Dragons start 2-0 for first time since 2018
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports August 24, 2024
Calhoun, Ga — The Pickens Dragons traveled over to Calhoun on Friday, August 23rd to take on the Sonoraville Phoenix in non-region action. The Dragons, were coming off of a thrilling 31-28 win over the Pepperell Dragons, while the Phoenix, were looking to rebound after a tough 21-14 loss to Model in overtime. A rushing touchdown by Hayden Jones and two crucial 4th down stops helped the Dragons pick up another 31-28 win.
The Phoenix, would get the ball first to start the game after the Dragons differed to the 2nd half. One first down is all the Phoenix would get as the Dragons defense forced a punt. On their first possession of the game, the Dragons would march down the field using the run game, with a pass mixed in. Hunter Bryant, would score the first points of the game with a 15-yd TD run. The PAT by McCord Purdy would sail through the uprights and with 8:26 left in the first quarter, the Dragons led the Phoenix, 7-0.
On their next possession, the Phoenix would turn to their ground game as they would tie the game with a 2-yd TD run to make it 7-7 with 5:23 left in the first quarter. As the first quarter was winding down, the Dragons were in prime scoring position to retake the lead.
Hayden Jones handing off to Hagen Mullins
On the first play of the second quarter, Hagen Mullins powered into the end zone from four yards out to make it 14-7 Dragons with 11:53 left in the first half. Later on in the second, the Phoenix would again tie things up with a 1-yd TD run to make it 14 all with 3:02 left in the first half. Towards the end of the first half, a very confusing sequence occurred as the Dragons seemed to pick up a first down, but the white hat signaled fourth down. As he was doing that, the line judge told the down marker to flip it over to first down.
After much discussion, it was determined that the play that the Phoenix thought was fourth down, was really first down. The end result would be a 24-yd field goal by Purdy to make it 17-14 Dragons heading into the half.
The Dragons, got the ball first to start the second half looking to build on their 3 point lead. That’s exactly what they did as Jones found Purdy in the corner of the end zone for a 14-yd TD. With 7:29 left in the third, Pickens now led Sonoraville, 24-14. The Phoenix, would pick up a lot of momentum the rest of the quarter as a pair of rushing touchdowns gave them their first lead of the game heading into the fourth, 28-24.
With 5:29 left in the fourth quarter, Jones was able to get into the end zone from 4-yds out to give the Dragons a 31-28 lead. After a 4th down stop on defense, the Dragons looked to drain the clock the rest of the way. The Phoenix, had other ideas as they would force the Dragons to punt. Facing a 4th down on their own 48-yd line, the Phoenix turned to their TE, ECU commit, Cayman Reynolds. Reynolds, would haul in the pass, but would be short of the line to gain, giving possession back to the Dragons.
The Dragons, were able to pick up a first down and then take a knee as they held on to pick up the win, 31-28.
Hayden Jones with the touchdown run
With the win, the Dragons move to 2-0 for the first time since 2018. If you’re a Dragon fan, you remember how special that year was. Next up for the Dragons, a home game against their 515 rivals, the Gilmer Bobcats. That game always has exciting things happen and I’m sure this year will be no different. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons win 9th straight game; sweep Bobcats
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 30, 2024
Jasper, Ga — It was another beautiful day for high school baseball as the Pickens Dragons welcomed the Gilmer Bobcats to Dunn Field on Friday, March 29th for the third and final game of their series in 7-AAA. The Dragons, by virtue of taking the first two games, won the series and were looking to complete the sweep. The Bobcats, came in looking to steal a game. Prior to the ball game, PHS recognized Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day. A 5-run 2nd and a 4-run 6th helped the Dragons get the sweep, 10-3.
In the top of the first, Eli Cooper reached on an infield single with 1-out. Cooper, would advance to 2nd as Noah Gutillo grounded out to 1st. Dragons starter A.J. Rice, would then get Ethan McCollum to ground out to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Connor Shouse, would lead off by getting hit with the first pitch. Shouse, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position.
Shouse, would then steal 3rd. He would come in to score on a throwing error by the catcher to make it 1-0 Dragons going to the top of the second.
In the top of the second, Hayden Berry would be hit by a pitch to reach base to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt by Austin Zabala would advance Berry to 2nd. Rice, would collect his 2nd and 3rd strike outs to send it to the bottom of the 2nd. In the bottom of the inning, Dawson Holland would reach with a 1-out double. Christian Starks, would drive Holland in with a 2-out double to make it 2-0 Dragons.
Rice, would then be hit with a pitch to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Shouse, would reach with a single to load the bases. Trey Payne, would bring in Starks and courtesy runner Ezra Faber in with a 2-RBI single to make it 4-1 Dragons. Shouse and Payne, would then pull off a double steal. A single by Cade Sutton would drive in Shouse and Payne to make it 6-0 Dragons going to the third.
In the top of the third, Rice, would collect his 4th strikeout for the first out. Blake Grizzle, would put the Bobcats on the board with a solo home run to left field to make it 6-1. Gutillo, would keep the inning alive with a 2-out single. McCollum, would bring Gutillo around to score with an RBI double to make it 6-2. Berry, would then be hit with a pitch to put runners at 1st and 2nd.
Rice, would get out of the third by picking up his 6th strikeout of the game to keep the score at 6-2 in favor of Pickens. In the bottom of the third, Trace Ledbetter, would lead off with a double. After a long at bat, Holland would send a fly ball out to right field that would advance Ledbetter to 3rd. Bobcats starter Dalton Crisp, would get out of the third with a strikeout and ground out. Going to the fourth, Pickens led Gilmer, 6-2.
Mel Mosley, would lead off the fourth with a single. After Rice picked up his 7th strikeout, Haden West and Grizzle would hit back to back singles to load the bases with 1-out. Cooper, would bring in Mosley with sacrifice fly RBI to make it 6-3. Gutillo, would then reach base as Sutton couldn’t get the ball out of his glove cleanly. Rice, showed off some quick reflexes as he caught a come backer from McCollum to send it to the bottom of the fourth.
Crisp, would fire his first 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fourth as they would head to the fifth, with Pickens leading Gilmer, 6-3.
Cason Cannon would come on in relief of Rice in the top of the fifth. Berry, would lead off the fifth with a double. Cannon, would then get Zabala with a strikeout for the first out. Mosley, would draw a 1-out walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. A grounder by Brandon Davis, would advance Berry and Mosley up to 2nd and 3rd with 2-outs. Cannon, would get out of the jam by forcing a fly out to left to send it to the bottom of the fifth, Dragons leading, 6-3.
Kam Jenkins, would look to get things going in the bottom of the fifth as he reached with a 1-out single. The Bobcat defense, would turn an inning ending double play to send it to the sixth with the Dragons still leading, 6-3.
Starks, would come on in relief of Cannon in the top of the sixth. Starks, would get the first two out of the sixth on 2 pitches. Gutillo, would keep the inning going for the Bobcats as he reached with a 2-out double. McCollum, looked like he had at least a double and it looked like the Bobcats would score a run, but Trey Payne would have other ideas as he made a diving catch in right field to send it to the bottom of the sixth, Pickens still ahead, 6-3.
Holland, would lead off the bottom of the sixth with a double. He would then advance to 3rd after a passed ball. Tyler Payne, who came on to pitch hit, would reach on a fielder’s choice as Holland would be thrown out at home. Starks, would reach on a fielder’s choice as there were now two outs. Ezra Faber, would come in to run for Starks. Rice, would drive in Faber with an RBI double to make it 7-3 Dragons.
Rice, would advance to 3rd on the throw. Shouse, would bring in Rice with an RBI single to make it 8-3. Shouse, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Trey Payne, would reach base on an error. Shouse, would come in to score on the play to make it 9-3. After Payne stole 2nd, he would advance to 3rd as Sutton reached on an infield single. Jenkins, would then draw a walk to load the bases with 2-outs.
Ledbetter, would drive in Payne with an RBI single to make it 10-3. Sutton, would be tagged out at home trying to score from 2nd on the play. Going to the seventh, Pickens led Gilmer, 10-3.
JP Nunn, came on in relief of Starks in the top of the seventh. Berry, would lead off the inning by getting hit with a pitch. Nunn, would come back and get the first out of the frame with a strikeout. Mosley, would draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Nunn, would then start a game ending 1-6-3 double play to seal the 10-3 win for the Dragons.
Stats for the Bobcats:
Blake Grizzle: 2-4 with a single, a home run, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Eli Cooper: 1-4 with a single and 1 RBI
Noah Gutillo: 2-4 with a single, a double, and 1 run scored
Ethan McCollum: 1-4 with a double, and 1 RBI
Hayden Berry: 1-1 with a double and 3 hit by pitch
Austin Zabala: 1 sacrifice bunt
Haden West: 1-2 with a single and a walk
Mel Mosley: 1-2 with a single, 2 walks, and 1 run scored
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 2-3 with 2 singles, 1 hit by pitch, 4 steals, 1 RBI, and 3 runs scored
Trey Payne: 1-4 with a single, 2 steals, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Cade Sutton: 2-4 with 2 singles, 1 steal, and 2 RBI
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with a single, and a walk
Dawson Holland: 2-3 with 2 doubles, and 1 run scored
Trace Ledbetter: 2-4 with 1 single, 1 double, and 1 RBI
Christian Starks: 1-3 with a double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored (1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB on 10 pitches)
A.J. Rice: 1-2 with a double, 1 hit by pitch, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored (4 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 7 H, 7 K, 2 HBP on 79 pitches)
Ezra Faber: 2 runs scored
Cason Cannon: 1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K on 20 pitches
JP Nunn: 1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 HBP, 1 BB, 1 K on 17 pitches
7-AAA Baseball Standings:
Pickens: 18-3 (11-1)
Dawson: 14-6 (8-4)
Wesleyan: 8-9 (5-4)
Lumpkin: 10-10 (6-6)
White County: 10-11 (2-7)
Gilmer: 8-11 (2-7)
West Hall: 5-14 (2-7)
Next week, the two top ten ranked teams from 7-AAA will face off in a 3-game series as the Pickens Dragons will take on the Dawson Tigers. Game one of the series is set for Tuesday, April 2nd in Dawsonville with a first pitch start time of 5:55 pm. As of now, there is a chance for rain on Tuesday. We’ll keep you updated on any schedule changes that occur during the week.
Dragons take series from Bobcats
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 29, 2024
Jasper, Ga — It was a perfect afternoon for high school baseball on Thursday, March 28th as the Pickens Dragons welcomed their rivals to the north, the Gilmer Bobcats to Dunn Field for game two of their three game set in 7-AAA play. The Dragons, took game one in Ellijay on Monday, and looked to win the series on their home turf. Meanwhile, for the Bobcats, they looked to even up the series, and tighten up the race for the 4th seed. Behind a solid pitching performance and busy bats, the Dragons were game to win game two, 11-1 in six innings.
In the top of the first, the Bobcats looked to strike early as Blake Grizzle, Eli Cooper, and Noah Gutillo all reached on three straight singles to load the bases with nobody out. Dragons starter James Tilley, remained poised and picked up 2 strikeouts and a ground out to get out of the jam. In the bottom of the first, Bobcats starter Ethan McCollum, got two quick outs before Cade Sutton drew a walk to reach base.
Sutton, would steal 2nd to get into scoring position for Kam Jenkins who would drive him in with an RBI single to make it 1-0 Dragons going to the second.
After Tilley got the first two batters in order on two ground outs to start the second inning, Haden West would keep the inning going with a single to center. Grizzle, would drive in West with an RBI double to tie the game at 1. Tilley, would force a pop out for the 3rd out to send it to the bottom of the second. In the bottom of the frame, Trace Ledbetter led off by drawing a walk. Coleman Keener, who pitch ran for Ledbetter, would steal 2nd to get in scoring position.
A grounder by Dawson Holland would advance Keener to 3rd with 1-out. Christian Starks, would bring in Keener with a sacrifice fly RBI to give Pickens a 2-1 lead over Gilmer going to the third.
In the top of the third, Gutillo would lead off with a single for his 2nd hit of the day. After a strikeout by Tilley, Gutillo would be forced out at 2nd as McCollum would reach on a fielder’s choice. Tilley, would force a fly out for the 3rd out to send it to the bottom half of the inning. In the bottom of the third, Jenkins would keep the inning alive by making it to 2nd after an error in the outfield. That would be it as Pickens led Gilmer, 2-1 going to the fourth.
Tilley, would have his first clean inning of the game in the top of the fourth as he got a pop out and 2 ground outs. Ledbetter, would lead off the bottom of the fourth by drawing a walk. Holland, would follow with a single. After Starks advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, Ledbetter would come in to score on a wild pitch. Holland, would advance to 3rd on the play. A.J. Rice, would reach by being hit with a pitch to put runners at the corners with 1-out.
Connor Shouse, would smack a liner past the shortstop who was running to cover 2nd as Rice was attempting to steal 2nd. That liner would score both Holland and Rice to make it 5-1 Dragons. Shouse, would make it to 3rd on the play as the incoming throw got away from the Bobcat defense. Trey Payne, would bring in Shouse with an RBI ground out to make it 6-1 Dragons going to the top of the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, Tilley worked around a 1-out single by Cooper as the Dragons were able to turn an inning ending double play. In the bottom of the fifth, Tyler Payne would lead off by getting hit with a pitch. Ledbetter, would then hit a 2-run home run as he drove in Tilley who was pitch running for Tyler Payne. Starks, would reach 2nd on a two base error. Starks, would advance to 3rd on a balk.
Starks, would come in to score on a grounder by Rice to make it 9-1. Shouse, would hit the 2nd home run of the inning for the Dragons as he sent a shot over the left field fence to make it 10-1. A 2-out double from Trey Payne would keep the inning alive. The Bobcats, would record a strikeout to get out of the fifth, as Pickens took a 10-1 lead into the sixth.
Brodie Keener came on in relief of Tilley who went 5 strong innings. Keener, would toss a scoreless top of the sixth as he worked around a single by McCollum. McCollum, would be thrown out at 2nd trying to stretch it to a double. Going to the bottom of the sixth, Pickens led Gilmer, 10-1. In the bottom of the sixth, Sam Hammontree, who came on to hit for Tyler Payne, would draw a walk with 1-out.
Hammontree, would be out at 2nd as Ledbetter reached on a fielder’s choice. Kyle Grno, would came on to pitch hit for Holland, reached on a bloop single. The ball would get away from the Bobcat outfielder and Grno would advance to 2nd while Ledbetter advanced to 3rd. Starks, would follow that up with another bloop single as Ledbetter would come in to score to give the Dragons the 11-1 win in six innings.
With the win, the Dragons take their fourth straight region series. They are now 17-3 overall, and 10-1 in 7-AAA. The Gilmer Bobcats fall to 8-10 overall and 2-6 in 7-AAA. Game three of the series will be right back in Jasper at Dunn Field on Friday, March 29th. First pitch set for 5:55 pm.
Dragons defeat Bobcats on the road
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 26, 2024
Ellijay, Ga — Monday, March 25th kicked off rivalry week as the Pickens Dragons made the short trek up 515 to take on the Gilmer Bobcats in game one of their three game series. Coming into the game, the Dragons, were 15-3 overall, 8-1 in 7-AAA, ranked 2nd in AAA, and riding a 6 game winning streak. The Bobcats, were 8-8 overall, and 2-4 in 7-AAA. Behind a strong pitching performance and timely hitting, the Dragons picked up a 7-1 win.
In the top of the first, Connor Shouse, led off by drawing a walk. After Shouse stole 2nd to get into scoring position, Trey Payne would reach on an error. The Dragons, would then pull a double steal as Shouse would take 3rd and Payne would take 2nd. Shouse, would come in to score on an error to make it 1-0. A fly out to left by Cade Sutton would advance Payne to 3rd. Kam Jenkins, would drive in Payne with a single to make it 2-0 Dragons.
In the bottom of the first, Blake Grizzle, would lead off by getting hit with a pitch. Shouse, would settle in after that by getting a ground ball and two strikeouts to send it to the second with Pickens leading Gilmer, 2-0.
In the top of the second, Dawson Holland, would reach on an error with 1-out. He would be left stranded at 2nd as Bobcats starter Austin Zabala, forced a line out and a ground out to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom half of the frame, Ethan McCollum, led off with a double to center. He would be picked off by Jenkins attempting to steal 3rd.
After back to back singles from Hayden Berry and Zabala, the Dragons were able to turn a double play to send it to the third with Pickens still leading Gilmer, 2-0.
In the top of the third, Shouse, would again lead off by drawing his 2nd walk. Shouse, would steal his 3rd base of the day as he made his way to 2nd. Sutton, would hit a single to right that would bring home Shouse to make it 3-0 Dragons. In the bottom of the third, Haden West, would lead off with a single. The Dragons, would then turn their 2nd double play to erase that single.
Eli Cooper, kept the inning alive for the Bobcats as he reached with a 2-out single. Cooper, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. The inning came to an end when Jenkins threw out Cooper trying to take 3rd. Going to the top of the fourth, Pickens led Gilmer, 3-0.
In the top of the fourth, Holland, reached with a 1-out single. Holland, would advance to 2nd on an error during the play. Holland, would then advance to 3rd on a wild pitch. Christian Starks, would reach after drawing a walk. A.J. Rice, would bring in Holland with an RBI ground out to make it 4-0. Shouse, would draw his 3rd walk of the game to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Zabala and the Bobcats, would get out of that jam and send it to the bottom of the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, Shouse, picked up 2 quick ground outs. A 2-out single by McCollum, kept the inning alive for the Bobcats. Shouse, would record his 3rd K of the night to send it to the fifth with Pickens leading Gilmer, 4-0.
In the top of the fifth, Jenkins reached on an error and would be at 2nd with 1-out. Trace Ledbetter, would bring in Jenkins’ courtesy runner, JP Nunn, with a single to make it 5-0 Dragons. In the bottom of the fifth, Brandon Davis, would reach after being hit by a pitch with 1-out. Davis, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. West, would draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out.
Shouse, would do a good job of settling down as he would end the fifth by striking out the next two batters to send it to the sixth with the Dragons still leading the Bobcats, 5-0.
In the top of the sixth, Rice, would hit his first home run of the season as he sent one over the right field fence to make it 6-0. Trey Payne, would then reach on an error with 2-outs to keep the inning alive. Sutton would drive in Payne with a double to make it 7-0 Pickens going to the bottom of the sixth. In the bottom of the inning, Cason Cannon came on in relief of Shouse.
After Cannon got the first two out via fly out and strikeout, McCollum, kept the inning going with his 3rd hit of the day. Berry, would bring in McCollum with an RBI single. Berry would advance all to way to 3rd on an error. Cannon, would pick up his 2nd strikeout of the inning to send it to the seventh with Pickens leading Gilmer, 7-1.
Sam Hammontree, who came on to pitch hit for Tyler Payne, would lead off by reaching on an error. Kyle Grno, who pitch hit for Holland, would reach on a fielder’s choice. He would be left at 2nd and they’d go to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Nunn came on to try and finish off the game for the Dragons. After picking up a strikeout and a fly out, Grizzle would reach with a 2-out single.
After two wild pitches would advance Grizzle to 3rd, Nunn would pick up his 2nd strikeout to seal the 7-1 win in game one of the series for the Dragons.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 3 walks, 3 stolen bases, 2 runs scored (5 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 6 K on 78 pitches)
Trey Payne: 1 stolen base, and 2 runs scored
Cade Sutton: 2-4 with a single, a double, and 1 RBI
Trace Ledbetter: 1-4 with a single
Dawson Holland: 1-3 with a single and 1 run scored
A.J. Rice: 1-3 with 1 home run, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Cason Cannon: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K, on 23 pitches
JP Nunn: 1 run scored ( 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K on 19 pitches)
Game two of the series will be on the turf of Dunn Field in Jasper on Thursday, March 28th. First pitch is set for 5:55 pm.
Dragons sweep Spartans behind combined no hitter
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 22, 2024
Jasper, Ga — It was a beautiful day for high school baseball on Thursday, March 21st as the Pickens Dragons hosted the Spartans of West Hall for the final game of their three game region series. The Dragons, had already won the series by virtue of sweeping a double header on Tuesday, March 19th, and were looking for the series sweep. Prior to the game, the youth baseball teams from the Pickens County rec department were recognized. Behind a combined no hitter from A.J. Rice and Cason Cannon, the Dragons came away with a 6-1 win.
In the top of the first, Rice, needed only 9 pitches to get three outs as he picked up 2 fly outs and his first strikeout. In the bottom half of the inning, Connor Shouse, led off with a single. Trey Payne, would move Shouse over to 2nd with a grounder. As Shouse was attempting to steal 3rd, Cade Sutton hit a grounder to the 3rd baseman. Shouse, never stopped running on the play and would score to make it 1-0 Dragons going to the second inning.
In the top of the second, Rice, worked around a 1-out error and walk to get out of the inning. Rice, picked up his 2nd and 3rd strikeout of the game during the top half of the frame. The 3rd out came after the runner at 2nd was caught in a rundown and was eventually tagged out at 3rd. In the bottom of the frame, the Dragons would go down in order on two pop outs and a ground out. Going to the third, Pickens led West Hall, 1-0.
In the top of the third, Rice, needed only 7 pitches to record three outs as he forced three ground outs to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the third, Shouse, would again lead off with a single. The Spartans, would erase that as they forced a double play. The Dragons, looked for some 2-out magic as Sutton laced a single and Kam Jenkins drew a walk, but the Spartans got a fly out to send it to the fourth with Pickens leading West Hall, 1-0.
In the top of the fourth, the Spartans, got their lead off man on as he was hit by a pitch. He would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. After a grounder to 1st advanced the runner to 3rd, Rice, picked up his 4th strikeout for the 2nd out. The Spartans, would tie the game as the runner from 3rd would come in to score on a wild pitch. Rice, would pick up his 5th strikeout to send it to the bottom of the fourth with the score now tied at 1.
In the bottom of the fourth, Tyler Payne, would lead off with a single. The Spartans, would pick off his pitch runner Daven Abernathy for the first out. Trace Ledbetter, would then be hit by a pitch to put him on with 1-out. The Spartans, would get out of the fourth after back to back ground outs. Going to the fifth, Pickens and West Hall were tied at 1.
In the top half of the fifth, Rice, would strikeout the side, giving him 8 on the night to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Shouse, drew a lead off walk to get on base. He would then steal 2nd as he tied the single season mark for stolen bases. Trey Payne, would advance Shouse over to 3rd with a bunt. Sutton, would bring in Shouse with an RBI double to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead.
Jenkins, would follow that up with a single to put runners at the corners with 1-out. Jenkins courtesy runner, JP Nunn, was able to somehow escape a rundown and advance to 2nd. Tyler Payne, extended the lead as he drove in both Sutton and Nunn with a 2-RBI double to make it 4-1 Dragons going to the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Rice picked up his 9th strikeout for the first out. After a walk and a stolen base put a runner in scoring position, 2nd baseman James Tilley made a great play in the outfield grass as he made the catch for the second out. A hit batsman would put runners a 1st and 2nd with 2-out. After a little bit of a discussion, Rice, was relieved by Cason Cannon. Cannon, needed just 1 pitch to get out of the inning and send it to the bottom of the sixth.
In the bottom half of the sixth, Christian Starks would lead off with a double. An error in the outfield, would allow Starks to score as Rice would end up at 2nd on the play. After a sacrifice bunt by Shouse that advanced Rice to 3rd, Trey Payne would bring in Rice with an RBI ground out to make it 6-1 Dragons going to the seventh.
Cannon, came back out for the top of the seventh to try and finish the game off. After giving up a walk and hitting a batter to begin the top half of the inning, Cannon settled down to strikeout two and force a pop out to Shouse as the Dragons take game three, 6-1 to sweep the region series.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 2-2 with 2 singles, 1 walk, 1 stolen base, 1 sacrifice bunt, and 2 runs scored
Trey Payne: 1 sacrifice bunt and 1 RBI
Cade Sutton: 2-3 with a single, a double, 1 walk, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 3-3 with 3 singles, and 1 walk
Tyler Payne: 2-3 with a single, a double, and 2 RBI
Trace Ledbetter: 1 hit by pitch
Christian Starks: 1-3 with a double and 1 run scored
A.J. Rice: 1 run scored (5.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 9 K on 88 pitches)
JP Nunn: 1 run scored
Cason Cannon: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 K on 22 pitches
7-AAA Baseball Standings:
Pickens: 15-3 (8-1)
Dawson: 12-5 (6-3)
Lumpkin: 9-8 (5-4)
White County: 10-8 (2-4)
Wesleyan: 5-9 (2-4)
Gilmer: 8-8 (2-4)
West Hall: 4-14 (2-7)
The Dragons, will remain in 7-AAA play next week as they begin a series with their 515 rivals, the Gilmer Bobcats. Due to impending weather next week, Game one of the series will be at Gilmer on Monday, March 25th with a first pitch time of 6 pm. Games two and three will be played in Jasper on Thursday, March 28th, and Friday, March 29th.
Dragons set to battle Bobcats for 7-AAA Championship
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 16, 2024
Dahlonega, Ga — A trip to the 7-AAA Region Championship was up for grabs as the Pickens Dragons took on the Lumpkin Indians on Thursday, February 15th. The Dragons, defeated Lumpkin in both match ups in the regular season. Defeating a team three times in one season is a tough feat, but the Dragons were able to get by the Indians, 51-35.
The Indians, started off hot offensively to begin the ball game as Cal Faulkner would hit back to back threes to put them up 6-0 early on. The Dragons, would answer with an 8-0 run as both Dodge and Parker Davis, as well as Caleb Lanford helped give Pickens its first lead of the night. Stephen Sherrill, ended the Dragons run with a three to put the Indians ahead, 9-8.
Lanford and McCord Purdy would hit back to back threes to put the Dragons on top, 14-9. A layup by Faulkner would end the first quarter as the Dragons would take a 14-11 lead into the second quarter.
The Dragons, began the second quarter by going on a 9-0 run as Dodge Davis, Lanford, and Purdy all contributed to the run to put Pickens up, 23-11. The Indians, responded with a 7-0 run as Landon Pierce hit a three, and Faulkner and Preston Cox made back to back baskets to cut the lead to 23-18. Parker Davis, would then go on a 4-0 run to stretch the lead back out to 27-18.
Faulkner and Purdy would trade buckets to end the first half as the Dragons would go into the locker room with a 29-20 lead.
The second half scoring started with a 5-0 run by Dodge Davis to make it 34-20 Dragons. A three by T.J. Gaddis would end the run and cut the lead to 34-23. Both teams would then trade baskets to end the third quarter as Hayden Jones would get into the score book with a layup, Faulkner would add to his total, and Nathan Wallace would score on a layup to make it 38-26 Dragons going to the fourth.
Parker Davis and Purdy would split free throws to make it 40-26 to begin the fourth quarter. A bucket by Sherrill would cut the lead back to 12. A three by Lanford and a pair of split free throws by the Davis Brothers would make it 45-28. A three by Faulkner would cut the lead down to 15. After Purdy split a pair of free throws, Cox was able to make the layup and the free throw to cut the lead to 46-33.
A 5-0 run by Purdy and Lanford would extend the lead to 51-33. A late basket by Gaddis, would make it 51-35 as the Pickens Dragons would advance to the 7-AAA Region Championship game.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Dodge Davis: 14 points
Caleb Lanford: 14 points (4 threes)
McCord Purdy: 11 points
Parker Davis: 8 points
Hayden Jones: 2 points
Nathan Wallace: 2 points
The Dragons, will now turn their attention to the 7-AAA Region Championship game on Saturday, February 17th as they take on their 515 rivals, the Gilmer Bobcats. The Bobcats, defeated the Dawson Tigers 74-60 in the other region semifinal game to advance to Saturday. The Dragons and Bobcats split their regular season meetings with each team winning on their home floor. Tip off is set for 7:30 pm.
Coach Martin wins 100th game as Dragons defeat Gilmer
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 20, 2024
Jasper, Ga — The Dragons Den was filled to the brim on Friday, January 19th as the Pickens Dragons hosted their rivals, the Gilmer Bobcats in a big time 7-AAA match up. Coming into the game, the Dragons were 14-5, 5-1 in 7-AAA play, and riding a 6 game win streak. The Bobcats, came into the game 12-6, and in first place in 7-AAA at 6-0. After a close first quarter, the Dragons outscored the Bobcats, 50-26 the rest of the way to pick up a 65-38 win.
The Bobcats, got things going early as they dumped it inside to their guy in the middle, Jackson McVey, for the first two points of the game. After several missed shots from both teams, the Dragons were able to tie the game up with a jumper by McCord Purdy. McVey, put the Bobcats back in front with a layup. He was then able to convert the free throw to make it 5-2. A nice pass from Parker Davis found a cutting Caleb Lanford, who would score to cut the lead down to one.
A corner three ball by Lanford gave the Dragons their first lead of the night at 7-5. The Bobcats, were able to find an open Kohan Davis under the basket on a fast break and he tied the game up at 7. Parker Davis, hit his first three of the game to make it 10-7. Ryder Wofford, would split a pair of free throws to cut the Dragons lead down to two. A jumper by JD Taylor would tie things up at 10.
A second three pointer by Lanford put the Dragons right back in front, 13-10. A nice drive by Davis, led to a layup that cut the Dragons lead down to one. A nice pass from Lanford found Hayden Jones cutting to the basket for the layup to make it 15-12 as they went to the second quarter.
The second quarter began with good ball movement by the Dragons that led to a second three pointer from Parker Davis that made it 18-12. Keegan Bryant, then drove to the basket, and scored the layup to make it 18-14. After a bit of a scoring drought, Purdy found Jones on an in-bounds play for the layup to make it 20-14. With the shot clock about to expire, Purdy, was able to hit a long three to make it 23-14. McVey, put an end to the run with a layup to make it 23-16.
A missed shot by the Dragons led to an opportunity for the Bobcats to find McVey for his first dunk of the evening to cut the lead down to 23-18. Lanford, kept his hot shooting going as he hit his third three pointer of the first half to make it 26-18. Dodge Davis, followed that up with a three of his own to make it 29-18. Wofford, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 29-19. Montego Morgan, grabbed a missed shot from the Bobcats, drove down the court, and found Dodge Davis for the layup to make it 31-19.
After another great passing display by the Dragons, Lanford would hit his fourth three of the first half to make it 34-19. McVey, would then make a layup to cut it to 34-21. That would be the score heading into the half.
The second half started with Wofford splitting a pair of free throws to cut the lead down to 12. After a missed shot by the Dragons, Wofford, was able to split a pair of defenders to sink the floater to cut the lead to 10. The Dragons, who are always lethal on the fast break, pushed the lead back to 12 after a layup from Jones. After Dodge Davis was able to draw a foul on McVey, he would split the free throws to make it 37-24. A turnover by the Bobcats on the other end, led to a three by Dodge Davis that made it 40-24.
Again, on another fast break chance, Purdy found Lanford driving to the basket for a layup to make it 42-24. A little while later, Purdy made a nice move as he drove to the basket and laid the ball up using an up and under move to avoid McVey’s block attempt to make it 44-24. McVey, put an end to the run with a layup to make it 44-26. Dodge Davis, was at the right place at the right time as he was able to rebound the missed three point attempt from Jones to lay it in and make it 46-26.
McVey, was able to collect a missed shot and dunk it in to make it 46-28. The Dragons, once again took advantage of getting back quickly as Purdy found Parker Davis in the lane for the layup to make it 48-28. After a block by Parker Davis on the other end of the court, Jones found Lanford in transition for the layup to make it 50-28 going to the fourth quarter.
A nice feed from Parker Davis to his brother Dodge for the layup started the scoring in the fourth quarter to make it 52-28. After a pair of turnovers, Bryant, made a layup to cut it to 52-30. A nice drive by Morgan led to a foul. While he was hurt on the drive, Morgan gutted it out, and made both of the free throws to make it 54-30. A corner three by Bryant made it 54-33. Parker Davis, would counter with a three of his own. Bryant, then hit another three to make it 57-36. A jumper at the free throw line by Lanford and a jumper by Purdy made it 61-36.
After a turnover by the Dragons, the Bobcats were able to take it down the court and McVey would finish it off with his third dunk of the game. Parker Davis, jumped in front of the pass attempt and that led to a fast break and it was capped off by Purdy lobbing it up to Parker Davis for the lay in to make it 63-38. After another turnover, those two got another chance to go to work as Purdy tossed the ball off the backboard and Parker Davis threw it down to close out the game, 65-38.
7-AAA Basketball Standings:
Pickens: 15-5 (6-1)
Gilmer: 12-6 (6-1)
Dawson: 11-8 (4-3)
Lumpkin: 9-10 (3-4)
Wesleyan: 8-12 (3-4)
West Hall: 4-13 (2-5)
White County: 4-15 (0-6)
The Dragons, will have the next week to get ready as they begin a 4 game region road trip starting on Friday, January 26th as they take on the Dawson Tigers. The Dragons, defeated the Tigers on December 12th. Tip off set for 8:30 pm.
Dragons defeat Spartans for 6th win in a row
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 17, 2024
Oakwood, Ga — After picking up a big win over Wesleyan on Friday, January 12th, the Pickens Dragons took a 5 game winning streak into their game against the West Hall Spartans on Wednesday, January 17th. This game was originally scheduled for Tuesday, January 16th, but the cold weather forced it to be pushed back a day. The Dragons, kept things rolling as they came away with a 68-53 road victory.
Caleb Lanford, got the game started with a three pointer to put the Dragons up early. After Glenn Matiba split a pair of free throws, Parker Davis made a layup to make it 5-1. Parker Davis, would then pick up his 2nd foul and would have to sit for the majority of the first quarter. Teryk Tilley, would cut the lead to 5-3 after a bucket. Hayden Jones, would make his first three of the game to push the lead to 8-3.
A 5-0 run by the Spartans would tie the game at 8. After Jones ended the run with a layup, Ian Pardue hit his first three to give the Spartans an 11-10 lead. McCord Purdy, would put the Dragons back on top 12-11 with a bucket. A second Pardue three pointer gave the Spartans a 14-12 lead. Back to back three pointers from Nathan Wallace and Purdy would give the Dragons an 18-14 lead going to the second quarter.
A basket by Landon Bennett got things going in the second quarter as the Spartans cut the lead to two. Purdy and Dodge Davis would then combine for a 5-0 run to stretch the lead to 23-16. Bennett, picked up his second bucket of the quarter to end the run and cut it to 23-18. After a layup by Jones, Matiba got the lay-in to go as well as the free throw to make it 25-21.
Jones and Matiba would then trade baskets as the Dragons led 28-23. Back to back three pointers from Purdy and Montego Morgan stretched the lead out to 34-23. Pardue, closed out the first half with a three to make it 34-26 Dragons going into halftime.
Wallace, connected with his second three pointer to start the third quarter as the Dragons led 37-26. After a basket by Tilley, the Dragons would go on a 12-0 run as the Davis brothers, and Jones contributed to the run as Pickens made it 49-28. A bucket by Troy Smith would put an end to the run and cut it to 49-30. After Jones split a pair of free throws, Bennett got a layup to go to make it 50-32. Jones, would close the third going 2-2 from the line to give the Dragons a 52-32 lead.
A three point play by the Spartans began the fourth quarter scoring as that cut the lead to 52-35. After a bucket by Dodge Davis, Smith would make back to back three pointers to make it 54-41. A 7-0 run by Dodge Davis and Caleb Lanford would stretch the lead back out to 20. A 4-0 run by the Spartans with baskets from Bennett and Ethan Clifford, made it 61-45. Dodge Davis, would then make a layup, and then split a pair of free throws to make it 64-45.
Tilley, would convert an and-1 play to cut the lead back to 16. Both teams traded baskets to end the ball game as the Dragons picked up their 6th straight win, 68-53.
Top Scorers For The Dragons:
Hayden Jones: 16 points
Dodge Davis: 14 points
Parker Davis: 12 points
McCord Purdy: 11 points
Caleb Lanford: 6 points
Nathan Wallace: 6 points
Montego Morgan: 3 points
The Dragons, will be back home insode the Dragons Den on Friday, January 19th as they welcome their rivals from the north, the Gilmer Bobcats. The Bobcats, came away with a close win on December 5th earlier in the season. A win for the Dragons, would split the in season series and tie the Bobcats on top of the region standings. Tip off set for 8:30.
Dragons drop region opener to Bobcats
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 6, 2023
Ellijay, Ga — December means it’s time for region play in high school basketball in the state of Georgia and 7-AAA play tipped off on Tuesday, December 5th as the Pickens Dragons made the short trip up to Ellijay to take on the Gilmer Bobcats. Pickens came into the game at 3-2, while the Bobcats came into the game at 2-2 with wins over Northview and Murray County. A 20-8 third quarter run and a 31 point outing from Jackson McVey helped the Bobcats pull out a 76-71 win.
The first quarter of this game was a wild one as both teams got their offense going early. Caleb Lanford got things going for the Dragons with a bucket to give them an early 2-0 lead. It was all McVey to begin the scoring for the Bobcats as he scored the first 8 points of the game for Gilmer. The Bobcats would go on an 8-0 run to jump out to a 14-6 lead. McCord Purdy would make a basket and Dodge Davis would hit a three to cut the lead to 14-12.
After a bucket by McVey, Parker Davis went on a personal 5-0 run to give the Dragons a 17-16 lead. A 4-0 run by McVey gave the Bobcats a 20-17 lead. After a bucket by Parker Davis, Keegen Bryant and McVey would combine for a 4-0 run to make it 24-19. Just before the buzzer, Purdy hit a step back three to make it 24-22 Bobcats going to the second quarter.
The Bobcats, went on a 3-0 run to start the second quarter to stretch their lead out to 27-22. A bucket by Hayden Jones and back to back steals by Lanford that turned into layups for the Dragons gave Pickens a 28-27 lead. A layup by Jacob Becerra ended the 6-0 Dragons run and gave the Bobcats the lead back. The Dragons, followed that up with a 7-0 run as Purdy hit two free throws and a three pointer and Parker Davis made a basket to make it 35-29 Pickens.
Towards the end of the first half, after the Bobcats cut the Dragons lead to 3, Lanford split a pair of free throws and Purdy again beat the buzzer with a three to give the Dragons a 44-37 lead at the half.
Jones started off the second half with a three to give the Dragons a 47-37 lead. The Bobcats would then start to claw back. After that three pointer that gave the Dragons a 10 point lead, the Bobcats outscored Pickens 17-4 to take a 54-51 lead. Parker Davis, would split a pair of free throws to cut the lead down to 2. The Bobcats, would close out the third quarter scoring with a three pointer to make it 57-52 going to the fourth.
McVey, started the fourth quarter on a 4-0 run to make it 61-52. Jones, would get the layup and the free throw to cut the lead to 61-55. Later on in the quarter, the Bobcats would increase their lead to 72-60. The Dragons, would then go on a 10-0 run as Purdy, Lanford, and Parker Davis all contributed to the run to cut the Bobcat lead down to 2. From then on it was a free throw game and the Bobcats made theirs to get the win, 76-71.
7-AAA Region Standings:
Dawson: 5-2 (1-0)
Gilmer: 3-2 (1-0)
Wesleyan: 5-3 (1-0)
White County: 3-5 (0-0)
Pickens: 3-3 (0-1)
West Hall: 1-5 (0-1)
Lumpkin: 1-6 (0-1)
The Dragons, will be back in non-region action on Friday, December 8th as they head to Calhoun to take on the Sonoraville Phoenix. Pickens, defeated the Phoenix 50-46 on November 20th as part of the Pickens Thanksgiving Tournament. Tip off set for 8:30 pm.
Dragons get over .500 after defeating Rebels
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports November 29, 2023
Jasper, Ga — After a tough game against the Creekview Grizzlies last week, the Pickens Dragons came into their game against the Fannin Rebels on Tuesday, November 28th looking to get back over .500. The Rebels, were looking to get their season started off on the right foot with a road victory. The Dragons, were able to pull away in the second half to secure a 75-45 victory.
The first quarter started off as a turnover fest for both teams early on. Dodge Davis split a pair of free throws to give the Dragons a 1 point lead. The Rebels, took their first lead after a layup by Cole Gribble. After the two teams traded buckets, the Dragons would go on a small 4-0 run as McCord Purdy hit a three and Caleb Lanford made a basket to make it 15-11 Pickens. Ben Bloch, hit two free throws to cut the lead to two.
Just before the buzzer went off to end the first quarter, Purdy got off a corner jumper and got the kind home bounce to make it 17-13 Dragons going to the second.
Parker Davis, got the scoring started in the second quarter as his bucket made it 19-13. The Rebels would cut into the lead after Jordan Richardson split a pair of free throws and Gribble made a layup to make it 19-16. A 4-0 run by Parker Davis stretched the lead out to 23-16. Richardson, would hit a three to end the mini run and cut the lead to four. The Dragons, would then go on a 10-0 run as Dodge Davis, Hayden Jones, and Purdy all contributed to the run.
The Rebels, got another three from Richardson out of a time out and Bloch split a pair of free throws to make it 33-23. Jones would get the final bucket of the first half as the Dragons went into the break up 35-23.
To start the second half, Kolton Kaylor hit a three to cut the lead to nine. After both teams traded baskets, Purdy went on a 5-0 run to make it 42-28. Later on in the third, Lanford matched Purdy with a 5-0 run of his own. After Bloch ended the run with a three, Purdy again beat the buzzer as he nailed a three to make it 51-33 Dragons going to the fourth.
Dodge Davis got the scoring going for the Dragons in the fourth with a pair of free throws. After a bucket by Bloch, Nathan Wallace got his first points with a three to make it 56-35. Purdy and Lanford, hit back to back three pointers to make it 62-37. After Dodge and Parker Davis traded baskets, Jamin Martin got his name in the score book with a layup to make it 72-41. The Rebels, ended the Dragons run as Keaton Watkins and Matthew Ponton both made a pair of free throws to make it 72-45.
Montego Morgan closed out the scoring for the night as he hit a three to also get his name in the score book as the Dragons moved to 3-2 on the season winning 75-45.
Scoring for the Dragons:
McCord Purdy: 26 points
Caleb Lanford: 12 points
Dodge Davis: 12 points
Parker Davis: 10 points
Hayden Jones: 7 points
Montego Morgan: 3 points
Nathan Wallace: 3 points
Jamin Martin: 2 points
The Dragons, will be back in action on Tuesday, December 5th as they head up to Ellijay to take on the Gilmer Bobcats to begin 7-AAA play. Tip off is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons fall to Dawson after tough second half
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports October 7, 2023
Jasper, Ga — On a somewhat rainy and much cooler evening, the Pickens Dragons welcomed the Dawson County Tigers to Jasper for a 7-AAA region ball game. The Dragons, were looking to rebound after a tough stretch of games including falling in their first region game to Lumpkin. The Tigers, were kind of in the same boat as the Dragons were coming into the game with only one win, but that one win came against West Hall to begin 7-AAA play. The Tigers, would use a 28-0 second half to pull away from the Dragons and pick up the 42-7 win.
The Dragons, got the ball first to start the game and were forced to punt close to their own end zone. Dragons punter Hayden Jones, just did get the punt off and the Tigers had good field position for their first possession. The Dragons defense, did a great job backed up into their own territory and kept the Tigers out of the end zone. The Dragons, thought they found points after an 80-yd run by QB Sam Streicher, but that was called back due to a penalty. The Dragons, would get across midfield during the drive, but would turn it over on downs to end the drive. The Tigers, used a double pass to score the first points of the game as Sawyer Bearden found Dom LeBlanc for a 55-yd touchdown. The PAT was good and the Tigers held a 7-0 lead going to the second quarter.
Sam Streicher with the QB run
The Dragons, would tie things up in the second quarter as Streicher connected with WR McCord Purdy for a 79-yd touchdown. The PAT from Charlie Gibbons was good and with 8:35 left in the first half, Pickens and Dawson were tied at 7. The Tigers, were able to retake the lead at the 3:17 mark of the second quarter after a 5-yd touchdown run from Bearden. Going into halftime, the Tigers led the Dragons, 14-7.
Dragons defense looking to make a play
The Tigers, got the ball first to start the third quarter and and were set up with good field position after a kick returned out to the 50-yd line. Dawson, added to their lead with a 27-yd touchdown pass from QB Preston Bannister to LeBlanc. LeBlanc’s second touchdown of the game. His PAT was good and with 8:45 left in the third, the Tigers now led the Dragons, 21-7. Both teams had chances the rest of the quarter, but neither team could find points. Going to the fourth, Dawson led Pickens, 21-7.
Dragons on offense in the third quarter
A little over a minute into the fourth quarter, the Tigers capped off a drive that began in the late stages of the third quarter with a 1-yd touchdown run from Blake Arp. The PAT was good and with 10:55 left in the game, the Tigers led the Dragons, 28-7. Dawson, added to that lead shortly after as Alex Stewart picked off a pass attempt and took it for a 30-yd touchdown. The PAT was good and the Tigers now led, 35-7. After a fumble recovery by the Tigers, Bearden would get in for his second rushing touchdown of the night. The PAT was good and Dawson led, 42-7. The final score from Jasper, Dawson 42 Pickens 7.
7-AAA Region Standings:
Lumpkin: 7-0 (3-0)
Wesleyan: 4-3 (2-1)
Dawson: 2-5 (2-1)
White County: 3-3 (1-1)
Gilmer: 4-3 (1-2)
Pickens: 1-5 (0-2)
West Hall: 1-5 (0-2)
The Dragons, will be back on the road next week as they make the short drive up 515 to Ellijay to take on the Gilmer Bobcats. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons defeat Bobcats to push win streak to 10 games
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 29, 2023
Ellijay, Ga — It was a nice but windy day on Tuesday, March 28th as the Pickens Dragons traveled the short distance up to Ellijay for game 1 of their 3-game region series against their 515 rival, the Gilmer Bobcats. Coming into the game, the Dragons were riding a 9 game win streak and were tied atop the 7-AAA Standings with Lumpkin. The Bobcats, came into the game looking to break a bad string of luck and to pick up their first region win. The Dragons, piled up 15 K’s as a team continued their winning ways with a 7-1 victory.
In the top of the first, the Dragons wasted no time getting on the board as Ga Tech commit Connor Shouse, worked a full count and then sent a baseball over the left field wall to give Pickens the 1-0 lead. Harlan Will, reached on a 2-out walk, but the Bobcats starter Ethan McCollum, got out of the top half of the first only allowing the 1 run. In the bottom of the first, Austin Zabala led off by drawing a walk.
Shouse, the starter for the Dragons, settled down and got a grounder to 3rd base, and 2 strikeouts to send it to the top of the second with Pickens leading, 1-0.
In the top of the second, James Tilley reached after drawing a full count walk. Colby Brooks, then reached on a bunt single with 2-outs. Shouse, followed that up by drawing a walk to load the bases. McCollum, again was able to avoid the scoring threat and send it to the bottom of the second. In the bottom of the frame, the Bobcats, got a 1-out walk, and a 2-out walk. Shouse, was able to work around those pair of walks to send it to the third with the Dragons up, 1-0.
In the top of the third, Dawson Holland led off by reaching on an error. Will, followed up with a single. Holland, came in to score after a single by Trey Payne to make it 2-0. Kam Jenkins, reached after a dropped 3rd strike. Tilley, brought in pitch runner Ezra Faber with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 3-0 Dragons going to the bottom of the third. In the bottom of the third, Shouse, had his cleanest inning of the game as he picked up 2 K’s and a grounder on 8 pitches.
Going to the top of the fourth, the Dragons now led the Bobcats, 3-0.
In the top of the fourth, Shouse led off by drawing his 2nd walk of the game. He then stole 2nd base to put himself in scoring position for Trace Ledbetter. Ledbetter, drove in Shouse with an RBI double to make it 4-0 Dragons. Holland, followed that up by reaching on an error. Tyler Payne, pitch hitting for Will, drove in Ledbetter with a grounder to make it 5-0. Holland, would come around to score as Jenkins reached on a 2-out single and Tilley drew a full count walk.
In the bottom of the fourth, Shouse picked up his 2nd consecutive 1-2-3 inning as he struck out the side on 11 pitches to send it to the top of the fifth with the Dragons leading the Bobcats, 6-0.
In the top of the fifth, Brooks led off with his 2nd hit of the game. Brooks, then advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch. After the Bobcats got Shouse out on a fly out, they would get Brooks out in a rundown for the 2nd out. Hayden Berry, who came on in relief of McCollum, got a come backer for the 3rd and final out of the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Shouse, finished his outing off strong with 2 more K’s and a grounder to send it to the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Haden West, who came on in relief of Berry, picked up the Bobcats first 1-2-3 inning as he got 2 grounders and a pop up to send it to the bottom of the inning with the Dragons leading 6-0. Cason Cannon, came on in relief of Shouse in the bottom of the sixth and he was impressive in his 1 inning of work. Cannon, picked up 2 K’s and a pop up to send it to the seventh, with Pickens leading Gilmer, 6-0.
In the top of the seventh, Christian Starks, pitch hitting for Tilley, reached on an error. Sam Hammontree, pitch hitting for Evan Giddens, followed up with a single. Brooks, reached on a 4-pitch walk to load the bases. Shouse, now at shortstop, hit a deep fly ball into the outfield that would bring in Starks to make it 7-0 Dragons going to the bottom of the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Bobcats got a lead off walk. The Bobcats then got back to back 1-out walks to load the bases. Gilmer, picked up their first hit and their first run after a single to make it 7-1. JP Nunn, who came on in relief of Cannon, got back to back strikeouts to preserve the 7-1 win for the Dragons.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 1-3 with a solo home run, 2 walks, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored, & 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K on 77 pitches
Trace Ledbetter: 1-5 with a double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 2 runs scored
Harlan Will: 1-1 with a single and a walk
Ezra Faber: 1 run scored
Tyler Payne: 1 RBI
Trey Payne: 1-4 with a single
Kam Jenkins: 1-4 with a single
James Tilley: 2 walks, 1 RBI
Christian Starks: 1 run scored
Sam Hammontree: 1-1 with a single
Colby Brooks: 2-3 with 2 singles, and 1 walk
Cason Cannon: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K on 13 pitches
JP Nunn: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K on 34 pitches
The Dragons, got a little bit of help from the Dawson Tigers as they defeated the Lumpkin Indians in the first game of their series. With that Lumpkin loss, the Dragons are now in sole possession of 1st place in 7-AAA. Pickens, will be back home on Thursday, March 30th as they will host the Gilmer Bobcats for game 2 of their 3-game series. First pitch is set for 5:55 pm.
Dragons stay atop region standings after sweep of Spartans
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 25, 2023
Jasper, Ga — It was another gorgeous day in Jasper, Ga on Friday, March 24th as the Pickens Dragons hosted the West Hall Spartans for the 3rd and final game of their 7-AAA series. The Dragons, came in tied for first with Lumpkin and on an 8-game win streak. The Spartans, looked to play spoiler and get the last game of the series. The bats stayed hot for the Dragons and AJ Rice, Tate Hales, and JP Nunn shut down the Spartans for a 10-0 win in 6 innings.
In the top of the first, Dragons starter AJ Rice, worked around a 2-out double as he picked up a grounder to 3rd, and 2 K’s to send it to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the frame, Ga Tech commit Connor Shouse led off with a single. Trace Ledbetter and Dawson Holland then followed with back to back walks. Tyler Payne, drove in both Shouse and Ledbetter to make it 2-0.
Trey Payne, then brought in Holland with an RBI single to make it 3-0 Dragons. James Tilley and Young Harris commit Evan Giddens, reached base on back to back walks. Colby Brooks, drove in Trey Payne with an infield single RBI to make it 4-0. Shouse, who led off the inning, kept it going with a 2-RBI double bringing in Tilley and Giddens to make it 6-0 Dragons going to the second.
After giving up a bloop single to begin the top of the second, Rice got some help from Shouse as he made a diving stop on a grounder to start a 6-3 double play. Rice, ended the top of the second with his 3rd strikeout to send it to the bottom the inning. In the bottom of the second, the Dragons got a 2-out walk from Trey Payne, but that would be all as they headed to the third, with the Dragons leading the Spartans, 6-0.
In the top of the third, Rice picked up his 4th and 5th strikeout for the first 2 outs of the inning. After giving up a 2-out single, catcher Kam Jenkins, made a great toss to Shouse who applied the tag to the runner attempting to steal 2nd for the final out of the top half of the third. In the bottom of the third, the Dragons got a 2-out walk from Brooks, but that was it. Going to the fourth, the Dragons still led the Spartans, 6-0.
The top of the fourth was the last inning for Rice. He would pick up his 6th and 7th strikeout and a ground out in a scoreless fourth to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, the Dragons got back to back 2-out hits from Harlan Will, and Trey Payne. They would be left stranded at 2nd and 3rd and they’d head to the fifth with Pickens leading West Hall, 6-0.
Tate Hales, came on in relief of Rice in the top of the fifth and looked impressive in his one inning of work. Hales, sat down the Spartans in order on just 7 pitches as he picked up a strikeout, and 2 ground outs to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Tilley led off by being hit with a pitch. Brooks, laid a bunt down the 1st base line and was able to avoid two tags to reach on the single.
Shouse, drove in Tilley on the fielder’s choice to make it 7-0. Shouse, would eventually come in to score on a wild pitch to make it 8-0 Dragons going to the sixth inning.
Jacksonville State commit JP Nunn, cam on in relief of Hales for the top of the sixth. After the lead off for the Spartans led off by getting hit with a pitch, Nunn settled in and struck out the side in his one inning of work. In the bottom of the sixth, Will and Trey Payne both reached by getting hit with pitches. Jenkins, then followed that up by drawing a walk to load the bases with nobody out.
Giddens, drove in Davin Abernathy on the sacrifice fly RBI to make it 9-0 Dragons. The game came to an end after Brooks hit a single to right field that brought in Payne to give the Dragons a 10-0 win in 6 innings.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 2-4 with a single, a double, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Trace Ledbetter: 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, and 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 1 walk and 1 run scored
Tyler Payne: 1-2 with a single and 2 RBI
Harlan Will: 1-1 with a single and a hit by pitch
Trey Payne: 2-2 with 2 singles, 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Kam Jenkins: 1 walk
James Tilley: 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, and 2 runs scored
Evan Giddens: 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Colby Brooks: 3-3 with 3 singles, 1 walk, and 2 RBI
Davin Abernathy: 1 run scored
A.J. Rice: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K on 60 pitches
Tate Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K on 7 pitches
JP Nunn: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 HBP, 3 K on 20 pitches
7-AAA Baseball Standings:
Pickens: 16-3 (8-1)
Lumpkin: 15-2 (8-1)
Dawson: 10-7 (6-3)
Wesleyan: 6-6 (3-3)
White County: 6-10 (1-5)
West Hall: 3-13 (1-8)
Gilmer: 6-10 (0-6)
The Dragons, will continue 7-AAA play next week as they will begin a 3-game series with their 515 rivals, the Gilmer Bobcats, on Tuesday, March 28th in Ellijay. First pitch is set for 5:55 pm.
Dragons earn region win on Senior Night
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 18, 2023
Jasper, Ga — It was time for the boys game on Tuesday, January 17th between the Pickens Dragons and the West Hall Spartans. Much like the Nettes, the Dragons had gone through a tough stretch losing to Northwest Whitfield, close 1-point games to Sonoraville and White County, and then to Wesleyan. The Dragons, turned things around in the second quarter and never looked back as they picked a big 70-55 win over the Spartans.
In the first quarter, the Spartans got things going with a layup by Quintavous Reid to make it 2-0. Camden Dunn tied it up as he made a cut to the basket for the lay in. Isaiah Holder and Andrew Malin both hit a pair of free throws to give West Hall a 6-2 lead. Dunn picked up his second basket of the game to cut it to 6-4. Zach Stephens, extended the Spartan lead back to four with a bucket to make it 8-4. After Caleb Keith split a pair of free throws to cut it to 8-5, the two teams traded three point makes to give West Hall an 11-8 lead going to the second.
Dragons on offense against the Spartans
Stephens, hit a pair of free throws to begin the scoring in the second quarter to give the Spartans a 13-8 lead. Senior Jaden Stewart, picked up his first points of the game as he hit a three pointer to make it 13-11. After West Hall got a bucket from Owen Jenkins, and a pair of free throws from Malin, the Dragons went on a 7-0 run sparked by a basket by Stewart, and 5 straight points from James Tilley to give the Dragons their first lead at 18-17. That first lead was short lived as the Spartans got back to back three pointers from Ethan Clifford and Ian Pardue to make it 23-18.
The Dragons responded with a three pointer from Caleb Lanford, a bucket by Stewart, and another three by Tilley to give Pickens a 26-23 lead. A basket by Holder to cut it to one, Dodge Davis, went on a 4-0 run to close out the first half to give the Dragons a 30-25 lead going into the break.
Dragons on defense in the second quarter
To begin the second half, the Dragons went on a 7-0 run. Lanford, got the scoring started with a three, McCord Purdy, made a layup, then Senior Kadyn Hampton, picked up his first points with a bucket to make it 37-25. Malin, ended the run with a basket to make it 37-27 Pickens. Later on in the third, with the Dragons up 43-33, Lanford and Tilley teamed up to hit back to back three pointers to close out the quarter to make it 49-33 Pickens going to the fourth.
Dragons talking it over in the third
The Spartans, went on a 5-0 run to to begin the fourth quarter to make it 49-38. Hampton, ended the run with a bucket to make it 51-38. The two teams then traded baskets with the lead getting as high as 18 for the Dragons. Pickens, picked up a big win in terms of the region standings as they defeat the West Hall Spartans, 70-55.
Leading Scorers For The Dragons:
Caleb Lanford: 15 points
Camden Dunn: 14 points
Jaden Stewart: 11 points
James Tilley: 11 points
Kadyn Hampton: 6 points
Dodge Davis: 4 points
McCord Purdy: 4 points
Seth Cronic: 2 points
Parker Davis: 2 points
Caleb Keith: 1 point
The Dragons, head back on the road on Friday, January 20th as they make the short drive up to Ellijay to take on the Gilmer Bobcats. The in season series is tied at one a piece, with this last game being the most important. Pickens sits just ahead of Gilmer in the region standings. It should be an action packed game as are the majority of these games. Tip off set for 8:30.
Dragons defeat Lumpkin after wild game
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 2, 2022
Jasper, Ga — After a tough weekend down in Brunswick which saw the Dragons fall to North Springs 7-1 and Long County 7-4 for their first two losses of the season, they came back to Jasper on Tuesday, March 1st looking to get back on track. The Lumpkin County Indians, came into the game with a 4-2 record with early wins over Riverwood and Lamar County. As well as a sweep of Johnson-Gainesville. After a big fourth inning, the Dragons come away with a 7-5 win over the Indians.
James Tilley started on the mound for the Dragons and he pitched fairly well during his time on the mound. In the top of the first, Tilley collected his first two strikeouts as the Indians were held scoreless to start the game. In the bottom of the first, Connor Shouse lead things off with a double for Pickens. after a fly out and a strikeout, Harlan Will came through and brought Shouse home with an RBI double to make it 1-0 Dragons going to the second.
In the top of the second, Lumpkin was able to tie things up at 1 a piece after drawing a couple of walks, and taking advantage of some miscues by Pickens. In the bottom of the frame, the Dragons were looking to work some two out magic as Colby Brooks drew a walk to keep the half inning alive. Evan Giddens hit a pop fly into no man’s land in the outfield, but was called out at 2nd base trying to stretch it into a double. Going to the third, the game remained tied at 1.
In the top of the third, the Indians again took advantage of some mistakes by the Pickens defense to plate a run and take a 2-1 lead heading to the bottom of the inning. After a lead off single by Shouse, he would be left stranded at third base as we’d head to the top of the fourth with Lumpkin leading, 2-1.
JP Nunn came on in relief of Tilley in the top of the fourth and he was able to keep the Indians offense at bay and keep it at 2-1. Tilley, now the 2nd baseman, led off the bottom of the fourth by getting hit with a pitch. Trey Payne then came up and advanced the runner to 2nd with a single. Nunn then came up, and laid down a picture perfect bunt to advance the runners to 2nd and 3rd with only one out. Brooks, drew his 2nd walk of the game to load the bases up with Dragons. Giddens, drew a walk as well to bring in Tilley. Shouse, drew the third straight walk to bring in Payne to make it 3-2 Pickens. Here’s where it gets weird. Trace Ledbetter hits one to left field, Brooks scores, Giddens scores, a throw over at 2nd to try to get Ledbetter, Shouse comes home from third after the throw to 2nd. During that, Ledbetter takes 3rd base, or so we think. Ledbetter would be called out at 3rd due to catcher interference. All total, three runs scored on that play to make it 6-2 Pickens going to the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, the Indians didn’t let what happened in the bottom of the fourth deter them as they came back and scored a run to cut the Dragons lead down to 6-3. In the bottom of the frame, after Trey Payne drew a 2-out walk, he was able to come around and score to make it 7-3 Dragons going to the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Nunn finished off his three innings of work by holding the Indians scoreless and keeping the score at 7-3 in favor of the Dragons going to the bottom of the sixth. In the bottom of the inning, the Dragons would go down quietly as Lumpkin forced two pop fly outs and got a strikeout to send us to the seventh, with Pickens up 7-3.
Trace Ledbetter took over for Nunn in the top of the 7th looking to close this one out. The Indians, were not going down without a fight as they scored two runs to make it 7-5. With 2 outs, Ledbetter was able to get the final one to preserve the 7-5 lead and the win for the Dragons.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 2-3 with a double, a single, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Harlan Will: 1-3 with 1 double, and 1 RBI
James Tilley: 1 hit by pitch, and 1 run scored
Trey Payne: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 2 runs scored
Colby Brooks: 2 walks, and 1 run scored
Evan Giddens: 1-1 with 1 single, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
The Dragons, will be back on the field on Wednesday, March 2nd as they head up 515 to Ellijay to take on the Gilmer Bobcats in the finale of their home and home series. First pitch is set for 5:30 pm.
Dragons baseball defeats Dawson in home opener
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports February 17, 2022
Jasper, Ga — On Wednesday, February 16th the Pickens Dragons baseball team hosted the Dawson Tigers for their 2022 home opener. These two teams played on Tuesday, February 15th in Dawsonville, with the Dragons coming away with a 12-7 win. This game, was originally scheduled for Thursday, but with the weather coming in, they moved the game up to Wednesday. It was a tightly played ball game at Dunn Field as the home team came away with the win, 6-5.
In the top of the first inning, Dragons starter Trey Payne was able to work around a hit and a walk while also striking out two batters to send us to the bottom of the inning scoreless. Sophomore Georgia Tech Baseball commit Connor Shouse, got things going early for the Dragons in the bottom of the first with a single. He then advanced to second after a passed ball. Trace Ledbetter brought him in with an RBI double to deep right field to give Pickens the 1-0 lead going to the top of the second.
In the second inning, Trey Payne again worked around a little trouble as he kept the Tigers scoreless and sent us to the bottom of the second. Pickens, threatened to add to their lead in the bottom of the frame with runners at second and third, but Dawson was able to escape the danger and send us to the top of the third.
In the top of the third, the Tigers broke through and plated two runs with some timely hits to take the lead for the first time, 2-1. The lead would not last long however as the Dragons fired back in the bottom of the third. Ledbetter got on with a 1-out single, then Anthony Antinozzi drew a walk, then Harlan Will got hit by a pitch, then Tyler Payne drove in Ledbetter and Antinozzi with a 2 RBI double to make it 3-2 Pickens going to the top of the fourth.
The Tigers, tried to answer back in the top of the fourth, but the Dragons were able to keep them at bay. In the bottom of the inning, Pickens extended it’s lead as Colby Brooks started the half inning with a single, Shouse drew a walk, followed by Ledbetter also drawing a walk. Will then reached on an error with 2 outs to bring in Brooks. A walk drawn by Tyler Payne brought in Shouse to make it 5-2 Dragons going to the top of the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, the Tigers inched a little closer as they plated a run to make it 5-3. The Dragons went down in order in the bottom of the fifth inning to send us to the top of the sixth with Pickens still leading Dawson, 5-3.
In the top of the sixth, the Tigers took advantage of a couple of miscues and some clutch hitting to score two runs and tie the game up a 5 a piece. Speaking of clutch, in the bottom of the sixth, the Dragons offense definitely was. Shouse led off by drawing a walk on a full count. Ledbetter got on with a single. After Antinozzi laid down a nice sacrifice bunt to move the runners over the second and third, Will was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Tyler Payne, was able to bring Shouse in after he hit a grounder to the right side of the infield to give the Dragons a 6-5 lead going to the top of the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, Shouse, who came on in relief of Tate Hales in the top of the sixth, shut the Tigers down by striking out the side and preserving the 2-0 win for Pickens.
Stats For The Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 1-2 with a single, 2 walks, & 3 runs scored
Trace Ledbetter: 3-4 with a double, 2 singles, 1 RBI, & 1 run scored
Anthony Antinozzi: 1 walk, 1 sacrifice bunt, & 1 run scored
Harlan Will: 1 hit by pitch & 1 walk
Tyler Payne: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 walk, & 3 RBI
Trey Payne: 1-3 with a single
Colby Brooks: 1-3 with a single & 1 run scored
The Dragons, now move to 2-0 early on in the 2022 season after the home and home sweep of the Dawson Tigers. Next year, that match up will be a region match up. Speaking of games that will be region games next year, the Gilmer Bobcats will come to Jasper on Thursday, February 24th as they renew their rivalry on the diamond. First pitch set for 5 pm.