Where do I start....This is one of those rivalrys where both sides just love to beat the other, and the series bears that out...
As I mentioned on another thread, the Tigers hold a slim 15-14-1 edge in the all-time series, heading into the 31st meeting this friday in "Roman" as some Yellowjackets prefer to call Rosman...What some Rosman folk call Hayesville can't be put on this website without being banished, but it's all in good fun....
Rosman had played Hayesville 5 times and were 4-0-1 when the Yellowjackets rolled into Tigertown for that 2nd round playoff game in 1993....The Tigers and star RB Bret Chappell had demolished the Yellowjackets during the Regular season in Rosman(38-12), and we fans of course were expecting the same since we had never seen a Rosman team lose to Hayesville....Hayesville had two huge lineman with one about 6'6 and 280lbs and another about 6'2 and 300+, behind them was a big ole FB( Chad McClure) whose Father(Darryl) was making a name for himself coaching the Yellowjackets womens' basketball team to several consecutive state titles, back in those days...Anyway, it was nip and tuck until right before the half when Hayesville made and interception to thwart a late Tiger drive, and it was all downhill from there for the Tigers who lost to Hayesville by nearly the exact same score(39-20) as the Tigers had beaten them earlier...Of course, the Yellowjackets would lose their version of the Mudbowl the following week to Swain County who would eventually play for a state title that season, losing to Hobbton(29-12) in the title game...
That 93' playoff game is NOT what the Tiger fans wanted, but that game is what kick-started this rivalry to what it is today, and that is a rivalry where NEITHER team has won more than 3 games in a row in this series....
Dan Essenburg would get his revenge right before he left for Brevard as the Tigers ended a 3-game losing streak in 96', beating the Yellowjackets on the road in Hayesville 28-15....
The following season would be a memorable one as former coach Jim Fox took over, and guided the Tigers to their 2nd state finals' appearance....But before that could happen, the Tigers had a lot of work to do in the SMC, and one of those jobs included beating a Hayesville team that won the SMC that season, handing the Yellowjackets their only SMC loss that season in dramatic fashion in Rosman....Rosman led 9-7 late, and faced a 4th down and short from near midfield late in the 4th quarter when Coach Fox decided to gamble....He called a wingback reverse to Tiger WB Eric Drury, and it was a perfect playcall as he caught Coach Setzer and the Yellowjackets off guard....Drury was tackled inside the 5, but the Tigers would score, and would win 16-7....Rosman would win again in 98' 34-13 before it was Hayesville's turn again....
In 99', Hayesville would win with 2 long TD passes in a 21-20 Yellowjacket victory to ruin the Tigers Homecoming....Two years later, Rosman would rally from early 20-0 deficit to beat Hayesville 21-20 on Homecoming in Rosman, and the Tigers would not score a point in the next 2 games against the Yellowjackets as Hayesville shutout the Tigers in 02'(21-0) on Homecoming in Hayesville in the most memorable season to date for the Yellowjackets who lost to eventual state champ Elkin later that season in the Western 1A Final in Hayesville...The following year, the Yellowjackets came to Rosman and beat the Tigers 50-0 on Homecoming in 03'....I think everyone associated with this rivalry remembers what happened later that season when Rosman stunned the Yellowjackets in Hayesville in the 2nd round of the playoffs(28-20), ending the Yellowjackets' 10 game winning-streak...A game that I still have on disc which I pull out and listen too every now and then....
After that 2003 season, the two teams traded victories the next 4 games with Rosman pulling another upset at Hayesville(25-22) in 2006....Hayesville would win the next 3 games before Freddie Whitman took over in 2010... Tigers QB Duran Scruggs would score in the final 30 seconds after a 90yd drive late in the 4th quarter as the Tigers ended the Yelllowjackets 3 game winning streak in the series with a 12-7 win on Homecoming in Hayesville...Rosman would win the next 2 before Hayesville ended Rosman's 3 game winning streak with a 10-7 victory on Homecoming in Hayesville in 2012....The Yellowjackets would win again in 2013 in Rosman 35-20 on Homecoming with the Tigers winning in Hayesville on Homecoming last year 35-13....
As for the game this year, it's really hard to say which team will be more motivated with both losing their first game of the season in their last game before this one....Rosman has really been hit with the injury bug as most know, losing not 1 but 2 starting QBs for several weeks prior to this matchup....Fortunately, the Tigers have had a couple weeks to find a solution, and I have NO idea what they are going to do, and how they are going to perform this week....They put up a valiant effort against Mountain Heritage, and had a great opportunity to pull the upset, but couldn't make the big play or stop when they needed it, but they did fight for 4 quarters, and that's really all anybody should ask for...
As for Hayesville, the Yellowjackets also have had a great start to the season, and they will want to make amends for that tough loss last week to Andrews(20-14), so you know they are going to be pleny motivated for this one...
Hope all the Hayesville fans have a safe trip to Tigertown this friday, and hope the game lives up to the rivalry between the two teams with the Tigers scoring 1 more point than the Yellowjackets?
Roar Tigers Roar!
