, but Roberts got the needed yards. Two carries later, the Jackets made good on another crucial third down when Roberts’ cadence drew the Cardinals offside to give Hayesville a first down — and the ball game.
“Tate did a masterful job running offense with no play clock. He managed things beautifully,” McClure said.
Speaking of beauty, Graves was a Rembrandt at running back. The TREmendous one averaged 10.5 yards on 27 carries for 283 yards, had a 12-yard reception, Hayesville’s only completed pass, and returned a kickoff 44 yards — it would have been 72 yards but a holding call negated a big chunk of the yardage.
Graves was simply amazing. Hayesville’s other backs were merely marvelous. Dawson Devane punished Union Academy for 71 yards, Roberts averaged eight yards on five carries and Mauney broke tackles like Jackie Chan in a wicker furniture warehouse as he zoomed for 33 yards on his only carry.
The Yellow Jacket ground game was a testament to talent and determination and exceptional blocking. The Hogs up front — yes, it’s a term of affection — owned Union Academy’s trenchmen. Ate their lunch. Tore up their homework. Stole their girlfriends.
Center Michael Colandrea, guards Will Brown, E.J. Abrams and Patrick Denton, tackles Kasen Chastian, Rayland Martinez and Brandon Collins and tight end E.J. Mapasua were the pitmasters on this night. Just ask Graves, who was literally untouched on one of his touchdowns and three of his two-pointers. Some linemen create holes; the Hogs blasted open two-lane tunnels.
“It was by far our best game blocking up front,” McClure stated. “We knew we had to keep the ball away from them.”
Mission accomplished. Hayesville ran 56 plays and gained 17 first downs. Union Academy ran 40 plays and had 11 first downs.
Hayesville’s Big Show in Monroe was quite simply the best game the Yellow Jackets played this year, perhaps this decade.
“It was a very good win for us, especially after going 3-7. There was a lot of excitement early in year, then things didn’t go the way any of us expected when we lost our first four games. A lot of kids would have thrown in the towel, but not our kids. Our senior leaders never gave up. They never quit,” McClure said.
Quitting wasn’t an option Friday, not when Hayesville fumbled the ball away on the first play of the game, not when Union Academy reached the end zone :42 into the game.
Quitting wasn’t considered when Hayesville fumbled again on the third play after the ensuing kickoff. Fortunately, Roberts recovered and the Hayesville ground game began churning and burning. Devane took a bobbled pitchout and Graves busted loose for a 15-yard drive on the way to the red zone. From the 22-yardline, Graves carried three times to earn the six. Mauney’s extra-point tied the game 7-7.
Union Academy promptly answered when Bennett torched Hayesville with a 30-yard reception and a 45-yard touchdown sprint on a pass on the next play. The extra-point kick put UA up 14-7.
Again, Hayesville retaliated. Devane lit the fuse with a spinning nine-yard haul. Roberts added a 16-yard scoot after faking a handoff to Graves and a facemask penalty on the play moved Hayesville to the hosts’ 24. Three plays later, Graves waltzed to paydirt from 16 yards out without a Cardinal touching him. The point-after kick was wide. Union Academy 14, Hayesville 13.
Union Academy then seized the momentum, adding a pair of touchdowns and forcing Hayesville to punt in the final 3:30 of the first half for a 28-13 lead.
The second half, however, belonged to Hayesville from the kickoff, which Johan Webb booted into the end zone for a touch back that denied Bennett an opportunity to fire up his afterburners.
“I thought one turning point was the penalty after halftime, when the ball was moved up because they didn’t come onto the field on time. That allowed us to kick into end zone. That hurt them,” McClure said.
Bigger pains were delivered in the third quarter by Graves, who ran for a six-yard touchdown and two-pointer and an incredible 42-yard explosion — set up by Mauney’s big gainer — and two-pointer that put Hayesville up 29-28.
Union Academy began the final quarter with a touchdown to retake the lead, 35-29, but Hayesville responded with a clinic on how to move the rock.
Mauney started the ball rolling with a breathtaking 19-yard kickoff return that only concluded because he slipped. Graves then carried for three, Devane rocketed through the middle for 19 and Graves zoomed 48 yards to paydirt on the next play. His two-point run put Hayesville in the driver’s seat, 37-28.
Friday in Burnsville, the Yellow Jackets hope to play spoiler again.
“Mountain Heritage has a really good team. They scored in a lot of ways — run, pass, big plays, defensive touchdowns and special team touchdowns. Since early in the year they’ve been totally about winning a state championship. It’s going to be tough, but our guys will come and play hard. They always do,” McClure stated.
Mountain Heritage Coach Joey Robinson is well aware of Hayesville’s reputation.
“They’re fun to watch. He’s got his players playing hard. It will be a football game,” Robinson said. “We have to tackle well, have to wrap them up. I’m really impressed with their backs and how hard they run.”
Mountain Heritage at a glance
Record: 9-0
Points scored: 415
Points allowed: 92
Defeated Chase 54-0
Defeated Erwin 32-27
Defeated Robbinsville 28-13
Defeated Hendersonville 42-7
Defeated Avery County 44-7
Defeated Madison 55-13
Defeated Mitchell 54-12
Defeated Draughn 49-6
Playoff Rd. 1: Defeated N. Stokes 57-7
Three penalties (30) to seven (65)
428 rush to 124 (222 pass)
Roberts 1-of-5, 12 - 5/41/8.2/20 - six tackles
Graves 27/283/10.5/48 - five touchdowns - one reception 12 yards - 44 kick return - four tackles
Devane 16/71/4.4/29
Mauney 1/33 - 27 yards kick/punt
Kasen Chastain five tackles
Colton Bruggers four tackles
Four tackles for loss: Mapasua, Mauney, Devane, Denton and sack
Special teams: three kickoffs, longest 12 - one punt, Bennett 25