Dragons sweep season series against War Eagles
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 22, 2026
Gainesville, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, made the trip down to Chestatee to take on the War Eagles on Thursday, January 22nd. This game, was originally scheduled for Friday, but with the impending weather set to come in, it was bumped up a day. The Dragons, were able to build off of their win over Dawson on Tuesday, and pick up a 71-41 win over the War Eagles.
Aiden Mumaw, would start off the game by getting to the free throw line. He would split the free throw attempts. Mumaw, would then get a layup to go to make it 3-0. A three by Brody Bryant, would stretch the lead to 6. A layup by Cody Couch, and a pair of free throws by Nazir Dixon, would cut the lead to 2. The Dragons, would then go on an 11-0 run to make it 17-4. After a second basket by Couch, McCord Purdy, would hit a three to make it 20-6.
Dixon, would get a late bucket to go to make it 20-8 Dragons heading to the second quarter.
Carson Hunt, would begin the second quarter with a three to cut the lead to 9. After a lay-in by Hayden Jones, the War Eagles, would hit another three to make it 22-14. Jedidiah Lanford, would get in the score book with a put back layup to make it a 10 point game. Lucas Feltner, would make it an 8 point game with a bucket. DJ Mitchell, would make back to back tough layups to give the Dragons a 28-16 lead.
After another three by Couch, the Dragons, would end the first half on a 6-0 run capped off by a buzzer beating three by Purdy to make it 34-19 Pickens heading into the break.
Mumaw, would start the second half by making a pair of free throws. The War Eagles, would go on a 7-0 run to trim the Dragon lead down to 10. Mitchell and Purdy, would then combine to go on a 5-0 run to stretch the lead back to 15. After a bucket by Feltner, Purdy and Lanford, would make back to back baskets to make it a 17 point advantage. A bucket by Dixon, would make it 45-30.
The Dragons, would end the third quarter on an 8-0 run to stretch the lead out to 53-30 heading to the fourth quarter.
Couch, would make back to back layups to begin the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 53-34. A 9-0 run by the Dragons, would make it 62-34. Carson Hunt and Lanford, would trade three point baskets as the Dragons led it, 65-37. After a bucket by Hunt, Landon Rice, would hit a three. Rice, would then head to the line where he would split a pair of free throws. Sawyer Purdy, would make a nice move for a layup to give the Dragons a 71 -39 lead.
A late basket by Feltner, would give us a final score of 71-41 as the Dragons come away with the win and the series sweep.
Leading scorers for the Dragons:
McCord Purdy: 20 points
DJ Mitchell: 17 points
Aiden Mumaw: 8 points
Jedidiah Lanford: 7 points
Hayden Jones: 6 points
Landon Rice: 4 points
Brody Bryant: 3 points
Cam Jones: 2 points
Jonah Jordan: 2 points
Sawyer Purdy: 2 points
The Dragons, are now 10-9 on the season and 6-2 in 6-AAA play. The Dragons, are set to be at Lumpkin to take on the Indians on Tuesday, January 27th at 7:30. We’ll see if that is still the case depending on what the weather does this weekend.
Balanced attack helps Dragons defeat Tigers
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 21, 2026
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, were back inside the Dragons Den on Tuesday, January 20th as they took on the Dawson Tigers in a key 6-AAA region match up. The Dragons, were looking to rebound after a tough loss to GAC last Friday. The Tigers, were looking to continue their winning ways after beating White County. The Dragons, using a balanced scoring attack, came away with a 75-61 win.
The Dragons, would race out to an early lead as Aiden Mumaw, Hayden Jones, and McCord Purdy, would combine to go on a 6-0 run. A three by Jack Ledbetter, would cut the lead in half. After a basket by Jones, Landon Lee, would convert an and-1 play to cut the lead to two. A three by Brody Bryant, would push the lead back to five. After a bucket by Lee, Jones and Purdy would go on a mini 4-0 run to make it 15-9.
A three by Lee, would once again cut the lead in half. Back to back threes by Purdy and DJ Mitchell, would make it 21-12. Corbin Cantrell, would make a pair of late free throws to cut the Dragons lead to 21-14 heading to the second quarter.
Jones, Jonah Jordan, Jedidiah Lanford, and Mitchell, would combine to go on a 10-0 run to open the second quarter. A layup by Mason Harvey, would end the run and cut the lead to 31-16. After a bucket by Purdy, Ledbetter, would sink back to back baskets to make it 33-20. Jones, would continue his nice night with another layup, and Mitchell, would make a pair of free throws to stretch the lead out to 37-20.
Cayson Chester, would make a pair of free throws to end the mini 4-0 run and cut the lead to 37-22. After Purdy split a pair of free throws and Mitchell would get a bucket to go, Ledbetter, would get a layup to fall and Lee would split free throw attempts to cut the lead to 40-25. Mumaw, would then go on a mini run as he would split a pair of free throws and then convert an and-1 play to make it 44-25.
Garrett Matthews and Lee, would combine to go on a 5-0 run to end the first half as the Dragons, would take a 44-30 lead into the break.
That 5-0 run would continue into the start of the second half as Ledbetter and Harvey, would hit back to back buckets to cut the Dragons lead to ten. Jones, Mumaw, and Mitchell, would respond by combining to go on a 7-0 run to stretch the lead to 51-34. After Ledbetter and Bryant traded baskets, Lee, would hit a three and then make a pair of free throws to trim the lead down to 53-41.
Mitchell, would settle things down for a bit with a basket to make it 55-41. A late bucket by Cantrell, would make it 55-43 Dragons heading to the fourth.
Purdy, would begin the fourth quarter with a three to stretch the lead out to 15. Chester, would answer with back to back layups to cut the lead to 58-47. Cantrell, would then trim the lead to single digits with a pair of free throws. A 10-0 run by Purdy, Mitchell, and Jones, would give the Dragons a 68-49 lead. Lee, would split a pair of free throws to end the run. Mitchell, would make it a 70-50 advantage after a basket.
Lee and Harvey, would then combine to go on a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 15. After a bucket by Bryant, Lee and Mitchell would exchange three point makes to end the game as the Dragons would come away with the 75-61 victory.
Leading scorers for the Dragons:
DJ Mitchell: 21 points
McCord Purdy: 19 points
Hayden Jones: 14 points
Aiden Mumaw: 8 points
Brody Bryant: 7 points
Jonah Jordan: 3 points
Jedidiah Lanford: 3 points
6-AAA Boys basketball Standings:
Lumpkin: 17-1 (7-0)
GAC: 7-10 (6-1)
Pickens: 9-9 (5-2)
Dawson: 10-8 (4-3)
North Hall: 7-11 (3-4)
White County: 2-16 (2-5)
Chestatee: 4-14 (1-6)
Johnson-Gainesville: 0-16 (0-7)
The Dragons, will be back on the road as they will take on the Chestatee War Eagles on Friday, January 23rd. The Dragons, defeated the War Eagles back on December 5th to begin region play. Tip off is set for 8:30 pm.
Dragons open region play with win over Chestatee
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 6, 2025
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, were back home on Friday, December 5th as they opened up region 6-AAA play against the Chestatee War Eagles. The Dragons, were coming off a big 75-71 win over Banks County on Saturday, November 29th. After a close first half, the Dragons, outscored the War Eagles 45-25 in the second half to come away with a 73-48 win.
Brody Bryant, would give the Dragons an early lead with a bucket. Cody Couch, Nasir Dixon, and Lucas Feltner, would combine to go on a 6-0 run to give the War Eagles a 6-2 lead. A layup by Camden Jones, would cut the lead to two. After a layup by Isaac Brown, Bryant, would make a pair of free throws to make it 8-6. Another basket by Brown, would once again make it a 4 point game.
A three by DJ Mitchell, would cut the lead down to one. That would kick off a 13-0 run by the Dragons to end the first quarter as they would head to the second quarter leading the War Eagles, 19-10.
Feltner and Carson Hunt, would begin the second quarter by combining to go on a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 4. Mitchell and McCord Purdy, would counter with a 5-0 run of their own to make it a 9 point game again. Both teams, would trade baskets to end the first half as the Dragons would take a 28-23 lead into the break.
Mitchell, would get the second half started with a jumper to make it 30-23. After a three by Couch, Purdy, would get a layup to go to make it 32-26. Dixon, would cut the lead to 4 with a bucket. The Dragons, would then go on a massive 15-0 run to break the game open 47-28. A pair of free throws by Feltner, would end the big run by Pickens. Bryant and Mitchell, would end the third on a 5-0 run. Heading to the fourth, the Dragons led it, 52-30.
The two teams would go back and forth to start the fourth. Mitchell and Bryant, would hit back to back threes to make it 60-35 Dragons. After a basket by Brown, Jedidiah Lanford, would hit a three to make it 63-37. After a lay-in by the War Eagles, Purdy, would hit his 2nd three of the game to make it 66-39. A 4-0 run by Brown, would make it 66-43. A three by Logan Gramling, would make it 69-43.
A pair of free throws by Feltner, would make it 69-45. Back to back baskets by Zade Waller and Landon Rice, would make it 73-45. A late three by Brown, would give us the final score with the Dragons picking up the win, 73-48.
Scoring leaders for the Dragons:
DJ Mitchell: 25 points
Brody Bryant: 17 points
Jedidiah Lanford: 8 points
McCord Purdy: 8 points
Hayden Jones: 6 points
Logan Gramling: 3 points
Camden Jones: 2 points
Landon Rice: 2 points
Zade Waller: 2 points
The Dragons, will get the next week off as they get ready for their next region game against the Lumpkin Indians on Tuesday, December 16th. Tip 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 suffer first loss of 2025 season
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports September 27, 2025
Jasper, Ga — On Friday, September 26th, the Pickens Dragons were in front of the home crowd yet again as they took on the Trojans of North Hall in a pivotal game in 6-AAA. Both teams came into the game with identical 5-0 overall records and 2-0 records in region play. In the end, it would be the Trojans who remained unbeaten as the defending region champions came away with a 38-0 win.
The Trojans, would get the ball first and would use the run game with a sprinkling of a screen game to head down the field into scoring position. The Trojans, would get into the end zone after a 9-yd touchdown run by Justin Allen. The PAT was good and with 8:43 left in the first quarter, North Hall led Pickens, 7-0. Neither team could get anything going for the rest of the quarter. Heading to the second quarter, the Trojans led it, 7-0.
The Trojans, would add to their lead at the 9:09 mark of the second quarter as they were able to connect on a 32-yd field goal to make it 10-0. Later on in the second quarter, the Trojans would tack on more points after a 14-yd touchdown run by Parker Carlton to make it 17-0 with 3:34 left in the half. The Dragons, looking to get something going before the half, would get into field goal range with 1 second left in the quarter.
The field goal attempt would be pushed to the left and after one half of play, the Trojans led the Dragons, 17-0.
The Trojans, would add to their lead in the third quarter with a 1-yd touchdown run to make it 24-0 with 2:37 left in the quarter. Heading to the fourth, the Trojans led the Dragons, 24-0.
The Trojans, would cap off the game with a pair of rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the defending 6-AAA champions would come away with a 38-0 win.
6-AAA Region Standings:
North Hall: 6-0 (3-0)
GAC: 5-1 (3-0)
Pickens: 5-1 (2-1)
Lumpkin: 4-2 (2-1)
Chestatee: 3-3 (1-2)
Dawson: 1-4 (0-2)
Johnson-Gainesville: 0-5 (0-2)
White County: 0-6 (0-3)
The Dragons, will be off next week as they get ready to take on the Chestatee War Eagles on Friday, October 10th at home. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm. In fact, everyone with the exception of Dawson and Johnson are off next week. The Dragons, will look to stay towards the top of the standings when they return to action in two weeks.
Dragons sweep War Eagles in doubleheader
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 12, 2025
Jasper, Ga — It was doubleheader day around 6-AAA on Friday, April 11th as both Pickens and Chestatee, as well as White County and GAC both played two after getting rained out on Thursday, April 10th. For Pickens and Chestatee, Chestatee would be the home team for the first game. The Dragons, would get wins in both games as they picked up a 4-3 win in eight innings in game one, and a 10-0 victory in six innings in game two.
Game One:
A.J. Rice, would look to get something started in the top of the first as he would draw a walk to reach base. The War Eagles, were prepared for Rice’s steal attempt, and got him out in a rundown. A fly out, would send it to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the first, Eli Chaffin, would reach with a 1-out double. Ethan Dunn, would then reach on a single, Chaffin, would come around to score to make it 1-0 War Eagles.
Dunn, would advance to 2nd on the play. Carter Edmondson, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Dunn would be forced out at 3rd. Dragons starter Jackson Nunn, would get out of the first with a strikeout. Heading to the second, Chestatee led Pickens, 1-0.
Dawson Lowit, would lead off the top of the second by drawing a walk. Cade Sutton, would then follow that up with a single. Lowit, would advance all the way to 3rd on the hit. Sutton, would make the heads up play and move to 2nd on the throw to 3rd. War Eagles starter Ryland Head, would pick up a strikeout, a pop out, and a line out to get out of the jam to send it to the bottom of the second.
Trenton Eaton, would lead off the bottom of the second with a single. After a pop out, Zac Benna, would reach with a single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Thomas Martens, would then reach with a single. Courtesy runner Riley Nix, would be waved home, but a good throw by Christian Starks would get Nix at the plate. Heading to the third, the War Eagles, still led the Dragons, 1-0.
Jennings Allen, would lead off the top of the third with a single. Allen, would then advance to 2nd after a passed ball. Kam Jenkins, would drive in Allen with an RBI triple to tie the game at 1. After a fly out, Starks, would bring in courtesy runner Ezra Faber with a sacrifice fly RBI to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead. Head and the War Eagles, would get out of the third with a line out.
In the bottom of the third, Nunn, would work around a 2-out double by Edmondson, and a wild pitch to keep the War Eagles scoreless. Heading to the fourth, Pickens led Chestatee, 2-1.
After a pop out and a strikeout started the top of the fourth, Sam Hammontree, would keep the inning alive for the Dragons after getting hit by a pitch. Dawson Holland, would then reach with a single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 2-out. The War Eagles, would get out of the fourth with a line out. In the bottom of the fourth, Cort Hagerman, would draw a 1-out walk to reach base. Benna, would drive in Hagerman with an RBI triple to tie the game at 2.
Parker Grant, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Benna would be forced out at home for the second out. Martens, would bring in Grant with an RBI double to give the War Eagles a 3-2 lead. During the next at bat, Nunn, would have to unfortunately leave the game due to injury. Dylan Walls, would come on in relief of Nunn. Walls, would get out of the fourth with a strikeout as the War Eagles took a 3-2 lead into the fifth.
Jenkins, would be hit by a pitch to lead off the fifth inning. His courtesy runner, Ezra Faber, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Rice, would advance Faber to 3rd after a fly out to right. Starks, would bring in Faber with a sacrifice fly RBI to tie the game at 3. Lowit, would then reach on an error by the 3rd baseman. The War Eagles, would get out of the fifth with a strikeout.
In the bottom of the fifth, Dunn, would lead off with a single. Walls, in his first full inning of relief, would pick a strikeout and force a 4-6-3 double play to send it to the sixth with the game still tied at 3.
In the top of the sixth, Hammontree, would again be hit with a pitch to reach base with 1-out. Holland, would follow that by picking up his 2nd hit of the day to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. The War Eagles, would get out of the sixth with a 6-3 double play. In the bottom of the sixth, Walls, would work around a 2-out walk drawn by Benna to pick up a pop out, a ground out, and a strikeout to send it to the seventh, still tied at 3.
In the top of the seventh, Rice, would reach with a 1-out single. Rice, would then be called out trying to steal 2nd as the field umpire ruled that Rice’s foot popped up off the bag. The War Eagles, would get out of the seventh with a fly out. In the bottom of the inning, Walls, would work around a 2-out single by Dunn as he picked up a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to send it to the eighth with the game still tied at 3.
In the top of the eighth, Lowit, would give the Dragons the lead with a lead off home run. Sutton, would follow that with a double. Faber, who came on for Matthew Davis in the fifth, would move Sutton over to 3rd with a sacrifice bunt. The War Eagles, would get out of the eighth with a pop out and a fly out as the Dragons would take a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the frame.
Walls, would come out for the bottom of the eighth looking to close things out. Walls, would pick up a pair of ground outs and a strikeout to help seal the 4-3 win for the Dragons.
Stats for the Dragons in Game One:
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 triple, 1 HBP, and 1 RBI
A.J. Rice: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 walk
Christian Starks: 2 RBI
Dawson Lowit: 1-3 with 1 home run, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Cade Sutton: 2-4 with 1 single and 1 double
Ezra Faber: 2 runs scored
Sam Hammontree: 2 HBP
Dawson Holland: 2-4 with 2 singles
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 run scored
Jackson Nunn: 3.2 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 8 H, 0 BB, 2 K on 58 pitches
Dylan Walls: 4.1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K on 75 pitches
Game Two:
Prior to game two beginning, the Dragons recognized two special people in Hudson and Kodi as it was Pink Out Night. Two young men representing both families, would throw perfect strikes for the ceremonial first pitch to the applause of the crowd.
In the top of the first, Dragons starter Christian Starks, would strike out the side to send it to the bottom half of the inning. In the bottom of the first, Starks, would be hit by a pitch with 2-outs to keep the inning going. The War Eagles, would get out of the first with a ground out to send it to the second with the game still scoreless.
In the top of the second, Starks, would pick up his 4th strikeout, a ground out, and a pop out in a scoreless frame. In the bottom of the second, Cade Sutton, would lead off with a single. Sutton, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Matthew Davis, would follow that with a single to put runners at the corners with nobody out. The Dragons, would then pull off a double steal as Davis took 2nd and Sutton took home to make it 1-0.
After a pop out, Dawson Holland, would then drive in Davis with an RBI triple to make it 2-0 Dragons. Holland, would then get caught in a rundown between 3rd and home for the second out. Jennings Allen, would keep the inning going by reaching on an error by the 2nd baseman. The War Eagles, would get out of the second with a fly out. Heading to the third, the Dragons led it, 2-0.
In the top of the third, Starks, continued his nice start with a pair of strikeouts and a fly out in a scoreless frame. In the bottom of the inning, Rice, would reach with a lead off single. He would advance to 2nd after an error by the short stop. Starks, would drive in Rice with an RBI double to make it 3-0. Dawson Lowit, would follow that with an RBI single to score Starks to make it 4-0 Dragons.
Sutton, would then reach with a double to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. After a pop out, Sam Hammontree, would bring in pitch runner Daven Abernathy with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 5-0. The War Eagles, would get out of the third with a fly out. Heading to the fourth, Pickens led Chestatee, 5-0.
Thomas Martens, would lead off the top of the fourth with a double. Eli Chaffin, would follow that with a single. Chaffing, would then steal 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Starks, would get out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts and a pop out to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Allen, would lead off with a single.
Allen, would take 2nd to get into scoring position. Allen, would then advance to 3rd after a wild pitch. Kam Jenkins, would drive in Allen with an RBI single to make it 6-0. Rice, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as the War Eagles would force the out at 2nd. Rice, would then advance to 2nd after a wild pitch. Starks, would draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out.
Another wild pitch, would move up Rice and courtesy runner Zach Williams up a base. After a pop out for the second out, Sutton, would draw a walk to load the bases. Rice, would come in to score after a balk was called to make it 7-0 Dragons. The War Eagles, would get out of the seventh with a strikeout. Heading to the fifth, the Dragons led it, 7-0.
In the top of the fifth, Zac Benna, would reach on an error with 2-outs. Starks, would work around it as he picked up a pair of strikeouts and a ground out in a scoreless inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Hammontree, would lead off with a single. After a strikeout, Allen, would pick up his 2nd hit of the game. Pitch runner Caden Kirchoff, would come in all the way from 1st to make it 8-0. Allen, would make it all the way to 3rd on an error.
Jenkins, would bring in Allen with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 9-0 Dragons. Rice, would keep the inning going by drawing a walk. The War Eagles, would get out of the fifth with a strikeout. Heading to the sixth, Pickens led Chestatee, 9-0.
Jenkins, would come on in relief of Starks in the top of the sixth. Martens, would reach by drawing a lead off walk. Martens, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Chaffins, would follow that by drawing a walk of his own to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. After forcing an infield fly, Jenkins, would pick up back to back strikeouts to send it to the bottom of the inning.
Drew Dunlap, pitch hitting for Lowit, would draw a lead off walk to begin the bottom of the sixth. Dunlap, would then advance to 2nd on a passed ball. After a strikeout, Walker, would by hit by a pitch to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Kirchoff, would then reach on a bloop single to load the bases. Dunlap, would come in to score on a wild pitch to give the Dragons a 10-0 win in six innings.
Stats for the Dragons in Game Two:
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 single, 2 RBI and 1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 2 K on 25 pitches
A.J. Rice: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 2 runs scored
Christian Starks: 1-2 with 1 double, 1 walk, 1 HBP, 1 RBI, 1 run scored and 5 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 10 K on 82 pitches
Dawson Lowit: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 RBI
Drew Dunlap: 1 walk and 1 run scored
Cade Sutton: 2-2 with 1 single, 1 double, 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Matthew Davis: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 run scored
Sam Hammontree: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Caden Kirchoff: 1-1 with 1 single and 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 1-3 with 1 double
Jennings Allen: 2-3 with 2 singles and 2 runs scored
The Dragons, winners of ten in a row, will look to finish the season strong as they prepare for the final series of the regular season as a three game set with the GAC Spartans begins on Tuesday, April 15th at Dunn Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:55 pm.
Dragons win 8th straight in series opening shutout
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 9, 2025
Jasper, Ga — On Tuesday, April 8th, the Pickens Dragons welcomed the Chestatee War Eagles to Dunn Field for game one of their three game set. The Dragons, were coming off their second straight sweep, while the War Eagles, were looking to bounce back after getting swept by GAC. Prior to the game, the all-time home run leader for the Dragons, Jake King, made an appearance and added to his record against the War Eagles. As for the game, Christian Starks and Kam Jenkins both went deep, and A.J. Rice, Ezra Faber, and Daven Abernathy combined for the shut out as the Dragons won it, 9-0.
In the top of the first, the Auburn commit, Rice, would strike out the side on 10 pitches to send it to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the first, Rice, would look to get something going as he reached with a 1-out single. Dawson Lowit, would keep the inning alive with a 2-out single. Rice and Lowit, would then pull off a double steal to advance to 2nd and 3rd. Cade Sutton, would then draw a walk to load the bases.
Rice, would come in to score on a wild pitch to make it 1-0 Dragons. Lowit and Sutton would also move up on the play. Matthew Davis, would then drive in both Lowit and Sutton with a 2-RBI single to make it 3-0 Dragons. Davis, would move up to 2nd on the play. Sam Hammontree, would then be hit with a pitch to put runners at 1st and 2nd. The War Eagles, would get out of the first with a fly out as the Dragons led it, 3-0 heading to the second.
In the top of the second, Rice, would work around a 2-out walk drawn by Trenton Eaton as he struck out the side to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the second, Jennings Allen, would lead off with a single. Allen, would be caught trying to steal 2nd as he slid off the bag just a bit. Kam Jenkins, would then draw a walk to reach. Rice, would bring in the courtesy runner, Daven Abernathy, with an RBI triple to make it 4-0.
Christian Starks, would then send one over the left-center field wall for a 2-run home run to make it 6-0 Dragons. After a ground out, Sutton, would keep the inning going with a 2-out single. Sutton, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. The War Eagles, would get out of the second with a fly out to center. Heading to the third, Pickens led Chestatee, 6-0.
Ryland Head, would lead off the top of the third with a single. He would be thrown out trying to steal 2nd for the first out. After Rice picked up his 7th strikeout, Thomas Martens, would draw a walk to keep the inning alive for the War Eagles. Rice, would end the third with his 8th strikeout. The Dragons, would go down in order in the bottom of the third with a pair of ground outs and a line out. Heading to the fourth, Pickens led Chestatee, 6-0.
In the top of the fourth, Rice, would pick up a ground out and his 9th and 10th strikeout in a scoreless frame to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Rice, would reach with a 1-out double. The War Eagles, would get out of the inning with back to back fly outs to send it to the fifth with the Dragons still ahead, 6-0.
Ezra Faber, would come on in relief of Rice in the top of the fifth. Faber, would work around a single and a walk to keep the War Eagles scoreless. In the bottom of the fifth, Sutton, would lead off with a single. He would then advance to 2nd after a ground out. Hammontree, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Sutton would be forced out at 3rd. The War Eagles, would get out of the fifth with a fly out to send it to the sixth with the Dragons still leading, 6-0.
Faber, in his second inning of relief, would work around a lead off single in the top of the sixth as he picked up a strikeout, and a pair of pop outs to send it to the bottom of the frame. Allen, would lead off the bottom of the sixth with a single. Jenkins, would then send one down the left field line as it stayed just fair for a 2-run home run to make it 8-0. Rice, would then draw a walk to reach base.
Rice, would then steal 2nd to move into scoring position. After a strikeout, an RBI single by Lowit, would bring in Rice to make it 9-0 Dragons. Sutton, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Lowit would be forced out at 2nd. The War Eagles, would get out of the sixth with a grounder to 1st to send it to the seventh with the Dragons leading, 9-0.
Daven Abernathy, would come on in relief of Faber for the top of the seventh. Abernathy, would work around a walk as he picked up a pair of ground outs and a strikeout to seal the 9-0 win for the Dragons.
Stats for the Dragons:
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 walk, 1 home run, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
A.J. Rice: 3-3 with 1 single, 1 double, 1 triple, 1 walk, 1 RBI, 3 runs scored & 4 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 10 K on 58 pitches
Christian Starks: 1-4 with 1 home run, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Dawson Lowit: 2-4 with 2 singles, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Cade Sutton: 2-3 with 2 singles, 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Matthew Davis: 1-4 with 1 single and 2 RBI
Jennings Allen: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Ezra Faber: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K on 28 pitches
Daven Abernathy: 1 run scored & 1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K on 19 pitches
The Dragons, will look to keep their winning way going as the series with the War Eagles will shift over to Chestatee on Thursday, April 10th for game two. The first pitch for game two is scheduled for 5:55 pm.
Starks throws complete game shutout as Dragons sweep Tigers
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 5, 2025
Dawsonville, Ga — It was another beautiful day at the ball park as the Pickens Dragons made the short trip up to Dawsonville to take on the Dawson Tigers in the third and final game of their series. The Dragons, were looking for the series sweep, while the Tigers, were looking to steal a game and stay slightly ahead of Lumpkin for 4th. Dawson “Boogie” Lowit, led the way offensively, while Christian Starks would toss a complete game shutout as the Dragons picked up a 5-0 win.
The Dragons, looked for an early rally in the top of the first as Starks would reach with a 2-out single. Lowit, would follow that up with a single of his own to put runners at 1st and 2nd with two out. Tigers starter Case Gravitt, would get out of the first with a line out to send it to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the first, Preston Bannister, would lead off with a single.
Kam Jenkins, would throw out Bannister trying to steal 2nd for the first out. Starks, would then pick up a strikeout and a line out to send it to the second with the score tied at 0.
Matthew Davis, would lead off the top of the second by reaching on an error. Sam Hammontree, would follow that by drawing a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. After a ground out, both Davis and Hammontree, would then advance on a wild pitch. Gravitt, would pick up a fly out and a ground out to get out of the jam and send it to the bottom of the second.
In the bottom of the second, Starks, would work around a 1-out walk drawn by Dylan Edwards to pick up a line out, a strikeout, and a ground out. Heading to the third, the game was still tied at 0.
In the top of the third, Starks, would pick up his 2nd hit with a 1-out single. Starks, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Lowit, would drive in Starks with an RBI single to make it 1-0 Dragons. Cade Sutton, would follow that up with a single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Lowit and Sutton, would then move up a base after a ground out by Davis.
Hammontree, would keep the inning going by bringing both Lowit and Sutton on a 2-RBI single to make it 3-0. Dawson Holland, would then reach with a 2-out single. A wild pitch, would move runners up to 2nd and 3rd. The Tigers, would get out of the third with a ground out. In the bottom of the third, Starks, would pick up a line out and two fly outs to send it to the fourth with the Dragons leading the Tigers, 3-0.
The Dragons, would look to add to their lead in the top of the fourth as Starks would pick up his 3rd hit of the game with a 2-out single. Lowit, would follow that with his 3rd hit of the game to put runners at 1st and 2nd with two out. Starks and Lowit, would then pull off a double steal to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. The Tigers, would once again escape a potential scoring threat as they would pick up a fly out to send it to the bottom of the fourth.
Starks, would continue his good night on the mound in the bottom of the fourth as he picked up his 3rd strikeout, a fly out, and a pop out to send it to the fifth with the Dragons leading the Tigers, 3-0.
In the top of the fifth, Tripp Williams, who came on in relief of Gravitt in the top of the fourth, would toss a scoreless frame as he picked up a ground out, a fly out, and a strikeout to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Starks, would work around a 1-out double by Carson Sosebee as he picked up a ground out, a pop out, and a strikeout to send it to the sixth with the Dragons still leading the Tigers, 3-0.
In the top of the sixth, A.J. Rice, would look to get something going as he reached with a 2-out single. Williams, would get out of the sixth with a ground out to keep the score at 3-0. In the bottom of the inning, the Tigers, were swinging early and often as Starks picked up a line out, a ground out, and a fly out on just five pitches. Heading to the seventh, Pickens led Dawson, 3-0.
Lowit, would lead off the top of the seventh with his 4th hit of the game. Sutton, would follow that with his 2nd hit of the game to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. A sacrifice bunt by Davis, would move the runners up to 2nd and 3rd. Hammontree, would then bring in both pitch runner Caden Kirchoff and Sutton with his second 2-RBI single to make it 5-0 Dragons.
Holland, would follow that with his 2nd hit of the game to put runners at 1st and 2nd. The Tigers, would get out of the seventh with an unconventional 6-5-4 double play to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Starks, would work around a 2-out single by Edwards, to pick up a line out, a strikeout, and a ground out as the Dragons picked up the 5-0 win to sweep the series.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 1-4 with 1 single
Christian Starks: 3-4 with 3 singles, 2 steals, 1 run scored & 7 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K on 74 pitches
Dawson Lowit: 4-4 with 4 singles, 1 steal, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Cade Sutton: 2-4 with 2 singles and 2 runs scored
Sam Hammontree: 2-3 with 2 singles, 1 walk, and 4 RBI
Dawson Holland: 2-4 with 2 singles
Caden Kirchoff: 1 run scored
6-AAA Baseball Standings:
North Hall: 17-5 (13-2)
Pickens: 20-4 (12-3)
GAC: 14-7 (11-4)
Dawson: 13-11 (8-7)
Lumpkin: 12-11 (6-9)
White County: 10-13 (5-10)
Chestatee: 6-18 (5-10)
Johnson-Gainesville: 2-22 (0-15)
The Dragons, will be back in action on Tuesday, April 8th as they begin a three game series with the Chestatee War Eagles at home. It’s the second to last series of the regular season. The first pitch, is scheduled for 5:55 pm.
Dragons sweep War Eagles to stay alone in first place
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 18, 2025
Gainesville, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, came into their game on Friday, January 17th against the Chestatee War Eagles, looking to extend their winning streak to 18 in a row and also stay alone atop the 6-AAA standings. The War Eagles, were coming off of a back and forth game against North Hall on Tuesday. Using a big scoring first half, the Dragons, came away with a 95-31 victory.
McCord Purdy, would get the hand off from Caleb Lanford, and connect on a three to give the Dragons the early lead. After a steal by Brock Barton, Purdy, would return the favor to Lanford as he would hit a corner three to make it 6-0. A three from Carter Edmondson, would cut the lead in half. Dodge Davis, would get a steal on the defensive end, then finish at the offensive end with a layup to make it 8-3.
Lanford, would get a steal of his own and then draw a foul. He would make both free throws to stretch the lead to 10-3. A block by Parker Davis would lead to a fast break for the Dragons and Dodge Davis would finish it off with a dunk after a nice pass from Purdy. Ethan Dunn and Isaac Brown would make back-to-back baskets to cut the lead to 12-7. A 10-0 run by the Davis Brothers would make it 22-7 Dragons.
A bucket by Sebastian Spinelli, would end the run and cut the lead to 22-9. A three by Barton, would make it 25-9. After a jumper by Brown, the Dragons, would end the first quarter on a 5-0 run as Dodge Davis would make a pair of free throws, and Purdy would nail a three just before the buzzer to make it 30-11 heading to the second quarter.
The second quarter began with the Dragons continuing their run from the end of the first quarter as Barton, Lanford, the Davis brothers, and Jamin Martin combined for a 13-0 run to give the Dragons a 43-11 lead. A step back three from Spinelli, would end the run and cut the lead to 43-14. Dodge Davis, would find an open Purdy for his third three pointer of the first half to make it 46-14.
Nice passing from the Dragons after an in-bounds play, led to an open layup for Dodge Davis to make it 48-14. Dodge Davis, would then poke the ball free and then would finish on the other end after the long pass from Lanford to make it 50-14. A three by Spinelli, would again end scoring run by the Dragons and cut the lead to 50-17. Barton, would leap up to steal the in-bounds pass, take it all the way for the hoop and the harm. He would make the free throw to make it 53-17.
Montego Morgan, would make a great bounce pass to a cutting Barton for the layup to make it 55-17. Spinelli, would get a tough shot to fall to cut the lead to 55-19. Morgan, would crash the offensive board for the rebound and then make the put back to stretch it to 57-19. Brown, would then go to the line and make both free throws to cut the lead to 57-21. Martin, would draw a foul of his own and hit both free throws to make it 59-21.
Dodge Davis, would work through contact to get the layup and the foul. He would make the free throw to stretch the lead to 62-21. A steal by Parker Davis, would lead to little jumper off glass by Martin just as the first half ended as the Dragons took a 64-21 lead into the break.
Parker Davis, would open up the second half with a dunk to make it 66-21. After a little bit of a drought by both teams, Purdy, would come away with a steal and find an open Dodge Davis for a one handed dunk to make it 68-21. After a defensive rebound by Lanford, he would launch a long outlet pass to Parker Davis for the lay-in. Parker Davis, would then nail a corner three to make it 73-21.
Lanford, would again find Parker Davis as he would hit another three to make it 76-21. Barton, would take the hand off from Parker Davis, and drive it into the lane for the layup to make it 78-21. Spinelli, would put an end to the scoring drought for the War Eagles as he split a pair of free throws to make it 78-22. Just before the end of the third, Parker Davis, found Barton for a corner three. The Dragons, led the War Eagles, 81-22 heading to the fourth.
Dunn, would begin the fourth quarter scoring with a layup through contact. He would make the free throw to cut the lead to 81-25. Camden Jones, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 82-25. Landon Johnson, would pull up for a short jumper to make it 82-27. A block by the Dragons would lead to a three by Morgan to make it 85-27. Martin, would then take the offensive rebound all the way and finish with a pull up jumper to make it 87-27.
Morgan, with the shot clock draining, threw up a three pointer and banked it in to make it 90-27. A three by Corbin Larned, would cut the lead to 90-30. DJ Mitchell, would use a nice spin move to get the lay-in to make it 92-30. A steal by Morgan, would lead to fast break points as Mitchell found Morgan, who nailed another three to make it 95-30. Larned, would split a pair of free throws as the Dragons would pick up the 95-31 win.
Leading scorers for the Dragons:
Dodge Davis: 23 points
Parker Davis: 16 points
Brock Barton: 15 points
Jamin Martin: 11 points
Montego Morgan: 11 points
McCord Purdy: 9 points
Caleb Lanford: 7 points
DJ Mitchell: 2 points
Camden Jones: 1 point
6-AAA Boys Basketball Standings:
Pickens: 18-0 (8-0)
GAC: 13-5 (6-2)
Lumpkin: 12-7 (6-2)
North Hall: 12-7 (5-3)
Dawson: 6-13 (3-5)
White County: 3-15 (2-6)
Chestatee: 2-16 (1-6)
Johnson-Gainesville: 1-13 (0-7)
The Dragons, will be back inside the Dragons Den on Tuesday, January 21st as they will play host to the Lumpkin Indians. Tip off is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons move to 17-0 after win against Tigers
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 15, 2025
Dawsonville, Ga — After their much anticipated game against Walton was canceled over the weekend, the Pickens Dragons were back at it on Tuesday, January 14th as they made the trip up to Dawsonville to take on the Dawson Tigers. Coming into the game, the Dragons, were 16-0 overall and 6-0 in 6-AAA. The Tigers, were 5-12 overall and 2-4 in 6-AAA. A 28 points first quarter helped the Dragons race out to a big advantage that they would hold for the rest of the game as they defeated the Tigers, 77-40.
The Dragons, began the game by going on a 16-0 run. The Davis brothers, Dodge and Parker, Brock Barton, and Caleb Lanford were just several that contributed to the run. The Tigers, would get on the board with back to back baskets from Jack Ledbetter and Samuel Glover to make it 16-4. After a 4-0 run by the Dragons, a three by Ledbetter would make it 20-7.
The Dragons, would close out the first quarter with an 8-0 run as they would stretch their lead out to 28-7 heading to the second quarter.
The run would continue for the Dragons to start the second quarter as Barton would hit a three, and Dodge Davis would make a pair of free throws to give Pickens a 33-7 lead. A three from Kylon Driver would put an end to the run and make it 33-10. After Dodge Davis would again make a pair of free throws, Cayson Chester would connect with a basket to make it 35-12.
The Dragons, would then go on an 11-0 run as Parker Davis, Aiden Mumaw, Lanford, and Barton all contributed to the run. A bucket by Mason Harvey, would put an end to the run and close out the first half with the Dragons ahead, 46-14.
Barton and Parker Davis, would make back-to-back baskets to open the second half to stretch the lead out to 50-14. After a three pointer by Ledbetter, Parker Davis, would go on a 5-0 run to make it 55-17. Driver, would end the run with a bucket and the free throw to make it 55-20. After a three pointer by Parker Davis, Jed Morris and Harvey, would connect on back to back threes to make it 58-26.
Montego Morgan, would get in on the scoring with a pair of free throws. After a three by Landon Lee, Jamin Martin, would end the third quarter with a jumper to make it 62-29 Dragons heading to the fourth.
Gunnar Weaver and Lee, would combine to go on a 4-0 run to begin the fourth quarter to cut the Dragons lead to 62-33. The Dragons, would respond with an 11-0 run as Barton would hit a pair of threes, McCord Purdy would get in on the action with a three, and Dodge Davis would make a pair of free throws to give Pickens a 73-33 lead. After Ledbetter split a pair of free throws, Morgan, would make a tough shot to give the Dragons a 75-34 lead.
Harvey, would then hit a three and Weaver would split a pair of free throws to make it 75-38. DJ Mitchell, would get one to go to make it 77-38. Ledbetter, would end the game with a basket as the Dragons would come away with a 77-40 win.
The Dragons, will be back on the road again on Friday, January 17th as they head down to the Gainesville area to take on the Chestatee War Eagles. The Dragons, defeated the War Eagles, 84-47 back on December 6th. The Dragons, will be looking for the sweep. Tip off is set for 8:30 pm.
Dragons stay hot with win in region opener
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 7, 2024
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, welcomed the Chestatee War Eagles to the Dragons Den to begin 6-AAA play on Friday, December 6th. The Dragons, came into the game 5-0 after an undefeated November and ranked 5th in 3A by Kyle Sandy. The War Eagles, may have come into the game 1-4, but they have several players that can get hot at any moment. The Dragons, exploded offensively in the second half as they pulled away for an 84-47 victory.
The War Eagles, began the game with Cody Couch and Sebastian Spinelli hitting back to back threes to take a 6-0 lead. After a slow start by the Dragons offense, Senior Brock Barton, would then go on a 7-0 run to give the Dragons a 7-6 lead. Ethan Dunn, would put an end to the run with a basket to make it 8-7 War Eagles. Caleb Lanford, would then give the Dragons a one point lead with a bucket.
Spinelli, would hit his second three of the quarter to give the War Eagles an 11-9 lead. The Dragons, would then go on a 9-0 run led by the Davis brothers, and Barton to give the Dragons an 18-11 lead. Dunn, would cut the lead to 5 to make it 18-13 Dragons heading to the second quarter.
Jamin Martin and Parker Davis, would start the second quarter with a 5-0 run to make it 23-13 Dragons. A three by Elian Salcido, would trim the lead to 7. After a 5-0 run by Barton and Martin, the Dragons lead expanded to 28-16. Spinelli, would convert the rare four point play as he hit the three and the free throw to make it 28-20. After McCord Purdy split a pair of free throws, Spinelli would hit another three to make it 29-23.
A 5-0 run by Lanford would make it 34-23 Dragons. A three by Nazir Dixon would end the run and make it 34-26. Purdy, would end the first half with a three to make it 37-26 heading to the break.
The Dragons, would start the second half with a 9-0 run as Barton would hit a three, then Lanford would hit back to back threes to make it 46-26. Spinelli, would make a pair of free throws to end the run. A 10-0 run by the Dragons would stretch the lead out to 56-28. Dixon, would end the run with a bucket to make it 56-30. After the two teams traded baskets, the War Eagles would make several free throws in a row to make it 62-37.
As the clock drained down at the end of the third quarter, Montego Morgan sliced through the defense for the layup to make it 64-37 Dragons heading to the fourth.
Barton, opened up the scoring in the fourth with a basket to make it 66-37. The two teams, would again trade buckets until the Dragons would go on a 9-0 run to make it 81-43. A basket by Dixon, would end the run and make it 81-45. Parker Davis, would hit a three to make it 84-45. Dunn, would end the scoring with a bucket as the Dragons would come away with a 84-47 win.
Leading scorers for the Dragons:
Caleb Lanford: 22 points
Brock Barton: 19 points
Dodge Davis: 15 points
Jamin Martin: 9 points
Parker Davis: 7 points
McCord Purdy: 7 points
Montego Morgan: 5 points
6-AAA Region Standings:
Pickens: 6-0 (1-0)
North Hall: 4-2 (1-0)
Lumpkin: 4-3 (1-0)
Dawson: 1-8 (1-0)
GAC: 4-3 (0-1)
Chestatee: 1-5 (0-1)
White County: 1-6 (0-1)
Johnson, Gainesville: 0-6 (0-1)
The Dragons, will head to Lumpkin on Tuesday, December 10th to take on the Indians in another 6-AAA battle. The Indians, led by Georgia Tech football signee Cal Faulkner, picked up a big win at GAC to open their region schedule. Tip off is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons end November with Thanksgiving Classic Tournament win
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports November 27, 2024
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons came into their game against the King’s Academy Knights on Tuesday, November 26th looking for a perfect month of November and a Pickens Thanksgiving Classic Tournament win. The Dragons, would outscore the Knights, 53-17 in the second half to come away with a 94-49 win.
The Dragons, would win the tip, Brock Barton would find Dodge Davis, and much like the game on Monday, Davis would slam it home to make it 2-0. After a three pointer by Roger Willson, Dodge Davis would make a layup to give the Dragons a 4-3 lead. A bucket by Bryson McCleskey, would give the Knights a 5-4 lead. The Dragons, answered with a 5-0 run by Caleb Lanford and McCord Purdy to make it 9-5. After a basket by Cole Bennett cut the lead down to two, Parker Davis would make a layup to push the lead back to four.
After the Davis brothers split a pair of free throws, Ty Gangster would hit a three to make it 13-10. A pair of free throws from Parker Davis would stretch the lead to 15-10. The Knights, would go on a 4-0 run to cut the lead to just one. A 4-0 run from the Dragons to end the first quarter, Gave Pickens a 19-14 lead heading to the second.
Bennett, began the second quarter by splitting a pair of free throws to cut the lead down to four. A 6-0 run by the Dragons would extend the lead out to 25-15. A three by Brooks Thrasher would end the run and cut the lead to 25-18. After Barton split a pair of free throws, Gangster, would make both of his free throws to cut the lead to 26-20. A three by Charlie Wohlers, would cut the lead to three. Purdy, would make a pair of free throws to stretch the lead back to five.
Wohlers, would hit another three to once again make it a two point game. Purdy and Barton, would combine for a 4-0 run to make it 32-26. After Bennett split a pair of free throws, Barton would make a three to give the Dragons a 35-27 lead. Bennett, would again split a pair of free throws to make it 35-28. A 5-0 run by the Dragons would make it 40-28. Bennett, would make a layup to cut the lead to ten.
After Purdy would split a pair of free throws, McCleskey would make both of his to close out the first half. Heading into the break, Pickens led The King’s Academy, 41-32.
The Dragons, would begin the second half by going on a 5-0 run to stretch their lead out to 46-32. After Bennett would make a pair of free throws, the Dragons, would go on another 5-0 run to make it 51-34. Bennett, would hit a three to make it 51-37. Dodge Davis, would then make back-to-back baskets as the Dragons led it, 55-37. A three by Thrasher would make it 55-40. A third 5-0 run by the Dragons in the quarter would stretch the lead out to 60-40.
A bucket by Gangster would make it 60-42. The Dragons, would then go on an 8-0 run as they got baskets from Jamin Martin, Parker Davis, Lanford, and Camden Jones during the run. A three pointer by Asa Goings would put an end to the run and make it 68-45. Lanford, would close out the third with a three pointer to make it 71-45 going to the fourth.
The fourth quarter started with the Dragons going on a 16-0 run to extend their lead out to 87-45. Bennett, would put an end to the run and get the Knights on the board in the fourth with a bucket. The Dragons, would then go on a 7-0 run to make it 94-47. A basket by Wohlers would give us a final score of 94-49.
All Tournament Selections:
Caleb Lanford
McCord Purdy
Tournament MVP:
Dodge Davis
Scoring leaders for the Dragons:
McCord Purdy: 28 points
Dodge Davis: 22 points
Caleb Landford: 17 points
Brock Barton: 10 points
Parker Davis: 10 points
Montego Morgan: 3 points
Camden Jones: 2 points
Jamin Martin: 2 points
The Dragons, will now rest up and get ready for 6-AAA play as they will host the Chestatee War Eagles on Friday, December 6th. Tip off is set for 8:30 pm.
Dragons fall short against War Eagles
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports October 12, 2024
Gainesville — The temperatures were finally dipping down into “football weather” as the Pickens Dragons traveled to Gainesville to take on the Chestatee War Eagles. The Dragons and War Eagles, were facing off for the first time in football since 2009. The War Eagles, came in riding a two game win streak in the series, and were coming off a big win over Johnson last week. The Dragons, looked to end their three game road trip on a high note after a tough loss to North Hall two weeks ago.
The War Eagles, would use their triple option offense to pull away and pick up the win, 37-14.
The Dragons would win the toss, and elect to receive the opening kickoff. On the first play from scrimmage, the War Eagles would tip and intercept the pass. Chestatee, would turn that into points as they scored a 23-yd TD run. The PAT was good and with 10:47 left in the first quarter, the War Eagles led the Dragons, 7-0. Later on in the first quarter, the War Eagles added to their lead with a 19-yd TD run. Going to the second quarter, Chestatee led it, 13-0.
Dragons on defense in the 1st quarter
Both teams would go back and forth in the second quarter as points were hard to come by. The War Eagles, would connect on a field goal as time expired in the quarter to take a 16-0 lead over the Dragons at the half.
Dragons on offense in the 2nd quarter
The second half would begin with the War Eagles adding to their lead with a 10-yd TD run. With 7:08 left in the third quarter, Chestatee led Pickens, 23-0. The Dragons, would get on the board after a 28-yd TD pass from Hayden Jones to McCord Purdy. The PAT by Purdy was good, and with 3:33 left in the third, the War Eagles led the Dragons, 23-7. The War Eagles, would respond with a 2-yd TD run to make it 30-7 going to the fourth quarter.
Dragons looking to stop the run in the 3rd quarter
The War Eagles, would add a 2-yd TD run at the 5:26 mark to make it 37-7. The Dragons, would add a second score as Jones would connect with Carson Mitton in the corner of the end zone for a 5-yd TD to make it 37-14. The War Eagles, would run out the rest of the clock as they would get the win, 37-14.
Hayden Jones looking for a receiver
6-AAA Football Region Standings:
North Hall: 5-2 (4-0)
GAC: 3-4 (3-1)
Lumpkin: 5-2 (3-1)
Chestatee: 3-4 (2-2)
Dawson: 3-4 (2-2)
White County: 2-5 (1-3)
Pickens: 3-4 (1-3)
Johnson-Gainesville: 0-7 (0-4)
The Dragons, will be back home next week as they host the Knights of Johnson-Gainesville on Friday, October 18th. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2015. The Dragons, are currently riding a 4-game win streak in the series and lead the all time series 8-6.
Dragons fall short in come back attempt at North Hall
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports September 29, 2024
Gainesville, Ga — It was a rare Saturday afternoon football game as weather from Hurricane Helene forced many games to be moved to Saturday, September 28th. One of those games happened to be the Pickens Dragons and North Hall Trojans. It was the first meeting between the two teams since 2017, and the first time Pickens had gone to North Hall since 2016. The Dragons, would make it a two point game in the fourth, but the Trojans would pull away in the end, 43-27.
The Dragons, would pull a little trick out of their hat to start the game as McCord Purdy executed a perfect pooch kick. The Dragons would recover, and have the ball deep inside Trojan territory. The drive would stall as the Trojans would force a turnover. After the Dragons defense got a stop on the Trojans first possession, the Dragons offense drove down the field, and on 4th and goal from the 1-yd line, Hayden Jones would score with a touchdown run. The PAT was good, and with 4:01 left in the first quarter, Pickens led North Hall, 7-0.
On their next possession, the Trojans would answer with a 19-yd TD run. The Trojans, would then see an opening on the PAT attempt as they would convert the two-point conversion to make it 8-7 heading into the second quarter.
Dragons looking to punch it into the end zone
The Trojans, would add to their lead in the second quarter as they would connect on a long pass for a touchdown on 3rd and long. The PAT was good and with 9:10 left in the first half, North Hall led Pickens, 15-7. The Dragons, would come back and respond as Jones’ pass was deflected, but fell right into the arms of Landon Poole and he took it the rest of the way for a 20-yd touchdown. The Dragons would choose to go for, and make the PAT to make it 15-14.
The Trojans, would respond with a pair of scores before the first half came to an end as North Hall led Pickens, 29-14 at the break.
Dragons on defense in the 2nd quarter
The Dragons, would get the ball first to start the second half looking to cut into the Trojans lead. They would be able to do that as Jones found Purdy for a 43-yd touchdown. The PAT was good and the Dragons pulled back within a score as North now led it, 29-21. That would be the only points scored in the third quarter as the Dragons had the ball and were driving to begin the fourth quarter.
Jones would run for a first down
40 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Dragons struck as Jones broke loose for a 45-yd TD run, Pickens, would go for two to try and tie the ball game. The try would come up just short and with 11:20 left to go in the game, the Trojans led the Dragons, 29-27. North Hall, responded with a touchdown of their own to make it 36-27 with just over 6 minutes left in the game.
The Trojans, would get a turnover on downs on the Dragons next possession. On the next play, North Hall would score on a 37-yd TD pass to make it 43-27, The final from the brickyard, North Hall 43, Pickens 27.
Dragons looking to stop a pass play
The Dragons, like most of the region, will have next week off. Pickens, will have two weeks to get ready for the final stretch of the season as they will be on the road again on Friday, October 11th as they head back to the Gainesville area to take on the Chestatee War Eagles. The Dragons and War Eagles will be meeting for the first time since 2009. Pickens, leads the overall series 4-2, however Chestatee has won the last two meetings. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.