Tigers earn third-place finish in North Forsyth tourney
Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball November 28, 2019
The Tigers basketball team went into North Forsyth Thanksgiving Tournament winners of the first two games of the season.
And while the Tigers took their first loss of the season during the three-day event, they came out with a 4-1 overall record and a third-place finish.
Senior Campbell Reed sets up on defense for the Tigers.
Dawson Co. won the opening game of the tournament, 70-59, against Class 6A’s Creekview on Saturday, Nov. 23, at North Forsyth High in Cumming.
The victory pushed the Tigers into the winner’s bracket, where they faced Cherokee in the second round.
The Tigers played well in the game, giving Class 7A’s Warriors all they could handle. But one too many missed opportunities late led to the narrow, 67-62 defeat.
Against Cherokee (4-0), Dawson Co. was led by senior Jasper Gibson. The 6-foot-2 guard scored 22 points in the loss. He also added six assists, three rebounds, and a steal.
Mason Barnes, junior guard, was the only other player in double-figure scoring with 10 points. He added four rebounds, three assists, and two steals for Dawson Co.
Senior guard Jasper Gibson handles the ball for Dawson Co.
Seniors Eli Burruss and Campbell Reed scored nine points each, with Burruss adding seven rebounds.
In the third-place game against the host team North Forsyth, Dawson Co. came through with a big 70-44 victory Tuesday, Nov. 26.
The Tigers made 16 3-pointers in the game, leading to the strong showing against the Class 7A Raiders (4-2).
Barnes led the way with 20 points to go along with seven assists and three rebounds.
Reed and fellow senior Tate Adkins scored 15 points each. Reed added five rebounds and an assist, while Adkins pulled down four rebounds and had one assist.
Gibson scored 13 points to go with seven assists and two rebounds.
The Tigers next play Tuesday, Dec. 3, at home against Fannin County. The game, which is the first of the Region 7-AAA schedule for both teams, is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.
To read about the Tigers first-round win against Creekview, click here.
Riverview, Clear Creek Captures NGML Eighth-Grade Titles
DCMS Basketball, RMS Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports January 29, 2016
The 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League championship basketball tournament wrapped up yesterday at Dawson County Middle School, with the eighth-grade Riverview Lady Eagles downing the hosting Lady Tigers 31-24 to win the girls championship and the Clear Creek Middle School Bobcats defeating the Pickens County Middle School Dragons 35-24 to claim the eighth-grade boys crown.
Riverview wins intercounty title game
Riverview coach Natasha Beary watches as Lady Eagle Chloe Bennett attempts to drive past Rachel Swafford in last night’s 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League eighth-grade girls championship game. Bennett scored a team-leading eight points in the Lady Eagles 31-24 victory over the Lady Tigers. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
The Lady Eagles took control early, soaring to an 11-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. Dawson finally generated some offense in the second quarter, but thanks to a widespread rebound effort by Riverview, the Lady Tigers trailed 17-6 at halftime.
Dawson matched Riverview point-for-point in the third quarter, but failed to build further momentum to cut into the deficit. The Lady Tigers started piecing together a comeback in the fourth quarter, but were unable to clip the Lady Eagles enough to finish out the surge and RMS seized the 31-24 victory.
The Riverview Lady Eagles pose with the 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League eighth-grade girls championship. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
“I have to say, this has been one of the best seasons,” said Riverview head coach Natasha Beary. “The girls have worked so hard. It was great to come play against our fellow teammates, Dawson. They were nervous, but the girls pulled it together and they came out with a win. Both teams worked hard and gave it everything they had. They put it all together at the end.”
After the Riverview/Dawson game, the Lady Eagles recognized Chloe Bennett (left) as their Tournament MVP, Roxie Fricton (center) as their All-Tournament Selection and Piper Wright (right) as their Academic Award recipient. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
After the Riverview/Dawson game, the Lady Tigers recognized Maddie Grant (left) as their Academic Award recipient and Marlie Townley (right) as their All-Tournament selection. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
Bobcats win rivalry game to clinch crown
Eighth-grade Bobcat Luke Wimpey shoots a three-point shot in last night’s 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League eighth-grade boys title game. Wimpey scored six points in Clear Creek’s 35-24 championship victory over the Pickens Dragons. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
As always, a Gilmer County versus Pickens County sporting event turned out to be fiercely competitive.
In the case of Clear Creek, they battled the Dragons throughout the first half. Thanks to a strong rebound performance from both teams, the Cats only led 6-5 at the end of the first period. T.C. Jarrett then landed a three with 45 seconds remaining before halftime that cut the CCMS lead to 11-10. However, C.J. Streicher landed a shot before the buzzer that put the Bobcats halftime lead at 13-10.
PCMS struggled to find the basket in the third quarter, giving Clear Creek the chance to open up a 20-10 lead. Zach Tetterton finally secured the lone Dragons bucket of the period at the 48-second mark, leaving the Bobcats advantage at 20-12 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Both offenses exploded in the fourth quarter, which allowed CCMS to hold off a 12-point Pickens fourth quarter and clinch the championship with a 35-24 victory.
The Clear Creek Middle School Bobcats pose with the 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League eighth-grade boys championship trophy. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
“The boys absolutely get all the credit,” said CCMS coach Michael Crocker. “Their games have expanded. I think, on their own, they want to be multi-faceted. But then there’s discipline and key concepts … I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
The Pickens County Middle School Dragons pose with the 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League eighth-grade boys runner-up trophy. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
After the Clear Creek/Pickens game, the Bobcats recognized C.J. Streicher (left) as both their Academic Award recipient and All-Tournament selection and Connor Thompson (right) as their Tournament MVP. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
After the Clear Creek/Pickens game, the Dragons recognized Hayes Pickett (left) as their All-Tournament selection and Colby James (right) as their Academic Award recipient. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
STATS (eighth-grade Lady Eagles):
Chloe Bennett: Eight points, six rebounds, four blocks, three steals, 0/1 on free throws.
Kinsey Beaty: Six points, two rebounds, one steal.
Roxie Fricton: Six points, two rebounds, one steal.
Piper Wright: Four points, 2/2 on free throws.
Avrey Massey: Three points, three rebounds, two steals.
Ashlynn Anglin: Two points, one rebound.
Maggie Wright: Two blocks, one steal.
Kendall Martin: One rebound, one steal.
Kaselyn Martin: One rebound.
STATS (eighth-grade Lady Tigers):
Marlie Townley: 13 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, one block, 3/3 on free throws.
Jenna LeCours: Four rebounds, five rebounds, two steals, 2/5 on free throws.
Avery Young: Four points, three rebounds, two steals, 2/4 on free throws.
Rachel Swafford: Three points, two rebounds, one steal.
Maddie Grant: 11 rebounds, three steals, one block.
STATS (eighth-grade Bobcats):
C.J. Streicher: 11 points, 14 rebounds, one steal, 2/2 on free throws.
Alex Snelgrove: Eight points, eight rebounds, one steal, one block, 4/4 on free throws.
Luke Wimpey: Six points, two steals, 2/2 on free throws.
Connor Thompson: Three points, three rebounds, two steals, two blocks.
Tyler Wright: Three points.
Justus Bennett: Two points, three rebounds.
Mason Hadden: Two points.
STATS (eighth-grade Dragons):
Brady Moore: Eight points, three rebounds, 1/1 on free throws.
Zach Tetterton: Five points, two rebounds, one steal, 0/2 on free throws.
Hayes Pickett: Four points, seven rebounds, one steal, 4/10 on free throws.
T.C. Jarrett: Three points, seven rebounds, one steal.
Boz Gayden: Two points, two rebounds, 2/4 on free throws.
Austin Chester: Two points.
Jay Joner: One steal.
Carter Logan: One rebound.
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Lady Cats Clinch in Overtime Thriller; Dawson Tigers Secure Championship
DCMS Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports January 28, 2016
Two improbable moments, seemingly straight from a Hollywood script … and both came in the same game.
The two moments were buzzer-beating three-point shots from seventh-grade Clear Creek Middle School Lady Cats (and sisters) Emma and Elly Callihan, which gave CCMS a 32-31 victory over the Fannin County Middle School Lady Rebels and the 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League championship yesterday at Dawson County Middle School.
Meanwhile, the hosting, undefeated Dawson County Middle School Tigers capped off a 10-0 season by besting the CCMS Bobcats 45-31 to win the seventh-grade boys championship.
Cats claw past Rebels
Seventh-grade Lady Cat Emma Callihan shoots the game-tying three-point shot against Fannin last night. The basket sent the game into overtime, where Clear Creek bested the Lady Rebels 32-31 to win the 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League seventh-grade girls championship. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
The seventh-grade girls game built to its dramatic conclusion from the outset. Fannin seized an early first-quarter lead, before a Natalie Thomas three-point play put the Lady Cats in a 5-5 deadlock with the Lady Rebels. The first period went on to end in a 7-7 stalemate. FCMS tied the game 13-13 just before halftime, before Emma Callihan gave CCMS a 15-13 halftime lead with a two-point bucket at the buzzer.
Almost like the calm before the storm, the third quarter proved to be difficult for both Fannin and Clear Creek. MacKenzie Johnson provided the lone Lady Rebels basket, while Emma Deyton scored off a steal to keep the Lady Cats lead at 17-15 by the end of the third.
The game continued its back-and-forth theme in the fourth quarter. A three-point play from Olivia Sisson put Fannin ahead 21-19 with 1:08 left in regulation. The Lady Rebels added two more baskets to open up a late 25-22 advantage and were poised to win the championship. However, Emma Callihan had other plans for the Lady Cats, as she caught an in-bound pass with less than 10 seconds left in the game, drove down the court and launched a three-point shot that tied the game 25-25 and forced an overtime.
Fannin refused to go down without a fight. Buckets from Paige Foresman and Abby Ledford, mixed with two free throws from Johnson, put the Lady Rebels out front 32-29. But although Emma Callihan went down in overtime with a sprained ankle, her younger sibling Elly stepped up for the crescendo.
The situation mirrored that of the end of regulation, with a different Callihan in control of the ball. Elly trotted two steps past half-court and propelled the basketball from well beyond the three-point line. The heave shockingly swished through the net as the buzzer sounded, sending the Clear Creek faithful into a frenzy and giving the Lady Cats the 32-31 win and the 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League seventh-grade girls championship.
The seventh-grade Clear Creek Middle School Lady Cats pose with the 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League championship trophy. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
“It was great!,” exclaimed Clear Creek coach Ashley Bryant when asked about winning the title. “It was phenomenal. Nothing is better than free basketball. It gave us life to go into overtime, because we were struggling, as a whole. We couldn’t get our offense going tonight. But it was nice to have some sixth-graders step up and do some stuff for us. The girls have grown so much. We have improved and that ending tonight … that was them playing as a team. I could not be more proud of them and I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to the season. The future looks bright.”
The seventh-grade Fannin County Middle School Lady Rebels pose with the 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League runner-up trophy. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
The seventh-grade Lady Rebels finish the year with an 11-3 record, while the Lady Cats completed the campaign with a 12-2 mark.
After the Clear Creek/Fannin game, the Lady Cats recognized Hope Colwell (left) as their All-Tournament selection, Emma Callihan (center) as their Tournament MVP and Kimberly Holt (right) as the Academic Award recipient. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
After the Clear Creek/Fannin game, the Lady Rebels recognized Kennedy Harper (left) as their Academic Award recipient and Abby Ledford (right) as their All-Tournament selection. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
Dawson Takes Seventh-Grade Boys Crown
Seventh-grade Dawson County Tiger Dakota Sonnidson extends another shot to the net last night against Clear Creek. Sonnidson scored 23 points, en route to Dawson defeating the Bobcats 45-31 and winning the 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League seventh-grade boys championship. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
In the seventh-grade boys title game, the Tigers built early momentum to stay one pounce ahead of the Bobcats throughout the first half. A strong offensive and defensive first quarter from Dakota Sonnidson (nine points, three rebounds, one steal) helped give Dawson an 11-5 lead by the end of the period.
A combined nine second-quarter boards for the Bobcats gave Clear Creek the chance to cut the lead down to 17-14 by halftime. Dawson responded by outscoring CCMS 18-8 in the third quarter, opening up a 35-22 lead in the process. With reserves playing the closing minutes of the title game, the Tigers went on to claim the 45-31 victory and the seventh-grade boys championship.
The seventh-grade Dawson County Middle School Tigers pose with the 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League championship trophy. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
“It’s been an awesome season for us,” said Dawson head coach Steven Moates. “We’ve worked really hard and we’ve got a lot of kids with a great skill set and they work hard in practice. I told them in the locker room, ‘This is what hard work earns.’ They’ve done a great job for us. It means a lot, but it means more to the kids and the school. It’s just a great way to end the season.”
The seventh-grade Clear Creek Middle School Bobcats pose with the 2015-16 North Georgia Mountain League runner-up trophy. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
“Nobody thought we were going to make it (to the title game). We’ve come a long way,” said Clear Creek coach Tim Davis. “A bunch of guys that got together at the first of the year, learned the system, had four one-point games and got a ton of experience. This is just a win all-around. I couldn’t be happier. The kids play hard, they learn and they’re respectful. They’re good kids and that’s a testament to them.”
The seventh-grade Tigers finish the year with an unblemished 10-0 record, while the Bobcats wrap up the season at 8-7.
After the Dawson/Clear Creek game, the Tigers recognized Luke Hamby (left) as their Academic Award recipient, Dakota Sonnidson (center) as their Tournament MVP and Will Howard (right) as their All-Tournament selection. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
After the Dawson/Clear Creek game, the Bobcats recognized Braden Jenkins (left) as their All-Tournament selection and Colton Nunn (right) as their Academic Award recipient. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)
STATS (seventh-grade Lady Cats):
Emma Callihan: 17 points, four rebounds, two steals, 5/9 on free throws.
Natalie Thomas: Nine points, three rebounds, 1/3 on free throws.
Elly Callihan: Three points, five rebounds, 0/4 on free throws.
Emma Deyton: Three points, 11 rebounds, two steals, one block, 1/3 on free throws.
Hope Colwell: Three rebounds, two steals, one block.
Reagan Boling: Two rebounds, one steal.
STATS (seventh-grade Lady Rebels):
Abby Ledford: 10 points, two rebounds, two steals, 2/8 on free throws.
MacKenzie Johnson: Eight points, three rebounds, two steals, 2/6 on free throws.
Olivia Sisson: Seven points, four rebounds, three steals, 1/3 on free throws.
Prisilia Bautista: Four points, two rebounds, 0/6 on free throws.
Paige Foresman: Two points, five rebounds.
Alyssa Anderson: Seven rebounds.
Becca Ledford: One rebound, one steal.
STATS (seventh-grade Tigers):
Dakota Sonnidson: 23 points, five rebounds, three steals, one block, 3/8 on free throws.
Will Howard: Eight points, two rebounds, one steal, 5/6 on free throws.
Ty Whitmire: Seven points, three steals, two rebounds.
Max Tierney: Seven points, four steals, two rebounds, 0/2 on free throws.
Brendan Swafford: Five rebounds, three steals, one block, 0/2 on free throws.
Hayden McKinney: Two rebounds.
Preston Burt: One block.
STATS (seventh-grade Bobcats):
Braden Jenkins: 14 points, two rebounds, one steal, 1/3 on free throws.
Cameron Weaver: Eight points, six rebounds, one steal.
Lewis Mulkey: Three points, two rebounds, one steal, one block, 0/2 on free throws.
Brady Sanford: Two points, three rebounds, one steal.
Isaiah Hopper: Two points, seven rebounds, one steal.
Ethan Banks: Two points, one rebound.
Jacob Rhodes: Two rebounds.
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