Haywood County made a powerful statement at the state level, with all three of its middle schools competing in the Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament State Championship. Facing off against 24 other schools from across North Carolina, the county's young marksmen proved they're a force to be reckoned with in the field.

Bethel Middle School and Waynesville Middle School both finished in the top four overall, while Canton Middle School brought home an individual state title. The Blue Demons of Bethel secured a strong third-place finish, but their path to the podium wasn't without its challenges.

The day started on a tough note for Bethel with the shotgun event—what Coach Chad Franklin described as "starting the day on a real low note" after their worst performance in that discipline. But true to the spirit of competition, the Blue Demons shook it off and stormed back. They captured first-place finishes in both the rifle and hunter skills test, marking the first time the team had won either discipline.

"I was really pleased with how they finished that day, how they just had short memories and just finished that day strong," Franklin said. He credited the Haywood Homeschool Sportsman's Club and Roger Thomas for elevating the team's hunter skills preparation, noting, "He's taken those studies and the hunter education part of it to another level, and kind of brought us along with it and helped us study."

As for the rifle team's success, Franklin pointed to hard work and raw talent. "The kids worked hard. I'm really young on my .22 team too, so I'm excited about getting a lot of those kids back next year." He emphasized that internal competition was the real driving force: "They really learned how to push each other and make each other better. They really competed internally this year, and it really pushed them and made them a whole lot better."

Just a step behind Bethel, Waynesville Middle School claimed fourth place overall—an impressive showing that kept the pressure on the top teams. The Mountaineers took first place in shotgun, second in archery, and third in rifle. Their shotgun victory was especially meaningful, marking only the second time in 14 years the team has won an individual discipline at the state level.

Coach of Waynesville Middle noted just how tight the competition was: the gap between first and fourth place in the middle school division was smaller than the gap between first and second in the high school competition. "It makes every event very important," he said. With that kind of depth and determination, Haywood County's middle school hunters are clearly aiming high—and hitting their targets.