Yellow Jackets come up short against the Braves

The Hayesville Yellow Jackets, still riding high from a win over Swain County, hit the road again on Friday, Oct. 21 to take on Smoky Mountain Conference foe, Cherokee. A back and forth affair ended with the Braves celebrating a 28-21 victory over Hayesville.

Cherokee was the first to strike when Kaden Smith darted through the line for a touchdown. The PAT was good and with 7:30 left in the first quarter, the Jackets trailed 7-0.

Hayesville quickly answered when Taylor McClure muscled his way into the end zone. Kicker Isaac Chandler nailed the PAT to even things up 7-7 with 3:44 left in the quarter.

Scoring then stopped until the 9:34 mark in the second quarter when Smith crossed the goal line again with a 1-yard touchdown run. The PAT was no good, but Cherokee went up 13-7, a lead they would eventually take into the locker room at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Jackets got back on the board when quarterback Logan Caldwell aired out a 9-yard touchdown touchdown pass to Avery Leatherwood. Chandler's kick was good, putting Hayesville back on top 14-13 with 8:26 left in the quarter. That would prove to be the only score of the quarter for either team.

Cherokee opened the fourth quarter with a touchdown. Smith's third touchdown of the night

Taylor McClure had two touchdowns in the battle with Cherokee.

was a 25-yard run with 9:28 on the clock. The Braves went for 2 and were successful, making the score 21-14 in their favor.

The Jackets drove down the field and found themselves knocking on the door from the 1-yard line. On a quarterback sneak, the ball popped free but was scooped up by McClure who trotted into the end zone. Chandler's kick was good, tying things up at 21-21 with 3:20 left in the game.

Cherokee was quick to answer thanks to Smiths fourth touchdown of the night. This one was a 55-yard run with 2:28 left on the clock. The extra point was good, moving the Braves ahead 28-21.

After marching down the field, the Jackets found themselves on Cherokee's 32 yard line on third and one. Caldwell called for the ball and rolled to his right before pulling the trigger on a pass into the end zone. Thanks to an incredible catch a Brave defender, the pass was intercepted, sealing the 28-21 win for Cherokee.

Hayesville will be at home Friday, Oct. 28 for the final game of the season as they host the Robbinsville Black Knights. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and senior athletes will also be honored at the event.

Leaders at Cherokee

Taylor McClure: 2 rushing touchdowns, 95 total yards, 26 total tackles

Logan Caldwell: 1 passing touchdown, 222 total yards, 3 tackles

Avery Leatherwood: 1 receiving touchdown, 36 total yards, 6 tackles, 117 punting yards.

Isaac Chandler: 3-3 extra points

Dawson Devane: 10 total tackles

This week's games:

Hayesville vs Robbinsville

Murphy vs Andrews

Cherokee vs Swain County