Dragons pour in 93 points, advance to State Tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 16, 2021
Pickens, County Ga — The second season started tonight as the Pickens Dragons welcomed the Southeast Whitfield Raiders to the Dragons Den for the first round of the 7-AAAA Region Tournament. The winner, punched their ticket to the 4A State Tournament and clinched a spot in the Region Semi-finals on Thursday. The Dragons, came in as the #3 seed in the tournament, while the Raiders came in as the #6 seed. In what was a total team effort, the Dragons came away with a 93-44 win.
Early in the first quarter, the Dragons jumped out to a 4-0 lead after buckets from Luke Rogers and Owen Moss. The Raiders, were able to tie things up after a free throw and three pointer. Pickens then went on a 16-0 run to make it 20-4. The Dragons got buckets from Tucker Lowe, Jaden Stewart, and Moss during the run. The two teams traded buckets to end the first quarter as the Dragons took a 25-10 lead to the second quarter.
The Dragons played intense defense on Tuesday
Early in the second quarter, A three pointer by Stewart and a free throw from Noah Sutton got the scoring going for the Dragons as they led it, 29-10. After a bucket by the Raiders, Sutton hit another free throw, made a bucket, Moss made a bucket, and Ean Goodwin made two free throws to make it 36-12. A bucket by Southeast Whitfield stopped the 7-0 run and made it 36-14. Pickens then went on a 10-0 run to make it 46-14. Goodwin, Lowe, Caleb Bryant, and Collin Kellogg all contributed to the run. The Raiders, made a bucket just before the end of the first half to make it 46-16 Dragons going to the break.
Dragons with the ball on offense
It was the Noah Sutton Show in the third quarter of this one. Sutton, got the scoring started with a 4-0 run to make it 50-16. After a free throw by the Raiders, Sutton hit a pair of free throws to make it 52-17. Sutton would then go on to make another bucket and a free throw to make it 55-19. All in all, Sutton scored 15 of the Dragons 36 third quarter points as Pickens took an 82-34 lead into the fourth.
Noah Sutton with 15 points in the 3rd
The second unit for the Dragons took over in the fourth quarter as they helped close this one out by outscoring the Raiders 11-10 in the frame. Final in Jasper, Pickens 93, Southeast Whitfield 44.
Dragons Leading Scorers:
Noah Sutton: 19 points
Ean Goodwin: 18 points
Tucker Lowe: 17 points
Jaden Stewart: 14 points
Owen Moss: 8 points
The Dragons, have now secured a spot in the 4A State Tournament. They advance to the 7-AAAA Region Tournament Semi-Finals where they will face the #2 seed Heritage Generals on Thursday at 5:30 pm. The game will be played at Northwest Whitfield. The Pickens Dragonettes, will follow the Dragons on Thursday as they take on the #4 seed Heritage Lady Generals in the second girls semi-final game. That one is set to tip off at 7 pm.
Dragons split with Bruins, finish region schedule at 8-4
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 10, 2021
Pickens County, Ga — After the Dragonettes picked up a win over the Lady Bruins, the Pickens Dragons (12-11, 8-4) looked to complete the varsity sweep as they welcomed the Northwest Whitfield Bruins (11-8, 5-6) to the Dragons Den. These two teams first played on January 22nd with the Bruins picking up a 71-62 win. The Dragons, came into the game winners of three straight, including two in region play. The Dragons, led the whole way through in this one as they claimed a 66-54 victory.
Northwest Whitfield got things going to start the ball game as they hit a three pointer to take an early 3-0 lead. Pickens came back with a three pointer from Tucker Lowe, to tie things up. That three pointer for the Dragons started what would end up being a 10-0 run as Owen Moss had 5 of the 10 points and Noah Sutton had the other 2. The Bruins, countered that 10-0 run with a 5-0 run as they hit a three pointer and a two pointer to make it 10-8. A bucket by Luke Rogers, increased the lead for the Dragons to 12-8. After a pair of free throws from Northwest Whitfield, Pickens went on a 6-0 run as Lowe hit another three, and Will Roliand banked in a three at the buzzer to end the first quarter. Going to the second, the Dragons led the Bruins, 18-10.
Dragons in-bounding the ball
Lowe started the second quarter hitting his third three pointer of the first half. After Northwest Whitfield made a bucket, Moss hit his second three of the first half to give the Dragons 24-12 lead. A 5-0 run by the Bruins cut the lead down to 24-17. Sutton put an end to that run with a bucket to make it 26-17. Northwest Whitfield came back with a bucket to make it 26-19. Pickens then went on a 5-0 run as Rogers hit a bucket and Jaden Stewart hit a three to male it 31-19. After a free throw from the Bruins, Moss made a free throw, and Ean Goodwin made a bucket as the Dragoons took a 34-20 lead into the half.
Dragons working on the defensive end
Northwest Whitfield started the second half with a bucket to make it 34-22. The Dragons went on a 4-0 run as Moss and Rogers hit back to back buckets to make it 38-22. After a three pointer by the Bruins, and a free throw make by Lowe, Northwest Whitfield went on a 5-0 run to make it 39-30 Pickens. Sutton, again put an end to the Bruin run with a bucket. Lowe hit two free throws to make it 43-30. After a bucket by Northwest Whitfield, Moss and Rogers again teamed up for a 4-0 run to make it 47-32. The Bruins then went on a 7-0 run to cut the Dragons lead to 47-39. A three pointer from Lowe ended the third quarter as Pickens took a 50-39 lead into the fourth.
Dragons on offense in the 2nd half
Northwest Whitfield, hit three free throws to start the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 50-42. The Dragons came back with a 4-0 run as Kadyn Hampton and Sutton hit back to back buckets. A 5-0 run by the Bruins cut the lead down to 54-47. Sutton, came up big for Pickens as he hit two free throws, then hit a bucket to make it 58-47. After a free throw by Northwest Whitfield, great rebounding and hustle plays led to a 6-0 run from Pickens as Sutton, Lowe, and Hampton all scored. Both teams then traded buckets as the Dragons led 66-50. The Bruins went on a 4-0 run to end the game as Pickens came away with the win, 66-54.
7-AAAA Boys Basketball Region Standings:
*believed region tournament standings
Cedartown: 10-9 (9-3) #1 seed
Heritage: 14-7 (9-3) #2 seed
*Pickens: 12-11 (8-4) #3 seed
*Central-Caroll: 17-8 (8-4) #4 seed
Northwest Whitfield: 11-8 (5-6) #5 seed
Southeast Whitfield: 4-17 (1-10)
Ridgeland: 5-16 (1-11)
At this time, the Dragons do not have any other regular season games scheduled before the region tournament. We will definitely keep everyone informed should they choose to add another game.
Stewart drops 18 as Dragons sweep Bulldogs
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 3, 2021
Pickens, County Ga — After picking up a big win last Thursday against the Southeast Whitfield Raiders, the Pickens Dragons welcomed another region foe to the Dragons Den in the form of the Cedartown Bulldogs. In their previous meeting on January 8th, the Dragons took home a 54-41 win. Coming into the game, the Bulldogs held the 2nd spot in the 7-AAAA standings at 8-2, while Pickens came in as the 3rd place team at 6-4. Aided by a breakout game from Sophomore Jaden Stewart, the Dragons came away with a 49-40 win.
The two sides traded buckets to begin the ball game as Cedartown took an early 4-2 lead. Noah Sutton & Tucker Lowe hit back to back three pointers for the Dragons, to put them up 8-4. After a bucket by the Bulldogs, Pickens went on an 8-0 run to stretch the lead out to 16-6. 6 of those points came from two three pointers from Stewart. After a quick 4-0 run by Cedartown, the Dragons countered with a 5-0 run to end the quarter as Ean Goodwin got a tip in bucket and Stewart hit his third three of the quarter. Going to the second, Pickens led the Bulldogs, 21-10.
Dragons found success early on offense
To start the second quarter, the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run to cut the Dragons lead down to 21-18. Stewart and Luke Rogers hit back to back buckets for Pickens to increase the lead to 25-18. After a bucket by Cedartown and the two teams hitting a free throw each, Stewart nailed his fourth three pointer of the first half. The Bulldogs got a late bucket just before the end of the first half as the Dragons took a 29-23 lead into the break.
The Dragons played aggressive defense
After Cedartown hit a bucket to start the third quarter making it a four point game, Stewart kept his hot shooting going by hitting his fifth three pointer of the night. After the two teams traded free throws, the Bulldogs connected on a bucket to male it 33-29 Dragons. Pickens countered with a 6-0 run getting buckets from Owen Moss, Goodwin, and Stewart to make it 38-29. After a bucket, a free throw, and two technical free throws, all from Lowe, the Dragons took a 44-32 lead into the fourth.
Sophomore Jaden Stewart had a big night
In the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs would outscore Pickens 8-5, but the Dragons were able to hold on and pick up a big region win, 49-40. With the win, the Dragons sweep the season series from Cedartown and stay in third place in the region standings by themselves.
7-AAAA Boys Basketball Standings:
Heritage: 14-6 (9-2)
Cedartown: 9-9 (8-3)
Pickens: 10-11 (7-4)
Central-Carroll: 15-8 (6-4)
Northwest Whitfield: 11-7 (5-5)
Ridgeland: 5-13 (1-9)
Southeast Whitfield: 4-17 (1:10)
On Thursday, the Dragons will be on the road as they head to Rome to take on the Unity Christian Lions in non-region action. Unity Christian, is out of the GAPPS 1-A North region. They are 11-9 overall and 6-1 in their conference. Tip off is set for 6:30 pm.
Dragons pick up huge region win against Southeast Whitfield
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 29, 2021
Jasper, Ga — On Thursday, January 28th, the Pickens Dragons (9-11, 6-4) welcomed the Southeast Whitfield Raiders (4-17, 1-10) to the Dragons Den for a big time 7-AAAA region game. Coming into the game, the Dragons were tied in the region standings with Northwest Whitfield for third. the Raiders, won their first region game of the season on Tuesday against Ridgeland. With this being the only region game of the day, a win by the Dragons would put them in third place all by themselves. In what may have been their most complete game of the season, Pickens came away with a 78-31 win over the Raiders.
In the first quarter, Southeast Whitfield got the games first bucket. Pickens, followed that with a 7-0 run aided by 4 points from Noah Sutton and three points from Tucker Lowe. The Dragons built up a 10 point lead at one time in the opening quarter. Pickens took a 19-11 lead over the Raiders going to the second.
Dragons with the ball early on
In the second quarter, the Dragons defense helped lead to plenty of offense as they scored 25 points in the quarter while allowing 11 points. Pickens, got scoring from 7 different players in the second quarter as they took a 44-22 lead over Southeast Whitfield into the half.
The Dragon defense was everywhere on Thursday
In the third quarter, the Dragons started off the second half with an 8-0 run. Lowe, Owen Moss, Luke Rogers, and Will Roland all scored during the run. The Raiders got a bucket to end the run, but that would be the only points they would score in the quarter. Pickens, went on a 12-0 run to end the third quarter as they stretched out their lead to 64-24 going to the fourth.
Collin Kellogg goes in for the layup
In the fourth quarter, the Dragons doubled up the Raiders, 14-7 in the frame to seal a much needed win, 78-31. 11 Dragons got their names in the score book on Thursday.
Dragons leading scorers:
Tucker Lowe: 22 points
Caleb Bryant: 10 points
Ean Goodwin: 8 points
Jaden Stewart: 8 points
Noah Sutton: 6 points
7-AAAA Boys Basketball Standings:
Heritage: 13-5 (9-1)
Cedartown: 8-8 (7-2)
Pickens: 9-11 (6-4)
Northwest Whitfield: 11-6 (5-4)
Central-Carroll: 13-8 (4-4)
Ridgeland: 5-11 (1-8)
Southeast Whitfield: 4-17 (1-10)
The Dragons, will be back in action on Tuesday as they host the Cedartown Bulldogs in another critical 7-AAAA region game. The Nettes and Lady Bulldogs will get things going at 6 pm and the Dragons and Bulldogs will follow.
Dragons 4th quarter comeback falls just short at North Murray
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 27, 2021
Chatsworth, Ga — On January 26th, the Pickens Dragons (8-11, 5-4) traveled to Chatsworth to take on the North Murray Mountaineers (7-11, 2-9) in non-region action. Pickens, looked to get back on track after two tough losses, while North Murray was coming off of a tough loss to now region opponent, Lafayette. The Dragons, cut into a double digit fourth quarter deficit, but the Mountaineers held on to win 68-58.
After a Noah Sutton bucket got things going in the first quarter, the Mountaineers went on an 8-0 run to take an 8-2 lead. The Dragons went on a 5-0 run with a Owen Moss bucket and Sutton three pointer to male it 8-7. North Murray countered with a 6-0 run to extend their early lead to 14-7. Pickens, outscored the Mountaineers, 6-5 the remaining of the first quarter as North Murray took a 22-13 lead into the second.
Dragons with the ball early in the game
In the second quarter, the Mountaineers saw their lead stretch out to 16 at one point. The Dragons, cut the lead down to 10 with the help of Jaden Stewart, who went on an 8-2 run against North Murray to close the first half. Going to the break, North Murray led Pickens, 43-33.
Dragons defending the basket
The third quarter started with the Mountaineers going on a 7-0 run to make it 50-33. Ending the North Murray run was ‘Senior Tucker Lowe. After scoring two points in the first half, Lowe made a three pointer to put him over the 1,000 career point mark. Lowe became the 16th Dragon in history to accomplish this feat. As for the rest of the quarter, Pickens cut into North Murray’s lead slightly as the Mountaineers took a 60-47 lead into the fourth.
#2 Tucker Lowe surpassed 1,000 points on Tuesday
In the fourth quarter, the Dragons made a heck of a comeback attempt. After going back down 17 early in the fourth, Pickens went on an 11-0 run to cut the Mountaineer lead down to 64-58. North Murray, was able to hold off the furious rally from Pickens with a couple late free throws to get the win, 68-58.
7-AAAA Boys Basketball Standings:
Heritage: 13-5 (9-1)
Cedartown: 8-8 ( 7-2)
Northwest Whitfield: 11-5 (5-4)
Pickens: 8-11 (5-4)
Central-Carroll: 13-8 (4-4)
Ridgeland: 5-11 (1-8)
Southeast Whitfield: 4-16 (1-9}
Dragons fall in high scoring affair with Adairsville
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 17, 2021
Jasper, Ga — It has been a difficult week for the Pickens Dragons dating back to last Saturday with tough losses to a non-region opponent in Dawson, and to region opponents Central-Carroll and Heritage. Pickens looked to end the week on a good note as they welcomed the Adairsville Tigers to the Dragons Den for non-region action. After an exciting, high scoring back and forth game, the Tigers came away with the 71-66.
The Tigers got the ball game started with a three to take an early 3-0 lead. Pickens came back with two straight buckets from Noah Sutton to take the lead for the first time at 4-3. After a free throw from Adairsville to tie things up, Will Roland and Owen Moss hit a bucket each to give the Dragons an 8-4 lead. A 6-0 run by the Tigers after two straight threes gave them the lead back at 10-8. The two teams continued to go back and forth as 49 combined points were scored in the first quarter. Going to the second quarter, Adairsville took a 25-24 lead.
Will Roland with the basketball
A bucket by the Tigers started the second quarter as they took a 27-24 lead. Tucker Lowe then knocked down a three for the Dragons to tie things up at 27. Later on in the quarter, after Adairsville had taken a 34-29 lead, Moss nailed a three and Luke Rogers made a bucket to once again tie things up. The two teams traded buckets to close the first half as the Tigers took a 43-40 lead into the break.
Dragons looking to tie the game
The Dragons used a 4-0 run as Lowe and Moss hit buckets to give Pickens a 44-43 lead to start the third. Later on in the quarter, the Tigers went on a 7-0 run to take a 61-48 lead. Rogers hit a bucket just before the quarter ended to make it 61-50 Adairsville going to the fourth.
Dragons working on defense against the Tigers
Pickens went on and 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter to cut the Tiger lead down to 61-58. After Adairsville brought the lead back up to 5, the Dragons battled their way back again to take a 66-65 lead after a Rogers bucket. Rogers again appeared to have given Pickens the lead, but a travel was called resulting in no basket. The Tigers went one to hit four free throws to give them the win, 71-66.
Dragons leading scorers:
Owen Moss: 22 points
Will Roland: 12 points
Tucker Lowe: 10 points
Luke Rogers: 9 points
Noah Sutton: 9 points
7-AAAA Boys Basketball Standings:
Heritage: 10-5 (7-1)
Cedartown: 6-8 (5-2)
Northwest Whitfield: 10-4 (4-2)
Pickens: 7-8 (4-3)
Central-Carroll: 9-7 (2-3)
Ridgeland: 4-9 (1-6)
Southeast Whitfield: 2-13 (0-6)
Pickens, will be back on the road next week as they start a 4 game road trip. First up for the Dragons is their second meeting with the Ridgeland Panthers on Tuesday. Tip off time is scheduled for 7:30.
Dragons fall in another nail biter to Heritage
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 16, 2021
Ringgold, Ga — After a tough game against Central-Carroll on Tuesday, the Pickens Dragons traveled up to Ringgold to take on a Heritage Generals team that suffered their first region defeat at the hands of Cedartown earlier in the week. The first time these two teams met was on December 8th where the Generals grabbed the win after a buzzer beating shot. Like the first meeting, the second meeting came down to the wire as well. After a wacky final few seconds, the Heritage Generals came away with a 48-43 win.
The first quarter started off very slow for both teams as neither could find points early on. Around the 5 minute mark of the opening quarter, Heritage ended the drought with a bucket to make it 2-0. Luke Rogers tied it up for the Dragons with a bucket of his own. After a three pointer by the Generals, Rogers hit two free throws, and Noah Sutton made a bucket to give Pickens a 6-5 lead. A free throw by Heritage sent us to the second quarter with a 6-6 tie.
Dragons looking for an opening on offense
The Dragons, went on a 5-0 run to start the second quarter as Owen Moss made a bucket, and Jaden Stewart nailed a three pointer to give Pickens the 11-6 lead. The Generals and Dragons traded 4-0 runs and Pickens continued to lead, 15-10. Another 4-0 run by Heritage cut the lead to 15-14, until Moss hit another bucket to make it 17-14. The Generals countered with another bucket, but left enough time on the clock for Will Roland to drive all the way to the basket and lay it in just before the buzzer went off and the Dragons took a 19-16 lead into the break.
Luke Rogers with the block
To start the third quarter, the Generals made a bucket to again cut the Dragon lead to one. Roland carried the momentum of his buzzer beating make into the early second half as he hit a three to give Pickens the 22-18 lead. A 4-0 run by Heritage tied things up a 22 a piece as these two teams kept going back and forth. After the Generals made a run to take a 29-26 lead, Rogers hit a three pointer to tie things back up. The two teams traded buckets for the rest of the quarter as Heritage would take a 37-36 lead into the fourth.
Noah Sutton receives the pass
After a 3-0 run by the Generals to start the fourth quarter, Noah Sutton made back to back buckets to tie things up at 40. Heritage countered that with a 4-0 run to go up 44-40. After a free throw from Sutton, Moss picked the ball off at mid-court and made the layup to cut the General lead down to 44-43. After two free throws from Heritage, the Dragons found themselves down 46-43. Pickens took a timeout to discuss the in-bounds play. The pass, intended for Sutton, ended up being picked off by the Generals and they would lay it up at the buzzer to come away with a 48-43 win.
Dragons leading scorers:
Luke Rogers: 14 points
Noah Sutton: 9 points
Owen Moss: 6 points
Will Roland: 5 points
Tucker Lowe: 4 points
7-AAAA Boys Basketball Standings:
Heritage: 10-5 (7-1)
Northwest Whitfield: 10-4 (4-2)
Cedartown: 5-8 (4-2)
Pickens: 7-7 (4-3)
Central-Carroll: 9-6 (2-2)
Ridgeland: 3-9 (1-6)
Southeast Whitfield: 2-12 (0-6)
The Dragons, will be back home on Saturday afternoon as they welcome the Adairsville Tigers to the Dragons Den. Tip off is set for 4:30 pm.
Dragons fall to Lions after tough fourth quarter
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 13, 2021
Jasper, Ga — After the Nettes defeated the Lady Lions, the Pickens Dragons took the court to take on the Lions of Central-Carroll. After a tough non-region loss to Dawson on Saturday, the Dragons were looking to bounce back against a region opponent who they had already defeated once earlier in the season. Central-Carroll came in winners of two straight, including a big home win over Northwest Whitfield. After a back and forth ball game, the Lions used a strong start to the fourth quarter to get the 66-54 win over the Dragons.
In the opening quarter, Central-Carroll’s Jacobi Almon got the scoring started with a three pointer. Noah Sutton, quickly answered on the other end for the Dragons as he put in a wide open bucket. The Lions went on a mini 4-0 run to give them an 11-7 lead in the middle of the quarter. Pickens countered with a 5-0 run to reclaim the lead, 12-11. After Central-Carroll quickly retook the lead 13-12, the Dragons ran off another quick 5 points after a bucket by Sutton and a three pointer by Tucker Lowe, to take a 17-13 lead. The Lions ended the first quarter on a 7-2 run to give them a 20-19 lead going to the second.
Owen Moss with the basketball
The second quarter saw the same back and forth action that the first quarter had with both teams taking turns scoring. Central-Carroll went on a 5-0 run to take a 31-26 lead. The largest for both teams at that point. Pickens cut the Lions lead to 31-30 with buckets from Sutton and Moss. After a bucket from Central-Carroll, Lowe went on a personal 4-0 run to give the Dragons a 34-33 lead. The Lions’ Joseph Bell hit a three near the end of the half to give Central-Carroll a 36-34 lead going to the break.
Dragons on defense against the Lions
Midway through the third quarter, after cutting into the Lion lead and making it 43-41, Central-Carroll went on a 6-0 run to give them a 49-41 lead. A three pointer by Lowe cut the lead down to 49-44. The Dragons used a trio of free throw to cut the Lion lead down to 51-47 as we hit the fourth quarter.
Pickens looking for an open shot
In the fourth quarter, Xavier Adams of Central-Carroll went on a personal 9-0 run to make it 60-47 Lions. After a tough start to the quarter for the Dragons, Moss was able to hit a three to cut the lead to 60-50. From then on, Central-Carroll was able to make a couple of late free throws to pick up the win, 66-54.
Dragons leading scorers:
Tucker Lowe: 14 points
Owen Moss: 14 points
Noah Sutton: 12 points
Luke Rogers: 7 points
7-AAAA Boys Basketball Standings:
Heritage: 9-5 (6-1)
Pickens: 7-6 (4-2)
Northwest Whitfield: 9-4 (3-2)
Cedartown: 4-8 (3-2)
Central-Carroll: 9-5 (2-2)
Ridgeland: 3-8 (1-5)
Southeast Whitfield: 2-11 (0-5)
Pickens, will be back on the road on Friday night as they match up against the Generals of Heritage. This will be the second game of their home and home series for the regular season. Heritage took the first game on a last second shot last month. Tip time for this one is set for 8:30 pm.
Dragons fall to Dawson in non-region action
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 9, 2021
Jasper, Ga — On Friday, January 8th, the Pickens Dragons went down to Polk County and defeated a scrappy Cedartown Bulldog team 54-41. Fast forward not even 24 hours later on January 9th, the Dragons were home welcoming the Dawson County Tigers to the Dragons Den. Pickens came into the game with an overall record of 7-4, while Dawson came in with a 9-5 record after defeating Cherokee Bluff in a region game on the 8th. Using a big first half, the Tigers came away with a 65-45 win over the Dragons.
The Tigers started off the game with a 4-0 run getting buckets from Jaden Gibson and Jake Craft. Noah Sutton got the Dragons on the board with a bucket and a foul. The free throw attempt was no good, and Dawson held an early 4-2 lead. Dawson then went on an 8-0 run, powered by a pair of three’s from Craft and a bucket by Max Tierney to make it 12-2 Tigers. The Dragons outscored Dawson 10-8 for the rest of the first quarter as the Tigers led, 20-12.
Dragons with the ball early on
The second quarter, was not kind to the home side. After Owen Moss cut the Dawson lead to 10 with a bucket, the Tigers went on a 12-0 run. Five different Tigers scored during the run for Dawson. Kadyn Hampton stopped the run with a bucket for the Dragons to make it 32-12. The Tigers ended went on a 7-0 run to make it 39-12 as we hit halftime.
Dawson driving into the lane
The third quarter started with Dawson going on a 6-0 run to make it 45-12. Luke Rogers put an end to the run with the Dragons first bucket of the 2nd half. Pickens, outscored the Tigers 12-7 the rest of the way in the third having found some consistent offense in the frame. Dawson took a 52-26 lead into the fourth.
Luke Rogers with the ball
The fourth quarter saw the Dragons have their best offensive output in the game by scoring 19 points. Pickens played better in the second half outscoring Dawson 33-26. The Tigers used their 59 point first half to get their 10th win of the season, 65-45.
Tigers leading scorers:
Jake Craft: 22 points
Joakeim Celestin: 12 points
Ty Whitmire: 7 points
Tyler Lane: 6 points
Dragons leading scorers:
Tucker Lowe: 14 points
Luke Rogers: 7 points
Kadyn Hampton: 6 points
Owen Moss: 6 points
Noah Sutton: 6 points
For the Tigers, they move to 10-5 on the season. They are 3-1 in region 7-AAA play. They will be back home on Tuesday as they host the West Hall Spartans in a region match up. Tip off set for 7:30. As for the Dragons, they are now 7-5 overall on the season. They sit in 2nd place in 7-AAAA with a 4-1 record. They will also get back to region play on Tuesday as they host the Central-Carroll Lions. Tip off for that game also set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons even region record on senior night
Sports, Team FYN Sports December 14, 2020
Jasper, Ga — Looking to bounce back after a tough loss in the final seconds to the Heritage Generals on Tuesday, the Pickens Dragons hosted the Ridgeland Panthers inside the Dragons Den for another 7-AAAA showdown on Friday December, 11th. The Dragons came into the game 2-2 overall and 0-1 in region play. The Panthers came in 1-3 overall and 0-2 in region play. After a back and forth battle, the Dragons came away with a 67-53 win.
Both teams traded buckets for the majority of the first quarter. Pickens opened up a 16-7 to lead at one point the quarter. Going to the second quarter, the Dragons held an 18-10 advantage over Ridgeland.
Junior Luke Rogers with an early bucket
In the second quarter, the Dragons were able to open things up a bit offensively, extending the lead over the Panthers to 17 at one point. Going into the break, Pickens lead Ridgeland 41-25.
Dragons on defense against Ridgeland
The third quarter was pretty even as far as scoring goes. Both the Dragons and the Panthers added 16 points each in the third. While Ridgeland cut the Pickens lead to 9 for a bit, the Dragons were able to extend it by quarters end and take a 57-41 lead over the Panthers going to the fourth.
Tucker Lowe had 19 to lead the Dragons
In the fourth quarter, the Dragons built up their lead to 20 points on two different occasions. Pickens, closed this one out and picked up their first region win of the season, 67-53.
Dragons leading scorers:
Tucker Lowe: 19 points
Noah Sutton: 15 points
Owen Moss: 10 points
Luke Rogers: 6 points
Kadyn Hampton: 6 points
Dragons lose heart breaker in final seconds
Featured Stories, Sports, Team FYN Sports December 11, 2020
Jasper, Ga — On December 8th, the Pickens Dragons welcomed the Heritage Generals to the Dragons Den for a 7-AAAA battle. Pickens, came into the game 2-1 overall after beating Copper Basin and Fannin in the annual Thanksgiving Tournament. The Dragons were supposed to take on the Lions of Central Carroll last Friday, but Covid issues on Central’s part moved that game to the 14th. This would be the Dragons first game in a week. Heritage, came in 2-4 overall, but already 2-0 in region play. This one, came down to the wire.
The first quarter started off very slow for both teams as there were as many fouls as points in the beginning. Both the Generals and Dragons took turns with the lead a couple of times. After a free throw from Heritage, the Generals took a 14-13 lead over Pickens going to the second quarter.
Dragons working on offense
After exchanging free throws in the early portion of the second quarter, the Dragons opened up a 6 point lead with two straight three pointers from Will Roland to go up 21-15. To close out the first half, the Generals went on a 14-4 run to take a 29-25 lead into the break.
Will Rowland hit two three pointers in the 2nd quarter
In the third quarter, the Dragons went on a 5-0 run to tie things up with the Generals at 30 a piece. Heritage would take a 6 point lead, Pickens cut it to 2 at one point, but as the third quarter came to a close, the Generals took a 46-41 lead over the Dragons going to the fourth.
Senior Tucker Lowe with a three pointer
In the fourth, the Dragons were on the comeback trail. Trailing by 5, Tucker Lowe hit a three pointer, and went one for two at the free throw line to cut the Heritage lead down to 46-45. The Generals then went on a small 4-0 run to make it 50-45. Owen Moss came back with a layup, Lowe hit a three to tie it, and Jaden Stewart, who had bad luck all game long, got a three pointer to fall to make it 53-50 Pickens. Heritage came back with another 4-0 run to make it 54-53 Generals. Luke Rogers then gave Pickens the lead back with a layup to make it 55-54. After a pair of fouls by the Generals, Lowe headed to the free throw line. He would make 1 of 2 to extend the Dragons lead to 56-54. After a Heritage timeout, they were able to hit a three pointer to take a 57-56 lead. A last second attempt at half court by Pickens fell short, and the Generals came away with the win.
Top scorers for the Dragons:
Owen Moss: 17 points
Tucker Lowe: 12 points
Noah Sutton: 11 points
Will Roland: 6 points
Luke Rogers: 4 points
Jaden Stewart: 4 points
7-AAAA Boys Standings:
Heritage: 3-4 (3-0)
NW Whitfield: 2-2 (1-0)
Cedartown: 1-2 (1-0)
Central-Carroll: 1-1 (0-0)
Pickens: 2-2 (0-1)
Ridgeland: 1-3 (0-1)
SE Whitfield: 1-4 (0-1)
Pickens, will be back home on Friday night as they host the Ridgeland Panthers for another 7-AAAA game. It will be Senior Night on Friday for the Dragons who will recognize 7 seniors. Tip off is set for 8:30.
Dragons finish fourth in region, face St. Pius on Friday
PHS Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports February 11, 2020
After weather pushed games back a couple of days, the Pickens Dragons traveled to Southeast Whitfield on Monday to take on the Heritage Generals in the boys third place game of the 6-AAAA Region Tournament. In the end, the Generals were able to come away with the win, 63-45.
The opening quarter saw a slow start for both teams to begin with. Heritage, got things going for themselves towards the end of the frame and raced out to a 13-4 lead over the Dragons going to the second.
Dragons on offense
Un the second quarter, it was much closer in terms of scoring as Pickens finally got something working. The Generals, outscored the Dragons 19-13 in the frame. Owen Moss, gave Pickens a little momentum heading into halftime as he hit a buzzer beating three from the other side of the floor. Heritage, took a 32-17 lead into the break.
Pickens on defense against Heritage
In the third, the bad luck on offense for the Dragons continued as the shots were just not falling on a consistent basis. The Generals extended their lead by outscoring Pickens 20-11, and taking a 52-28 lead into the fourth.
Ean Goodwin with the shot attempt
The fourth quarter, was the best quarter for the Dragons as they were able to outscore Heritage 17-11 in the fame. The Generals however would walk away with this one, 63-45.
Leading the way for the Dragons were:
Daniel Tetterton: 12 points
Owen Moss: 11 points
Noah Sutton: 10 points
With the loss, the Dragons will be the fourth seed out of 6-AAAA in the upcoming 4A State Tournament. They will travel to take on the top seed out of 8-AAAA, the St. Pius X Golden Lions in the first round of the 4A State Tournament. Game time is set for 7:30 pm and will be played on Friday.
Dragons to battle for third place on Monday
PHS Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports February 8, 2020
The Pickens Dragons came into the 6-AAAA Region Tournament semifinals on Friday looking to continue the momentum built on Tuesday with their big quarterfinal win over Ridgeland. To earn a trip to the region championship and host a first State Tournament game, they’d have to get past the Northwest Whitfield Bruins. After a battle, the Bruins took this one 65-47.
The opening quarter, was very closely played with both teams finding success early. Going to the second quarter, Northwest Whitfield took a 15-11 lead.
Will Roland with the basketball
In the second quarter, the game stayed close with both teams trading shots like a heavyweight fight. Both the Dragons and the Bruins scored 17 points in the frame as Northwest Whitfield to a 32-28 lead over Pickens into the break.
Dragons defending the Bruins
In the third quarter, things started to get away from the Dragons a bit as they found very little luck on the offensive end. The Bruins, outscored Pickens 18-7 in the frame to take a 50-35 lead going to the fourth.
Luke Rogers with the basketball
In the fourth, the Dragons attempted to make a comeback, but the Bruins were able to stop any attempts at one and came away with the 65-47 win.
Leading the way for the Dragons were:
Noah Sutton: 13 points
Tucker Lowe: 9 points
Luke Rogers: 9 points
Daniel Tetterton: 8 points
The 6-AAAA Boys consolation game had been scheduled for today at 5:30 pm but do to weather, that has now been moved to Monday. The Dragons will battle the Heritage Generals for third place at Southeast Whitfield on Monday. Winner will travel to North Oconee for the first round of the 4A State Tournament.
Dragons win big to secure a state tournament spot
PHS Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports February 5, 2020
On Tuesday, Feb, 4, the Pickens Dragons traveled to Dalton to take part in the 6-AAAA Region Tournament being held at Southeast Whitfield. Pickens, came into the tournament as the #3 seed and looked to do something they had only done six times in their history. That is, make the state tournament. The Dragons took on the #6 seed Ridgeland Panthers. The first two meetings between the two teams were very close. This time, Pickens picked up an 87-47 win.
In the opening quarter, the Dragons got off to a fast start knocking down shots from both inside and outside the paint. Pickens used that blazing start to amass a 25-12 lead over the Panthers going to the second.
Luke Rogers passing to Noah Sutton
In the second quarter, the Dragons continued their torrid pace they set in the first quarter. Grabbing rebound after rebound, diving for loose balls, and continuing to work hard on both ends of the floor. Pickens, outscored Ridgeland in the second, 21-8, to take a 46-21 lead into the break.
Aidan Sanchez working down low in the paint
The third quarter, was the most back and forth quarter of the game as the Panthers got things going on their end. After a slow start to the second half for the Dragons, they were able to pick it up as well. Ridgeland won the quarter 18-17, but Pickens continued to lead the game going to the fourth, 63-39.
Dragons working defensively against the Panthers
The Dragons ended the ball game strong scoring 24 fourth quarter points and holding the Panthers again to just eight. Pickens also got everyone in for playing time and they were productive as well. For the seventh time in school history, the Dragons punched their ticket to the state tournament with an 87-47 win.
Leading the way for the Dragons were:
Noah Sutton: 34 points
Tucker Lowe: 12 points
Luke Rogers: 10 points
Zac Tetterton: 6 points
Owen Moss: 6 points
Pickens, will now turn their attention to the Northwest Whitfield Bruins for the semifinal match up in the 6-AAAA Region Tournament. Winner of that one will earn not only a trip to the region championship, but the all important first round home game in the 4A state tournament. Game time is set for Thursday at 5:30 pm.
Dragons head into region tournament on a high note
PHS Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports January 29, 2020
The Pickens Dragons (17-8, 7-5) came into their game last night against the Southeast Whitfield Raiders (0-25, 0-12) looking to create some big momentum after falling in their previous three games. Create momentum is exactly what the Dragons did as they took home the win, 86-51.
In the first quarter, the Dragons got off to a hot start with threes by Owen Moss, Tucker Lowe, and Will Roland to go up 9-1. The rest of the quarter, the Raiders outscored Pickens 16-11, but the Dragons held the lead 20-17 going to the second quarter.
Dragons on offense in the 1st quarter
In the second quarter, after Southeast Whitfield cut the Dragon lead down to 22-21, Pickens went on an 8-0 run to make it 30-21. Later in the quarter, the Dragons went on a 7-0 run courtesy of threes by Luke Rogers, Ean Goodwin, and a free throw by Noah Sutton to make it 37-22. Pickens outscored the Raiders 12-7 for the remainder of the frame to take a 49-29 lead into the half.
Pickens trapping on defense
The third quarter saw the Dragons continue to extend their lead over the Raiders getting buckets from Moss, Lowe, Sutton, Rogers, Roland, and Daniel Tetterton. Outscoring Southeast Whitfield 28-14 in the frame, Pickens took a 77-43 lead into the fourth.
Dragons in-bounding the ball in the fourth quarter
In the fourth, the Dragons closed the game by outscoring the Raiders 9-8. Four of those nine points came from Hays Pickett. Pickens picked up a much needed win, 86-51.
Leading the way for the Dragons were:
Owen Moss: 19 points (five threes made)
Noah Moss: 18 points
Tucker Lowe: 16 points (four threes) 11 assists
Will Roland: 9 points
Hays Pickett: 7 points
Pickens, finishes the regular season 17-8 overall and 7-5 in region play. The Dragons, will be the 3rd seed in next week’s 6-AAAA region tournament and take on the 6th seeded Ridgeland Panthers in the 1st round on Tuesday. The game will be played at Southeast Whitfield and has a tip off time of 6 pm.
Dragons fall in another tough region game
PHS Basketball, Sports, Team FYN Sports January 25, 2020
The Pickens Dragons (16-7, 6-5) took to the road on Friday night to take on the Northwest Whitfield Bruins in a 6-AAAA region contest. Coming into the game, the Bruins held the 2nd seed, while the Dragons occupied the 3rd seed. Northwest Whitfield, came away with the win, 75-53.
In the first quarter, the Bruins came out on a 9-0 run to start the game. Pickens, got things going after that with buckets by Owen Moss, Noah Sutton, and a three pointer by Tucker Lowe to cut it to 9-7. A Moss jumper got the Dragons within one at 12-11. Northwest Whitfield made a bucket to close the quarter to take a 14-11 lead into the second.
Dragons trying to get the offense going
Early in the second quarter, a couple of Will Roland buckets cut the Bruins lead down to three on a couple of occasions. After a three by Northwest Whitfield, Luke Rogers cut it to 21-17 with a bucket. After both teams traded buckets, Northwest Whitfield went on a 4-0 run to make it 32-21 at the half.
Pickens playing defense in the second half
Pickens opened up the second half with a 4-0 run to cut the Bruins lead to 32-25. Northwest Whitfield responded with a 10-0 run to make it 42-25. A free throw by Lowe and buckets by Ean Goodwin and Sutton made it 42-30. After trading buckets for a bit, the Bruins closed the third with a 7-0 run to make it 55-35 going to the fourth.
Owen Moss driving in the lane
The fourth quarter, was pretty close scoring wise as the Dragons got a good run in the middle of the frame thanks to Lowe, Sutton, and Rogers. Northwest Whitfield came away with this one, 75-53.
Leading the way for the Dragons were:
Noah Sutton: 15 points
Tucker Lowe: 11 points
Luke Rogers: 8 points
Will Roland: 7 points
6-AAAA Boys Standings:
Lafayette: 20-2 (11-0)
Northwest Whitfield: 14-10 (9-2)
Pickens: 16-7 (6-5)
Heritage: 10-14 (6-6)
Gilmer: 9-9 (5-6)
Ridgeland: 6-16 (2-9)
Southeast Whitfield: 0-23 (0-11)
Pickens, will be back at it on Saturday afternoon as they head to Adairsville to take on the Tigers in non-region play. Tip off for this one is set for 5:30 pm.