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SPORTS
DawsonNewscom
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
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Tigers advance in state tourney
Dawson County beats Jackson County 4-0 to move on in soccer playoffs
By Colin Ochs
cochs@dawsonnews.com
The Tigers entered Friday’s
first-round playoff matchup at
Jackson County High School
having yet to win a game away
from Tigers Stadium this sea
son. That didn’t matter. The
Tigers were ready to go from
the start, defeating Jackson
County, 4-0, to advance to the
second round of the Class AAA
state tournament.
“If I only have road wins in
the playoffs, I’m happy with
that,” Coach Derek Waters said
with a smile. “These guys did
such a great job pulling togeth
er tonight.” In addition to their
road woes, the Tigers (6-7-1)
had a habit of getting off to
slow starts this season. Giving
up early goals and having to
play from behind in most of
their games. Neither of those
were an issue Friday night as
Waters and the coaches empha
sized the importance of a
strong start during their week
of practice leading up to the
Jackson County (6-11) game.
“That was the message,” said
Waters about starting strong.
“(The coaches) talked to the
guys all this week...We talked
to them about (starting strong).
“The playoffs are a new season.
See State 12B
Photos by Colin Ochs Dawson County News
Freshman Molly Muenchen splits the Monroe Area defense in the LadyTigers first-round playoff game at
Tigers Stadium on April 26. Muenchen would score six goals on the night, tying her own school record.
Lady Tigers soar into Sweet 16
By Colin Ochs
cochs@dawsonnews.com
Dawson County freshman Molly
Muenchen was at it again, this time
scoring six goals in the Lady Tigers’
8-1 win over Monroe Area at Tigers
Stadium in the first round of the Class
AAA state tournament April 26.
The six goals ties her own school
record for most goals scored in a sin
gle game, which was set earlier in the
season against West Hall. Also join
ing Muenchen in the record books
was sophomore Katie Clouse, who
tied the school record for most assists
in a single season when she set up
Muenchen’s third goal in the 27th
minute.
“I’m proud of them and the way
they come out and played,” said
Coach Chess Hamby. “They got after
it. They played hard and a lot of girls
stepped it up more so than I’ve seen
all year, so now I know they can do it.
They got to do it next week too.”
Clouse and junior Ruthie Pittman
both scored unassisted goals, while
Muenchen’s six goals were assisted
by five different players. Two from
sophomore Sam Floyd and one each
from Clouse, Pittman, sophomore
Molly Kitchen and junior Rachel
Rajczak.
Dawson County (12-2) started fast,
not seeming to have any playoff
nerves, as Muenchen scored her first
goal less than a minute into the con
test. It was 3-0 Lady Tigers before
lightning struck, literally, delaying the
game for 30 minutes after playing just
15.
“The weather played a big factor,”
Hamby said. “I told the girls to just
roll with the punches because we
don’t know what the weather is going
to do and how long we were going to
play and if we were going to get out
there and play the full 40 minutes of
each half, so that was a real stressor
there just in itself.
“I don’t know if there’s a blueprint
on what to do during a weather delay.
You get nervous about it because you
don’t know what the girls are going to
do. I’ve learned our girls play better
when they’re just relaxed and if they
tense up and you stay on them, try to
get them to sit down and rest, they
don’t respond well to that, so you just
kind of let them do their thing and
then come back out and hope they’re
ready to go.”
After the delay, the Lady Tigers
and Lady Hurricanes (10-8-1) both
scored a goal apiece to close out the
first half with Kaila Horton scoring
Monroe Area’s lone goal in the 34th
minute.
The second half started much like
the first for Dawson County.
Muenchen scored two goals within
the first ten minutes and it was
smooth sailing for the Lady Tigers
into the Sweet 16 from there to face
No. 1 Westminster (13-4-2), accord
ing to Eurosport Class AAA rankings,
in the second round on Tuesday.
Results were not available as of
press time.
“This is what it’s all about,” Hamby
said. “If you’re going to go win a
championship, you got to go beat
teams like Westminster.”
Trio of track athletes make state finals
By Colin Ochs
cochs@dawsonnews.com
Dawson County High
School juniors Carlos
Keller, Frankie Muldoon
and sophomore Jenna
Lecours will be headed to
the Class AAA Track and
Field State Championships
thanks to their performanc
es at the Class AAA state
sectionals (Regions 2, 3, 7
and 8) on Saturday at
Greater Atlanta Christian.
Keller finished second in
the boys’ high jump (6’4”),
while Lecours placed third
in the girls’ 3200-meter run
(13:01.8) and Muldoon fin
ished third and fourth in the
girls’ 1600-meter run
(5:29.06) and the girls’
800-meter run (2:30.24)
respectively.
The top-four finishers in
See Track 12B
DCHS senior
earns acrobatic
scholarship
Alford first athlete at school to do so
By Jessica Brown
jbrown@dawsonnews.com
Dawson County High School senior Sara Alford
made history April 18 when she became the first athlete
in the history of the school to earn an acrobatic and
tumbling scholarship.
“Right now in NCAA, 37 colleges and universities
compete in this and it’s one of the fastest growing
sports in NCAA,” said Athletic Director Grady Turner.
“This is a rising sport which you’re going to hear more
and more about in the future so we’re very, very
pleased and honored that Sara is going to be going on
to do it.”
Alford will be attending Limestone College in
Gaffney, South Carolina in the fall where she plans to
pursue a degree in athletic training.
Since she was in the fourth grade, Alford has pursued
her passion for gymnastics at the Dahlonega School of
Gymnastics, competing and going to state competitions
every year.
“Being able to put it all out on the floor and just go
hard and do your best,” said Alford about her favorite
part of gymnastics. “You only have one shot to get it all
right.”
But tumbling and acrobatics wasn’t always the easi
est for her.
Two of her coaches who have followed her journey
since elementary school, Shannon Hageli and Andrea
Aliucci, spoke highly of Alford’s dedication to the
sport.
See Alford 12B
LadyTigers' golf team
advances to state tourney
By Colin Ochs
cochs@dawsonnews.com
The rain didn’t slow down the Lady Tigers as the
Dawson County girls golf team qualified for the Class
AAA state tournament with a fifth-place finish in the
Area 3-AAA tournament April 26 at Highland Walk
Golf Course in Franklin County.
Heavy rains last Monday and Tuesday forced offi
cials to delay the tournament, but the Lady Tigers were
still able to punch their ticket to the state tournament,
shooting a 313 led by defending Area Champion
Sydney Morgan, who shot an 86 en route to a fourth-
place individual finish.
Union County was crowned Area 3-AAA champions
with a 254 team score, while host Franklin County fin
ished runner-up with a 284 followed by Hart County at
288. Also qualifying for the state tournament was
Lumpkin County.
The Lady Tigers will close out their season on May
21-22 at Chateechee Golf Club in Hart County as they
look to better last year’s 11th place finish with a strong
performance at the Class AAA state tournament.
Player of the Week?
Nathan Blythe
Senior Nathan Blythe scored
two goals, including the game
winner, in the Tigers first
round play off win at Jackson
County. It was Dawson
County’s first win away from
Tigers Stadium all season.
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PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Molly
Muenchen
Freshman Molly Muenchen
scored six goals in the Lady
Tigers first round playoff
matchup against Monroe
Area, tying her own record for
most goals scored in a single
game set earlier this season.
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