Dragons win first State Tournament game since 2000
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 22, 2024Jasper, Ga — It’s tournament time and the Pickens Dragons began their State Tournament journey on Wednesday, February 21st as they hosted the Coahulla Creek Colts for a first round match up in the AAA State Tournament. Coming into the game, the Dragons were the #2 seed out of region 7 and 20-8 overall. The Colts, came in as the #3 seed from region 6, and 19-8 overall. The Dragons, were able to pull away late in the game to pick up a 67-53 win.
Much like the girls game beforehand, the Colts won the opening tip and struck early as they found Andrew Russell cutting to the basket for the layup to make it 2-0. The Dragons, would tie things up with a basket by Parker Davis. A turnover by the Dragons led to Teagan Houser making a fast break layup to put the Colts back up, 4-2. After another near turnover, Dodge Davis was able to collect the ball and score to tie it up at 4.
The Colts, would then go on a 4-0 run as Russell and Cullen Marti would make back to back layups to give the Colts an 8-4 lead. After Parker Davis split a pair of free throws, Carter Quarles would make a tough turnaround fade away jumper to extend the lead to 10-5. The Dragons, would then go on an 8-0 run as Caleb Lanford hit a three, McCord Purdy would make a layup, and Dodge Davis would make a free throw and a layup to make it 13-10.
A pair of free throws from Greg Voyles would end the run and cut the Dragons lead to 1. Dodge Davis, would end the first quarter with a pair of free throws of his own to give the Dragons a 15-12 lead going to the second quarter.
The second quarter began with Waelyn Baliles getting inside for the bucket to make it 15-14. The Davis brothers would then go on a 4-0 run to stretch the Dragon lead out to 19-14. A 5-0 run by David Noll III would tie the game at 19. The Dragons, would respond with a 5-0 run of their own as Parker Davis would make a pair of free throws, and Lanford would hit a three to make it 24-19.
A three pointer by Quarles would cut the lead to 2. After both teams traded baskets, Parker Davis and Purdy would end the first half on a 4-0 run to give the Dragons a 30-24 lead going into the break.
The third quarter started with Lanford hitting a three to make it 33-24. After both teams went back and forth trading buckets, the Dragons would go on a 5-0 run as Purdy hit a three, and Lanford got a layup to go to make it 41-30. A three by Quarles would end the run and cut the lead to 8. After a basket by Dodge Davis, Quarles would hit another three to make it a 7-point game. Lanford would answer with a three to extend the lead to 46-36.
The Colts, would go on a 5-0 run to cut the lead in half. A big three from Freshman Jamin Martin, increased the lead back to 8. A 4-0 run by the Colts to end the third quarter cut the Dragons lead down to 49-47 going to the fourth.
The Dragons, began the fourth quarter by going on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 56-47. Marti, would end the run with a turnaround hook shot to make it 56-49. A layup by Hayden Jones and a free throw and a big two-handed dunk from Dodge Davis made it 61-49 Dragons. Houser, would hit a three to cut the lead down to 9. He would then split a pair of free throws to make it 61-53.
After a steal on the in-bounds pass, Jones was left all alone for the jam to make it 63-53. With under a minute to go and the Colts now having to foul, Parker Davis would step to the line and sink two free throws to make it 65-53. The exclamation point came late in the game when Lanford stole the ball, passed it up to Purdy, who then bounced it off the back board for Parker Davis to finish the alley-oop slam. The Dragons would take this one, 67-53.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Dodge Davis: 19 points
Parker Davis: 17 points
Caleb Lanford: 17 points
Mccord Purdy: 7 points
Hayden Jones: 4 points
Jamin Martin: 3 points
The Dragons, will now take to the road on Saturday, February 24th as they head up to Hart County to take on the Bulldogs in the AAA Sweet 16. The Bulldogs, are the #1 seed out of region 8 and are 15-13 overall. Tip off is set for 6 pm.
Dragons set to battle Bobcats for 7-AAA Championship
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 16, 2024Dahlonega, Ga — A trip to the 7-AAA Region Championship was up for grabs as the Pickens Dragons took on the Lumpkin Indians on Thursday, February 15th. The Dragons, defeated Lumpkin in both match ups in the regular season. Defeating a team three times in one season is a tough feat, but the Dragons were able to get by the Indians, 51-35.
The Indians, started off hot offensively to begin the ball game as Cal Faulkner would hit back to back threes to put them up 6-0 early on. The Dragons, would answer with an 8-0 run as both Dodge and Parker Davis, as well as Caleb Lanford helped give Pickens its first lead of the night. Stephen Sherrill, ended the Dragons run with a three to put the Indians ahead, 9-8.
Lanford and McCord Purdy would hit back to back threes to put the Dragons on top, 14-9. A layup by Faulkner would end the first quarter as the Dragons would take a 14-11 lead into the second quarter.
The Dragons, began the second quarter by going on a 9-0 run as Dodge Davis, Lanford, and Purdy all contributed to the run to put Pickens up, 23-11. The Indians, responded with a 7-0 run as Landon Pierce hit a three, and Faulkner and Preston Cox made back to back baskets to cut the lead to 23-18. Parker Davis, would then go on a 4-0 run to stretch the lead back out to 27-18.
Faulkner and Purdy would trade buckets to end the first half as the Dragons would go into the locker room with a 29-20 lead.
The second half scoring started with a 5-0 run by Dodge Davis to make it 34-20 Dragons. A three by T.J. Gaddis would end the run and cut the lead to 34-23. Both teams would then trade baskets to end the third quarter as Hayden Jones would get into the score book with a layup, Faulkner would add to his total, and Nathan Wallace would score on a layup to make it 38-26 Dragons going to the fourth.
Parker Davis and Purdy would split free throws to make it 40-26 to begin the fourth quarter. A bucket by Sherrill would cut the lead back to 12. A three by Lanford and a pair of split free throws by the Davis Brothers would make it 45-28. A three by Faulkner would cut the lead down to 15. After Purdy split a pair of free throws, Cox was able to make the layup and the free throw to cut the lead to 46-33.
A 5-0 run by Purdy and Lanford would extend the lead to 51-33. A late basket by Gaddis, would make it 51-35 as the Pickens Dragons would advance to the 7-AAA Region Championship game.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Dodge Davis: 14 points
Caleb Lanford: 14 points (4 threes)
McCord Purdy: 11 points
Parker Davis: 8 points
Hayden Jones: 2 points
Nathan Wallace: 2 points
The Dragons, will now turn their attention to the 7-AAA Region Championship game on Saturday, February 17th as they take on their 515 rivals, the Gilmer Bobcats. The Bobcats, defeated the Dawson Tigers 74-60 in the other region semifinal game to advance to Saturday. The Dragons and Bobcats split their regular season meetings with each team winning on their home floor. Tip off is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons punch ticket to AAA State Tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 13, 2024Jasper, Ga — It’s region tournament time as the 7-AAA region tournament started on Monday, February 12th. By virtue of being the #2 seed, Pickens hosted the first round of the tournament. Earlier games saw Dawson defeat Wesleyan, and Lumpkin defeat White County. The Dragons, with the home crowd watching, picked up a 66-36 win over the Spartans to advance to the State Tournament and the semifinals of the region tournament.
The first quarter began with the Dragons going on an 11-0 run. Nathan Wallace, Dodge Davis, Caleb Lanford, and McCord Purdy all contributed to the run. A basket just outside the free throw line by the Spartans ended the run and made it 11-2. The Dragons, would answer with a 5-0 run to make it 16-2. a bucket by the Spartans just as the shot clock was about to go off would make it 16-4 going to the second quarter.
The second quarter began with a three by Lanford. His third of the first half. After a basket by the Spartans to make it 19-6, West Hall followed it up with a three pointer to cut the lead to 19-9. The Spartans would add to their run with a free throw line jumper to make it 19-11. The Dragons, would put an end to the 7-0 run with a three by Purdy to stretch the lead to 22-11.
Jamin Martin, would then hit his first three of the ball game to make it 25-11. The run would continue for the Dragons as Parker Davis got the layup to go to make it 27-11. The 8-0 run would come to an end as the Spartans hit a jumper to make it 27-13. After a cold streak by both teams, Lanford would find Parker Davis underneath for the layup to make it 29-13. Hayden Jones, would somehow split a double team for the layup to make it 31-13.
A long three by the Spartans would make it 31-16. Parker Davis, would collect an offensive rebound and get the put back amidst the contact. He would make the free throw to give the Dragons a 34-16 lead. Just before the end of the first half, a foul on a three point attempt was called. The Spartans, would make two of the three free throws and going into the half, the Dragons led, 34-18.
The third quarter started with Lanford hitting his fourth three pointer of the game to stretch the lead to 37-18. After a defensive rebound by the Dragons, Purdy found Jones with an outlet pass who then found a cutting Dodge Davis, who threw down the two-handed dunk to make it 39-18. The Spartans, would end the 5-0 run with a tough layup to cut the lead to 39-20. The fifth three of the evening by Lanford gave the Dragons a 42-20 lead.
Parker Davis, would then use a nice head fake to drive in for the layup to make it 44-20. Dodge Davis, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 45-20. The Spartans, would get the hook shot to fall and make the free throw to cut the lead to 45-23. Dodge Davis, would get by his man for the layup to make it 47-23. After a turnover by the Spartans, Martin, would hit his second three of the night to make it 50-23.
Marin, would continue his hot shooting as he hit another three to make it 53-23. The Spartans, would end the run with a turnaround jumper to cut the lead to 53-25. A lay in by the Spartans would make it 53-27. Purdy, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 54-27. A steal by Montego Morgan would lead to Martin’s third three of the quarter and his fourth of the game. A running hook shot by the Spartans would make it 57-29.
A nice find from Parker Davis to Hayden Jones for the layup made it 59-29. After a defensive rebound by the Dragons, Martin hit Jones with a great lead pass from the other end of the court for the layup to make it 61-29. The Spartans, used a nice jump stop move for the layup to make it 61-31 going to the fourth.
The shortened fourth quarter would begin with the Spartans making a layup after a nice pass to cut the lead to 61-33. The Spartans, would then collect a defensive rebound and turn it into a three pointer to make it 61-36. The Dragons, would end the 5-0 run by the Spartans as Jones got into the lane for the layup and the foul. Jones, would make the free throw to put the Dragons up, 64-36. Camden Jones, would make the layup after a nice pass to make it 66-36.
That would be the final as the Dragons defeated the West Hall Spartans for the third time this season to advance to the AAA State Basketball Tournament and to the semifinals of the 7-AAA region tournament.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Caleb Lanford: 17 points (5 threes)
Jamin Martin: 12 points (4 threes)
Dodge Davis: 9 points
Parker Davis: 9 points
Hayden Jones: 9 points
McCord Purdy: 6 points
Camden Jones: 2 points
Nathan Wallace: 2 points
The Dragons, will now get ready for Thursday, February 15th as they head to Lumpkin to take on the Indians in one of the semifinal games of the 7-AAA region tournament. Tip off is set for 5:30 pm.
Dragons lock up #2 seed for next week’s Region Tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 10, 2024Jasper, Ga — On Friday, February 9th, the Pickens Dragons hosted the West Hall Spartans for the final regular season game of the 2023-24 season. The Dragons, were also celebrating their two Seniors, Caymen Morgan and Nathan Wallace. Coming into the game, the Dragons were 17-7, and 8-3 in region play. The Spartans, were 6-17, and 2-9 in region play. Four Dragons scored in double figures as Pickens defeated the Spartans, 80-24.
The Dragons, began the ball game on a 14-0 run as Dodge Davis, Caleb Ledford, Parker Davis, and Senior Nathan Wallace all contributed to the run. Troy Smith, would end the run and get the Spartans on the board with a jumper just inside the free throw line. After Ledford split a pair of free throws, Teryk Tilley hit a three to make it 15-5. Ethan Clippard then drove the baseline for a layup to make it 15-7.
The Dragons, would close the first quarter with an 8-0 run as Parker Davis made a layup, and Hayden Jones and Ledford hit back to back threes. Going to the second quarter, the Dragons led the Spartans, 23-7.
The run that ended the first quarter, would continue into the second quarter as Dodge Davis 7 straight points to put the Dragons up, 30-7. Smith, would go on a 4-0 run to make it 30-11. A three by Dodge Davis would make it 33-11. That would kick off a 15-0 run to end the first half as Dodge Davis would hit another three, then Jamin Martin would connect on a three, then Wallace would hit his second three, then Martin would hit another one. Going into halftime, the Dragons were leading the West Hall Spartans, 45-11.
The Dragons, kept the threes flying to start the second half as McCord Purdy got in the score book with his first three of the game to make it 48-11. The Dragons, would go on to score 21 points in the third while holding the Spartans to just 4 points to increase their lead to 66-15 going to the fourth.
The fourth quarter began with Parker Davis making a layup to stretch the lead to 68-15. A layup by Karter Shields would make it 68-17. After a pair of free throws by Dodge Davis, Glenn Matiba, would make a layup to make it 70-19. The teams then traded threes as Purdy hit his 2nd three, then Landon Bennett answered with a three to make it 73-22. A 5-0 run by Dodge Davis and Martin would make it 78-22.
Another layup by Matiba would end the run and make it 78-24. A layup from Aiden Mumaw would be the final bucket of the game as the Dragons defeated the Spartans, 80-24.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Dodge Davis: 22 points
Caleb Lanford: 14 points
Parker Davis: 13 points
Jamin Martin: 12 points
McCord Purdy: 6 points
Nathan Wallace: 6 points
Hayden Jones: 5 points
Aiden Mumaw: 2 points
Final 7-AAA Boys Basketball Standings:
Gilmer: 16-8 (10-2) #1 seed
Pickens: 18 -7 (9-3) #2 seed
Lumpkin: 13-12 (6-6) #3 seed
Wesleyan: 11-14 (6-6) #4 seed
Dawson: 14-11 (6-6) #5 seed
White County: 7-18 (3-9) #6 seed
West Hall: 6-18 (2-10) #7 seed
The Gilmer Bobcats, by virtue of being the #1 seed, will get a bye and automatically earn a spot in the AAA State Tournament. The first round of the 7-AAA Region Tournament will take place at Pickens High School on Monday, February 12th. Wesleyan will take on Dawson at 4:30, Lumpkin will take on White County at 6, and Pickens will take on West Hall at 7:30.
Dragons and Warriors split season series
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 3, 2024Cleveland, Ga — The Pickens Dragons were once again on the road as they traveled to take on the White County Warriors in 7-AAA action on Friday, February 2nd. Coming into the game, the Dragons were 16-6, and 7-2 in 7-AAA. The Warriors, were 6-16, and 2-7 in 7-AAA. The Warriors, would outscore the Dragons 27-14 in the fourth quarter to come away with a 64-47 victory.
McCord Purdy, got the scoring started in the first quarter as he put the Dragons up, 3-0. After David Boman split a pair of free throws and Dawson Oliver made a layup to tie it up, the Dragons would go on a 7-0 run as Parker Davis made a layup, and Hayden Jones would make back to back baskets with a layup and a three to make it 10-3. An and-1 play by Noah Futch would cut the lead down to 4.
After both teams split free throw makes, Jamin Martin would hit a three to make it 14-7 Dragons. Blayne Gunter, would answer with a three to make it 14-10. After a layup by Parker Davis, Futch would split a pair of free throws and the Dragons would take a 16-11 lead into the second quarter.
The Warriors, began the second quarter on a 9-0 run as Boman would hit a three, then Cohen Michaud would hit back to back threes to give the Warriors a 20-16 lead. Purdy, would stop the run with a basket, but that would be the only field goal the Dragons would make in the quarter. After Oliver split a pair of free throws, Boman, would hit a bucket to make it 23-18.
It would be a free throw contest to end the first half as the Dragons would make 5 and the Warriors would make 1. Heading into the break, the Warriors led the Dragons, 24-23.
Oliver, would begin the second half by making a pair of free throws to stretch the lead out to 3. After Parker Davis and Gunter traded baskets, the Dragons would go on a 5-0 run as Caleb Lanford hit a jumper and Purdy would connect on a three to give the Dragons a 30-28 lead. The Warriors, would answer with a 7-0 run to retake the lead, 35-30. A three by Martin would cut the lead to 2. Boman, would make a layup just before the buzzer to make it 37-33 going to the fourth.
Gunter, began the fourth with a basket to make it 39-33. A three from Lanford would cut the lead to 3. Boman responded with a three to make it a 6 point game again. Purdy, answered with a three on the other end to make it 42-39. After Reid Tanner split a pair of free throws and Oliver made a layup, Parker Davis would make a layup to cut it to 45-41. The Warriors, would then go on a 13-0 run to break the game open, 58-41.
Parker Davis, ended the run with a basket to make it 58-43. After a jumper from Braxton Anderson, Jones would come back with a bucket to make it 60-45. Boman, would make a pair of free throws to bring it to 62-45. After a basket by Purdy, Anderson would make a pair of late free throws to give the Warriors a 64-47 win.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Parker Davis: 14 points
McCord Purdy: 13 points
Hayden Jones: 7 points
Jamin Martin: 6 points
Caleb Lanford: 5 points
Dodge Davis: 2 points
7-AAA Basketball Standings:
Gilmer: 15-8 (9-2)
Pickens: 16-7 (7-3)
Dawson: 13-10 (5-5)
Wesleyan: 10-13 (5-5)
Lumpkin: 12-12 (5-6)
White County: 7-16 (3-7)
West Hall: 6-16 (2-8)
The Dragons, will end their four game road trip on Tuesday, February 6th as they head to Wesleyan to take on the Wolves. The Dragons, were able to come away with a win over Wesleyan in Jasper a couple of weeks ago. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 pm.
Dragons hit 18 threes in road win at Lumpkin
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 31, 2024Dahlonega, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, made the trek to Dahlonega on Tuesday, January 30th as they took on the Lumpkin County Indians in a battle of two of the hotter teams in 7-AAA. Coming into the game, the Dragons, were 15-6, 6-2 in 7-AAA, and winners of 7 out of their last 8. The Indians, were 11-11, 4-5 in 7-AAA, and winners of 8 out of their last 9. The Dragons, hit 17 threes during the game including 6 from freshman Jamin Martin en route to a 70-50 win.
The ball game started with Hayden Jones knocking down the first three of the night to make it 3-0. T.J. Gaddis, would cut the lead to 1 as he got his first shot to drop. A lay in by Parker Davis would put the Dragons back up by 3. Caleb Lanford, would follow with a pair of free throws and Dodge Davis would hit his first three of the game to make it 10-2. Gaddis, would cut the lead in half as he made the layup and the foul shot.
After a bucket by Parker Davis, Gaddis again answered with a basket to make it 12-7. The Davis brothers, would then hit back to back threes to make it 18-7. Cal Faulkner, would be the first Indian other than Gaddis to score as he made it 18-9 as they would go to the second quarter.
The Dragons, began the second quarter with a 5-0 run as Dodge Davis made a basket and Jones hit his 2nd three to make it 23-9. Gaddis, then completed his 2nd and-1 of the game as that made it 23-12. After a three by Jamin Martin, Faulkner would go on a 6-0 run to make it 26-18. The Dragons, would then go on a 10-0 run as Martin hit two more threes, Dodge Davis hit a three, and Montego Morgan split a pair of free throws to make it 36-18.
Jac Chambers, would end the run with a three to make it 36-21. Morgan, would connect on a three just before the end of the first half to put the Dragons up, 39-21 going to the break.
The second half began with the Indians going on a 7-0 run as Landon Pierce hit a three, then Preston Cox and Chambers made back to back buckets to cut the lead to 39-28. Martin, ended the run by sinking his 4th three of the game. Faulkner responded with a three of his own. Martin, came right back and nailed his 5th three. After another three by Pierce, Lanford and Martin made back to back threes to make it 51-34.
Faulkner and Pierce would end the third quarter by making back to back threes of their own to cut the Pickens lead down to 51-40 going to the fourth.
Gaddis, would start the fourth quarter by making a pair of free throws to cut the lead down to 51-42. Back to back threes by Lanford stretched the Dragons lead back out to 57-42. After a three by the Indians, the Dragons would go on a 9-0 run to make it 66-45. A bucket by Faulkner would end the run to make it 66-47. McCord Purdy, would then hit a three to make it 69-47.
After a three by Jackson Pulley, Lanford would split a pair of free throws to end the ball game as the Dragons came away with the 70-50 win.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Jamin Martin: 18 points (6 threes)
Caleb Lanford: 12 points (3 threes)
Dodge Davis: 11 points (3 threes)
Parker Davis: 11 points (1 three)
Hayden Jones: 8 points (2 threes)
McCord Purdy: 6 points (2 threes)
Montego Morgan: 4 points (1 three)
7-AAA Basketball Standings:
Gilmer: 15-7 (9-1)
Pickens: 16-6 (7-2)
Dawson: 13-9 (5-4)
Wesleyan: 9-13 (4-5)
Lumpkin: 11-12 (4-6)
White County: 6-16 (2-7)
West Hall: 5-16 (2-8)
The Dragons, will once again be on the road as they head to Cleveland, Ga on Friday, February 2nd to take on the White County Warriors. The Dragons, defeated the Warriors back on January 9th. Tip off set for 8:30.
Last second free throws sink Dragons seven game win streak
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 27, 2024Dawsonville, Ga — On Friday, January 26th, the Pickens Dragons began a four game road trip inside region play as they headed to Dawson County to take on the Dawson Tigers. Coming into the game, the Dragons were 15-5, 6-1 in 7-AAA play, and riding a 7 game winning streak. The Tigers, came into the game 11-9, 4-4 in 7-AAA play, and looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Gilmer on Tuesday. On Friday, late game free throws from Trey Harvey and Caden Reed, helped propel the Tigers to a 50-48 win.
The first quarter began with McCord Purdy hitting a corner three to make it 3-0 Dragons. Parker Davis, followed with a lay up to make it 5-0. The Tigers got on the board after Reed drove the baseline and laid it in for the score. After another Parker Davis layup, Joshua Priest hit a three to make it 7-5. Harvey, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 7-6 Dragons.
Back to back buckets by the Davis brothers and a pair of free throws by Purdy, gave the Dragons a 13-6 lead. A basket by Ethan Parker, would put an end to the 6-0 run and make it 13-8. Hayden Jones, would then hit a three to make it 16-8. A bucket by Samuel Glover would cut the Dragons lead down to 16-10 going to the second quarter.
Harvey, got things going in the second quarter with a basket to cut the lead to 4. Back to back buckets from Purdy and Dodge Davis, stretched the lead out to 20-12. After a timeout by Dawson, the Tigers would go on a 5-0 run as Parker made a basket and Reed hit a three pointer to make it 20-17. A three pointer by Caleb Lanford would make it a 6 point game. Back to back three pointers from Reed and Parker would tie the game at 23.
The Tigers, would close the first half on an 8-0 run as Harvey and Priest would help Dawson take a 31-26 lead into the break over Pickens.
The third quarter started with Dodge Davis making a layup, and Lanford hitting a pair of free throws to cut the lead down to 1. Both Harvey and Jones would then split free throws as the Tigers led, 32-31. After a three pointer by Reed, Lanford would get three the hard way as he made the lay up and the free throw to cut it back to 1. A three pointer by Priest would again make it a 4 point game. A layup by Parker Davis would then cut that in half.
After a pair of free throws from Harvey, the Dragons would close out the third quarter on a 7-0 run as Purdy, the Davis brothers, and Jones all contributed to the run. Going to the fourth quarter, the Dragons led the Tigers, 43-40.
The fourth quarter began with Harvey making two free throws to cut the lead to 1. A layup by Dodge Davis, would bring it back to a 3 point lead. Reed, would get the basket and the foul as he tied things up at 45 after the free throw. Purdy, would give the lead back to the Dragons with a three to put them up 48-45. Harvey, after getting fouled, would step to the line and hit both free throws to make it a 1 point game.
After a missed three point attempt by the Dragons, the Tigers put the ball in Harvey’s hands as he drove the lane with the seconds ticking down. Harvey would go up for a shot attempt, and would be fouled. Harvey, would make both free throws to put the Tigers up, 49-48. Purdy, looking to push the ball up the floor, passed it ahead to Jones. The ball was tipped out of bounds, which stopped the clock.
After it was called Dragon ball, the two closest officials to the play discussed it further and changed the call to Tiger ball. The Dragons, were then forced to intentionally foul as Reed would go to the line for two shots. Reed, would split the free throws to make it 50-48. A last second attempt from half court by Purdy wouldn’t fall and the Tigers would come away with the 50-48 win.
Scorers for the Dragons:
McCord Purdy: 15 points
Parker Davis: 10 points
Dodge Davis: 10 points
Caleb Lanford: 8 points
Hayden Jones: 5 points
Scorers for the Tigers:
Trey Harvey: 17 points
Caden Reed: 15 points
Joshua Priest: 9 points
Ethan Parker: 7 points
Samuel Glover: 2 points
7-AAA Standings:
Gilmer: 14-6 (8-1)
Pickens: 15 -6 (6-2)
Dawson: 12-9 (5-4)
Lumpkin: 10-11: (4-5)
Wesleyan: 8-13 (3-5)
White County: 6-15 (2-6)
West Hall: 5-15 (2-7)
The Dragons, will be back in action on Tuesday, January 30th as they take on the Lumpkin Indians in what will be an interesting match up in 7-AAA. Both teams are coming off having 7 game win streaks snapped. The Dragons, defeated the Indians in Jasper on December 15th, but the Indians have been playing much better since that game. Tip off is set for 7:30.
Coach Martin wins 100th game as Dragons defeat Gilmer
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 20, 2024Jasper, Ga — The Dragons Den was filled to the brim on Friday, January 19th as the Pickens Dragons hosted their rivals, the Gilmer Bobcats in a big time 7-AAA match up. Coming into the game, the Dragons were 14-5, 5-1 in 7-AAA play, and riding a 6 game win streak. The Bobcats, came into the game 12-6, and in first place in 7-AAA at 6-0. After a close first quarter, the Dragons outscored the Bobcats, 50-26 the rest of the way to pick up a 65-38 win.
The Bobcats, got things going early as they dumped it inside to their guy in the middle, Jackson McVey, for the first two points of the game. After several missed shots from both teams, the Dragons were able to tie the game up with a jumper by McCord Purdy. McVey, put the Bobcats back in front with a layup. He was then able to convert the free throw to make it 5-2. A nice pass from Parker Davis found a cutting Caleb Lanford, who would score to cut the lead down to one.
A corner three ball by Lanford gave the Dragons their first lead of the night at 7-5. The Bobcats, were able to find an open Kohan Davis under the basket on a fast break and he tied the game up at 7. Parker Davis, hit his first three of the game to make it 10-7. Ryder Wofford, would split a pair of free throws to cut the Dragons lead down to two. A jumper by JD Taylor would tie things up at 10.
A second three pointer by Lanford put the Dragons right back in front, 13-10. A nice drive by Davis, led to a layup that cut the Dragons lead down to one. A nice pass from Lanford found Hayden Jones cutting to the basket for the layup to make it 15-12 as they went to the second quarter.
The second quarter began with good ball movement by the Dragons that led to a second three pointer from Parker Davis that made it 18-12. Keegan Bryant, then drove to the basket, and scored the layup to make it 18-14. After a bit of a scoring drought, Purdy found Jones on an in-bounds play for the layup to make it 20-14. With the shot clock about to expire, Purdy, was able to hit a long three to make it 23-14. McVey, put an end to the run with a layup to make it 23-16.
A missed shot by the Dragons led to an opportunity for the Bobcats to find McVey for his first dunk of the evening to cut the lead down to 23-18. Lanford, kept his hot shooting going as he hit his third three pointer of the first half to make it 26-18. Dodge Davis, followed that up with a three of his own to make it 29-18. Wofford, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 29-19. Montego Morgan, grabbed a missed shot from the Bobcats, drove down the court, and found Dodge Davis for the layup to make it 31-19.
After another great passing display by the Dragons, Lanford would hit his fourth three of the first half to make it 34-19. McVey, would then make a layup to cut it to 34-21. That would be the score heading into the half.
The second half started with Wofford splitting a pair of free throws to cut the lead down to 12. After a missed shot by the Dragons, Wofford, was able to split a pair of defenders to sink the floater to cut the lead to 10. The Dragons, who are always lethal on the fast break, pushed the lead back to 12 after a layup from Jones. After Dodge Davis was able to draw a foul on McVey, he would split the free throws to make it 37-24. A turnover by the Bobcats on the other end, led to a three by Dodge Davis that made it 40-24.
Again, on another fast break chance, Purdy found Lanford driving to the basket for a layup to make it 42-24. A little while later, Purdy made a nice move as he drove to the basket and laid the ball up using an up and under move to avoid McVey’s block attempt to make it 44-24. McVey, put an end to the run with a layup to make it 44-26. Dodge Davis, was at the right place at the right time as he was able to rebound the missed three point attempt from Jones to lay it in and make it 46-26.
McVey, was able to collect a missed shot and dunk it in to make it 46-28. The Dragons, once again took advantage of getting back quickly as Purdy found Parker Davis in the lane for the layup to make it 48-28. After a block by Parker Davis on the other end of the court, Jones found Lanford in transition for the layup to make it 50-28 going to the fourth quarter.
A nice feed from Parker Davis to his brother Dodge for the layup started the scoring in the fourth quarter to make it 52-28. After a pair of turnovers, Bryant, made a layup to cut it to 52-30. A nice drive by Morgan led to a foul. While he was hurt on the drive, Morgan gutted it out, and made both of the free throws to make it 54-30. A corner three by Bryant made it 54-33. Parker Davis, would counter with a three of his own. Bryant, then hit another three to make it 57-36. A jumper at the free throw line by Lanford and a jumper by Purdy made it 61-36.
After a turnover by the Dragons, the Bobcats were able to take it down the court and McVey would finish it off with his third dunk of the game. Parker Davis, jumped in front of the pass attempt and that led to a fast break and it was capped off by Purdy lobbing it up to Parker Davis for the lay in to make it 63-38. After another turnover, those two got another chance to go to work as Purdy tossed the ball off the backboard and Parker Davis threw it down to close out the game, 65-38.
7-AAA Basketball Standings:
Pickens: 15-5 (6-1)
Gilmer: 12-6 (6-1)
Dawson: 11-8 (4-3)
Lumpkin: 9-10 (3-4)
Wesleyan: 8-12 (3-4)
West Hall: 4-13 (2-5)
White County: 4-15 (0-6)
The Dragons, will have the next week to get ready as they begin a 4 game region road trip starting on Friday, January 26th as they take on the Dawson Tigers. The Dragons, defeated the Tigers on December 12th. Tip off set for 8:30 pm.
Dragons defeat Spartans for 6th win in a row
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 17, 2024Oakwood, Ga — After picking up a big win over Wesleyan on Friday, January 12th, the Pickens Dragons took a 5 game winning streak into their game against the West Hall Spartans on Wednesday, January 17th. This game was originally scheduled for Tuesday, January 16th, but the cold weather forced it to be pushed back a day. The Dragons, kept things rolling as they came away with a 68-53 road victory.
Caleb Lanford, got the game started with a three pointer to put the Dragons up early. After Glenn Matiba split a pair of free throws, Parker Davis made a layup to make it 5-1. Parker Davis, would then pick up his 2nd foul and would have to sit for the majority of the first quarter. Teryk Tilley, would cut the lead to 5-3 after a bucket. Hayden Jones, would make his first three of the game to push the lead to 8-3.
A 5-0 run by the Spartans would tie the game at 8. After Jones ended the run with a layup, Ian Pardue hit his first three to give the Spartans an 11-10 lead. McCord Purdy, would put the Dragons back on top 12-11 with a bucket. A second Pardue three pointer gave the Spartans a 14-12 lead. Back to back three pointers from Nathan Wallace and Purdy would give the Dragons an 18-14 lead going to the second quarter.
A basket by Landon Bennett got things going in the second quarter as the Spartans cut the lead to two. Purdy and Dodge Davis would then combine for a 5-0 run to stretch the lead to 23-16. Bennett, picked up his second bucket of the quarter to end the run and cut it to 23-18. After a layup by Jones, Matiba got the lay-in to go as well as the free throw to make it 25-21.
Jones and Matiba would then trade baskets as the Dragons led 28-23. Back to back three pointers from Purdy and Montego Morgan stretched the lead out to 34-23. Pardue, closed out the first half with a three to make it 34-26 Dragons going into halftime.
Wallace, connected with his second three pointer to start the third quarter as the Dragons led 37-26. After a basket by Tilley, the Dragons would go on a 12-0 run as the Davis brothers, and Jones contributed to the run as Pickens made it 49-28. A bucket by Troy Smith would put an end to the run and cut it to 49-30. After Jones split a pair of free throws, Bennett got a layup to go to make it 50-32. Jones, would close the third going 2-2 from the line to give the Dragons a 52-32 lead.
A three point play by the Spartans began the fourth quarter scoring as that cut the lead to 52-35. After a bucket by Dodge Davis, Smith would make back to back three pointers to make it 54-41. A 7-0 run by Dodge Davis and Caleb Lanford would stretch the lead back out to 20. A 4-0 run by the Spartans with baskets from Bennett and Ethan Clifford, made it 61-45. Dodge Davis, would then make a layup, and then split a pair of free throws to make it 64-45.
Tilley, would convert an and-1 play to cut the lead back to 16. Both teams traded baskets to end the ball game as the Dragons picked up their 6th straight win, 68-53.
Top Scorers For The Dragons:
Hayden Jones: 16 points
Dodge Davis: 14 points
Parker Davis: 12 points
McCord Purdy: 11 points
Caleb Lanford: 6 points
Nathan Wallace: 6 points
Montego Morgan: 3 points
The Dragons, will be back home insode the Dragons Den on Friday, January 19th as they welcome their rivals from the north, the Gilmer Bobcats. The Bobcats, came away with a close win on December 5th earlier in the season. A win for the Dragons, would split the in season series and tie the Bobcats on top of the region standings. Tip off set for 8:30.
Dragons move into second place in 7-AAA
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 13, 2024Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, began 2024 on a winning note as they defeated White County 73-55 on Tuesday, January 9th. On Friday, January 12th, the Dragons were back at home as they welcomed the Wesleyan Wolves to the Dragons Den for a 7-AAA contest. Coming into the game, the Dragons were 12-5, 3-1 in 7-AAA, and winners of 4 straight. The Wolves, came into the game 8-9, 3-1 in 7-AAA play, and looking to end a 2 game skid. The Dragons, picked up their 5th straight win taking this one, 50-42.
Hayden Jones, got the scoring started to begin the first quarter as he nailed a corner three to make it 3-0. A 4-0 run by Wesleyan’s Josh Kavel and Brayden Tidwell, gave the Wolves a 4-3 lead. A layup by Parker Davis, gave the Dragons a 5-4 lead. The Wolves, would then go on an 8-0 run as Kavel and Grant Schelhammer combined for the run. The Dragons, closed out the first quarter on a 7-0 run as McCord Purdy scored 5 straught points, then Parker Davis made a layup to tie it at 12 going to the second quarter.
Dodge Davis, began the second quarter with a three to put the Dragons ahead, 15-12. A three by Kavel, would tie things right back up. Both teams would then go back and forth until the Dragons went on an 11-0 run that included 8 straight points from Dodge Davis to make it 29-19 Pickens at the half.
The Wolves, got the scoring started in the second half as Nate Nketia-gyasi hit a three to cut the lead to 29-22. Jones and Schelhammer, would then trade baskets as the Dragons led it, 33-26. A three by Caleb Lanford would stretch the lead back to 10. James McGriff, would end the third quarter on a 3-0 run as the Dragons took a 36-29 lead into the fourth.
Dodge Davis, would make another three to begin the fourth quarter as that brought the lead back to 10, 39-29. After a pair of fouls on the Dragons, Kavel hit a three to cut it to 39-32. Dodge Davis would then go on a 4-0 run as Pickens led it, 43-32. After a back and forth with Kavel and Parker Davis, Dodge Davis again went on a 4-0 run to make it 49-37 Dragons.
A three by Schelhammer and a bucket by Tidwell, cut the lead to 49-42. With the Wolves forced to foul, Parker Davis would step to the line and hit a free throw as the Dragons came away with the 50-42 victory.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Dodge Davis: 23 points
Hayden Jones: 9 points
McCord Purdy: 8 points
Parker Davis: 7 points
Caleb Lanford: 3 points
7-AAA Boys Basketball Standings:
Gilmer: 11-4 (6-0)
Pickens: 13-5 (4-1)
Wesleyan: 8-10 (3-2)
Dawson: 9-8 (2-3)
West Hall: 4-11 (2-3)
Lumpkin: 5-11 (1-4)
White County: 4-14 (0-5)
The Dragons, will take to the road on Tuesday, January 16th as they head to West Hall to take on the Spartans in another 7-AAA contest. Tip off scheduled for 7:30 pm.
Dragons begin 2024 with big region win
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 10, 2024Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, closed out 2023 on a high note winning their bracket in the Marlin Christmas Classic Tournament and looked to stay hot as they began 2024 by taking on the White County Warriors in 7-AAA action. The Dragons, came into the game 11-5 and 2-1 in 7-AAA play. The Warriors, came into the game 4-12 and 0-3 in 7-AAA play. Using a big first quarter, the Dragons were able to pick up a 73-55 win.
The Dragons, began the ball game by going on a 6-0 run as Parker Davis scored 4 points and Hayden Jones picked up 2 points. A three pointer by David Bowman ended the run and cut the Dragons lead in half. From there, the Dragons would go on a 10-0 run as Caleb Lanford, Jones, and Dodge Davis would all contribute points to make it 16-3. A basket by Noah Futch would end the run and make it 16-5.
Dodge Davis and Lanford, would then combine for a 5-0 run as Davis made a layup and Lanford hit a three to make it 21-5. After a basket by Bowman, Dodge Davis closed out the first quarter scoring by converting an and-1 to give the Dragons a 24-7 lead going to the second quarter.
The Warriors, started the second quarter by going on a 4-0 run to cut the lead to 24-11. A three pointer by Jamin Martin made it 30-11 Dragons. After Futch made a bucket and Braxton Anderson split a pair of free throws, the Dragons would go on a 7-0 as Lanford hit a three, and McCord Purdy and Nathan Wallace made back to back layups to make it 34-14. A layup by Anderson stopped the run and made it 34-16.
Both teams would then trade three pointers as Wallace ended the first half with a buzzer beater to make it 40-19 Pickens at the half.
The Davis brothers kicked off the second half scoring as Dodge split a pair of free throws and Parker made a layup to make it 43-19. After a 4-0 run by the Warriors, the Dragons countered with a 6-0 run as Purdy made a free throw, Parker Davis made a layup, and Jones hit a three to make it 49-23. Both teams then traded three pointers as the Dragons led it 52-26.
The warriors, would then go on a 9-0 run to cut the lead down to 52-35. A 6-0 run by the Dragons would close out the third quarter as Pickens would take a 58-35 lead into the fourth.
The Dragons and Warriors went back and forth to begin the fourth quarter. White County, would go on a 9-0 run to make it 62-47. Purdy and DJ Mitchell, hit back to back three pointers to stretch the lead to 68-47. The two teams traded buckets as the game came to a close with the Dragons getting the 73-55 victory.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Caleb Lanford: 16 points
Parker Davis: 13 points
McCord Purdy: 12 points
Dodge Davis: 11 points
Hayden Jones: 7 points
DJ Mitchell: 6 points
Nathan Wallace: 5 points
Jamin Martin: 3 points
Scorers for the Warriors:
David Bowman: 16 points
Noah Futch: 15 points
Dawson Oliver: 9 points
Braxton Anderson: 8 points
Zach McCoy: 3 points
Tripp Nix: 3 points
John Phillips: 1 point
The Dragons, are now 12-5 and currently sit in 3rd place in 7-AAA at 3-1. On Friday, January 12th, the Dragons will be back home as they take on the Wesleyan Wolves. Should the Dragons win that one, they will jump to 2nd place in the region standings. Tip off set for 8:30 pm.