TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week- Shawn Thomas #21
Dawson County High School, Sports, Team FYN Sports August 24, 2019
This week’s Player of the Week for Dawson County is Shawn Thomas. Shawn opened up the game with a kick return for a touchdown to give his team a boost to start the game. He also broke the tie with a 69-yard touchdown run to start the second half, and his team didn’t look back. He also ran for multiple first downs and other short gains. He was vocal on the sidelines and was encouraging to his teammates, which is exactly what a coach looks for in a player and a leader.
Dawson County falls to North Forsyth in Scrimmage Game 34-15
Dawson County High School, Dawson County High School, Sports, Team FYN Sports August 10, 2019
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
Dawson County Starts Off Season on High Note with Win over Habersham Central 27-13
Team FYN Sports August 24, 2019
The Dawson County Tigers could not have started their season off any better.
For their first home game of the year, Dawson County celebrated their seniors before the game. So, it was fitting that on the first play of the game, senior Shawn Thomas ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown.
Momentum stayed with the Tigers, as they forced and recovered a fumble, setting them up with great field position to start their drive. Habersham’s defense, however, came out with a lot of energy, with 3 straight stops to end Dawson’s drive. This set up kicker Caleb Bonesteel with an incredible 52-yard kick that went straight through the uprights.
The quick start by Dawson to get up 10-0 was impressive, but on the 3rd play of the following drive, the Raiders scored on a slant route that went 71 yards for the score.
The Tigers struggled to move the ball once again, with a quick 3 and out. Habersham struck again with another short route that went 47 yards for six, which followed a fake punt resulting in a first down. A missed PAT gave the Raiders a 13-10 lead with 4 minutes left in the first quarter.
Dawson finally gained some momentum on a long drive that got them to the goal line on a long scramble by quarterback Zacchaeus Holtzclaw. However, they were stopped short of a touchdown due to a penalty and a sack. Bonesteel hit another field goal from 32 yards to tie the game early in the second quarter.
For the rest of the half, the teams traded momentum, with neither team getting on the board. Habersham started it off with a long drive that included a 4th down conversion. However, they fumbled the ball away in opposing territory.
Dawson couldn’t get anything going their next drive, and Habersham missed a short field goal on the ensuing possession.
However, the victory was short lived, as Dawson threw an interception on the following play. The defense responded with an interception in the endzone, giving Dawson the ball to run out the half.
The Raiders received the ball to start the second half, but couldn’t get the ball moving, with their drive ending with a drop on 3rd down. The Tigers were able to start the half off nicely, with a 69-yard touchdown run on the first play by Thomas, his second touchdown of the game.
Habersham got a strong drive going, including a 4th down conversion and a flag for a late hit. On 4th and 12, Dawson dropped an interception in the end zone, giving them the ball on the 25.
With the opportunity to really take control of the game, Dawson seized the opportunity.
On a drive that took most of the third quarter, Dawson took command and methodically marched the ball down the field for a touchdown, which was ran in by Holtzclaw.
Down 2 touchdowns, Habersham needed to make some plays, but couldn’t. The following possession, the Raiders had 2 drops, on a quick 3 and out. Dawson then drove the ball down the field, but missed a 42 yard field goal.
Habersham was able to get a drive going, however, they dropped another touchdown pass on 4th down. The following possessions were 3 and outs with no real movement down the field, resulting in a final score of 27-13.
Dawson County plays next Friday at Chestatee High School.
TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week- #6 Jaden Gibson
Dawson County High School, Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports October 26, 2019
In a dominant showing by the Dawson County Tigers, freshman wide receiver Jaden Gibson shined with 2 long receiving touchdowns. Gibson had a 50 yard touchdown reception to give them the early lead. He also had a 46 yard touchdown reception to give them a 28-7 lead in the second quarter. Gibson had well over 100 receiving yards, had a short run, and had a good kick return to put the offense in good position to start the second half. Jaden Gibson is the Dawson County Player of the Week!
Dawson County Player of the Week Sponsors!
Dawson County Defends Their Home Turf, Defeats East Hall 52-34
Sports, Team FYN Sports October 5, 2019
Considering last year Dawson County came to their field and won 64-0, East Hall had some added motivation for this game.
And they showed it on the first drive.
After 2 false starts, the Spartans launched the ball down the field twice, resulting in a 35-yard reception and a 59-yard touchdown less than 2 minutes into the game. Dawson wasn’t just going to roll over on their field, as they blocked the PAT kick to keep the score at 6-0.
Dawson has multiple return men who have returned kicks for scores this year, and the Spartans obviously didn’t want to allow that, as every kickoff was a squib kick. These resulted in great field position for the Tigers, but prevented any type of long return.
Starting their drive from their own 34, the Tigers methodically drove the ball down the field with a number of short throws and runs. After about 5 minutes, Dawson had to settle for a 26-yard field goal to cut deficit to 3.
#10 Zacchaeus Holtzclaw readies his offense
The Tigers’ defense got back on track, forcing a 3 and out. They moved the ball down the field with multiple runs and a big first down catch by #1 Dakohta Sonnichsen. Just before the end of the first quarter, #15 Isaiah Grindle pounded in a touchdown from 8 yards out to give Dawson a 10-6 lead.
Already having 3 interceptions on the season, #12 Riley Herndon added to his total on the second play of the next drive to give his offense the ball back.
Unfortunately, his offense couldn’t keep the momentum up as they went 3 and out.
East Hall got back on track in the air with a few short first downs, followed by a long heave to get the Spartans inside the 10-yard line. After a facemask call on the Tigers, East Hall ran in the 1-yard score. Since the PAT was blocked earlier, they tried to get the points back by going for 2, but failed to convert, holding their lead at only 2 points.
After another squib kick, Dawson started their drive at their own 46. Following a 1-yard run, Sonnichsen caught a screen pass and dashed past the defense 53 yards for his first score of the game.
The Vikings got their next drive started off right with a quick first down, but #7 Braedon Hubbard forced their second turnover of the game with an interception.
This time, the Tigers were able to capitalize off of the turnover. After multiple first downs, #21 Shawn Thomas took the direct snap and ran in the 2-yard touchdown to give Dawson the 24-12 lead with about 4 minutes to go.
On third down of their next drive, East Hall felt the pressure from the Dawson defensive line, as their quarterback slipped and fell for a huge loss, forcing a punt that went to the 43-yard line.
#1 Dakohta Sonnichsen catches a 26-yard touchdown pass
Thomas got a quick first down on a screen, but it was Sonnichsen who scored on a 26-yard touchdown reception to give Dawson the 31-12 lead.
Getting the ball back with about 10 seconds left, Dawson elected to allow #99 Caleb Bonesteel to attempt a 67-yard field goal. Attempting a kick 3 yards longer than the NFL record of 64-yards, the confidence in Bonesteel from the coaching staff speaks volumes about his ability.
The kick fell short, giving the Vikings the ball back. They tried to run out the clock, but Herndon didn’t want to end the half without getting one more big hit in to give the Tigers momentum going into the locker room.
Starting the half from the 44, #10 Zacchaeus Holtzclaw delivered a quick screen to Sonnichsen who ran it 56 yards for the touchdown. Unfortunately, it was called back by a personal foul, and the Tigers ended up going 3 and out.
After a first down by East Hall, the Dawson defense came back to life with an 80-yard pick 6 by Herndon, his second takeaway of the game.
The Vikings decided to put in a new quarterback, who fumbled the first snap, but made up for it quickly by delivering a 61-yard strike for a touchdown. East Hall went for 2 and converted on a fade to the back left corner of the endzone that was tipped by the defense but caught by the receiver as he hit the ground.
Although it seemed East Hall gained momentum, the Tigers turned the tables back in their favor, as #6 Jaden Gibson returned the squib quick for a touchdown to make their lead to 45-20 halfway through the third.
On the ensuing possession, the Vikings drove the ball down the field with multiple first downs, only to have the drive ended by a fumble that was recovered by #30 D.J. Mitchell.
However, Dawson went 3 and out quickly, as they seemed to slow the tempo down a little bit.
#15 Isaiah Grindle gets ready to receive the kickoff
East Hall on the other hand kept up the pace. After multiple first downs, they ran in the score from 2 yards out. They weren’t able to convert on the 2-point attempt this time, as the score remained 45-26.
Dawson kept the ball on the ground, and this time it paid off. After multiple first down runs by Gibson and Grindle, Grindle took it to the house from 11 yards out to make the score 52-26 in favor of the Tigers.
The Vikings responded quickly on a 68-yard touchdown pass and a 2-point conversion to cut the lead to 52-34 with less than 7 minutes to go.
The Tigers run game stayed strong, as they were able to run out the clock from this point on with some well-timed first downs to give them the victory.
Dawson County will play host to GAC next Friday as they look to move to 6-1 on the season.
Dawson County Tigers Defeat Westminster 27-3, Advance to Second Round
Dawson County High School, Team FYN Sports November 16, 2019
With rainy weather throughout the day, it wasn’t ideal conditions for a first round game of the state playoffs. The Tigers, however, were not fazed.
Despite the poor weather, Dawson County was focused on the task at hand, and it showed in their play.
The Tigers received the ball to open the game, but had to punt quickly after a holding call on first down.
Dawson County Offense heads to the line.
Westminster had good field position to start their drive. However, #12 Riley Herndon intercepted the ball on third down and returned it to the opposite side of the field.
After a couple of first downs, the Tigers scored the first points of the game on a 32-yard field goal by #99 Caleb Bonesteel.
The Wildcats next drive was a long one. They got multiple first downs on both passes and rushes. They eventually settled for a 45-yard field goal to tie the game at 3 nearing the end of the first.
The teams traded 3 and outs on their next drives. On their next drive, the Tigers got multiple first downs to advance the ball. This included a pass to #8 Hunter Barron and a run by #10 Zach Holtzclaw. Unfortunately, Holtzclaw threw an interception that was returned past midfield.
After the Wildcats converted on 4th down, #20 Tripp Caine came up big for the Tigers with an interception to give his team the ball back.
Dawson County moved the ball down the field, but the Wildcat defense forced a 4th down. On the punt attempt, Riley Herndon faked it and threw the ball to #6 Jaden Gibson for a first down. However, it was called back on a flag for an ineligible receiver down field.
Westminster started from the 25, but fumbled the ball on a pitch on the first play. #2 Max Moon recovered it for the Tigers and took it down to the goal line. #15 Isaiah Grindle punched in the touchdown from 2 yards out, allowing the Tigers to take a 10-3 lead into the half.
The Wildcats opened the half with a 3 and out. On the punt, the punter bobbled the snap, resulting in a bad punt that gave the Tigers great field position.
Dawson County had to settle for a 39 yard field goal after a quick 3 and out.
#21 Shawn Thomas shoves a Westminster defender to the ground.
Westminster drove the ball down the field on multiple first downs, but had to settle for a 51 yard field goal. The Wildcats faked the attempt, but they were quickly stopped, giving Dawson County the ball back.
The teams traded 3 and outs again nearing the end of the 3rd quarter. The Tigers’ drive started with a long run by Grindle to end the third. #21 Shawn Thomas opened the final quarter with a first down run. He followed it up with a 24 yard touchdown run to give his team a 20-3 lead early in the 4th.
After another Westminster 3 and out, Shawn Thomas lead the Dawson County drive with multiple first down runs. He also ran in a 5 yard touchdown to expand the Tiger lead to 27-3 with less than 5 minutes in the game.
On the ensuing possession, Caine got his second interception of the game. This sealed the Tigers’ spot in the second round of the playoffs.
TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week- #15 Isaiah Grindle
Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports September 28, 2019
Isaiah Grindle was all over the field for the Tigers, racking up yards in bunches. Grindle had 2 touchdown rushes from 11 and 34-yards out to go along with a 23-yard touchdown reception. Add in his other first down rushes and his long punt return, Grindle had well over 100 all-purpose yards to help lead his Dawson county Tigers’ to victory.
Dawson County Picks Up 52-10 Win Over Cherokee Bluff
Dawson County High School, Team FYN Sports November 2, 2019
Coming off a huge win last week over Fannin County, the Dawson County Tigers were looking to maintain their momentum heading to the playoffs.
Playing on the road, they did just that.
Cherokee Bluff received the ball to start the game. The Dawson County defense forced a punt that was caught by #1 Dakohta Sonnichsen for a fair catch. The very next play, Sonnichsen caught a 62-yard touchdown pass from #10 Zach Holtzclaw.
The bears were able to move the ball down the field due to multiple penalties by the Tigers. However, they only managed to get a field goal to make the game 7-3 with 5 minutes remaining in the first.
#21 Shawn Thomas returned the kickoff to the 46 yard line to give Dawson County great field position. They capitalized by throwing a 30 yard pass to Sonnichsen before Holtzclaw kept it himself to run in the touchdown from 12 yards out.
On third down of the following possession, #30 D.J. Mitchell had a huge sack to force a punt that went to midfield. Thomas started the drive off with a first down run. Unfortunately, they had to settle for 3 points on a 46 yard field goal from #99 Caleb Bonesteel.
Cherokee Bluff started their next drive from the 6 yard line after a mishap from the return team. After not being able to move the ball, they had to punt quickly. The bears’ punt was a short one to the 35 yard line that was returned 10 yards by Thomas to the 25.
The next play, Holtzclaw fired a 25 yard touchdown strike to #6 Jaden Gibson to make the score 24-3 early in the second.
Cherokee Bluff threw an interception on third down of the next drive, but it was reversed due to a pass interference call. The Tigers were able to force a punt that allowed them to start their next drive from their own 10.
Thomas started the drive with a first down run and followed that with a 79 yard touchdown run.
The teams traded 3 and outs on their next 2 drives to end the first half.
Thomas started off the second half by returning the kickoff to the 30 yard line. He followed that up with a 37 yard run and a 13 yard reception. Sonnichsen ended the drive with a 29 yard touchdown reception to give them a 38-3 lead.
The bears were able to get some momentum with a long return. They were also able to convert on a 4th down, but failed to convert on another 4th down.
Thomas stayed hot with a 30 yard run and another first down run to start the drive. Sonnichsen also had a first down reception before Holtzclaw ran in another score after bobbling the snap.
After another three and out by the bears, #31 Nic Baloga had a first down run, a 61 yard run, and finally punched it in for the touchdown.
Cherokee Bluff got their only touchdown of the game on the back of multiple long runs at the end of the game.
Dawson County ran out the clock to take the 52-9 victory.
The Tigers play next week at North Hall in their final game of the regular season.
Dawson County Defeats Fannin County 51-7, Clinches Playoff Spot
Dawson County High School, Team FYN Sports October 26, 2019
In a battle of 5-2 teams, the matchup between Dawson County and Fannin County was set up to be a good one. On paper, these were two evenly matched teams.
However, with a playoff birth on the line, Dawson County rose to the occasion.
2 Dawson County receivers line up before the play.
Fannin received the ball to start the game, but couldn’t get much going, resulting in a quick 3 and out.
Despite a major injury against GAC 2 weeks ago, #10 Zach Holtzclaw was able to make start tonight, and he looked sharp.
Holtzclaw lead his offense down the field throwing multiple first down passes, including a long pass to Player of the Week #6 Jaden Gibson on third and long. On 4th and goal from the 2 yard line, Hotlzclaw kept the ball and ran in a touchdown to give the Tigers the early lead.
The next possession was the only lapse for the Tigers defense. On second down, the Rebels running back bounced off of the offensive line to the outside, running the ball 78 yards down to the 1 yard line. The next play, another Fannin running back pounded it in to tie the game about a minute later.
The Tigers weren’t fazed by the long score, responding with their own long touchdown. Holtzclaw fired a 50 yard touchdown to Gibson to regain the lead a minute later.
The refs talked to Dawson County and Fannin County.
Dawson County’s defense got back on track the next possession, forcing a 3 and out by the Rebels.
After the punt was returned to midfield, Holtzclaw launched a 40 yard pass to #1 Dakohta Sonnichsen. This set up a 7 yard touchdown run by #21 Shawn Thomas, making the score 21-7 late in the first quarter.
Fannin County’s offense was able to get the ball moving down the field, including a 4th down conversion. However, after a big sack on 3rd down, Dawson County got a stop on 4th down to get the ball back in their own territory.
Holtzclaw kept his offense firing on all cylinders, delivering a long pass to #8 Hunter Barron followed by a 46 yard touchdown pass to Gibson, his second of the night.
The Tigers’ defense stifled the Rebels again, forcing another 3 and out.
#15 Isaiah Grindle runs the ball for Dawson County.
On the following drive, Holtzclaw threw a quick screen to Shawn Thomas for a first down. The next play, #15 Isaiah Grindle ran 51 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 35-7 late in the second quarter.
Fannin moved the ball down the field well on the next possession, getting into Dawson territory. However, they weren’t able to capitalize, as they failed to convert on 4th down again, ending the half.
Dawson County started the second half on a good note, with a return to midfield by Gibson. Holtzclaw kept the momentum going by throwing for 2 first downs before delivering a 21 yard touchdown pass to Barron.
After a first down by Fannin, the Tigers killed the momentum of the Rebels with a big sack on third down, forcing a punt to give the ball back to Dawson.
#12 Riley Herndon started the drive with a 57 yard reception on a pass from Holtzclaw. Dakohta Sonnichsen followed that up with a 10 yard touchdown reception, to give Dawson a 48-7 lead with 6 minutes left in the third, after #99 Caleb Bonesteel had a rare miss on an extra point.
After another 3 and out by Fannin, the Tigers drove the ball down the field to set up a 33 yard field goal by Bonesteel to extend the lead to 51-7.
With a running clock, the game finished out quickly after possessions by both teams.
Dawson County travels to play at Cherokee Bluff next Friday, looking to make their record 7-2.
Dawson County Runs Past Lumpkin County 45-0
Team FYN Sports September 28, 2019
Coming off a tough home loss to Denmark, Dawson County knew they had to make a statement at Lumpkin.
And they did just that.
The Tigers opened the game with a kick return by #21 Shawn Thomas to the Indians 21-yard line to start them out strong. Dawson’s offense couldn’t get much going, and had to settle for a 36-yard field goal by #99 Caleb Bonesteel to give them the early 3-0 lead.
From this moment on, it was all Tigers.
3 Tigers get ready to play defense against Lumpkin County
Following a 3 and out by Lumpkin, the Indians skied a punt that only travelled about 10 yards forward to around the 30. The ball landed right on the sideline, but not out of bounds. One Indian and one Tiger met at the ball, but neither of them touched it. #12 Riley Herndon swooped in, grabbed the ball, spun out, and returned it for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 10-0 lead less than 3 minutes into the game.
On the next possession, #20 Tripp Caine intercepted a pass on third down to get the ball back for the Tigers. After a first down, #10 Zacchaeus Holtzclaw fired a 9-yard touchdown to #8 Hunter Barron to extend their lead by a touchdown less than 2 minutes later.
With the game starting to get out of reach, Lumpkin knew they had to make a move. Getting down to 4th and 1 on their own 30, the Indians decided to go for it. Dawson stopped them in their tracks and forced a loss, simultaneously killing any momentum Lumpkin had.
It took 3 rushes on the following possession for #15 Isaiah Grindle to take it to the house on an 11-yard score to make it a 24-0 game less than 7 minutes into the game.
#15 Isaiah Grindle rushes against Lumpkin County
Following a 3 and out by the Indians, Grindle ran in another touchdown, this time from 34 yards out to extend their lead to 31-0 less than a minute into the second quarter.
Lumpkin again couldn’t get anything going with another 3 and out the next possession. Dawson kept their momentum going with a 40 yard reception by #1 Dakohta Sonnichsen to set up a 23-yard touchdown reception for Grindle, giving him 3 on the game and the Tigers a 38-0 lead heading into the half.
The second half went by fast, as it was a running clock due to the sizeable lead.
Lumpkin started out the second half with another 3 and out. Dawson scored their final touchdown of the game on freshman #17 Keegan Stover’s first career pass attempt. On 4th down, Stover hit #39 Tucker Caine on a 36-yard touchdown to give them a 45-0 lead with 5 minutes left in the third.
2 Tigers look to their coach for the play call
Following the teams trading multiple 3 and outs, the Tigers were able to kneel the ball and run out the clock.
The Tigers play host to East Hall next Friday as they look to move to 5-1 on the season.
Tigers Fall After Losing Lead Early To Trojans
DCHS Baseball, Sports March 13, 2019
The Dawson Tigers took a trip across county lines on Friday for a head to head meeting with region opponent in the Trojans from North Hall.
The visiting Tigers started the afternoon scoring with a first-inning home run by Sapp followed by the 2, 3, and 4 batters going in order to end the top half of the inning. In the bottom half, it didn’t take long for the Trojans not only to answer the Dawson run but also to stretch out to a 3 run lead. Dawson added 1 run in the second and another in the third for their final run in the game. The Trojans wouldn’t need any more runs to seal a victory. With 2 insurance runs in the bottom half of the second, they held a 3 run margin of victory in the end. Cramer got the start for Dawson and was credited with the loss going 0.2 innings. In his outing, Cramer threw 38 pitches( 13 being in the strike zone) allowing 4 walks, 0 hits, 1 strikeout and 4 runs(1 earned). Goodwin came in early as relief going 5.1 innings with 2 runs allowed on 3 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts on 71 pitches(46 being strikes). The Tigers defense committed four errors accounting for 5 of the 6 Trojan runs. Leading the Tigers at the plate, J. Verhoven went 2 for 2 with 1 RBI followed by Allen who was 2 for 4 with 1 run scored.
Dawson County Loses Nail-Biter to North Hall 40-37
Dawson County High School, Team FYN Sports November 9, 2019
If you didn’t know going into the game that there was extra motivation for the teams, you could certainly feel it when you walked in.
On North Hall’s senior night, they played host to Dawson County. The winner would claim the 2-seed for the region in the state tournament and get to host their first playoff game.
To open the game, #21 Shawn Thomas returned the ball for the Tigers to midfield. After multiple first down runs, #10 Zach Holtzclaw fired a 28 yard touchdown to #12 Riley Herndon, giving Dawson the early 7-0 lead.
The Trojans responded by marching the ball down the field quickly. They scored on a 42 yard touchdown run to tie the game less than 4 minutes in.
#12 Riley Herndon playing defense for the Tigers.
Holtzclaw kept their offense moving by hitting #1 Dakohta Sonnichsen for a 43 yard pass. He followed that by finding Sonnichsen again for a 19 yard touchdown to regain the lead.
North Hall kept the offense moving with a couple first downs, but eventually had to punt and downed the ball at the 2 yard line.
The Tigers got a first down, but couldn’t get much more and had to punt themselves. The defense held strong and forced a 3 and out, but the punt was bobbled after the fair catch. The Trojans recovered the ball with the great field position.
Dawson’s defense held the Trojans in check by forcing another 3 and out, thanks to a big tackle for loss by Herndon. Herndon wasn’t done as he blocked North Hall’s field goal attempt. However, the Trojans were able to down the ball at the 1 yard line, giving the Tigers poor field position yet again.
Unfortunately, Dawson wasn’t able to move the ball this time, resulting in a safety. The defense forced a quick 3 and out, preventing North Hall from capitalizing on the turnover.
On the ensuing possession, Holtzclaw hit Sonnichsen with a 39 yard pass to cross midfield. The victory was short lived, however, as Holtzclaw’s next pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Halfway through the second quarter, North Hall led 16-14.
The Trojans’ defense kept the momentum going by sacking Holtzclaw for a big loss. The Tigers were able to turn the momentum back in their favor after Thomas caught a screen pass and ran 34 yards for a first down. A few first down passes later, Sonnichsen ran in a 5 yard touchdown to get the lead back.
After a first down, the aggressive Trojans attempted to convert on 4th and short. The Dawson County defense stifled them, forcing a loss and getting the ball back.
#6 Jaden Gibson lining up before the snap.
With three false starts to open the drive, the Tigers couldn’t get the ball moving and punted the ball to the 32. The very next play, North Hall ran the ball 68 yards for the touchdown, making it a 23-21 game with less than a minute left. Dawson County kneeled the clock out and took the small deficit into the half.
North Hall opened the half aggressively with multiple first down runs, eventually scoring on a 41 yard rush less than 4 minutes into the half.
The Tigers responded with multiple first down passes. When they got to a 4th down, they faked the punt, and Herndon hit Sonnichsen for the first down. Hotlzclaw found Sonnichsen for a 23 yard pass that was nearly intercepted on the next play. After a first down run by Thomas, the Trojans defense stepped up in a big way. They prevented a touchdown for 3 straight plays at the goal line. Being forced to kick a 2 yard field goal, the Tigers faked it again. This time, Herndon’s pass was intercepted at the 1 yard line.
Dawson County couldn’t return the favor and force a safety. After a 16 yard pass to get away from the goal line, the Trojans ended the third quarter with another first down run. The first play of the 4th quarter was a 40 yard touchdown pass to make the score 37-21 in favor of North Hall.
The Tigers weren’t going to give up easily. #15 Isaiah Grindle opened the drive with a 30 yard run. Holtzclaw found receivers #8 Hunter Barron and #6 Jaden Gibson on back to back plays for first downs. Grindle eventually ran it in from 4 yards out, and Sonnichsen ran in the 2 point conversion to make it a 1 possession game.
The Trojans were able to waste a lot of time on their next possession. They converted consecutive 3rd downs on a 34 yard pass and a 16 yard run. They also got first downs from a face mask and another solid run. By the time they kicked the 29 yard field goal, there was only 2:07 left in the game. The possession took 8 minutes and 20 seconds and gave North Hall a 2 possession lead.
North Hall attempted to recover the short kickoff, but the Tigers were able to maintain possession after the ball was fumbled around a few times.
The next play, Holtzclaw hit Sonnichsen for a 70 yard touchdown and ran in the 2 point conversion himself to make the score 40-37 with 1:47 left.
Multiple Tigers declaring the fumble is in their possession.
On the biggest play of the game, the Tigers attempted an onside kick. The ball bounced off the hands of the North Hall hands team and landed in a pile of players. Unfortunately, the Trojans were quick to bounce on it and recovered the onside kick.
With the game in their hands, the Trojans needed a first down. That came on a 35 yard run on second down. They eventually ran out the clock and secured the 40-37 win. The Trojans will have home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Dawson Gets Win To Move Forward In Playoffs
Sports, Team FYN Sports November 14, 2018
Last Friday the #2 seeded Tigers of Dawson welcomed in the 3rd seeded Rebels of Haralson County for a first-round game of the GHSA State Playoffs. Both teams came in ready to play and advance with the ultimate goal of reaching Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Coach Maxwell had his team fired up as they took the field in front of their home crowd. After suffering their only loss in the 2018 season to the eventual #1 seed in GAC, the Tigers felt as they can compete with any team at any level 
in Georgia High School. On this night there were never any doubts. Sevaughn Clark led his team to 44 points with an outstanding game both on the ground and through the air. Clark was 11 of 14 passing for 151 yards and had 15 carries for 113 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. Several Tigers carried the ball for Dawson with Ahmad Kamara leading all with 18 touches for 175 yards with 1 touchdown. Senior Noah Brock and Junior Shawn Thomas also stepped into the end zone for Tiger touchdowns in the game. Ryan Glass had 7 catches for 112 yards and a score.
Defensively the Dawson tacklers played very well allowing 273 total yards to the Rebels. Haralson stayed with the game plan of rushing the ball. The Rebels had zero yards through the air on the night. The Rebels managed 3 scores in the game with 1 two-point conversion in an effort to make it a one-score game in the third quarter. Haralson ran into a buzz saw defense from that point forward. The Tigers front and linebackers stepped up to shut down the Rebels offense.
With the 44-22 victory over Haralson, the Tigers advance to the second round and will travel to play the no. 1 seed Canes of Monroe Area. This Friday night has these two teams rated pretty even on paper but everyone knows that’s not where games are won. Congratulations to the Tigers on a great season and best of luck in keeping it going with a big win on Friday night. GO TIGERS!