UPDATED INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSITION TO DISTANCE LEARNING
Dragon's Corner, News December 16, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 16, 2020
UPDATED INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSITION TO DISTANCE LEARNING
Jasper, Georgia – The district is providing additional information regarding our COVID-19 numbers within the system
along with details about meals and information from schools.
• Pickens County School District has seen a spike in cases within the school district. There are currently
(2:45 p.m. on 12/16/20):
o 451 individuals in quarantine or isolation
o 30 individuals who are positive for COVID-19
o 25 individuals who are awaiting test results
• Of the 451 individuals, 37 are employees and approximately 32 of those individuals would require a
substitute. It would be extremely difficult to adequately cover these positions. The numbers reported
above represent cases related to COVID-19 and do not include those who might be absent for other
reasons. The total number in quarantine/isolation represents close to 10% of our school district
population.
• Pickens County School District is the largest employer in our area. Seeing first-hand the sudden spike
in numbers of positive cases within the system, we believe that remaining open would continue to
increase the burden on our local healthcare providers.
Here is a comparison from yesterday morning to this afternoon:
Date Positive Cases Total Q/I Total Employees out
7:30 AM
12/15 13 270 17
2:45 PM
12/16 30 451 37
• Christmas is important to our school staff and students. All elementary schools along with Jasper
Middle School will host their classroom Christmas parties on Friday, January 8th. If your child did
not bring their gifts, ornaments, etc. home with them yesterday, teachers will be reaching out
between now and Friday. If you have questions, you may call your child’s school.
• Meals for students: Bus Routes (see attached schedule) and curbside service (11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.)
at all schools will be available on Thursday ONLY. Students will receive meals for Thursday and
Friday.
• If you have any questions, please reach out to your school administrator or the district office.
Lunch Buses
12/17/2020
Bus S76: Mountainside Manor Apartments (264 Bill Hasty Blvd, Jasper GA) (Load lunches @HES)
Bus S56: Foothills IGA Market (70 Foothills Pkwy, Marble Hill GA) (Load lunches @TES)
Bus S77: Hinton Milling (9272 GA-53, Jasper GA) (Load lunches @HCE)
Bus S57: Old Twin Tanks (Henderson Mountain Rd @ Hwy 53 W.) (Load lunches @JMS)
Bus S58: North Ave @ Pickens St. (11:15) (Load lunches @PHS)
Mount Calvary Apartments (11:25-11:35)
Cherokee Trail @ Cherokee Wood Hollow Drive (11:50 – 12:00)
Lawsons Landing-Bridle Path Drive @ Brigadier Ct. (12:05 – 12:15)
Eagles Nest-Eagles Perch Rd. @ Eagles Nest Trail (12:20 – 12:30)
Bus S59: Mineral Springs Rd. N. @ Diane St. (11:10) (Load lunches @PJHS)
Bethany Rd. @ Danburg Ct. (11:25)
Bethany Rd. @ Moorings Run (11:35)
Mountain Lake Dr. @ Ridge Dr. (11:55)
Ridge Dr. @ Ridge Crest (12:05)
Henderson Woods Dr. @ S. Woods Court (12:15)
Bus S 47: Twin Mountain Lakes (11:15-11:30) (Load lunches @JMS)
Hood Rd. @ Hannah Ridge Apartments (11:35-11:40)
Gennett Dr. @ Hood Park Dr. (11:45-11:50)
Birch St. @ small complex just past Woodbridge Inn (11:55-12:00)
Forest Glen Apartments (12:05-12:10)
Library Lane (12:15-12:30)
Bus S46: Hobson Road (from Philadelphia to Whispering Waters) (11:15-11:30) (Load lunches @HCES)
Whitetail Dr. @ Little Doe (11:35-11:40)
Daisy Lane @ Hobson Dr. (11:45-11:50)
Mill Creek Dr. @ Mill Creek Pond (11:55-12:00)
Whispering Waters Dr. @ Whispering Pebble Trail (12:05-12:10)
Lance Rd to Mountain Laurel Dr. (12:15-12:25)
Jones Rd. to Hidden Creek Rd. (12:25-12:30)
A Thank You to our Sports Sponsors
Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports March 2, 2020
If you are enjoying the Player of the Week section please thank your local sponsors!
A Thank You to our Sports Sponsors
Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports February 24, 2020
If you are enjoying the Player of the Week section please thank your local sponsors!
BoE Recognizes Student and Faculty Accomplishments During February Meeting
Board of Education, Dragon's Corner February 15, 2020
JASPER, Ga. – The Pickens County Board of Education recognized student and faculty accomplishments during their meeting held on Thursday, February 13, 2020.
A video of the ceremony may be viewed at the bottom of this page!
7th Grade Jeremy Westbrook Wins State FFA Contest (Click to Enlarge)
In October, Jeremy Westbrook competed in the Area Future Farmer’s of America (FFA) Quiz event. This event is a fifty question quiz covering all aspects of FFA. Jeremy was in the top 2 of 48, 6th through 9th graders. He then advanced to the state contest which was held at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC). While there, Jeremy competed against eleven more students who qualified out of 243 total students from across the state. Of those eleven, eight were 9th graders and three were 8th graders. At the end of the event, Jeremy was recognized as the state winner. It has also come to our attention that Jeremy, a 7th grader, is the youngest student on record to ever win the contest.
Mykenzie Weaver reaches 2,000 career points in Girls Basketball (Click to Enlarge)
Congratulations to Mykenzie Weaver for recently passing 2,000 career points in Girls Basketball. Mykenzie is only the 3rd person in school history to achieve this feat. She currently sits 2nd in all-time leading scoring in Dragonettes Girls Basketball History!
She was also named the Region 6AAAA Player of the Year.
Dragons Esports Team Wins Second State Championship (Click to Enlarge)
Our Dragons win the Fall GHSA Esports Rocket League state championship!We defeated Forsyth Central 4 games to 1 at Mt Vernon at the GHSA State Esports Championships!
Congratulations to Mason Watkins, Carter Logan, and Tristan Warren and Coach Wil Nix on this accomplishment!
The Dragons Esports Rocket League team also won the Spring GHSA Esports State Championship last May.
PHS and PJHS Band Recognitions (Click to Enlarge)
The PHS and PJHS band would like to recognize our students who were selected for the District 9 Honor Bands, the GMEA All-State Band, and who qualified for the final round audition at the State level.
Hill City Elementary School was named to the 2019-20 list of Distinguished Schools released by the Georgia Department of Education. Title I Distinguished Schools are among the highest-performing 5% of Title I schools in the state. Hill City Elementary was 1 of 87 schools named to this list.
PHS and PJHS Band Recognitions (Click to Enlarge)
In a press release, State School Superintendent Richard Woods shares, “While we are focused on continuous improvement for all schools, it’s also essential that we recognize when schools are doing well, These schools are overcoming barriers, meeting challenges, and producing great gains for their students. I commend the school leaders, teachers, parents and communities in our 2019-20 Distinguished [and Reward] Schools who are opening up opportunities for their students.”
Congratulations, Hill City Elementary!
PHS and PJHS Band Recognitions (Click to Enlarge)
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Two Dragons named to Region 6-4A All-Region Team
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 5, 2020
Junior Noah Sutton was named the the Region 6-4A All-Region Team.
Junior Tucker Lowe was named to the Region 6-4A All-Region Team.
Two members of the Pickens Dragons basketball squad have been named to the Region 6-4A All-Region Team as voted on by the region coaches.
Juniors Tucker Lowe and Noah Sutton were named to the squad have stellar campaigns this season.
Lowe, a 5-foot-9 guard, averaged 15.6 points per game during the regular season to go along with 2.7 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. He also shot 39 percent from beyond the arc on the season.
Sutton, a 6-foot-3 post, averaged 14.3 points per game, 6.6 rebounds and had a field-goal percentage of 69 percent.
The Dragons (18-8) defeated Ridgeland 87-47 Tuesday, Feb. 4, to earn a spot in the Class 4A state playoffs just a year after winning only four games.
Pickens football Players of the Week recognized
PHS Football, Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports January 30, 2020
The players for the Pickens football team that were selected as TeamFYNSports Player of the Week during the 2019 season were recognized Thursday, Jan. 30, at the high school. Each player received a gift certificate for a meal and a commemorative T-shirt.
The players were:
Week 1, CJ Streicher: In a 28-18 win against Stone Mountain in Jasper on Aug. 23, the 6-foot, 210-pound, senior quarterback went 9-of-11 for 116 yards and two touchdowns passing, while carrying the ball 15 times for 103 yards and a score.
Week 2, Jarod Whitmore: In a 34-20 loss at Pepperell on Sept. 6, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound junior running back caught five passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns, and carried the ball nine times for 31 yards.
Week 3, T.C. Jarrett: In a 27-20 loss at White Co. on Sept. 13, the 6-foot senior linebacker had nine total tackles, including three solo and six assists.
Week 4, Tucker Lowe: In a 44-3 win against Chamblee in Jasper on Sept. 20, the 5-foot-9 junior tallied two interceptions.
Week 5, Whitmore: For his second Player of the Week selection of the season, the junior carried the ball 22 times for 246 yards and three touchdowns, while also catching a 23-yard touchdown pass in the 35-23 win against Gilmer in Ellijay on Sept. 27.
Week 6, Streicher: For his second Player of the Week selection of the season, the senior went 7-of-16 for 133 yards and three touchdowns, while carrying the ball eight times for 190 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-14 win against Southeast Whitfield Co. in Jasper on Oct. 4.
Week 7, Alex Snelgrove: In a 21-20 loss at Heritage on Oct. 11, the 6-foot-2, 193-pound senior caught six passes for 93 yards and a touchdown, carried the ball twice for eight yards, and netted six total tackles (three solo, three assists) and two tackles for loss.
Week 8, Sy Chadwick: In a 35-10 win against Northwest Whitfield on Oct. 18 in Jasper, the 6-foot, 245-pound junior had eight tackles, including four solo, four assists, and two tackles for loss.
Week 9, Aidan Sanchez: In a 41-28 loss to Ridgeland on Oct. 25 in Jasper, the 6-foot-4, 290-pound senior tackle played a dominating game on the offensive line.
Week 10, Streicher: For his third Player of the Week selection of the season, the senior went 8-of-14 for 166 yards and a touchdown, while carrying the ball 25 times for 237 yards and six touchdowns in a 49-45 win against LaFayette in Jasper on Nov. 1.
Week 11, Snelgrove: For his second Player of the Week selection of the season, the senior played a solid game on both sides of the ball in a 45-24 loss at North Oconee in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs.
Editor’s note: TeamFYNSports would like to thank our sponsors for the 2019 Pickens football season. Without their support, coverage of the Dragons would not have been possible. A big thank you to Circuit World, Graphic Expressions, Day’s Chevrolet, Salon 84, Woodmen Life, Johnny’s Pizza, North GA Metals, Judge Brenda Weaver, Alan Home State Farm, Country Financial, and Renasant Bank.
Owen Moss is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dragons!
PHS Basketball, Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports February 2, 2020
Owen Moss is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Pickens Dragons!
Moss, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, had a standout performance last week for Pickens (17-8, 7-5 Region 6-4A) to help lock down the No. 3 seed for the region tournament.
On Tuesday, Jan. 28, Moss scored a team-high 19 points, including five made 3-pointers, as the Dragons defeated Southeast Whitfield Co. (0-25, 0-12) by a score of 86-51 in Dalton.
Pickens will face sixth-seeded Ridgeland (7-18, 2-10) on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. in the first round of the region tournament.
For his efforts, Moss is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dragons!
Noah Sutton is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dragons!
PHS Basketball, Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports January 27, 2020
Noah Sutton is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Pickens Dragons!
Sutton, a 6-foot-3 junior center, had a pair of standout performances in Region 6-4A games during the week for Pickens (16-8, 6-5).
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, Sutton scored 13 points as the Dragons fell 68-47 to region foe and area-rival Gilmer (9-9, 5-6).
Sutton scored a team-high 15 points Friday, Jan. 24, as Pickens lost 75-53 to Northwest Whitfield (14-10, 9-2) in Tunnel Hill.
For his efforts, Sutton is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dragons!
Aidan Sanchez is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dragons!
PHS Basketball, Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports January 19, 2020
Aidan Sanchez is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Pickens Dragons!
Sanchez, a 6-foot-4 senior center, has been a big part of a great season so far for Pickens (16-5, 6-3 Region 6-4A), which went 2-1 during the past week.
On Monday, Jan. 13, Sanchez scored seven points as the Dragons defeated Morris Innovative 85-16 on the road.
At home against Lafayette on Friday, Jan. 17, Sanchez chipped in four points as the Dragons fell 61-33.
To finish out the week, Sanchez scored two points as Pickens defeated Pepperell 70-60 in Jasper.
For his efforts, Sanchez is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dragons!
Pickens picks up win in battle of Dragons
PHS Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports January 19, 2020
On Saturday, Jan.18, the Pickens Dragons (16-5, 6-3 Region 6-4A) welcomed the Pepperell Dragons (7-11, 4-6 Region 7-AA) to the Dragons’ Den in a non-region contest. After an up-and-down battle throughout, the Dragons of Pickens came away with the 70-60 win.
In the first quarter, it was the away team that got off to the quick start. Pepperell started the game on a 6-0 run. The run was stalled by a Noah Sutton free throw. Pepperell then went on a 5-0 run before a Luke Rogers free throw made it 11-2. Sutton would finally give the Dragons their first field goal of the game to make it 12-4. Later on in the quarter, Pickens got going and cut the Pepperell lead down to 17-15. Pepperell made a pair of free throws to close the first with a 19-15 lead.
Owen Moss looking for open space
In the second quarter, Pickens used a 6-0 run, with help from free throws from Aidan Sanchez and Hays Pickett, and a layup from Tucker Lowe, to take their first lead of the game, 21-19. That lead was short lived as Pepperell came down and hit a 3-pointer to reclaim the lead at 22-21. The two teams traded the lead back-and-forth for a bit until Pickens took over with an 11-0 run, getting buckets from Zac Tetterton, Owen Moss, and Sutton, to take 37-26 lead. After Pepperell cut it to seven, Lowe nailed a 3-pointer to give the Dragons a 44-34 lead going into halftime.
Pickens defending Pepperell
The second half as a whole was very closely played by both teams. In the third quarter Pickens held an 18-point lead at one time. Pepperell was able to cut that lead down to 58-48 going to the fourth.
Pickens working the ball around on offense in the second half
In the fourth quarter, Pepperell cut the Pickens lead down to 60-54. After that, Pickens went on a big 9-0 run featuring back-to-back 3-pointers by Moss and Lowe, and a layup with a free throw by Sutton to make it 69-54. The Dragons of Pickens grabbed some much-needed momentum heading into next week with a 70-60 win.
Leading the way for the Dragons were:
Noah Sutton: 20 points
Tucker Lowe: 17 points
Owen Moss: 17 points
Luke Rogers: five points
Will Roland: three points
Zac Tetterton: three points
Hays Pickett: two points
Aidan Sanchez: two points
The next 10 days are important for the Dragons as they take on three-straight region opponents to end the regular season. Pickens starts things off against Gilmer on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Jasper to close out their home regular-season schedule. The Dragons end the regular season by visiting Northwest Whitfield at 8:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24, and then traveling to Dalton to take on Southeast Whitfield Co. at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Noah Sutton is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dragons!
PHS Basketball, Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports December 16, 2019
Noah Sutton is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dragons!
Sutton, a junior post player, had strong performances in all four Pickens (9-1, 2-1 Region 6-AAAA) games last week.
Early in the week, Sutton scored eight points in an 84-32 victory against Morris Innovative on Monday, Dec. 9, in Jasper.
He scored another eight points the next day in a 66-51 victory against Gordon Lee, also in Jasper.
Sutton turned up the offensive output in the team’s final two games of the week.
At Lafayette on Friday, Dec. 13, Sutton scored 15 points as the Dragons suffered their first loss of the season, 68-46.
On Saturday, Dec. 14, Sutton had a team-high 19 points as Pickens got back on the winning track by taking down Gordon Central 81-64.
For his efforts, Sutton is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dragons!
Dragons double last season’s win total, now 8-0
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 10, 2019
The Dragons of Pickens High looked to keep their winning streak alive as they hosted the Gordon Lee Trojans for a non-region game Tuesday, Dec. 10.
In the first quarter, the Dragons got off a quick start for the home crowd showing great defensive prowess and execution on offense. Going into the second quarter, Pickens held a 21-12 lead against the Trojans.
The second quarter saw back-and-forth action from both the Dragons and the Trojans. The two teams combined to score 37 points in the second. Pickens outscored Gordon Lee 21-16 to take a 42-28 lead into halftime.
The third quarter again saw a closely contested game. Both teams again scored 37 points combined as the Dragons scored 19, and the Trojans scored 18. Going to the fourth quarter, Pickens continued to lead 61-46.
Pickens held on and secured their eighth win in a row, 66-51. The win doubles their win total from last season.
Leading the way for the Dragons were:
Tucker Lowe: 25 points
Owen Moss: 18 points
Noah Sutton: eight points
Luke Rogers: six points.
The Dragons will head on the road this Friday night as they take on the Ramblers of Lafayette in a huge region match up. Tip off is set for 8:30 pm.
Owen Moss is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Dragons!
PHS Basketball, Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports December 7, 2019
Owen Moss is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Dragons!
Moss, a 6-foot-1 junior point guard, scored in double digits in two region wins this week for Pickens (6-0, 2-0 Region 6-4A).
Against Heritage on Tuesday, Dec. 3, Moss scored 14 points as the Dragons won 52-45 in Jasper.
Moss followed that by scoring 16 points in a 70-67 victory against Ridgeland on Friday, Dec. 6, in Rossville.
For his efforts, Moss is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Dragons!
Dragons named to Region 6-AAAA all-region team
News, Sports November 18, 2019
The awards having begun rolling in for the Pickens High Dragons football team.
The Dragons (6-4, 4-2 Region 6-AAAA) have put 16 players on the all-region team as voted on by the region coaches.
Senior quarterback C.J. Streicher has been named the Region 6-AAAA Offensive Player of the Year.
Senior quarterback C.J. Streicher has been named the Region 6-AAAA Offensive Player of the Year after guiding the team to the No. 3 seed in the state playoffs.
Senior Aidan Sanchez has been named the Region 6-AAAA Lineman of the Year.
Senior tackle Aidan Sanchez was named the Region 6-AAAA Lineman of the Year.
Four other members of the team were named first-team all-region.
They include senior defensive lineman Clayton Holland, senior offensive lineman Bailey Cannady, senior wide receiver Alex Snelgrove, and junior wide receiver Mykel Hand.
Five players made the region’s second team.
They are senior offensive lineman Josh Cook, senior linebacker T.C. Jarrett, senior tight end Austin Chester, junior running back Jarod Whitmore, and junior defensive back Chase Nelson.
Receiving honorable mention nods from the Dragons are senior defensive back Jay Jones, linebacker Jake Rogers, senior offensive lineman Mason Watkins, junior defensive lineman Sy Chadwick, and junior defensive back Tucker Lowe.
The Dragons will open play in the Class AAAA state playoffs on the road at Region 8-AAAA’s No. 2 seed North Oconee (9-1) this Friday.
The Dragons and the Titans are set for kick off at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 15, in Bogart.
To read about the final Pickens game of the regular season, click here.
Dragons stay hot with non-region win
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 9, 2019
The Pickens High Dragons varsity basketball team hosted the Tigers of Morris Innovative on Monday, Dec. 9. The Dragons came into the game with a 6-0 record.
In the opening quarter, the Dragons got off to a remarkable start, scoring the first 20 points of the game. Pickens got points from Tucker Lowe, Luke Rogers, Noah Sutton, Owen Moss, and Aidan Sanchez. To the Tigers credit, they went on an 11-4 run to close the opening frame. Going into the second, the Dragons led Morris Innovative 24-11.
In the second quarter, the Dragons took the game over offensively and defensively. The Dragons were led by Hayes Pickett and Clay Shoffer, who had 10 and eight points in the frame, respectively. Pickens outscored the Tigers 28-3 in the quarter to take a 52-14 lead into the break.
To begin the third quarter, the Dragons got 11 straight points from Noah Sutton (four) and Tucker Lowe (seven) to begin the frame. Pickens outscored Morris Innovative 20-6 in the third quarter to take a 72-20 lead going to the fourth.
The Dragons were able to get players in the game that hadn’t gotten extended playing time earlier in the season, and they played well with the opportunity given. Both teams scored 12 points in the fourth quarter of the game. Pickens won by a final score of 84-32.
Leading the way for the Dragons were:
Hayes Pickett: 15 points
Clay Shoffer: 10 points
Tucker Lowe: nine points
Aidan Sanchez: nine points
Noah Sutton: eight points
Luke Rogers: seven points.
Pickens will be back on the home court tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 10, as the Dragons host the Gordon Lee Trojans beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Tucker Lowe is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Dragons
PHS Basketball, Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports December 1, 2019
Tucker Lowe has been named the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Dragons!
Lowe led the team to a 3-0 record in the north Georgia Thanksgiving tournament held at Fannin Co. High in Blue Ridge.
Lowe averaged a little more than 16 points per game during the week, including scoring 23 points on the opening day of the tournament Saturday, Nov. 23, against region-rival Gilmer in a 67-64 Pickens victory. Lowe had seven points in the fourth quarter to led the team to the win.
The junior guard scored 15 points in a 51-44 win against host Fannin Co. on Monday, Nov. 25, and then added 11 points in a 65-52 win against Hiwassee Dam on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
Against Fannin Co., Lowe hit three 3-pointers and was 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Against Hiwassee Dam, he scored sixth in the fourth to help secure the win in a surprisingly tight game for the Dragons.
Lowe was named to the all-tournament team for his performance.
For his efforts last week, Tucker Lowe is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Dragons!