2B I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, August 22,2018
FROM 1B
Volleyball
Bob Christian Dawson County News
Juniors Roxie Fricton and Chloe Bennett defend the net at a game
Aug. 14.
As the girls from Pickens
County took the court for the
night’s final game August 10, the
Lady Tigers huddled together
around Porter and clasped hands.
Ending the huddle with a thunder
ous “Lady Tigers” they took to the
court and, in straight sets of their
own, defeated the Pickens County
Dragons (25 - 7, 25 - 17) to gather
the first win of the season.
The second match-up of the sea
son once again had the Lady Tigers
on the road, this time visiting
Gilmer County High School for a
double-header with Gilmer and
Lumpkin counties on August 14.
“The goal tonight is to cut down
on service errors,” Porter said as
the team waited in the bleachers
before their game with the
Lumpkin County Indians.
As the first set progressed it was
obvious that the team had focused
on communication they called out
to each other on the court, but the
team was still plagued by the ser
vice errors from the first tourna
ment and quickly fell behind early
in the set.
Pulling together behind a deter
mined defensive effort from
juniors Chloe Bennett and Roxie
Lricton at the net, the Lady Tigers
attempted to rally but fell short to
lose the first set by a score of 20 -
25.
The second set of the match was
equally as tough, but with a series
of kills from fricton and sopho
more Hannah Waddy along with a
regrouping along the service line
by the entire team the Lady Tigers
took the set with ease by the score
of 25- 11.
The Lady Tigers took an early
lead in the final set of the match
behind a powerful serve from
Bennett who put down five aces
over the course of the set and,
despite a strong fight from the
Lumpkin County team, won the set
by a score of 25 - 22 and took the
first match of the night by a final
of 2 - 1.
The second game of the evening
was a re-match with the Bobcats of
Gilmer and it was apparent that the
Tigers were looking forward to the
game as they jumped out to a quick
in the first set.
With a dominating presence in
the middle of the net, junior Marlie
Townley contained the Bobcat’s
serve and the Tigers went on to
win the set by a score of 25 - 17.
The Bobcats tied the match in
the second set by pulling out a
close 25 - 20 win but the third set
went to the Lady Tigers who, once
again behind the strong serve of
Bennett and Waddy, took the
match with a final score of 25 - 16.
Bringing a 3 - 2 record and a
three-game winning streak into
Stephens County for another two
games on Lriday, August 17, the
Lady Tigers continued their frantic
pace with a third road trip. Despite
the team’s continued winning,
Porter expressed her concerns for
the upcoming matches.
“We had some problems in ser
vice and receiving, a little bit of
shanking and some back row pass
ing work,” she said about the
team’s performance earlier in the
week.
None of those problems seemed
in evidence as the Lady Tigers put
together an amazing demonstration
of defense behind 10 kills each
from Lricton and Bennett along
with a shut-down eight ace service
performance from Waddy to put
away the Stephens County Indians
in straight sets.
Unfortunately, the winning
streak was ended at 4 as the linger
ing concerns of Coach Porter and a
determined group of Lady Raiders
out of Habersham Central ended
the Lady Tigers night with a 2 - 0
loss.
Sitting at 4 - 3 on the season the
Lady Tigers will be in action
again, this time at home, for anoth
er double header this coming
Thursday, Aug. 23 with the first
game starting at 5 p.m.
FROM 1B
Football
the field but was quickly
shut down as the Raiders
seemed to adapt the run
game. After forcing the
punt, the Raiders found
the Tiger defense had also
buckled down and were
quickly forced to punt
themselves.
The Tigers started the
drive with great field posi
tion and continued to
move the ball along the
ground, once again testing
the defensive line of the
Raiders. As the first quar
ter ended the Tigers once
again broke loose around
the corner with Clark
sweeping off to the left
side for a 14- yard touch
down. Adding two points
on the conversion brought
the score at the end of the
quarter to 15-7 with the
Tigers in the lead.
The second quarter
turned into a defensive
battle as both teams strug
gled to move the ball
effectively and both teams
saw drives ending deep in
enemy territory. As the
game moved towards half
time, Tigers kicker Caleb
Bonesteel managed to add
a field-goal to extend their
lead and bring the mid
game score to the Tigers
18 and the Raiders 7.
“We have to find a way
to finish plays,”
Habersham Raiders Head
Coach Benji Harrison said
as he headed towards the
locker room with his
team. “Keep our defense
off the field.”
Receiving the ball to
open the third quarter, the
Raiders set up shop at
their own 25. Trying their
own hand at the running
game they moved the ball
several yards on two plays
before dropping back and
catching the defense with
another quick strike down
the left sideline for a
touchdown. Settling for
the single PAT the Raiders
brought the score to 18 -
14.
Just over a minute later
the Dawson County
Tigers demonstrated a
quick strike ability of their
own with Clark breaking
another long run. A
66-yard gallop straight up
the middle of the field
silenced the home crowd
and extended the Tigers
lead to 25 over 14.
Gathering themselves,
the Raiders put together a
precise drive built on a
short passing game, and
some quick inside runs to
bring the ball quickly
downfield. After several
missed opportunities
Raiders’ quarter back
Wilson and wide receiver
Curry hooked up in the
corner of the end zone for
another Raider touch
down, bringing the score
to 25 - 21 in favor of the
Tigers.
As the fourth quarter
began the Tigers were in
possession of the ball and
the lead. Settling down to
the business of running
down the clock, the Tigers
offense drove deep into
Raider territory, but a bad
snap and an ill-timed per
sonal foul pushed them
out of scoring position
and the Tigers were forced
to punt with just over
eight minutes remaining
in the game.
Pinned at their own
eight-yard line, the
Raiders started their final
drive in the shadow of
their own goal post.
Narrowly escaping a safe
ty on two separate plays
as Logan Barnes and Zac
Baloga led a newly ener
gized Tiger defense, the
Raiders managed to move
the ball slowly but surely
out to mid-field when
disaster struck for the
Tigers.
Breaking straight
through the middle of the
line, Raiders running back
Arian Curry scampered 50
yards down the field for
the go-ahead touchdown,
the PAT was good, and
with 6 minutes 32 seconds
remaining in the game,
the Tigers found them
selves behind for the first
time.
Starting from their own
35 and with plenty of time
on the clock the Tigers
stuck to the game plan
and continued to move the
ball along the ground
gaining yards in small but
efficient chunks. Using
the sidelines and their one
remaining time-out to
manage the clock, the
Tigers moved the ball to
the 14-yard line with just
over a minute remaining.
After a series of plays
featuring a resurgent and
furious defense from the
Raiders it was suddenly
fourth down and one from
the five-yard line. Down
by four, the Tigers had no
choice but to go for it and
the game came down to
one final play.
Prom five yards out, on
a designed quarterback
keeper, senior Sevaughn
Clark took the ball and the
team under his arm burst
ing through the center of
the line picking up not
only the first down, but
the touchdown. The game
winning touchdown, with
53 seconds remaining.
After the PAT, the score
was 32 - 28, and the
Tigers would go on to win
the game.
The DCHS Tigers (1 -
0) will host the Chestatee
War Eagles (0-1) for
their next game at 7:30
p.m. Lriday, Aug. 24 in
Tiger Stadium at Dawson
County High School.
FROM 1B
Shine
distance of around 31
miles, winds through
Dawson County and took
cyclers over a much less
strenuous trek through
Amicalola Palls State
Park.
This year’s ride started
with a breakfast sponsored
by Northside Memorial
Hospital Porsyth at the
hall of fame. The first rid
ers were then escorted into
the city by an officer with
the Dawson County
Sheriff’s Office.
“This year is the first
year that we have used an
officer to escort riders,”
Moore said. “Due to con
struction along the route
we wanted to ensure the
safety of the partici
pants.”
Safety is a prominent
feature of the ride this
year, and every year.
Supply and Gear (SAG)
stations are placed approx
imately every 12 miles
along the route. Manned
by volunteers and stocked
by the event sponsors,
each station features
everything an exhausted,
hot and thirsty cyclist
could need to get back up
to speed.
Items available included
peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches, orange slices,
bananas, candy bars, gra
nola bars and hard can
dies. Stranger items such
as pickle juice and mus
tard, both effective, quick
treatments for cramps,
were prominently dis
played along with the stan
dard fare of cold water and
energy drinks.
Denise Ray, who has
volunteered at SAG stops
for five years of the met
ric, served as a volunteer
with Isabell’s Book Club
and oversaw a Hawaiian
themed SAG stop at the
top of Burnt Mountain this
year.
Gathered together under
the tents erected for shade
and decorated in a
Hawaiian theme complete
with a picture of Elvis and
paraphernalia sponsored
by King’s Hawaiian, it was
Bob Christian Dawson County News
Olivia Martinez prepares to field the ball Aug. 16.
FROM 1B
Softball
The Tigers bats came alive in the bottom of the
second with a deep RBI double off the bat of Tori
Martin and another double from Lauren Tow, driving
in Martin to bring two runs across the plate before
the Vikings grabbed the third out, leaving the score at
8 - 2 as the teams headed into the third.
The Vikings added another run during their time at
the plate to bring their total to 9 and the Lady Tigers
responded with one of their own off a solo home-run
from Bella Henson leaving the Vikings lead at 6 but
changing the score to 9 - 3.
Abigail Brown of the East Hall Vikings got in on
the home run, hitting with a solo shot of her own to
lead off the fourth inning and bring the score to 10 -
3 in favor of the Vikings. After those fireworks both
pitchers settled down and, together, retired the next
seven batters to bring the game into the fifth inning.
Another infield error allowed East Hall to add an
11th run to the board in the top of the fifth as the
Vikings extended their lead to 8 and placed the Lady
Tigers in danger of losing due to the run rule.
The bottom of the fifth proved to be the high point
of the game for the Lady Tigers as their bats finally
came to life with back-to-back-to-back singles to
load the bases with no outs. After a quick throw by
Vikings catcher picked off Carol Drake at third and
another single to reload the bases, the Tigers began
the business of bringing home runners.
A bases loaded walk brought home the first run,
followed by a sacrifice fly from Tori Martin for
another, ending with a two RBI single from Brea
Crane and the Tigers managed to put four runs on the
board before the Vikings could shut down the inning,
bringing the score to 11 for the Vikings and 7 for the
Tigers as the game moved into the final innings.
Keeping the Tigers in a position to come back,
Maggie Schandera quickly retired the Vikings in
order in the sixth, but the Tigers were unable to capi
talize in their plate appearances and the seventh
inning began with the score remaining Vikings 11,
Tigers 7.
Coming to the plate for the East Hall Vikings as
the lead-off batter was Kaitlyn Daniels who, with her
earlier grand slam, was responsible for a four-run
lead being enjoyed by her team, and on the second
pitch of the inning she once again showed off her
power putting the ball over the fence for her second
home run of the game, this one a solo shot to bring
the score to 12-7 and putting a final nail in the
day’s game.
As the Tigers came to bat for the final time it was
apparent that they had not given up the fight, putting
together a couple of singles and the beginnings of a
rally. Unfortunately, the rally fell short behind a sud
denly resurgent fast ball from the Vikings pitcher and
the Lady Tigers were not able to bring anymore runs
across the plate.
“We hit a good pitcher really well,” said Head
Coach Jimmy Pruett after the game. “I couldn’t be
any more proud of how the girls played today.”
The Lady Tigers also traveled to Dahlonega Aug.
20 to take on the Lumpkin County High School
Indians. The Tigers took a hit with a final score of
8-5 with the Indians coming out on top. The Tigers
travelled to play Greater Atlanta Christian on
Tuesday but results were not available as of press
time.
almost as if everyone got
together to ride up Burnt
Mountain for a party. It’s
easy to see why Ray has
won the Best SAG Stop
Award two years in a row.
As the last of the riders
headed down the mountain
back into town, relishing
the first downhill stretch of
the race, this year’s Queen
of the Mountain, Paula
Boyle, summed up the
whole event.
“The people are really
friendly, it’s a great ride,
with a gorgeous view,” she
said.
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