Under the leadership of new Head Coach Craig Bennett, the Pickens Dragons will look to bounce back following last year’s 3-7 finish. The Dragons return quite a bit of talent on both sides of the football, and will be facing

Key Returners- Hayden Jones, McCord Purdy, Landon Poole, Hunter Bryant, Ezra Faber

2024 Expectations- Low

While Craig Bennett had winning seasons in 7 of his 12 years at the helm of Cambridge football, I don’t think expectations are very high as he takes over a Dragons team that has seen 4 straight sub .500 seasons. While the Dragons will have some great returning athletes in the likes of Hayden Jones, McCord Purdy, Landon Poole, & Hunter Bryant, it will take some time for Coach Bennett to implement his scheme and figure out how to get the team to mesh. The Dragons do kick off the season with winnable games vs Pepperell and Sonoraville, so maybe they can get some confidence and get things going earlier than I am projecting.

Over/Under wins- 4.5

Best case scenario- 6-4

If Pickens finds their footing early and their swiss army knife Hayden Jones can find his groove at the quarterback position, then the Dragons could be looking at a 6-4 season. Say they win their games in which they are favored in or are short underdogs in vs Pepperell, Sonoraville, Johnson, Chestatee, and Dawson. That would mean they just have to beat either Gilmer, White, or North Hall to get to six wins without having to pull off a major upset vs GAC or Lumpkin. 6 wins is attainable, but to get there the Dragons would have to play perfect football out of the gate. A 5-5 season is more realistic.

Region or Playoff Contender?- No

I think the playoff teams for the Region are set in stone. GAC, Lumpkin, North Hall, and White County look like they are sure things on paper, and I can’t say the same about Pickens. The White County defense is going to be very strong, and everyone knows how good GAC is and the kind of run that Lumpkin is on right now is incredible. Beating White County is Pickens best chance at the playoffs, but I don’t see it happening. I think Coach Bennett will have the Dragons competing for a Region title within the next 4 years, but it will take a season or two to right the ship.