Dragons win fourth straight to open Holiday Tournament

PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports

Blue Ridge, Ga — The Pickens Dragons came into Blue Ridge with a surge of momentum as they took on the Fannin Rebels on Tuesday, December 19th to begin the Fannin Holiday Tournament. The Dragons, looked to stretch their season high win streak to four games. The Rebels, looked to bounce back after an up and down week last week where they upset 2A #3 North Murray in overtime on Tuesday, but fell to Union County on Friday. The Dragons, would get the better of this match up defeating the Rebels, 60-39.

 

The Dragons scored the first four points of the game as Hayden Jones and Parker Davis hit back-to-back layups to make it 4-0. Ben Bloch, got the Rebels on the board with a bucket to cut the lead in half. The Dragons, would close the first quarter on an 11-0 run as Dodge and Parker Davis, Caleb Lanford, and McCord Purdy all scored during the run. Going to the second quarter, the Dragons led the Rebels, 15-2.

 

Cole Gribble, got the second quarter started with a layup to make it 15-4. After a basket by Dodge Davis, Matthew Ponton hit a three to make it 17-7. Jones and the Davis boys combined for a 6-0 run to make it 23-7. Isaiah Angel, ended the run with a layup to make it 23-9. Dodge Davis and Jamin Martin combined for a 5-0 run to make it 28-9. The Dragons, went into the half with a 30-14 lead over the Rebels.

 

Purdy, began the second half with a three pointer to make it 33-14. Jordan Richardson, Kolton Kaylor, and Bloch combined for a 6-0 run to cut the lead down to 33-20. Later on in the third, after both teams traded buckets, the Rebels went on a 6-0 run to close out the quarter as the Dragons led 41-28 going to the fourth.

 

The fourth quarter started with both teams going back and forth before Jones, Lanford, and Dodge Davis combined on a 12-0 run to make it 55-33. The Rebels would take the rest of the quarter, 6-5, as the Dragons got the win, 60-39.

 

The Dragons, will be back in action in Blue Ridge on Thursday, December 21st as they take on the Adairsville Tigers. Tip off is set for 5:30 pm.

Dragons get over .500 after defeating Rebels

PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports

Jasper, Ga — After a tough game against the Creekview Grizzlies last week, the Pickens Dragons came into their game against the Fannin Rebels on Tuesday, November 28th looking to get back over .500. The Rebels, were looking to get their season started off on the right foot with a road victory. The Dragons, were able to pull away in the second half to secure a 75-45 victory.

 

The first quarter started off as a turnover fest for both teams early on. Dodge Davis split a pair of free throws to give the Dragons a 1 point lead. The Rebels, took their first lead after a layup by Cole Gribble. After the two teams traded buckets, the Dragons would go on a small 4-0 run as McCord Purdy hit a three and Caleb Lanford made a basket to make it 15-11 Pickens. Ben Bloch, hit two free throws to cut the lead to two.

Just before the buzzer went off to end the first quarter, Purdy got off a corner jumper and got the kind home bounce to make it 17-13 Dragons going to the second.

 

Parker Davis, got the scoring started in the second quarter as his bucket made it 19-13. The Rebels would cut into the lead after Jordan Richardson split a pair of free throws and Gribble made a layup to make it 19-16. A 4-0 run by Parker Davis stretched the lead out to 23-16. Richardson, would hit a three to end the mini run and cut the lead to four. The Dragons, would then go on a 10-0 run as Dodge Davis, Hayden Jones, and Purdy all contributed to the run.

The Rebels, got another three from Richardson out of a time out and Bloch split a pair of free throws to make it 33-23. Jones would get the final bucket of the first half as the Dragons went into the break up 35-23.

 

To start the second half, Kolton Kaylor hit a three to cut the lead to nine. After both teams traded baskets, Purdy went on a 5-0 run to make it 42-28. Later on in the third, Lanford matched Purdy with a 5-0 run of his own. After Bloch ended the run with a three, Purdy again beat the buzzer as he nailed a three to make it 51-33 Dragons going to the fourth.

 

Dodge Davis got the scoring going for the Dragons in the fourth with a pair of free throws. After a bucket by Bloch, Nathan Wallace got his first points with a three to make it 56-35. Purdy and Lanford, hit back to back three pointers to make it 62-37. After Dodge and Parker Davis traded baskets, Jamin Martin got his name in the score book with a layup to make it 72-41. The Rebels, ended the Dragons run as Keaton Watkins and Matthew Ponton both made a pair of free throws to make it 72-45.

Montego Morgan closed out the scoring for the night as he hit a three to also get his name in the score book as the Dragons moved to 3-2 on the season winning 75-45.

 

Scoring for the Dragons:

McCord Purdy: 26 points

Caleb Lanford: 12 points

Dodge Davis: 12 points

Parker Davis: 10 points

Hayden Jones: 7 points

Montego Morgan: 3 points

Nathan Wallace: 3 points

Jamin Martin: 2 points

 

The Dragons, will be back in action on Tuesday, December 5th as they head up to Ellijay to take on the Gilmer Bobcats to begin 7-AAA play. Tip off is set for 7:30 pm.

Dragons begin 2022-23 season with win over Fannin

PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports

Ellijay, Ga — After the Nettes picked up their second win on the early season, the Pickens Dragons looked to open their season with a win of their own as they took on the Fannin Rebels on the first day of the annual Thanksgiving Tournament on Saturday, November 19th. The Dragons, did not have a scrimmage game while the Rebels did. The Rebels, won their scrimmage game earlier in the week after a nice come back. After a big shooting night for the Dragons, who were led by Caleb Lanford, who had 33, Pickens came away with an 84-53 victory.

 

The Dragons got on the board early with a corner three by Lanford to make it 3-0. The Rebels beat the press shown by Pickens and Luke Davenport hit a mid range jumper to make it 3-2. Nice passing by the Dragons led to an open three point attempt by Lanford and he connected to make it 6-2. The three pointers were flying early and often for Pickens in the first quarter as James Tilley made his first attempt to make it 9-2 Dragons. After a foul on the floor by Pickens, Fannin ran an inbounds play to perfection as Ben Bloch was cutting wide open underneath the basket for the layup. That made it 9-4. The Rebels, then went 1-2 from the line to cut the lead to 9-5.

Lanford, then hit his third three in the first quarter to push the lead to 12-5. After beating the press again, Jordan Richardson drove into the lane and connected on a floater to make it 12-7. Bloch, went to the line for three shots after being fouled on a three point attempt. Bloch would go 2-3 to cut the Dragons lead down to 12-9. On their next possession, Lanford used a good pump fake move to set up an open mid range shot. Lanford made that bucket to make it 14-9. Lucas Hanson would get fouled and make a pair of free throws to cut the Pickens lead to 14-11.

On the next Dragons possession, there went that man again as Lanford hit his fourth three of the quarter. Fresh off the football field, Isaiah Williams picked up a block on the defensive end, then grabbed an offensive rebound on the other end leading to a foul. Williams would go 1-2 from the line to make it 18-11. After the Rebels beat the press, Cole Gribble got a layup to go to make it 18-13. After a steal by Mccord Purdy, Purdy found that man again and Lanford hit his fifth three of the quarter to make it 21-13. On the next Pickens possession, Camden Dunn made a great pass to a cutting Jaden Stewart to make it 23-13. Stewart then got an offensive rebound and made the put back to give the Dragons a 25-13 lead after one.

 

After Pickens forced a turnover to begin the second quarter, Lanford knocked down his sixth three pointer of the first half to make it 28-13. Stewart then stole the ball at mid-court and took it the distance for the layup to make it 30-13. Gribble, got the Rebels on the board with a mid-range shot to make it 30-15. Richardson, then connected on another floater to make it 30-17. Fannin then got a steal and Bryson Wright finished it off with a layup to make it 30-19. The run for the Rebels continued as Bloch drove into the lane for the layup to cut the Dragons lead down to 30-21. A turnover by Pickens led to another layup by Bloch to make it 30-23.

The Dragons, finally ended the 10-0 run by Fannin after Stewart made a great lob pass to Williams, who made the layup to make it 32-23. Bloch, finding himself in trouble under the basket, passed it out to Wright who connected on the three to make it 32-26. Nathan Wallace, did a great job of following his shot as he gathered his own rebound and made the layup to make it 34-26. Bloch, then went 1-2 from the line to make it 34-27. Dunn, made a nice move on the baseline and finished with a reverse layup to make it 36-27. Lanford, then drove then lane and got fouled. He would go 1-2 from the line to make it 37-27. Bloch, using his quickness, got to the lane for two to make it 37-29.

Hanson, used a pump fake to drive the baseline for a layup to make it 37-31. Wallace, finished the bucket through contact and made the and-1 to stretch the Dragon lead out to 40-31. After a turnover, Dunn found Lanford cutting to the basket and he made the hook shot. Lanford got fouled on the shot and he made the and-1 to make it 43-31. At the half, Pickens led Fannin by a score of 43-31.

 

Lanford, kept his hot shooting from the first half going into the second half as he opened the third quarter with his seventh three pointer of the game to make it 46-31. After a turnover by the Rebels, the Dragons took advantage as Dunn found Seth Cronic under the basket for his first points of the ball game to make it 48-31. Fannin, was able to end the mini run with a floater by Bloch to make it 48-33. Dunn, had a nice series of plays as he had a block on defense, drove down the court and got fouled. Dunn would go 1-2 from the line to make it 49-33. Wright, did a nice job of following his shot as he missed the reverse layup, got the rebound, then made the layup to make it 49-35.

Bloch, fought for and got a pair of offensive rebounds, and then got fouled. He went 1-2 from the line to make it 49-36. Bloch again made some nice moves to make the layup and cut the Pickens lead down to 49-38. Wright then drove into the lane and made the layup against contact. He completed the and-1 to make it 49-41. The Dragons, needing a bucket, got one as Tilley hit his second three of the game to make it 52-41. A steal by Pickens led to a put back bucket by Dunn to make it 54-41. On the other end, Gribble got a bucket to make it 54-43.

Late in the shot clock, Dunn drove into the lane, made the layup, and got fouled. Dunn would miss the free throw, but hustled down the court to gather the rebound and threw the lead pass to Tilley, who finished the play with the layup. Wright, made another nice drive to the basket and finished the layup to make it 58-45. Just before the third quarter buzzer, Tilley made a tough layup to make it 60-45 Dragons going to the fourth.

 

To start the fourth, Lanford made a tough turnaround jumper to make it 62-45. A steal by Lanford led to another three by Tilley. His third of the game made it 65-45 Pickens. A great inbounds play by the Dragons led Stewart to finding Lanford under the basket to make it 67-45. Another steal by the Dragons led to a fourth three pointer by Tilley to make it 70-45. Bloch, ended the Pickens 10-0 run to begin the fourth as he drove in for the layup to make it 70-47. Lanford did a good job of getting the rebound off of Stewart’s miss and got the put back to make it 72-47.

A nice look by Stewart led to a bucket by Dunn. Dunn completed the and-1 and that made it 75-47. After a steal by Williams, he found Lanford on the outlet pass, who then found Purdy for the three to make it 78-47. Parker Davis, had a nice pump fake move that led to a floater for the Sophomore to make it 80-47. A nice pass led to a nice inside basket from Isaiah Angel to make it 80-49. Parker Davis, again made some nice moves on his way to the basket as he made his second bucket to make it 82-49. After the Rebels went 1-2 from the line, they collected the rebound and Hanson made a three to make it 82-53.

Just before the end of the game, Dodge Davis, grabbed his own rebound and made the put back to give us a final score of 84-53 in favor of the Dragons.

 

On Monday, these two teams will be back in Ellijay for the second day of the Thanksgiving Tournament. Pickens, will take on the Copper Basin Cougars at 4:30, and Fannin will take on the hosting Gilmer Bobcats at 7:30.

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