(Photo by Carissa Daniels) Senior Peyton McGaha plays a key role in the latest Yellow Jacket win. The Hayesville Yellow Jackets are heating up at the right time, delivering another dominant performance on both sides of the ball Tuesday. After putting up 10 runs in a win over Robbinsville last Friday, Hayesville matched that total again, blanking the Cherokee Braves 10-0 for their second straight shutout victory. The Yellow Jackets’ offense came alive with 13 hits — their high

Photo courtesy of Carissa Daniels The Union County Panthers used a dominant pitching performance and timely hitting to roll past the Hayesville Yellow Jackets 10–0 on Thursday. Union County’s pitching staff held Hayesville to just three hits while striking out 11 batters in five innings. The Panthers’ airtight pitching proved to be the difference as Hayesville dropped to 0-2 on the season. Union County jumped out early, plating three runs in the first inning and adding anothe

HAYESVILLE — A weekend to remember turned into a moment for the history books for Hayesville High School senior Rayland Martinez . Martinez made school history on Saturday, Feb. 21, becoming the first wrestler from Hayesville High School to win a state championship. The milestone victory marked a breakthrough moment for the Yellow Jackets’ wrestling program and capped off a standout season on the mat. The celebration didn’t end there. On Sunday, Feb. 22, a large crowd gather

High school basketball teams from North Carolina and Georgia were busy Wednesday night, Feb. 18, with tournament and postseason stakes on the line. In the Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament, the Murphy Lady Bulldogs moved on by eliminating the Hayesville Lady Yellow Jackets, keeping their postseason run alive. The night was just as dramatic on the boys’ side, where the Murphy Bulldogs advanced with a thrilling 71–68 buzzer-beating win over the Andrews Wildcats. Andrews also

Hayesville’s home-court success against Murphy came to an end Wednesday night as the Bulldogs swept a girls-boys doubleheader, handing both the Yellow Jackets and Lady Jackets decisive losses. The Hayesville Lady Jackets saw a three-game home winning streak against Murphy snapped with a 52-41 loss to the Lady Bulldogs. Hayesville was unable to duplicate its earlier-season success, when it defeated Murphy 37-25. The loss dropped Hayesville’s record to 16-8. Murphy, meanwhile,

The Hayesville Yellow Jackets had a split night on their home hardwood Friday, highlighted by a tight bounce-back win from the Lady Jackets and a tough conference loss for the boys’ team. Hayesville’s girls shook off a loss earlier in the week and responded with a gritty 45-42 victory over Robbinsville on Friday. The win marked the Yellow Jackets’ closest victory since Jan. 13 and showed their ability to finish in pressure moments. The Lady Jackets have been on an impressive

The Hayesville varsity basketball teams dropped home conference matchups to Cherokee on Wednesday night, facing a tough test against one of the league’s stronger programs. The Hayesville girls struggled to find an offensive rhythm in a 69-17 loss to Cherokee. The visitors jumped out early, leading 30-7 after the first quarter and 47-10 at halftime. Hayesville continued to battle defensively, but Cherokee’s pressure and depth kept the Lady Yellow Jackets from mounting a comeba

Hayesville made a statement on both sides of the hardwood Tuesday night, sweeping a Smoky Mountain Conference doubleheader at Rosman with lopsided wins by the Yellow Jackets’ girls and boys teams. The Hayesville girls set the tone early and never let up, rolling to a 64–12 road victory. From the opening tip, Hayesville controlled the pace on both ends of the floor, turning defensive pressure into scoring opportunities and steadily widening the gap as the game wore on. The win

Cherokee swept a road doubleheader Tuesday night, rolling past Andrews in Western North Carolina conference play. The Cherokee girls dominated from the opening tip, cruising to a 94–25 victory, while the Cherokee boys followed with a 73–47 win over the Wildcats. At Murphy, Hayesville split its trip against the Bulldogs. The Hayesville girls pulled out a 37–25 win in a defensive battle, but the Murphy boys responded with an 82–48 victory to earn the split. Hiwassee Dam complet

Area high school basketball teams were busy Friday night, Jan. 16, with a full slate of games across western North Carolina and north Georgia, producing a mix of close finishes and decisive victories. At Hayesville, the Yellow Jackets girls earned a narrow 52-48 home conference win over Andrews, pulling away late to secure the four-point victory. The Hayesville boys were unable to complete the sweep, falling to Andrews 58-45 in the nightcap. Hiwassee Dam’s girls dropped a har

Several local high school basketball teams were in action Tuesday night, with close finishes and decisive victories highlighting conference and non-conference play. In Bryson City, the Swain County girls varsity team dropped a home conference matchup to Andrews, falling 67-53. Andrews controlled the game throughout to secure the road win, while Swain County was unable to close the gap late. Robbinsville experienced mixed results at home against Hayesville. The Lady Jackets fo

A busy Tuesday night on the hardwood brought a mix of dominant performances and close finishes for area teams, with Andrews, Hayesville, Murphy, Hiwassee Dam and Union County all taking center stage. Andrews sweeps Blue Ridge Early College Andrews made a clean sweep on the road at Blue Ridge Early College, earning wins in both the girls and boys non-conference matchups. The Andrews girls set the tone early and cruised to a 56–25 victory, holding Blue Ridge to single-digit sco

Winning is always sweet, but doing so in record-setting fashion makes it even more memorable — just ask the Hayesville Yellow Jackets. Hayesville turned in its highest-scoring performance of the season on Friday, Jan. 2, overwhelming Blue Ridge Early College 91-27 in a dominant varsity boys basketball victory. From the opening tip, the Yellow Jackets were in complete control, using relentless offense and stifling defense to put the game out of reach early. The win continued a

The Hayesville High School varsity basketball teams kicked off play at the annual Battle of the States Christmas Tournament in Hiawassee, Georgia, on Saturday, Dec. 27, with mixed results for the Yellow Jackets. The Lady Yellow Jackets made an emphatic statement in their tournament opener, cruising past host Towns County by a commanding 69–32 final. Hayesville controlled the game from start to finish, showcasing balanced scoring and stifling defense to secure a spot in the wi

Staff Report The Hiwassee Dam varsity basketball teams made the short trip to Hayesville on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and returned home with a sweep of the Yellow Jackets in a competitive high school basketball doubleheader that featured intensity from start to finish. Varsity action began with the girl's game, where Hiwassee Dam edged Hayesville in a hard-fought contest that set the tone for the night. Both teams played with energy and determination, continuing the competitive rival

The Clay County Schools Board of Education took time during its meeting Monday, December 15, to recognize outstanding student-athletes from Hayesville High School for their achievements during the fall sports season. Board members honored members of the Hayesville High School Men’s Varsity Soccer Team who earned Smoky Mountain Conference accolades. Recognized were Hayden Hunt and Raul Rivera-Prieto, both named to the Smoky Mountain Conference All-Conference team, and Jackson

The Hayesville High School Yellow Jackets continue to look every bit like a team on a mission. Hayesville turned in its most impressive offensive performance of the young season Friday night, rolling past the Nantahala Hawks 70-50 on the road. The 70 points marked a season high for the Yellow Jackets, who remained perfect at 4-0 with the convincing victory. From the opening tip, everything seemed to fall Hayesville’s way. The Yellow Jackets pushed the tempo, spread the scorin

The Hayesville Lady Yellow Jackets  came back down to earth Friday night, suffering their first defeat of the young season with a 47-38  loss to the Highlands Highlanders . The defeat drops Hayesville's early season record to 1-1 . After a dominant performance against Blue Ridge Early College earlier in the week, the Yellow Jackets ran into a Highlanders squad that seemed determined to exact a measure of revenge. It appears the Highlanders hadn't forgotten their last meeting

Press Release The Hayesville Middle School Men’s Basketball team made the long bus ride to Rosman and returned home with a 53-28 win. The Jackets played stifling defense, blocking six shots and grabbing 13 steals. Hayesville also out rebounded the Tigers 35-22. Rosman was held to 36% shooting from the floor. Hayesville’s unselfish play on offense resulted in 13 assists on 23 made baskets. The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 16-1 lead after one before taking a 25-8 lead into ha