Nettes softball advances to Sweet 16
PHS Softball, Team FYN Sports October 15, 2026
Jasper, Ga — The AAAA State Softball Tournament began on Wednesday, October 14th as teams around the state began their journey to Columbus. The Pickens Dragonettes, came in as the #8 seed having won the 6-AAAA region title. They welcomed their region foe and 25th seeded Dawson Lady Tigers to Dunn Field for a doubleheader. The Nettes, swept the three regular season match ups against the Lady Tigers. The Nettes, would take both games of the doubleheader by scores of 2-0 and 12-6.
Game One:
The Nettes, had Junior Clemson commit Kendra Stewart on the mound for game one. E. Frix, would lead off the game with a single for the Lady Tigers, After a strikeout, Frix would move up to 2nd after a ground out. Stewart, would get out of the first with another ground out to send it to the bottom of the frame. Lady Tigers starter Charlie Wohlford, would pick up the first two outs of the frame before a 2-out double by Stewart. Wohlford, would get a fly out to send it to the second with the score tied at 0.
Calli Edwards, would reach on an error to begin the top of the second. After a strikeout, Edwards, would advance to 2nd after a ground out. Stewart, would pick up her second strikeout of the inning to send it to the bottom of the inning. Wohlford, would pick up a quick pop out and strikeout to begin the bottom of the second. Zyla Morgan, would keep the inning alive with a single.
Morgan, would then steal 2nd and 3rd as the Nettes had a runner in scoring position. An RBI single by Kennedi Starks, would bring in Morgan to make it 1-0 Nettes heading to the top of the third.
In the top of the third, Stewart, would force a pop out and pick up a pair of strikeouts in a 1-2-3 frame. In the bottom of the inning, Carleigh Rau, would reach on an error with 1-out. After a fly out, Stewart, would draw a four pitch walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Wohlford, would force a ground out to send it to the fourth with the Nettes still leading the Lady Tigers, 1-0.
Stewart, would throw her second straight 1-2-3 inning as she picked up a strikeout and a pair of ground outs in a scoreless top of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, Brylee Johnson and Caitlyn Hudgins would reach with back to back singles. Wohlford, would get out of the jam with a strikeout and a double play to keep the score at 1-0 heading to the fifth.
Stewart, would start the top of the fifth with back to back strikeouts. She would then force a pop out to send it to the bottom of the inning. Wohlford, who very much matched Stewart throughout the game, picked up a pair of ground outs and a pop out in a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth. Heading to the sixth, the Nettes still led it, 1-0.
Stewart, would continue rolling in the top of the sixth with a pair of ground outs and a strikeout. Caleigh Hoffard, would reach with a 1-out double in the bottom of the sixth looking to add on to the lead. Add on they did as Johnson would drive in Hoffard with an RBI double to make it 2-0. Johnson, would advance to 3rd on the throw. Johnson, would be left stranded at 3rd as Wohlford picked up a strikeout and a ground out to send it to the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, Stewart, would close out the complete game shut out with a strikeout, a ground out, and a fly out as the Nettes took game one, 2-0.
Game Two:
For game two, the teams would switch sides and it would be the Nettes up to bat in the top of the first. Carleigh Rau, would lead off the game with a single. After a sacrifice bunt by Kylee Bozeman to move Rau up to 2nd, Kendra Stewart, would advance Rau to 3rd on a ground out. Lady Tigers starter Kylee Pulley, would force a pop out to send it to the bottom of the first.
In the bottom of the frame, Stewart, would come back out to start game two after tossing a complete game in game one. After picking up a ground out and a strikeout, Calli Edwards, would keep the inning going with a single. Stewart, would get out of the first with a fly out. Heading to the second, the game was tied at 0.
In the top of the second, Pulley, would toss a 1-2-3 inning with a fly out and a pair of line outs. Stewart, would strikeout the side in the bottom half of the second. Heading to the third, the game was knotted up at 0.
Caitlyn Hudgins, would lead off the top of the third by reaching on a single. After a line out, Rau would reach with her second hit of the game. Bozeman, would then draw a walk to load the bases with 1-out. Stewart, would help herself out by driving in both Hudgins and Rau with a 2-RBI single to make it 2-0 Nettes. Bozeman, would advance to 3rd on the play. Caleigh Hoffard, would bring in both Bozeman and courtesy runner Melodie Taylor with a 2-RBI double to make it 4-0 Nettes.
Brylee Johnson, would move Hoffard up to 3rd on a ground out. Zyla Morgan, would keep the inning going by drawing a walk. Kennedi Starks, would drive in Hoffard to make it 5-0 Nettes heading to the bottom of the inning. Stewart, would carry that momentum over to the bottom of the third as she picked up a pair of strikeouts and a fly out. Heading to the fourth, Pickens led Dawson, 5-0.
Bayleigh Gennaro, would get things going in the top of the fourth by drawing a lead off walk. After two quick outs, Stewart, would drive in Gennaro with an RBI double to make it 6-0 Nettes. The Lady Tigers, would throw out courtesy runner Taylor at the plate trying to score after a single by Hoffard. Heading to the bottom of the fourth, Pickens led Dawson, 6-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, Calli Edwards, would reach with a 1-out double. Stewart, would force a pop out and a line out to strand the runner. Heading to the fifth, the Nettes were ahead, 6-0.
Carley Etta Grizzle, who came on in relief of Pulley in the top of the third, would toss a 1-2-3 top of the fifth as she picked up a pair of strikeouts and a fly out. Hudgins, would come on in relief of Stewart in the bottom of the fifth. Aubree Smith, would lead off with a single. After a strikeout and a pop out, Smith would advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. Hudgins, would get out of the fifth with a fly out. Heading to the sixth, Pickens led Dawson, 6-0.
Hudgins, would lead off the top of the sixth by drawing a walk. After a pop out, Hudgins, would then be picked off at 1st for the second out. Back to back singles from Rau and Bozeman, would keep the inning alive. Stewart, would then be intentionally walked to load the bases. Hoffard, would clear the bases with a 3-RBI triple to make it 9-0 Nettes. Lilly Hamilton, would lead off the bottom of the sixth with a single.
Hamilton, would then advance into scoring position on a passed ball. Elizabeth Frix, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Edwards, would reach on an error to load the bases with nobody out. After a strikeout, Haley Jackson, would drive in all three runners with a triple to make it 9-3. Smith, would bring in Jackson with an RBI ground out to make it 9-4. Hudgins, would get out of the sixth with a ground out. The Nettes, led 9-4 heading to the seventh.
Morgan, would lead off the top of the seventh with a double. Morgan, would move up to 3rd after a ground out by Starks. Hudgins, would bring in Morgan with an RBI single to make it 10-4. After a single by Gennaro, Charlie Wohlford, who pitched well for the Lady Tigers in game one, would pick up a fly out for the second out. Bozeman, would keep the inning alive for the Nettes with a 2-out single to load the bases.
Stewart, would drive in both Hudgins and Gennaro with a 2-RBI single to make it 12-4 Nettes heading to the bottom of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, Hannah Walden, would reach with a 1-out single. Hamilton, would follow that with a single of her own to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Frix, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Walden would be forced out at 3rd. Edwards, would reach on an error that would allow Hamilton to score to make it 12-5.
Kaelyn Utech, would then reach on a three base error which allowed both Frix and Edwards to score to make it 12-7. Hudgins, would force a ground out to end the game as the Nettes pick up the win, 12-7 to sweep the series and advance to the Sweet 16.
The Nettes, will now turn their attention to the #9 seed Fayette County as they get ready for the Sweet 16 on Wednesday, October 21st. Fayette County, swept Shaw in the first round to advance to the Sweet 16. Times for the games have not been announced yet.
Dragons go toe to toe with Warriors
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports October 10, 2026
Jasper, Ga — It turned into a windy and rainy night on Friday, October 9th as the Pickens Dragons took on the White County Warriors in a battle of teams atop the 6-AAAA standings. The Dragons, came in with a 2-4 overall record and a 1-0 record in region play. The Warriors, came in with a 5-1 overall record and a 1-0 record in region play. The Warriors, would take their first lead of the game with 2:39 left and would hold on to pick up the win, 34-33.
The Dragons, would receive the opening kickoff. Ike Wyngaard, would get things going for the Dragons by breaking off a 51 yard run for the house call. The PAT from Toccoa McGraw was good and with 10:51 left in the first quarter, the Dragons led it, 7-0. Later on in the quarter, the Warriors, known for their passing game, used their run game to help set up a 9 yard touchdown pass from Brinn Robinson to Zach Godfrey to tie things up at the 4:39 mark.
The Dragons, would waste no time in reclaiming the lead as Wyngaard, would catch a short kickoff and take it 84 yards for the touchdown. With 4:25 left in the first quarter, Pickens, was back on top, 14-7. The Warriors, would look to answer as they would drive deep into Dragon territory prior to the first quarter coming to an end.
White County, would tie the game up after a 1 yard touchdown run by Savion Anderson. With 11:47 left in the first half, we were all knotted up at 14. The man of the night for the Dragons, Wyngaard, would put Pickens back in front with a 21 yard touchdown run. After a defensive stand by the Dragons, Wyngaard, would find the end zone for the fourth time in the first half after a 38 yard touchdown run. The PAT would be blocked. (That would end up coming into play later). Heading into halftime, Pickens led White County, 27-14.
In the second half, the rain would start to fall and the wind would pick up from time to time as it had the whole game. The third quarter saw a stalemate until the Warriors would run it in from 4 yards out to cut the Dragon lead to 27-21 heading to the fourth quarter.
The Dragons, would extend their lead after Wngaard would break a tackle and March to the end zone from 19 yards out for his fifth total touchdown of the game. The PAT would be blocked for a second time by the Warriors. With 7:54 left to go in the game, Pickens led White County, 33-21. The Warriors, would answer quickly as Robinson would find Jack Clark on a swing route and Clark would take it 72 yards for the score. The PAT was good, and with 7:34 left in the game, the Dragons were up, 33-28.
A nice return on the kickoff would be negated by a penalty on the Dragons. Penalties, would stack up for the Dragons and would push them back to their own 2 yard line. Brock Teal, would be forced to punt from his own end zone. He would get the punt off and the Warriors would fumble the catch and the Dragons would recover. The Warriors, would then force yet another punt attempt by the Dragons.
After waiting a few seconds, Teal, would kick a high booming punt into the air and it would take a Dragon bounce out of bounds near the 2 yard line. On the first play of the drive, Robinson, would find Godfrey, who would break a couple of tackles and score to put the Warriors in front for the first time. White County, would then go for two to try and make it a three point game, but it was no good. With 2:49 left in the game, the Warriors led the Dragons, 34-33.
The Dragons, would get one more shot at trying to tie or win the game. They would come up a little short on a fourth down play and the Warriors would run out the rest of the clock and pick up the win, 34-33.
6-AAAA Region Standings:
White County: 6-1 (2-0)
North Hall: 5-2 (2-0)
Gilmer: 4-3 (1-1)
Pickens: 2-5 (1-1)
Dawson: 0-7 (0-2)
Chestatee: 0-7 (0-2)
The Dragons, will be off next week for their second bye week. They will be back in action on Friday, October 23rd as they host the North Hall Trojans in another 6-AAAA battle. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons open region play with road win
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports October 3, 2026
Gainesville, Ga — With the non-region schedule behind them, the Pickens Dragons turned their attention to 6-AAAA play as they traveled to Gainesville to take on the Chestatee War Eagles on Friday, October 2nd. Both teams were coming off of a bye and were looking to get region play started off on the right foot. It was a nice night for the Dragons as they saw a lot of younger players get in on the action. The Dragons, would come away with a 49-7 win.
The Dragons, would get the scoring started early as Ike Wyngaard would take the opening kickoff back 90 yards for the touchdown. The PAT was good and with 11:45 left in the first quarter, Pickens led Chestatee, 7-0. After a stop defensively, the Dragons would get the ball back on their own 49-yard line. Tanner Bail, would throw a strike to Brock Teal and Teal would bully his way in for a 51-yard touchdown. The PAT was good and with 9:13 left in the first quarter, Pickens led 14-0.
After an interception by the Dragons, Wyngaard would run it up the gut for a 9-yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Pickens with 7:18 left in the first quarter. After getting another stop on defense, Hagen Mullins, would show off the wheels a bit as he would cap off a scoring drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. With 5:19 left to go in the first quarter, Pickens led Chestatee, 28-0. The Dragons, would add to their lead as Maddox Lowery would get in on the action as he would run it in from 11-yards out to make it 35-0 Pickens heading to the second quarter.
In the second quarter, the Dragons, would have the ball looking to add on to their lead. The War Eagles, would make a goal line stand and stop the Dragons on fourth down. On the next possession for Chestatee, the Dragons, would force and recover a fumble. Faced with another goal to go situation at the 1 yard line, QB Gavin Stone would fake the hand off and run it in as Pickens would take a 42-0 lead into the break.
The two teams would go back and forth in the third quarter until the War Eagles would get on the board with a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 42-7 heading to the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, QB Grayson Hammontree, would take it in from a yard out to put the Dragons up 49-7. A final drive by the War Eagles would be stopped by the Dragons as time expired. Pickens, opens region play with a 49-7 win over Chestatee.
6-AAAA Region Standings:
White County: 5-1 (1-0)
North Hall: 4-2 (1-0)
Pickens: 2-4 (1-0)
Gilmer: 3-3 (0-1)
Dawson: 0-6 (0-1)
Chestatee: 0-6 (0-1)
The Dragons, will begin a three game home stand for the rest of the month of October next week as they take on the White County Warriors on Friday, October 9th. Kick off is set for 7:30 pm.
Nettes open new era in style
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports September 22, 2026
Jasper, Ga — A new era for Nettes sports has begun. The Pickens Dragonettes flag football team has officially opened up their first season as a team. On Wednesday, September 16th, the Nettes traveled to Collins Hill High School to take on both Collins Hill and Berkmar High School. The Nettes, would come away with a 19-8 win over Collins Hill, and a 6-0 win over Berkmar. On Monday, September 21st, the Nettes, hosted the Gilmer Lady Cats in their first ever home game. The JV Nettes, would pick up a 13-0 win, while the varsity Nettes would come away with a 24-0 win.
The Lady Cats, would start off with the ball first to begin the game. The Nettes, would get on the board early as Skyler Lathem, would pick off a pass attempt and take it all the way for the score. The conversion attempt was no good and the Nettes would hold a 6-0 lead. Heading to the second quarter, the score remained the same with the Nettes out front, 6-0.
The Nettes defense, would play very well in this one limiting the Lady Cats offense to minimal gains throughout the game. Offensively, the Nettes would find a groove in the second quarter as Lathem would connect on touchdown passes to Edy Wyngaard, as well as Elin Porio, who helped lead the JV to a win earlier in the evening. Heading into the half, the Nettes were ahead, 18-0.
Neither team could get anything going in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Lathem and Wyngaard would connect again for a long touchdown to put the Nettes up 24-0. That would end up being the final score as the Nettes improved to 3-0 on the season as they picked up a 24-0 win in their first ever home game.
The JV Nettes, will be back in action on Wednesday, September 23rd as they host the Fannin Lady Rebels at 5:30 pm and the Dawson Lady Tigers at 7:30 pm. They will then be on the road on Monday, September 28th as they take on Johnson High School at 5 pm and Cherokee Bluff at 6 pm. They will then head to Creekview on Wednesday, September 30th to take on the Lady Grizzlies at 5:30 pm.
The next time the varsity Nettes take the field will be on September 30th as they will also be at Creekview High School to take on the Lady Grizzlies at 6 pm, followed by a game against Etowah High School at 7 pm.
Dragons wrap up non-region schedule
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports September 19, 2026
Adairsville, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, were on the road on Friday, September 18th as they took on the Adairsville Tigers in the final tune up before region play begins in two weeks. Both the Dragons and the Tigers were coming off losses last week and were looking to get back on track. The Tigers, using back to back third quarter scores, would take this one, 35-14.
The Tigers, would get the ball first to start the game. Facing a fourth down near midfield, the Tigers, would convert on a fake punt to keep the drive going. The Tigers, would put points on the board as Javion Carson would run it in from a yard out. With 7:16 left in the first quarter, Adairsville led Pickens, 7-0. The Dragons, would start off their first possession of the night with a swing pass from Tanner Bail to Sawyer Purdy. Purdy, would pick up a chunk of yards for a first down.
After a nice run by Ike Wyngaard, the drive would stall after a penalty. On the next possession for the Tigers, they would extend their lead after a 6-yd touchdown run by Carson. Heading to the second quarter, the Tigers led the Dragons, 14-0.
Most of the second quarter would go by without any scoring until Tigers QB Braxton Elrod would power in for a 2-yd touchdown run with 1:46 left in the first half. The Dragons, would finally get on the board as they would take advantage of an onside kick attempt that didn’t go the necessary 10 yards. Bail, would connect with a wide open Wyngaard for a 38-yd touchdown. The PAT by Tocca McGraw was good and with 46 seconds left in the half, Adairsville led it, 21-7.
The Dragons defense, would then make a play as Travis Vines would pick off Elrod’s pass attempt to set up the Dragons with good field position. A strike from Bail to Brock Teal would set the Dragons up with a first down with 12 seconds left in the half. On the next play, Bail’s pass attempt was tipped at the line and would be picked off. The Tigers, would take a knee and take a 21-7 lead into the half.
The Dragons, would get the ball first to start the second half. Using a good blend of the run and pass game, the Dragons, would cut the lead in half as Bail would find Purdy for the sliding grab in the end zone to make it 21-14 with 10:28 left in the third. The Tigers, would respond quickly with their first possession of the second half as Carson would find a crease and go 54-yards for the touchdown. With 9:03 left in the third, Adairsville led Pickens, 28-14.
Later on in the third, the Tigers, would extend their lead with a 13-yd touchdown run to make it 35-14. Neither team would be able to find the end zone for the rest of the game as the final score from Adairsville would be 35-14 in favor of the Tigers.
6-AAAA Standings ahead of region play:
White County: 4-1
Gilmer: 3-1 (play Wesleyan next week)
North Hall: 2-2 (play East Hall next week)
Pickens: 1-4
Dawson: 0-5
Chestatee: 0-5
The Dragons, will go into the bye week looking to correct some things as they prepare for region play. The Dragons, will be back in action on Friday, October 2nd as they take on the Chestatee War Eagles. Kick off is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons take on Broncos in first time meeting
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports September 12, 2026
Jasper, Ga — It was a day of remembrance as the Pickens Dragons welcomed the East Forsyth Broncos to Dragon Stadium on Friday, September 11th. This marked the first time these two teams have ever met on the football field. The Broncos, came in with a perfect 3-0 record while the Dragons, came in riding high off of their first win of the season last week. After an hour and a half weather delay, the game would get going and it would be the Broncos who would come away with a 33-13 victory.
The Dragons, would win the toss and differ to the second half. On their first possession, the Broncos, took up nearly half the clock as a 10 play drive consisting of all runs ended with a 3-yd touchdown run by Tripp Ferguson. The extra points attempt would be missed. The Broncos, would hold a 6-0 lead. The Dragons, on their first possession, would get a pair of nice runs from Ike Wyngaard. A third down pass attempt would fall incomplete and the Dragons would punt.
On the next possession for the Broncos, their run game was once again on display. They would have the ball with a 6 point lead heading to the second quarter.
Ferguson, would cap off the second drive for the Broncos with a 4-yd touchdown run. The PAT was good and with 9:46 left in the first half, East Forsyth led Pickens, 13-0. The Broncos, would then execute an onside kick and recover the ball. The Broncos, would cash in on that recovery as Ferguson would score on a short touchdown run for the third time in the first half. The PAT was good and with 5:27 left in the half, East Forsyth led Pickens, 20-0.
The Dragons, would finally get something going on offense as a big play would lead to a nice touchdown run by Wyngaard to put the Dragons on the board. The PAT would be blocked and at the half, the Broncos led the Dragons, 20-6.
Neither team would find the end zone in the third quarter. The Broncos, would break the drought after a 31-yd touchdown run by Josh Caballero Jr with 9:27 left to go in the game. The PAT was good and East Forsyth led it, 27-6. The Dragons, would answer with a two play drive as a long catch and run from Tanner Bail to Brock Teal, would lead to a 10-yd touchdown run by Sawyer Purdy. The PAT was good and with just over 8 minutes left, the Broncos led the Dragons, 27-13.
The Broncos, would respond as Ferguson would cap off a scoring drive with his fourth touchdown run of the game. The PAT was no good and the Broncos would take a 33-13 lead. The Dragons, would try to get something going on their next possession, but the Broncos would force a stop, and would kneel out the remaining time on the clock as East Forsyth would come away with the win, 33-13.
The Dragons, will be on the road next week for their final non-region game of the regular season as they head to Adairsville to take on the Tigers on Friday, September 18th. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons pick up road win against Rebels
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports September 5, 2026
Blue Ridge, Ga — A 515 battle took place on Friday, September 4th as the Pickens Dragons took on the Fannin County Rebels in non-region action. Both teams, were coming off of losses last week. The Dragons, were looking for their first win of the early season. A back and forth second half saw the Dragons come up with a pair of stops to pick up the win, 45-35.
The Rebels, would win the toss and elect to receive the opening kickoff. A pair of big plays would put the Rebels inside Dragon territory. The Dragons, would end up forcing a four and out and would take over at their 32-yd line. On the first play of the drive, Tanner Bail, would take a shot down field to Donnie Marshall. The pass was incomplete, but a penalty on the Rebels would move the ball up to the Dragon 47-yd line.
After a penalty on the Dragons, Bail, would swing the ball to Sawyer Purdy for a nice gain. Ike Wyngaard, would then take a pitch to the Rebel 33-yd line. Another hand off to Wyngaard would gain 7 yards. The Rebels, would then force a turnover as Isaac Watkins would recover a fumble at their 26-yd line. The Rebels, would turn that into points as Cannon Holloway would find Tristen Bernier for a 20-yd touchdown. With 5:43 left in the first quarter, Fannin led Pickens, 7-0.
The Dragons, would finish off the opening quarter by driving deep inside Rebel territory. Heading to the second quarter, the Rebels led it, 7-0.
On the first play of the second quarter, Bail, would almost connect with Brock Teal for a touchdown, but it would fall incomplete. Toccoa McGraw, would come in and nail a 27-yd field goal to make it 7-3 with 11:48 remaining in the first half. The Rebels, would respond with a 63-yd touchdown run by Holloway. The PAT was good and with 9:33 left in the half, Fannin led Pickens, 14-3. On the ensuing kick off, Wyngaard, would take it all the way to the Rebel 30-yd line.
A penalty on the Dragons, would bring the ball back to the Dragon 25. A nice run by Travis Vines, would give the Dragons a first down. On 3rd and 5 from their 41-yd line, Bail’s pass attempts to Teal was tipped, but Teal would still bring it in and pick up the first down. The Dragons, would cut into the lead after a 14-yd touchdown pass from Bail to Corban Addison. With 4:02 left in the half, The Rebels were leading, 14-10.
The Rebels, would take advantage of the ensuing kickoff going out of bounds and would cross into Dragon territory on the first play of the drive. A long run would then be negated by a holding penalty. After a miscue on a screen attempt, the Rebels were able to get the penalty yardage and some more back on second down. The Dragons, would force a punt by the Rebels. The snap, would go over the punters head and the Dragons would take over deep inside Rebel territory.
After three straight runs by Wyngaard, the Dragons, would bring in their heavy package as Teal would pick up the first down to keep the drive going. That package would stay on the field as Teal would make a few defenders miss as he would run it in from 8-yards out. The PAT was good and with 15 seconds left in the half, Pickens led Fannin, 17-14. The Rebels, would kneel it to end the first half and at the break, the Dragons were up, 17-14.
The Dragons, would start the second half with the football. After picking up a first down after back to back runs from Wyngaard and Vines, the Rebels, would force a punt. Teal, would get off a good punt and the Rebels would take over at their own 17-yard line. A pair of penalties, would derail the first drive of the second half for the Rebels. Or so we thought. The punt would be muffed by the Dragons and the Rebels would recover inside Dragon territory.
On 3rd & 5, Cannon Holloway, would find Reid Holloway for a first down at the Dragon 18 to keep the drive going. The Holloway’s, would connect again on the next play for an 18-yd touchdown. The PAT was good and with 3:59 left in the third, Fannin was back on top, 21-17. On the ensuing kickoff, Purdy, would get a good return out of the squib kick. A facemask penalty, would move the ball up to the Dragon 49 yard line.
On this drive, the Dragons, used the running back tandem of Wyngaard and Vines to great success. Wyngaard, would cap off the drive with a 13-yd touchdown run. A great block by Marshall would help lead Wyngaard in for the score. With 55 seconds left in the third, Pickens led Fannin, 24-21. Just before the end of the third, the Holloway boys would connect again for a long gain down to the Dragon 13-yd line. A 4-yd run by C. Holloway, would send us to the fourth.
A penalty to start the fourth quarter would negate the possible go ahead touchdown for the Rebels. On the next play, the Dragons, would give some yardage back after a facemask penalty. The Rebels, would retake the lead after a 9-yd touchdown run by Bernier. The PAT was good and with 11:41 left to go in the game, Fannin was back on top, 28-24. The ensuing kickoff would be downed at the Dragon 32-yd line.
The Dragons, would respond as Bail would connect with Teal on a TE screen and he would take it 56 yards for the touchdown. The PAT by McGraw was good and with 9:22 left to go in the game, the Dragons were up, 31-28. We were far from over however. The Rebels, would start on their own 10-yd line after a little miscue on the kickoff. After C. Holloway picked up a first down with his legs, he would connect with Bernier on the next play to the Rebel 45-yd line.
C. Holloway, would pick up his second rushing touchdown of the game as he would run it in from 51-yards out. The PAT was good and 6:59 left to go in the game, the Rebels, would reclaim the lead, 35-31. The Dragons, would take over at their own 36-yard line after a pooch kick. Wyngaard, would break a tackle near the line of scrimmage and take it to the house for a 60-yd touchdown. The PAT was good and just like that, the Dragons were back on top, 38-35 with 6:07 to go.
The Dragons, would then force a three and out and the Rebels would be forced to punt. The Dragons, would take over at their own 31-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Wyngaard, would make his third house call of the night after a 69-yd touchdown run. The PAT was good and with 4:54 left to go in the game, the Dragons, extended their lead to 45-35.
On their ensuing possession, the Rebels, were facing a 3rd and long. C. Holloway, would find Nate O’Neal and he would take it to the Dragon 40-yard line. The Rebels, would keep the drive alive again as C. Holloway would find Casen Bailey on the screen pass for a first down. The Dragons, would be able to force a four and out and take over at their own 21-yard line. After three straight runs by the Dragons and the final two timeouts used by the Rebels, Fannin would take over at their own 41-yard line with just over a minute left.
C. Holloway, after scrambling to his left, found an open O’Neal on the sideline and he would get out of bounds at the Dragon 37-yard line. The Dragons, would again force a four and out and take over at their own 45-yard line where Bail would take a knee and the Dragons would come away with a 45-35 win.
The Dragons, having finally gotten in the win column, will look to add to that total next week as they are back home to battle the East Forsyth Broncos on Friday, September 11th. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons battle former region foe in home opener
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports August 29, 2026
Jasper, GA — The Pickens Dragons were home for the first time during the 2026 season as they welcomed former region foe, the Lumpkin Indians, to Dragon Stadium. The Dragons, were coming in looking to bounce back after a tough loss to North Cobb Christian. The Indians, were looking to build off of a back and forth win over Dawson last week. Tied at 21 at the half, it would be the Indians who would use a 21-7 second half to pick up the win, 42-28.
The Dragons, would win the toss and elect to receive the opening kick off. After a short gain on first down, Tanner Bail, would connect with Brock Teal on a quick pop pass and Teal would take 69-yards for the touchdown. The PAT by Toccoa McGraw was good, and with 11:21 left in the first quarter, the Dragons were up, 7-0. The first possession by the Indians was filled with penalties. Lumpkin thought they had a 3rd and long converted, but a penalty would force a punt.
The ensuing punt would be shanked, and the Dragons would take over at the Indian 35-yd line. The Dragons, would end up having to settle for a field goal attempt. The kick, would be pushed to the left and the Indians would take over at their 20-yd line. The Indians, using their run game, would March down and tie the game after a 1-yd TD run by Joseph Alvarez. Heading to the second quarter, the game was tied at 7.
Sawyer Purdy, would set up the Dragon offense with fantastic field position after a big kick off return. Pickens, would capitalize on that field position as Cal Morrison would power in for a 1-yd TD run. With 10:35 left to go in the half, the Dragons were up, 14-7. The Indians, would take their first lead of the game on back to back touchdowns as Kolson Howell ran in from 3-yards out and Howell would find Mac Powell for a 6-yd touchdown.
The Dragons, would respond as Bail would find Purdy on a screen pass. Purdy, would break a couple tackles, pick up a massive block, run to the other side of the field, and get through the crowd for a 70-yard score. The PAT was good and with just under a minute left in the half, the game was tied at 21. The Indians, had one more shot before the half to score, but a sack by Teal would send it to the break with the game deadlocked at 21.
The second half started in a not so fun way for the Indians as the kick off was fielded at their 2-yd line. After a 3-yard gain on first down, Weston Veater, would rumble for a 65-yard run into Dragon territory. Alvarez, would finish the drive off with a 12-yard TD run. On the ensuing kick off, it looked like Ike Wyngaard took it 83-yards for the score, but a holding penalty was called on the Dragons.
On fourth down, the Dragons, would then run a fake punt as Teal would break through a few would be tacklers to pick up the first down. Later in the drive, the Dragons would go for it again on fourth down. Pickens, would not be so fortunate this time around as the Indians would stop the play short. Heading to the fourth quarter, the Indians led it, 28-21.
Lumpkin, would add to their lead on their next possession as Howell would run it in from 5-yards out to make it 35-21 with 9:24 left in the game. The Dragons, would get a big run by Wyngaard into Indian territory. An unsportsmanlike penalty would be called on Pickens to back them up a bit. Cohen Carden, would end the drive with an interception at the goal line. The Indians, would once again use the run game to add to the lead as Alvarez scored from a yard out to make it 42-21.
The Dragons, would pick up a late score with 34 seconds left as Bail would find Wyngaard for a 32-yard touchdown pass. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by Lumpkin and the Indians would kneel out the rest of the clock as they pick up the win, 42-28.
The Dragons, will be on the road next Friday as they take on the Fannin Rebels on September 4th. The Rebels, will also be coming off of a tough loss as they fell to rival Gilmer, 35-14. Kick off is set for 7:30 pm.
Dragons fall in high scoring season opener
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports August 22, 2026
Kennesaw, Ga — No more scrimmages as it was time to kick off the 2026 regular season for high school football for many teams across the state of Georgia on Friday, August 21st. Two of those teams being the Pickens Dragons, and the hosting North Cobb Christian Eagles. This one had a lot packed into it. It was a tale of two halves in this one as the Dragons would go up 28-7 into the break with the Eagles coming back to pick up a 42-35 win.
The Dragons, would win the toss and elect to receive the opening kick. After a great return by Sawyer Purdy that set up the offense at the Dragon 40-yd line, Pickens used a mix of the run game and the quick passing game to drain more than half of the first quarter clock. The Dragons, would cap off the opening drive with a 9-yd touchdown run by Ike Wyngaard. The PAT by Toccoa McGraw was good and with 4:48 left in the quarter, Pickens led it, 7-0.
The Eagles, were looking to tie things up on their opening possession as a big pass play set them up at the Dragon 5-yd line. After a false start by the Eagles, the Dragons would force a stop to bring up 2nd down. The Dragons defense, would then land a big blindside hit on the Eagles QB that jarred the ball loose. The ball would go out of bounds at the Dragon 38-yd line to bring up 3rd down.
The Dragons, would force a punt after a pass break up by Donald Marshall. Heading to the second quarter, the Dragons led the Eagles, 7-0.
Just under a minute into the second quarter, Tanner Bail found Wyngaard streaking down the seam for a 59-yd touchdown pass. The PAT was good and with 11:05 left in the first half, Pickens led North Cobb Christian, 14-0. On the next Eagles possession, Jackson Walker, would force and recover a fumble after a big hit on a receiver. There was discussion from the officials because Walker’s helmet came off right after the ball was knocked loose. In the end, the officials ruled that it was Dragons ball.
On the first play after the fumble recovery, Purdy, took the end around and turned on the jets for a 44-yd touchdown run. The PAT was good and with 10:01 left in the first half, the Dragons led the Eagles, 21-0. After another defensive stop, the Dragons, would add to their lead as newcomer Travis Vines would power his way in for a 1-yd touchdown run. The PAT was good and with 4:36 left to go in the half, Pickens led North Cobb Christian, 28-0.
The Eagles, would respond with their first scoring drive of the game as they would cap it off with an 18-yd touchdown pass. The PAT was good and with 1:16 left in the half, the Dragons led the Eagles, 28-7. After a late defensive stop by the Eagles, North Cobb Christian had a little time left to add points before halftime. A nice pass play would set up a 40-yd field goal try. The ball would sail left and the Dragons would take a 28-7 lead into the break.
On the first play of scrimmage in the third quarter, the Eagles would connect on a 64-yd touchdown pass. The PAT was good and with 11:43 left in the third, Pickens led North Cobb Christian, 28-14. The Eagles, would then force and recover a fumble on the Dragons opening possession of the second half. They would convert that into points after a 38-yd touchdown pass. The PAT was good and with 10:21 left to go in the third, the Dragons lead was cut to 28-21.
After a back and forth, the Eagles, would again score after a 1-yd touchdown run. The PAT was good and with 1:48 left in the third, the game was tied at 28. A stop by the Eagles defense before the end of the third, would give their offense the ball as they would head to the fourth.
The Eagles, would use that momentum from the third quarter and carry it over to the fourth as they would take their first lead of the game after a 7-yd touchdown pass. The PAT was good and with 9:05 left in the game, North Cobb Christian led Pickens, 35-28. The Dragons, needing something to help stop the bleeding, found it as Bail would connect with Brock Teal for a 51-yd touchdown pass. The PAT was good and we were tied at 35 with 6:18 left in the game.
The Eagles, would respond with a 2-yd touchdown run. The PAT was good and with 2:39 left in the game, North Cobb Christian led Pickens, 42-35. The Dragons, looking for one final drive to tie or possibly win the game, would pick up one first down, but the Eagles would force a turnover on downs as North Cobb Christian would pick up the win, 42-35.
The Dragons, will look to rebound as they will be home next week as they host former region foe, the Lumpkin Indians, on Friday, August 28th for the home opener. Lumpkin, will be coming off of a 42-31 win over Dawson to start the season. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Rice named Georgia Player of the Year
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports June 29, 2026
Jasper, Ga — The postseason honors keep rolling in for Pickens Dragons star pitcher AJ Rice. After being named to the Atlanta Braves 400 Club High School All-Star Team, Georgia Dugout Club All-State First Team, and the NHSBCA (National High School Baseball Coaches Association) All-American Team, the Auburn commit has been recognized as the Player of the Year for the state of Georgia by Prep Baseball. Rice, who was a two-way player throughout his high school career, went 14-0 with a 0.35 ERA, collecting 162 strikeouts while only giving up 4 earned runs. Opponents, hit just .096 against Rice this season.
Offensively, Rice hit .365 with 31 hits, 17 singles, 10 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 home runs. Rice drove in 33 runs, 32 runs scored, walked 19 times, and stole 7 bases. Rice, who helped lead the Dragons to their first ever state championship this season, had one of the most dominant four year stretches you will see.
For his career, Rice went 41-3 with a 0.99 ERA while striking out 458 batters across 253 innings pitched. Rice, regarded as one of the top players in the ’26 class as he ranks as the 11th best player in Georgia, is also a highly thought of MLB prospect as MLB Pipeline ranks Rice as one of their top 200 prospects in next week’s upcoming MLB Draft. Rice, will more than likely hear his name called at some point during the draft.
Whether it’s at Auburn, or in the pros, the future for AJ Rice, is very bright. We here at TeamFYNSports and of course the people of Pickens County, are looking forward to seeing what big things await AJ.
At last the Dragons are state champs
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports May 25, 2026
Columbus, Ga — The Pickens Dragons and the Troup County Tigers were back at it on Monday, May 25th as they battled in game three of the 3A State Championship series to crown a winner. The two teams proved during the three game set, that they were evenly matched. A masterful performance from starter Everett Grubbs, and a pair of first inning was enough for the Dragons to hang on and capture their first ever state baseball championship.
Robert Turner, would lead off the game by drawing a four pitch walk. After a pop out, Turner, would swipe 2nd to advance into scoring position. Kam Jenkins, would then reach on an infield single as the Dragons would have runners at the corners with 1-out. A.J. Rice, on an 0-2 count, would send a shot down the right field line that would score Turner and courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff to put the Dragons up 2-0.
Rice, would move up to 3rd after a ground out. The Tigers, would get out of the first with a fly out. Dragons starter Everett Grubbs, would toss a 1-2-3 bottom of the first as he picked up a ground out, a strikeout, and a fly out. Heading to the second, the Dragons led the Tigers, 2-0.
In the top of the second, Tigers starter Davis Moncus, would toss his first 1-2-3 inning of the game after a ground out, a line out, and a strikeout. In the bottom of the inning, C. Mosley, would reach on a fielding error with 1-out. C. Wilson, would follow that with a single to put runners at 1st and 2nd. E. Grubbs, would get out of the second with a pop out and a strikeout. Heading to the third, it was still 2-0 Dragons.
In the top of the third, the Dragons, would once again go down in order on ground out, a line out, and a pop out. In the bottom of the third, E. Grubbs, would only need 8 pitches to get out of the frame as he forced three ground outs. Heading to the fourth, Pickens still led Troup, 2-0.
It would be a scoreless top of the fourth for the Dragons as Moncus picked up a pair of strikeouts and a pop out. In the bottom of the inning, Moncus, would reach with a lead off single. C. Walker, would follow that with a single of his own to put runners at the corners with nobody out. The Dragons, would turn a 4-6-3 double play as Moncus would come in to score to make it 2-1. E. Grubbs, would force a ground out to get out of the inning and send it to the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, the Dragons, still couldn’t get the bats going as they went down in order on a ground out, a pop out, and a line out. In the bottom of the fifth, T. Dean, would reach with a 1-out single. Dean, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. After a strikeout, G. Edwards, would reach with a 2-out single to put runners at the corners. E. Grubbs, would force a fly out to send it to the sixth with the score still 2-1.
Moncus, would continue his dominance in the top of the sixth as he picked up a pair of ground outs and a line out. In the bottom of the sixth, Moncus, would reach on a fielding errors. After a pair of pop outs, Moncus, would swipe 2nd to advance into scoring position. Wilson, would hit a grounder to Jennings Allen at short. Moncus, seeing Allen slip on the play, would head home. Allen, would throw a strike to Kam Jenkins, who tagged Moncus to end the inning.
In the top of the seventh, Allen, would reach with a 1-out single. The first base runner of any kind for the Dragons since the top of the first. Moncus, would get out of the seventh with a line out and a pop out. In the bottom of the inning, E. Grubbs, came out looking to finish what he started. E. Grubbs, would force a ground out and pick up a strikeout before having to leave due to pitch count rules.
Turner, would come in from center field to try and pick up the final out of the ball game. Turner, would do just that as he would strike out T. Delaney looking to pick up the win and seal the first ever state championship for the Pickens Dragons.
Stats for the Dragons in Game Three:
Robert Turner: 1 walk, 1 run scored, and 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 K on 5 pitches
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 single
Caden Kirchoff: 1 run scored
A.J. Rice: 1-3 with 1 double and 2 RBI
Everett Grubbs: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 4 K on 109 pitches
With the win, Pickens High School has its first state championship since the 1973-74 Nettes state basketball championship. The 2026 Pickens Dragons baseball team, becomes the first boys team to win a state championship in school history. It is indeed a great day to be a Dragon.
3A State Baseball Championship comes down to series finale
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports May 24, 2026
Columbus, Ga — On Saturday, May 23rd, for the first time in school history, a boys team at Pickens High School was competing for a state championship. It had been since the 1973-74 state champion Nettes team that a team from Pickens, made it to the state championship game/series. The Pickens Dragons, took on the defending 3A State champions, the Troup County Tigers, in a rematch of last year’s final four. The Dragons, were able to take game one, 7-2. The Tigers, would use a seventh inning rally to steal game two, 8-1.
Game One:
Things started quickly for the Dragons in the top of the first as Robert Turner and Jennings Allen would both reach on fielding errors. The Dragons, would then go 1 for 2 on a double steal attempt as Allen would be thrown out at 2nd. Kam Jenkins, would then draw a walk. Jenkins, would catch the Tigers napping and make it to 2nd on the play. A.J. Rice, would bring in Turner with a single to make it 1-0 Dragons.
Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would advance to 3rd while Rice would make it to 2nd on the play. Christian Starks, would bring in Kirchoff with an RBI sac fly to make it 2-0. The Tigers, would get out of the first with a ground out. In the bottom of the frame, after a strikeout, B. Willis would reach with a 1-out single. Rice, would force a pop out and pick up his 2nd strikeout of the game to send it to the second with the Dragons leading, 2-0.
Everett Grubbs, would lead off the top of the second with a single. Dawson “Boogie” Lowit, would follow with a single of his own to put runners at 1st and 2nd. After E. Grubbs stole 3rd, Matthew Davis, would drive in E. Grubbs with an RBI single to make it 3-0 Dragons. Turner, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Davis would be forced out at 2nd. Lowit, would advance to 3rd on the play.
Turner, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Allen, would then be hit by a pitch to load the bases with 1-out. Jenkins, would bring in Lowit with an RBI sac fly to make it 4-0 heading to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the second, Rice, would pick up a strikeout, a ground out, and a line out in a scoreless frame. Heading to the third, Pickens led Troup, 4-0.
In the top of the third, Truitt Grubbs, would look to get a rally started after reaching on a 2-out single. The Tigers, would get out of the third after T. Grubbs was thrown out trying to steal 2nd. In the bottom of the inning, G. Edwards, would look to get something going for the Tigers as he reached on a 2-out single. Edwards, would then steal 2nd, and advance to 3rd on a throwing error. Rice, would get out of the third with a strikeout.
In the top of the fourth, Lowit, would reach after drawing a 1-out walk. Troup starter Jake Perry and the Tigers, would get out of the fourth with a 4-6-3 double play. In the bottom of the fourth, D. Moncus, would reach with a lead off single. Moncus, would then take 2nd on a passed ball. Moncus, would score from 2nd on a throwing error. C. Walker, would advance to 2nd on the play.
C. Mosley, would then reach with a single to put runners at 1st and 3rd. Mosley, would then be thrown out trying to steal 2nd. After a line out, Walker, would come in to score on a wild pitch to make it 4-2. C. Wilson, would then draw a walk to keep the inning alive for the Tigers. After a weather delay, Rice, would pick up a strikeout to send it to the fifth with the Dragons ahead, 4-2.
Turner, would lead off the top of the fifth with a double. He would then advance to 3rd on a wild pitch. After a ground out, Jenkins, would drive in Turner with an RBI single to make it 5-2. A wild pitch, would advance courtesy runner Kirchoff up to 2nd. Rice, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Kirchoff, would move up to 3rd after a fly out. Courtesy runner Cooper Helmuth, would then steal 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2-out.
T. Grubbs, would bring in both Kirchoff and Helmuth with a 2-RBI triple to make it 7-2. On a 3-1 count, E. Grubbs, would be hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners. Then, another weather delay. This one, a little longer than the first one. Once play resumed, the Tigers, would get out of the fifth after a successful pick off throw. In the bottom of the fifth, Rice, would work around a 2-out single by Willis. Heading to the sixth, Pickens led Troup, 7-2.
In the top of the sixth, the Dragons, picked up back to back 1-out singles by Davis and Turner. The Tigers, would convert another pick off throw and then pick up a strikeout to get out of the sixth. In the bottom of the inning, after back to back strikeouts by Rice, Wilson, would reach on a fielding error. Wilson, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Another strikeout from Rice, would send it to the seventh with the Dragons up, 7-2.
Starks, would keep the top of the seventh alive for the Dragons with a 2-out double. Starks, would be left stranded as the Tigers would get out of the seventh with a strikeout. Rice, back out for the bottom of the inning, would strike out the side in the bottom of the seventh to seal a 7-2 win in game one for the Dragons.
Stats for the Dragons in Game One:
Robert Turner: 2-4 with 1 single, 1 double, 2 steals, and 2 runs scored
Jennings Allen: 1 hit by pitch
Kam Jenkins: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 walk, 1 steal, and 2 RBI
Caden Kirchoff: 2 runs scored
A.J. Rice: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R/0 ER, 1 BB, 14 K on 104 pitches
Cooper Helmuth: 1 run scored
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 double, and 1 RBI
Truitt Grubbs: 2-4 with 1 single, 1 triple, and 2 RBI
Everett Grubbs: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 hit by pitch, and 1 run scored
Dawson Lowit: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Matthew Davis: 2-3 with 2 singles and 1 RBI
Game Two:
The two teams flipped sides for the second game of the doubleheader. In the top of the first, G. Edwards, would lead off with a first pitch single. Edwards, would be thrown out trying to steal 2nd. After a walk drawn by B. Willis, Dragons starter Christian Starks, would pick up back to back strikeouts to get out of the first. The Dragons, would go down in order in the bottom of the first. Heading to the second, it was still tied at 0.
In the top of the second, Starks, would toss a 1-2-3 frame with a pair of strikeouts and a line out. In the bottom of the inning, Starks, would pick up the first hit of the game for the Dragons with a 1-out single. Tigers starter C. Mosley, would get out of the second with a strikeout and a pop out. Heading to the third, Pickens and Troup were tied at 0.
Starks, would need only 7 pitches to get out of the third as he forced a pair of ground outs and a pop out. In the bottom of the third, Robert Turner, would reach with a 2-out double. Jennings Allen, would drive in Turner with an RBI single to make it 1-0 Dragons. Allen, would make it all the way to 3rd on the play. Kam Jenkins, would then draw a walk to put runners at the corners. The Tigers, would get out of the third with a strikeout.
In the top of the fourth, Willis, would draw a lead off walk. After a pop out, Willis’ courtesy runner, T. Pope, would steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Starks, would get out of the fourth with a pair of line outs. Starks, would lead off the bottom of the fourth by getting hit by a pitch. The Dragons, couldn’t do anything with that as Mosley would pick up a pop out, a line out, and a ground out to send it to the fifth.
Starks, would toss a scoreless top of the fifth with a pair of ground outs and a strikeout. The Dragons, would also go down in order in the bottom of the fifth on a pair of pop outs and a ground out. Heading to the sixth, the Dragons led the Tigers, 1-0.
In the top of the sixth, Edwards, would reach with a 1-out single. After a line out, Edwards, would be caught trying to steal 2nd for the second time to send it to the bottom of the sixth. Jenkins, would lead off the bottom of the sixth by getting hit by a pitch. A.J. Rice, would advance courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff up to 2nd after a sac bunt. Starks, would then be intentionally walked to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out.
Both Kirchoff and Starks, would move up a base after a ground out. The Tigers, would get out of the sixth with a strikeout. Heading to the seventh, the Dragons led it, 1-0.
In the top of the seventh, the wheels sorta fell off for the Dragons as the Tigers would plate 8 runs on 8 hits and several fielding errors to take an 8-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Mosley, on to finish the game, would pick up a strikeout, a ground out, and a pop out to seal the 8-1 win in game two for the Tigers.
Stats for the Dragons in Game Two:
Robert Turner: 1-4 with 1 double and 1 run scored
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 RBI
Kam Jenkins: 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, and 2 caught stealing
A.J. Rice: sacrifice bunt
Christian Starks: 1-1 with 1 single, 1 hit by pitch, 1 intentional walk, and 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 K on 77 pitches
These two teams went to a game three last year in the final four, and they will do it again with a state championship on the line on Monday, May 25th. Game to again be played at Synovus Park in Columbus. Game time is set for 6 pm.
Dragons punch ticket to first ever state championship
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports May 15, 2026
Calhoun, Ga — For the first time since the tournament started, the Pickens Dragons, were on the road as they made their way to Calhoun to begin a three game series with the Yellow Jackets on Thursday, May 14th. The winner, would punch their ticket to Columbus and the 3A State championship. The Dragons, behind some clutch hitting and some big time pitching, were able to sweep the doubleheader, 4-2 and 11-5 to advance to their first ever state championship.
Game One:
Jennings Allen, would look to get things started in the top of the first with a 1-out single. Kam Jenkins and AJ Rice, would then draw back to back walks to load the bases. Truitt Grubbs, would reach on a fielder’s choice as Allen would be forced out at home. Christian Starks, would then reach on an error that allowed courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff to score. R. Baxter and the Yellow Jackets, would get out of the first with a ground out.
In the bottom of the first, C. Ware, would reach with a 1-out single. Rice, the Dragons starter, would pick up a pop out and a strikeout to send it to the second with the Dragons leading, 1-0.
In the top of the second, Robert Turner, would try to start a two out rally with a single. He would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. The Yellow Jackets, would get out of the second with a line out. Rice, would strike out the side in the bottom half of the second to send it to the third with the Dragons still leading, 1-0.
The Dragons, would go down in order in the top of the third after a pop out, a ground out, and a strikeout. Rice, would bring his strikeout total to seven for the game as he would strike out the side for the second straight inning. Heading to the fourth, it was still 1-0 Dragons.
In the top of the fourth, Everett Grubbs, would reach after an error. The Yellow Jackets, would turn a double play to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, the Yellow Jackets stung. Ware, would lead off by drawing a walk. H. Chadwick, would put the Yellow Jackets on top with a 2-run home run. Baxter, would keep the inning alive with a 2-out single. Rice, would get out of the fourth with a strikeout.
In the top of the fifth, Turner, would reach with his second hit of the day with a 1-out single. Turner, would then move up to 2nd after a balk was called. After a strikeout, Turner, would steal 3rd. The Yellow Jackets, would get out of the fifth with a pop out. Rice, would settle down nicely in the bottom of the fifth as he would sit the Yellow Jackets in order on a strikeout, a ground out, and a pop out. Heading to the sixth, Calhoun led it, 2-1.
Rice, would help himself and his Dragon teammates out as he would lead off the sixth with a home run to tie the game at 2. After a pop out, Christian Starks, would give the Dragons the lead with a solo home run to make it 3-2. Dawson Lowit, would keep the inning going with a 2-out single. The Yellow Jackets, would get out of the sixth with a strikeout. Rice, now armed with the lead again, came out for the bottom of the sixth focused.
Rice, would fire a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth with a pair of strikeouts and a pop out. Heading to the seventh, the Dragons led the Yellow Jackets, 3-2.
In the top of the seventh, Allen, would reach with a 1-out single. He would advance to 2nd on a throwing error. Jenkins, would drive in Allen with an RBI double to make it 4-2. Courtesy runner Kirchoff, would advance to 3rd on a line out to right field. The Yellow Jackets, would prevent any further damage by getting out of the seventh with a strikeout. In the bottom of the seventh, I. Nails, would lead things off by drawing a walk.
After a pop out, M. Peek, would draw the second walk of the inning to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. A wild pitch, would advance both Nails and Peek up a base. Rice, would gather himself, and pick up a strikeout and a pop out to seal the game one win for the Dragons, 4-2.
Stats for the Dragons in Game One:
Robert Turner: 2-4 with 2 singles and 2 steals
Jennings Allen: 2-4 with 2 singles and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 walk, and 1 RBI
Caden Kirchoff: 1 run scored
AJ Rice: 1-3 with 1 home run, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 walk, and 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R/ER, 3 BB, 13 K on 107 pitches
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 home run, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Dawson Lowit: 1-3 with 1 single
Game Two:
For the second game, the Dragons, were the home team and the Yellow Jackets, were the visitors. In the top of the first, C. Stewart and C. Ware, would draw back to back walks to lead off the inning. A wild pitch, would advance both runners up a base. After a strikeout, R. Hood, would drive in both Stewart and Ware with a 2-RBI single. Dragons starter Christian Starks, would get out of the first with back to back strikeouts.
In the bottom of the first, Kam Jenkins, would look to get something started as he would be hit by a pitch with two outs. Yellow Jackets starter, M. Peek, would get out of the first with a ground out. Heading to the second, Calhoun led Pickens, 2-0.
Peek, would lead off the top of the second by drawing a walk. After a wild pitch moved courtesy runner E. Bryant up to 2nd, M. Zander, would drive in Bryant with an RBI double to make it 3-0. Starks, would pick up a strikeout for the first out of the inning. Stewart, would draw his 2nd walk of the game to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Jackson Nunn, would come in to pitch for the Dragons to try and get the final two outs of the second.
Nunn, would force a pop out for the second out. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Nunn, would pick up a strikeout to send it to the bottom of the inning. Truitt Grubbs, would lead off the bottom of the second by drawing a walk. T. Grubbs, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Starks, acting as the DH, would draw a walk as well to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out.
Everett Grubbs, would then be hit by a pitch to load the bases. Dawson Lowit, aka “Boogie”, would bring in T. Grubbs after being hit by a pitch to make it 3-1. Peek, would get out of the jam by striking out the side to send it to the third with the Yellow Jackets leading, 3-1.
In the top of the third, Nunn, would toss a 1-2-3 scoreless frame as he picked up a pair of strikeouts and a ground out. In the bottom of the third, the Dragons struck. Jenkins, would draw a lead off walk. Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would then steal 2nd and advance to 3rd on a wild pitch. Kirchoff, would come in to score on a second wild pitch to cut the lead to 3-2. AJ Rice, would pick up the first hit of the game for the Dragons with a single.
T. Grubbs, would draw his 2nd walk of the game to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Rice, would move up to 3rd after a pop out to right. T. Grubbs, would then steal 2nd. Rice, would come in to score on a throwing error to tie the game at 3. E. Grubbs, would draw the third walk of the inning to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. After a strikeout, Matthew Davis, would drive in T. Grubbs with an RBI single to make it 4-3 Dragons.
E. Grubbs would advance to 3rd on the play and Davis, would advance to 2nd on the same play. Robert Turner, would bring in both E. Grubbs and Davis with a 2-RBI double to make it 6-3. The Yellow Jackets, would get out of the third with a strikeout. Heading to the fourth, the Dragons were now ahead, 6-3.
In the top of the fourth, the Yellow Jackets, looked to get a 2-out rally going as Stewart, would reach with a single. Ware, would follow that up by drawing a walk. Nunn, would get out of the fourth with a strikeout. In the bottom of the inning, Jenkins, would reach with a lead off single. Courtesy runner Kirchoff, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. The Yellow Jackets, would get out of the fourth with a ground out, a strikeout, and a line out.
In the top of the fifth, I. Nails, would reach 2nd on an error with one out. Nails, would then try to steal 3rd, but would be thrown out by Jenkins for the second out. R. Baxter, would keep the inning alive with a 2-out double. Turner, would come in to pitch for the Dragons and would get out of the fifth after a ground out on the first pitch. In the bottom of the fifth, the Dragons, broke things open.
Drew Dunlap, who came in to pitch hit for E. Grubbs, would lead off the bottom of the fifth by getting hit by a pitch. Lowit, would follow that up by getting hit by a pitch for the second time to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Davis, would reach on a single. Dunlap, would come around to score on a throwing error to make it 7-3. Tanner Bail, who came in to run for Lowit, would advance to 3rd and Davis, would advance to 2nd on the play.
Turner, would drive in Bail with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 8-3. Davis, would be thrown out at home trying to score on a wild pitch. Jennings Allen, Jenkins, and Rice, would draw back to back to back walks to load the bases. T. Grubbs, would then draw his third walk of the game to bring in Allen to make it 9-3. Starks, would drive in both Kirchoff and Rice with a 2-RBI double to make it 11-3 heading to the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Zander, would reach with a lead off single. B. Davis, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Zander and Davis, would then move up a base on a wild pitch. Stewart, would bring in Zander with an RBI single to make it 11-4. E. Grubbs, would come in to pitch for the Dragons and he would strikeout the side to send it to the bottom of the inning.
E. Grubbs, would lead off the bottom of the sixth by drawing a walk. J. williams, who came in to pitch for the Yellow Jackets in the bottom of the fifth, would pick up a pair of strikeouts and a pop out to get out of the sixth. Heading to the seventh, the Dragons led it, 11-4.
Nails, would lead off the top of the seventh by drawing a walk. After a pop out and a strikeout, Nails, would advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. Zander, would bring in Nails with an RBI single to make it 11-5. E. Grubbs, would force a pop out for the third out and the Dragons would take game two, 11-5 to sweep the series and advance to the 3A State Championship.
Stats for the Dragons in Game Two:
Robert Turner: 1-4 with 1 double, and 3 RBI
Jennings Allen: 1 walk and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-1 with 1 single, 2 walks, and 1 hit by pitch
Caden Kirchoff: 2 runs scored
AJ Rice: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 2 runs scored
Truitt Grubbs: 3 walks, 2 steals, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 walk, and 2 RBI
Everett Grubbs: 2 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 1 run scored, and 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 4 K on 36 pitches
Drew Dunlap: 1 hit by pitch, and 1 run scored
Dawson Lowit: 2 hit by pitch, 1 RBI
Tanner Bail: 1 run scored
Matthew Davis: 2-4 with 2 singles, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Jackson Nunn: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 4 K on 56 pitches
The Dragons, will now turn their attention to the defending 3A champs, the Troup County Tigers, who swept Peach County to advance to the State Championship. The Dragons, were eliminated by the Tigers in game three of the Final Four last season. The three game series will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 23rd in Columbus at Synovus Park. The doubleheader is scheduled for 5 and 7:30 with the “if” game set for Monday, May 25th at 5 pm.
Dragons advance to Final Four for second straight year
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports May 8, 2026
Jasper, Ga — On Thursday, May 7th, for the first time in school history, a boys team hosted an Elite Eight match up as the Pickens Dragons took on the West Laurens Raiders in a best of three series. The Dragons, came into the series as the #3 seed, while the Raiders came into the series as the #6 seed. Head coach Adam Williams, would pick up his 201st and 202nd career wins at PHS as the Dragons swept the doubleheader 3-1, and 5-0.
Game One:
Auburn commit AJ Rice, took the mound for the Dragons for game one. JD Hogan, would draw a lead off walk to begin the game. Hogan, would then be thrown out by Dragon catcher Kam Jenkins trying to steal 2nd. After a strikeout for the second out, Rice, would induce a ground out to send it to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the inning, Jenkins, would look to get a rally going after reaching on a 2-out double. The Raiders, would get out of the first with a pop out. Heading to the second inning, the game was still tied up at 0.
In the top of the second, the Raiders, would strike first as C. Pollock, would hit a solo home run with two outs to put West Laurens up, 1-0. Rice, would shake that off and force a pop out to send it to the bottom of the second. The Dragons, would go down in order in the bottom of the second after a strikeout and a pair of pop outs. Heading to the third, the Raiders led it, 1-0.
Rice, would pick up a strikeout and a pair of ground outs in a scoreless top of the third. In the bottom of the inning, Matthew Davis Jr, would reach by drawing a walk with 1-out. Davis Jr, would then advance into scoring position by stealing 2nd. Robert Turner, would drive in Davis Jr with an RBI double tie the game at 1. Jennings Allen, would bring in Turner with an RBI single to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead.
Allen, would move up to 2nd on the throw to the plate. Allen, would then advance to 3rd after a line out. Rice, would help himself out by driving in Allen with an RBI single to make it 3-1. Courtesy runner Cooper Helmuth, would steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Truitt Grubbs, would keep the inning going after getting hit by a pitch to put runners at 1st and 2nd.
The bases would be loaded after the short stop tried to throw the ball to 3rd to try to get Helmuth, but it got away and everyone was safe. The Raiders, would get out of the third after a line out. Avoiding possible further damage. Heading to the fourth the Dragons led it, 3-1.
K. Clark, would draw a lead off walk to start the top of the fourth. After a pop out, Rice, would pick up a strikeout for the second out. Clark, would advance to 2nd after a delayed steal. Clark, would be left stranded at 2nd after Rice picked up another strikeout to send it to the bottom of the fourth. Dawson Lowit, would lead off the bottom of the inning by getting hit by a pitch. Tanner Bail, would then come in to run for Lowit.
Bail, would be left stranded at 1st however as D. Malone and the Raiders, would get out of the fourth with a strikeout and a pair of line outs. Heading to the fifth, the Dragons still led it, 3-1.
Rice, would pick up a pair of strikeouts and a pop out in a 1-2-3 top of the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, the Dragons, would go down in order on a pair of ground outs and a line out. Heading to the sixth, the Dragons were still ahead of the Raiders, 3-1.
Rice, who had been rolling since the home run in the second inning, picked a pair of strikeouts and a line out in a scoreless top of the sixth. Everett Grubbs, would get the bottom of the sixth going with a 1-out single. After a pop out, Malone, still pitching for the Raiders, would force a ground out to send it to the seventh with the Dragons still leading, 3-1.
G. Baker, would lead off the top of the seventh by drawing a walk. B. Shepard, would follow that up by drawing a four pitch walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Rice, would settle down to strikeout the side to seal the 3-1 win for the Dragons in game one.
Stats for the Dragons in Game One:
Robert Turner: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 double
AJ Rice: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 4 BB, 13 K on 99 pitches
Truitt Grubbs: 1 hit by pitch
Everett Grubbs: 1-3 with 1 single
Dawson Lowitt: 1 hit by pitch
Matthew Davis Jr: 1 walk, 1 steal, and 1 run scored
Cooper Helmuth: 1 steal
Game Two:
For the second game of the doubleheader, the Dragons were the away team, and the Raiders were the home team. In the top of the first, Robert Turner, would lead off with a single. Jennings Allen, would follow that with a single of his own to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Kam Jenkins, would then be hit by a pitch to load the bases. AJ Rice, would bring in Turner with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 1-0.
Truitt Grubbs, would then work a walk to reload the bases. Christian Starks, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Allen would come in to score to make it 2-0. Courtesy runners Caden Kirchoff and Cooper Helmuth, would then pull off a double steal to make it 3-0. Everett Grubbs, would draw another walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Helmuth, would then steal 3rd to put runners at the corners with 2-out.
The Dragons, would again try a double steal situation, but the Raiders would get Helmuth at the plate to send it to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the first, Dragons starter Christian Starks, would pick up a ground out, a strikeout, and a pop out in a scoreless frame. Heading to the second, the Dragons led it, 3-0.
In the top of the second, the Dragons, would go down in order on a pop out, a line out, and a ground out. In the bottom of the inning, Starks, would pick up a line out and a pair of strikeouts to send it to the third with the Dragons still leading, 3-0.
Jenkins, would look to get something started in the top of the third as he reached with a 1-out single. Rice, would then follow that with a double to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. T. Grubbs, would draw his second walk of the game to load the bases. Starks, would help himself out by driving in both Kirchoff and Rice with a 2-RBI single to make it 5-0 Dragons. T. Grubbs, would make it to 3rd on the play.
After Helmuth was thrown out trying to take 2nd, the Raiders, would get out of the third with a pop out. In the bottom of the third, N. Hester, would reach 2nd after a throwing error. T. Mascaro, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Rice made a great diving play at short and threw out Nester trying to get back to 2nd. JJ Giles, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Starks, would get out of the third with a pair of line outs. Heading to the fourth, the Dragons still led the Raiders, 5-0.
In the top of the fourth, Drew Dunlap, would lead off by drawing a walk. After a strikeout, Turner, would lace a double down the right field line to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1-out. B. Milton and the Raiders, would get out of the fourth with a strikeout and a pop out. In the bottom of the inning, G. Baker, would draw a lead off walk. After a line out, Starks would pick up a strikeout and a ground out to send it to the fifth with the Dragons up, 5-0.
The Dragons, would go down 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth on a pop out and a pair of ground outs. In the bottom of the inning, Turner, would come in to pitch for the Dragons. Mascaro, would reach with a 1-out single. Giles, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Turner, would pick up a strikeout and a ground out to send it to the sixth with the Dragons leading, 5-0.
In the top of the sixth, Brock Teal, would draw a walk with two outs. The Raiders, would then pick off the runner at 1st to send it to the bottom of the sixth. Turner, back out there for the bottom of the sixth, would pick up a pop out and a pair of ground outs to send it to the seventh with the Dragons still ahead, 5-0.
Turner, would lead off the top of the seventh by drawing a walk. Turner, would advance to 2nd after a ground out by Allen. After a pop out, Turner, would swipe 3rd. Milton, would pick up a strikeout to send it to the bottom of the seventh. E. Grubbs, would come in to pitch for the Dragons in the bottom of the seventh. C. Pollock, would draw a lead off walk to get the bottom of the seventh started for the Raiders.
After a strikeout, Mascaro, would pick up a 1-out single to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Giles, would then reach on an error as the bases would be loaded with 1-out. E. Grubbs, would settle in and pick up back to back strikeouts to seal the 5-0 win and send the Dragons to the Final Four for the second consecutive year.
Stats for the Dragons in Game Two:
Robert Turner: 2-3 with 1 single, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 steal, 1 run scored, and 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K on 31 pitches
Jennings Allen: 1-4 with 1 single, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 single, and 1 hit by pitch
Caden Kirchoff: 2 runs scored
AJ Rice: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Truitt Grubbs: 2 walks
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 single, 3 RBI, and 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 K on 61 pitches
Everett Grubbs: 1 walk and 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, and 3 K on 30 pitches
Drew Dunlap: 1 walk
Brock Teal: 1 walk
Cooper Helmuth: 2 steals
The Dragons, will await their Final Four opponent as they will play the winner of the series finale between Oconee County and Calhoun starting with a doubleheader on Thursday, May 14th. The Dragons, will either be hosting Oconee County, or traveling to Calhoun.
Diamond Dragons advance to Elite Eight
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports May 1, 2026
Jasper, Ga — On Thursday, April 30th, the Pickens Dragons, were back at Dunn Field as they took on the Adairsville Tigers in the Sweet 16 of the AAA State Baseball Tournament. The Dragons, advanced after sweeping Cairo last week. The Tigers, advanced after sweeping Douglass-Atlanta. The Dragons, behind a pair of complete game shut outs by A.J. Rice and Everett Grubbs, swept the doubleheader to advance to the Elite Eight.
Game One:
Auburn commit A.J. Rice, took the mound for the Dragons in game one. Rice, would pick up a line out, and a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless top of the first. In the bottom of the inning, Tigers starter K. Coker, would pick up a pair of ground outs, and a strikeout in a 1-2-3 bottom of the first. Heading to the second, the game was still tied at 0.
In the top of the second, Rice, would force a pair of pop outs and pick up his third strikeout. Coker, would also pick up a pair of pop outs and a strikeout in the bottom of the inning. Heading to the third, the game was still scoreless.
In the top of the third, Rice, would strikeout the side to send the bats back up to the plate. In the bottom of the inning, Matthew Davis Jr, would become the first base runner of the game as he would draw a four pitch walk with 2-out. Davis Jr, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. Coker and the Tigers, would get out of the third with a ground out. Heading to the fourth, it was still tied at 0.
In the top of the fourth, Rice, would sit the Tigers down in order after a pair of strikeouts and a ground out. In the bottom of the inning, Rice, would pick up the first hit of the game with a 2-out single. Rice, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. Truitt Grubbs, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 2-out. Coker and the Tigers, would get out of the fourth with a line out. Heading to the fifth, we were still scoreless.
In the top of the fifth, Rice, would pick up a ground out, a pop out, and a strikeout. In the bottom of the fifth, the Dragons, would strike. Dawson “Boogie” Lowit, would reach after drawing a 1-out walk. His pitch runner, Tanner Bail, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. After Davis Jr drew his second walk of the game, Robert Turner, would reach on a bloop single that fell in shallow center field to load the bases with 1-out.
Bail, would be forced out at home for the second out as Jennings Allen would reach on a fielder’s choice. Kam Jenkins, would break the tie with a 2-RBI single to make it 2-0. Allen, would come in to score after Rice reached on an error to make it 3-0. Rice, would advance to 2nd and courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would advance to 3rd on the play. T. Grubbs, would then draw a walk to load the bases.
A single by Everett Grubbs, would drive in courtesy runners Kirchoff and Cooper Helmuth to make it 5-0 Dragons. A 2-RBI single by Christian Starks, would bring in the Grubbs brothers to make it 7-0 heading to the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Rice, still looked sharp after that long bottom of the fifth as he would strikeout the side. In the bottom of the sixth, Turner, would reach with a 1-out single. Turner, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Turner, would then take 3rd on a wild pitch. After Allen drew a walk, Jenkins, would drive in Turner with an RBI sacrifice fly. Drew Dunlap, pitch hitting for Rice, would reach with a 2-out single.
The Tigers, would get out of the sixth with a line out. Heading to the seventh, the Dragons led the Tigers, 8-0.
In the top of the seventh, Rice, would pick up a pop out for the first out. B. Varner, would pick up the first hit of the game for the Tigers with a 1-out single. Rice, having lost the perfect game bid, would settle down and pick up a pop out and a strikeout to seal the win as the Dragons took game one, 8-0.
Stats for the Dragons in Game One:
Robert Turner: 2-4 with 2 singles, 1 steal, and 2 runs scored
Jennings Allen: 1 walk and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 single, and 3 RBI
A.J. Rice: 2-3 with 2 singles, 1 RBI, and 7 IP, o H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 13 K on 100 pitches
Truitt Grubbs: 2 walks and 1 run scored
Everett Grubbs: 1-3 with 1 single, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 single, and 2 RBI
Dawson Lowit: 1 walk
Matthew Davis Jr: 2 walks and 1 run scored
Drew Dunlap: 1-1 with 1 single
Tanner Bail: 1 steal and 1 run scored
Cooper Helmuth: 1 run scored
Caden Kirchoff: 1 run scored
Game Two:
For the second game, the Dragons would be the visitors and the Tigers would be the home team. In the top of the first, Jennings Allen, would reach after drawing a 1-out walk. Allen, would advance to 2nd after a ground out. An RBI single by A.J. Rice, would drive in Allen to make it 1-0 Dragons heading to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the frame, Dragons starter Everett Grubbs, would pick up a strikeout, a ground out, and a line out. Heading to the second, the Dragons led the Tigers, 1-0.
In the top of the second, Truitt Grubbs, would reach on an error to lead things off. E. Grubbs, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as T. Grubbs would be forced out at 2nd. After a line out, Dawson Lowit, would draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 2-out. Starter H. Parr and the Tigers, would get out of the second with a pop out. E. Grubbs, would pick up three ground outs in the bottom of the second. Heading to the third, it was still 1-0 Dragons.
The Dragons, would go down in order in the top of the third after a pair of strikeouts and a pop out. In the bottom of the inning, H. Miller, would reach with a lead off single. B. Slocumb, would then be called out due to pine tar being too high on his bat. That would erase a fielder’s choice, and allow Miller to return to 1st. After a line out for the second out, Miller, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. E. Grubbs, would get out of the third with a ground out. Heading to the fourth, the Dragons were still in front, 1-0.
Rice, would lead off the top of the fourth with a single. Rice, would get caught trying to steal 2nd. After a strikeout for the second out, Parr, would force a ground out to send it to the bottom of the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, B. Varner, would reach with a lead off single. After a strikeout, C. Sanford, would be caught trying to steal 2nd. E. Grubbs, would get out of the fourth with a strikeout to send it to the fifth with the Dragons up, 1-0.
In the top of the fifth, the Dragons would go down 1-2-3 as Parr picked up a ground out, a strikeout, and a pop out. In the bottom of the fifth, W. Barfield, would reach with a lead off bloop single. The Dragons, would then turn a 4-6-3 double. E. Grubbs, would get out of the fifth with a strikeout. Heading to the sixth, the Dragons, were still in front, 1-0.
In the top of the sixth, Kam Jenkins, would be hit by a pitch to keep the inning alive for the Dragons. Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. Rice, would drive in Kirchoff with an RBI double to make it 2-0. Parr and the Tigers, would get out of the sixth with a strikeout. In the bottom of the sixth, E. Grubbs, would pick up a pair of ground outs and a strikeout. Heading to the seventh, the Dragons led it, 2-0.
In the top of the seventh, Christian Starks, would reach on a 1-out double. Starks, would then advance to 3rd on a wild pitch. Lowit, would then draw a walk. Lowit, would then intentionally get caught in a rundown to allow Starks to steal home and make it 3-0. Lowit, would end up being safe at 2nd on the play. After a strikeout, Robert Turner, would drive in pitch runner Tanner Bail with an RBI single to make it 4-0.
Turner, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Parr and the Tigers, would get out of the seventh with a pop out. In the bottom of the seventh, E. Grubbs, would pick up a ground out, a line out, and a strikeout as the Dragons take game two, 4-0 to sweep the series and advance to the Elite Eight.
Stats for the Dragons in Game Two:
Robert Turner: 1-4 with 1 single, 1 steal, and 1 RBI
Jennings Allen: 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1 hit by pitch
A.J. Rice: 3-3 with 2 singles, 1 double, and 2 RBI
Everett Grubbs: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 6 K on 85 pitches
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 steal, and 1 run scored
Dawson Lowit: 2 walks, and 1 steal
Tanner Bail: 1 run scored
Caden Kirchoff: 1 run scored
With the series win, the Dragons, will now turn their attention to Wednesday, May 6th as they welcome the West Laurens Raiders to Dunn Field for a double header. The “if” game, would be on Thursday, May 7th. The Raiders, are 22-9 on the season. They won region 4-AAA, and are the #6 seed. The Raiders, swept Gilmer and Northwest Whitfield to get to the Elite Eight.
Dragons sweep Cairo to advance to Sweet 16
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 25, 2026
Jasper, Ga — The GHSA AAA State Baseball Tournament, began on Friday, April 24th as the #3 seeded Pickens Dragons, took on the #30 seeded Cairo Syrupmakers in a best of three series to open up the tournament. The two teams would play a doubleheader at Dunn Field. The Dragons, would come away with a sweep as they won game one, 10-0 and game two, 13-1.
Game one:
Senior Auburn commit A.J. Rice, would start game one for the Dragons. After picking up a strikeout for the first out, C. Prince and J. Brinson, would draw back to back walks to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Rice, would pick up a second strikeout for the second out. J. Bell, would draw the third walk of the inning to load the bases. Rice, would get out of the first with a ground out.
In the bottom of the first, after two quick outs, Kam Jenkins, would keep the inning alive with a 2-out single. His courtesy runner, Caden Kirchoff, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Dawson Lowit, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the first with a fly out. Heading to the second, the game was still tied at 0.
Rice, would settle in for the top of the second as he would strikeout the side on 13 pitches to send it to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the second, Truitt Grubbs, would lead off with a double. Everett Grubbs and Christian Starks, would follow that up by drawing back to back walks to load the bases. Matthew Davis Jr, would then be hit by a pitch to bring in T. Grubbs to make it 1-0.
After back to back pop outs, Jenkins, would be hit by a pitch to bring in E. Grubbs to make it 2-0. Starks, would come in to score after Lowit drew a walk to make it 3-0. Davis Jr, would come in to score after a wild pitch to make it 4-0. Rice, would then draw a walk to load the bases. Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would then come in to score on a wild pitch to make it 5-0 Dragons heading to the third.
Rice, would toss a scoreless top of the third with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out. In the bottom of the third, E. Grubbs, would reach with a lead off single. E. Grubbs, would then advance all the way to 3rd on a ground out by Starks. Davis Jr, would drive in E. Grubbs with an RBI single to make it 6-0. Robert Turner, would reach on a fielder’s choice as Davis Jr would be forced out at 2nd. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the third with a ground out.
Rice, would fire a 1-2-3 top of the fourth with another half inning of a pair of strikeouts and a ground out. Jenkins, would lead off the bottom of the fourth with a single. Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. After a pop out, Rice, would drive in Kirchoff with an RBI single to make it 7-0. After a pick off at 1st for the second out, T. Grubbs, would keep the inning going by drawing a walk.
T. Grubbs, would then advance into scoring position by swiping 2nd. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the fourth with a pop out. Heading to the fifth, the Dragons led it, 7-0.
Rice, would finish off his start by striking out the side in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Davis Jr, would reach with 1-out after an error by the third baseman. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the fifth with a pair of line outs. Heading to the sixth, the Dragons led it, 7-0.
Jackson Nunn, would come on to pitch for the Dragons in the top of the sixth. After a strikeout and a ground out, the Syrupmakers, would have their first base runner since the first inning after a double by J. Brinson. Nunn, would get out of the sixth with a fly out. In the bottom of the sixth, Jenkins, would send one over the left field fence for a solo home run to make it 8-0.
After a pop out, Rice, now playing shortstop, would reach after drawing a walk. Rice, would then advance to 2nd after a wild pitch. T. Grubbs, would follow that up by drawing a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. After a line out, Starks, would drive in both Rice and T. Grubbs with a 2-RBI double to walk it off for the Dragons as they took game one, 10-0 in six innings.
Stats for the Dragons in Game One:
Robert Turner: 1 steal
Kam Jenkins: 3-3 with 2 singles, 1 hit by pitch, 1 home run , 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Dawson Lowit: 2 walks and 1 RBI
A.J. Rice: 1-2 with 1 single, 2 walks, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, and 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 3 BB, 12 K on 80 pitches
Truitt Grubbs: 1-2 with 1 double, 2 walks, 1 steal, and 2 runs scored
Everett Grubbs: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 2 runs scored
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 walk, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Matthew Davis Jr: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 hit by pitch, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Jackson Nunn: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 K on 14 pitches
Caden Kirchoff: 1 steal and 2 runs scored
Game two:
The two teams, would switch places for game two as the Dragons would be the away team and the Syrupmakers would be the home team. In the top of the first, Jennings Allen, would reach with a 1-out double. Cairo, would get out of the first with a line out and a pop out. Christian Starks, would take the mound for the Dragons in the bottom of the first. Starks, would pick up a strikeout and a pair of pop outs to send it to the second with the game still scoreless.
In the top of the second, A.J. Rice, would lead off by drawing a walk. Rice, would then advance into scoring position after stealing 2nd. Truitt Grubbs, would follow that by drawing a walk of his own to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Everett Grubbs, would advance both runners after a sacrifice bunt. Starks, would help himself out by bringing in Rice with an RBI single to make it 1-0.
Starks, would then steal 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1-out. Matthew Davis Jr, would drive in both T. Grubbs and Starks with a 2-RBI triple to make it 3-0. Robert Turner, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Davis Jr would be forced out at home. Turner, would swipe 2nd to advance into scoring position. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the second with a ground out.
Starks, would only need six pitches to get out of the bottom of the second as he forced a pop out and a pair of ground outs. Heading to the third, the Dragons, led the Syrupmakers, 3-0.
Kam Jenkins and Dawson Lowit, would lead off the top of the third with back to back singles. Rice, would then launch one over the left center fence for a three run home run to make it 6-0. After a strikeout and a fly out, Starks, would keep the inning going with a 2-out single. Starks, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Davis Jr, would drive in Starks with an RBI double to make it 7-0.
Turner, would bring in Davis Jr with an RBI single to make it 8-0. Turner, would then steal 2nd and 3rd. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the third with a ground out. D. Barber, would lead off the bottom of the third by drawing a walk. K. Brinson, would then reach on an infield single. Barber, would advance to 3rd after the throw got away from Lowit at first base.
After a strikeout, Barber, would come in to score after a pick off attempt went over E. Grubbs head at 3rd to make it 8-1. K. Brinson, would advance to 2nd on the play. G. Barret, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. C. Prince, would then reach on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Starks, would get out of the jam with back to back strikeouts to send it to the fourth with the Dragons ahead, 8-1.
Jenkins, would lead off the top of the fourth with a double. After a pop out, Rice, would drive in courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff with an RBI double to make it 9-1. T. Grubbs, would follow that up with an RBI double of his own as Rice would come in to score to make it 10-1. T. Grubbs, would then advance to 3rd on a wild pitch. E. Grubbs, would then draw a walk to put runners at the corners with 1-out.
T. Grubbs, would come in to score on a wild pitch to make it 11-1. Starks, would drive in E. Grubbs with the third RBI double of the inning to make it 12-1. After a pop out, Drew Dunlap, pitch hitting for Turner, would bring in Starks with an RBI single to make it 13-1. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the fourth with a force out. J. Bell, would lead off the bottom of the fourth with a single. Bell, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch.
H. Hudson, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. After a strikeout, Starks, would then force a fly out. That would turn into an inning ending double play as it was determined that Bell left 2nd too early. Heading to the fifth, the Dragons led it, 13-1.
The Dragons, would go down in order in the top of the fifth after a fly out, a line out, and a strikeout. Dylan Walls, would come in to pitch for the Dragons in the bottom of the fifth. Walls, dealing with an injury since the beginning of the season, would be on the mound for the first time since. Walls, would pick up a pair of strikeouts and a fly out as the Dragons would take game two, 13-1, to sweep the series and advance to the Sweet 16.
Stats for the Dragons in Game Two:
Robert Turner: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 3 steals
Drew Dunlap: 1-1 with 1 single and 1 RBI
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with a double
Kam Jenkins: 2-3 with 1 single and 1 double
Dawson Lowit: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 run scored
A.J. Rice: 2-2 with 1 walk, 1 double, 1 home run, 1 steal, 4 RBI, and 3 runs scored
Truitt Grubbs: 1-2 with 1 walk, 1 double, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Everett Grubbs: 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Christian Starks: 3-3 with 2 singles, 1 double, 2 steals, 2 RBI, 3 runs scored, and 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 5 K on 64 pitches
Matthew Davis Jr: 2-3 with 1 double, 1 triple, 3 RBI and 1 run scored
Dylan Walls: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 2 K on 11 pitches
Caden Kirchoff: 2 runs scored
The Dragons, will now turn their attention to the #19 seeded Adairsville Tigers. Adairsville, swept the #14 seed, Douglass-Atlanta to advance to Sweet 16. While game times haven’t been announced yet, the best of three series will begin with a doubleheader on Thursday, April 30th. The “if” game, would be on Friday, May 1st.