The Hayesville Yellow Jackets hosted the Highlands Highlanders on Monday evening, Jan. 6, for a non-conference matchup. The Yellow Jackets are still developing, trying to find out who is going to get the important rebounds and be secondary scorers. Hayesville is still working on some rotations and finding out who all fits together well. Some of those answers are starting to become clearer and a few players are starting to step up to grab those roles.

Junior Paul White runs off a screen ready to receive a pass.

In the first quarter of Monday’s game, Hayesville came out early with some aggressive play looking to strike for an early lead. The game was a physical early, especially on the Highlands end. Their play was a little too physical, and they were were called for several early fouls. Even with a few opportunities missed, Hayesville was able to take a 12-7 lead heading into the second quarter thanks to junior Brady Shooks’ six first-quarter points.

Highlands was not going away early and their star sophomore Reid Carrier carried them in the second quarter. They were able to cut into Hayesville’s lead by outscoring the Yellow Jackets 17-15 in the second quarter. That took the score to Hayesville 27, Highlands 24 at the half. Kolbe Ashe had a big second quarter with eight points, which included going 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. 

Going into the third quarter, the game was still very much up for grabs. Both teams had the opportunity to make adjustments and take a stranglehold on the game. The Yellow Jackets’ sophomore duo of Jake McTaggart and Ashe both had four points, as did junior Hayden McClure. With that the Yellow Jackets were able to double their lead from three points to six points by the end of the quarter. Finishing the quarter with a 41-35 lead the Yellow Jackets were ready to finish it off in the fourth.

Sophomore Kolbe Ashe shoots a free throw.

Hayesville’s game plan was simple and effective in the fourth quarter, get the ball to McTaggart and let him go to work. He started off with his first touch being a great score through traffic getting fouled and finishing off by making the free throw for the old fashioned three-point play. McTaggart had nine points in the quarter. Along with Hayesville’s stellar fourth quarter defense, the Highlanders did not have a chance for a comeback. The game was capped off with Hayesville junior Tyler Jones making some important free throws to put it out of reach, 61-41.

Hayesville will play again tonight, traveling to take on the Hiwassee Dam Eagles. To get updates or see how the Yellow Jackets have done, tune in to all the latest coverage FYN sports on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports

The Hayesville boys basketball team managed to redeem a loss to Towns Co. a week ago by taking down the Indians 52-48 on Saturday, Jan. 4, in Hayesville.

Junior Hayden McClure makes a free throw

Junior Hayden McClure led the Yellow Jackets in the first quarter with five points. Despite that, Towns Co. led 13-12 at the end of the first quarter with seven points from sophomore Collin Crowder. 

Hayesville still was able to get their regular offensive output in the second quarter but great team defense was key to the quarter. Towns Co. didnt get many good looks in the quarter and with Hayesville dominating the boards, they weren’t getting second chances. Hayesville held the Indians to only seven second-quarter points while scoring 12 themselves. This totalled to give Hayesville a 24-20 lead at the half.

Coming into the third quarter both crowds were getting into the game and the environment was a great one. Both teams had a great crowd and each side was trying to cheer their team to victory. There was barely a seat to be had in the entire gym and each side was living and dying with each play. Hayesville went to big man sophomore Jake McTaggart in the third quarter and he did not disappoint. He responded with nine third quarter points and gave the crowd one its loudest applause of the night with a monster baseline dunk. 

Freshman Kyle Lunsford makes a post move for a score.

In the fourth quarter behind eight points from junior Kolby Moss, Towns Co. came all the way back and even had a two-point lead. It appeared Towns Co. was going to prove their first win wasn’t a fluke, yet Hayesville would not be denied, With a 3-pointer from junior Hayden McClure, a few huge offensive rebounds from freshman Kyle Lunsofrd, and seven fourth-quarter points from Kolbe Ashe, Hayesville stole victory from the clutches of defeat. Hayesville used good free-throw shooting to finish the game off 52-48

Remember to tune in all the latest coverage of Lady Yellow Jacket Basketball with FYN sports on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports

Let’s start by taking a look at the Hayesville Yellow Jackets’ previous week. Dec. 22 through Dec. 28, the Yellow Jackets participated in the annual Battle of the States Christmas tournament hosted by Towns Co. High in Hiwassee. The Yellow Jackets played in three very tough, highly-competitive games. The Yellow Jackets finished the tournament 2-1, earning some hardware for their third-place finish. After several strong performances, sophomore Jake McTaggart earned all-tournament honors. 

In the first game of the tournament, Hayesville took on Polk Co. out of Tennessee. Polk Co. may have been the best team in the tournament and were solid at all positions. They even had the reigning player of the year from their conference on their team. Hayesville’s shots were not falling early and the team trailed at the end of the first quarter 15-11. The next three quarters were all Yellow Jackets as they controlled the game from the second quarter forward. Thanks to 30 points from McTaggart and 17 points from fellow sophomore Kolbe Ashe, the Yellow Jackets won 70-56. 

The Yellow Jackets advanced to the semifinals to take on host Towns Co. Simply put, the Indians wanted this game a little more at the start and the good start, along with the home crowd, was too much to overcome. The Yellow Jackets fell to the Indians in a heartbreaker, 67-64, despite a 28-point performance from McTaggart. 

In a game that would show the Yellow Jackets resolve, they played for third place in a game against the Lumpkin Co. Indians. Hayesville came out fired up and playing high-pressure defense getting out to a great start. Their were some ups and downs but Hayesville controlled the game. With three double-digit scorers – McTaggart 16, junior Brady Shook 13 and junior Blake McClure 11 – the Yellow Jackets won 57-45.

Coaches Corner weekly exclusive interview with head coach Michael Cottrell: 

1. How did you feel overall about your team’s performance in the Battle of the States tournament?

Felt ok about our week. Anytime you lose one down the stretch, we have a chance to teach and learn from it. We beat a really good team the first night. Thought we did some good things on both ends of the floor. The last night we beat a very competitive team and responded very well to the loss the night before.

2. It’s pretty incredible, the performances you have been getting out of your sophomores. Can you remember a time in your career getting this kind of production out of a sophomore?

Yes we have had good performances from both our sophomores. Both are learning fast and have very bright futures. We have had a few sophomores in the past that have performed well and our team needed them to play as upperclassmen. These two certainly fit that group. Very excited about there growth to this point.

3. With one game on the schedule this week what will practice this week be focused on?

Continue to work on defense. We also need to continue to understand our role on the team and settle into those roles. Every team is different and each year kids learn new skills that help the team grow.  

4. That one game being Towns Co. who upset you in the tournament. What do you do differently on Saturday to get a better outcome?

We just need to be more consistent on both ends of the floor. Stay within ourselves and focus on executing. This team is getting better and will continue to grow. By playoff time they could be a difficult team to handle.  

Junior Paul White makes a three pointer.

Weekly Preview:

The Hayesville Yellow Jackets (7-2, 4,0 Big Smoky Mountain 1-A) will be playing a rematch with border rival Towns Co. (8-3) on Saturday, Jan. 4, at home. Towns Co. is coming off a big win in the Battle of the States Christmas Tournament. Huge performances from Towns Co. juniors Aidan Berrong and Kolby Moss sprung the upset in the first matchup. Hayesville will have the advantage of rest with not having played since the tournament and Towns Co. playing Friday night, Jan. 3.

Remember to tune in all the latest coverage of Yellow Jacket Basketball with FYN sports on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and at https://claync.fetchyournews.com/category/teamfynsports

The Hayesville Yellow Jackets (6-1, 4-0) played the Towns Co. Indians (6-3) in the semifinal round of the Battle of States Tournament on Thursday evening, Dec. 26th. The Indians of Towns Co. were fired up early and one could tell how important the game was to them. 

They outworked and played a little bit harder than Hayesville in the first quarter, which resulted in Hayesville being down 18-14 at the end of the first. Towns Co. was led by Junior Kolby Moss all game and he got them off to a good start in the first quarter with five points and several assists.

In the second quarter the Yellow Jackets started playing much harder and were getting better looks. Yet the momentum was in Towns Co.’s favor, and they continued to hit shots each time the Jackets started to close in. Even though the Jackets were getting great looks, they had several shots go in-and-out. Sophomore Kolbe Ashe was robbed at least twice from beyond the arc with unfavorable rims.

Everything was going the Indians’ way as their shots continued to fall. Oppositely, the Yellow Jackets had their worst offensive half of the year. The Indians, looking to pull off the upset, carried momentum and a 31-23 point lead into the half.

The adjustments made at halftime were on point for the Jackets. They came out fired up, played a great third quarter and appeared to be taking control of the game. That was topped off by sophomore Jake McTaggart hitting a half court shot at the end of the third to give the Jackets a one-point lead going into the fourth quarter. 

With the Jackets leading 46-45 going to the fourth, they looked to increase their lead and clinch a spot in the finals. But Towns Co. had a few big shots left in them and the Jackets had no answer. One of the deciders was that Kolby Moss shot 10 fourth-quarter free throws after the Indians got into the bonus early.

McTaggart had a chance to give the Jackets a lead with about 15 seconds left but couldn’t convert. Kolbe Ashe had a chance to tie the game in the finals seconds, but his last second deep shot was deflected and the game was over. The Towns Co. Indians upset was complete, 67-64.

The Hayesville Yellow Jackets (5-1, 4-0 Big Smoky Mountains 1-A) played the Polk Co. Wildcats (7-1) out of Tennessee in the first round of the Battle of States Tournament on Thursday evening, Dec. 26th.

Hayesville did not have an ideal start to the game, and Polk’s guards appeared to surprise the Yellow Jacket defenders. That coupled with star sophomore guard Kolbe Ashe picking up two first-quarter fouls, it appeared the Yellow Jackets might be in trouble. Ashe coming off the floor is rare and not something the Yellow Jackets have been accustomed to seeing since Ashe has been in high school. All this resulted in the Yellow Jackets trailing 15-11 at the end of the first quarter. McTaggart had eight first-quarter points to help keep the Jackets in the game when the rest of the team struggled. 

The second quarter was a different story with Hayesville finding their footing and taking back control of the game. It appeared that Hayesville football quarterback junior Hayden McClure shook off a little of that football rust. He assumed the point-guard position for the Yellow Jackets with Ashe in foul trouble. He provided steady ball handling and provided six second-quarter points. The Yellow Jackets took the lead from the Wildcats 30-29 going into the half.

The Yellow Jackets knew they needed to make adjustments going into the second half to keep their lead. The first adjustment was an easy one – get Ashe back on the floor. They did that in the third quarter and he responded with two big 3-pointers. This spread the floor for the Jackets and lead to the team getting good second-half looks at the basket. The Jackets extended their lead at the end of the third quarter to 49-45. 

Ashe continued to control the pace in the fourth, making the right decisions and finding the open player, and Polk Co. just couldn’t keep up. Hayesville’s lone senior, Mark Cothren, found more space with Ashe and McTaggart requiring much of Polk Co.’s defensive focus. Cothren had eight second-half points, including a backbreaking outside shot late in the fourth quarter. Along with Ashe having nine fourth quarter points, the Wildcats just didn’t have an answer on offense.

In a postgame discussion with head coach Mike Cottrell, he said the key in the game was their second-half defense. The Yellow Jackets switched to a different defensive scheme and added lots of pressure that really bothered the Polk Co. guards. Each time the Wildcats would find some level of comfort, the Yellow Jackets would switch up their defense. It was too much for Polk Co. to handle offensively, while the duo of Ashe and McTaggart was too much for the Wildcats to handle defensively. Hayesville pulled away late to earn the 70-56 win.

Coming into the game, Ashe was averaging 16.75 points a game, while McTaggart was averaging 21.8. Against Polk Co., Ashe had 17 points, with 15 coming in the second half, and McTaggart led the team with 30.

With the win, the Yellow Jackets advanced to the semifinals against host Towns Co.. The game will be the last of the day in tournament, Friday, Dec. 27th, at 8 p.m. It could be a fantastic matchup with Hayesville taking on possibly the best player they have seen this year in Towns Co. junior point guard Kolby Moss, who scored 27 in the Indians first-round win. Moss has had games of 36, 25, and 28 points so far this season.