Dawson Co. dominates second half in win over Lumpkin Co.

Dawson Co. Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports, Tigers Basketball

The Dawson Co. Tigers defeated the Lumpkin Co. Indians 80-34 on Friday night in Dahlonega. The Tigers outscored the Indians 42-7 in the second half to take complete control of the game. Dawson Co. had four players score in double digits. Jake Craft had 18 points, Tyler Lane had 14 points, Max Tierney had 13 points, and Ty Whitmire scored 10 points.

Senior Max Tierney rises up for the dunk on Friday night.

The Tigers shot the ball well throughout the game, and their offense was hard to stop. They forced a lot of turnovers and created easy shots for themselves. They led 38-27 at halftime.

Their defense dominated the second half as they only allowed the Indians to score seven points. The Tigers’ offense remained potent, and they quickly ran away with the game to win 80-34.

Dawson Co.’s next game will be Tuesday as they host the Gilmer Bobcats at 7:30 p.m.

Dawson Co. advances to second round of 3A state playoffs

Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports

The Dawson Co. Tigers advanced to the second round of the 3A state playoffs with a 45-31 road victory over the Adairsville Tigers. Junior Conley Dyer had a big game with two rushing touchdowns to help lead his team to victory. Junior quarterback Zach Holtzclaw also had a nice outing, finishing with two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown.

Junior Zach Holtzclaw finding an open receiver from the pocket.

Adairsville received the ball to start the game. They drove the ball down the field but missed a 43-yard field goal to give Dawson Co. good field position for their first drive of the game. The Tigers’ first possession didn’t go well, as they quickly gave the ball back to Adairsville on a fumble. However, Dawson Co.’s defense continued to hold up strong as they forced a turnover on downs to get the ball back. This time, they drove down the field, and Holtzclaw found senior Max Moon for a 7-yard touchdown reception to take a 7-0 lead. Adairsville closed the gap with a field goal, but Dawson Co. drove right back down the field. Early in the second quarter, Holtzclaw ran in a 1-yard touchdown to extend their lead to 14-3.

Dawson Co.’s defense continued to dominate and forced a quick 3-and-out. The offense built off the momentum as Dyer ran in his first touchdown of the game from about 50 yards out. Down 21-3, Adairsville shifted the momentum in their favor. They scored touchdowns on their final three possessions of the half and held Dawson Co. scoreless to take a 24-21 lead into halftime.

Dawson Co. opened up the second half strong. Less than two minutes in, Dyer ran in a 39-yard touchdown to get his team the lead back. As Adairsville was driving the ball back down the field on the ensuing possession, senior Hayden McKinney intercepted a pass to get the ball back for Dawson Co. Holtzclaw found senior Dakohta Sonnichsen for a 75-yard touchdown strike on the next play to take a 35-24 lead over Adairsville. After going 3-and-out the next drive, a bad Adairsville punt set Dawson Co. up with great field position. They capitalized with an 18-yard field goal that gave them a two touchdown lead.

Senior Dakohta Sonnichsen making a move on a defender.

Early in the fourth quarter, Adairsville scored a touchdown and recovered an onside kick right after. Dawson Co.’s defense responded by forcing a quick three-and-out. Down one touchdown and losing momentum, Adairsville attempted to convert on a fake punt attempt. Dawson Co. hit the punter on the fake and jarred the ball lose. Sophomore Cade Adams recovered the fumble and returned it for a touchdown to make the score 45-31. Dawson Co.’s defense came up with one more stop, and the offense ran out the clock to win the game.

Dawson Co. advances to the next round of the state playoffs, where they travel to play a Oconee Co. high school next Friday.

Dawson Co. beats North Hall, remains perfect

DCHS Baseball, Sports, Team FYN Sports
Tigers baseball

The Dawson Co. baseball team remained perfect in 2020 with a 2-0 region win at North Hall on Tuesday, March 3.

The Tigers (9-0, 1-0 Region 7-3A) may have scored a season low two runs in the win, but that was more than enough for Ole Miss commit Hudson Sapp on the mound against the Trojans (8-3, 1-1)

Sapp surrendered just one hit and two walks, while striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings of work in the win. Of the 102 pitches Sapp threw, 66 went for strikes.

At the plate, Bo Lewis led the way with a 3-for-3 day that included two runs scored and a walk.

Kincade Weaver went 2-for-4 with a double as the only other Dawson Co. player to have more than one hit.

The Tigers got on the scoreboard early, going up 1-0 at the end of the first inning.

After Lewis knocked a two-out groundball into right field, he advanced to second on a fly-ball single by Weaver. Lewis was brought home by a Luke Mulberry single to left field to give the Tigers the lead for good.

Mulberry finished 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.

Dawson Co. struck again in the top of the third after Lewis drew a walk and reached third on Weaver’s double.

Two outs later, Lewis still stood on third base before being given the green light to steal home. He crossed the plate to score the last run of the game and give Dawson Co. the 2-0 lead.

Sapp and Mauricio Hernandez were the only other Tigers to earn a hit in the win.

The Tigers and the Trojans will see each other against this Saturday, March 7, as North Hall comes to Dawsonville for a doubleheader slated to begin at 2 p.m.

Tigers soccer woes continue in loss to Pickens

DCHS Soccer, Team FYN Sports
DCHS Tigers Soccer

The Dawson Co. High Tigers soccer team’s early season challenges continued to mount as they dropped a tough game Tuesday, Feb. 25, in Dawsonville, against the Pickens Dragons by a final score of 6-2. In addition to a difficult schedule that has had the Tigers facing high-caliber competition, the team is now battling both illness and injury according to head coach Patrick Muenchen.

“Our starting keeper had a concussion, he’s out indefinitely. Our second keeper is dealing with a throat virus, he was out too, so we actually pulled a guy that hasn’t played keeper since last year,” Muenchen said. “They still need some experience back there, so we probably lost two goals to that.”

The Dragons opened the scoring almost immediately when Juan Sanchez, one of the top-ranked high school players in the state, broke free on the far side of the field for a one-on-one challenge with freshman keeper Austin Corn in the eighth minute of play.

Three minutes later, another defensive breakdown allowed Pickens forward Carter Lindsey into the backfield unopposed and the Dragons were up by two in the first 10 minutes of action.

After the initial flurry of scoring, the Tigers settled into an attacking style of play, with junior Caleb Bonesteel sending the ball deep into Pickens territory while forwards Jose Sandoval, Blake Frazier, and team captain Michael Velasquez applied pressure on the net.

The strategy paid off when the trio connected on a series of passes and a shot from Frazier to cut the lead in half with 16:51 remaining in the first half.

DCHS Tigers Soccer

1-2-3, Tigers! The Dawson Co. soccer team breaks their huddle Feb. 25 prior to the game against Pickens.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys on the team this year,” Velasquez said. “Games like this will definitely give them experience and help them get better as we move into regional play.”

Moments later, a rapid transition by the Dragons caught the Tigers flat-footed and Sanchez broke free for a second time to push the score back to 3-1 in the 27th minute. The Dragons found the goal again with less than five minutes remaining in the half to head into the break with a 4-1 lead.

Dawson Co. found themselves further behind in the first minutes of the second half as the Dragons scored their fifth goal of the contest on the opening possession.

Despite trailing 5-1, the Tigers fought hard to move the ball downfield and Velasquez cut into the lead with a precise back post shot in the 58th to spark a long string of opportunities for the Dawson Co. offense.

“We had more offensive opportunities in this game then we’ve had in the past,” Muenchen said. “A couple of missed opportunities right in front of the goal, but I’m proud of the guys for moving it forward and start to work on our offense.”

The Tigers soccer team will make a brief, one-game road trip to face the Calhoun Yellow Jackets on Friday, Feb. 28, before returning home to host the Cherokee Bluff Bears in their first regional contest March 3.

Jasper Gibson is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Dawson Co. Basketball, Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports
Jasper Gibson

Jasper Gibson is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dawson Co. Tigers!

Gibson, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, had a pair of standout performance during the week for third-ranked Dawson Co. (23-2, 12-0 Region 7-3A).

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, Gibson scored nine points, had eight assists, and pulled down five rebounds in the Tigers’ 67-55 win against Cherokee Bluff (15-10, 7-5).

Gibson followed that with a team-high 19 points, to go along with six rebounds and four assists, in a 67-47 win against East Hall (6-17, 2-10) on Friday, Jan. 31, in Rabbittown.

For his efforts, Gibson is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Mason Barnes is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball

Mason Barnes is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dawson Co. Tigers!

Barnes, a 5-foot-10 junior point guard, had two strong games last week for the third-ranked Tigers (21-1, 10-0 Region 7-AAA), who picked up a pair of Region 7-AAA wins.

On Tuesday, Jan. 21, at North Hall (15-8. 6-4), Barnes scored 10 points, had five assists, and added three rebounds as Dawson Co. won, 68-43.

Against Lumpkin Co. (8-15, 4-7) on Friday, Jan. 24, in Dawsonville, Barnes scored 16 points, added three asses, and pulled down two rebounds in the 55-47 victory.

For his efforts, Barnes is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Eli Burruss is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball
Eli Burruss

Eli Burruss is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dawson Co. Tigers!

Burruss, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, had two great games last week for the second-ranked Tigers (19-2, 8-0 Region 7-AAA).

On Tuesday, Jan. 14, Burrus had a double-double with a team-high 16 points and a team high 11 rebounds as Dawson Co. won a 57-39 game against region-foe Greater Atlanta Christian (14-6, 6-2) to secure the top spot in the region.

Against top 10-ranked Denmark (16-5, 8-0 Region 7-4A) on Friday, Jan. 17, Burrus made the game winner in triple overtime as the Tigers earned the big 84-82 victory. He finished the game with four points and eight rebounds.

For his efforts, Burrus is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Campbell Reed is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball
Campbell Reed

Campbell Reed is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Reed, a 6-foot-2 senior guard and forward, played well in two big region wins for Dawson Co. (17-2, 7-0 Region 7-AAA) last week.

On Tuesday, Jan. 7, Reed scored 17 points, had two assists, and added a rebound in an 87-52 win against East Hall (5-11, 1-6) in Dawsonville.

Against Fannin Co. (4-12, 0-7) on Friday, Jan. 10, Reed scored 17 points again (a team high), while adding four assists and four rebounds in Blue Ridge.

This is Reed’s second time being named the Player of the Week this season.

For his efforts, Campbell Reed is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Jasper Gibson is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dawson Co. Tigers!

Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball
Jasper Gibson

Jasper Gibson is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dawson Co. Tigers!

Gibson, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, has been an absolute scoring machine for the Tigers (15-2, 5-0 Region 7-AAA), who are currently ranked second in the Class AAA.

While the team only played one game last week, Gibson put on a show with a triple-double.

Against region foe Cherokee Bluff (9-7, 3-2) on Friday, Jan. 3, in Dawsonville, Gibson tallied 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Tigers got their fifth-straight region victory, 64-61.

Coming up this week, Dawson Co. will host East Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 7:30 p.m., before traveling to take on Fannin Co. on Friday, Jan. 10, in Blue Ridge.

Gibson will look to continue the dominance he showed during the first half of the season as the Tigers move into the bulk of region play.

For his efforts, Gibson is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dawson Co. Tigers!

Luke Martin plays for Charlotte in school’s first bowl game

Dawson County High School, Team FYN Sports
Tigers Luke Martin

Da

Dawson Co. High graduate Luke Martin recorded four tackles for Charlotte in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.

wson Co. High graduate and Cumming native Luke Martin played for the Charlotte 49ers in the Makers Watned Bahamas Bowl on Friday, Dec. 20.

In the game, Martin, a linebacker, accounted for four total tackles (one solo, three assists) as Charlotte lost the first bowl game appearance in school history to Buffalo, 31-9.

Martin, now a college junior, was a four-year letter winner for the Tigers. He was a first-team all-state linebacker, won the Region 7-AAA Defensive Player of the Year award and broke the Dawson Co. school record for tackles with 185 during his senior season. He was also named to the first-team, all-region team as a sophomore and a junior.

Martin helped lead the Tigers to their first-ever region championship as a junior, helped the team reach the state quarterfinals for the first time, and also made an appearance in the state playoffs his senior season.

For his career at Charlotte, Martin has 49 total tackles (22 solo, 27 assissts).

Charlotte went 7-6 overall this season and went 5-3 in Conference USA to earn the school’s first bowl appearance.

Eli Burruss is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball
Eli Burrus

Eli Burruss is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Burruss, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, played well during the last week as Dawson Co. improved to an overall record of 11-2 and 4-0 in Region 7-3A. The Tigers currently sit alone at the top of the region standings.

Burrus started the week with a double-double in an important, 58-48, region win against Lumpkin Co. (5-8, 2-3) in Dahlonega. The senior scored 15, pulled down 11 rebounds, and added six steals in the win.

On Friday, Dec. 20, Burrus scored 11 and pulled down eight rebounds against Camp Jewell House in Dawsonville. The Tigers lost that game, 64-57, to the defending GICAA state champion Panthers (11-1, 3-0 II-A West).

For his efforts, Burrus is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Dawson Co. boys defeat Lumpkin Co. 58-48

Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball

The Dawson Co. Tigers defeated the Lumpkin Co. Indians 58-48 on Tuesday in Dahlonega.

Jasper Gibson scored 23 points for the fourth-ranked Tigers (10-1, 4-0 Region 7-AAA). Campbell Reed also chipped in 16, while Eli Burruss had 15.

Jacob Cumbie led the Indians with 17 points, while Pat Jackson scored 13.

Campbell Reed shoots the 3-pointer.

The Indians (4-8, 2-3 Region 7-AAA) scored the first four points of the game to take the early lead. The Tigers responded three consecutive 3-pointers to take a 9-4 lead. The Tigers led 13-7 after one quarter of play.

The Tigers used a 7-2 in the middle of the quarter to extend their lead. They also scored six of the final seven points of the half to take a 28-16 lead into the half.

The second half started with a 7-2 run from the Tigers to take control of the game. The rest of the quarter remained even, with Dawson Co. leading 50-33 heading into the final period.

Pat Jackson drives on Jasper Gibson.

The Indians didn’t roll over, and fought back to close the lead. They were able to cut the Tigers’ lead to only 58-48 at the end of the game.

The Indians’ next game will be Friday at 7:30 p.m. as they travel to play at Banks Co.

The Tigers will return to action on Friday at home at 7 p.m. against Camp Jewell House.

Several Dawson Co. Tigers named to Region 7-3A All-Region Team

Dawson County High School, Team FYN Sports
Dawson

The Region 7-3A All-Region Team was announced Tuesday, Dec. 17, and multiple members of the Dawson Co. football team were honored.

The entire team is as follows:

Player of the year: JT Fair, North Hall, senior running back/defensive back
Offensive MVP: Jackson Hardy, Greater Atlanta Christian, senior quarterback
Defensive MVP: Riley Herndon, Dawson Co., senior defensive back
Special Teams MVP: Caleb Bonesteel, Dawson Co., junior place kicker
Athlete of the Year: Dakohta Sonnichsen, Dawson Co., junior wide receiver
Lineman of the Year: Myles Hinton, Greater Atlanta Christian, senior offense/defense
Academic Player of the Year: Tino Mukono, Cherokee Bluff, senior defensive back

Offense
QB – Zach Holtzclaw, Dawson Co., sophomore
RB – Treylynn Owensby, Fannin Co., senior
RB – Jayquan Smith, Cherokee Bluff, sophomore
RB – Montavious Taber, East Hall, junior
RB – Jacob Dickey, North Hall, junior
FB – Will Mosley, Fannin Co., senior
WR – Christian Thomas, Greater Atlanta Christian, senior
WR – Jaden Gibson, Dawson Co., freshman
WR – Drew Highfield, East Hall, senior
WR – Brooks Miller, Greater Atlanta Christian, junior
TE – Thomas Lawson, Greater Atlanta Christian, junior
OL – Addison Nichols, Greater Atlanta Christian, sophomore
OL – Austin Sullens, North Hall, senior
OL – Micah Holman, North Hall, senior
OL – Mason Bundy, Fannin Co., junior
OL – Miles Johnson, Fannin Co., senior
OL – Mateo Guevera, Cherokee Bluff, sophomore
ATH/RB/DB – Tyler Bride, Greater Atlanta Christian, senior

Defense
DL – Spencer Helms, Greater Atlanta Christian, senior
DL – Logan Hawthorne, North Hall, senior
DL – Nate Nixon, North Hall, senior
DL – Dakota Collins, Cherokee Bluff, junior
DL – Aaron Hopkins, Lumpkin Co., senior
DL – Jakob Tuggle, Fannin Co., senior
LB – Choe Bryant-Strother, Greater Atlanta Christian, senior
LB – DJ Mitchell, Dawson Co., senior
LB – Dalton Battle, North Hall, junior
LB – Jackson Weeks, Fannin Co., senior
LB – Micah O’Neal, Fannin Co., junior
DB – Luke Volle, North Hall, senior
DB – Brody Howell, Dawson Co., senior
DB – Evan Byrd, Greater Atlanta Christian, senior
DB – Joseph Rose, Greater Atlanta Christian, junior
DB – Breadon Hubbard, Dawson Co., sophomore

Special teams
P – Luke Holloway, Fannin Co., junior
P – Jacob Carlson, Cherokee Bluff, senior
PK – Tyler Curland, Greater Atlanta Christian, senior
SPEC – Zac Mixon, Greater Atlanta Christian, senior

 

Campbell Reed is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball
Campbell Reed

Campbell Reed is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Reed, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, posted strong games in a pair of wins for Dawson Co. (9-1, 3-0 Region 7-AAA) during the past week.

On Saturday, Dec. 14, Reed put up 16 points, pulled down three rebounds, totaled four assists, and added a steal as the Tigers defeated The King’s Academy 76-39 in the North Georgia High School Showcase in Dawsonville.

Earlier in the week, Reed chipped in six points in a 68-36 victory against North Hall at home.

For his efforts, Reed is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Tigers!

Dawson downs Fannin for first region win

Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball
Dawson

The Dawson Co. boys basketball team led the first Region 7-AAA game of the season from start to finish against Fannin Co. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, in Dawsonville.

Senior Jasper Gibson scored 16 points, had six assists, and pulled down two rebounds in a win against Fannin Co. on Tuesday night.

The Tigers (5-1, 1-0) are currently ranked sixth in Class AAA and proved why Tuesday night as they completely dominated the game.

Junior point guard Mason Barnes continued to set the pace for the Tigers, scoring 22 points, while adding seven assists and pulling down six rebounds.

Dawson Co. took a commanding 20-10 lead through the first quarter and never looked back en route to the victory. The Tigers scored 33 points in the third quarter to effectively put the game away at 67-33 entering the fourth quarter.

 

Eli Burruss, a senior, scored 13 points and pulled down four rebounds, while fellow senior Campbell Reed scored nine points, pulled down five rebounds, and added five assists.

Dawson Co. will face reigning Region 7-AAA champion Greater Atlanta Christian (4-2) on Friday, Dec. 6, in Norcross. The game is slated to begin at 8:30 p.m.

The Tigers finished second in the region last season with a 10-2 record, behind only G.A.C. with a perfect 12-0 record.

Greater Atlanta Christian is currently ranked seventh in Class AAA.

Dawson County falls to North Forsyth in Scrimmage Game 34-15

Dawson County High School, Dawson County High School, Sports, Team FYN Sports

https://youtu.be/LRq6SdLtKJk

 

In a battle between 2 young teams, Dawson’s potential shined in spurts. The turnovers and penalties are what kept Dawson County from getting the win.

The Dawson County Tigers (Region 7-AAA) faced off against the North Forsyth Raiders (Region 5-7A) in a game that featured a much larger opponent than what the Tigers will be playing in their region games. This type of experience early on will benefit Dawson County in the  long run.

Having graduated 28 seniors last year, the Tigers were prepared for mistakes early on, and that is just what happened.

They opened the game with a 3 and out, where the drive was cut short by a penalty that set the Tigers back a bit. The Raiders fed off their defense and methodically drove the ball down the field, but were held to a field goal due to a touchdown being waived off by a flag.

On Dawson County’s next possession, they fumbled the ball on an option play, and it was recovered by North Forsyth. However, sophomore Braedon Hubbard responded defensively with a 92-yard pick 6 to give the Tigers the lead 6-3 with 6:31 remaining in the first quarter.

The excitement was short lived, as the Raiders followed a couple of short runs with a 57-yard touchdown pass. 2 possessions later, they delivered a 19-yard touchdown strike to extend their lead to 17-6 early in the second quarter.

Dawson County received a spark from freshman Keegan Stover, who threw a 56-yard touchdown pass on the third play of his first drive to cut the deficit to 17-13 with 10 minutes remaining in the half.

For nearly 2 more quarters, neither team could get much going.

With 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, North Forsyth hit a 23-yard field goal to extend their lead to 20-13. On the ensuing possession, Dawson County fumbled the ball in Raider territory, setting North Forsyth up with an opportunity to put the game away. However, the penalty bug hit the Raiders, forcing them to punt from their own 5-yard line. A bad snap resulted in the ball sailing over the punter’s head, giving the Tigers 2 points and the ball.

Down 20-15 with an opportunity to retake the lead for the first time since the 1st quarter, Dawson County couldn’t get anything going and had a quick 3 and out. The Raiders then sealed the deal with a long drive finished by a touchdown run with 3 and half minutes remaining. However, the Tigers lost the ball on a bad snap, giving North Forsyth great field position that resulted in them tacking on another touchdown.

The final score was 34-15.

Dawson County will kick off their season officially on August 23rd against Habersham Central at 7:30pm

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