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DawsonNewscom
Wednesday, November 21,2018
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BOYS BASKETBALL
Tigers win big in season opener
By Bob Christian
bchristian@dawsonnews.com
Led by juniors Jasper Gibson
and Campbell Reed the
Dawson County Tigers boys
varsity basketball team opened
the 2018-19 season with a
dominating home win over the
Flowery Branch Falcons in a
non-conference match-up Nov.
15.
With an emphasis on the out
side game, the Tigers ran away
early as they built up a 26-3
first period lead driven by
Reed’s, 14 first-period points as
he went 4 for 4 from three-
point territory and sank one
from just inside the line on a
beautiful fade-away jump shot.
Gibson took over the offense
in the second, as he drove the
lane for two buckets and then
demonstrated his shooting abil
ity, grabbing three of four
three-pointers on the night to
lead the Tigers into the break
with 13 points in the period.
Solid inside play from Luke
Chism and Eli Burrus, who
added 14-points and 10-points
respectively, rounded out the
scoring for the Tigers as they
took an overwhelming 58-8
lead by halftime.
“You can’t really make any
adjustments on that” said Head
Coach Chad Pittman at the half.
“Just keep sharing the ball and
keep playing hard.”
Flowery Branch came out
with a more aggressive defensive
See Tigers 12B
Bob Christian Dawson County News
Kaylee Sticker, senior, wins the tip-
off to start the game against
Flowery Branch.
Lady Tigers
win thriller to
open season
By Bob Christian
bchristian@dawsonnews.com
In a match-up featuring two teams
from last year’s state tournament the
Dawson County Lady Tigers hosted
the Flowery Branch Lady Falcons on
Nov. 15 to open the 2018-2019 season.
“This team played in state last year,”
said assistant coach Carly Anglin.
“They’re a good team. It will be a
good test.”
The test started from the opening
buzzer as the Lady Falcons, led by
Caroline Wysocki and Ashley
Woodruffe, came out with a fast-
paced, aggressive style that forced a
series of turnovers and quickly went
on an 11 to 0 run against the Tigers in
the first two-minutes of the opening
period.
After a quick time-out, the Lady
Tigers returned to the floor and found
their offense as senior Kaylee Sticker
came open in the corner to sink the
first of her six three-pointers of the
contest.
As the first period continued fresh
man Ella Siuta, sophomore Mariah
Benson, and junior Marlie Townley all
put points on the board, but the team
could not slow down the Falcons and
entered the second period trailing
23-13.
Sticker, who finished the night with
31-points and 7 of 9 from the line,
continued to lead the Tigers scoring
attack in the second period and the
team’s defense started to come
See Lady 14B
Photos by Bob Christian Dawson County News
Bryce Bryant, junior, takes down Chandler Byron in the second round of the GHSA playoffs.
Historic football season ends with
loss to Monroe Area Hurricanes
Ahmad Kamara, senior, scores his first touchdown
against the Monroe Area Hurricanes.
By Bob Christian
bchristian@dawsonnews.com
The 10 and one Dawson
County Tigers (No. 3 Region
3AAA) traveled to Monroe
to take on the undefeated
Monroe Area Hurricanes
(No. 1 Region 8AAA) in
round two of the GHSA
State Playoffs on Friday.
Behind an extraordinary
game from the leading rush
ing quarterback in the state,
senior, Chandler Byron, the
Hurricanes overwhelmed
Dawson County on both
sides of the ball and put an
end to the Tigers’ season
with a devastating 49-17 vic
tory.
Dawson County came into
the game well prepared to
face Byron, and it showed on
the opening series of play as
the front four of the Tigers
led by seniors Zac Baloga
and Jason Browning man
aged to push into the back-
field and disrupt the
Hurricanes early pass
attempts.
A series of penalties
against the Tigers and a col
lection of missed tackles
kept the drive alive for the
Hurricanes and they finished
off their opening drive with a
2-yard Byron score to take
the early 7-0 lead.
The remainder of the first
quarter was marked by
excellent defense from both
teams, as neither offense was
able to put together any
momentum over their next
two possessions, but then,
on their final drive of the
first quarter Monroe Area
running back Jakia
Thompson managed to push
the ball into the end-zone to
extend the Monroe Area lead
to 14-0.
The Tigers opened the sec
ond quarter with their best
drive of the night and looked
like they had finally settled
into a good offensive rhythm
as they drove the length of
the field behind a three
pronged rushing attack that
featured seniors Vaughn
Clark and Ahmad Kamara
along with sophomore
Dakohta Sonnichsen.
Capping off the four-min
ute drive with a 6-yard burst
through the middle, Kamara
put the Tigers on the board
with the first of his two
touchdowns on the night and
cut the Hurricanes lead in
half as the score moved to
14-7.
Monroe Area was quick to
return the favor and mounted
their own long, clock-chew
ing drive that ended with
Byron’s second rushing
touchdown to push the
Hurricanes to a 21-7 lead
late in the second.
After a three and out
returned the ball to the
Hurricanes with just over a
minute left in the quarter
they were able to demon
strate their quick strike abili
ty and added another touch
down with only 14 seconds
left on the clock as Byron
connected with wide receiv
er Emmanuel Okwudili in
the comer of the end-zone to
send the Tigers to the locker
room down 28-7 at the half.
“We’re not tackling well,”
head coach Sid Maxwell
said. “Byron’s got 2,300
yards and we’re making him
look good.”
See Football 14B
Player of the Week!
Ahmad Kamara
Running back Ahmad Kamara, senior, put
together a fantastic rushing performance
against the Monroe Area Hurricanes in the
second round of the GHSA Football Playoffs on
Friday, Nov 16. Gathering in over 150-yards
and scoring both Dawson County touchdowns
Kamara left everything on the field as he gave
the Tigers their best opportunity to win in what
turned into a season ending 49 -17 loss.
Photo by Bob Christian
706-216-0992
We’ve Gone Green!
“We will be here when you need us. ”
DAHLONEGA
130 Industrial Park Rd, Dawsonville
M-F: 8:00 - 5:00
Dawsonville’s Premier Collision Center
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kaylee Sticker
Just days after signing her NLI with Clemson
University Dawson County senior Kaylee
Sticker led the Lady Tigers basketball team to
a thrilling 65 - 57 victory over the Flowery
Branch Lady Falcons in the season opener
on Thursday, Nov 15. With a team high 31
points, sinking six three-pointers on the
night, and going seven for 9 at the line,
Sticker was instrumental in the team’s come
from behind victory.
Photo by Bob Christian
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