By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Week No. 3 was supposed to be Hayesville’s first real test, but Georgia Force Christian was merely a pop quiz.
The unbeaten Yellow Jackets (3-0) turned in an A minus varsity football performance on the road Friday in flunking the previously undefeated Blue Knights, 49-27.
Hayesville rushed for 480 yards. Six Yellow Jackets put points on the scoreboard. Four Clay County boys broke off runs of 40 plus yards. The Black-and-Gold defense put the Blue Knights in detention to the tune of minus 20 yards rushing.
Allowing a pair of long touchdown passes was the only demerit that kept Hayesville from earning an A plus grade.
Actually, “allowing” may not be the best word.
“We had people in position on both of the long touchdowns,” Hayesville Coach Chad McClure said. “Their kids just made great plays. They have a good quarterback and he read our defenses well.”
That good quarterback, Randall Fanning, completed 20 passes for 357 yards, which would have been headline news most nights, but was only the third biggest story.
The top storyline was a mobile, agile and occasionally hostile Hayesville offensive line that repeatedly pummeled the Georgia Force front like it was a punching bag.
“Any time you can rush for about 500 yards it’s a good time,” McClure stated. “I can’t say enough about the guys up front and what they’re doing. Lane O’Dell had a pretty tough assignment with their big nose guard, but Lane controlled him all night. Tight end Dawson Devane blocked great. Our guards did a good job. Will Brown did well and Dante Robinson is helping a lot at tackle.”
Excellent blocking factored in to the second biggest story of the evening — determined, inspired rushing by every Hayesville player who touched the ball. The Yellow Jackets did more than stockpile yards; they averaged an incredible 10 yards per carry as eight players averaged at least 7.3 yards per carry.
TnT — Taylor McClure and Tre Graves — were dy-no-mite once again. Graves romped for 117 yards, 10.6 per carry, and scored twice. McClure bolted for two touchdowns and gained 122 yards, 7.6 yards per touch.
“Taylor and Tre did a good job of hitting hole,” McClure said.
A 62-yard romp into the end zone by Cole Vining was the longest gainer, but it was far from the only “woo wee, lookee there” moment. Graves broke off a 61-yarder, Seth Leek rambled 53 yards for a touchdown on his only carry and Michael “Money” Mauney wiggled free for a 41-yard jaunt to pay dirt.
TnT was also explosive on defense, making 11 of Hayesville’s 41 tackles. McClure caused a fumble on one of those takedowns and Graves had one of the Yellow Jackets’ four sacks on another tackle.
Georgia Force also made big plays, which made for an exciting evening of football between two undefeated squads.
“It was one of those games where you never really felt like you were in control because they can score in a hurry,” McClure remarked.
Hayesville struck first when McClure, who caused a fumble that gave Hayesville possession, busted into the end zone from a half yard out with 8:21 left in the first period. Isaac Chandler’s first of seven successful point-after kicks gave Hayesville lead it would never relinquish.
Georgia Force answered when Fanning hit Elijah Arnasalam, who zipped 63 yards. A bad snap foiled the point after leaving Hayesville on top 7-6.
Three plays later, the Yellow Jackets responded when quarterback Tate Roberts faked a hand off to McClure and handed to Leek on a reverse. Leek slipped two would-be tacklers and motored to the promised land with 2:49 to play in the first. Chandler pushed Hayesville’s advantage to 14-6.
The quarter ended with the Yellow Jacket defense playing schoolyard bully, limiting the hosts to 1 yard on five tries. The defining moment came on third-and-17 when O’Dell and Brown stuffed Fanning 9 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
Hayesville promptly embarked on an 8-play, 74-yard drive. Mauney’s 14-yard burst carried the Yellow Jackets past midfield, setting up Graves for a 23-yard touchdown run. Chandler made it 21-6.
Georgia Force closed the gap to 21-14 with another big pass play, but Hayesville once again rose to the occasion.
McClure lit the fuse on first down when he dragged two defenders 15 yards on a 21-yard trip. With Georgia Force surely expecting more TnT, Roberts gave the pigskin to Mauney, who vaulted through an opening large enough to accommodate Andre the Giant and his brother and raced 41 yards to glory with 2:27 left in the first half. Chandler’s kick extended the lead to 28-14.
Hayesville gained breathing room when Chandler intercepted a first down pass and returned it 14 yards. Two plays later, McClure high-stepped into the end zone untouched from 23 yards out just :23 before the intermission. Chandler’s toe pushed the lead to 35-14.
Georgia Force began the second half with a passing touchdown, but Hayesville answered again when Graves flew down the sideline for a 61-yard touchdown. Chandler made it 42-21.
The Yellow Jackets’ final hurrah — Vining’s 61-yard waltz, which came between two Georgia Force field goals, was just as dramatic as the previous fireworks.
“We got some key stops at times and held them to a field goal,” McClure said. “I thought our defense played well, especially Devane at linebacker and Jacob Jones and Ethan McGuffie at defensive end. He played great on both sides of the ball. His blocking was great.”
Hayesville’s first real test comes at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8 when Pisgah, 3-0, visits Frank R. Long Memorial Stadium.
“That will be a pretty tough one. They’re pretty good,” McClure stated. “Our guys are really buying in right now. Pisgah will be tough test. They’re a 3A school and they’re 3-0. They are definitely the best team we’ve played. I believe they could compete for a championship in our conference. It’s going to be a great atmosphere.”