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.
Dragons fall to Bobcats in physical rivalry game
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 16, 2022
Jasper, Ga — After the girls game, it was time for the Dragons and Bobcats to take the floor. The Dragons, were coming off of a 64-51 win over Southeast Whitfield on the road to run their win streak to 5 games in a row. The Bobcats, came into the game having won a tough back and forth game with West Hall on the road, 54-51. Gilmer, won the first two meetings of the season against Pickens by scores of 60-53, and 66-56. Pickens, got on the board with a 59-46 win last month. After much back and forth and very physical play from both sides, the Bobcats came away with a 53-46 win.
To open the ball game, the Bobcats got on the board first with a bucket to give themselves a 2-0 lead. Jaden Stewart answered for the Dragons with a three pointer to make it 3-2. After a bucket by Gilmer, Pickens went on a 5-0 run as Luke Rogers made a bucket and Collin Kellogg hit a three to make it 8-5. After a Bobcat bucket made it 8-7, the Dragons went on a 7-0 run with 5 of those 7 points coming from Kellogg to make it 15-7. Gilmer would then go 1 for 2 from the free throw line to make it 15-8. Marcus Pike hit a shot to give Pickens a 17-8 lead going to the second quarter.
Dragons on offense
Just like the first quarter, the second quarter began with a bucket by Cade Carter of the Bobcats. Caleb Keith quickly answered with a bucket of his own to make it 19-10 Dragons. After a pair of free throws from Gilmer, Rogers made a bucket to again keep the Pickens lead at 9. A free throw make and a bucket by the Bobcats cut the lead down to 21-15. A pair of free throws from Chanler Dunn made it 23-15 Dragons. Gilmer, would then close the first half on an 8-0 run to tie this game up at 23 heading to the break.
Dragons on defense in the second quarter
To start the second half, Gilmer again put the first points on the board as they hit a three pointer to make it 26-23. Caleb Bryant would then hit a pair of free throws and Rogers made a bucket to give the Dragons a 27-26 lead. After a bucket and an and-one conversion by the Bobcats, Rogers made another bucket to tie it up at 29. After a three pointer gave Gilmer the lead back, Rogers hit another shot to cut it to 32-31. An Ethan Banks bucket made it 34-31. Rogers, continued his scoring surge in the third as he again made another bucket to make it 34-33. A 4-0 run from the Bobcats to close out the third made it 38-33 going to the fourth.
Dragons with the ball in the second half
The scoring run from the third quarter carried over to the fourth quarter for Gilmer as they opened with a three pointer to make it 41-33. Keith then answered with a three to make it 41-36. After a bucket by the Bobcats, Kadyn Hampton made two free throws to make it 43-38. A Mark Tyson bucket made it 45-38. Hampton, got the hoop and the harm as he would complete the three point play to make it 45-41. After a free throw from Banks, Kellogg hit a three pointer to make it 46-44. From then on it would become a free throw game as the Bobcats scored 5 of their last 7 points from the charity stripe, while the Dragons could only manage a late Stewart bucket in the late stages of this one. The final in this one, 53-46 Gilmer.
Leading Scorers For Gilmer:
Ethan Banks: 17 points
Mark Tyson: 13 points
Lewis Mulkey: 6 points
Will Kiker: 6 points
Christian Somner: 6 points
Leading Scorers For Pickens:
Luke Rogers: 14 points
Collin Kellogg: 11 points
Jaden Stewart: 5 points
Caleb Keith: 5 points
Kadyn Hampton: 5 points
7-AAAA Boys Region Standings:
Central-Carroll: 11-5 (6-0)
Heritage: 8-7 (4-2)
Northwest Whitfield: 13-3 (3-3)
Cedartown: 5-8 (3-3)
Pickens: 9-10 (3-3)
Southeast Whitfield: 7-10 (2-4)
Ridgeland: 6-10 (0-6)
Weather permitting the Dragons will be back in action on Tuesday, January 18th as they host the Cedartown Bulldogs in a key 7-AAAA match up. As you can see from the standings above, both teams are tied for third in the region currently. Pickens holds a win over Northwest Whitfield, Northwest Whitfield holds a win over Cedartown, and Cedartown holds a win over Pickens. The Dragons will look to earn a season split with Cedartown after the Bulldogs survived after a late rally to beat Pickens 55-52 earlier this season. Tip off set for 7:30.
Dragons end 2021 with win over Bobcats
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 31, 2021
Jasper, Ga — What better way to close out 2021 than with some 515 rivalry action am I right? That’s what we got in Jasper on Thursday, December 30th as the Pickens Dragons took on the Gilmer Bobcats in the final day of the Pickens Holiday Tournament. For the Bobcats, they came into this game having fell to Creekview on Tuesday, and having beaten Lassiter on Wednesday. For the Dragons, they came into the game looking to end their 2021 on a high note after tough losses to Lassiter and Sonoraville on Tuesday and Wednesday. After jumping on them quickly in the first quarter, the Dragons came away with a big 59-46 win over the Bobcats.
In the first quarter, the Dragons used a good balance of defense and offense to jump out to a quick 12-6 lead. Pickens would then go on an 8-0 run getting three pointers from Jaden Stewart and Caleb Keith, as well as a bucket from Luke Rogers to make it 20-6. After a free throw make from the Bobcats’ Britt Taylor, Keith hit three to make it 23-7 Dragons going to the second quarter.
Dragons on offense late in the 1st
The second quarter started out with several runs as Rogers went on a 3-0 run to make it 26-7, then Luke Wimpey of Gilmer made three free throws to make it 26-10. After another Rogers free throw and an Isaiah Williams bucket, Pickens went up 29-10. The Bobcats then went on a 6-0 run to cut the lead down to 29-16. Stewart would then make a free throw and Collin Kellogg would hit a three pointer to make it 33-16. Gilmer closed out the first half on a 6-0 run to make it 33-22 Dragons going into the break.
Dragons defending the painted area
After getting the final bucket of the first half, Mark Tyson of Gilmer began the second half by getting a bucket and cutting the lead to 33-24. Stewart then countered with a three pointer to make it 36-24. Taylor, then made a bucket to make it 36-26. The Dragons then went on an 11-0 run as Stewart hit a three and two layups during the run. Kellogg and Rogers got the run started with a pair of buckets. After a three pointer from Wimpey, Keith and Stewart made back to back buckets to make it 51-29 Pickens going to the fourth.
Dragons looking for an open shot
Keith, continued his hot shooting as he opened up the fourth quarter with a three pointer to make it 54-29. Back to back three pointers from Christian Sumner and Ethan Banks cut the lead to 54-35. After a bucket by Rogers, Banks and Keith would trade three point field goals. The Bobcats ended the game on an 8-0 run, but the Dragons came away with the win, 59-46.
Leading Scorers For Gilmer:
Ethan Banks: 14 points
Britt Taylor: 6 points
Will Kiker: 6 points
Mark Tyson: 4 points
Leading Scorers For Pickens:
Luke Rogers: 19 points
Jaden Stewart: 16 points
Caleb Keith: 14 points
Collin Kellogg: 5 points
The Dragons finish the 2021 part of their schedule at 6-9. They will look to get on the board in region play on Tuesday, January 4th as they welcome the Ridgeland Panthers to the Dragons Den for a 7-AAAA match up. Tip off for that one is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons drop tough game to Phoenix
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 30, 2021
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons welcomed the Sonoraville Phoenix to the Dragons Den for the second day of the Pickens Holiday Tournament. After a hard fought game against Lassiter on Tuesday, the Dragons looked to get back on track against a Phoenix team that was also looking to string together some wins. After some back and forth, the Phoenix used a big fourth quarter to come away with a 62-47 win.
In the first quarter, the Dragons got things started with an opening bucket from Jaden Stewart to make it 2-0. From there, the Phoenix went on an 8-0 run to make it 8-2. After both Pickens and Sonoraville traded buckets, Luke Rogers hit a pair of free throws and Stewart hit a three pointer to make it 10-9. The Phoenix, were able to get a bucket just before the quarter ended to make it 12-9 going to the second quarter.
Dragons on offense to start the game
Sonoraville, started the second quarter on a 10-0 run, including 3 three pointers to make it 22-9. All together, the Phoenix went on a 12-0 run going back to the end of the first quarter before Rogers made a bucket to cut it to 22-11. After a foul call sent Rogers to the free throw line, Sonoraville’s coach was called for a technical for arguing that it was a blocking foul on Rogers instead of a charging call on his player. Rogers would split his pair of free throws, and Stewart hit both technical free throws to make 22-14. After a back and forth, Caleb Lanford hit a three to make it 26-20. Again, the Phoenix got the final bucket as they took a 28-20 lead into the break.
Dragons on defense in the 1st half
The Phoenix again started of quick as they opened the third quarter with a 4-0 run to make it 32-20. A three from Caleb Keith made it 32-23. The rest of the quarter was played very closely as Sonoraville just outscored Pickens 13-9 to make it 45-32 going to the fourth.
Dragons in-bounding the ball
In the fourth quarter, the Phoenix opened things up with an 11-0 run to make it 56-32. After the tough start to the quarter, the Dragons closed the game on a 15-6 run. Sonoraville, came away with the win, 62-47.
Leading Scorers For Pickens:
Jaden Stewart: 14 points
Luke Rogers: 13 points
Caleb Keith: 9 points
Caleb Lanford: 3 points
Isaiah Williams: 3 points
Later today, the Dragons will be back on the court for the final time in 2021 as they host the Gilmer Bobcats for the final day of the Pickens Holiday Tournament. The first two games between these two have gone the way of the Bobcats as the Dragons will look to grab some momentum heading into 2022. Tip off is set for 6 pm.
Dragons drop tough home opener to Mountaineers
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports December 1, 2021
Jasper, Ga — After picking up wins over Copper Basin and Fannin in the annual ETC Thanksgiving Tournament last week, the Pickens Dragons came back home to the Dragons Den and the newly named Roy Cowart Court as they welcomed the North Murray Mountaineers for a non-region game. Oddly enough, with the recent re-classifications, these two schools will be in the same region (6-AAA) starting with the 2022 school year. This game, while relatively low scoring, saw plenty of back and forth action. In the end, it would be the Mountaineers coming away with a 44-39 victory.
In the first quarter, North Murray jumped out early with a quick bucket. From then on, it was the Jaden Stewart show as he went on a personal 8-0 run that included two three pointers to give the Dragons an 8-2 lead over the Mountaineers going to the second quarter.
Dragons moving the ball on offense
Camden Dunn of the Dragons got the scoring started in the second quarter to make it 10-2. North Murray’s scoring drought came to an end as they would answer with a bucket of their own. Pickens big man Luke Rogers got in on the scoring as he would go on a 4-0 run to stretch the lead to 14-4. The Mountaineers would then close the gap with an 8-0 run to make it 14-12 before Rogers went on another 4-0 run to make it 18-12 Dragons. A three pointer by North Murray cut it to a 3 point lead, but Collin Kellogg would make a basket to give Pickens a 20-15 lead at the break.
Dragons on defense in the 2nd quarter
Coming out of the half and starting the third quarter, the Mountaineers went on a quick 4-0 run to cut the lead down to 20-19. A Kellogg bucket would make it 22-19. After a bucket by North Murray, the Dragons went on a 5-0 run as they got buckets from Stewart and Kadyn Hampton as well as a free throw by Rogers to make it 27-21. The Mountaineers got a bucket and a free throw to end the third as we’d head to the fourth with Pickens ahead, 27-24.
Dragons in-bounding the ball in the third
The Mountaineers, once again got the scoring started as we began the fourth quarter to cut it to 27-26. After Rogers went 1-2 from the free throw line, Stewart made a bucket to make it 30-26. After a bucket from North Murray cut the lead down to two, Caleb Keith hit a three to make it 33-28 Pickens. The Mountaineers would then answer with a 5-0 run to tie things up at 33. Rogers then made a bucket and Kellogg connected on a free throw to make it 36-33. Again, North Murray came back with a three pointer to tie it up at 36. Stewart gave the Dragons the lead back with a bucket making it 38-36. After tying things back up with a pair of free throws, the Mountaineers took the lead for the first time since the opening quarter as they would go on a 6-0 run that included 4 made free throws to make it 42-38. The Dragons would make one out of three free throw attempts and North Murray put the game away with two free throws as they get the win, 44-39.
Leading Scorers for North Murray:
Gavin Pittman: 9 points
Isaiah Morrison: 7 points
Seth Griffin: 7 points
Leading Scorers for Pickens:
Jaden Stewart: 14 points
Luke Rogers: 12 points
Collin Kellogg: 5 points
Up next for the Dragons is a date with their main rival, the Gilmer Bobcats in Ellijay on Saturday, December 4th. These two teams played on November 20th, with Gilmer coming away with a 60-53 win. Tip off set for 4:30 pm.
Dragons split with Lumpkin in non-region play
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 3, 2021
Pickens County, Ga — The Pickens Dragons (5-2) welcomed the Lumpkin County Indians (4-3) to Dunn Field on Tuesday, March 2nd for the second game of their home and home series. The Dragons, defeated the Indians, 16-7 on February 23rd. Both teams played in Jasper last Saturday as they each defeated Murray County and fell to Wheeler. Pickens, had trouble cashing in on opportunities leavining 9 men on base as Lumpkin came away with a 5-4 win.
In the top of the first, the Indians would get on the board first as they scored 2 runs to take an early 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the first, James Tilley led off with a walk, and Anthony Antinozzi followed with a single. The Dragons, would leave Tilley stranded at 2nd as we headed to the second with Lumpkin leading, 2-0.
After holding the Indians in the top of the frame, the Dragons brought the bats back up in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Trace Ledbetter drew a walk, Harlan Will followed with a single, and Drake Sutton drove in Ledbetter to make it 2-1 Lumpkin going to the third.
In the top of the third, the Indians were able to get that run back as they extended their lead to 3-1. In the bottom of the inning, Connor Shouse hit a 1-out triple to the right center field gap and Seth Densmore drove him in with a grounder to the shortstop to make it 3-2 Lumpkin.
The Indians, were able to take on 2 more runs as we headed to the bottom of the seventh. Shouse, led off with a single for the Dragons. Densmore then followed by reaching first. Hunter White followed with an RBI double bringing in Shouse. A 2nd run scored after a ground out by Ledbetter. The Indians, would hold on as Lumpkin came away with the win, 5-4.
The Dragons, will be back in action on Friday as they head to Ellijay to take on the Gilmer Bobcats. These two teams met in Jasper on February 25th, with the Dragons coming away with a 13-3 win. First pitch set for 5:30 pm.
Dragons split doubleheader, win series against Heritage
PHS Baseball, Sports, Team FYN Sports March 12, 2020
Originally scheduled for Friday, the doubleheader between the Pickens Dragons and the Heritage Generals got bumped up to Wednesday night due to uncertainty around the weather. After playing their first 13 games of the season at home due to the weather, this doubleheader would mark the first true road games for the Dragons baseball team in 2020. Pickens picked up the win in the first game 11-1, while the Generals came back to take the second game, 4-0.
Game One:
After both teams were held scoreless in the first inning, the Dragons were first on the board in the top of the second as starting pitcher Chad Pacas sent a 1-0 pitch deep over the fence in left center and designated hitter Drake Sutton brought in the RBI to make it 2-0 Pickens. In the bottom of the inning, Pacas collected his first strikeout and needed nine pitches to send us to the third with the Dragons ahead 2-0.
In the top of the third, the Dragons took advantage of some timely hitting and a couple of miscues made by the Generals. Pickens plated three runs in the frame to make it 5-0. In the bottom half of the inning, Pacas picked up his second strikeout and needed eight pitches to send us to the fourth with the Dragons on top, 5-0.
Chad Pacas on the mound for Pickens
After the Dragons went down quietly in the top of the fourth, Heritage picked up their first hit and first run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 5-1 as we headed to the top of the fifth.
After third baseman Tyler Vreeland led off the top of the fifth with a walk, catcher Austin Chester brought him in with an RBI single to make it 6-1 Dragons. A weather delay that lasted around 50 minutes or so followed the top of the fifth. After the weather had cleared and they were ready to get the bottom of the fifth started, Pacas looked rejuvenated. Pacas picked up his third strikeout and again needed an eight pitch inning to send us to the sixth with Pickens ahead, 6-1.
Tyler Vreeland batting for the Dragons
In the top of the sisth, the Dragons plated five runs as Vreeland walked in a run for the RBI, Pacas picked up his second RBI with a single, Chester knocked in two with a two RBI single, and Sutton walked in another run for his second RBI of the game to make it 11-1. In the bottom of the sisth, Pacas capped it off with his fourth strikeout to give the Dragons the 11-1 win in six innings in game two (game one of the day) to give Pickens the series win.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 1-4 with a single and two runs scored
Hunter White: 1-4 with a single and one run scored
Tyler Vreeland: 2-3 with one single, two walks, one RBI, and two runs scored
Chad Pacas: 2-3 with a home run, a single, a walk, two RBI, and one run scored and 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 K, 65 pitches
Austin Chester: 3-4 with three singles, and three RBI
Seth Densmore: two walks:
Colby James: one sacrifice bunt, one single
Drake Sutton:two walks, and two RBI
Alex Snelgrove: one hit by pitch
Game Two:
After about a 15 minute break, game two of the day and game three of the series was ready to get underway. In the top of the first, Brady Moore led off with a single. That would be all the Dragons were able to get in their half of the first. In the bottom of the inning, the Generals plated one run on two hits. Dragons starter Alex Snelgrove did a good job of limiting the damage to just the one run and getting out of a bases loaded jam. Going to the second, Heritage led Pickens 1-0.
After catcher Austin Chester led off the top of the second by getting hit with a pitch, and Drake Sutton drew a 1-out walk, the Dragons were unable to push across a run as the Generals got out of the jam. After giving up a single in the bottom of the second, Snelgrove settled down and got out of the bottom of the frame with no harm done. Going to the third, Heritage still led the Dragons 1-0.
Alex Snelgrove pitching for the Dragons
In the top of the third, third baseman Tyler Vreeland drew a 2-out walk, but would be left stranded at second to end the top half of the frame. Snelgrove collected his third strikeout in the bottom of the inning as he continued to limit the Generals bats. Going to the fourth, Heritage still led Pickens 1-0.
Chester led off the top of the fourth by reaching on an error, Colby James followed with a single as the Dragons had runners on first and third with no outs. James then made his way to second after a passed ball. No runs came across to score however as the Generals somehow got out of that jam to keep their lead at 1-0. Snelgrove kept rolling in the bottom of the fourth as he picked up strikeout number four and five in the frame. Going to the fifth, the Dragons still trailed Heritage 1-0.
In the top of the fifth, Moore led off with a single, then advanced to second on a passed ball. Hunter White would then bunt him over to third as the Dragons once again had the game tying runner in scoring position. The Generals, again got out of the pickle with a strikeout and a fly out to send us to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the fifth, despite hitting two batters, Snelgrove kept his composure and got out the frame with no damage done and send us to the sixth, still 1-0 Heritage.
Dragons up to bat in game three of the series
In the top of the sixth, the Dragons went down in order as they were running out of chances to tie the game up. In the bottom of the sixth, the Generals plated three runs to make it 4-0 Heritage as we would head to the top of the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, Snelgrove nearly hit one over the fence but would end up with a 1-out triple. Missed opportunities was the story in game three of the series for the Dragons as Snelgrove would be left stranded at third and the Generals took game three, 4-0.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 2-4 with two singles
Hunter White: sacrifice bunt
Tyler Vreeland: one walk
Austin Chester: one hit by pitch
Colby James: 1-3 with a single
Drake Sutton: one walk
Alex Snelgrove: 1-3 with a triple and 5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 K on 86 pitches
6-AAAA Standings:
(These are not the final standings for the week as Northwest Whitfield and Lafayette have one more game and Ridgeland and Southeast Whitfield have two more games in their series)
Pickens: 13-2 (5-1)
Northwest Whitfield: 5-7 (4-1)
Heritage: 4-10 (3-3)
Ridgeland: 5-4 (2-2)
Lafayette: 5-6 (1-1)
Gilmer: 3-10 (0-3)
Southeast Whitfield: 6-6 (0-4)
Next week, the Dragons will continue their region schedule as they begin as series with their neighbors to the north, the Gilmer Bobcats. This will be the final series of games between the two schools as region opponents for quite some time. Game one is set for Tuesday at Pickens with a first pitch time of 5:30.
Moss’ late free throws help seal rivalry road win for the Dragons
PHS Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports December 18, 2019
The Pickens Dragons (10-1, 3-1) took the short drive up 515 last night to take on the Gilmer Bobcats in Ellijay for a big rivalry game. Both teams came into the game tied for fourth in 6-AAAA at 2-1.
In the opening quarter both teams traded buckets to begin the game with Cade Carter opening the scoring for Gilmer, and Tucker Lowe getting the first points for the Dragons. The Bobcats held a small, three-point lead for a time, but Pickens went on a 9-0 run to take the lead for the first time. Gilmer went on a 5-1 run to close the quarter, but the Dragons held the lead, 20-16.
In the second quarter, it was again back-and-forth throughout the frame. Aidan Sanchez brought the Pickens lead up to six with a pair of free throws early on. Brady Sanford went on a personal 5-0 run himself to cut the lead down to 22-21. From then on it was matching bucket for bucket. Gilmer did take a two-point lead two different times after buckets by Luke Wimpey, but a 6-0 run by the Dragons gave Pickens a 34-30 lead at the break.
In the third quarter, Gilmer got the upper hand. After tying things up at 35 after making a 5-1 run, the Bobcats used a 12-0 run to retake the lead. Gilmer outscored Pickens in the frame, 17-6, to take a 47-40 lead into the fourth.
The fourth quarter was exciting. Carter stepped up and knocked down two free throws to make it 58-55 Gilmer. With a little over three seconds left, the Bobcats fouled Lowe to send him to the line to shoot the one and one. Lowe made both to give the Bobcats a it 58-57 lead. On the ensuing inbounds play, the Bobcats tried to throw it deep. Owen Moss picked off the attempted pass, threw up a prayer, and was fouled with .5 seconds left. Moss hit the first one, missed the second one, but calmly knocked down the third free throw to give the Dragons the win, 59-58.
Leading the way for the Dragons were:
Tucker Lowe: 20 points
Owen Moss: 10 points
Noah Sutton: 10 points
Luke Rogers: 9 points
Ean Goodwin: 7 points
6-AAAA Region Standings
Lafayette: 4-0
Pickens: 3-1
NW Whitfield: 3-1
Gilmer: 2-2
Heritage: 2-3
Ridgeland: 1-4
SE Whitfield: 0-4
The Dragons are off until Dec. 27th when they host a Christmas Tournament featuring a wide variety of teams. Pickens will play the Excel Christian Academy Eagles on Friday, Dec. 27th, to start the three-day affair. Tip off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Dragons have three score double figures to sweep Gordon Central
PHS Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports December 14, 2019
After suffering their first loss of the season to Lafayette on the road the night before, the PHS Dragons varsity basketball team looked to get back to their winning ways as they hosted the Gordon Central Warriors in non-region action. In their first meeting, Pickens won in impressive fashion, 74-33.
The first quarter saw a very competitive, back and forth start to the game by both teams. Towards the end of the frame, the Dragons went on a 9-4 run to take a 24-14 lead going to the 2nd.
Will Roland going in for a layup
In the 2nd quarter, the Dragons were able to maintain, & build on their lead from the first quarter. Getting big buckets from the likes of Ean Goodwin, Luke Rogers, Tucker Lowe, Owen Moss, Noah Sutton, Zack Tetterton, and Aidan Sanchez. Pickens, went into the half holding a 46-28 lead over Gordon Central.
Dragons looking to double team a Warrior player
The third quarter, saw more of the same from the Dragons as Lowe, Moss, and Sutton took over. Pickens, outscored the Warriors 21-11, to take a 67-39 lead, going to the 4th.
Owen Moss looking to inbound the ball
The fourth quarter, was a wild one to say the least. Gordon Central, down 28 to start the quarter, went on an incredible run. The Warriors went on a 21-0 run. You read that right. A 21-0 run to cut the Dragon lead to 67-60. Pickens, finally got things going and finished the game on a 14-4 run of their own to take the win, 81-64.
Leading the way for the Dragons were:
Tucker Lowe: 20 points
Noah Sutton: 19 points
Owen Moss: 15 points
Luke Rogers: 9 points
Ean Goodwin: 7 points
Will Roland: 5 points
Pickens, will be in Ellijay on Tuesday evening to take on the Gilmer Bobcats in a key 6-AAAA region game. Both teams are tied at 2-1 in the region. Tip off, is set for 8:30 pm.
Dragons get a big road win to start the season
PHS Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports November 23, 2019
After the heart pounding overtime classic in the girls game, it was the boys turn to take the floor. The Dragons, came in looking to complete the varsity sweep of Gordon Central, while the Warriors came in looking to earn a split.
The first quarter saw the Dragons get out to what they would almost call a perfect start. Playing great defense that turned into offense, Pickens jumped out to a 22-7 lead over Gordon Central at the end of one.
The 2nd quarter, the Dragons stalled a bit on the offensive side of things as nothing would seem to fall for them. The Warriors, outscored Pickens 13-8, to cut the Dragon lead down to 30-20 at the break.
In the 3rd, the Dragons offense picked up, as well as their defense. Pickens, showed a lot of hustle and determination going after rebounds, steals, & loose balls. The Dragons would outscore Gordon Central 23-7 in the 3rd, to take a 53-27 lead into the 4th.
In the 4th, the Dragons would go three crazy as every time you looked, someone new was hitting a three. Pickens closed out the game on a 21-6 quarter run to seal the season opening win, 74-33.
The Dragons, outscored Gordon Central 44-13 in the 2nd half. Junior Tucker Lowe led the Dragons with 25 points.
Much like the Nettes, the Dragons will also be in Blue Ridge this afternoon to begin day one of the annual Thanksgiving Tip-Off Tournament. They will also be playing Gilmer. Tip off for the Dragons & the Bobcats is set for 4:30.