Late inning runs push Dragons past North Atlanta
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports February 21, 2026
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, were back at Dunn Field for a third straight day as they took on the Warriors of North Atlanta on Saturday, February 21st. The Dragons, came into the game at 6-0 and were looking to finish the week at 4-0. The Warriors, 2-4 having defeated Haralson County prior to facing the Dragons. In what was a tight game throughout, the Dragons scored 1 in the 5th and 4 in the 6th to pick up the win, 7-3.
Dragons starter Everett Grubbs, would need just 7 pitches to get out of the top of the first as he picked up two ground outs and a strikeout. In the bottom half of the frame, Robert Turner, would lead off by drawing a walk. AJ Rice, would drive in Turner with an RBI double to make it 1-0 Dragons. After a pop out, Dawson Lowitt, would be hit by a pitch to put runners at 1st and 2nd.
Matthew Davis, would draw a full count walk to load the bases with 1-out. After a strikeout, Jennings Allen, would draw a 4 pitch walk to bring in Rice to make it 2-0 Dragons heading to the second.
L. England, would be hit by the first pitch of the second inning and he would take 1st. C. Jones, would follow that with a double to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Grubbs, to his credit, would lock in and strike out the next three batters to send it to the bottom of the inning. The Dragons, would go down in order in the bottom of the second. Heading to the third, Pickens led North Atlanta, 2-0.
M. McCaffrey, would draw a walk to lead off the top of the third. After a strikeout, D. Rovak, would reach with a 1-out single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. B. Hill, would reach on an error to load the bases. Grubbs, would strikeout London for the second out. Jones, would draw a walk to bring in McCaffrey to make it 2-1 Dragons heading to the bottom of the inning.
The Dragons, would again go down in order for the second straight inning after a pop out, a fly out, and a ground out. Heading to the fourth, Pickens led North Atlanta, 2-1.
R. Edwards, would look to get something started for the Warriors after drawing a 1-out walk. Grubbs, would pick up his 7th strikeout, and a fly out to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom half of the fourth, Allen, would draw his 2nd walk of the game to reach base with 1-out. Drew Dunlap, would follow that with a single to put runners at 1st and 2nd. The Warriors, would get out of the fourth with a pop out and a fly out to send it to the fifth with the Dragons still ahead, 2-1.
MT Crenshaw, would come on in relief of Grubbs in the top of the fifth. Rovak, would lead off the fifth by drawing a walk. B. Hill, would follow that with a double to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. England, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Rice nearly turned an incredible 5-3 double play. Jones, would then reach on a single to load the bases with 1-out.
Crenshaw, would then pick up a big strikeout for the second out. B. Ford, would draw a bases loaded walk to score Hill to tie the game at 2. Crenshaw, would get out of the fifth with a ground out. Kam Jenkins, would look to get a rally going in the bottom of the fifth as he would reach with a 1-out single. After a fly out, Davis, would reach on an error by the shortstop. Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would advance to 3rd on the play.
Christian Starks, would drive in Kirchoff with an RBI single to give the Dragons a 3-2 lead. Davis, would advance to 3rd on the play. Starks, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. The Warriors, would get out of the fifth with a strikeout. Heading to the sixth, the Dragons led it, 3-2.
Chase Hulsey, would come on in relief of Crenshaw in the top of the sixth. S. Kunz, would reach with a 1-out single. Rovak, would follow that with a single of his own as Kunz would advance to 3rd. Hulsey, would force a pair of pop outs to send it to the bottom of the inning. Dunlap, would start the bottom of the sixth by reaching after catchers interference was called.
Truitt Grubbs, would then reach on a bunt single to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Turner, would move the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Rice, would drive in both Dunlap and Grubbs with a 2-RBI single to make it 5-2 Dragons. Rice, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. A single by Jenkins, would put runners at the corners with 2-out.
Lowitt, would bring in Rice with an RBI single to make it 6-2. Pitch runner Cal Morrison, would steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. At the same time, courtesy runner Kirchoff, would steal home to make it 7-2. Davis, would then get hit by a pitch to put runners at 1st and 2nd. A second single by Starks, would load the bases with 1-out. The Warriors, would get out of the sixth with a double play as the Dragons led it, 7-2.
Turner, would come on for the top of the seventh to try and close things out for the Dragons. Jones, would lead off the seventh with a solo shot to right center to make it 7-3. Turner, would collect himself and pick up a pop out and a ground out. Edwards, would keep the game alive for the Warriors with a 2-out single. Turner, would end the game with a strikeout as the Dragons would come away with a 7-3 win.
Stats for the Dragons:
Robert Turner: 1 walk, 1 sacrifice bunt, 1 run scored and 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K on 24 pitches
AJ Rice: 2-4 with 1 double, 1 single, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Kam Jenkins: 2-4 with 2 singles
Dawson Lowitt: 1-3 with 1 HBP, 1 single, and 1 RBI
Matthew Davis: 1 walk and 1 HBP
Christian Starks: 2-4 with 2 singles, 1 steal, and 1 RBI
Jennings Allen: 2 walks and 1 RBI
Drew Dunlap: 1-2 with 1 single and 1 run scored
Truitt Grubbs: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 run scored
Caden Kirchoff: 1 steal and 2 runs scored
Cal Morrison: 1 steal
Everett Grubbs: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 7 K on 70 pitches
MT Crenshaw: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K on 29 pitches
Chase Hulsey: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER on 17 pitches
The Dragons, will be back at Dunn Field on Wednesday, February 25th as they host the Ringgold Tigers. First pitch is set for 5:30 pm.
Dragons run rule Haralson County to move to 6-0
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports February 21, 2026
Jasper, Ga — After defeating the Pepperell Dragons on Thursday, the Pickens Dragons, were back at Dunn Field on Friday, February 20th as they took on the Rebels of Haralson County. The Dragons, came into the game with a 5-0 record. The Rebels, came into the game at 2-1. The Dragons, took control of this one early on as they plated 9 runs in the first inning on their way to a 10-0 win in 5 innings.
Jackson Nunn would get the start for the Dragons. After a pop out, C. Watkins, would draw a walk to reach base. Watkins, would be caught trying to steal 2nd for the second out. K. King, would then draw a 2-out walk to keep the inning going for the Rebels. C. Myers, would follow that with a single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 2-out. Nunn, would get out of the first with a strikeout.
Robert Turner, would lead off the bottom of the first with a double. After advancing to 3rd on a wild pitch, Turner, would come in to score after an RBI double by AJ Rice. Kam Jenkins, would then reach with a single to put runners at the corners. Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would steal 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. Boogie Lowitt, would drive in both Rice and Kirchoff with a 2-RBI single to make it 3-0 Dragons.
Matthew Davis, would keep the line moving with a single. After a single by Christian Starks loaded the bases, Jennings Allen, would bring in both Lowitt and Davis with a 2-RBI single to make it 5-0. The Rebels, would get the first out of the inning via strikeout. Truitt Grubbs, would reach on an error that would score Starks to make it 6-0. Turner, up for the second time in the inning, would drive in Allen with an RBI single to make it 7-0.
After a ground out, Jenkins, would bring in both Grubbs and Turner with a double to make it 9-0 Dragons. The Rebels, would get out of the first after a pop out. Heading to the second, Pickens led Haralson County, 9-0.
Nunn, would get the first out of the second inning on the first pitch with a pop out. L. Kilgone, would then reach on an error. K. Bacon, would follow that with a single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. After a line out, J. Huston, would draw a 2-out walk to load the bases. Nunn, would get out of the jam with a ground out to send it to the bottom of the second. The Dragons, would go down in order in the bottom half of the second as they would take a 9-0 lead into the third.
In the top of the third, the Rebels, looked to get something going again as Myers and D. Pruitt, would reach with back to back 1-out singles. Nunn, would settle in and pick up back to back strikeouts to send it to the bottom of the inning. Cal Morrison, now in for Everett Grubbs, would battle back from being down 0-2, to drawing a lead off walk. Truitt Grubbs, would then be hit by a pitch to put runners at 1st and 2nd.
Drew Dunlap, now in for Turner, would reach on a fielder’s choice as Grubbs would be forced out at 2nd. MT Crenshaw, would bring in Morrison with an RBI ground out to make it 10-0 Dragons. The Rebels, would get out of the third with a ground out to send it to the fourth.
Tanner Bail, would come on in relief of Nunn in the top of the fourth. Bacon, would draw a four pitch walk to lead off the inning. L. Wright, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Bacon would be forced out at 2nd. After a ground out, Watkins, would draw a 2-out walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Bail, would pick up a strikeout to send it to the bottom of the frame.
Brock Teal, would look to get something started for the Dragons after drawing a 1-out walk. The Rebels, were able to get out of the fourth with a pair of strikeouts to send it to the fifth with Pickens still leading, 10-0.
Bail, on in his second inning of relief, was looking to close this one out. Myers, would draw a walk to lead off the fifth. Bail, would keep the Rebels scoreless as he picked up back to back strikeouts and a ground out to seal the 10-0 win for the Dragons.
Stats for the Dragons:
Robert Turner: 2-2 with 1 double, 1 single, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored
AJ Rice: 1-2 with 1 double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 2-2 with 1 single, 1 double, and 1 RBI
Dawson Lowitt: 1-2 with 1 single, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Matthew Davis: 1-1 with 1 single and 1 run scored
Christian Starks: 1-2 with 1 single and 1 run scored
Jennings Allen: 1-2 with 1 single, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Truitt Grubbs: 1 HBP, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Cal Morrison: 1 walk and 1 run scored
Caden Kirchoff: 1 run scored
MT Crenshaw: 1 RBI
Brock Teal: 1 walk
Drew Dunlap: 1 steal
Jackson Nunn: 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K on 56 pitches
Tanner Bail: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K on 40 pitches
The Dragons, will finish off a busy week with an afternoon tilt at Dunn Field on Saturday, February 21st as they take on the North Atlanta Warriors.
Dragons fall in regular season finale; await postseason destination
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports November 1, 2025
Dahlonega, Ga — It was the spookiest night of the year as the Pickens Dragons made their way up to Dahlonega to take on the Indians of Lumpkin County on Friday, October, 31st. The Indians, came into the game needing a win and a Dawson loss to get into the playoffs. The Dragons, already in the playoffs, were looking for a better seed prior to the selections. After building a 21-3 first half lead, the Indians, were able to hang on a pick up a 29-22 win.
The Indians, would win the toss and elect to receive to begin the ball game. After a balance of the run game and the intermediate pass game, the Indians would strike first with a 27-yd touchdown run by Nolan Matthews. The PAT was good and with 6:43 left in the first quarter, Lumpkin led Pickens, 7-0. The Dragons, would drive down the field and were set up near the goal line as time expired in the first quarter.
After a couple of pass attempts by Tanner Bail looking for MCord Purdy and Ike Wyngaard fell incomplete, the Dragons, would settle for a 30-yd field goal make by Purdy to trim the Indian lead to 7-3 with 11:54 left in the first half. The Indians, would respond on their next possession with a 17-yd touchdown pass from Mason Hester to Mac Powell. The PAT was good and with 6:20 left in the half, Lumpkin was in front, 14-3.
Just before the end of the first half, Matthews, would power into the end zone for his 2nd touchdown run of the game. The PAT was good and the Indians would take a 21-3 lead into the break.
The Dragons, would start the second half with the ball and would end their opening drive with points as Cal Morrison would run it in from 2-yds out. The PAT was good and with 8:26 left in the third, Lumpkin led Pickens, 21-10. After getting a stop defensively, the Dragons, would get a big catch down the sideline to keep the drive alive. The Dragons, would cap off the drive with points as Bail found Jaxon Carver, for a 33-yd touchdown.
The two point conversion try would fall just short and with 1:27 left in the third, the Indian lead was cut to 21-16. Just before the end of the third, A Hester pass attempt was batted in the air and picked off by the Dragons. On the first play after the interception, Bail took a shot into the end zone for Purdy, but they could not connect. Heading to the fourth, Lumpkin led Pickens, 21-16.
The Dragons, would cash in on the turnover as Morrison would barrel into the end zone after a 3-yd run. The two point conversion attempt was no good and with 11:05 left in the game, the Dragons had the lead, 22-21. The Indians, on their next possession, would ride the run game with the tandem of Hester and Matthews. Hester, would finish the drive with an 11-yd touchdown run. The two point conversion attempt was good and with 8:46 left, Lumpkin led it, 29-22.
The Dragons, on their next series, would be faced with 4th down. It would fall short and the Indians would take over. Behind the legs of Matthews, the Indians were able to convert several third downs and drain the clock as Lumpkin would come away with the win, 29-22.
Final Regular Season 6-AAA Standings:
North Hall: 10-0 (7-0) *Region Champs
GAC: 8-2 (6-1) *#2 seed. will be in the private school bracket
Lumpkin: 6-4 (4-3) #3 seed
Pickens: 7-3 (4-3) #4 seed
White County: 3-7 (3-4)
Dawson: 4-6 (3-4)
Chestatee: 3-7 (1-6)
Johnson-Gainesville: 0-10 (0-7)
North Hall, GAC, Lumpkin, and Pickens look to be the representatives for region 6-AAA heading into the playoffs. We should know by the end of the weekend where these four teams are seeded and where they will be going. North Hall and GAC will be at home to begin the playoffs, while in all likelihood, Lumpkin and Pickens will begin on the road. Playoffs will begin on Friday, November 14th.
Dragons drop high scoring affair against GAC
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports October 26, 2025
Jasper, Ga — It was a cool, brisk evening on Friday, October 24th as the Pickens Dragons took on the Greater Atlanta Christian School Spartans in what was a key game for both teams in 6-AAA. Both Pickens and GAC came into the game tied for 2nd in the standings and were looking to get one step closer to potentially hosting a playoff game. The two teams would combine to score 84 points on the night as the Spartans would come away with a 49-35 win.
The Dragons, would win the toss and elect to differ to the second half. After converting several third downs on their opening drive, the Spartans, would strike first after an 11-yd touchdown pass. The PAT was good and with 7:59 left in the first quarter, GAC led Pickens, 7-0. The Dragons, would lean on their run game in their first possession of the ball game as they mixed in runs from Ike Wyngaard and Cal Morrison.
Morrison, would cap off the drive with a 1-yd touchdown run. The PAT was good and with 3:44 left in the first quarter, the Dragons and Spartans were tied at 7. The defense for the Dragons, would come up big during the next possession for the Spartans as Hunter Atkins would pick off the pass attempt and give the offense great starting field position on the run back.
The Dragons, would cash in on that turnover as Wyngaard would run it in from 33-yds out. The PAT was good, and as they headed to the second quarter, the Dragons led the Spartans, 14-7.
The Spartans, would tie things up with 8:26 to go in the first half after a 1-yd touchdown run. The Freshman, Cal Morrison, would once again find the end zone after a 2-yd run to put the Dragons back on top 21-14 with 4:04 left in the first half. The Spartans, would use up most of the time left on the clock during their next possession as they cashed in with a 26-yd touchdown pass. At the half, the Dragons and Spartans were tied at 21.
The Dragons, would go three and out on their first possession to start the second half. The Spartans, would retake the lead after a 57-yd touchdown pass to make it 28-21 with 9:05 left in the third. The Dragons, would answer back with a 5-yd touchdown run by Wyngaard. His 2nd of the game. With 5:06 left in the third quarter, the ball game was all tied up at 28.
The Spartans, would only use 2 minutes of game time as they would retake the lead after a 15-yd touchdown run. With 3:06 left in the third, GAC led Pickens, 35-28. After being backed up to start their next possession, the Dragons, pick up a huge play as Tanner Bail would connect with Hayden Jones, who snatched the ball over a GAC defender, for a 92-yd touchdown pass. The game was tied at 35 with 2:10 left to go in the third.
The Spartans, would reclaim the lead after a 60-yd touchdown pass. The PAT was good and they would head into the fourth quarter with GAC in front, 42-35.
GAC, would add to their lead after a rushing touchdown by the quarterback, would extend the Spartan lead out to 49-35 with 7:03 left in the game. Later on in the fourth, the Dragons, would look to cut the lead in half, but the Dragons were unable to convert on fourth down and the Spartans would run out the rest of the clock as they picked up a 49-35 win.
6-AAA Standings:
North Hall: 9-0 (6-0)
GAC: 7-2 (5-1)
Pickens: 7-2 (4-2)
Dawson: 4-5 (3-3)
Lumpkin: 5-4 (3-3)
White County: 2-7 (2-4)
Chestatee: 3-6 (1-5)
Johnson-Gainesville: 0-9 (0-6)
The Dragons, will be on the road next week for the regular season finale as they travel to take on the Lumpkin Indians on Friday, October 31st. It will be a critical game for both teams. There will also be eyes from Pickens and Lumpkin on the Dawson/North Hall game next Friday night as there is a possibility Pickens/Dawson/Lumpkin all end up 4-3 in region play. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons clinch spot in AAA playoffs
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports October 18, 2025
Gainesville, Ga — For the first time in over a month, the Pickens Dragons were on the road as they took on the Johnson Knights in 6-AAA action. With a win, the Dragons would secure a spot in the upcoming AAA playoffs and stay in the race for a first round home game. The Dragons, using a 35 point first quarter, came away with a 49-3 win.
The Knights, would win the toss and differ to the second half. They would start the game with a successful onside kick recovery. On the first offensive play from scrimmage, McCord Purdy, would pick off the pass attempt. The Dragons, would use the run game to March down the field. Tanner Bail, would then connect with Purdy for an 11-yd touchdown. The PAT was good and with 10:05 left in the first quarter, Pickens led Johnson, 7-0.
After a stop on fourth down by the defense, the Dragons, added to their lead after a 10-yd touchdown run by Cal Morrison. The PAT was good and with 7:25 left in the first quarter, Pickens led it, 14-0. The Dragons, would extend their lead in the first quarter after a 30-yd touchdown pass from Bail to Jaxon Carver to make it 21-0 with 5:15 left in the opening quarter.
A 34-yd run by Carson Mitton at the 2:20 mark, would put the Dragons up 28-0. As the first quarter was winding down, Ezra Faber, would get into the end zone after a 21-yd run to make it 35-0 Dragons heading to the second quarter.
The Knights, would put points on the board near the end of the first half as they would hit a 27-yd field goal to make it 35-3 with 3:03 left in the second quarter. The Dragons, would score on a 13-yd touchdown run by Ike Wyngaard just before the half ended to make it 42-3 heading into the break.
With a running clock established for the second half, the Dragons, would score the lone points in the second half late in the third quarter as Morrison would score on a 13-yd touchdown run. The final from Johnson High School, Pickens 49 Johnson 3.
6-AAA Region Standings:
North Hall: 8-0 (5-0)
Pickens: 7-1 (4-1)
GAC: 6-2 (4-1)
Lumpkin: 5-3 (3-2)
Dawson: 3-5 (2-3)
Chestatee: 3-5 (1-4)
White County: 1-7 (1-4)
Johnson-Gainesville: 0-8 (0-5)
The Dragons, will be back home next week as they take on the GAC Spartans on Friday, October 24th. As you can see from the standings above, the winner will have second place all to themselves heading into the final week of the regular season. This game came down to the wire last year, and this one is shaping up to be a good one as well. Kick off is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons get bounce back win against Chestatee
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports October 11, 2025
Jasper, Ga — It finally started to feel like fall on Friday, October 10th as the Pickens Dragons took on the Chestatee War Eagles in a 6-AAA match up. Both teams were coming off bye weeks and looking to rebound after a loss in their last game. The game was back and forth in the first half with the score tied at 21. The Dragons, would outscore the War Eagles 24-7 in the second half to pick up a 45-28 win.
The War Eagles, looked like they had a promising opening drive going, but the Dragons were able to force and recover a fumble to end that drive. In their first drive, the Dragons, couldn’t get anything going and the ball would go back over to the War Eagles. The War Eagles, would get on the board first after a 45-yd touchdown run. The PAT was good and with 2:39 left in the first quarter, Chestatee led Pickens, 7-0.
The Dragons next drive, carried over into the start of the second quarter as they would score on a 4-yd run by Cal Morrison. The PAT was good, and with 11:22 left in the first half, the ball game was tied at 7. The War Eagles, would come right back on their next possession as a long pass completion help set up a 12-yd touchdown run. The PAT was good and with 8:41 left in the first half, the War Eagles led the Dragons, 14-7.
It took the Dragons 1:13 of game time to answer as Morrison would rumble into the end zone after a 47-yd run for his second touchdown of the half. The PAT was good, and with 7:28 left in the first half, the game was tied at 14 a piece. The Dragons, would then get a stop defensively as a botched snap on a punt attempt led to excellent field position for the offense.
The Dragons, would take their first lead of the game after a 27-yd touchdown run by Ike Wyngaard. The PAT was good and with 4:16 left in the first half, the Dragons led the War Eagles, 21-14. Just before the end of the first half, the War Eagles, would score on a 1-yd touchdown run to tie things up at 21 heading into halftime.
The Dragons, would get the ball first in the second half and they would waste no time getting the lead back. A 43-yd run by Morrison, helped set up a 17-yd touchdown run by Wyngaard to put the Dragons up, 28-21. Later on in the third, the Dragons, would extend their lead after Tanner Bail, connected with McCord Purdy for a 43-yd touchdown pass to make it 35-21 Dragons with 4:12 left in the quarter.
A couple minutes into the fourth quarter, the War Eagles, would cut the lead in half after a 12-yd touchdown pass to make it 35-28 with 9:50 left to go in the game. The Dragons, would make it a two score game after a 35-yd field goal by Purdy to make it 38-28 with 7:23 left in the fourth. The Dragons, would add to their lead after blocking a punt attempt by the War Eagles.
Jeremiah Johns, would recover the ball in the end zone for the touchdown to make it 45-28 Dragons with 5:28 left in the game. After getting another stop on defense, the Dragons, would run the rest of the clock out as they picked up a much needed win, 45-28.
6-AAA Football Standings:
North Hall: 7-0 (4-0)
Pickens: 6-1 (3-1)
GAC: 5-2 (3-1)
Lumpkin: 5-2 (3-1)
Chestatee: 3-4 (1-3)
White County: 1-6 (1-3)
Dawson: 2-5 (1-3)
Johnson-Gainesville: 0-7 (0-4)
The Dragons, will be on the road for the first time in over a month next week as they travel to Gainesville to take on the Jonson Knights on Friday, October 17th. The Dragons, will look to stay near the top of the region standings as the regular season starts to wrap up. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons open 2025 season with road win
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports August 16, 2025
Lindale, Ga — With pre-season scrimmages over with, it was go time for high school football teams around the state of Georgia this week. Two of those teams, were Pickens and Pepperell in a battle of Dragons. In a closely contested ball game throughout, it was the Pickens Dragons that came out on top, 28-20.
The Pepperell Dragons, would receive the opening kickoff. They would take the opening kickoff nearly 70 yards to the Pickens 30-yd line. Facing a fourth down, Pepperell, would draw Pickens offsides to move the fourth down attempt closer. A QB sneak would give Pepperell the first down. The drive would end with points for Pepperell as they connected on a 4-yd touchdown pass. With 6:37 left in the first quarter, Pepperell led Pickens, 7-0.
Pickens, on their first drive of the game, picked up a nice gain, but was called back due to a penalty. A nice run by Ezra Faber, would set Pickens up with a manageable third down. Pickens QB Hayden Jones, would roll to his left on the next play, and found an open Faber for a 51-yd completion. That play would help set up a 24-yd touchdown run by Ike Wyngaard. Heading to the second quarter, the ball game was tied at 7 a piece.
The second quarter saw both teams stall out offensively as the defenses for both teams and penalties, were main factors in drives ending with no points. The only points of the second quarter came when McCord Purdy booted a 43-yd field goal through the uprights with just over 12 seconds left in the first half to give the Pickens Dragons a 10-7 lead over the Pepperell Dragons heading into halftime.
Pickens, who received the second half kickoff, would turn that first possession into points as Jones would score on a 38-yd touchdown run. With McCord Purdy out due to a cramping issue, Toccoa McGraw would step in to kick the PAT to give Pickens a 17-7 lead. Later on in the quarter, McGraw, would come on to try a 25-yd field goal. She would knock it through to extend the lead out to 20-7 with 6:10 left in the third. Pepperell, would cut into the lead after returning a punt 50-yds for the touchdown. Heading to the fourth, Pickens, led Pepperell 20-14.
Almost midway through the fourth quarter, Jones, found Brock Teal and Teal would leap into the end zone for a 24-yd touchdown. Pickens, would then look to make it a two touchdown game as they would go for two. After a defensive pass interference was called on the first attempt, Pickens, would send in a heavy package as Freshman Cal Morrison, would take the snap and barrel into the end zone for the conversion. With 6:10 left in the game, Pickens led Pepperell, 28-14.
Pepperell, would not go away quietly as they would score points on their next possession after a 3-yd touchdown run by QB Moss Tant, would cut the lead down to a one score game. The ensuing PAT would be no good however meaning that Pickens, was up 28-20 with 2:17 left in the game. After Pickens recovered an onside kick attempt by Pepperell, Faber, would pretty much seal the win for Pickens after a long run.
Pickens, would then drain the remaining time off the clock as they would come away with a 28-20 road win to open the season.
The Pickens Dragons, will be back in action next Friday night as they will host the Sonoraville Phoenix for the home opener. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons and Rebels battle in preseason scrimmage
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports August 2, 2025
Jasper, Ga — Friday night lights are back as high school football got going with many preseason scrimmages taking place on Friday, August 1st. One of those games taking place would be the Pickens Dragons hosting the Fannin Rebels. Pickens, after coming up a couple of games short of a playoff berth last season, look to take that next step in year two under head coach Craig Bennett. Fannin, has been a steady program under head coach Chad Cheatham and are once again favorites to win their region and make another playoff run.
The teams would play a normal game with the lone exceptions being that special teams plays were not live, and the quarterbacks couldn’t be hit. The Rebels, got the ball to start the game. Just as they crossed the 50-yd line, the Dragons would force and recover a fumble. The Dragons, would get a big chunk play as Hayden Jones would connect with McCord Purdy. Purdy’s run after the catch was sprung by a great down field block by Jaxson Carver. A few plays later, Freshman Cal Morrison, would punch it in from three yards out to give the Dragons a 7-0 lead with 8:08 left in the first quarter.
Later on in the first quarter, Tanner Bail, who came in at QB, found Purdy, who made one defender miss and took it all the way for a 47-yd touchdown. At the end of the first quarter, the unofficial score was 14-0 Pickens.
Not much doing for either team in the second quarter as both teams would move the ball a little bit, but were unable to come up with any points. Heading into the half, the Dragons still unofficially led the Rebels, 14-0.
About midway through the third quarter, Morrison, would find pay dirt for the second time as he would score on a 2-yd run. With 6:40 left in the third quarter, the Dragons had an unofficial lead of 21-0. The Dragons defense, would then force its second fumble of the game as Hagen Mullins would pick it up and take it to the house for the touchdown. With 5:47 left in the third, Pickens now led the Rebels, 28-0 unofficially.
On their next possession, the Rebels, would get on the board for their first touchdown of the game after a 13-yd run by quarterback Nate O’Neal. The PAT was good and with 4:38 left in the third, the Dragons unofficially led the Rebels, 28-7. After the Fannin defense forced a three and out, the Rebels, would once again drive into Dragon territory as we headed to the fourth quarter.
After a few hard runs by Casen Bailey, he would cap it off with a 4-yd touchdown run. The PAT was good and with 10:11 left in the game, the unofficial score was now 28-14 Dragons. On their next possession, the Dragons, would answer as a long run would set up a 3-yd touchdown run by Kaleb “kk” Jordan. The PAT was good and with 7:58 left in the game, the Dragons, were now unofficially ahead by a score of 35-14.
The last score and probably the most incredible part of the game came towards the very end as coach Cheatham and Bennett came together to help a young man with special needs score a touchdown. As he scored, players from both Fannin and Pickens ran over to help celebrate. The unofficial final score for the game was 35-21 in favor of Pickens.
Both teams will again be in action next week as they tune up for the final time before the regular season begins. The Dragons, will be at East Hall, while the Rebels will take on White County.