Photo from the Clay County Schools Facebook page. Clay County, NC — Local fans, saddle up and get ready to cheer on one of our own! Rising freshman Bronc Woody is representing Clay County Schools on the national stage this week at the 2026 National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR) in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Bronc is competing in the bull riding championship at the prestigious Lazy E Arena, where more than 1,000 of the top junior high rodeo athletes from across the United States an

Hayesville, NC – Clay County Schools is excited to announce the appointment of Mr. James Phillips as the district’s new Director of Student Services and Athletics, effective June 29, 2026. Mr. Phillips brings a wealth of experience in education, student support, leadership, and athletics to the role. He currently serves as Senior Director of Tri-County Community College’s Graham County Campus, where he has continued his dedication to serving students and educators across dive

Although the 2026 season presented its share of challenges for the Hayesville High School Lady Yellow Jackets softball team, two players have earned recognition from the Smoky Mountain Conference for their efforts on the field. Micalynn McClure, a sophomore, was named to the Smoky Mountain Conference All-Conference Team, an honor awarded to players who have distinguished themselves through their performance, consistency, and contributions throughout the season. Freshman Lucy

HAYESVILLE – With the 2026 high school baseball season now complete, the Smoky Mountain Conference has released its prestigious postseason awards, and the Hayesville Yellow Jackets have once again made a powerful statement. Widely regarded as one of the toughest small-school conferences in the region, earning All-Conference honors is a major accomplishment that recognizes the very best players across all member schools. The fact that Hayesville placed four players on the All-

(Mountain Buzz Photo) Jackson Sellers signs to play baseball at the next level surrounded by his brother Rhett, mother Tessa and father/coach Joe Jack. HAYESVILLE, NC – Hayesville High School senior Jackson Sellers officially signed his National Letter of Intent Wednesday to continue his baseball career at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute in Hudson, N.C. The talented two-way player leaves behind a standout legacy with the Yellow Jackets. Over his four-year car

Hayesville, N.C. — The Hayesville Yellow Jackets varsity baseball team turned an early-season stumble into a memorable 2025-26 campaign, finishing with a strong 16-5 overall record and a perfect 14-0 mark in Smoky Mountain 1A/2A Conference play to claim the league championship. After dropping their first four games — including losses to Franklin (7-6), Union County (10-0), Pisgah (12-1), and Smoky Mountain (8-5) — the Yellow Jackets flipped the script. They embarked on a rema

Photo by Carissa Daniels Hayesville continued its dominant season Tuesday night, dispatching the Rosman Tigers 15-5 to push its winning streak to 14 games and improve to 14-4 overall. The victory came on the heels of the Yellow Jackets’ sweep of Andrews last week, which clinched yet another Smoky Mountain Conference championship for the program. The Yellow Jackets have been nothing short of ruthless this season, particularly in blowout fashion. Of their 14 wins, 12 have come

The Hayesville High School Lady Yellow Jackets softball team suffered a road loss in Smoky Mountain Conference action Tuesday, falling to the host Rosman Lady Tigers by a final score of 10-1. Hayesville jumped out to an early lead with a run in the top of the first inning. However, Rosman answered right back in the bottom of the first and then erupted for four runs in the second inning to take firm control of the contest. The Lady Yellow Jackets’ offense went quiet after the

Photo by Carissa Daniels The Hayesville Yellow Jackets kept their impressive roll going Friday night, defeating the Andrews Wildcats 13-10 to extend their winning streak to 13 games. Hayesville (13-4) came into the matchup with 12 consecutive victories and once again got the best of Andrews, improving to 2-0 against the Wildcats this season after also winning 11-1 on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets’ offense exploded for 13 runs in the rematch, powering them past a tough Andrews

Photo courtesy of Carissa Daniels The Hayesville Yellow Jackets continued their strong form on Wednesday, improving to nine straight wins with an 8-3 victory over the Towns County Indians. Hayesville entered the contest riding an eight-game winning streak and wasted little time in adding to it, topping the Indians in what has become a familiar result for the two squads. The Jackets also defeated Towns County in their previous meeting back in March 2025. The win pushed Hayesvi

HAYESVILLE — Hayesville extended its losing streak to five games on Tuesday, falling 12-1 to Hiwassee Dam and dropping to 1-9 on the season. The loss also marked a repeat setback against the Eagles, as the Lady Yellow Jackets were unable to avenge a defeat from their previous meeting in March 2025. Hiwassee Dam improved to 4-6 with the win, which stands as the team’s most dominant victory of the season. Abby Harris played a key role in the Eagles’ performance on both sides o

Winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better — just ask Hayesville. The Yellow Jackets delivered their most dominant performance of the season Tuesday, cruising to a 28-10 victory over Hiwassee Dam. Hayesville’s offense erupted early and often, finishing with 12 hits and keeping constant pressure on the Eagles’ defense. The offensive outburst marked the team’s most commanding win so far this season and continued a trend of success when the ba

HAYESVILLE, N.C. — After a challenging start to the season, the Hayesville High School Lady Yellow Jackets soccer team is finally in the win column. Hayesville earned its first victory of the 2026 campaign on April 13, defeating Blue Ridge Early College 2-0 on the road. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak to open the season and marked a turning point for the young squad. The Lady Yellow Jackets had faced a difficult early schedule, dropping their first seven contests

HAYESVILLE, N.C. — The Hayesville High School Lady Yellow Jackets varsity softball team has opened the 2025-26 season with a challenging 1-8 overall record and a 1-6 mark in Smoky Mountain 1A/2A Conference play, placing them seventh in the standings as of early April. The team’s lone victory came on March 17 at home against conference rival Cherokee, a hard-fought 5-4 win that gave the Lady Jackets their first conference victory of the year. They dropped the return matchup t

Photo by Carissa Daniels HAYESVILLE, N.C. — The Hayesville High School Yellow Jackets varsity baseball team has rebounded strongly in the 2025-26 season, posting a 7-4 overall record and a perfect 7-0 mark in Smoky Mountain 1A/2A Conference play as of early April 2026. Currently riding a seven-game winning streak, the Yellow Jackets sit in second place in the conference and rank No. 295 in North Carolina and No. 27 in Class 2A. The season started with a pair of tough non-con

(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,