Dragons advance to Final Four for second straight year
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports May 8, 2026
Jasper, Ga — On Thursday, May 7th, for the first time in school history, a boys team hosted an Elite Eight match up as the Pickens Dragons took on the West Laurens Raiders in a best of three series. The Dragons, came into the series as the #3 seed, while the Raiders came into the series as the #6 seed. Head coach Adam Williams, would pick up his 201st and 202nd career wins at PHS as the Dragons swept the doubleheader 3-1, and 5-0.
Game One:
Auburn commit AJ Rice, took the mound for the Dragons for game one. JD Hogan, would draw a lead off walk to begin the game. Hogan, would then be thrown out by Dragon catcher Kam Jenkins trying to steal 2nd. After a strikeout for the second out, Rice, would induce a ground out to send it to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the inning, Jenkins, would look to get a rally going after reaching on a 2-out double. The Raiders, would get out of the first with a pop out. Heading to the second inning, the game was still tied up at 0.
In the top of the second, the Raiders, would strike first as C. Pollock, would hit a solo home run with two outs to put West Laurens up, 1-0. Rice, would shake that off and force a pop out to send it to the bottom of the second. The Dragons, would go down in order in the bottom of the second after a strikeout and a pair of pop outs. Heading to the third, the Raiders led it, 1-0.
Rice, would pick up a strikeout and a pair of ground outs in a scoreless top of the third. In the bottom of the inning, Matthew Davis Jr, would reach by drawing a walk with 1-out. Davis Jr, would then advance into scoring position by stealing 2nd. Robert Turner, would drive in Davis Jr with an RBI double tie the game at 1. Jennings Allen, would bring in Turner with an RBI single to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead.
Allen, would move up to 2nd on the throw to the plate. Allen, would then advance to 3rd after a line out. Rice, would help himself out by driving in Allen with an RBI single to make it 3-1. Courtesy runner Cooper Helmuth, would steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Truitt Grubbs, would keep the inning going after getting hit by a pitch to put runners at 1st and 2nd.
The bases would be loaded after the short stop tried to throw the ball to 3rd to try to get Helmuth, but it got away and everyone was safe. The Raiders, would get out of the third after a line out. Avoiding possible further damage. Heading to the fourth the Dragons led it, 3-1.
K. Clark, would draw a lead off walk to start the top of the fourth. After a pop out, Rice, would pick up a strikeout for the second out. Clark, would advance to 2nd after a delayed steal. Clark, would be left stranded at 2nd after Rice picked up another strikeout to send it to the bottom of the fourth. Dawson Lowit, would lead off the bottom of the inning by getting hit by a pitch. Tanner Bail, would then come in to run for Lowit.
Bail, would be left stranded at 1st however as D. Malone and the Raiders, would get out of the fourth with a strikeout and a pair of line outs. Heading to the fifth, the Dragons still led it, 3-1.
Rice, would pick up a pair of strikeouts and a pop out in a 1-2-3 top of the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, the Dragons, would go down in order on a pair of ground outs and a line out. Heading to the sixth, the Dragons were still ahead of the Raiders, 3-1.
Rice, who had been rolling since the home run in the second inning, picked a pair of strikeouts and a line out in a scoreless top of the sixth. Everett Grubbs, would get the bottom of the sixth going with a 1-out single. After a pop out, Malone, still pitching for the Raiders, would force a ground out to send it to the seventh with the Dragons still leading, 3-1.
G. Baker, would lead off the top of the seventh by drawing a walk. B. Shepard, would follow that up by drawing a four pitch walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Rice, would settle down to strikeout the side to seal the 3-1 win for the Dragons in game one.
Stats for the Dragons in Game One:
Robert Turner: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 double
AJ Rice: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 4 BB, 13 K on 99 pitches
Truitt Grubbs: 1 hit by pitch
Everett Grubbs: 1-3 with 1 single
Dawson Lowitt: 1 hit by pitch
Matthew Davis Jr: 1 walk, 1 steal, and 1 run scored
Cooper Helmuth: 1 steal
Game Two:
For the second game of the doubleheader, the Dragons were the away team, and the Raiders were the home team. In the top of the first, Robert Turner, would lead off with a single. Jennings Allen, would follow that with a single of his own to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Kam Jenkins, would then be hit by a pitch to load the bases. AJ Rice, would bring in Turner with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 1-0.
Truitt Grubbs, would then work a walk to reload the bases. Christian Starks, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Allen would come in to score to make it 2-0. Courtesy runners Caden Kirchoff and Cooper Helmuth, would then pull off a double steal to make it 3-0. Everett Grubbs, would draw another walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Helmuth, would then steal 3rd to put runners at the corners with 2-out.
The Dragons, would again try a double steal situation, but the Raiders would get Helmuth at the plate to send it to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the first, Dragons starter Christian Starks, would pick up a ground out, a strikeout, and a pop out in a scoreless frame. Heading to the second, the Dragons led it, 3-0.
In the top of the second, the Dragons, would go down in order on a pop out, a line out, and a ground out. In the bottom of the inning, Starks, would pick up a line out and a pair of strikeouts to send it to the third with the Dragons still leading, 3-0.
Jenkins, would look to get something started in the top of the third as he reached with a 1-out single. Rice, would then follow that with a double to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. T. Grubbs, would draw his second walk of the game to load the bases. Starks, would help himself out by driving in both Kirchoff and Rice with a 2-RBI single to make it 5-0 Dragons. T. Grubbs, would make it to 3rd on the play.
After Helmuth was thrown out trying to take 2nd, the Raiders, would get out of the third with a pop out. In the bottom of the third, N. Hester, would reach 2nd after a throwing error. T. Mascaro, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Rice made a great diving play at short and threw out Nester trying to get back to 2nd. JJ Giles, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Starks, would get out of the third with a pair of line outs. Heading to the fourth, the Dragons still led the Raiders, 5-0.
In the top of the fourth, Drew Dunlap, would lead off by drawing a walk. After a strikeout, Turner, would lace a double down the right field line to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1-out. B. Milton and the Raiders, would get out of the fourth with a strikeout and a pop out. In the bottom of the inning, G. Baker, would draw a lead off walk. After a line out, Starks would pick up a strikeout and a ground out to send it to the fifth with the Dragons up, 5-0.
The Dragons, would go down 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth on a pop out and a pair of ground outs. In the bottom of the inning, Turner, would come in to pitch for the Dragons. Mascaro, would reach with a 1-out single. Giles, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Turner, would pick up a strikeout and a ground out to send it to the sixth with the Dragons leading, 5-0.
In the top of the sixth, Brock Teal, would draw a walk with two outs. The Raiders, would then pick off the runner at 1st to send it to the bottom of the sixth. Turner, back out there for the bottom of the sixth, would pick up a pop out and a pair of ground outs to send it to the seventh with the Dragons still ahead, 5-0.
Turner, would lead off the top of the seventh by drawing a walk. Turner, would advance to 2nd after a ground out by Allen. After a pop out, Turner, would swipe 3rd. Milton, would pick up a strikeout to send it to the bottom of the seventh. E. Grubbs, would come in to pitch for the Dragons in the bottom of the seventh. C. Pollock, would draw a lead off walk to get the bottom of the seventh started for the Raiders.
After a strikeout, Mascaro, would pick up a 1-out single to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Giles, would then reach on an error as the bases would be loaded with 1-out. E. Grubbs, would settle in and pick up back to back strikeouts to seal the 5-0 win and send the Dragons to the Final Four for the second consecutive year.
Stats for the Dragons in Game Two:
Robert Turner: 2-3 with 1 single, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 steal, 1 run scored, and 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K on 31 pitches
Jennings Allen: 1-4 with 1 single, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 single, and 1 hit by pitch
Caden Kirchoff: 2 runs scored
AJ Rice: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Truitt Grubbs: 2 walks
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 single, 3 RBI, and 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 K on 61 pitches
Everett Grubbs: 1 walk and 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, and 3 K on 30 pitches
Drew Dunlap: 1 walk
Brock Teal: 1 walk
Cooper Helmuth: 2 steals
The Dragons, will await their Final Four opponent as they will play the winner of the series finale between Oconee County and Calhoun starting with a doubleheader on Thursday, May 14th. The Dragons, will either be hosting Oconee County, or traveling to Calhoun.
Diamond Dragons advance to Elite Eight
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports May 1, 2026
Jasper, Ga — On Thursday, April 30th, the Pickens Dragons, were back at Dunn Field as they took on the Adairsville Tigers in the Sweet 16 of the AAA State Baseball Tournament. The Dragons, advanced after sweeping Cairo last week. The Tigers, advanced after sweeping Douglass-Atlanta. The Dragons, behind a pair of complete game shut outs by A.J. Rice and Everett Grubbs, swept the doubleheader to advance to the Elite Eight.
Game One:
Auburn commit A.J. Rice, took the mound for the Dragons in game one. Rice, would pick up a line out, and a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless top of the first. In the bottom of the inning, Tigers starter K. Coker, would pick up a pair of ground outs, and a strikeout in a 1-2-3 bottom of the first. Heading to the second, the game was still tied at 0.
In the top of the second, Rice, would force a pair of pop outs and pick up his third strikeout. Coker, would also pick up a pair of pop outs and a strikeout in the bottom of the inning. Heading to the third, the game was still scoreless.
In the top of the third, Rice, would strikeout the side to send the bats back up to the plate. In the bottom of the inning, Matthew Davis Jr, would become the first base runner of the game as he would draw a four pitch walk with 2-out. Davis Jr, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. Coker and the Tigers, would get out of the third with a ground out. Heading to the fourth, it was still tied at 0.
In the top of the fourth, Rice, would sit the Tigers down in order after a pair of strikeouts and a ground out. In the bottom of the inning, Rice, would pick up the first hit of the game with a 2-out single. Rice, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. Truitt Grubbs, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 2-out. Coker and the Tigers, would get out of the fourth with a line out. Heading to the fifth, we were still scoreless.
In the top of the fifth, Rice, would pick up a ground out, a pop out, and a strikeout. In the bottom of the fifth, the Dragons, would strike. Dawson “Boogie” Lowit, would reach after drawing a 1-out walk. His pitch runner, Tanner Bail, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. After Davis Jr drew his second walk of the game, Robert Turner, would reach on a bloop single that fell in shallow center field to load the bases with 1-out.
Bail, would be forced out at home for the second out as Jennings Allen would reach on a fielder’s choice. Kam Jenkins, would break the tie with a 2-RBI single to make it 2-0. Allen, would come in to score after Rice reached on an error to make it 3-0. Rice, would advance to 2nd and courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would advance to 3rd on the play. T. Grubbs, would then draw a walk to load the bases.
A single by Everett Grubbs, would drive in courtesy runners Kirchoff and Cooper Helmuth to make it 5-0 Dragons. A 2-RBI single by Christian Starks, would bring in the Grubbs brothers to make it 7-0 heading to the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Rice, still looked sharp after that long bottom of the fifth as he would strikeout the side. In the bottom of the sixth, Turner, would reach with a 1-out single. Turner, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Turner, would then take 3rd on a wild pitch. After Allen drew a walk, Jenkins, would drive in Turner with an RBI sacrifice fly. Drew Dunlap, pitch hitting for Rice, would reach with a 2-out single.
The Tigers, would get out of the sixth with a line out. Heading to the seventh, the Dragons led the Tigers, 8-0.
In the top of the seventh, Rice, would pick up a pop out for the first out. B. Varner, would pick up the first hit of the game for the Tigers with a 1-out single. Rice, having lost the perfect game bid, would settle down and pick up a pop out and a strikeout to seal the win as the Dragons took game one, 8-0.
Stats for the Dragons in Game One:
Robert Turner: 2-4 with 2 singles, 1 steal, and 2 runs scored
Jennings Allen: 1 walk and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 single, and 3 RBI
A.J. Rice: 2-3 with 2 singles, 1 RBI, and 7 IP, o H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 13 K on 100 pitches
Truitt Grubbs: 2 walks and 1 run scored
Everett Grubbs: 1-3 with 1 single, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 single, and 2 RBI
Dawson Lowit: 1 walk
Matthew Davis Jr: 2 walks and 1 run scored
Drew Dunlap: 1-1 with 1 single
Tanner Bail: 1 steal and 1 run scored
Cooper Helmuth: 1 run scored
Caden Kirchoff: 1 run scored
Game Two:
For the second game, the Dragons would be the visitors and the Tigers would be the home team. In the top of the first, Jennings Allen, would reach after drawing a 1-out walk. Allen, would advance to 2nd after a ground out. An RBI single by A.J. Rice, would drive in Allen to make it 1-0 Dragons heading to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the frame, Dragons starter Everett Grubbs, would pick up a strikeout, a ground out, and a line out. Heading to the second, the Dragons led the Tigers, 1-0.
In the top of the second, Truitt Grubbs, would reach on an error to lead things off. E. Grubbs, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as T. Grubbs would be forced out at 2nd. After a line out, Dawson Lowit, would draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 2-out. Starter H. Parr and the Tigers, would get out of the second with a pop out. E. Grubbs, would pick up three ground outs in the bottom of the second. Heading to the third, it was still 1-0 Dragons.
The Dragons, would go down in order in the top of the third after a pair of strikeouts and a pop out. In the bottom of the inning, H. Miller, would reach with a lead off single. B. Slocumb, would then be called out due to pine tar being too high on his bat. That would erase a fielder’s choice, and allow Miller to return to 1st. After a line out for the second out, Miller, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. E. Grubbs, would get out of the third with a ground out. Heading to the fourth, the Dragons were still in front, 1-0.
Rice, would lead off the top of the fourth with a single. Rice, would get caught trying to steal 2nd. After a strikeout for the second out, Parr, would force a ground out to send it to the bottom of the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, B. Varner, would reach with a lead off single. After a strikeout, C. Sanford, would be caught trying to steal 2nd. E. Grubbs, would get out of the fourth with a strikeout to send it to the fifth with the Dragons up, 1-0.
In the top of the fifth, the Dragons would go down 1-2-3 as Parr picked up a ground out, a strikeout, and a pop out. In the bottom of the fifth, W. Barfield, would reach with a lead off bloop single. The Dragons, would then turn a 4-6-3 double. E. Grubbs, would get out of the fifth with a strikeout. Heading to the sixth, the Dragons, were still in front, 1-0.
In the top of the sixth, Kam Jenkins, would be hit by a pitch to keep the inning alive for the Dragons. Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. Rice, would drive in Kirchoff with an RBI double to make it 2-0. Parr and the Tigers, would get out of the sixth with a strikeout. In the bottom of the sixth, E. Grubbs, would pick up a pair of ground outs and a strikeout. Heading to the seventh, the Dragons led it, 2-0.
In the top of the seventh, Christian Starks, would reach on a 1-out double. Starks, would then advance to 3rd on a wild pitch. Lowit, would then draw a walk. Lowit, would then intentionally get caught in a rundown to allow Starks to steal home and make it 3-0. Lowit, would end up being safe at 2nd on the play. After a strikeout, Robert Turner, would drive in pitch runner Tanner Bail with an RBI single to make it 4-0.
Turner, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Parr and the Tigers, would get out of the seventh with a pop out. In the bottom of the seventh, E. Grubbs, would pick up a ground out, a line out, and a strikeout as the Dragons take game two, 4-0 to sweep the series and advance to the Elite Eight.
Stats for the Dragons in Game Two:
Robert Turner: 1-4 with 1 single, 1 steal, and 1 RBI
Jennings Allen: 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1 hit by pitch
A.J. Rice: 3-3 with 2 singles, 1 double, and 2 RBI
Everett Grubbs: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 6 K on 85 pitches
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 steal, and 1 run scored
Dawson Lowit: 2 walks, and 1 steal
Tanner Bail: 1 run scored
Caden Kirchoff: 1 run scored
With the series win, the Dragons, will now turn their attention to Wednesday, May 6th as they welcome the West Laurens Raiders to Dunn Field for a double header. The “if” game, would be on Thursday, May 7th. The Raiders, are 22-9 on the season. They won region 4-AAA, and are the #6 seed. The Raiders, swept Gilmer and Northwest Whitfield to get to the Elite Eight.
Dragons sweep Cairo to advance to Sweet 16
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 25, 2026
Jasper, Ga — The GHSA AAA State Baseball Tournament, began on Friday, April 24th as the #3 seeded Pickens Dragons, took on the #30 seeded Cairo Syrupmakers in a best of three series to open up the tournament. The two teams would play a doubleheader at Dunn Field. The Dragons, would come away with a sweep as they won game one, 10-0 and game two, 13-1.
Game one:
Senior Auburn commit A.J. Rice, would start game one for the Dragons. After picking up a strikeout for the first out, C. Prince and J. Brinson, would draw back to back walks to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Rice, would pick up a second strikeout for the second out. J. Bell, would draw the third walk of the inning to load the bases. Rice, would get out of the first with a ground out.
In the bottom of the first, after two quick outs, Kam Jenkins, would keep the inning alive with a 2-out single. His courtesy runner, Caden Kirchoff, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Dawson Lowit, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the first with a fly out. Heading to the second, the game was still tied at 0.
Rice, would settle in for the top of the second as he would strikeout the side on 13 pitches to send it to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the second, Truitt Grubbs, would lead off with a double. Everett Grubbs and Christian Starks, would follow that up by drawing back to back walks to load the bases. Matthew Davis Jr, would then be hit by a pitch to bring in T. Grubbs to make it 1-0.
After back to back pop outs, Jenkins, would be hit by a pitch to bring in E. Grubbs to make it 2-0. Starks, would come in to score after Lowit drew a walk to make it 3-0. Davis Jr, would come in to score after a wild pitch to make it 4-0. Rice, would then draw a walk to load the bases. Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would then come in to score on a wild pitch to make it 5-0 Dragons heading to the third.
Rice, would toss a scoreless top of the third with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out. In the bottom of the third, E. Grubbs, would reach with a lead off single. E. Grubbs, would then advance all the way to 3rd on a ground out by Starks. Davis Jr, would drive in E. Grubbs with an RBI single to make it 6-0. Robert Turner, would reach on a fielder’s choice as Davis Jr would be forced out at 2nd. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the third with a ground out.
Rice, would fire a 1-2-3 top of the fourth with another half inning of a pair of strikeouts and a ground out. Jenkins, would lead off the bottom of the fourth with a single. Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. After a pop out, Rice, would drive in Kirchoff with an RBI single to make it 7-0. After a pick off at 1st for the second out, T. Grubbs, would keep the inning going by drawing a walk.
T. Grubbs, would then advance into scoring position by swiping 2nd. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the fourth with a pop out. Heading to the fifth, the Dragons led it, 7-0.
Rice, would finish off his start by striking out the side in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Davis Jr, would reach with 1-out after an error by the third baseman. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the fifth with a pair of line outs. Heading to the sixth, the Dragons led it, 7-0.
Jackson Nunn, would come on to pitch for the Dragons in the top of the sixth. After a strikeout and a ground out, the Syrupmakers, would have their first base runner since the first inning after a double by J. Brinson. Nunn, would get out of the sixth with a fly out. In the bottom of the sixth, Jenkins, would send one over the left field fence for a solo home run to make it 8-0.
After a pop out, Rice, now playing shortstop, would reach after drawing a walk. Rice, would then advance to 2nd after a wild pitch. T. Grubbs, would follow that up by drawing a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. After a line out, Starks, would drive in both Rice and T. Grubbs with a 2-RBI double to walk it off for the Dragons as they took game one, 10-0 in six innings.
Stats for the Dragons in Game One:
Robert Turner: 1 steal
Kam Jenkins: 3-3 with 2 singles, 1 hit by pitch, 1 home run , 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Dawson Lowit: 2 walks and 1 RBI
A.J. Rice: 1-2 with 1 single, 2 walks, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, and 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 3 BB, 12 K on 80 pitches
Truitt Grubbs: 1-2 with 1 double, 2 walks, 1 steal, and 2 runs scored
Everett Grubbs: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 2 runs scored
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 walk, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Matthew Davis Jr: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 hit by pitch, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Jackson Nunn: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 K on 14 pitches
Caden Kirchoff: 1 steal and 2 runs scored
Game two:
The two teams, would switch places for game two as the Dragons would be the away team and the Syrupmakers would be the home team. In the top of the first, Jennings Allen, would reach with a 1-out double. Cairo, would get out of the first with a line out and a pop out. Christian Starks, would take the mound for the Dragons in the bottom of the first. Starks, would pick up a strikeout and a pair of pop outs to send it to the second with the game still scoreless.
In the top of the second, A.J. Rice, would lead off by drawing a walk. Rice, would then advance into scoring position after stealing 2nd. Truitt Grubbs, would follow that by drawing a walk of his own to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Everett Grubbs, would advance both runners after a sacrifice bunt. Starks, would help himself out by bringing in Rice with an RBI single to make it 1-0.
Starks, would then steal 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1-out. Matthew Davis Jr, would drive in both T. Grubbs and Starks with a 2-RBI triple to make it 3-0. Robert Turner, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Davis Jr would be forced out at home. Turner, would swipe 2nd to advance into scoring position. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the second with a ground out.
Starks, would only need six pitches to get out of the bottom of the second as he forced a pop out and a pair of ground outs. Heading to the third, the Dragons, led the Syrupmakers, 3-0.
Kam Jenkins and Dawson Lowit, would lead off the top of the third with back to back singles. Rice, would then launch one over the left center fence for a three run home run to make it 6-0. After a strikeout and a fly out, Starks, would keep the inning going with a 2-out single. Starks, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Davis Jr, would drive in Starks with an RBI double to make it 7-0.
Turner, would bring in Davis Jr with an RBI single to make it 8-0. Turner, would then steal 2nd and 3rd. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the third with a ground out. D. Barber, would lead off the bottom of the third by drawing a walk. K. Brinson, would then reach on an infield single. Barber, would advance to 3rd after the throw got away from Lowit at first base.
After a strikeout, Barber, would come in to score after a pick off attempt went over E. Grubbs head at 3rd to make it 8-1. K. Brinson, would advance to 2nd on the play. G. Barret, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. C. Prince, would then reach on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Starks, would get out of the jam with back to back strikeouts to send it to the fourth with the Dragons ahead, 8-1.
Jenkins, would lead off the top of the fourth with a double. After a pop out, Rice, would drive in courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff with an RBI double to make it 9-1. T. Grubbs, would follow that up with an RBI double of his own as Rice would come in to score to make it 10-1. T. Grubbs, would then advance to 3rd on a wild pitch. E. Grubbs, would then draw a walk to put runners at the corners with 1-out.
T. Grubbs, would come in to score on a wild pitch to make it 11-1. Starks, would drive in E. Grubbs with the third RBI double of the inning to make it 12-1. After a pop out, Drew Dunlap, pitch hitting for Turner, would bring in Starks with an RBI single to make it 13-1. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the fourth with a force out. J. Bell, would lead off the bottom of the fourth with a single. Bell, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch.
H. Hudson, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. After a strikeout, Starks, would then force a fly out. That would turn into an inning ending double play as it was determined that Bell left 2nd too early. Heading to the fifth, the Dragons led it, 13-1.
The Dragons, would go down in order in the top of the fifth after a fly out, a line out, and a strikeout. Dylan Walls, would come in to pitch for the Dragons in the bottom of the fifth. Walls, dealing with an injury since the beginning of the season, would be on the mound for the first time since. Walls, would pick up a pair of strikeouts and a fly out as the Dragons would take game two, 13-1, to sweep the series and advance to the Sweet 16.
Stats for the Dragons in Game Two:
Robert Turner: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 3 steals
Drew Dunlap: 1-1 with 1 single and 1 RBI
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with a double
Kam Jenkins: 2-3 with 1 single and 1 double
Dawson Lowit: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 run scored
A.J. Rice: 2-2 with 1 walk, 1 double, 1 home run, 1 steal, 4 RBI, and 3 runs scored
Truitt Grubbs: 1-2 with 1 walk, 1 double, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Everett Grubbs: 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Christian Starks: 3-3 with 2 singles, 1 double, 2 steals, 2 RBI, 3 runs scored, and 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 5 K on 64 pitches
Matthew Davis Jr: 2-3 with 1 double, 1 triple, 3 RBI and 1 run scored
Dylan Walls: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 2 K on 11 pitches
Caden Kirchoff: 2 runs scored
The Dragons, will now turn their attention to the #19 seeded Adairsville Tigers. Adairsville, swept the #14 seed, Douglass-Atlanta to advance to Sweet 16. While game times haven’t been announced yet, the best of three series will begin with a doubleheader on Thursday, April 30th. The “if” game, would be on Friday, May 1st.
Dragons capture 6-AAA Region Championship
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 18, 2026
Jasper, Ga — It all came down to the regular season finale on Friday, April 17th as the Pickens Dragons took on the Greater Atlanta Christian School Spartans at Dunn Field. A win for the Dragons, would secure another region title and, a top 8 seed in next week’s AAA State Tournament. A six run fifth inning helped the Dragons push past the Spartans to pick up the win 9-1 and become the 2026 6-AAA region champions.
Dragons starter Everett Grubbs, would toss a scoreless top of the first with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out. In the bottom of the frame, Jennings Allen, would reach with a ground rule double. Kam Jenkins, would drive in Allen with an RBI single to make it 1-0 Dragons. The Spartans, would get out of the first with a fly out and a strikeout. Heading to the second, Pickens led GAC, 1-0.
In the top of the second, E. Grubbs, would work around a 1-out single by E. Hill as he picked up a ground out and his 3rd and 4th strikeout of the game. In the bottom of the second, Christian Starks, would keep the inning alive for the Dragons by drawing a walk after falling behind 0-2. Starks, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. The Spartans, would get out of the second with a pop out. The Dragons still led it, 1-0.
E. Grubbs, would continue his hot start to the ball game with a 1-2-3 top of the third as he picked up a fly out, a pop out, and a ground out. In the bottom of the third, Robert Turner, would lead off with a single. After a line out, Turner, would swipe 2nd to advance into scoring position. The Spartans, would get out of the third with a line out and a pop out. Pickens, still led GAC, 1-0.
After a ground out to start the top of the fourth, I. Cobbs, would reach with a 1-out single. J. Givens, would follow that with a single of his own to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. A ground out to 3rd, would advance both runners up a base. E. Grubbs, would get out of the fourth with a strikeout. E. Grubbs, would look to start a rally as he would reach with a 1-out single. The Spartans, would get out of the fourth with a double play to keep the score at 1-0.
E. Grubbs, would toss a scoreless top of the fifth with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out. Starks, would lead off the bottom of the fifth with a single. Matthew Davis and Turner, would reach with back to back bunt singles to load the bases. A 2-RBI single from Allen, would bring in both Starks and Davis to make it 3-0. Turner, would advance to 3rd on the play. Allen, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position.
A 2-RBI single from Jenkins, would drive in both Turner and Allen to make it 5-0 Dragons. Jenkins, would advance to 2nd on the play. After a pop out, Truitt Grubbs, would be hit with a pitch. A balk would then be called as courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff and T. Grubbs would move up a base. E. Grubbs, would help himself out by driving in both Kirchoff and T. Grubbs with a 2-RBI single to make it 7-0.
A.J. Rice, would keep the line moving with a 1-out double to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. The Spartans, would get out of the fifth after turning a 9-2 double play. Heading to the sixth, the Dragons led the Spartans, 7-0.
E. Grubbs, would head back to the mound after that long half inning. He would pick up a pair of strikeouts to start the top of the sixth. Cobbs, would keep the inning going for the Spartans by drawing a 2-out walk. Givens, would follow that by drawing a walk of his own to put runners at 1st and 2nd. E. Grubbs, would get out of the sixth with a ground out. Davis, would lead off the bottom of the sixth by drawing a four pitch walk.
Davis, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Turner, would bring in Davis with an RBI triple to make it 8-0. Allen, would then draw a walk to put runners at corners with nobody out. The Dragons, would then pull off a double steal as Allen would take 2nd, and Turner would swipe home to make it 9-0. Jenkins, would reach with a single to once again put runners at the corners.
The Spartans, would turn a double play as the first baseman would catch a line drive and step on 1st to get the runner. Truitt Grubbs, would then draw a walk to put runners at the corners with 2-out. The Spartans, would get out of the sixth as T. Grubbs, would be forced out at 2nd.
E. Grubbs, would come back out for the top of the seventh looking to finish it off. After picking up a ground out, D. Fernandez, would reach on an error. Fernandez, would then advance to 2nd after a balk was called. After a pop out, P. Wilson, would bring in Fernandez with a single. Jenkins, would intercept the throw home to throw out Wilson trying to take 2nd on the play to end the game a seal the 9-1 win for the 6-AAA Region Champion Pickens Dragons.
Stats for the Dragons:
Robert Turner: 3-4 with 2 singles, 1 triple, 1 RBI, 2 steals, and 2 runs scored
Jennings Allen: 2-3 with 1 single, 1 ground rule double, 1 walk, 2 steals, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Kam Jenkins: 3-4 with 3 singles, and 3 RBI
Truitt Grubbs: 1 hit by pitch, 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Everett Grubbs: 2-3 with 2 singles, 2 RBI, and 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R/0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K on 95 pitches
A.J. Rice: 1-3 with 1 double
Christian Starks: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 walk and 1 run scored
Matthew Davis: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 2 runs scored
Caden Kirchoff: 1 run scored
Final 6-AAA Standings:
Pickens: 27-3 (18-3) *region champs
North Hall: 24-6 (18-3)
GAC: 15-11 (13-8)
Dawson: 15-15 (12-9)
White County: 20-10 (12-9)
Lumpkin: 13-17 (8-13)
Chestatee: 7-23 (3-18)
Johnson-Gainesville: 0-26 (0-21)
With the win, the Dragons are guaranteed a top 8 seed in next week’s AAA State Baseball Tournament. At last check, the Dragons were ranked the #3 team in the PSR (Post Season Ranking). We will find out over the weekend where the Dragons are seeded and who their first round opponent will be. The first round will begin on Friday, April 24th with a doubleheader and the “if” game being on Saturday, April 25th.
Dragons advance to fourth straight Sweet 16
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 26, 2025
Jasper, Ga — It was the start of the AAA State Baseball Tournament on Friday, April 25th as the #8 seed Pickens Dragons, took on the #25 seed Dougherty Trojans in a best of three series in the first round. The Dragons, would take game one, 16-1 in four innings. Game two, was back and forth with the Dragons breaking the tie in the top of the sixth. After waiting out a line of storms, the Dragons defeated the Trojans in game two, 12-1 to sweep the series.
Game one:
In the top of the first, Dragons starter A.J. Rice, would work around a 2-out walk as he picked up a pair of ground outs and a strikeout. In the bottom of the frame, Rice, would reach with a lead off single. After a fly out, Rice, would steal 2nd to get into scoring position. He would then move up to 3rd after a balk was called. Rice, would then come in to score after a wild pitch to make it 1-0 Dragons.
Cade Sutton, would then draw a walk to reach 1st. Kam Jenkins, would then follow with a single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Sutton and courtesy runner Drew Dunlap, would move up a base after a wild pitch. Dawson Lowit, would bring in Sutton to score after reaching on an error by the short stop. Sam Hammontree, would drive in Dunlap with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 3-0 Dragons.
Lowit, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Matthew Davis, would keep the inning going with a 2-out single. Dawson Holland, would then draw a walk to load the bases with 2-out. Jennings Allen, would bring in both Lowit and Davis with a 2-run single to make it 5-0. Allen, would then swipe 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. Rice, would drive in both Holland and Allen with a 2-RBI single to make it 7-0 Dragons after one.
Rice, would pick up where he left off in the top of the first as he struck out a pair and forced a ground out in a scoreless second. In the bottom of the second, Jenkins, would reach with a 1-out double. Lowit, would then be hit by a pitch. Hammontree, would reach on a fielder’s choice as Lowit would be forced out at 2nd. Courtesy runner Dunlap, would advance to 3rd on the play.
Hammontree, would advance into scoring position after stealing 2nd. Davis, would bring in both Dunlap and Hammontree with a 2-RBI single to make it 9-0. Davis, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Holland, would keep the inning alive with a 2-out single. Allen, would drive in Davis with an RBI single to make it 10-0 Dragons heading to the third.
In the top of the third, Kingston Offord, would pick up the first hit of the game for the Trojans with a lead off single. Offord, would then steal 2nd to move into scoring position. After a strikeout, Offord, would advance to 3rd on a ground out. Offord, would come in to score as Joshua Weaver would reach on an error to make it 10-1. Jenkins, would throw out Weaver trying to steal 2nd to send it to the bottom of the third with the Dragons ahead, 10-1.
Christian Starks, would lead off the bottom of the third with a single. The Trojans, would then pick up a double play as Sutton would line out to short, and Starks would be caught in no-man’s-land as he would get thrown out at 1st. The Trojans, would get out of the third with a fly out. Heading to the fourth, Pickens led Dougherty, 10-1.
Ezra Faber, would come on in relief of Rice in the top of the fourth. Faber, would work around a 1-out walk as he picked up a fly out, a ground out, and a strikeout in a scoreless frame. In the bottom of the fourth, Lowit, would lead off with a double. Hammontree, would then reach on an error as pitch runner Caden Kirchoff would advance to 3rd on the play. Hammontree, would then steal 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out.
Davis, would bring in Kirchoff with an RBI single to make it 11-1. Holland, would then drive in Hammontree with a single to make it 12-1. Allen, would pick up his third hit of the game with a 2-RBI triple to make it 14-1. Rice, would draw a walk to put runners at the corners. Rice, would then move up to 2nd after a wild pitch. Allen, would come in to score after a balk was called to make it 15-1.
Starks, would draw a walk to again put runners at the corners. Sutton, would then be hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jenkins, would drive in Rice with an RBI single to walk it off and seal the game one win for the Dragons, 16-1.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 2-3 with 2 singles, 1 walk, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored, and 3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 walk on 49 pitches
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 walk
Cade Sutton: 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 3-4 with 2 singles, 1 double, and 1 RBI
Dawson Lowit: 1-2 with 1 double, 1 hit by pitch, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Sam Hammontree: 1 RBI and 2 runs scored
Matthew Davis: 3-3 with 3 singles, 3 RBI, and 3 runs scored
Dawson Holland: 2-2 with 2 singles, 1 walk, and 2 runs scored
Jennings Allen: 3-3 with 2 singles, 1 triple, 4 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Ezra Faber: 1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K on 14 pitches
Drew Dunlap: 2 runs scored
Caden Kirchoff: 1 run scored
Game two:
For game two, the teams flipped sides with Dougherty being the designated home team. In the top of the first, A.J. Rice, would lead off by drawing a walk. He would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. After a ground out, Rice, would be picked off at 2nd. It looked like he had gotten his foot underneath the tag, but he was called out. The Trojans, would get out of the first with a ground out.
Dragons starter Christian Starks, would toss a scoreless bottom of the first with a pair of ground outs and a strikeout. Heading to the second, the game was still tied at 0.
In the top of the second, Kam Jenkins, would lead off with a double. An error by the left fielder, would allow Jenkins to come around to score to make it 1-0 Dragons. After a ground out, Sam Hammontree, would be hit by a pitch. Hammontree, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. After a fly out, Dawson Holland, would keep the inning alive with a 2-out single.
Jennings Allen, would then work a 4-pitch walk to load the bases. The Trojans, would get out of the bases loaded jam as they would force a pop out to send it to the bottom of the second. In the bottom of the frame, Starks, would work around a 2-out hit batsman as he picked up a pair of fly outs and a ground out. Heading to the third, the Dragons led it, 1-0.
The Dragons, would go down in order in the top of the third after a ground out, a fly out and a pop out. The Trojans, would also go down in order in the bottom of the inning as Starks would induce three ground outs to send it to the fourth with the Dragons still leading, 1-0.
In the top of the fourth, it was more of the same for the Dragons as they went down 1-2-3 a ground out, a fly out, and a pop out. In the bottom of the fourth, Jayden Miller, would reach with a lead off double. Daven Abernathy, would then come on in relief of Starks. Courtesy runner Rodney Pruitt, would advance to 3rd after a ground out. Allen, would then make a great play as he would catch a pop fly tailing into foul territory, and then turn and throw the back towards home.
A 2-out RBI single by Kameron Knighton, would bring in Pruitt to tie the game at 1. Abernathy, would get out of the fourth with a strikeout to send it to the fifth with the game all knotted up at 1.
Holland, would lead off the top of the fifth by drawing a walk. After a pop out, Holland, would steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Rice, would draw his 2nd walk of the game to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Holland, would then steal 3rd to put runners at the corners. Abernathy, hitting in Starks’ spot, would draw a walk to load the bases. The Dragons, thought they had taken the lead as it looked like Cade Sutton had reached on a fielder’s choice.
However, the umpires would call interference on Abernathy which meant Sutton would be called out, ending the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, after a strikeout, Kingston Offord, would reach on a 1-out single. Offord, would then advance to 2nd on a ground out. Offord, would then take a risk and steal 3rd with 2-outs. Brayden Still, would then draw a walk to put runners at the corners.
Still, would then advance to 2nd on defensive indifference. Abernathy, would settle in and pick up his 3rd strikeout of the game to send it to the sixth with the game still tied at 1.
In the top of the sixth, Dawson Lowit, would reach on an error by the short stop. Hammontree and Matthew Davis, would then be hit by back to back pitches to load the bases with 1-out. Holland, would clear the bases with a 3-run triple to make it 4-1 Dragons. Allen, would bring in Holland with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 5-1. The Trojans, would get out of the sixth with a fly out.
Dylan Walls, would come on in relief of Abernathy in the bottom of the sixth. After Walls forced a ground out for the first out, the storms came. After a couple hour delay, the game would resume. Jenkins, would come on in relief of Walls. The Dragons, would get out of the sixth as Lowit would throw out a would be base stealer, and Jenkins would induce a ground out. Heading to the seventh, the Dragons led it, 5-1.
In the top of the seventh, Sutton, would draw a 1-out walk to reach 1st. Jenkins, would follow that by drawing a walk of his own. Lowit, would follow suit and draw a third straight walk to load the bases. Zach Williams, pitch-hitting for Hammontree, would bring in both Sutton and courtesy runner Drew Dunlap to make it 7-1. Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would then come in to score on a passed ball to make it 8-1.
After Davis was hit by a pitch, Holland, would draw a walk to load the bases. Allen, would bring in both Williams and Davis to make it 10-1. Holland, would then come in to score on a balk to make it 11-1. Allen, would come in to score on a passed ball to make it 12-1. The Trojans, would get out of the seventh with a double play. Heading to the bottom of the inning, the Dragons led it, 12-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, Jenkins, would work around a 1-out hit batsman as he picked up a ground out and a pair of strikeouts as the Dragons defeated the Trojans, 12-1 to sweep the series.
Stats for the Dragons in Game two:
A.J. Rice: 1-3 with 1 double, and 2 walks
Christian Starks: 1-4 with 1 double and 3 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, on 47 pitches
Cade Sutton: 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-4 with 1 double, 1 walk, 1 run scored, and 1.2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, and 2 K on 19 pitches
Dawson Lowit: 1 walk
Sam Hammontree: 2 hit by pitch, and 1 run scored
Zach Williams: 1-1 with 1 single, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Matthew Davis: 2 hit by pitch and 2 runs scored
Dawson Holland: 2-2 with 1 single, 1 triple, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Jennings Allen: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 walk, 3 RBI, and 1 run scored
Daven Abernathy: 1 walk and 2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K on 35 pitches
Dylan Walls: 0.1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K on 5 pitches
Caden Kirchoff: 2 runs scored
Drew Dunlap: 1 run scored
With the series win, the Dragons, advance to the Sweet 16 where they will take on the #9 seed LaGrange Grangers. LaGrange, swept the Gilmer Bobcats to advance to the next round. The best of three series will begin on Thursday, May 1st, with a doubleheader. Times yet to be determined as of this writing.