Hayesville – Murphy took little time in jumping out to a 27-0 halftime lead and going on to blank the Yellow Jackets 44-0 in their first Smoky Mountain Conference game of the season Friday night.
Murphy would receive the opening kick, but the first drive was stalled due to two holding calls and Murphy had to punt it away. However, Hayesville muffed the punt and Murphy took over again at the Jackets’ 21 yard line. Murphy was unable to turn the turnover into points. Hayesville took over and moved the ball out to the 47 before being stopped on fourth down.
Murphy’s Cameron Clem took the next handoff and raced 38 yards to set the Dogs up at the 9 yard line. Clem moved the ball to the 3 on the next play.
After an offsides penalty against Hayesville, the ball was at the 2 yard line, and Clem finished the drive with a touchdown run from there. Jerry Bui added the extra point to give Murphy a 7-0 lead at the 1:53 mark of the first quarter.
Murphy’s next touchdown would come via the defense. Aayden Williams picked off a Hayesville pass and returned it 40 yards for the Dogs’ second score. Bui added the point after, and Murphy was up 14-0 at the 10:46 mark of the second quarter.
The defense would set the Murphy offense again on the next drive. Ryan Payne picked off another Jackets pass and returned it to the Hayesville 29 yard line. Four plays later, Clem punched it in from the 10. Murphy’s two-point conversion failed, and the Dogs led 20-0 with 7:28 left in the half.
Murphy’s last touchdown of the half came at the 6:26 mark. On the second play of Hayesville’s next drive, Charlie Graves literally took the ball away from Hayesville’s running back and raced 28 yards for the touchdown. Bui added the extra point to give the Dogs a 27-0 halftime lead.
Hayesville’s only scoring threat came with less than a minute to go when they had drove down to the Murphy 21 yard line, but Brody Orton sacked the Jackets’ quarterback and knocked the ball loose in the process. Hayesville recovered, but that ended the scoring threat going into the half.
Hayesville would receive the second-half kickoff, and it looked like the Yellow Jackets would get something going, but the drive stalled at midfield. The punt pinned Murphy’s offense at the 1 yard line.
A Brady Grant pass to Payne move the ball to the Jackets’ 14 yard line. Jonah Hedden moved Murphy up to the 34 on a couple of rushing plays, and on the next play he busted loose on a 58-yard scamper to put the Dogs in business at the 7.
Two plays later, Kadence Leatherwood would punch it in from the 3. Bui added the point after, and Murphy led 34-0 with 4:39 left in the third quarter.
Jude Pinkerton, Camden Breazeale and Janthony Gooden terrorized the Hayesville backfield either getting tackles for loss or pressuring the Hayesville quarterback.
Murphy’s drove down to the Jackets’ 15 yard line before the drive stalled. Bui came on and hit a 32-yard field goal to give Murphy a 37-0 lead with 9:32 left in the game. The Dogs’ defense would set them up for their last score.
On the next Hayesville drive, Chandler Nernes deflected a Hayesville pass right into the arms of Dalton Farmer, who retuned the pick down to the Jackets’ 41 yard line. Jonah Hedden run the ball down to the 32.
Grant fumbled the snap on the next play, but Way Herron picked up the fumble and raced 25 yards to give the Dogs a first and goal at the seven. Herron finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run on the nest play. Bui added the extra point to net the final 44-0 score.
Jonah Hedden led all Murphy rushers with eight carries for 118 yards. Clem, who only saw first-half action, had eight carries for 90 yards. Payne led all Murphy receivers with five catches for 65 yards.
Murphy’s defense held the Jackets to 85 yards rushing on 48 attempts. The Dogs held Hayesville’s passing attack to two completions in seven attempts and picked off the Jackets three times.
Coach Joseph Watson said after the game, “We’re excited to get our first win in the Smoky Mountain Conference. The team played with incredible effort and continues to improve each week. Our defense, in particular, has been outstanding, flying to the ball and forcing turnovers.”
The Bulldogs will have another road trip this week, as they travel to Robbinsville at 7:30 p.m. Friday for a game that could have major implications in the Smoky Mountain Conference race.