Hayesville’s Jake Mctaggart Signs with UNC Charlotte
Hayesville Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports December 15, 2021
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets star tight end has signed to play college football for the University of Charlotte. The 49ers are getting an elite pass-catcher who is an incredible athlete, especially considering his size. Mctaggart will have to work as a blocker at the next level. This is often the case with tight ends transitioning to the college level. With only one tight end catching any passes for UNC Charlotte this year. Mctaggart has the potential to possibly fulfill a need for the 49ers and earn early playing time. The 49ers went 5-7 this year and are hoping this recruiting class can play a big role in getting them back to bowl eligibility. With the addition of Mctaggart and his playmaking ability, the 49ers are getting a very underrated recruit who has the physical potential to greatly exceed his 3-star rating.
Yellow Jacket Football Season Comes to an End
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports November 7, 2021
The #19 seed Hayesville Yellow Jackets traveled to the #14 Swain Maroon Devils in the playoffs Friday Night. Hayesville as has been the case with many of their losses this season struggled with turnovers. Hayesville moved the ball effectively most of the night but couldn’t finish off drives. As well several of the turnovers gifted Swain touchdowns making the game out of reach. Ultimately Swain would go to win the playoff game 40-14
1st Half:
Swain would strike first, scoring on the first drive of the game but would miss the extra point making it 6-0. Hayesville would drive inside the Swain 20 before Logan Caldwell threw an interception. Swain’s defensive end faked his rush then backed up a little before jumping and making a great catch. Hayesville would get the ball quickly though, recovering a fumbled Maroon Devil snap. Yet another Hayesville interception this time returned for a touchdown really hurt the Yellow Jackets. After getting the ball back off a punt the Maroon Devils would score again to go up 20-0. Then after their third interception of the half Swain would score again to go into halftime up 27-0.
2nd Half:
After trading the ball back and forth a few times Swain would open the second-half scoring. This would increase their lead to 34-0. Hayesville would finally score two drives later to though to get on the board. Swain would answer quickly though increasing their lead back to make the score 40-7. Hayesville would get a great return from Taylor McClure past the 50. Tate Roberts came in at QB and engineered the last drive of the game. He threw a touchdown pass as time expired to Michael Mauney to give Hayesville their last score of the season.
Notable Hayesville Stats:
Michael Mauney: 132 all purpose yards 1 TD
Taylor McClure: 15 carries 70 yards, 13 tackles 2 TFL
Kyle Lunsford: 5 rec 70 yards 6 tackles
Make sure to keep an eye out this winter as TeamFYNSports is not done doing live video coverage of Hayesville sports. The Yellow Jackets basketball team starts their season with their first game on Nov. 22nd. The game will be the 1st of 10 home games that will be on fyntv.com this basketball season.
To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done tune in to all the latest FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports
Hayesville Football 1st Playoff Preview
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports November 4, 2021
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets have earned the #19 seed in the NCHSAA football playoffs. It is a rematch of a conference game in which the Yellow Jackets lost to Swain County earlier this year. Swain the #14 seed will host the game and is favored of course as the higher seed. The weather for the game looks to be great according to the forecast for Friday night.
Reviewing the 1st Matchup:
Hayesville lost the first matchup a home game to Swain 42-14. What’s interesting about it though, was that Jake Mctaggart was still suspended and he played but not until the second half of the game. By the time he played to start the second half, it was already 28-7 making his impact much lesser. Hayesville also had two turnovers to Swains zero in the game. As well they had significantly more penalties. I would also say Swain played one of their better efforts of the year in this matchup.
Rewatch the First Game:
https://fyntv.net/article/hayesville-v-s-swain/
Review Article after 1st Swain Game:
https://claync.fetchyournews.com/2021/10/18/hayesville-comes-up-short-v-s-swain/
Previewing the Playoff Matchup:
Hayesville will have Jake Mctaggart for a full game this time around. I would also expect Logan Caldwell to play better. He went through a rough stretch of play during the early conference season. Yet Caldwell and really the whole Hayesville team appear that they may be peaking at the right time of the year.
Keys to the Game Offensively:
- Throw early and often: Swain’s run-stopping ability is the strength of their defense. While their pass defense can be suspect at times and we have seen several teams hurt them through the air this year.
- Limit turnovers: Hayesvilles QB Logan Caldwell can be overly aggressive at times and sometimes it pays off. Yet in this game, he needs to be hesitant to take too many risks early.
- NO PENALTIES: How many times this year have we seen a holding call, a false start, or some other infraction kill a drive. Hayesville’s offense has shown it can move the ball on anyone but penalties are drive killers.
Keys to the Game Defensively:
- Don’t give up the big play: Swains Offense has not been great at moving the ball on long drives this year. Yet they have been great at getting big plays, whether it’s a long throw or long QB scramble. If Hayesville can force them to have long drives playing bend but don’t break defense it improves their chances.
- Force the pitch: Swain runs their veer offense and whether they go triple, speed, or power option they struggle to make the pitch. Their quarterback Gabe Lilliard has fumbled the pitch part of their option numerous times this year. Stealing a possession would be huge for the Yellow Jackets.
- Get off the field on 3rd/4th down. Hayesville has struggled even when forcing teams into third and fourth and long this year to get off the field. Hayesville’s biggest win of the year was the Cherokee game. In that game on several occasions, they were able to successfully get a third or fourth-down stop.
Interviews with Head Coach Chad McClure, as well as Jake Mctaggart and Logan Caldwell:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMJrYZhrNtE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScF-sdq9JGg
Prediction:
I think that Hayesville is playing their best football of the year while Swain hasn’t won a game since our last matchup with them. All things are looking ripe for an upset but don’t get yourself wrong for it to happen the Yellow Jackets are going to have to play their best game of the year. I think they are capable of doing that though, my prediction is Hayesville 31 Swain 28.
Hayesville Fall to Conference Champs in Season Finale
Hayesville Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports October 31, 2021
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets traveled to Robbinsville on Friday night for the regular-season finale. Robbinsville needed to win the game to win their third straight conference championship. The Yellow Jackets hung tough in the game and scared the Black Knights early in the game. Ultimately Robbinsvilles championship pedigree was too much for the young Hayesville team. The Black Knights clinched their conference championship-winning 31-14.
1st Quarter:
Hayesville got off to a great start when they recovered a botch Robbinsville handoff on their second play. Then the Yellow Jackets ran a trick play, a halfback pass from Jake Mctaggart to Kyle Lunsford for a 30-yard touchdown. Then Hayesville forced a Robbinsville punt to get the ball back with a chance to go up two scores. Hayesville got three first downs before a penalty and sack killed the drive. Then a high snap on the punt went through the back of the endzone for a safety.
2nd Quarter:
Robbinsville would capitalize on good starting field position and score to go up 9-7. Hayesville looked to be on another scoring drive, but a missed fourth-down call gave the ball back to Robbinsville. On the play, Jake Mctaggart caught a pass clearly in bounds but was ruled out. After trading the ball back and forth Robbinsville would punch in another score to take a 17-7 lead. They would take that lead into halftime.
3rd Quarter:
Hayesville would have to punt it away on their first drive of the half. Robbinsville would take advantage and extend their lead scoring on their first drive of the second half. Each team would fail to score on their next opportunities. This would make for a lowing scoring quarter that ended with Robbinsville leading 24-7.
4th Quarter:
A partially blocked punt at the beginning of the fourth quarter returned by Kyle Lunsford gave Hayesville great starting field position. It would give Hayesville great starting field position and it would only take them two plays to get into the endzone. With Lunsford catching his second touchdown pass of the game this time from Logan Caldwell. Robbinsville would respond though scoring again to push their lead back up to 17, leading 31-14. That would be the final score of the game and with the win the Black Knights clinched their conference championship.
Hayesville Notable Stats:
Logan Caldwell: 127 passing yards 1 TD
Kyle Lunsford: 7 receptions 141 yards 2 TD
Taylor McClure: 17 tackles
Jake Mctagggart: 15 tackles
Lane O’Dell: 9 tackles
Ricky McCullough: 8 tackles
Hayesville plays in the 1st round of the NCHSAA playoffs Friday night. The Yellow Jackets the #19 seed will travel to take on the #14 seed Swain Maroon Devils. To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done tune in to all the latest FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports
Yellows Jackets Stun the Braves
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports October 24, 2021
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets hosted the Cherokee Braves on Friday night, the last regular-season home game of the year for Hayesville. It was senior night in Hayesville and while the season has not gone as planned. Hayesville really wanted to pull off the upset and give the seniors a big win their last time playing at Frank R Long stadium. The Yellow Jackets did just that pulling off a massive upset in a game that is an instant classic winning 36-30.
1st Quarter:
Hayesville won the toss and deferred to the second half, meaning Cherokee would get the ball first on offense. Hayesville’s defense was doing a great job not giving up much, but penalties on the Yellow Jackets aided the Brave’s drive. Two personal foul penalties put Cherokee in a great position and they scored first to take an 8-0 lead. Hayesville looked to respond quickly and were moving the ball well. Unfortunately, Logan Caldwell threw an interception in the endzone to give Cherokee the ball back. Cherokee looked to be on another scoring drive as they crossed into Hayesville territory. The Hayesville defense would step up though and force a turnover on downs to get the ball back.
2nd Quarter:
Hayesville would start the quarter and drive down deep in Cherokee territory. A fourth-down penalty put them in a tough fourth and seven to go. Not only would Hayesville convert the fourth down, but they would also score. Caldwell scrambled to the right to give himself more time and Kyle Lunsford got open in the back of the endzone. Caldwell threw a good ball and Lunsford pulled it down in traffic to get the score. Once again Cherokee would drive into Hayesville territory but the Yellow Jackets would get a fourth-down stop. Then the Yellow Jackets would respond with a huge scoring drive to end the half to take a 15-8 lead going into halftime.
3rd Quarter:
Hayesville would receive to start the second half and have a perfect start to the third quarter. A long five and half minute scoring drive was finished off by a Jake Mctaggart running score. Cherokee would respond quickly though, scoring after getting the ball in about a minute. Then Braves would intercept a pass and almost run it back for a score. They would score though on offense on their first play of the drive and get the two-point conversion. Hayesville would fumble on the ensuing kick return and give it back to the Braves. For the third time in the quarter, the Braves would score quickly. In less than five minutes of game time, it went from Hayesville leading 22-8 to Cherokee leading 30-22.
4th Quarter:
Hayesville would have the ball at the start of the fourth quarter down a score, trying to find a way back into the game. The Yellow Jackets would come up a yard short though trying to convert on fourth down and give the ball back to Cherokee. The Braves looked like they were going to score to ice the game as they got inside the 10-yard line. Jake McTaggart would come up with a huge forced fumble recovered by Lane O’Dell in the endzone. Hayesville’s offense would get hamstrung by penalties again giving the Braves the ball back. Hayesville’s defense would find a way to stop Cherokee once again to give the Hayesville offense one last chance. An incredible 80-yard drive would give Hayesville the score they needed with 1:30 left to play. Yet the Yellow Jackets would miss the two-point conversion and found themselves trailing 30-28. With no timeouts, they would have to kick an onside kick. Isaac Chandler kicked a perfect onside kick, as it crossed the ten-yard mark Jake Mctaggart tipped it. Out of nowhere Michael Mauney’s pink gloves could be seen snagging the ball above a crowd of players. After the refs sorted everything out, sure enough, Mauney the smallest player on the field and just a freshman came running out of the pile with the ball. Hayesville would take their golden opportunity and make several big plays downfield. Hayesville was aided by several penalties on Cherokee. The drive was finished off on a Jake Mctaggart quarterback sneak to give the Yellow Jackets the lead. Cherokee got the ball back with about fifteen seconds left and took one last deep shot. It was tipped around and Taylor McClure made an incredible diving interception to seal the Hayesville victory 36-30.
Notable Hayesville Stats:
Logan Caldwell: 25-37 passing for 272 yards 2 TD’s 2 Ints, 6 rushes for 37 yards 1 TD
Taylor McClure: 15 rushes for 59 yards 2 receptions for 22 yards
Jake McTaggart: 11 rushes for 36 yards 2 TD’s, 11 receptions for 129 yards 1 TD
Kyle Lunsford: 6 receptions for 70 yards 1 TD
Isaac Chandler: 5 receptions for 52 yards
Chad McClure Post Game Interview:
Game Highlights:
Watch a Full Replay of the Game Here:
https://fyntv.net/?bfplayvid=313858
Hayesville plays their last regular-season game of the year this upcoming Friday night. The Yellow Jackets will travel to take on the Robbinsville Black Knights. To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done tune in to all the latest FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports
Hayesville Comes Up Short V.S. Swain
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports October 18, 2021
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets hosted the Swain Co. Maroon Devils in a conference game Friday night. Swain a traditionally strong program were able to avenge last year’s loss to Hayesville. The Maroon Devils run game was strong all night long and they hit several big passes when needed. While Hayesville struggled with penalties and turnovers, going on to lose 42-14.
1st Half:
Hayesville received to start the game and they were moving the ball pretty well. Until a few penalties followed up by an interception gave Swain the ball. Swain put together a string of big plays and put together a six-play 60-yard scoring drive to strike first. Hayesville would go three and out on their next drive punting to Swain. The defense came up with a big stand, getting the ball back to offense quickly. Hayesville got great starting field position and quickly scored themselves via a Caldwell designed run. Tied up 7-7, Swain would respond in a big way, Scoring 21 unanswered points to take a dominating lead into halftime.
2nd Half:
Hayesville would hang tough in the second half only getting outscored by 1 touchdown. With the second coming with mostly JV’s in the game for both teams. Offensively they got a Taylor McClure touchdown run. As well Jake McTaggart came back from suspension in the second half and made a big impact. Yet the game was too far out of reach for it to change the outcome. As well Kyle Lunsford had a great night and would have been well over 100 receiving yards had a 50 plus yard catch not been called back because of penalties.
Notable Hayesville Stats:
Logan Caldwell: 14-22 passing for 127 yards 2 interceptions, 8 carries for 60 yards 2 TDs
Kyle Lunsford: 4 receptions for 49 yards, 6 tackles on defense
Taylor McClure: 9 carries for 32 rushing yards, 5 receptions 36 yards receiving, 9 tackles 3 TFL
Jeremy Graves: 7 tackles 1 fumble recovery on defense
Hayesville hosts their last regular-season game of this year this upcoming Friday night. The Yellow Jackets will host the Cherokee Braves on senior night. As all Hayesville home games have been all season, it will be live on fyntv.com
To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done tune in to all the latest FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports
Hayesville Yellow Jackets Fall to Murphy
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports October 10, 2021
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets went to Murphy on Friday night. It was the first conference road game for Hayesville this season. It was a wet muddy night and the Yellow Jackets struggled to get anything consistent going on offense all night. As well Murphys downhill running attack was hard to slow down. Hayesville would lose to the defending state champion Bulldogs 56-14 sliding to 0-2 in conference play.
1st Half:
Hayesville received the opening kickoff to start the game, but penalties killed their first drive. After punting it away to Murphy, the bulldogs would open the game scoring with a touchdown pass. After the referee miss an obvious personal foul on the ensuing kickoff, Hayesvilles coaching staff justifiably frustrated got flagged for 15 yards. This forced Hayesville to start their drive from their own 8-yard line. Hayesville fumbled a handoff which Murphy picked up and scored to increase their lead to 14-0.
Hayesville would finally respond on offense, Logan Caldwell engineered a long-scoring drive. Picking up several third down along the way, with Caldwell scoring on a quarterback scramble to bring Hayesville within a touchdown. Murphy responded by scoring again and increasing their lead back to two scores 21-7. Hayesville almost responded themselves getting into the red zone on their next drive but couldn’t finish it off. Murphy would go into halftime with a commanding 35-7 lead.
2nd Half:
Murphy would take any doubt out of the game in the third quarter. The Bulldogs would score 21 points in the third quarter to make their lead 56-7. Hayesville would get one more score late in the fourth quarter. Caldwell would use his legs again for his second rushing touchdown of the year. It was good to see some young players get in the game late for Hayesville. Freshmen like Tate Roberts and Michael Mauney made several nice plays late in the game. Hayesville would go on to lose 56-14 with Murphy playing their most complete game of the year. Looking very much like the states defending champions who are rounding into playoff form.
Hayesville Notable Stats:
Logan Caldwell: 10-20 139 yards passing, 2 rushing TD’s, 6 tackles on defense
Taylor McClure: 15 rushes for 75 yards, 4 receptions for 33 yards 6 tackles of defense
Kyle Lunsford:3 receptions for 66 yards
Jeremy Graves: 7 tackles on defense
Lane O’Dell: 5 tackles on defense
Hayesville next plays on Friday, October 15th hosting Swain, the game will be live on fyntv.com. Make sure to tune into fyntv.com for the WNC Friday Night Pressbox show to see the Hayesville v.s. Swain preview. To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done tune in to all the latest FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports
Yellow Jackets Lose to Undefeated Wildcats
Hayesville Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports October 5, 2021
Photo Credit: Brooke Leatherwood
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets hosted the undefeated Andrews Wildcats in their conference opener. It was a tough game and Andrews lived up to their perfect record, playing a a great game. Hayesvile struggled with turnovers and penalties that derailed multiple offensive drives. Andrews hard nosed running game would stack up 232 rushing yards on the night. Andrews would finish with a 31 to 7 victory, to maintain there spotless record.
1st Half:
Hayesville would kickoff to start the game, and Andrews vaunted rushing attack immediately got to work. Hayesville was holding them to minimum gains until Austin Martin broke a 50 plus yard run to take an early 8-0 lead. The Yellow Jackets would throw an interception giving Andrews the ball back quickly. Hayesvilles defense would step up and force a third an long. Yet Andrews capitalized with a rair pass and score again to go up 16-0. By halftime Andrews led 24-0 putting Hayesville in a very tough position coming into the second half.
2nd Half:
Andrews executed a surprise onside kick to start the second half. After recovering it they quickly marched down the field for another score to take a 31-0 lead. This really put any chance of a Hayesville comeback to rest. Yet give the young Yellow Jacket team credit they managed to not allow the Wildcats to score for the rest of the game. Including several big fourth down stops, and Hayesville managed a score of their own. One of the few bright spots for the Hayesville offesne on the night was Dawson Devane. He scored Hayesvilles only touchdown of the night and was their leading rusher. Andrews would win 31-7 but Hayesvilles second half show the Yellow Jackets grit and points towards better outcomes in future weeks.
Postgame Quotes from Head Coach Chad McClure:
“Andrews did a better job execution wise and they were the better team tonight”
“In the first half we did have two turnovers but they both came after two big penalties that hurt us”
“We gave them two big plays but other than that we were able to limit them, but credit to them they sustain long drives, dont turn it over, and finish drives off”
Notable Hayesville Stats:
Dawson Devane: 10 rushes for 51 yards 1 TD, 10 tackles on defense
Taylor McClure: 13 tackles on defense
Ricky McCullough: 10 tackles on defense
Hayesville next plays on Friday, October 8th at Murphy. Make sure to tune into fyntv.com for the WNC Friday Night Pressbox show to see the Hayesville at Georgia Force preview. To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done tune in to all the latest FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports
Caldwells Legendary Performance Leads Yellow Jackets Past Force
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports September 27, 2021
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets traveled south to take on the defending homeschool national champions, Georgia Force. It was a game in which either team was capable to win the game and the pregame picks were fairly split among the press. The Yellow Jackets though had incredibly strong execution offensively and defensively throughout the game. Georgia Force dominated in special teams though, including a touchdown kick return to start the second half. Hayesville’s Logan Caldwell had four interceptions on defense and passed for 238 yards to lead the Yellow Jackets to a 28-21 victory.
1st Quarter:
Hayesville received the opening kick and had a methodical scoring drive. It was well-balanced running and passing on the drive. Two big completions to Kyle Lunsford, a big run by Jake Mctaggart, finished off with a Mctaggart touchdown run gave Hayesville the early 7-0 lead. Mctaggart at running back was a new wrinkle in the offense but was very effective throughout the game. Georgia Force’s first pass attempt of the game was picked off by Logan Caldwell.
Hayesville capitalized on the mistake with another great scoring drive. The drive was due in large to a great screenplay where Taylor McClure got some great blocking resulting in a 52-yard reception. The drive was finished off by a great read option keeper by Caldwell to put Hayesville up 14-0. On the first play of Georgia Forces drive the Caldwell intercepted another pass. Hayesville would execute another good drive getting into Force territory as the quarter came to a close.
2nd Quarter:
A great triple option play to start the quarter got Hayesville inside the ten after Mctaggart took the pitch for a big gain. Mctaggart followed it up with a short touchdown reception two plays later to extend the lead to 21-0. A long drive by Georgia force got them into Hayesville territory but they missed the opportunity for points when they missed a field goal. Hayesville would have their drive of the game that didnt end in a score. Punting the ball back to the Force. A fantastic punt return would give the Force the ball inside Hayesvilles 20-yard line. They would capitlize on the great field position with a touchdown to take the score to Hayesville 21 Force 7 going into halftime.
3rd Quarter:
Georgia Force would return the second half kick off for a touchdown, vaulting themselves right back into the game. Hayesville would go three and out on their next drive giving it back to the force with a chance to tie it up. Hayesvilles defense would give up a few first downs but stand strong and force a third and long from their own 40-yard line. The Force would try a long pass route but for the fourth time of the night Logan Caldwell would jump the route and intercept the pass. Hayesville would put together another great drive, this time focused on the run. They would get inside the Force ten yard line as the quarter closed, with Hayesville leading 21-14.
4th Quarter:
The first play of the fourth quarter was a strong run with the Hayesville offensive line getting a great push to allow Taylor McClure to score. Georgia Force would respond though down 28-14, putting together a long drive. Finishing the drive off with a passing score to make it a one possession game 28-21. Hayesville would punt the ball back to the force on their next drive. With the opportunity to tie the game Hayesvilles defense tightened the screws and shut the down the force in just three plays. They punted the ball back and wouldnt get their offense back on the field again. Hayesville using all run plays would pick up two crucial first downs including a fourth down pickup. This allowed them to milk the clock and finish off the game winning 28-21.
Game Notes:
- Hayesvilles offensive line had their best game of season giving great pass protection. As well as allowing Hayesville to rush for season high 163 yards.
- Jake Mctaggart found success playing running back for Hayesville for the first time this season. Coming into the game with zero rushing yards on the season he finished the game 91 rushing yards and a touchdown.
- Logan Caldwell set a school records with 4 interceptions after getting moved from corner to safety for this game.
Hayesville Notable Stats:
Logan Caldwell: 4 interceptions on defense, 13-23 passing for 238 yards, 1 passing TD, 1 rushing TD
Jake Mctaggart: 11 rushes 91 yards 1 TD, 5 receptions 53 yards 1 TD
Taylor McClure: 17 rushes for 71 yards 1 TD, 2 receptions 82 yards, 9 tackles on defense
Kyle Lunsford: 5 receptions for 92 yards
Interview with Head Coach Chad McClure:
Game Highlights:
Hayesville next plays on Friday, October 1st hosting Andrews. The game is the TeamFYNSports WNC Game of the Week. It will be live on fyntv.com and coverage wi
ll start with the pregame show at 6:45 PM. Make sure to tune into fyntv.com for the WNC Friday Night Pressbox show to see the Hayesville at Georgia Force preview. To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done tune in to all the latest FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports
Hayesville Falls to Tuscola
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports September 19, 2021
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets traveled to take on the Tuscola Mountaineers a solid 2a opponent. The game was similar in a lot of respects to the Franklin game. Hayesville got down early and fought back to make it close at halftime. Unfortunately, Tuscolas’s size on both lines and depth got to Hayesville in the second half resulting in a tough 46-21 loss.
1st Half:
Hayesville’s received the ball to start the game but some penalties and offensive miscommunications stalled their first couple drives of the game. Tuscola struck first and took an early lead with the first two touchdowns of the game. Down 14-0 Hayesville answered in a big way with a 68-yard touchdown reception by Taylor McClure. He broke four or five different tackles on the play and it brought the score to 14-7. After forcing a punt Hayesville would get the ball back. An 11 play 82-yard drive finished off with a Logan Caldwell to Jake Mctaggart touchdown pass would tie the game at 14. Tuscola would score again though but miss the extra point to go up 20-14 going into halftime.
2nd Half:
Hayesville would attempt a surprise onside kick to start the second half. The Yellow Jackets were the ones that got surprised though when not only did Tuscola recover it. They would return it to the Hayesville 22-yard line, having great starting field position. Tuscola would capitalize scoring and going up 27-14. Tuscola would go on to score three more times to take a big 46-14 lead. Hayesville would answer late trying to fight back when Caldwell found McClure on a deep ball hitting him in stride en route to an 80-yard touchdown. It was too late in the game though, when Tuscola got the ball back though they were able to knee it out to end the game, winning 46-21.
Hayesville Head Coach Chad McClure Postgame Quotes:
“Similar to the Franklin game, I thought we played pretty good in the first half. We had terrible field position all half, we could never flip the field. Same thing in the second half, we tried the onside kick and just didn’t execute. We have to find a way to execute better in the second against quality teams.”
“They did a good job, they had good offensive and defensive lines. Once again I felt like they wore us down a little bit. We can’t continue to use that as an excuse though, we have to find a way because this is what we got. We’re gonna keep working, hopefully, we learn from this, continue to improve and it will help us down the road.”
Hayesville Highlights:
Notable Hayesville Stats:
Logan Caldwell: 21-29 passing for 377 yards, 3 TDs, 1 Int
Taylor McClure: 8 receptions for 201 yards, 2 TDs
Jake McTaggart: 8 receptions for 92 yards, 1 TD
Hayesville next plays on Friday, September 24th at Georgia Force. The game will be live on fyntv.com and coverage will start with the pregame show at 7:00 PM. Make sure to tune into fyntv.com for the WNC Friday Night Pressbox show to see the Hayesville at Georgia Force preview. To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done tune in to all the latest FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports
Hayesville Football Picks Up 1st Win In Dominant Performance
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports September 13, 2021
Photo credit: Brooke Leatherwood
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets hosted Lookout Valley of Chattanooga on Friday night. Hayesville took control of the game very early on. It was evident that Hayesville had superior talent. The Yellow Jackets led scoring the first touchdown and never looked back. Hayesville won 50-6 in a complete four-quarter performance, picking up their first victory of the year.
Asher Brown got the Hayesville offense going with what was the first of many big plays on the night. A 34-yard reception put Hayesville inside the five-yard line. Kyle Lunsford finished it off when he took the option pitch from Logan Caldwell for a short touchdown run. After trading the ball back and forth on Hayesville scored on their third drive of the game to go up 14-0. A big third-down 35-yard reception from Caldwell to Jake Mctaggart set up another Lunsford touchdown run.
Bryan Davenport celebrates his touchdown catch
Lookout Valley tried a halfback pass on their next drive but it was underthrown into the waiting arms of Logan Caldwell. It was his second interception of the game and this one he returned 55-yards for a touchdown to put Hayesville up 22-0. Hayesville forced a turnover on down and got the ball back quickly. Caldwell found Asher Brown for another big play this time a 29-yard touchdown, a slant from Brown.
Lookout Valley was able to pick up a few first downs but ultimately turned it over on downs inside Hayesville territory. With under two minutes to play in the half Hayesville broke out their two-minute offense. A huge 38-yard reception by Kyle Lunsford set up another short Hayesville touchdown run. This score put Hayesville up 36-0 going into halftime.
Taylor McClure outruns defenders to the endzone.
Hayesville got the ball to start the second half and wasted no time scoring in a hurry. Bryan Davenport took a screen pass from Caldwell, made a nice move, and outran everyone to the endzone. After forcing Lookout Valley to punt Hayesville got the ball back on their own 48-yard line. The Yellow Jackets scored on their first play of the drive. A triple-option look from shotgun and a perfect read pitch from Caldwell to Taylor McClure. McClure then outraced all the defenders for a 52-yard touchdown run. This put Hayesville up 50-0, with the final score ending up 50-6 as lookout valley would finally score late in the game.
Hayesville Lookout Valley Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR8zVPc142k
Notable Hayesville Stats:
Logan Caldwell: 10-11 passing for 215 yards 2 TD 1 Int, Had 2 interceptions on defense with one returned for a 55-yard touchdown
Taylor McClure: 5 carries for 85 yards 1 TD
Kyle Lunsford: 1 reception for 45 yards and 3 rushing TDs
Asher Brown: 2 receptions for 61 yards and a TD
Bryan Davenport: 1 reception for a 20-yard TD and 10 tackles on defense
Hayesville next plays on Friday, September 19th at Tuscola. Make sure to tune into fyntv.com for the WNC Friday Night Pressbox show to see the Hayesville at Tuscola preview. To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done tune in to all the latest FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports
Hayesville Falls to Franklin in Tough Road Game
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports August 28, 2021
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets traveled to Franklin on Friday night to take on the 3A Panthers. The Yellow Jackets battled hard throughout the first half battling back in the second quarter. They would go into halftime down only three 17-14. The second half was all Franklin as they put up four touchdowns and held Hayesville scoreless. Hayesville drops to 0-2 on the year losing to Franklin 45-14.
1st Quarter:
Hayesville’s offense got off to a good start with big back-to-back catches by Jake Mctaggart. This got them into Franklin territory. A fumbled snap though ended their drive and gave the ball to Franklin. The Panthers would capitalize on the turnover scoring and taking an early 7-0 lead. Once again Hayesville would get into Franklin territory on their second offensive drive. Penalties would kill the drive though, forcing them to punt. Franklin would hold their 7-0 lead to end the first quarter.
2nd Quarter:
Franklin would start the quarter off with the ball finishing a methodical drive to take a 14-0 lead. Hayesville would go three and out having to punt the ball away. Franklin would drive into Hayesville territory but stall out. Yet a 46-yard field goal would increase their lead to 17-0. Hayesville would respond with two straight touchdowns to bring the game back close at halftime. First, a 58-yard bomb pass from Logan Caldwell to Isaac Chandler. Then when Hayesville kicked off and a great squib kick from Chandler was too tough for Franklin to handle and Hayesville would get the ball back immediately. A great fade route connection from Caldwell to Mctaggart would make the halftime score Franklin 17 Hayesville 14.
3rd Quarter:
Franklin would put together a great drive, using their power run game to score early in the quarter. Hayesville would go for it on fourth down but fail to convert on their first drive giving the ball back to Franklin. Franklin would capitalize on great field position with more power running and another score. Franklin now found themselves back in control leading 31-14. Hayesville would pick up a couple of first downs before the end of the third quarter.
4th Quarter:
The start of the first quarter though saw Hayesvilles drive stall out and they had to punt it away. A great play though by Asher Brown forcing a fumble and recovering it would get Hayesville the ball back immediately. Hayesville couldn’t capitalize on the turnover though giving the ball back to Franklin with a turnover on downs. Franklin would cruise the rest of the game with two long touchdown runs to ice the game, winning 45-14.
Hayesville Notable Stats:
Logan Caldwell: 18-29 passing for 271 yards and 2 TD’s
Jake Mctaggart: 5 receptions for 102 yards and a TD
Isaac Chandler: 5 receptions for 98 yards and a TD
Taylor McClure: 6 receptions for 64 yards
Hayesville Highlights:
Hayesville will host Alleghany next Friday, September 3rd and TeamFYNSports will be live on http://fyntv.com for the broadcast. To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done tune in to all the latest FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports
Hayesville’s Comeback Effort Falls Short
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports August 21, 2021
The Hayesville Yellow Jacket season got off to a rough start on Friday night. Multiple special team’s miscues led to an early hole that Hayesville couldn’t dig out of. The Yellow Jackets fought hard all game long to get back in it but fell short. Enka played well and executed after the Yellow Jackets mistakes winning 34-21.
1st Quarter:
The season couldn’t have started any worse for Hayesville. Enka kicked off and the ball bounced on the twenty-yard line looking like it would go out of bounds. It barely stayed in bounds though and Enka was first to it. Video replay shows that the Enka player was out of bounds on the recovery. It should have been ruled Hayesville ball but instead, Enka got it. They capitalized on the great field position scoring quickly. On the touchdown play, Hayesville star player Jake Mctaggart was thrown out for supposedly throwing a punch.
Taylor McClure outruns defenders for a big gain.
Because of two unsportsmanlike penalties, Enka kicked off from the Hayesville thirty yard-line. They attempted an onside kick and recovered it. Once again they scored quickly and before we could blink Enka had a 14-0 lead. Two drives later after trading the ball back and forth Hayesville had their best offensive possession of the game. Finishing it off with a Logan Caldwell 32 yd touchdown run. That would make the score 14-7 Enka still leading with that also being our score at the end of the quarter.
2nd Quarter:
Enka would open the quarter with a score to increase their lead to 21-7. Hayesville would have a good drive before stalling out in Enka territory giving the ball back to the Jets. After getting the ball back Enka would put together a decent drive but ended up having to punt. A great punt though pinned Hayesville at their own 1-yard line. Asher Brown would end up having one of the plays of the night for Hayesville taking a bubble pass for an incredible 45 yards. Unfortunately, Hayesville would end up turning it over on downs on the drive. Our score would hold at 21-7 Enka leading going into halftime.
3rd Quarter:
Asher Brown scoots out of bounds after a 45 yard catch.
Enka would open the third quarter scoring on their first drive going up 28-7. Hayesville would have to punt it away on their first offensive drive of the half. A muffed punt though would give Hayesville a big second chance at the drive. They would capitalize on the Enka mistake, another Logan Caldwell run score would make it 28-14. Enka would return volley with a good drive getting inside the five-yard line as the quarter came to a close.
4th Quarter:
Enka would start the quarter off with a score but would miss the extra point. This increased their lead to 34-14, with Hayesville trying to find a way back in it. Taylor McClure came up with a huge 30-yard catch for the Yellow Jackets on a great ball from Caldwell. Hayesville would capitalize on the great start to drive, by finishing it off with a score. It came on a third and 20 to go, Caldwell found Asher Brown for a big 30-yard touchdown strike. Logan Caldwell would make another big play intercepting a pass to get his offense back out on the field. The Yellow Jackets could not capitalize though with a score. This gave the ball back to Enka would get a few first downs which would ultimately ice the game away. Hayesville fought back hard but the early deficit was just too much for the Yellow Jackets to overcome. Enka played well and capitalized on Hayesville’s mistakes to ultimately win 34-21.
Notable Hayesville Stats:
Logan Caldwell: 15/25 passing for 270 yards, 1 TD, 7 rushes for 49 yards, 2 TD’s and 1 interception on defense.
Asher Brown: 5 receptions 100 yards and 1 TD
Kyle Lunsford: 4 receptions for 80 yards
Postgame interview with head coach Chad McClure:
Hayesville will travel next week to Franklin to take on the Panthers who are coming off a huge win over Murphy. In two weeks on September 3rd will be the next time TeamFYNSports will have a live broadcast when Hayesville hosts Alleghany. To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done tune in to all the latest FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports
Hayesville at Fannin Scrimmage
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports August 14, 2021
The Hayesville Yellow Jackets traveled to Fannin County on Friday night to take on the Rebels. It was played in a true game format timekeeping and possession-wise. All kickoffs and punts were blown dead once possession was secured. Hayesville was sloppy early as to be expected from a team playing their first live opponent of the year. Whereas Fannin was sharper having started football a week earlier than North Carolina schools, and this being their second scrimmage. Ultimately Fannin won 42-7 showing why they were in the elite eight in 2A Georgia last year.
Fannin in my estimation will probably be the best team Hayesville plays all year. Knowing this Hayesville will be able to review the film. Then see that many times they were able to compete well with a team that is as good as any in the area. Also, it should give them confidence knowing that next week Enka will be nowhere near the caliber of the opponent.
Positives from the Scrimmage:
-First off the team stayed healthy, there were no injuries other than a few bumps and bruises.
-Every player dressed out for the scrimmage got double-digit snaps.
-The team did have one fumble but recovered it. The defense forced one turnover with Isaac Chandler snagging an interception. With that, the team actually was +1 in turnover margin.
-After some alignment penalties along with a few others the Yellow Jackets really cleaned it up in the second half with very few penalties.
Player Performance Highlights:
-Logan Caldwell has really grown up and looked in control at all times from the QB spot. He didn’t force any bad passes and even in the face of pressure still made some big plays tonight.
-Taylor McClure had some big hits on the night and looks every bit of the player that led the team in tackles last year. If anything he looks even better this year. He no longer looks like a shy freshman but rather a team leader with some swag to him.
-Jake McTaggart was as advertised, a stud tight end that catches everything in sight. No stats were kept but one has to imagine if they were he would have easily been over a hundred yards receiving plus his TD catch.
-Isaac Chandler came up with an interception on defense as well as a few catches on offense.
-Asher Brown looks much more comfortable as a sophomore making several catches and playing well on defense at cornerback.
-Seth Leek looked good on defense making numerous tackles after seeing mostly reserve time last year.
-Both the offensive and defensive lines while overmatched at times improved steadily throughout the game.
-The special team’s units could only be partially seen with kickoffs and punts being blown dead. But kickoffs, the extra point, long snapping, and punting were all solid.
Postgame Interview with Head Coach Chad McClure:
Q: Anyone you thought had a good night tonight coach?
A: “I thought Logan, facing pressure did a lot better than he did last year. He got out of the pocket a few times, kept his eyes downfield, didn’t make a lot of mistakes so that’s a positive.
“Fannin is a really good program, they started practicing a week ahead of us. We have a lot to work on, conditioning we are not where we need to be but we knew that coming in. The good thing is we didn’t have any injuries, we can get a lot better and we will, a lot of bright things especially in the second half after we challenged them. Were zero and zero right now, we’re gonna get focused on Enka, use this as a step to move us forward.”
Q: You mentioned Enka, they are next week your home opener, should be a winnable game, a team you will be competitive with. What’s the focus going into practice this week?
A: “The focus has to be on us, we need to eliminate mistakes, we have to block better. Work on our pad level and taking better angles on defense, I thought it got better as the game went on.
Jake McTaggart touchdown catch
Hayesville will be taking on Enka in their first real game of the year next week Friday, August 20th. Team FYN Sports will be there with live coverage of the game on FYNTV.com and Team FYN Sports Facebook. To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done tune in to all the latest FYN sports coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports
Hayesville 2021 Football Preview
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports August 9, 2021
Hayesville football will be entering their third season under head coach Chad McClure. His time as head coach could be described in one word, unprecedented! In season 1 they had unprecedented success, a 1000 plus yard rusher, a winning season, and a home playoff game. All these things hadn’t happened in over a decade at Hayesville.
Last Season
Hayesville football locker room sign
Season 2 under McClure, a global pandemic Covid-19 happens to move Hayesvilles season to the spring. This caused Hayesville to lose double-digit transfers mostly starters to Georgia schools so they could get a full season. They went from a team that looked like they could potentially challenge Robbinsville and Murphy at the top of the conference to a team that started 0-5.
Hayesville should have been a senior-led team with tons of experience. Instead, they had seven freshmen and 9 sophomores making up over half their team. Give the Yellow Jackets credit knowing that playoffs were out of reach they put together their best games of the season to end the year with consecutive wins.
2021 season
Hayesville will still be a very young team with only about 5 seniors. Yet the sophomore and Junior classes will have much more experience than a typical group. The two-game win streak to end the season showed the team’s grit and toughness. The Yellow Jackets should look to get back to their 2019 season form this year and be a team that is capable of finishing in the top half of the conference and possibly surprise some people.
Key Players:
It all starts with the quarterback Logan Caldwell, he should have spent last season as the backup quarterback. Instead due to a transfer he was thrust into the spotlight from day 1. Early on with a really tough schedule, he had some tough games. What was always there though were the flashes of talent that showed Hayesville fans that he had the ability. Then it started to come together in the last two games, Caldwells first two wins as QB1. Look for him to have a big year this year and don’t be surprised to see him contribute defensively this year as well.
View from the top of Hayesvilles stands, the best view from any field in the entire conference.
Jake McTaggart makes his return to Hayesville after playing in Georgia last year. McTaggart the 3star recruit with multiple mid-major D1 offers will look to have a huge season. If McTaggart can have a big year it may result in high major interest. His 6’7” frame will give Caldwell the best receiving target in the entire conference.
Taylor McClure was just a freshman last year and probably should have been on J.V. Instead he exploded onto the scene as a freshman to lead the team in tackles and was second in rushing yards. He will be a go-to player on both sides of the ball for Hayesville this year.
Kyle Lunsford will be going into his third year on Varsity but is just a Junior. He will be a very important versatile weapon for Hayesville’s offense. 3rd in rushing and 4th in receiving a year ago expect his offensive load to go up this season.
Asher Brown saw lots of playing time last year and at times showed big-play ability for the Yellow Jackets. With some of the players in front of him now graduated, Brown will most likely start both ways at corner and receiver. Expect him to be a big-time playmaker for the Yellow Jackets on both sides of the ball.
Hayesville Offensive and Defensive lines will be anchored by the lone senior linemen Ricky Mccullough. He will protect the QB’s blindside from the left tackle spot and play an important role on the D-line. He will be surrounded by a young but talented group with players like Lane O’Dell, Zek Furby, Jeremy Graves, Brayden Hughes, and more.
Schedule:
Hayesville football Schedule
Hayesville was able to put together a full ten-game schedule which was a struggle coming off of a Covid year. Hayesville’s bye week will be week 6 perfectly splitting the non-conference and conference schedule.
Hayesville will open the season with 3A Enka, even with Enka being a bigger school Hayesville stands a good chance to win this one. Enka is coming off a 1-6 where the only school they beat was a close game with Rosman.
In week 2 Hayesville travels to Franklin in what could be a measuring stick game for the Yellow Jackets. Franklin was Hayesville’s first game last year and early turnovers plagued the Yellow Jackets. For the final three-quarters Hayesville played even with the Panthers. If Hayesville finds a way to win this tough road game they would be putting the rest of the conference on notice.
They will follow that game up by hosting Alleghany which will travel between four and five hours to play Hayesville. Alleghany had a similar year to Hayesville last year and this one could be a toss-up but Hayesville should be favored as the home school.
Hayesville then hosts Lookout Valley and again this is a matchup where Hayesville should be favored after beating them the last time they played in 2019.
Hayesville finishes their non-conference with a tough road game at Tuscola. This could be a game though if Hayesville has picked up three or four wins in a row they could pull an upset.
After a bye week, Hayesville will kick off their conference schedule with Andrews. After a tough loss, last year look for Hayesville to defend their home turf.
Follow that up with a short but tough road trip to Murphy to play the defending state champion Bulldogs.
Then back-to-back winnable home games hosting Swain then Cherokee.
Before heading to Graham county to face the Robbinsville Black Knights in the season finale.
An interesting schedule for sure but one with favorable home matchups. Every Hayesville home game looks winnable based on history and projections. If this happens Hayesville could possibly go 6-4 or find a way to pick up one road win and all of sudden you are looking at 7-3.
As well remember to tune in to fyntv.com on Friday nights this fall as Team FYN Sports will bring you every Hayesville home game live.
Preseason interview with head coach Chad McClure: https://fb.watch/7hwsteztMr/
