The Hayesville Yellowjackets will face off against the Cherokee Braves at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Hayesville will bounce into Friday's match after beating Swain County, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. Hayesville snuck past Swain County with a 12-7 victory on Friday.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Tre Graves and he. Graves rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown while he rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown. Michael Mauney showed off some serious burst, lighting up the secondary with a catch for 66 yards.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Cherokee, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They blew past Andrews, posting a 27-0 win at home. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Braves just coasted through the last quarter.
Jonathan Saylor had a dynamite game for Cherokee, throwing for 161 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 42 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Santiago was another key player, rushing for 109 yards on only ten carries.
Hayesville's victory bumped their record up to 2-5. As for Cherokee, they pushed their record up to 4-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Hayesville has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 149.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Cherokee struggles in that department as they've been averaging 188.7. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Hayesville strolled past Cherokee when the teams last played back in October of 2023 by a score of 17-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hayesville since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
