Dragons drop heart breaker in season finale
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports November 2, 2024
Jasper, Ga – It was a foggy night in Jasper on Friday, November 1st as the Pickens Dragons took on the Lumpkin County Indians. The Dragons, needed at least a win and some help from GAC to get into the playoffs. A win for the Indians, coupled with a GAC loss, would move them up to the #2 seed in 6-AAA. In a game that was back and forth throughout, it came down to the final possession. The Indians, would hold on for a 29-26 win.
The Indians, got the ball first to begin the ball game. The Dragons, were able to get a stop to get the ball to the offense. As the Dragons were approaching mid-field on their opening possession, the Indians were able to force a fumble and recover it. The Indians, would take advantage of the turnover as Nolan Matthews would run it in from 42-yards out. The PAT was good and with 6:45 left in the first quarter, Lumpkin led Pickens, 7-0.
The Dragons, responded with a scoring drive of their own as Hayden Jones scored a 4-yd TD run. The PAT was good and as they headed to the second quarter, Pickens and Lumpkin were tied at 7.
The Indians, were able to retake the lead at the 7:47 mark of the second quarter as Ga Tech WR commit Cal Faulkner, would jump into the end zone after a 4-yd TD run. The PAT was good and Lumpkin led Pickens, 14-7. The Indians, would add to their lead as Matthews would break through for a 47-yd TD. The PAT was good and with 4:24 left in the first half, Lumpkin led Pickens, 21-7.
The Dragons, knew they needed an answer prior to halftime and they got it as Jones found Ike Wyngaard streaking down the middle of the field and connected for a 35-yd TD. The PAT attempt would be blocked. Heading into the half, Lumpkin led Pickens, 21-13.
Like the Indians earlier, the Dragons were able to force and recover a fumble. They would be able to convert that turnover into points as Jones found Sam Hammontree for a 14-yd TD. The PAT was good and the Indians lead was cut down to 21-20. The Dragons defense, would force and recover another fumble on the Indians next possession. Heading to the fourth, the Indians were clinging to a 21-20 lead.
The Dragons, again cashed in on the turnover as Jones reached the ball over the goal line for a 1-yd TD. The Indians, would claim that he lost the ball before scoring, but the side judge signaled touchdown and that call would stand. Pickens, would go for two, but would not convert. With 8:24 left in the game, the Dragons now led the Indians, 26-21. Later on in the fourth, the Indians were looking to retake the lead.
Faulkner, would find Mason Hester down the sideline for a 59-yd TD. The Indians, would then go for two as a reverse pass to Faulkner connected. With 4:56 left in the game, Lumpkin led Pickens, 29-26. The Dragons were looking to drive down the field for a potential game winning score. The Indians, were able to pick off a pass attempt and give the ball back to their offense.
Faulkner, would be able to convert on 3rd and short to seal the win for the Indians as they took this one, 29-26.
Final 6-AAA Standings:
North Hall: 8-2 (7-0)
Lumpkin: 7-3 (5-2)
Chestatee: 5-5 (4-3)
GAC: 4-6 (4-3)
Pickens: 5-5 (3-4)
Dawson: 4-6 (3-4)
White County: 3-7 (2-5)
Johnson, Gainesville: 0-10 (0-7)
Dragons defeat Spartans in first time meeting
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports October 26, 2024
Norcross, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, were in win and stay alive mode on Friday, October 25th as they made the long trip down to Norcross to take on the Spartans of Greater Atlanta Christian in a first time ever match up between region 6-AAA foes. It was Senior Night for GAC as they honored Senior players, managers, trainers, cheerleaders, and band members. As for the game, the Dragons were able to withstand a major blow in the fourth to comeback and pick up a massive win, 28-25.
The Dragons, won the toss, but elected to differ to the second half. The Spartans, would drive the ball down the field, taking up nearly half of the first quarter with them. The Dragons, would hold the Spartans to a 24-yd field goal. GAC, would take a 3-0 lead with 6:44 left in the opening quarter. The Dragons, would use their run game during their first possession of the game as Carson Mitton would cap off the drive with a 16-yd touchdown run.
The PAT from McCordy Purdy was good and with 3:23 left in the first quarter, Pickens led GAC, 7-3. The Spartans, were looking to retake the lead as the first quarter came to a close with the Dragons ahead, 7-3.
At the 10:40 mark of the second quarter, the Spartans would retake the lead after a 4-yd touchdown run by QB Denzell Watkins. The PAT was good and the Spartans led the Dragons, 10-7. Later on in the quarter, the Dragons, had a chance of their own to retake the lead before the half as they had the ball near the goal line of GAC. With around 20 seconds left in the half, a pass attempt was tipped and picked off in the end zone by the Spartans. GAC led it, 10-7 at the half.
The Dragons, got the ball in first in the third quarter and would retake the lead as Hayden Jones connected with Purdy and Purdy would take it 49 yards to the house for the touchdown. The PAT by Purdy was good and with 11:17 left in the third, Pickens led GAC, 14-10. A perfectly placed pooch kick by Purdy on the ensuing kick off would be recovered by the Dragons on the GAC 18-yd line. The Dragons, would turn that into points as Mitton would power his way in with a 3-yd touchdown run. The PAT was good and Pickens led GAC, 21-10.
Later on in the third quarter, the Dragons were looking to again add to their lead as they were down near the 1-yd line of GAC as the quarter came to a close.
The Spartans, were able to stop the Dragons on 4th and goal from the 1-yd line to begin the fourth quarter. The Spartans would then need only one play to score as Pierce Wilson would scamper 99 yards for the touchdown. GAC, would then connect on a two point conversion attempt to make it 21-18 with 11:40 left in the game. After the Dragons were forced to punt, the Spartans again scored on a long play as Watkins found Jaden Henry for a 92-yd touchdown. The PAT was good and with 9:09 left in the game, the Spartans had their first lead since the second quarter, 25-21.
After the Dragons were forced to punt on their next possession, the Spartans took over looking to drain the clock and add to their lead. With under 5 minutes to go in the game, the Dragons caught the break they were looking for as they would recover a fumble by the Spartans. The Dragons, would drain a little bit of the clock as Jones would run to the left and reach the ball across the goal line for a 3-yd touchdown. The PAT from Purdy was good, and with 1:03 left in the game, Pickens led GAC, 28-25.
The Spartans, would get just past midfield with 10 seconds left and had the ball on 4th down. Watkins, would scramble to his left looking to throw, but the pass would come up short and the Dragons would hold on to defeat GAC, 28-25.
6-AAA Football Standings:
North Hall: 7-2 (6-0) Region Champions
GAC: 4-5 (4-2)
Lumpkin: 6-3 (4-2) clinched playoff berth
Pickens: 5-4 (3-3) (defeated Dawson, Johnson, and GAC lost to White County, North Hall, and Chestatee)
Dawson: 4-5 (3-3) (lost to Pickens, GAC, and Lumpkin defeated Johnson, White County, and Chestatee)
Chestatee: 4-5 (3-3) (defeated Johnson, Pickens, and White County lost to North Hall, Lumpkin, and Dawson)
White County: 2-7 (1-5) eliminated
Johnson, Gainesville: 0-9 (0-6) eliminated
As you can see, the standings are a little bunched up heading into the final week of the regular season next week. The Dragons, will welcome the Lumpkin County Indians to Jasper on Friday, November 1st in what has turned into a very important game for both teams. For the Dragons, they’ll need a win against Lumpkin, and a GAC win over Chestatee to get into one of the top 4 slots. For Lumpkin, a win over Pickens and a Chestatee win over GAC, would vault them into the 2 seed. A lot to play for for both teams next Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons blowout Johnson on Homecoming
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports October 19, 2024
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons were back home inside Dragons Stadium for the first time since September 13th as they hosted the Johnson, Gainesville Knights on Friday, October 18th. To make it even more exciting, it was Homecoming night. After coming off back to back tough losses, the Dragons, would need a win to stay in any potential playoff scenario. After getting off to a fast start, the Dragons cruised to a big 62-6 win.
After forcing the Knights to punt on their opening possession, the Dragons would use their run game to drive down the field. After carries from Carson Mitton and Hagen Mullins got the ball down to the 10-yd line, Sophomore Ike Wyngaard, scored on a 10-yd run. After the PAT from McCord Purdy was good, the Dragons led Johnson, 7-0 with 7:49 left in the first quarter.
The Dragons, would then force a turnover on downs deep inside Knight territory. Mullins, would finish off the drive with an 18-yd TD run. The PAT from Purdy was good and with 5:29 left in the first quarter, the Dragons led it, 14-0. The Dragons, would add to their lead after Hayden Jones found Purdy, who took it 60 yards for the score. Going to the second quarter, Pickens led Johnson, 21-0.
Hayden Jones hands off to Carson Mitton
At the 5:51 mark of the second quarter, Jones connected with Landon Poole on a little option screen pass and Poole would make some moves and score a 16-yd TD. The Dragons now led it, 28-0. The Knights, would have their most successful drive of the game as a pair of long runs helped set up a 1-yd TD run. The PAT attempt was short and with 2:54 left in the first half, the Dragons led the Knights, 28-6.
The Dragons, answered right back with a 19-yd TD run from Mitton. With 2 minutes left in the first half, Pickens led Johnson, 35-6. After a very short punt by the Knights, Mullins would score from a yard out for his 2nd score of the game. Going into the half, the Dragons led the Knights, 42-6.
Dragons defense getting to the QB
The lone score in the third quarter came from the Dragons as they used a mix of the run and pass game to get down to the 9-yd line. Senior Hayden Roland, would cap off the drive with a 9-yd TD run. Going to the fourth quarter, Pickens led Johnson, 49-6.
Jones hanging off to Hagen Mullins
In the fourth quarter, the Dragons added to their lead as Freshman Zach Williams found an opening and scored on a 14-yd TD run. With 8:17 left in the game, the Dragons led the Knights, 56-6. The final score of the game came from Wyngaard as he broke through and scored from 79 yards out. The PAT would be blocked. The Dragons, would defeat the Knights, 62-6.
Dragons defense stopping the run
6-AAA Football Standings:
North Hall: 6-2 (5-0)
GAC: 4-2 (4-1)
Lumpkin: 5-3 (3-2)
Dawson: 4-4 (3-2)
Chestatee: 3-5 (2-3)
Pickens: 4-4 (2-3)
White County: 2-6 (1-4)
Johnson, Gainesville: 0-8 (0-5)
The Dragons, will be back on the road next week as they head down to Norcross to take on GAC in another big time game in 6-AAA on Friday, October 25th. This will be the first ever meeting between the two teams. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons fall short against War Eagles
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports October 12, 2024
Gainesville — The temperatures were finally dipping down into “football weather” as the Pickens Dragons traveled to Gainesville to take on the Chestatee War Eagles. The Dragons and War Eagles, were facing off for the first time in football since 2009. The War Eagles, came in riding a two game win streak in the series, and were coming off a big win over Johnson last week. The Dragons, looked to end their three game road trip on a high note after a tough loss to North Hall two weeks ago.
The War Eagles, would use their triple option offense to pull away and pick up the win, 37-14.
The Dragons would win the toss, and elect to receive the opening kickoff. On the first play from scrimmage, the War Eagles would tip and intercept the pass. Chestatee, would turn that into points as they scored a 23-yd TD run. The PAT was good and with 10:47 left in the first quarter, the War Eagles led the Dragons, 7-0. Later on in the first quarter, the War Eagles added to their lead with a 19-yd TD run. Going to the second quarter, Chestatee led it, 13-0.
Dragons on defense in the 1st quarter
Both teams would go back and forth in the second quarter as points were hard to come by. The War Eagles, would connect on a field goal as time expired in the quarter to take a 16-0 lead over the Dragons at the half.
Dragons on offense in the 2nd quarter
The second half would begin with the War Eagles adding to their lead with a 10-yd TD run. With 7:08 left in the third quarter, Chestatee led Pickens, 23-0. The Dragons, would get on the board after a 28-yd TD pass from Hayden Jones to McCord Purdy. The PAT by Purdy was good, and with 3:33 left in the third, the War Eagles led the Dragons, 23-7. The War Eagles, would respond with a 2-yd TD run to make it 30-7 going to the fourth quarter.
Dragons looking to stop the run in the 3rd quarter
The War Eagles, would add a 2-yd TD run at the 5:26 mark to make it 37-7. The Dragons, would add a second score as Jones would connect with Carson Mitton in the corner of the end zone for a 5-yd TD to make it 37-14. The War Eagles, would run out the rest of the clock as they would get the win, 37-14.
Hayden Jones looking for a receiver
6-AAA Football Region Standings:
North Hall: 5-2 (4-0)
GAC: 3-4 (3-1)
Lumpkin: 5-2 (3-1)
Chestatee: 3-4 (2-2)
Dawson: 3-4 (2-2)
White County: 2-5 (1-3)
Pickens: 3-4 (1-3)
Johnson-Gainesville: 0-7 (0-4)
The Dragons, will be back home next week as they host the Knights of Johnson-Gainesville on Friday, October 18th. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2015. The Dragons, are currently riding a 4-game win streak in the series and lead the all time series 8-6.
Dragons fall short in come back attempt at North Hall
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports September 29, 2024
Gainesville, Ga — It was a rare Saturday afternoon football game as weather from Hurricane Helene forced many games to be moved to Saturday, September 28th. One of those games happened to be the Pickens Dragons and North Hall Trojans. It was the first meeting between the two teams since 2017, and the first time Pickens had gone to North Hall since 2016. The Dragons, would make it a two point game in the fourth, but the Trojans would pull away in the end, 43-27.
The Dragons, would pull a little trick out of their hat to start the game as McCord Purdy executed a perfect pooch kick. The Dragons would recover, and have the ball deep inside Trojan territory. The drive would stall as the Trojans would force a turnover. After the Dragons defense got a stop on the Trojans first possession, the Dragons offense drove down the field, and on 4th and goal from the 1-yd line, Hayden Jones would score with a touchdown run. The PAT was good, and with 4:01 left in the first quarter, Pickens led North Hall, 7-0.
On their next possession, the Trojans would answer with a 19-yd TD run. The Trojans, would then see an opening on the PAT attempt as they would convert the two-point conversion to make it 8-7 heading into the second quarter.
Dragons looking to punch it into the end zone
The Trojans, would add to their lead in the second quarter as they would connect on a long pass for a touchdown on 3rd and long. The PAT was good and with 9:10 left in the first half, North Hall led Pickens, 15-7. The Dragons, would come back and respond as Jones’ pass was deflected, but fell right into the arms of Landon Poole and he took it the rest of the way for a 20-yd touchdown. The Dragons would choose to go for, and make the PAT to make it 15-14.
The Trojans, would respond with a pair of scores before the first half came to an end as North Hall led Pickens, 29-14 at the break.
Dragons on defense in the 2nd quarter
The Dragons, would get the ball first to start the second half looking to cut into the Trojans lead. They would be able to do that as Jones found Purdy for a 43-yd touchdown. The PAT was good and the Dragons pulled back within a score as North now led it, 29-21. That would be the only points scored in the third quarter as the Dragons had the ball and were driving to begin the fourth quarter.
Jones would run for a first down
40 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Dragons struck as Jones broke loose for a 45-yd TD run, Pickens, would go for two to try and tie the ball game. The try would come up just short and with 11:20 left to go in the game, the Trojans led the Dragons, 29-27. North Hall, responded with a touchdown of their own to make it 36-27 with just over 6 minutes left in the game.
The Trojans, would get a turnover on downs on the Dragons next possession. On the next play, North Hall would score on a 37-yd TD pass to make it 43-27, The final from the brickyard, North Hall 43, Pickens 27.
Dragons looking to stop a pass play
The Dragons, like most of the region, will have next week off. Pickens, will have two weeks to get ready for the final stretch of the season as they will be on the road again on Friday, October 11th as they head back to the Gainesville area to take on the Chestatee War Eagles. The Dragons and War Eagles will be meeting for the first time since 2009. Pickens, leads the overall series 4-2, however Chestatee has won the last two meetings. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons pick up region win at Dawson
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports September 21, 2024
Dawsonville, Ga — It was a beautiful, but warm night for high school football on Friday, September 20th as the Pickens Dragons traveled up to Dawson County to take on the Dawson Tigers. The Dragons, were coming off of a tough loss to White County last week, while the Tigers had the week off to get ready for region play. Using their ground game and a late defensive stop, the Dragons picked up their first region win, 35-23.
The Tigers, won the toss and elected to receive the opening kick off to begin the game. After a long completion from QB Preston Bannister to Dylan Edwards set the Tigers up inside the red zone, the Dragons defense settled down and held Dawson to a 24-yd field goal. With 10:07 left in the first quarter, the Tigers led, 3-0. On their first play from scrimmage, the Dragons would take the lead as QB Hayden Jones scrambled for an 80-yd touchdown. The PAT from McCord Purdy was good and the Dragons would take a 7-3 lead into the second quarter.
Dragons on defense early in the 1st quarter
The Dragons, would add to their lead at the 4:12 mark of the second quarter as RB Carson Mitton punched it in from 1-yd out. The PAT was good and the Dragons now led, 14-3. The Tigers, would answer by scoring their first touchdown of the night as a long kickoff return by Luke Smith helped set up a 10-yd TD run by Bannister. The PAT was good and the Dragons would lead it 14-10 heading into the break.
Dragons on offense in the 2nd quarter
The second half began with the Dragons getting the ball. The offense, would March down the field as Jones would connect with Freshman WR Sawyer Purdy several times during the drive including a 10-yd touchdown. The PAT was good and with 9:59 left in the third quarter, the Dragons led the Tigers, 21-10. Later on in the third, the Dragons would block and recover a field goal attempt by the Tigers.
The Tigers, would get the ball back on the next play after an interception by Smith. Dawson would turn that interception into points as RB Cody McBrayer scored on a 10-yd TD run. The PAT was good and with 4:24 left in the third, Pickens led Dawson, 21-17. The Dragons, would respond to that score with a 45-yd TD run by Jones. His 2nd of the night. The PAT by Purdy was good. Heading to the fourth, the Dragons led the Tigers, 28-17.
Dragons looking to stop the run
A couple of minutes into the fourth quarter, the Tigers would score on a 1-yd TD run by Bannister. His 2nd of the game. Dawson, would then choose to go for two to cut the lead down to 3. The Dragons, were able to stop McBrayer short on the conversion attempt as Pickens now led it, 28-23 with 8:54 left in the game. Later in the fourth, the Dragons would stretch their lead out as Landon Poole would score a 6-yd touchdown. The PAT was good and with 3:58 left to go in the game, the Dragons led the Tigers, 35-23.
Jones throwing the ball to Landon Poole
Penalties would help the Tigers drive down the field, who were looking to cut into the lead with the clock draining. Pickens, got the stop it was looking for as they would pick up the win, 35-23.
6-AAA Region Standings:
North Hall: 3-2 (2-0)
GAC: 2-3 (2-0)
Lumpkin: 3-2 (1-1)
White County: 2-3 (1-1)
Pickens: 3-2 (1-1)
Dawson: 1-3 (0-1)
Chestatee: 1-4 (0-2)
Johnson-Gainesville: 0-4 (0-2)
The Dragons, will continue their three game region road trip next week as they head down to Hall County to take on the North Hall Trojans on Friday, September 27th. The Dragons and Trojans have not played each other since 2017 and it’ll be the Dragons first trip to North Hall since 2016. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons fall to Bobcats in overtime
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports August 31, 2024
Jasper, Ga — There is a lot going on this weekend in Jasper with it being a Holiday weekend and also the annual Jeep Fest. The main attraction however, is the Pickens vs Gilmer game that took place on August 30th. The Bobcats came away with the win in Ellijay last year, and the Dragons were looking to return the favor. As expected, this game was back and forth all game long. The Bobcats, would survive an overtime thriller picking up the 35-34 win.
On their first play from scrimmage, the Bobcats wasted little time getting on the board as Kyle Cowart took the pitch from Issac Rellinger 77 yards for the touchdown. The PAT was good and with 11:33 left in the first quarter, the Bobcats held a 7-0 advantage. Cowart, would make his presence known on the defensive side of the ball as he would pick off the pass attempt from Hayden Jones and return it near midfield. The Bobcats, would make their way down field with that triple option offense looking to extend their lead.
The Dragons, finally picked up a little momentum as the defense forced a fumble at the 2-yd line with Hunter Dimauro recovering the ball. Late in the first quarter, the Dragons, had a sustained drive going that started on their own 2-yd line. The Bobcats, would recover a fumble inside the 10 to put an end to that drive. Going to the second quarter, Gilmer led Pickens, 7-0.
Hayden Jones handing off to Landon Poole
The Dragons defense, would force a Bobcat punt early on in the second quarter. After a low snap, the knee of punter Douglas Callihan, was determined to be down at the Bobcat 1-yd line. That’s where the Dragons took over as Landon Poole, would score to cut the Bobcat lead to 1. The PAT from McCord Purdy was good, and with 10:23 left in the first half, the game was all tied up at 7. The Bobcats, would untie the game at the 8:28 mark of the second quarter with a 5-yd TD run by Hunter Britain to make it 14-7 Gilmer.
The Bobcats, would extend their lead later on in the quarter as Rellinger found Callihan for a 34-yd TD pass. The PAT was good and with 1:09 left in the first half, the Bobcats held a 21-7 lead. With little time left in the half, the Dragons marched down the field, and capped off the drive with a 1-yd TD run by McCord Purdy. Purdy would then make the PAT, to make it 21-14 Gilmer heading into halftime.
Dragons defense forcing a 4th down
The second half began in exciting fashion as McCord Purdy would take the kickoff back 90 yards for the touchdown. He would connect on the PAT to tie the game at 21 with 11:42 left in the third quarter. No other scoring would be done in the quarter as both teams were able to get stops. The Dragons, were driving as they headed to the fourth.
Dragons on offense in the second half
To start the fourth quarter, Hayden Jones broke a few tackles on the way to a big 36-yd run down to the Bobcat 27-yd line. After an intentional grounding penalty, the Dragons would be forced to punt, and the Bobcats would takeover at their own 21-yd line. A big run by Rellinger helped set up what would end up being a 20-yd TD run by Rellinger. The PAT was good and with 8:18 left in the game, the Bobcats led it, 28-21.
The Dragons, knew they needed an answer and they got one in the form of the Purdy brothers. Jones, would hand the ball off to Carson Mitton, who then tossed it to McCord Purdy on what looked like a reverse run play. Instead, McCord threw it to younger brother Sawyer, who was wide open down the field for a 54-yd TD pass. The PAT by McCord was good and with 6:29 left in the game, the Dragons and Bobcats were tied at 28.
The Bobcats, would chew up a lot of game time as they looked to drive down for a potential game winning field goal. With 31 seconds left, the Bobcats set up dead center for the field goal attempt. The kick would be pushed wide left, and the two teams would be heading into overtime.
Dragons looking to stop the fullback dive
The Bobcats, got the ball to start the overtime period. Wyatt Stokes, would cap off the drive with a 1-yd TD run. The PAT was good and Gilmer led it, 35-28. The Dragons, would get into the end zone after a 5-yd run by Poole. Dragons head coach Craig Bennett, made the decision to go for two and the win. The pass by Jones would fall short in the end zone and the Bobcats would hang on to win, 35-34.
The Dragons, finish the non-region portion of the schedule at 2-1. If you’re a Dragon fan, I’d say you’d be satisfied with that record heading into region play. The Dragons, will now have two weeks to prepare for region play when they host the White County Warriors on Friday, September 13th. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
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.
Pickens wins the battle of the Dragons to open season
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports August 18, 2024
Jasper, Ga — In one of the more interesting starts to a football season I’ve ever seen, the Pickens Dragons began playing the Pepperell Dragons on Friday, August 16th, and finished the game on Saturday, August 17th. Mother nature, was not kind to this game, and others on Friday. That forced many games to be postponed and moved to Saturday. Pickens, overcame being down 14 early to come back and picked up a dramatic 31-28 win.
On Friday, in the first quarter, Pepperell got the ball first to start the game. The Pepperell Dragons, got on the board early with an 86-yd touchdown run by QB Sam Ross. The PAT was good and with 11:37 left in the first quarter, Pepperell took a 7-0 lead. Pickens, would then have trouble with an exchange on their first possession which allowed Pepperell to recover the fumble. Ross, would end up scoring on a 6-yd run and with 8:53 left in the first quarter, the Pepperell Dragons were up 14-0 on the Pickens Dragons.
Then the storms came. After waiting out the weather for a while, the decision was made to pause the game. The game was moved to Saturday, with a restart time of 6 pm. Late Saturday afternoon came around and mother nature decided to pop back up again. The two teams and fans all waited it out, and at 7:30, the teams were finally out on the field to warm up. At 7:45, the ball game resumed with Pickens punting to Pepperell.
On their next drive after the restart, Pepperell would pick up a first down, but that would be it. The Pickens Dragons, would cut the Pepperell lead in half as QB Hayden Jones found an open Landon Poole, who took it all the way for the 52-yd TD. The PAT from McCord Purdy was good. Heading to the second quarter, Pepperell led Pickens, 14-7.
In the second quarter, the Pickens Dragons would yet again cut into the lead of the Pepperell Dragons with help from pressure by the defense, and some snap issues by Pepperell. A high snap in the end zone on a punt attempt by Pepperell would lead to a safety for Pickens. With 11:10 left in the first half, Pepperell led Pickens, 14-9.
Dragons defense with a gang tackle on the Pepperell QB
Later on in the second, Ross would find a receiver and he would score a 48-yd TD to extend the lead for Pepperell to 21-9 with 1:55 left in the first half. Not to be outdone, Jones found McCord Purdy streaking down the sidelines and Purdy made the grab for the touchdown as he was being held. The PAT by Purdy was good and heading into the half, Pepperell led Pickens, 21-16.
Hayden Jones handing off to Landon Poole
For the majority of the third quarter, both teams went back and forth with no scoring. Pickens, would find the end zone after Jones got in with a 1-yd run. Pickens, would then go for two to push their lead up to three. The two point try was successful as Jones found Purdy to make it 24-21 Pickens with 2:29 left in the third. LB Hunter Bryant would recover a Pepperell fumble to set up Pickens with excellent field position.
RB Hagen Mullins, would then convert that turnover into points as he got in with a 7-yd run. The PAT was good and just like that, Pickens led Pepperell, 31-21 with 1:39 left in the third. Heading to the fourth, Pickens was in front of Pepperell, 31-21.
Hayden Jones looking for a receiver to throw to
In the fourth, Pepperell would cut into the Pickens lead as Ross went into scramble mode and scored on an 18-yd run. His 3rd of the game. The Pat was good and with 4:25 left in the game, Pickens now led Pepperell, 31-28. Pickens, on what would be their final drive of the night, looked to run out the clock and faced a 4th and short just past midfield. New Pickens head coach Craig Bennett and the offense decided to go for it to try and put the game on ice.
Jones, would find a hole to pick up the first down and then some. However, a holding penalty on Pickens would wipe out the would be first down, and were forced the Dragons to punt. Jones’ punt would be downed inside the 15-yd line with 59 seconds left. Pepperell, would make their way near midfield with two seconds left. Pepperell, would look for one final desperation play.
After a couple passes and fumbles, Pepperell found an open man and what looked like a free run to the end zone. However, Isaiah Lacy would trip the runner up at the 20-yd line to preserve the 31-28 win for the Pickens Dragons.
The Dragons, the Pickens Dragons that is, will be on the road next week as they take on the Sonoraville Phoenix on Friday, August 23rd. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
We talked to new Dragons head coach Craig Bennett after the ball game ended. You can catch that in the video below:
Dragons win first State Tournament game since 2000
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 22, 2024
Jasper, Ga — It’s tournament time and the Pickens Dragons began their State Tournament journey on Wednesday, February 21st as they hosted the Coahulla Creek Colts for a first round match up in the AAA State Tournament. Coming into the game, the Dragons were the #2 seed out of region 7 and 20-8 overall. The Colts, came in as the #3 seed from region 6, and 19-8 overall. The Dragons, were able to pull away late in the game to pick up a 67-53 win.
Much like the girls game beforehand, the Colts won the opening tip and struck early as they found Andrew Russell cutting to the basket for the layup to make it 2-0. The Dragons, would tie things up with a basket by Parker Davis. A turnover by the Dragons led to Teagan Houser making a fast break layup to put the Colts back up, 4-2. After another near turnover, Dodge Davis was able to collect the ball and score to tie it up at 4.
The Colts, would then go on a 4-0 run as Russell and Cullen Marti would make back to back layups to give the Colts an 8-4 lead. After Parker Davis split a pair of free throws, Carter Quarles would make a tough turnaround fade away jumper to extend the lead to 10-5. The Dragons, would then go on an 8-0 run as Caleb Lanford hit a three, McCord Purdy would make a layup, and Dodge Davis would make a free throw and a layup to make it 13-10.
A pair of free throws from Greg Voyles would end the run and cut the Dragons lead to 1. Dodge Davis, would end the first quarter with a pair of free throws of his own to give the Dragons a 15-12 lead going to the second quarter.
The second quarter began with Waelyn Baliles getting inside for the bucket to make it 15-14. The Davis brothers would then go on a 4-0 run to stretch the Dragon lead out to 19-14. A 5-0 run by David Noll III would tie the game at 19. The Dragons, would respond with a 5-0 run of their own as Parker Davis would make a pair of free throws, and Lanford would hit a three to make it 24-19.
A three pointer by Quarles would cut the lead to 2. After both teams traded baskets, Parker Davis and Purdy would end the first half on a 4-0 run to give the Dragons a 30-24 lead going into the break.
The third quarter started with Lanford hitting a three to make it 33-24. After both teams went back and forth trading buckets, the Dragons would go on a 5-0 run as Purdy hit a three, and Lanford got a layup to go to make it 41-30. A three by Quarles would end the run and cut the lead to 8. After a basket by Dodge Davis, Quarles would hit another three to make it a 7-point game. Lanford would answer with a three to extend the lead to 46-36.
The Colts, would go on a 5-0 run to cut the lead in half. A big three from Freshman Jamin Martin, increased the lead back to 8. A 4-0 run by the Colts to end the third quarter cut the Dragons lead down to 49-47 going to the fourth.
The Dragons, began the fourth quarter by going on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 56-47. Marti, would end the run with a turnaround hook shot to make it 56-49. A layup by Hayden Jones and a free throw and a big two-handed dunk from Dodge Davis made it 61-49 Dragons. Houser, would hit a three to cut the lead down to 9. He would then split a pair of free throws to make it 61-53.
After a steal on the in-bounds pass, Jones was left all alone for the jam to make it 63-53. With under a minute to go and the Colts now having to foul, Parker Davis would step to the line and sink two free throws to make it 65-53. The exclamation point came late in the game when Lanford stole the ball, passed it up to Purdy, who then bounced it off the back board for Parker Davis to finish the alley-oop slam. The Dragons would take this one, 67-53.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Dodge Davis: 19 points
Parker Davis: 17 points
Caleb Lanford: 17 points
Mccord Purdy: 7 points
Hayden Jones: 4 points
Jamin Martin: 3 points
The Dragons, will now take to the road on Saturday, February 24th as they head up to Hart County to take on the Bulldogs in the AAA Sweet 16. The Bulldogs, are the #1 seed out of region 8 and are 15-13 overall. Tip off is set for 6 pm.
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.
Dragons punch ticket to AAA State Tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 13, 2024
Jasper, Ga — It’s region tournament time as the 7-AAA region tournament started on Monday, February 12th. By virtue of being the #2 seed, Pickens hosted the first round of the tournament. Earlier games saw Dawson defeat Wesleyan, and Lumpkin defeat White County. The Dragons, with the home crowd watching, picked up a 66-36 win over the Spartans to advance to the State Tournament and the semifinals of the region tournament.
The first quarter began with the Dragons going on an 11-0 run. Nathan Wallace, Dodge Davis, Caleb Lanford, and McCord Purdy all contributed to the run. A basket just outside the free throw line by the Spartans ended the run and made it 11-2. The Dragons, would answer with a 5-0 run to make it 16-2. a bucket by the Spartans just as the shot clock was about to go off would make it 16-4 going to the second quarter.
The second quarter began with a three by Lanford. His third of the first half. After a basket by the Spartans to make it 19-6, West Hall followed it up with a three pointer to cut the lead to 19-9. The Spartans would add to their run with a free throw line jumper to make it 19-11. The Dragons, would put an end to the 7-0 run with a three by Purdy to stretch the lead to 22-11.
Jamin Martin, would then hit his first three of the ball game to make it 25-11. The run would continue for the Dragons as Parker Davis got the layup to go to make it 27-11. The 8-0 run would come to an end as the Spartans hit a jumper to make it 27-13. After a cold streak by both teams, Lanford would find Parker Davis underneath for the layup to make it 29-13. Hayden Jones, would somehow split a double team for the layup to make it 31-13.
A long three by the Spartans would make it 31-16. Parker Davis, would collect an offensive rebound and get the put back amidst the contact. He would make the free throw to give the Dragons a 34-16 lead. Just before the end of the first half, a foul on a three point attempt was called. The Spartans, would make two of the three free throws and going into the half, the Dragons led, 34-18.
The third quarter started with Lanford hitting his fourth three pointer of the game to stretch the lead to 37-18. After a defensive rebound by the Dragons, Purdy found Jones with an outlet pass who then found a cutting Dodge Davis, who threw down the two-handed dunk to make it 39-18. The Spartans, would end the 5-0 run with a tough layup to cut the lead to 39-20. The fifth three of the evening by Lanford gave the Dragons a 42-20 lead.
Parker Davis, would then use a nice head fake to drive in for the layup to make it 44-20. Dodge Davis, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 45-20. The Spartans, would get the hook shot to fall and make the free throw to cut the lead to 45-23. Dodge Davis, would get by his man for the layup to make it 47-23. After a turnover by the Spartans, Martin, would hit his second three of the night to make it 50-23.
Marin, would continue his hot shooting as he hit another three to make it 53-23. The Spartans, would end the run with a turnaround jumper to cut the lead to 53-25. A lay in by the Spartans would make it 53-27. Purdy, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 54-27. A steal by Montego Morgan would lead to Martin’s third three of the quarter and his fourth of the game. A running hook shot by the Spartans would make it 57-29.
A nice find from Parker Davis to Hayden Jones for the layup made it 59-29. After a defensive rebound by the Dragons, Martin hit Jones with a great lead pass from the other end of the court for the layup to make it 61-29. The Spartans, used a nice jump stop move for the layup to make it 61-31 going to the fourth.
The shortened fourth quarter would begin with the Spartans making a layup after a nice pass to cut the lead to 61-33. The Spartans, would then collect a defensive rebound and turn it into a three pointer to make it 61-36. The Dragons, would end the 5-0 run by the Spartans as Jones got into the lane for the layup and the foul. Jones, would make the free throw to put the Dragons up, 64-36. Camden Jones, would make the layup after a nice pass to make it 66-36.
That would be the final as the Dragons defeated the West Hall Spartans for the third time this season to advance to the AAA State Basketball Tournament and to the semifinals of the 7-AAA region tournament.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Caleb Lanford: 17 points (5 threes)
Jamin Martin: 12 points (4 threes)
Dodge Davis: 9 points
Parker Davis: 9 points
Hayden Jones: 9 points
McCord Purdy: 6 points
Camden Jones: 2 points
Nathan Wallace: 2 points
The Dragons, will now get ready for Thursday, February 15th as they head to Lumpkin to take on the Indians in one of the semifinal games of the 7-AAA region tournament. Tip off is set for 5:30 pm.
Dragons lock up #2 seed for next week’s Region Tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 10, 2024
Jasper, Ga — On Friday, February 9th, the Pickens Dragons hosted the West Hall Spartans for the final regular season game of the 2023-24 season. The Dragons, were also celebrating their two Seniors, Caymen Morgan and Nathan Wallace. Coming into the game, the Dragons were 17-7, and 8-3 in region play. The Spartans, were 6-17, and 2-9 in region play. Four Dragons scored in double figures as Pickens defeated the Spartans, 80-24.
The Dragons, began the ball game on a 14-0 run as Dodge Davis, Caleb Ledford, Parker Davis, and Senior Nathan Wallace all contributed to the run. Troy Smith, would end the run and get the Spartans on the board with a jumper just inside the free throw line. After Ledford split a pair of free throws, Teryk Tilley hit a three to make it 15-5. Ethan Clippard then drove the baseline for a layup to make it 15-7.
The Dragons, would close the first quarter with an 8-0 run as Parker Davis made a layup, and Hayden Jones and Ledford hit back to back threes. Going to the second quarter, the Dragons led the Spartans, 23-7.
The run that ended the first quarter, would continue into the second quarter as Dodge Davis 7 straight points to put the Dragons up, 30-7. Smith, would go on a 4-0 run to make it 30-11. A three by Dodge Davis would make it 33-11. That would kick off a 15-0 run to end the first half as Dodge Davis would hit another three, then Jamin Martin would connect on a three, then Wallace would hit his second three, then Martin would hit another one. Going into halftime, the Dragons were leading the West Hall Spartans, 45-11.
The Dragons, kept the threes flying to start the second half as McCord Purdy got in the score book with his first three of the game to make it 48-11. The Dragons, would go on to score 21 points in the third while holding the Spartans to just 4 points to increase their lead to 66-15 going to the fourth.
The fourth quarter began with Parker Davis making a layup to stretch the lead to 68-15. A layup by Karter Shields would make it 68-17. After a pair of free throws by Dodge Davis, Glenn Matiba, would make a layup to make it 70-19. The teams then traded threes as Purdy hit his 2nd three, then Landon Bennett answered with a three to make it 73-22. A 5-0 run by Dodge Davis and Martin would make it 78-22.
Another layup by Matiba would end the run and make it 78-24. A layup from Aiden Mumaw would be the final bucket of the game as the Dragons defeated the Spartans, 80-24.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Dodge Davis: 22 points
Caleb Lanford: 14 points
Parker Davis: 13 points
Jamin Martin: 12 points
McCord Purdy: 6 points
Nathan Wallace: 6 points
Hayden Jones: 5 points
Aiden Mumaw: 2 points
Final 7-AAA Boys Basketball Standings:
Gilmer: 16-8 (10-2) #1 seed
Pickens: 18 -7 (9-3) #2 seed
Lumpkin: 13-12 (6-6) #3 seed
Wesleyan: 11-14 (6-6) #4 seed
Dawson: 14-11 (6-6) #5 seed
White County: 7-18 (3-9) #6 seed
West Hall: 6-18 (2-10) #7 seed
The Gilmer Bobcats, by virtue of being the #1 seed, will get a bye and automatically earn a spot in the AAA State Tournament. The first round of the 7-AAA Region Tournament will take place at Pickens High School on Monday, February 12th. Wesleyan will take on Dawson at 4:30, Lumpkin will take on White County at 6, and Pickens will take on West Hall at 7:30.
Dragons and Warriors split season series
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 3, 2024
Cleveland, Ga — The Pickens Dragons were once again on the road as they traveled to take on the White County Warriors in 7-AAA action on Friday, February 2nd. Coming into the game, the Dragons were 16-6, and 7-2 in 7-AAA. The Warriors, were 6-16, and 2-7 in 7-AAA. The Warriors, would outscore the Dragons 27-14 in the fourth quarter to come away with a 64-47 victory.
McCord Purdy, got the scoring started in the first quarter as he put the Dragons up, 3-0. After David Boman split a pair of free throws and Dawson Oliver made a layup to tie it up, the Dragons would go on a 7-0 run as Parker Davis made a layup, and Hayden Jones would make back to back baskets with a layup and a three to make it 10-3. An and-1 play by Noah Futch would cut the lead down to 4.
After both teams split free throw makes, Jamin Martin would hit a three to make it 14-7 Dragons. Blayne Gunter, would answer with a three to make it 14-10. After a layup by Parker Davis, Futch would split a pair of free throws and the Dragons would take a 16-11 lead into the second quarter.
The Warriors, began the second quarter on a 9-0 run as Boman would hit a three, then Cohen Michaud would hit back to back threes to give the Warriors a 20-16 lead. Purdy, would stop the run with a basket, but that would be the only field goal the Dragons would make in the quarter. After Oliver split a pair of free throws, Boman, would hit a bucket to make it 23-18.
It would be a free throw contest to end the first half as the Dragons would make 5 and the Warriors would make 1. Heading into the break, the Warriors led the Dragons, 24-23.
Oliver, would begin the second half by making a pair of free throws to stretch the lead out to 3. After Parker Davis and Gunter traded baskets, the Dragons would go on a 5-0 run as Caleb Lanford hit a jumper and Purdy would connect on a three to give the Dragons a 30-28 lead. The Warriors, would answer with a 7-0 run to retake the lead, 35-30. A three by Martin would cut the lead to 2. Boman, would make a layup just before the buzzer to make it 37-33 going to the fourth.
Gunter, began the fourth with a basket to make it 39-33. A three from Lanford would cut the lead to 3. Boman responded with a three to make it a 6 point game again. Purdy, answered with a three on the other end to make it 42-39. After Reid Tanner split a pair of free throws and Oliver made a layup, Parker Davis would make a layup to cut it to 45-41. The Warriors, would then go on a 13-0 run to break the game open, 58-41.
Parker Davis, ended the run with a basket to make it 58-43. After a jumper from Braxton Anderson, Jones would come back with a bucket to make it 60-45. Boman, would make a pair of free throws to bring it to 62-45. After a basket by Purdy, Anderson would make a pair of late free throws to give the Warriors a 64-47 win.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Parker Davis: 14 points
McCord Purdy: 13 points
Hayden Jones: 7 points
Jamin Martin: 6 points
Caleb Lanford: 5 points
Dodge Davis: 2 points
7-AAA Basketball Standings:
Gilmer: 15-8 (9-2)
Pickens: 16-7 (7-3)
Dawson: 13-10 (5-5)
Wesleyan: 10-13 (5-5)
Lumpkin: 12-12 (5-6)
White County: 7-16 (3-7)
West Hall: 6-16 (2-8)
The Dragons, will end their four game road trip on Tuesday, February 6th as they head to Wesleyan to take on the Wolves. The Dragons, were able to come away with a win over Wesleyan in Jasper a couple of weeks ago. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 pm.
Dragons hit 18 threes in road win at Lumpkin
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 31, 2024
Dahlonega, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, made the trek to Dahlonega on Tuesday, January 30th as they took on the Lumpkin County Indians in a battle of two of the hotter teams in 7-AAA. Coming into the game, the Dragons, were 15-6, 6-2 in 7-AAA, and winners of 7 out of their last 8. The Indians, were 11-11, 4-5 in 7-AAA, and winners of 8 out of their last 9. The Dragons, hit 17 threes during the game including 6 from freshman Jamin Martin en route to a 70-50 win.
The ball game started with Hayden Jones knocking down the first three of the night to make it 3-0. T.J. Gaddis, would cut the lead to 1 as he got his first shot to drop. A lay in by Parker Davis would put the Dragons back up by 3. Caleb Lanford, would follow with a pair of free throws and Dodge Davis would hit his first three of the game to make it 10-2. Gaddis, would cut the lead in half as he made the layup and the foul shot.
After a bucket by Parker Davis, Gaddis again answered with a basket to make it 12-7. The Davis brothers, would then hit back to back threes to make it 18-7. Cal Faulkner, would be the first Indian other than Gaddis to score as he made it 18-9 as they would go to the second quarter.
The Dragons, began the second quarter with a 5-0 run as Dodge Davis made a basket and Jones hit his 2nd three to make it 23-9. Gaddis, then completed his 2nd and-1 of the game as that made it 23-12. After a three by Jamin Martin, Faulkner would go on a 6-0 run to make it 26-18. The Dragons, would then go on a 10-0 run as Martin hit two more threes, Dodge Davis hit a three, and Montego Morgan split a pair of free throws to make it 36-18.
Jac Chambers, would end the run with a three to make it 36-21. Morgan, would connect on a three just before the end of the first half to put the Dragons up, 39-21 going to the break.
The second half began with the Indians going on a 7-0 run as Landon Pierce hit a three, then Preston Cox and Chambers made back to back buckets to cut the lead to 39-28. Martin, ended the run by sinking his 4th three of the game. Faulkner responded with a three of his own. Martin, came right back and nailed his 5th three. After another three by Pierce, Lanford and Martin made back to back threes to make it 51-34.
Faulkner and Pierce would end the third quarter by making back to back threes of their own to cut the Pickens lead down to 51-40 going to the fourth.
Gaddis, would start the fourth quarter by making a pair of free throws to cut the lead down to 51-42. Back to back threes by Lanford stretched the Dragons lead back out to 57-42. After a three by the Indians, the Dragons would go on a 9-0 run to make it 66-45. A bucket by Faulkner would end the run to make it 66-47. McCord Purdy, would then hit a three to make it 69-47.
After a three by Jackson Pulley, Lanford would split a pair of free throws to end the ball game as the Dragons came away with the 70-50 win.
Scorers for the Dragons:
Jamin Martin: 18 points (6 threes)
Caleb Lanford: 12 points (3 threes)
Dodge Davis: 11 points (3 threes)
Parker Davis: 11 points (1 three)
Hayden Jones: 8 points (2 threes)
McCord Purdy: 6 points (2 threes)
Montego Morgan: 4 points (1 three)
7-AAA Basketball Standings:
Gilmer: 15-7 (9-1)
Pickens: 16-6 (7-2)
Dawson: 13-9 (5-4)
Wesleyan: 9-13 (4-5)
Lumpkin: 11-12 (4-6)
White County: 6-16 (2-7)
West Hall: 5-16 (2-8)
The Dragons, will once again be on the road as they head to Cleveland, Ga on Friday, February 2nd to take on the White County Warriors. The Dragons, defeated the Warriors back on January 9th. Tip off set for 8:30.
Last second free throws sink Dragons seven game win streak
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 27, 2024
Dawsonville, Ga — On Friday, January 26th, the Pickens Dragons began a four game road trip inside region play as they headed to Dawson County to take on the Dawson Tigers. Coming into the game, the Dragons were 15-5, 6-1 in 7-AAA play, and riding a 7 game winning streak. The Tigers, came into the game 11-9, 4-4 in 7-AAA play, and looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Gilmer on Tuesday. On Friday, late game free throws from Trey Harvey and Caden Reed, helped propel the Tigers to a 50-48 win.
The first quarter began with McCord Purdy hitting a corner three to make it 3-0 Dragons. Parker Davis, followed with a lay up to make it 5-0. The Tigers got on the board after Reed drove the baseline and laid it in for the score. After another Parker Davis layup, Joshua Priest hit a three to make it 7-5. Harvey, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 7-6 Dragons.
Back to back buckets by the Davis brothers and a pair of free throws by Purdy, gave the Dragons a 13-6 lead. A basket by Ethan Parker, would put an end to the 6-0 run and make it 13-8. Hayden Jones, would then hit a three to make it 16-8. A bucket by Samuel Glover would cut the Dragons lead down to 16-10 going to the second quarter.
Harvey, got things going in the second quarter with a basket to cut the lead to 4. Back to back buckets from Purdy and Dodge Davis, stretched the lead out to 20-12. After a timeout by Dawson, the Tigers would go on a 5-0 run as Parker made a basket and Reed hit a three pointer to make it 20-17. A three pointer by Caleb Lanford would make it a 6 point game. Back to back three pointers from Reed and Parker would tie the game at 23.
The Tigers, would close the first half on an 8-0 run as Harvey and Priest would help Dawson take a 31-26 lead into the break over Pickens.
The third quarter started with Dodge Davis making a layup, and Lanford hitting a pair of free throws to cut the lead down to 1. Both Harvey and Jones would then split free throws as the Tigers led, 32-31. After a three pointer by Reed, Lanford would get three the hard way as he made the lay up and the free throw to cut it back to 1. A three pointer by Priest would again make it a 4 point game. A layup by Parker Davis would then cut that in half.
After a pair of free throws from Harvey, the Dragons would close out the third quarter on a 7-0 run as Purdy, the Davis brothers, and Jones all contributed to the run. Going to the fourth quarter, the Dragons led the Tigers, 43-40.
The fourth quarter began with Harvey making two free throws to cut the lead to 1. A layup by Dodge Davis, would bring it back to a 3 point lead. Reed, would get the basket and the foul as he tied things up at 45 after the free throw. Purdy, would give the lead back to the Dragons with a three to put them up 48-45. Harvey, after getting fouled, would step to the line and hit both free throws to make it a 1 point game.
After a missed three point attempt by the Dragons, the Tigers put the ball in Harvey’s hands as he drove the lane with the seconds ticking down. Harvey would go up for a shot attempt, and would be fouled. Harvey, would make both free throws to put the Tigers up, 49-48. Purdy, looking to push the ball up the floor, passed it ahead to Jones. The ball was tipped out of bounds, which stopped the clock.
After it was called Dragon ball, the two closest officials to the play discussed it further and changed the call to Tiger ball. The Dragons, were then forced to intentionally foul as Reed would go to the line for two shots. Reed, would split the free throws to make it 50-48. A last second attempt from half court by Purdy wouldn’t fall and the Tigers would come away with the 50-48 win.
Scorers for the Dragons:
McCord Purdy: 15 points
Parker Davis: 10 points
Dodge Davis: 10 points
Caleb Lanford: 8 points
Hayden Jones: 5 points
Scorers for the Tigers:
Trey Harvey: 17 points
Caden Reed: 15 points
Joshua Priest: 9 points
Ethan Parker: 7 points
Samuel Glover: 2 points
7-AAA Standings:
Gilmer: 14-6 (8-1)
Pickens: 15 -6 (6-2)
Dawson: 12-9 (5-4)
Lumpkin: 10-11: (4-5)
Wesleyan: 8-13 (3-5)
White County: 6-15 (2-6)
West Hall: 5-15 (2-7)
The Dragons, will be back in action on Tuesday, January 30th as they take on the Lumpkin Indians in what will be an interesting match up in 7-AAA. Both teams are coming off having 7 game win streaks snapped. The Dragons, defeated the Indians in Jasper on December 15th, but the Indians have been playing much better since that game. Tip off is set for 7:30.