Dragons drop tough game in final seconds to Cherokee Bluff
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 23, 2023
Blue Ridge, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, traveled once again to their second home for the week, Blue Ridge, to take on the Cherokee Bluff Bears on Friday, December 22nd in the final day of the Fannin Holiday Tournament. In a game that went back and forth, it was the Bears that came way with a 48-43 win.
Hayden Jones, began the scoring in the first quarter with a layup to make it 2-0. After the Bears tied it, Caleb Lanford would hit a three pointer to make it 5-2. The Bears, would then answer back with a three of their own to make it 5 all. The Dragons, would then get a pair of free throw makes from McCord Purdy, and another basket from Jones to make it 9-5. A drawn out 8-0 run by the Bears gave them a 13-9 advantage.
Parker Davis, would make a layup to close the gap to 13-11 as they headed to the second quarter.
The Bears would split a pair of free throws and make a layup to stretch their lead to 16-11 to open up the second quarter. Jones and Parker Davis, would combine for a small 4-0 run to cut the lead down to 1. After the two teams traded buckets, the Bears would go on a 7-0 run to take a 24-17 lead. The Dragons, closed out the first half strong with layups from Parker Davis and Montego Morgan, and a pair of free throw makes from Morgan and Purdy.
At the half, Cherokee Bluff held a slim 24-23 lead over Pickens.
Parker Davis, began the second half with a layup to give the Dragons a 25-24 lead. That lead was short lived as the Bears would answer with an 11-0 run to take a 35-25 lead. A 7-0 run by the Dragons helped close the gap before the end of the quarter as Purdy hit a three, and Lanford, and Jones made buckets to cut the lead down to 35-32 going to the fourth.
A three pointer by the Bears opened up the fourth quarter scoring. Purdy, would answer with back to back three pointers to tie the game up at 38. A basket by the Bears gave them a 2 point advantage. A free throw make and then a layup by Purdy gave the Dragons a 41-40 lead. A three pointer by the Bears gave them a 43-41 lead. Jones, would come up clutch and nail a pair of free throws to tie the game back up at 43.
After lets call it, an iffy call on a Dragons in bounds play that turned it over to Cherokee Bluff, the Bears would hit a three to make it 46-43. The Bears, would then intercept the in bounds pass and would make a pair of free throws to seal the 48-43 win.
Scorers for the Dragons:
McCord Purdy: 14 points (A-Tournament team)
Hayden Jones: 10 points
Parker Davis: 8 points (All-Tournament team)
Caleb Lanford: 7 points
Montego Morgan: 3 points
The Dragons, will close out 2023 in Panama City, Florida as they will be taking part in the Marlin Christmas Classic. The tournament starts on Thursday, December 28th. The Dragons, will start the tournament against St. Pauls High School. Tip off is set for 4:30 pm.
Nettes finish Fannin Holiday Tournament 3-0
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 23, 2023
Blue Ridge, Ga — For the third and final time this week, the Pickens Dragonettes traveled up to Blue Ridge to take part in the final day of the Fannin Holiday Tournament on Friday, December 22nd. The Nettes, took on the Lady Warriors of North Cobb. The Nettes, were able to pull away in the fourth quarter to come away with a 47-34 win and improve to 12-0 on the season.
The Nettes, jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead to start the first quarter after a three pointer by Bella Hopkins and a layup by Brylee Deering. The Lady Warriors, would cut the lead to 3 after a pair of free throws. Ellison Steinhauer, would score the last 5 points of the quarter after she hit a three, and then a pair of free throws. Going to the second quarter, the Nettes led, 10-2.
The Lady Warriors, began the second quarter with a layup to make it 10-4. Caroline Mullins, would then go on a 5-0 run as she made a layup and a three pointer back to back to make it 15-4. Both teams would go back and forth trading buckets for the bulk of the rest of the first half. Steinhauer, hit a pair of free throws to close out the first half and gave the Nettes a 21-11 lead at the break.
Both teams would trade baskets to begin the third quarter as the Nettes continued to lead it, 24-14. A 5-0 run by the Lady Warriors cut the lead down to 5. Steinhauer, would end the run as she would make a bucket and hit a free throw to make it 27-19. The Lady Warriors, would close out the third quarter on a 5-2 run to cut the Nettes lead down to 29-24 heading to the fourth.
A three point play by the Lady Warriors started the scoring in the fourth quarter as they cut the Nettes lead to 29-27. Back to back three pointers from Hopkins and Steinhauer helped stretch the lead to 35-27. After a three by the Lady Warriors cut the lead back down to 5, Steinhauer would make a pair of free throws, and Reagan Ludington would connect on a three pointer to make it 40-30.
Both teams would then trade buckets as the Nettes led 42-34. The Nettes, closed out the game on a 5-0 run as Steinhauer hit a three, and Mullins made a pair of free throws to give Pickens the 47-34 win.
Scorers for the Nettes:
Ellison Steinhauer: 21 points
Caroline Mullins: 11 points
Bella Hopkins: 10 points
Reagan Ludington: 3 points (All-Tournament team)
Brylee Deering: 2 points (All-Tournament team)
With the win, the Nettes improved to 12-0 on the season. Pickens, will close out 2023 in Florida as they head down to Panama City to take part in the Marlin Christmas Classic. The tournament will begin on Thursday, December 28th as the Nettes will take on the Stone Memorial Lady Panthers from Crossville, Tennessee. Tip off scheduled for 2:30 pm.
Dragons keep things rolling with 5th straight win
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 22, 2023
Blue Ridge, Ga — On Thursday, December 21st, the Pickens Dragons traveled back up to Blue Ridge for the second day of the Fannin Holiday Tournament to take on the Adairsville Tigers. The Dragons, came in winners of four straight including Tuesday, December 19th against the hosting Fannin Rebels. The Tigers, were coming off of a big win over the Sonoraville Phoenix on Friday, December 15th. The Dragons, stayed hot as they picked up their 5th straight win, 50-37.
Dodge Davis got the scoring started as he gave the Dragons an early lead. Later on in the first quarter, with the game tied at 4, the Dragons would go on a 9-0 run as McCord Purdy hit a three, Dodge Davis made a layup, and Purdy hit back to back shots to make it 13-4. A layup by the Tigers ended the run to make it 13-6. Dodge Davis, would end the quarter with a layup to make it 15-6 Dragons going to the second quarter.
The second quarter began with both teams scoring a bucket as the Dragons led 17-8. There wasn’t much scoring after that for both teams as both offenses stalled a bit. The Dragons, finished the first half on a 4-0 run as Parker Davis and Hayden Jones both made layups to make it 24-10 Pickens at the half.
The Dragons, would go on a 5-0 run to begin the second half as Parker Davis made a layup and Purdy hit another three to make it 29-10. The Tigers, would then hit back to back three pointers to make it 29-16. After a bucket was made by each team, the Dragons went on a 7-0 run as Dodge and Parker Davis both made layups, and Nathan Wallace hit a three to make it 38-19. An 8-0 run by the Tigers cut the lead down to 38-27.
Jones and Purdy hit back to back three pointers to close out the third as the Dragons led the Tigers 44-27 going to the fourth.
The run that started at the end of the third quarter, kept going as the fourth quarter began as Purdy again made his way to the basket to make it 46-27. The two teams then went back and forth for a bit, trading buckets. The Tigers, closed out the game on a 5-0 run, but the Dragons came away with the win, 50-37.
Scorers for the Dragons:
McCord Purdy: 15 points
Parker Davis: 12 points
Dodge Davis: 8 points
Hayden Jones: 7 points
Nathan Wallace: 6 points
Caleb Lanford: 2 points
The Dragons, will head up the road to Blue Ridge for the third and final time this week as they take on the Cherokee Bluff Bears on Friday, December 22nd. Tip time set for 5:30 pm.
Nettes overcome tough shooting day to defeat Lady Eagles
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 22, 2023
Blue Ridge, Ga — After coming away with a hard fought win over the Fannin Lady Rebels on Tuesday, December 19th, the Pickens Dragonettes were once again back in Blue Ridge for the second day of the Fannin Holiday Tournament on Thursday, December 21st. The opponent? The North Cobb Christian Lady Eagles. Having overcome a tough shooting day, the Nettes were able to hold off the Lady Eagles to get the win, 43-34.
The Nettes won the tip to begin the game and Ellison Steinhauer raced down the court and laid the ball in for an early 2-0 lead. After that bucket, both teams just couldn’t seem to find any sort of rhythm on offense. The Lady Eagles, got their first points with just under 90 seconds left in the first quarter. Steinhauer, then went on a 4-0 run as she made back to back baskets to make it 6-2.
The Lady Eagles, scored the final points of the quarter to cut the Nettes lead down to 6-4 going to the second quarter.
The Lady Eagles, opened up the second quarter with a put back layup to the game up at 6. Freshman Reagan Ludington, hit the first three of the game to put the Nettes back ahead, 9-6. The Lady Eagles, would tie it right back up after a free throw make and a layup. Steinhauer, would split a pair off free throws to make it 10-9. A three by the Lady Eagles would give North Cobb Christian their first lead of the game at 12-10.
Steinhauer, would answer right back with a three of her own to give the Nettes a 1-point advantage. A late layup by the North Cobb Christian would give the Lady Eagles a 14-13 lead over Pickens going into the break.
The third quarter began with the Lady Eagles hitting a three pointer to stretch their lead to 17-13. Bella Hopkins, picked up her first points of the game on back to back plays as she first made a layup, then split a pair of free throws to make it 17-16. A 5-0 run by the Lady Eagles gave them the biggest lead of the day at 22-16. The Nettes, answered with a 5-0 run of their own as Ludington and Steinhauer combined to cut the lead down to 22-21.
After a basket by the Lady Eagles ended the run, the Nettes went on a 6-0 run as Caleigh Hoffard, Caroline Mullins, and Ludington combined to give Pickens a 27-24 lead going to the fourth.
The two teams traded buckets to begin the fourth. The Nettes, gave themselves a little breathing room as Mullins, Hopkins, and Steinhauer combined for a 10-0 run to make it 39-26. After a 6-0 run by the Lady Eagles cut the lead to 39-32, Ludington connected on a three point attempt to make it 42-32. The Nettes, would hang on and pick up the 43-34 win to improve to 11-0.
Scorers for the Nettes:
Ellison Steinhauer: 15 points
Reagan Ludington: 12 points
Bella Hopkins: 8 points
Caroline Mullins 4 points
Brylee Deering: 2 points
Caleigh Hoffard: 2 points
The Nettes, will be back in Blue Ridge for the third and final time this week on Friday, December 22nd as they take on the North Cobb Lady Warriors. Tip time set for 4 pm.
Dragons win fourth straight to open Holiday Tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 20, 2023
Blue Ridge, Ga — The Pickens Dragons came into Blue Ridge with a surge of momentum as they took on the Fannin Rebels on Tuesday, December 19th to begin the Fannin Holiday Tournament. The Dragons, looked to stretch their season high win streak to four games. The Rebels, looked to bounce back after an up and down week last week where they upset 2A #3 North Murray in overtime on Tuesday, but fell to Union County on Friday. The Dragons, would get the better of this match up defeating the Rebels, 60-39.
The Dragons scored the first four points of the game as Hayden Jones and Parker Davis hit back-to-back layups to make it 4-0. Ben Bloch, got the Rebels on the board with a bucket to cut the lead in half. The Dragons, would close the first quarter on an 11-0 run as Dodge and Parker Davis, Caleb Lanford, and McCord Purdy all scored during the run. Going to the second quarter, the Dragons led the Rebels, 15-2.
Cole Gribble, got the second quarter started with a layup to make it 15-4. After a basket by Dodge Davis, Matthew Ponton hit a three to make it 17-7. Jones and the Davis boys combined for a 6-0 run to make it 23-7. Isaiah Angel, ended the run with a layup to make it 23-9. Dodge Davis and Jamin Martin combined for a 5-0 run to make it 28-9. The Dragons, went into the half with a 30-14 lead over the Rebels.
Purdy, began the second half with a three pointer to make it 33-14. Jordan Richardson, Kolton Kaylor, and Bloch combined for a 6-0 run to cut the lead down to 33-20. Later on in the third, after both teams traded buckets, the Rebels went on a 6-0 run to close out the quarter as the Dragons led 41-28 going to the fourth.
The fourth quarter started with both teams going back and forth before Jones, Lanford, and Dodge Davis combined on a 12-0 run to make it 55-33. The Rebels would take the rest of the quarter, 6-5, as the Dragons got the win, 60-39.
The Dragons, will be back in action in Blue Ridge on Thursday, December 21st as they take on the Adairsville Tigers. Tip off is set for 5:30 pm.
Nettes begin Holiday Tournament with win
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 20, 2023
Blue Ridge, Ga — It’s Holiday tournament season as the 2023 portion of the season is wrapping up. The Pickens Dragonettes, will participate in two Holiday tournaments the remainder of this week, and next week. First up, the Holiday Tournament being held at Fannin. The Nettes, took on the host team, the Fannin Lady Rebels on Tuesday, December 19th. The Nettes, moved to 10-0 on the season after getting past a very game Lady Rebels team, 56-45.
The first quarter belonged to two Seniors. Caroline Mullins of the Nettes, and Courtney Davis of the Lady Rebels. These two young ladies put on a show in the opening quarter going back and forth. Davis, scored 12 of her teams 14 first quarter points, while Mullins scored 11 of her teams 15 first quarter points. For Davis, two of those points were extra special because she became the Lady Rebels all-time leading scorer at the 5:27 mark of the first quarter.
Both Davis and Mullins will be heading to the next level as Davis will be heading to Young Harris, and Mullins will be heading to UVA-Wise. Heading to the second quarter, it was the Nettes that held a 15-14 lead.
The second quarter started with Bella Hopkins splitting a pair of free throws and Mullins made a layup to make it 18-14. Macy Hawkins, cut it to 18-16 with a layup of her own. Mullins, Hopkins, and Ellison Steinhauer, would combine for a 6-0 run to make it 24-16. A 4-0 run by Reese Lewis would cut the Nettes lead in half. Pickens, would end the first half on a 8-0 run as Caleigh Hoffard made a layup, and Steinhauer scored the final 6 points to make it 32-20.
Mullins, got the third quarter going with a three pointer to make it 35-20. Davis, would respond with a 7-0 run to cut the lead down to 35-27. Steinhauer and Mullins countered with a 4-0 run to stretch the lead back to double digits. After a three pointer by Emma Buchanan, Steinhauer and Hopkins closed out the third quarter with a 4-0 run to make it 43-30 Nettes going to the fourth.
The fourth quarter began with the Lady Rebels going on a 4-0 run to cut the Nettes lead down to 9. A Mullins layup, and back to back baskets from Hopkins, including a three, put the Nettes up 50-34. Hawkins ended the run with a layup to make it 50-36. After two free throws by Mullins, Izzie Jabaley hit a three to make it 52-39. The Nettes, would hold on to pick up the win, 56-45.
Scorers for the Nettes:
Caroline Mullins: 26 points
Ellison Steinhauer: 16 points
Bella Hopkins: 12 points
Caleigh Woffard: 2 points
Scorers for the Lady Rebels:
Courtney Davis: 21 points
Macy Hawkins: 10 points
Reese Lewis: 6 points
Emma Buchanan: 3 points
Izzie Jabaley: 3 points
Maggie Ledford: 2 points
The Nettes, will be back in action on Thursday, December 21st as they once again head up to Blue Ridge to take on the North Cobb Christian Lady Eagles. Tip time set for 4 pm.