Dragons sweep double header in come back fashion
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 13, 2024
Jasper, Ga — It was a beautiful but windy day for high school baseball on Friday, April 12th as the Pickens Dragons took on the Lumpkin Indians in a double header. Game two, was originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 10th, but weather forced a postponement. A decision was made that both game two and three would be played at Dunn Field in a double header. The Dragons, grabbed game two, 3-2 in 8 innings, and walked off game three, 5-4 to sweep the series.
Game One:
In the top of the first, Connor Shouse, would lead off by getting hit with a pitch. After a strike out of Trey Payne, the Indians, would catch Shouse in a run down in between 1st and 2nd for the 2nd out. Cade Sutton, would keep the inning alive by being hit with a pitch. Indians starter Aiden Rogers, would get Kam Jenkins to fly out to send it to the bottom of the first.
In the bottom of the first, Dragons starter James Tilley, worked around a bases loaded jam as picked up 2 fly outs and a strike out. Going to the top of the second, Pickens and Lumpkin were tied at 0.
In the top of the second, the Dragons would go down in order with a fly out and a pair of pop ups. In the bottom half of the second, Tilley, worked around a lead off single as Jenkins threw out the runner attempting to steal 2nd, and Tilley punched out the next two batters to send it to the third with the game still tied at 0.
In the top of the third, the Dragons, again would go down quietly with a ground out, a pop up, and a strike out. In the bottom of the frame, Tilley would get the Indians in order with two ground outs and a pop up. Going to the fourth, the game was still deadlocked at 0.
In the top of the fourth, the Dragons, drew three straight walks with 1-out to load the bases. Dawson Holland, would break the tie as he brought in Sutton after reaching on a fielder’s choice. Holland, would then steal 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2-outs. Rogers and the Indians, would get out of the fourth with a strike out. In the bottom of the fourth, The Indians, would look to get something going as Rogers would reach with a 1-out double.
Hayden Gilbert, would then reach on a sacrifice bunt fielder’s choice to put runners at the corners. Mason Hester, would give the Indians the lead with a 2-RBI double. A single by Matthew Mitchell, would again put runners at the corners with 1-out. After a stolen base, Tilley would get the next two batters to get out of the bottom of the fourth. Going to the fifth, Lumpkin led Pickens, 2-1.
In the top of the fifth, A.J. Rice, would reach by drawing a walk with 1-out. Shouse, would follow that with a single to right field to put runners at 1st and 2nd. The Indians, would get out of the inning with back to back pop ups to send it to the bottom of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Tilley, worked around a lead off walk as Jenkins threw out the runner trying to steal 2nd. Tilley would then pick up a strikeout, and a ground out to send it to the sixth, still 2-1.
In the top of the sixth, the Dragons, would go down in order with two ground outs and a strikeout. Cason Cannon, would come on in relief of Tilley in the bottom of the sixth. He would work around a 1-out double as he forced a fly out, a ground out, and a strikeout to send it to the seventh with Lumpkin leading Pickens, 2-1.
In the top of the seventh, Christian Starks reached by drawing a walk on a full count. Rice, would follow that by drawing his own full count walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Shouse, was able to beat out a potential game ending double play to put runners at 1st and 3rd with 2-out. Shouse, then got caught in a rundown on purpose as Starks would sprint home to tie the game at 2 going to the bottom of the frame.
In the bottom of the seventh, Cannon, in his second inning of relief, forced a pop up, and two fly outs to send it to the eighth with the score tied at 2.
In the top of the eighth, Trey Payne, would lead off with a double. Payne, would come in to score after Jenkins reached on an error to give the Dragons a 3-2 lead. The Indians, would get out of the eighth without any other damage done as they forced two fly outs. In the bottom of the eighth, JP Nunn, came on to try and close it out for the Dragons. He started the bottom half of the eighth with a strikeout for the first out.
Rogers, would draw a 1-out walk to put the game tying run on base. Nunn, would then force a line out to left for the 2nd out. Jenkins, would end the game by throwing out his 3rd runner of the night to seal the win in game two, 3-2.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 1-3 with a single and 1 hit by pitch
Trey Payne: 1-4 with 1 double, and 1 run scored
Cade Sutton: 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1 walk, 3 caught stealing
Trace Ledbetter: 1 walk
Dawson Holland: 1 RBI and 1 steal
Christian Starks: 1 walk and 1 run scored
A.J. Rice: 2 walks
James Tilley: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K on 86 pitches
Cason Cannon: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K on 27 pitches
JP Nunn: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K on 18 pitches
Game two:
A.J. Rice, started game three for the Dragons. In the top of the first, he worked around a 2-out single to pick up 2 strikeouts and a ground out to send it to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the inning, Trey Payne looked to get things going with a 1-out single. Payne, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Indians starter Mason Hester, would force two fly outs to send it to the second with the score tied at 0.
In the top of the second, the Indians had the first two batters reach on back to back errors. After a strikeout by Rice for the 1st out, the Indians would load the bases after drawing a walk. The Dragons defense, would come up big for Tilley fielded a grounder at 2nd, tagged the runner heading to 2nd, and then threw to 1st to complete to 4-3 double play to send it to the bottom of the second.
In the bottom of the second, the Dragons would go down in order after a fly out, a strikeout, and a ground out. Going to the third, this game was still tied at 0.
In the top of the third, Rice, got the first two outs of the inning via ground out, and a pop up. Tyler Boggs, would keep the inning alive for the Indians with a 2-out single. Peyton Wood, would follow that up with another single. Courtesy runner Colton Lee would advance to 3rd on the hit. Wood, would then steal 2nd. Lee, would come into score as the ball got passed the infield on the throw attempt to make it 1-0 Indians.
Wood, would then advance to 3rd on a wild pitch. Rice, would be able to settle down and strikeout the next batter to send it to the bottom of the third with Lumpkin leading, 1-0. In the bottom of the third, Rice, reached with a 1-out single. His courtesy runner, Ezra Faber, would steal 2nd to put a runner in scoring position with 2-outs. Trey Payne, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 2-outs.
Hester and the Indians, would get out of the third after forcing a fly out. Going to the fourth, Lumpkin still led Pickens, 1-0.
In the top of the fourth, Hayden Gilbert led off by drawing a walk. After a strikeout, Kam Jenkins would catch Gilbert trying to steal 2nd. Rice, would pick up another strikeout to send it to the bottom of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, the Dragons, would go down in order after two pop ups and a fly out. Heading to the fifth, Lumpkin led Pickens 1-0.
In the top of the fifth, Aidyn Flanagan, led off by drawing a walk. He would then take 2nd on a wild pitch. Harper Davenport, would move Flanagan over to 3rd after a sacrifice bunt. Flanagan, would then come in to score on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. After getting a strikeout for the 2nd out, Tate Hales would come on in relief of Rice to try to get out of the inning.
Boggs, would keep the inning going with a 2-out single. Hales, would pick up a strikeout to leave Boggs stranded. Going to the bottom of the fifth, Lumpkin led Pickens, 2-0. In the bottom of the fifth, Sam Hammontree, led off with a double. Rice, would bring in pitch runner Jennings Allen with an RBI double to cut the lead to 2-1. A grounder to 1st by Shouse would move Rice over to 3rd.
Hester and the Indians, would keep the lead intact as they forced a line out to right for the 3rd out. Going to the sixth, Lumpkin led Pickens, 2-1.
In the top of the sixth, Christian Starks came on in relief of Hales. Gilbert, would reach with a 1-out single. Hester, would follow by drawing a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Matthew Mitchell, would then bring in pitch runner Kendal Lee with an RBI single to make it 3-1 Indians. Hester, would advance to 3rd on the throw. Mitchell, would steal 2nd to put himself in scoring position. Hester, would be tagged out at home trying to score on a wild pitch.
Mitchell, would move over to 3rd on the same play. Flanagan, would then draw a walk to put runners at the corners with 2-outs. Davenport, would drive in Mitchell with an RBI single to make it 4-1 Indians. Flanagan would advance to 3rd and Davenport would advance to 2nd on the throw. Starks, would get out of the inning with a strikeout to send it to the bottom of the sixth with Lumpkin leading Pickens, 4-1.
In the bottom of the sixth, Cade Sutton, would lead off with a single. Trace Ledbetter, would then reach with a single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Dawson Holland, would reach with a single to load the bases. Starks, would bring in Sutton after getting hit with a pitch to make it 4-2 Indians going to the top of the seventh.
Brodie Keener, would come on in relief of Starks in the top of the seventh. Boggs, would lead off with his fourth hit of the day. Colton Lee, would then come in to run for Boggs. Kam Jenkins, would catch Lee trying to steal 2nd for the first out. Keener, would then force a fly out for the 2nd out. Aiden Rogers, would keep the inning going for the Indians with a single. Keener, would force a fly out to center to send it to the bottom of the seventh with Lumpkin leading, 4-2.
Shouse, would lead off the bottom of the seventh by drawing a walk on a full count. Trey Payne, would follow that by drawing another full count walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. After a fly out to right for the first out, Shouse and Payne would pull off the double steal to advance to 2nd and 3rd. Jenkins, would drive in Shouse with an RBI double to make it 4-3.
The Indians, would then intentionally walk Ledbetter to load the bases with 1-out. Trey Payne would come into score to tie the game at 4 as Holland would reach on a fielder’s choice. Hammontree, would be intentionally walked to again load the bases. Starks, would send a deep fly ball to center that would be dropped by the center fielder which would allow courtesy runner JP Nunn to come in to score as the Dragons walk it off, 5-4.
Stats for Game two:
Connor Shouse: 1 walk, 1 steal, and 1 run scored
Trey Payne: 1-2 with 1 single, 2 walks, 2 steals, and 1 run scored
Cade Sutton: 1-4 with 1 single and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-4 with 1 double and 1 RBI
Trace Ledbetter: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 walk
Dawson Holland: 1-4 with 1 single and 1 RBI
Sam Hammontree: 1-3 with 1 double and 1 walk
Christian Starks: 1 hit by pitch and 1 RBI
A.J. Rice: 2-3 with 1 single and 1 double (4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K on 104 pitches)
Tate Hales: .1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K on 9 pitches
Brodie Keener: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K on 14 pitches
Jennings Allen: 1 run scored
JP Nunn: 1 run scored
7-AAA Region Standings:
Pickens: 24-3 (17-1) *Region Champions
Wesleyan: 13-11 (9-6)
Dawson: 14-9 (8-7)
Gilmer: 12-13 (6-9)
Lumpkin: 12-14 (6-9)
White County: 13-14 (5-10)
West Hall: 7-19 (3-12)
With the region schedule now complete, the Dragons will now turn their attention to the remaining three games they have left on their schedule. First up, a road trip to take on the #7 team in 7A, the Carrollton Trojans on Monday, April 15th. This game came about after the Dragons had a game dropped earlier in the week. First pitch is set for 5:55 pm.
6-run second inning helps Dragons defeat Indians
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 10, 2024
Jasper, Ga — Despite the rain, the Pickens Dragons and the Lumpkin Indians began their three game region series on Tuesday, April 9th. Coming into the game, the Dragons, were 21-3 overall, 14-1 in 7-AAA, ranked #2 in AAA, and riding a 12-game win streak. The Indians, came into the game 12-10 overall, and 6-6 in 7-AAA. Prior to the game, the Dragons held a ceremony to honor those who were battling breast cancer. They wore special pink jerseys for the game that read “family”. A big second inning helped the Dragons pick up a 7-2 win over the Indians.
In the top of the first, the Indians looked to strike early as Harper Davenport reached by drawing a full count walk. Davenport would advance to 2nd after stealing the bag. Alejandro Narvaez, would follow by also drawing a walk on a full count to put runners at 1st and 2nd. The Indians, would then pull off a double steal as Davenport stole 3rd, and Narvaez stole 2nd.
Dragons starter Connor Shouse, would settle himself down and get out of the jam by striking out the next three batters to leave the runners stranded. In the bottom half of the first, Shouse, would lead off by drawing his own walk. Trey Payne, would reach on a fielder’s choice as Shouse would be forced out at 2nd. After an 11 pitch at bat between Cade Sutton and Narvaez, Narvaez got Sutton to pop out.
The Indians, would get out of the inning as Payne would be picked off trying to take 2nd. Going to the top of the second, Pickens and Lumpkin were tied at 0.
In the top of the second, Hayden Gilbert would lead off with a single. After Shouse picked up his 4th strikeout of the game, Gilbert, would get into scoring position after stealing 2nd. Shouse, would focus in and strikeout the next two batters to send it to the bottom of the second. Kam Jenkins, led off the bottom of the second by getting hit with a pitch. Trace Ledbetter, would follow with a single.
Dawson Holland, would reach with a single to load the bases with no one out. Tyler Payne, would bring in courtesy runner JP Nunn with an RBI ground out to make it 1-0. Christian Starks, would then smack a double that would score pitch runner Sam Dart to make it 2-0. A.J. Rice, would keep the line moving as he drove in Holland and Starks with a 2-RBI single to make it 4-0 Dragons.
Shouse, would lace a double down the left field line that would score Rice all the way from 1st to make it 5-0. After stealing 3rd, Shouse would come in to score after an RBI single from Trey Payne to make it 6-0 Dragons. Jenkins, would again be hit with a pitch to keep the inning alive. The Indians, would get out of the frame with a fly out. Going to the third, Pickens led Lumpkin, 6-0.
In the top of the third, Shouse got Davenport to fly out to Starks in left for the first out. Narvaez, would then draw his 2nd walk of the game to reach. Narvaez, would advance into scoring position by stealing 2nd. Tyler Boggs, would bring in Narvaez with an RBI single to make it 6-1. Courtesy runner Kendal Lee, would advance to 2nd as Peyton Wood grounded out to 3rd. Jenkins, would throw out Lee trying to steal 3rd to send it to the bottom of the inning.
In the bottom of the third, After Narvaez got the first two outs of the inning via pop out and strikeout, Starks, kept the inning going by getting hit with a pitch. Narvaez, would get out of the third with a ground out. Going to the fourth, Pickens led Lumpkin, 6-1.
Shouse, started off the top of the fourth with a fly out and his 7th strikeout. Mason Hester, kept the inning alive for the Indians with a single. Hester, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Shouse, would pick up his 8th strikeout to send it to the bottom of the fourth with the Dragons leading, 6-1. Shouse, led off the bottom of the fourth with a single. He would then steal 2nd to move into scoring position for Trey Payne.
Narvaez, would catch Shouse in between steps as Shouse would be tagged out after a bit of a rundown. Narvaez, would then pick up two strikeouts to send it to the fifth with Pickens leading Lumpkin, 6-1.
JP Nunn, would come on in relief of Shouse in the top of the fifth. He would pick up the first two outs of the inning via strikeout. Narvaez, would be hit by a pitch on a 2-2 count to keep the inning alive for the Indians. Narvaez, would then swiped 2nd for his 3rd steal of the game. Narvaez, would add a 4th steal for the game as he took 3rd. Nunn, would leave Narvaez stranded at 3rd as he picked up his 3rd strikeout to send it to the bottom of the fifth.
In the bottom of the fifth, Ledbetter would look to get things going as he reached base with a 1-out single. Holland, followed with his 2nd hit of the game to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Tyler Payne, would pick up his 2nd RBI of the game as he drove in Ledbetter with an RBI single to make it 7-1 Dragons. Narvaez, would use his quick pick off move to get pitch runner Coleman Keener at 1st for the second out.
Narvaez, would get out of the fifth having just given up the one run. Going to the sixth, Pickens now led Lumpkin, 7-1.
In the top of the sixth, Nunn, would work his second inning of relief as he forced a pop out, picked up his 4th strikeout, and ended the inning forcing a ground out as Shouse made a great play to snag it on the short hop. In the bottom of the sixth, Dawson Lowit, would hit a deep drive to left field that would one hop the wall for a ground rule double. He would advance to 3rd on a wild pitch.
Grant Hallman, who came on in relief of Narvaez, would pick up his 2nd strikeout of the inning and a fly out as Lowit would be left stranded. Going to the seventh, Pickens led Lumpkin, 7-1.
Brodie Keener, came on in relief of Nunn in the top of the seventh to try and finish the game off. He would get the first batter he faced as he would be thrown out at 1st after a dropped 3rd strike. Dakota Bennett, would draw a full count walk with 1-out to reach. Bennett, would swipe 2nd to get into scoring position with 2-out. Davenport, would drive in Bennett with an RBI double to make it 7-2.
Keener, would end the game by striking out Narvaez as the Dragons came away with the 7-2 win for their 13th straight victory.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 2-2 with 1 walk, 1 double, 1 single, 2 steals, 1 run scored, and 1 RBI (4 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 8 K on 80 pitches)
Trey Payne: 1-3 with 1 single, and 1 RBI
Kam Jenkins: 2 hit by pitch
Trace Ledbetter: 2-3 with 2 singles, and 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 2-3 with 2 singles, and 1 run scored
Tyler Payne: 1-3 with 1 single, and 2 RBI
Christian Starks: 1-2 with 1 double, 1 hit by pitch, 1 run scored, and 1 RBI
A.J. Rice: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 run scored, and 2 RBI
Dawson Lowit: 1-1 with 1 ground rule double
Sam Dart: 1 run scored
JP Nunn: 1 run scored (2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 4 K on 32 pitches
Brodie Keener: 1 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K on 30 pitches
Weather, again is playing a factor with scheduling as the game that was originally set for Thursday, April 11th, has been pushed up to Wednesday, April 10th. The series moves to Dahlonega with a first pitch time of 4:30 pm.
Dragons sweep Tigers for 12th straight win
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 6, 2024
Dawsonville, Ga — One day after clinching their second straight 7-AAA Region Championship, the Pickens Dragons traveled to Dawsonville on Friday, April 5th to take on the Dawson Tigers in game three of their 3-game series. The Dragons, came into the game looking to complete the sweep. The Tigers, came into the game hoping to get at least one game in the series. The Dragons, scored 17 runs in four innings to come away with a 17-4 win in 5 innings.
In the top of the first, Trey Payne would look to get things going with a 1-out single. The Tigers, would get out of the first as Carson Sosebee threw out Payne trying to steal 2nd. In the bottom of the first, Dragons starter A.J. Rice, got the first two outs via strikeout and ground out. Julian Horner, put the Tigers ahead with a solo home run. Elijah Odom, followed that up with a 2-out double.
Davis Glass, would keep the inning going as he drove in Odom with an RBI single to make it 2-0 Tigers. Rice, got out of the first with his 2nd strikeout of the game. Going to the second, Dawson led Pickens, 2-0.
In the top of the second, Kam Jenkins, led off by reaching on an error. Dawson Holland, would then reach on an infield single. Courtesy runner JP Nunn, would advance all the way to 3rd after an error on the play. Holland, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Tyler Payne, would draw a walk to load the bases with 1-out. After Tigers starter Joshua Priest, picked up a strikeout for the 2nd out, Rice would come up to bat.
Rice, would drive in both Nunn and Holland with a 2-run single to tie the game at 2. Rice, would be tagged out at 2nd trying to advance on the play. Going to the bottom of the frame, Pickens and Dawson were tied at 2. In the bottom half of the second, Rice, tossed a scoreless inning with a strikeout and two ground outs. Going to the third, the game was tied at 2.
In the top of the third, Connor Shouse, would lead off with a double. Trey Payne, would move Shouse over to 3rd after a sacrifice bunt. Cade Sutton, would drive in Shouse with an RBI double to make it 3-2 Dragons. Sutton, would advance to 3rd after a ground out by Jenkins. An RBI single by Trace Ledbetter, would bring in Sutton to make it 4-2 Dragons. Holland, would then reach on an infield single.
Both Ledbetter and Holland would advance after a wild pitch. Tyler Payne, would bring in Ledbetter after reaching on an error to make it 5-2 Dragons. Holland, who advanced to 3rd on the play, would come in to score after a wild pitch to make it 6-2 Dragons going to the bottom of the third. In the bottom of the third, Sawyer Bearden, would lead off with a solo home run to make it 6-3.
Horner, would then draw a walk to reach with 1-out. Rice and the Dragons, would get out of the third after turning an inning ending double play. Going to the fourth, Pickens led Dawson, 6-3.
In the top of the fourth, Rice, would lead off with a single for his 2nd hit of the day. Shouse, would add to the lead by hitting a 2-run home run to make it 8-3 Dragons. Trey Payne, would then draw a walk to reach base. Sutton, would follow that with his 2nd double of the game to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Ledbetter, would draw a 1-out walk to load the bases.
The Tigers, would be able to get out of the jam with a strikeout and a fly out to send it to the bottom of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, in what would be his final inning of work, Rice, picked up two more strikeouts and a ground out in a scoreless frame to send it to the fifth with Pickens leading Dawson, 8-3.
In the top of the fifth, Christian Starks, led off with a single. Rice, followed that with his 3rd hit of the day. Shouse, would load the bases after being awarded 1st base due to catchers interference. Trey Payne, would bring in Starks as he drew a walk to make it 9-3. Sutton, would drive in Rice with an RBI single to make it 10-3. Jenkins, would keep the line moving as he brought in Shouse with a single to make it 11-3.
Holland, would bring in Trey Payne and Sutton with a 2-RBI double to make it 13-3. Nunn, who was running for Jenkins, would score on a passed ball to make it 14-3. Starks, would drive in Holland with an RBI single to make it 15-3. After advancing to 2nd on a wild pitch, Starks would come in to score on an RBI single by Rice to make it 16-3. An RBI double from Shouse would bring in Rice to make it 17-3 Dragons going to the bottom of the fifth.
Brodie Keener, came on in relief of Rice in the bottom of the fifth. Dylan Edwards, would lead off the bottom of the frame with a double. Edwards, would then advance to 3rd on a passed ball. Preston Bannister, would then draw a walk to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Edwards, would come in to score as Bearden would reach on a fielder’s choice. Bannister, would be forced out at 2nd for the first out.
Keener, would get Jacson Rickett to line out to right and Horner to ground out to 1st to end the inning as the Dragons picked up the 17-4 win in 5 innings.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 3-4 with 2 doubles, 1 home run, 3 runs scored, and 3 RBI
Trey Payne: 1-2 with 1 single, 2 walks, 1 run scored, and 1 RBI
Cade Sutton: 3-4 with 2 doubles, 1 single, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI
Kam Jenkins: 1-4 with 1 single, and 1 RBI
Trace Ledbetter: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 walk, 1 run scored, and 1 RBI
Dawson Holloand: 3-4 with 1 single, 1 double, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI
Tyler Payne: 1 walk
Christian Starks: 2-4 with 2 singles, 2 runs scored, and 1 RBI
A.J. Rice: 4-4 with 4 singles, 3 runs scored, and 1 RBI (4 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 5 K on 64 pitches)
JP Nunn: 2 runs scored
Cason Cannon: 1 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB on 14 pitches
With the win, the Dragons now have swept their 4th straight region series. They have now won 12 games in a row. Next week, the Dragons will begin their final series in 7-AAA play as they take on the Lumpkin County Indians. Game one of the three game series will be in Jasper on Tuesday, April 9th. First pitch time set for 5:55 pm.
Dragons set to battle Bobcats for 7-AAA Championship
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 16, 2024
Dahlonega, Ga — A trip to the 7-AAA Region Championship was up for grabs as the Pickens Dragons took on the Lumpkin Indians on Thursday, February 15th. The Dragons, defeated Lumpkin in both match ups in the regular season. Defeating a team three times in one season is a tough feat, but the Dragons were able to get by the Indians, 51-35.
The Indians, started off hot offensively to begin the ball game as Cal Faulkner would hit back to back threes to put them up 6-0 early on. The Dragons, would answer with an 8-0 run as both Dodge and Parker Davis, as well as Caleb Lanford helped give Pickens its first lead of the night. Stephen Sherrill, ended the Dragons run with a three to put the Indians ahead, 9-8.
Lanford and McCord Purdy would hit back to back threes to put the Dragons on top, 14-9. A layup by Faulkner would end the first quarter as the Dragons would take a 14-11 lead into the second quarter.
The Dragons, began the second quarter by going on a 9-0 run as Dodge Davis, Lanford, and Purdy all contributed to the run to put Pickens up, 23-11. The Indians, responded with a 7-0 run as Landon Pierce hit a three, and Faulkner and Preston Cox made back to back baskets to cut the lead to 23-18. Parker Davis, would then go on a 4-0 run to stretch the lead back out to 27-18.
Faulkner and Purdy would trade buckets to end the first half as the Dragons would go into the locker room with a 29-20 lead.
The second half scoring started with a 5-0 run by Dodge Davis to make it 34-20 Dragons. A three by T.J. Gaddis would end the run and cut the lead to 34-23. Both teams would then trade baskets to end the third quarter as Hayden Jones would get into the score book with a layup, Faulkner would add to his total, and Nathan Wallace would score on a layup to make it 38-26 Dragons going to the fourth.
Parker Davis and Purdy would split free throws to make it 40-26 to begin the fourth quarter. A bucket by Sherrill would cut the lead back to 12. A three by Lanford and a pair of split free throws by the Davis Brothers would make it 45-28. A three by Faulkner would cut the lead down to 15. After Purdy split a pair of free throws, Cox was able to make the layup and the free throw to cut the lead to 46-33.
A 5-0 run by Purdy and Lanford would extend the lead to 51-33. A late basket by Gaddis, would make it 51-35 as the Pickens Dragons would advance to the 7-AAA Region Championship game.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Dodge Davis: 14 points
Caleb Lanford: 14 points (4 threes)
McCord Purdy: 11 points
Parker Davis: 8 points
Hayden Jones: 2 points
Nathan Wallace: 2 points
The Dragons, will now turn their attention to the 7-AAA Region Championship game on Saturday, February 17th as they take on their 515 rivals, the Gilmer Bobcats. The Bobcats, defeated the Dawson Tigers 74-60 in the other region semifinal game to advance to Saturday. The Dragons and Bobcats split their regular season meetings with each team winning on their home floor. Tip off is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons punch ticket to AAA State Tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 13, 2024
Jasper, Ga — It’s region tournament time as the 7-AAA region tournament started on Monday, February 12th. By virtue of being the #2 seed, Pickens hosted the first round of the tournament. Earlier games saw Dawson defeat Wesleyan, and Lumpkin defeat White County. The Dragons, with the home crowd watching, picked up a 66-36 win over the Spartans to advance to the State Tournament and the semifinals of the region tournament.
The first quarter began with the Dragons going on an 11-0 run. Nathan Wallace, Dodge Davis, Caleb Lanford, and McCord Purdy all contributed to the run. A basket just outside the free throw line by the Spartans ended the run and made it 11-2. The Dragons, would answer with a 5-0 run to make it 16-2. a bucket by the Spartans just as the shot clock was about to go off would make it 16-4 going to the second quarter.
The second quarter began with a three by Lanford. His third of the first half. After a basket by the Spartans to make it 19-6, West Hall followed it up with a three pointer to cut the lead to 19-9. The Spartans would add to their run with a free throw line jumper to make it 19-11. The Dragons, would put an end to the 7-0 run with a three by Purdy to stretch the lead to 22-11.
Jamin Martin, would then hit his first three of the ball game to make it 25-11. The run would continue for the Dragons as Parker Davis got the layup to go to make it 27-11. The 8-0 run would come to an end as the Spartans hit a jumper to make it 27-13. After a cold streak by both teams, Lanford would find Parker Davis underneath for the layup to make it 29-13. Hayden Jones, would somehow split a double team for the layup to make it 31-13.
A long three by the Spartans would make it 31-16. Parker Davis, would collect an offensive rebound and get the put back amidst the contact. He would make the free throw to give the Dragons a 34-16 lead. Just before the end of the first half, a foul on a three point attempt was called. The Spartans, would make two of the three free throws and going into the half, the Dragons led, 34-18.
The third quarter started with Lanford hitting his fourth three pointer of the game to stretch the lead to 37-18. After a defensive rebound by the Dragons, Purdy found Jones with an outlet pass who then found a cutting Dodge Davis, who threw down the two-handed dunk to make it 39-18. The Spartans, would end the 5-0 run with a tough layup to cut the lead to 39-20. The fifth three of the evening by Lanford gave the Dragons a 42-20 lead.
Parker Davis, would then use a nice head fake to drive in for the layup to make it 44-20. Dodge Davis, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 45-20. The Spartans, would get the hook shot to fall and make the free throw to cut the lead to 45-23. Dodge Davis, would get by his man for the layup to make it 47-23. After a turnover by the Spartans, Martin, would hit his second three of the night to make it 50-23.
Marin, would continue his hot shooting as he hit another three to make it 53-23. The Spartans, would end the run with a turnaround jumper to cut the lead to 53-25. A lay in by the Spartans would make it 53-27. Purdy, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 54-27. A steal by Montego Morgan would lead to Martin’s third three of the quarter and his fourth of the game. A running hook shot by the Spartans would make it 57-29.
A nice find from Parker Davis to Hayden Jones for the layup made it 59-29. After a defensive rebound by the Dragons, Martin hit Jones with a great lead pass from the other end of the court for the layup to make it 61-29. The Spartans, used a nice jump stop move for the layup to make it 61-31 going to the fourth.
The shortened fourth quarter would begin with the Spartans making a layup after a nice pass to cut the lead to 61-33. The Spartans, would then collect a defensive rebound and turn it into a three pointer to make it 61-36. The Dragons, would end the 5-0 run by the Spartans as Jones got into the lane for the layup and the foul. Jones, would make the free throw to put the Dragons up, 64-36. Camden Jones, would make the layup after a nice pass to make it 66-36.
That would be the final as the Dragons defeated the West Hall Spartans for the third time this season to advance to the AAA State Basketball Tournament and to the semifinals of the 7-AAA region tournament.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Caleb Lanford: 17 points (5 threes)
Jamin Martin: 12 points (4 threes)
Dodge Davis: 9 points
Parker Davis: 9 points
Hayden Jones: 9 points
McCord Purdy: 6 points
Camden Jones: 2 points
Nathan Wallace: 2 points
The Dragons, will now get ready for Thursday, February 15th as they head to Lumpkin to take on the Indians in one of the semifinal games of the 7-AAA region tournament. Tip off is set for 5:30 pm.
Last second free throws sink Dragons seven game win streak
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 27, 2024
Dawsonville, Ga — On Friday, January 26th, the Pickens Dragons began a four game road trip inside region play as they headed to Dawson County to take on the Dawson Tigers. Coming into the game, the Dragons were 15-5, 6-1 in 7-AAA play, and riding a 7 game winning streak. The Tigers, came into the game 11-9, 4-4 in 7-AAA play, and looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Gilmer on Tuesday. On Friday, late game free throws from Trey Harvey and Caden Reed, helped propel the Tigers to a 50-48 win.
The first quarter began with McCord Purdy hitting a corner three to make it 3-0 Dragons. Parker Davis, followed with a lay up to make it 5-0. The Tigers got on the board after Reed drove the baseline and laid it in for the score. After another Parker Davis layup, Joshua Priest hit a three to make it 7-5. Harvey, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 7-6 Dragons.
Back to back buckets by the Davis brothers and a pair of free throws by Purdy, gave the Dragons a 13-6 lead. A basket by Ethan Parker, would put an end to the 6-0 run and make it 13-8. Hayden Jones, would then hit a three to make it 16-8. A bucket by Samuel Glover would cut the Dragons lead down to 16-10 going to the second quarter.
Harvey, got things going in the second quarter with a basket to cut the lead to 4. Back to back buckets from Purdy and Dodge Davis, stretched the lead out to 20-12. After a timeout by Dawson, the Tigers would go on a 5-0 run as Parker made a basket and Reed hit a three pointer to make it 20-17. A three pointer by Caleb Lanford would make it a 6 point game. Back to back three pointers from Reed and Parker would tie the game at 23.
The Tigers, would close the first half on an 8-0 run as Harvey and Priest would help Dawson take a 31-26 lead into the break over Pickens.
The third quarter started with Dodge Davis making a layup, and Lanford hitting a pair of free throws to cut the lead down to 1. Both Harvey and Jones would then split free throws as the Tigers led, 32-31. After a three pointer by Reed, Lanford would get three the hard way as he made the lay up and the free throw to cut it back to 1. A three pointer by Priest would again make it a 4 point game. A layup by Parker Davis would then cut that in half.
After a pair of free throws from Harvey, the Dragons would close out the third quarter on a 7-0 run as Purdy, the Davis brothers, and Jones all contributed to the run. Going to the fourth quarter, the Dragons led the Tigers, 43-40.
The fourth quarter began with Harvey making two free throws to cut the lead to 1. A layup by Dodge Davis, would bring it back to a 3 point lead. Reed, would get the basket and the foul as he tied things up at 45 after the free throw. Purdy, would give the lead back to the Dragons with a three to put them up 48-45. Harvey, after getting fouled, would step to the line and hit both free throws to make it a 1 point game.
After a missed three point attempt by the Dragons, the Tigers put the ball in Harvey’s hands as he drove the lane with the seconds ticking down. Harvey would go up for a shot attempt, and would be fouled. Harvey, would make both free throws to put the Tigers up, 49-48. Purdy, looking to push the ball up the floor, passed it ahead to Jones. The ball was tipped out of bounds, which stopped the clock.
After it was called Dragon ball, the two closest officials to the play discussed it further and changed the call to Tiger ball. The Dragons, were then forced to intentionally foul as Reed would go to the line for two shots. Reed, would split the free throws to make it 50-48. A last second attempt from half court by Purdy wouldn’t fall and the Tigers would come away with the 50-48 win.
Scorers for the Dragons:
McCord Purdy: 15 points
Parker Davis: 10 points
Dodge Davis: 10 points
Caleb Lanford: 8 points
Hayden Jones: 5 points
Scorers for the Tigers:
Trey Harvey: 17 points
Caden Reed: 15 points
Joshua Priest: 9 points
Ethan Parker: 7 points
Samuel Glover: 2 points
7-AAA Standings:
Gilmer: 14-6 (8-1)
Pickens: 15 -6 (6-2)
Dawson: 12-9 (5-4)
Lumpkin: 10-11: (4-5)
Wesleyan: 8-13 (3-5)
White County: 6-15 (2-6)
West Hall: 5-15 (2-7)
The Dragons, will be back in action on Tuesday, January 30th as they take on the Lumpkin Indians in what will be an interesting match up in 7-AAA. Both teams are coming off having 7 game win streaks snapped. The Dragons, defeated the Indians in Jasper on December 15th, but the Indians have been playing much better since that game. Tip off is set for 7:30.
Dragons defeat Indians; tied for third in 7-AAA
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 16, 2023
Jasper, Ga — In what was the final home game of the 2023 portion of the schedule, the Pickens Dragons took on the Lumpkin Indians on Friday, December 15th. The Dragons, came in winners of two straight, and were looking to jump to a tie for 3rd place in the region standings. The Indians, came in looking to put an end to a two game losing streak, and avoid an 0-4 start in region play. A big third quarter by the Dragons propelled them to an 81-50 win.
The Dragons, got off to a fast start in the first quarter as a 5-0 run by Dodge Davis gave Pickens an early 5-0 lead. Back to back three pointers from Landon Pierce, gave the Indians a 6-5 advantage. Preston Cox, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 7-5 Lumpkin. The Dragons, retook the lead after two free throws from Dodge Davis and a three pointer by Caleb Lanford. Dodge Davis, would give the Dragons a 12-9 lead heading to the second quarter after hitting two free throws.
The Dragons, would begin the second quarter with a 6-0 run as Hayden Jones and McCord Purdy both made baskets, and Dodge Davis hit two more free throws to make it 18-9. After Cal Faulkner and Purdy traded buckets, Faulkner and Cox combined for a 5-0 run to cut the Dragons lead to 20-16. The Dragons, would increase their lead to as much as 11 in the second quarter. They would take a 32-23 lead into the break.
Purdy, got the second half going with a three to make it 35-23. After a basket by T.J. Gaddis, Parker Davis hit a three to make it 38-25. Lanford, followed up with a pair of free throws to make it a 15 point game. The Dragons, would outscore the Indians 22-14 the rest of the way in the third. The third quarter was capped off by Jones hitting a half court buzzer beater to give Pickens a 62-39 lead going to the fourth.
The fourth quarter began with Faulkner making a bucket to hopefully jump start the Indians. Purdy and Parker Davis responded with back to back three pointers to make it 68-41. The Dragons, would out score the Indians 13-9 in the rest of the fourth as they picked up a big 81-50 win.
7-AAA Region Standings:
Gilmer: 7-2 (4-0)
Wesleyan: 6-5 (2-0)
Pickens: 6-4 (2-1)
West Hall: 3-6 (2-1)
Dawson: 5-4 (1-2)
White County: 3-8 (0-3)
Lumpkin: 2-9 (0-4)
The Dragons, will be on the road next week as they travel to Blue Ridge for three days of holiday tournament action starting on Tuesday, December 19th as they take on the Fannin Rebels. Tip scheduled for 8:30 pm.
Dragons move to 1-1 in 7-AAA after win over Tigers
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 13, 2023
Jasper, Ga — It was a big time atmosphere inside the Dragons Den on Tuesday, December 12th as the Pickens Dragons took on the Dawson Tigers in an important game early on in the 7-AAA schedule. The Dragons, came into the game 4-4 and 0-1 in region play. The Tigers, came into the game, 5-3 and 1-1 in region play. The Dragons, outscored the Tigers 37-21 in the second half to pick up a much needed win, 74-59.
Caleb Lanford got the scoring started for the Dragons in the first quarter as he hit a three to put them up 3-0 early on. Trey Harvey, would go on a 5-0 run as he tied the game with a three, then gave the Tigers their first lead of the night with a pair of free throws. After Parker Davis tied the game with a bucket, Harvey made two more free throws, then Caden Reed and Ethan Parker both made baskets to give the Tigers an 11-5 lead.
Parker Davis, ended the 6-0 run with a layup to make it 11-7. A 4-0 run by Dre Walton and Harvey, pushed the Tigers lead to 15-7. After a layup by Dodge Davis, Amari Horner connected on a layup of his own to make it 17-9. Dodge Davis, cut the lead to 6 with a pair of free throws. Both teams would trade buckets to end the first quarter as the Tigers took a 19-13 lead into the second.
Reed, extended the Tigers lead to begin the second quarter with a basket to make it 21-13. The Dragons cut it to 4 after Dodge Davis split a pair of free throws and Lanford hit a three to make it 21-17. Parker, would make a layup to bring the lead back to 6, then both teams traded free throws as the Tigers led it 25-19. The Dragons, then went on an 8-0 run as McCord Purdy made a basket, and Lanford and Hayden Jones hit a pair of three pointers to give the Dragons a 28-27 lead.
Both teams would then go back and forth as the first half came to an end. Parker, made a long two pointer just before the end of the first half to put the Tigers on top, 38-37 at the break.
The Dragons, started the second half on a 5-0 run as Dodge Davis split a pair of free throws, and he and Purdy made back to back shots to give Pickens a 42-37 lead. After both teams traded buckets for a bit, Purdy and Lanford combined for a 5-0 run to give the Dragons a 52-45 lead. Harvey and Parker combined for a 4-0 run to close out the third quarter a Pickens led Dawson, 52-49 going to the fourth.
The Dragons, went on a 7-0 run to begin the fourth quarter as Parker Davis made a layup, and Purdy connected on a pair of free throws and a three pointer to make it 59-49. After a basket by Reed to end the run, Lanford and Parker Davis combined for a 5-0 run to make it 64-51. Later on in the quarter, the Tigers were able to cut the lead down to 9, but the Dragons were able to hold on and pick up a big region win, 74-59.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Caleb Lanford: 19 points
McCord Purdy: 18 points
Parker Davis: 14 points
Hayden Jones: 13 points
Dodge Davis: 8 points
Nathan Wallace: 2 points
Scorers for the Tigers:
Trey Harvey: 27 points
Ethan Parker: 17 points
Caden Reed: 7 points
Nick Bellinger: 2 points
Amari Horner: 2 points
Dre Walton: 2 points
7-AAA Region Standings:
Gilmer: 6-2 (3-0)
Wesleyan: 6-5 (2-0)
West Hall: 3-5 (2-1)
Pickens: 5-4 (1-1)
Dawson: 5-4 (1-2)
White County: 3-7 (0-2)
Lumpkin: 2-8 (0-3)
The Dragons, will be back on their home floor on Friday, December 15th as they host the Lumpkin Indians in another 7-AAA contest. Tip scheduled for 7:30 pm.
Dragons offense stifled against Lumpkin
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 12, 2023
Dahlonega, Ga — On a gorgeous day for high school baseball on Tuesday, April 11th as the Pickens Dragons made the little over an hour trip up to Dahlonega to begin their final 3-game series in 7-AAA play. Coming into the game, the Dragons had won 15 straight and were in 1st place in 7-AAA. The Indians, came into the game winning 2 out of 3 against several Florida teams last week and were tied for 2nd with Wesleyan in 7-AAA. Harper Davenport, threw a complete game, 4-hit shutout for the Indians as they took game 1, 4-0.
In the top of the first, Trace Ledbetter would reach with a 1-out single. In what would be a theme throughout the game, Davenport would induce an inning ending double play to send it to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the frame, Davenport led off by reaching on a double. After taking 3rd on a wild pitch, Davenport would come in to score on an RBI triple by Alejandro Narvaez to make it 1-0.
Cooper Scott, would follow that up with an RBI single on the next pitch to bring in Narvaez to make it 2-0. Scott, would come around to score after a grounder and a pair of passed balls to make it 3-0 Indians going to the second.
To lead off the top of the second, new Brewton-Parker College commit Harlan Will, would reach on an error. After picking up his first strikeout of the game, Davenport, induced the 2nd inning ending double play to send it to the bottom of the second with the Indians leading, 3-0. In the bottom of the second, Dragons starter Connor Shouse, picked up his 3rd strikeout of the game for the first out.
Mason Hester, then reached on a 1-out single. Tyler Boggs, then followed by drawing a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Freshman catcher Kam Jenkins, threw out Hester after he attempted to take 3rd for the 2nd out. Shouse, picked up his 2nd strikeout and his 4th overall for the final out to send it to the third with Lumpkin still leading, 3-0.
In the top of the third, freshman A.J. Rice, led off with a single to left field. After Davenport got Evan Giddens to fly out to center for the first out, he got a come backer from Colby Brooks that started the third straight inning ending double play to send it to the bottom of the third with the Indians still up, 3-0. In the bottom of the third, Shouse got the first two outs of the inning via strikeout, giving him 6 on the night.
Peyton Wood, kept the inning alive by reaching on an error. After Wood stole 2nd, Adian Rogers would bring him in with the single to make it 4-0. Jenkins, picked up his 2nd caught stealing of the game as he threw out Rogers attempting to steal 3rd for the final out of the third. Going to the fourth, it was 4-0 Lumpkin.
In the top of the fourth, Davenport, picked up his first fully clean inning as he got 2 ground outs and his 2nd strikeout of the game to send it to the bottom of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, Shouse, in what would be his final inning of work, got around hitting a batter with 2-outs as he picked up his 7th and 8th strikeout and a ground out to send it to the fifth, Indians leading, 4-0.
In the top of the fifth, Dawson Holland reached with a 1-out single. but Davenport picked up his 3rd and 4th strikeout of the game to get out of the top of the frame and send it to the bottom half of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Tee Knight came on in relief of Shouse. Knight, worked around a 2-out error and a walk to keep the Indians scoreless and send it to the sixth, Lumpkin up, 4-0.
In the top of the sixth, Giddens led off by reaching on an error. The Indians, then turned their 4th double play of the game as Rogers caught a shallow pop fly by Brooks and was able to get Giddens at 1st for the second out. Shouse, now playing shortstop, kept the top of the sixth alive with a single. Davenport, got Ledbetter to line out to left for the 3rd out of the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, Cason Cannon came on in relief of Knight.
After giving up a lead off single to Hayden Gilbert, Cannon picked up a strikeout, a ground out to Giddens, and Jekins picked up his 3rd caught stealing as he threw out Gilbert trying to take 3rd. Going to the seventh, the Indians still led the Dragons, 4-0.
In the top of the seventh, Trey Payne, led off by drawing a walk. Davenport, looking for the complete game, induced what would be the 5th double play of the game for the first 2 outs of the seventh. Davenport, then picked up his 5th strikeout of the game to finish off the complete game shutout as the Indians took game 1, 4-0.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 1-3 with a single & 4 IP, 5 hits, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 8 K on 78 pitches
Trace Ledbetter: 1-3 with a single
Trey Payne: 1 walk
Dawson Holland: 1-3 with a single
Kam Jenkins: 3 runners thrown out
A.J. Rice: 1-2 with a single
Tee Knight: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K on 14 pitches
Cason Cannon: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K on 11 pitches
The series will now shift to Jasper on Thursday, April 13th as the Dragons will host the Indians for game 2 of the 3-game set. The Dragons, still find themselves in 1st place in 7-AAA as they are 22-4 and 14-2 in region play. Lumpkin, is now 19-5 and 10-3 in region play. First pitch on Thursday is set for 5:55 pm.
Rice throws complete game shutout as Dragons sweep Tigers
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 6, 2023
Jasper, Ga — On another beautiful day for baseball, the Pickens Dragons welcomed the Dawson Tigers to Dunn Field for the third and final game of their 7-AAA series on Thursday, April 6th. The Dragons, came into the game looking to sweep the series, while the Tigers came into the game looking to at least steal a game. The Dragons, got a masterful performance from Freshman A.J. Rice as he threw a 4-hit complete game shutout as Pickens picked up a 3-0 win.
In the top of the first, Rice started off the game with a strikeout. After a 1-out single by Sawyer Bearden, he would advance to 2nd after a ground out by Julian Horner. The Tigers, would leave Bearden stranded at 2nd after Rice picked up his 2nd K of the inning to send it to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the frame, the Dragons got a 1-out double by Trace Ledbetter, and a 2-out walk by Tyler Payne.
Tigers starter Banks Hickman, got out of the first with a strikeout to send it to the second with the game still tied.
In the top of the second, Elijah Odom led off with a single. After Rice picked up his 3rd K of the game, Odom would be out at 2nd as Chase Adams reached on the fielder’s choice. Rice, got his 4th K to end the top of the second and keep the game scoreless. In the bottom of the second, James Tilley would reach on a 1-out single. He would then steal 2nd to put himself in scoring position. Colby Brooks, kept the inning going with a 2-out infield hit.
Hickman, was able to get out of the runners at 1st and 3rd jam with a ground out to send it to the third with the game still scoreless.
In the top of the third, Rice needed just 7 pitches to get out of the top half of the inning as he picked up 2 more strikeouts and a ground out. In the bottom of the third, Ledbetter, would reach after being hit by a pitch. Ezra Faber, would then come in to pitch run for Ledbetter. Tyler Payne, drew his 2nd walk of the game to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Davin Abernathy, would come in to pitch run for Payne.
Dawson Holland, drove in Faber with the RBI double to make it 1-0 Dragons. Abernathy, would advanced to 3rd on the double, would come in to score after a wild pitch to make it 2-0 Dragons going to the fourth.
In the top of the fourth, Rice picked up his 7th strikeout to begin the inning. After a 1-out double by Davis Glass, Rice induced a grounder to 3rd and picked up his 8th strikeout leaving Glass stranded at 3rd. In the bottom of the fourth, Young Harris commit Evan Giddens, led off with a single. He would then steal 2nd to advance to scoring position. Ga Tech commit Connor Shouse, would advance Giddens to 3rd on a fly out to right.
Ledbetter, drove in Giddens with the RBI single to make it 3-0 Dragons going to the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, Rice continued his stellar night as he struck out the side giving him 11 punch outs on the night. In the bottom of the fifth, Bearden came on in relief of Hickman. Bearden, picked up 2 ground outs and a strikeout in a 1-2-3 inning to send it to the sixth with the Dragons leading, 3-0.
In the top of the sixth, Rice had his 2nd straight 1-2-3 inning as he picked up his 12th K, and 2 fly outs to send it to the bottom half of the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Brooks reached with his 2nd hit of the night. He advanced to scoring position after stealing 2nd. Bearden, got out of the inning by getting a fly out. Going to the seventh, the Dragons still led the Tigers, 3-0.
After Rice picked up two quick outs to start the top of the seventh, Preston Bannister kept the game alive for the Tigers with a 2-out single. In a fitting way to end the game, Rice fielded a grounder right to him and he would flip it to Ledbetter for the third and final out. The Dragons, pick up the sweep with the 3-0 win.
Stats for the Dragons:
Trace Ledbetter: 2-2 with a double, a single, a hit by pitch, and 1 RBI
Tyler Payne: 2 walks
Dawson Holland: 1-3 with a double and 1 RBI
James Tilley: 1-3 with a single and 1 stolen base
Evan Giddens: 1-3 with a single, 1 stolen base, and 1 run scored
Colby Brooks: 2-3 with 2 singles and 1 stolen base
Ezra Faber: 1 run scored
Davin Abernathy: 1 run scored
7-AAA Region Standings:
Pickens: 22-3 (14-1)
Lumpkin: 18-5 (9-3)
Wesleyan: 12-7 (9-3)
Dawson: 12-11 (8-7)
White Co.: 8-14 (3-9)
West Hall: 6-16 (2-10)
Gilmer: 6-16 (0-12)
With the win, the Dragons have run their win streak up to 15 games in a row. Next week, the Dragons will play their final region series of the season as they take on the Lumpkin County Indians. Game 1 of the series, is set for Tuesday, April 11th. Game will be at Lumpkin. First pitch set for 5:55 pm.
Dragons 4th quarter comeback attempt falls just short against Dawson
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 27, 2023
Jasper, Ga — Much like the Dragonettes, the Pickens Dragons followed up a tough week with a very solid week defeating West Hall at home and outlasting Gilmer on the road in Ellijay. The Dragons, were back home on Thursday, January 26th hosting the Dawson Tigers in what was a huge 7-AAA region match up. The Tigers, took game one of the season series and looked to complete the sweep. Pickens, looked to split the series and retake 3rd place in the standings. The Dragons, made things interesting in the fourth, but fell to Dawson, 59-54.
The Tigers, got things going to begin the game with a three pointer by Trey Harvey. Isaiah Williams, tied things up with a three of his own to make it 3 a piece. Both teams then took turns scoring as Ethan Parker made a bucket for Dawson, followed by Camden Dunn for Pickens, then Harvey again to make it 7-5 Tigers. The Dragons then went on a mini 4-0 run as Williams and Kadyn Hampton each made layups to make it 9-7 Pickens.
The Tigers, then went on a 6-0 run as Caden Reed and Harvey both made baskets, and Tyler Mazzaferro hit a pair of free throws to make it 13-9 Dawson. Hampton ended the run with a tough bucket to make it 13-11. After a three pointer by Joshua Priest to make it 16-11, McCord Purdy made his first shot of the game answering back with a three to make it 16-14. Reed, made a layup to stretch it out to 18-14 Tigers going to the second.
Dragons on offense looking to take the lead
Reed, ended the first quarter scoring and began the second quarter scoring as he hit a three pointer to make it 21-14. Seth Cronic, got the scoring in the second quarter started for the Dragons with a layup to make it 21-16. That started what ended up being an 8-0 run for Pickens as Dunn and Jaden Stewart hit back to back three pointers to give the Dragons a 22-21 lead. After Harvey split a pair of free throws to tie it up at 22, he fouled Hampton on the way up for a layup. Hampton made the basket and converted the and-1 to make it 25-22 Pickens.
Dawson then went on a 4-0 run as both Mazzaferro and Reed both made buckets to make it 26-25 Tigers. Caleb Lanford, gave the Dragons the lead right back with a jumper to make it 27-26. Harvey and Reed combined to go on a 4-0 run to close the first half and give the Tigers a 30-27 lead going to the break.
Dragons defending a shot attempt
Much like the first two quarters, Dawson began the second half with a three pointer by Priest to make it 33-27. After a layup by Williams, Harvey hit a three to make it 36-29 Tigers. Dunn cut it to four with a three pointer as the Dragons looked to stay in it. The Tigers, then went on a 5-0 run as Reed made a basket, and Priest made another three to make it 41-32. A mad scramble for the ball led to Parker Davis coming up with it and making the layup to cut it to 41-34. Reed answered with a three pointer to make it 44-34 Dawson.
Lanford, got one to go as he made it 44-36. Priest, hit his third three pointer of the quarter as he stretched the Tiger lead out to 47-36. Hampton, closed the third quarter scoring with a bucket to make it 47-38 Dawson going to the fourth.
Dragons on offense in the second half
To start the fourth quarter, Hampton got fouled on a shot attempt and split the pair of free throws to make it 47-39. Dawson responded with a bucket by Reed and a three pointer by Mazzaferro to make it 52-39. Lanford, got fouled and made both free throws to cut it to 52-41. Stewart then followed with a three pointer. Dunn and Lanford both made tough baskets to cut the Tiger lead down to 52-48. Harvey, ended the 9-0 run with a three pointer to make it 55-48. Dunn, made another layup as he’d cut it to 55-50. Dawson then had trouble making their free throws.
Owen Walls, made one free throw, and that gave the Dragons a chance. Dunn and Hampton made back to back layups to cut the Tiger lead down to 56-54. After Reed split a pair of free throws, the Dragons drew up a play for a potential game tying three. The three point attempt was no good, and Reed would make a pair of free throws to seal the win for Dawson, 59-54.
Leading scorers for the Dragons:
Camden Dunn: 14 points
Kadyn Hampton: 12 points
Caleb Lanford: 8 points
Isaiah Williams: 7 points
Jaden Stewart: 6 points
McCord Purdy: 3 points
Seth Cronic: 2 points
Parker Davis: 2 points
The Dragons, will now look to bounce back as they will go back on the road on Tuesday, January 31st as they take on the Lumpkin Indians. Pickens, defeated the Indians earlier in the season in Jasper and will look to earn the season sweep and stay within the top four in the standings. Tip off set for 7:30.
Dragons defeat Lumpkin to earn second region win
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 17, 2022
Jasper, Ga — After the battle that happened between two excellent girls teams, it was the boys turn to take the court as the Pickens Dragons hosted the Lumpkin Indians on Friday, December 16th. On Tuesday, December 13th, Pickens fell in tough fashion to the Dawson Tigers. The Indians, lost a home region game to Gilmer. Lumpkin, came in looking to snap a three game losing streak and also pick up their first region win. The Dragons, came in looking to stay near the top of the region with a win. Pickens, used a good team effort to pick up the 65-48 win.
To begin the first quarter, the Dragons picked up an early foul that sent Cal Faulkner to the line. Faulkner, made both free throws to give Lumpkin a 2-0 lead. Camden Dunn, tied it up with a layup. Clayton Woodham, split a pair of free throws to give the Indians a 3-2 lead. Pickens, then went on a 5-0 run as James Tilley hit a three and Dunn made a basket to give the Dragons a 7-3 lead. A broken play paid off for Lumpkin as Cooper Scott got a wide open layup to cut the Pickens lead to 7-5. Pickens, then went on a 6-0 run as Tilley hit his second three of the quarter and Caleb Lanford hit his first three to make it 13-5.
Faulkner, picked up his first field goal of the game with a bucket to make it 13-7. McCord Purdy, answered with his first field goal to make it 15-7. Stephen Sherrill, made his first basket of the game to make it 15-9 Pickens after one quarter of play.
Dragons defending the Indians
After many fouls calls on both teams, Faulkner got the first points of the second quarter as he split a pair of free throws to make it 15-10. Isaiah Williams, got his first points of the ball game as he split free throw attempts to bring the Pickens lead to 16-10. After a Faulkner layup, The Dragons went on another 6-0 run as both Williams and Purdy hit a pair of threes. Woodham, stopped the run with a basket to make it 22-14 Dragons. Purdy, then went on a 5-0 run by himself to stretch the Pickens lead to 27-14. A bucket by Jack Carroll made it 27-16. Williams and Faulkner both split a pair of free throws to make it 28-17.
Faulkner followed it up with a basket to make it 28-19. Caleb Keith, got the final points of the first half and the Dragons took a 30-19 lead into the break.
Dragons with the ball
To begin the third quarter, Hunter Cooper and Faulkner split a pair of free throws to cut the Pickens lead to 30-21. Lanford, made it an 11 point game with a bucket and the Dragons now led, 32-21. As both teams kept trading baskets, Pickens maintained its moderate lead. Lumpkin, would cut it down to 7 at one point, but a 5-0 run by Tilley to close the quarter made it 44-32 Dragons.
Faulkner, began the fourth with a bucket to make it a 10 point game. Lanford and Williams, then combined for a 4-0 run to make it 48-34. The lead, would not get any lower than 11 during the fourth quarter as the Dragons kept the Indians at bay. Final score from Jasper, Pickens 65 Lumpkin 48.
Leading scorers for Pickens:
James Tilley: 14 points
Isaiah Williams: 13 points (10 rebounds)
Caleb Lanford: 13 points
McCord Purdy: 13 points
Caleb Keith: 6 points
Camden Dunn: 4 points
Seth Cronic: 2 points
The Dragons, will be back in action on Tuesday as they take part in a similar tournament that they took part in last season. The tournament, features North Murray, Southeast Whitfield, and Murray County. The tournament will take place from December 20th, 22nd, and 23rd. First up for Pickens, North Murray on Tuesday. Tip off is set for 8:30.
Dragons split with Lumpkin in non-region play
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 3, 2021
Pickens County, Ga — The Pickens Dragons (5-2) welcomed the Lumpkin County Indians (4-3) to Dunn Field on Tuesday, March 2nd for the second game of their home and home series. The Dragons, defeated the Indians, 16-7 on February 23rd. Both teams played in Jasper last Saturday as they each defeated Murray County and fell to Wheeler. Pickens, had trouble cashing in on opportunities leavining 9 men on base as Lumpkin came away with a 5-4 win.
In the top of the first, the Indians would get on the board first as they scored 2 runs to take an early 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the first, James Tilley led off with a walk, and Anthony Antinozzi followed with a single. The Dragons, would leave Tilley stranded at 2nd as we headed to the second with Lumpkin leading, 2-0.
After holding the Indians in the top of the frame, the Dragons brought the bats back up in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Trace Ledbetter drew a walk, Harlan Will followed with a single, and Drake Sutton drove in Ledbetter to make it 2-1 Lumpkin going to the third.
In the top of the third, the Indians were able to get that run back as they extended their lead to 3-1. In the bottom of the inning, Connor Shouse hit a 1-out triple to the right center field gap and Seth Densmore drove him in with a grounder to the shortstop to make it 3-2 Lumpkin.
The Indians, were able to take on 2 more runs as we headed to the bottom of the seventh. Shouse, led off with a single for the Dragons. Densmore then followed by reaching first. Hunter White followed with an RBI double bringing in Shouse. A 2nd run scored after a ground out by Ledbetter. The Indians, would hold on as Lumpkin came away with the win, 5-4.
The Dragons, will be back in action on Friday as they head to Ellijay to take on the Gilmer Bobcats. These two teams met in Jasper on February 25th, with the Dragons coming away with a 13-3 win. First pitch set for 5:30 pm.