Yellow Jackets Dominate in SMC Tournament Final
Hayesville Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports February 19, 2022
On Friday night, the Hayesville Yellow Jackets had a tough matchup in the SMC tournament final. The Yellow Jackets were matched up with Swain, and it was the fourth time they have played already this season. Their first matchup at Hayesville went to overtime, with the Yellow Jackets pulling it out. Then the last two matchups at Swain saw the Yellow Jackets pull away to win by 25 or more each time. This was their third straight game at Swain, and just like the previous two, Hayesville proved to be too much, winning comfortably 77-54.
Logan Caldwell nails a free throw.
1st Half:
The game started a little slow, with each team feeling their way into the game. Hayesville got to an early 8-0 lead as Swain could not get anything to fall against the tough Yellow Jacket defense early in the first quarter. The Maroon Devils, though, would battle back and decrease the lead by the end of the quarter trailing 14-10. The second quarter was all Hayesville as the Yellow Jackets proved why they are the #1 team in all of 1A North Carolina. Hayesville would score 26 points in the quarter, led by Jake Mctaggart, who had an incredible 18 points in the quarter. Swain had no answer for Mctaggart, who was scoring from all three levels—draining several long threes, hitting fade-away jumpers, and finishing strong inside. This led the Yellow Jackets to have a 40-24 lead going into halftime.
2nd Half:
Hayesville would come out in the third quarter and leave no doubt pulling away from Swain. The Yellow Jackets had another big scoring quarter led by Kolbe Ashe, who had eight points in the quarter. He got plenty of help, too, as five Yellow Jackets scored in the quarter. By the time the fourth quarter started, Hayesville was leading by 26 and would cruise to a comfortable victory. The Yellow Jackets were in complete control for four quarters. With Swain for the fourth time this year unable to find a way to slow down the Yellow Jackets. Hayesville went on to win 77-54 to stay undefeated going into the NCHSAA playoffs.
Asher Brown finishes strong at the rim on the drive.
Hayesville Leading Scorers:
Jake Mctaggart 26 points
Kolbe Ashe 17 points
Logan Caldwell 12 points
Ethan Hooper 9 points
Asher Brown 8 points
Postgame Quotes from Hayesville Head Coach Michael Cottrell:
- “I think Swain is an excellent team, and anytime you can beat a team like that on their home court, it helps you going into the playoffs. A really solid win for us.”
- Asked about earning the #1 seed for playoffs: “We have to take it one game at a time; there are a lot of quality teams in 1A this year. It is going to be a tough road, but these guys are playing really well right now so we will see.”
Ethan Hooper leads the Hayesville fastbreak.
Hayesville will next play tentatively on Tuesday, February 22nd, in the first round of the NCHSAA playoffs. Coaches from both teams can always agree to play the game a day earlier. Stay tuned to the TeamFYNSports Twitter and Facebook pages. We will have all the playoff updates and schedules and times as soon as we find out from the state and local teams.
Hayesville Boys Battle Adversity to Advance to SMC Finals
Hayesville Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports February 15, 2022
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets faced some adversity Monday night with some difficult refereeing. Foul trouble plagued Yellow Jacket star Kolbe Ashe and had him at his season-low in minutes against good competition. Hayesville battled for four quarters, though, and even without their star point guard for much of the game, found a win. A big night from fellow star Jake Mctaggart powered the Yellow Jackets to their 66-51 win over Andrews to earn a chance at the conference tournament title.
Logan Caldwell floats through traffic while making a perfect pass.
1st Half:
The game started with Kolbe Ashe getting three fouls in about the first two minutes. This sent him to the bench with several questionable calls on him. Yet the Yellow Jackets, even without Ashe, found a way to maintain their lead. Guys like Asher Brown, Kyle Lunsford, and Logan Caldwell stepped up without Ashe on the court. This allowed Jake Mctaggart enough room inside to do some major damage, with the Wildcats not having anyone who could match up with him. It was a low-scoring first half, but it saw Hayesville take a 26-22 lead into the halftime break.
2nd Half:
Hayesville was able to keep their lead while they waited for Ashe to get back on the court. Once he did a little over halfway into the third quarter, it spelled doom for Andrews. With Hayesville still holding the lead and getting Ashe back, the whole tone of the game changed. Ashe and Mctaggart combined for 29 points in the second half matching the Wildcat’s entire second half scoring by themselves. With Ashe’s return and his combination with Mctaggart left Andrews behind in the fourth quarter, winning 66-51 to advance to the SMC tournament final.
Jake Mctaggart slams one down against Andrews.
Hayesville Leading Scorers:
Jake Mctaggart 27 points
Kolbe Ashe 14 points
Asher Brown 11 points
Hayesville Head Coach Michael Cottrell Quotes:
“I thought it was good for us as a team; we need to play those games right now, so nothing surprises us in the state tournament.”
“Our team is weathered. We have had a few like this. We had to do it without Kolbe on the floor for a long stretch. It was uncomfortable for me, it was uncomfortable for the team, it showed a little, but we held the lead and did some good things.”
Hayesville will play in the conference tournament final Friday, February 18th, against the winner of tonight’s Swain, Robbinsville game. To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done, tune in to all the latest Team FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsport