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SPORTS
DawsonNewscom
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
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Lady Tigers are onto the next one
Dawson softball team pulls off upset against region champ Westminster; advances to Sweet 16
Jacob Smith
jsmith@dawsonnews.com
On Thursday, Oct. 7, the
Dawson County Lady Tigers
softball team had their fourth
rain out in a row. The team anx
iously awaited their next two
games to see if they would
advance to the state tourna
ment.
After winning both games on
Friday and Saturday, the team
advanced to the first round of
the GHSA 3A softball state
tournament, where they would
have to play Region 5-3A
champions, The Westminster
School in Atlanta.
In a hard fought effort by
everyone on the Lady Tigers’
roster, Dawson County won
both of Tuesday’s games
against Westminster to advance
to the second round of the state
tournament.
“Anytime you can win four
games in a row, it’s great,”
Lady Tigers head coach Justin
Rickett said. “The kids have
grinded through. It hasn’t
always been easy. These kids
have had to show a ton of cour
age and determination to get
through the adversity we had to
go through. I’m so proud of
them and everything they’ve
accomplished.”
In game one, the Lady Tigers
were victorious 8-2.
Sophomore Layne Bailey
pitched a complete game,
throwing five shutout innings to
start the game. In the top of the
seventh, the team held a 4-2
lead, but freshman Micah
Burruss brought in three huge
insurance runs on a bases-clear-
ing double that sealed the game
one victory for the Lady Tigers.
Junior Reese Moore started
in the circle for the Lady Tigers
in game two, keeping
Westminster at just one run into
the fourth inning. Senior Olivia
Martinez took over pitching
duties and held their opponents
scoreless until the end of the
game. The Lady Tigers won
game two 6-1.
“Dang, to come down here
and think we were only going
to allow three runs, I’d take that
eight days a week and twice on
Sunday’s,” Rickett said. “It’s
awesome.”
Senior Grade Vaughn and
freshman Ace Cochran both
drove in two runs at the plate in
game two. Burruss additionally
scored two runs again in game
two.
Most importantly, the Lady
See Softball 13B
An old-fashioned shut-out
Photos by Jacob Smith Dawson County News
Junior wide receiver Doug Pagel celebrates an amazing toe-tap touchdown in the back corner of the
end zone during the 51-0 blowout victory against West Hall on Friday, Oct. 15.
Tigers football shuts out West Hall 51-0 for 4th straight victory
Jacob Smith
jsmith@dawsonnews.com
There was not much to talk about
at the end of the Dawson County
High School football game on
Friday night against West Hall.
The lopsided scoreboard said
everything anybody needed to.
The Tigers football team scored
seven touchdowns while shutting
West Hall out in a 51-0 blowout
victory Friday night.
“We were able to capitalize, run
down, hold them out and come out
strong,” Tigers head coach Sid
Maxwell said after the game. “We
played well on both sides of the
ball and special teams. When you
execute, you’ve got an opportuni
ty.”
Seven different Tigers scored
touchdowns in Friday night’s win.
Senior quarterback Zach Holtzclaw
led his receiving core to three of
those touchdowns; one a 36-yard
bomb to senior Braedon Hubbard,
one a beautiful back-of-the-end-
zone fade to junior Doug Pagel and
another 40-yard bomb to senior
Bailey Dameron. Holtzclaw fin
ished 12-for-23 with 226 yards
passing.
Friday night’s win was the Tigers
fourth in a row, but a more impres
sive streak might be the one
Dameron has put together. Not only
has Dameron been the Tigers’ lead
ing receiver every game this sea
son, this is also the seventh game in
a row where Dameron has received
over 100 yards in the game. He fin
ished Friday night’s game with
seven catches and 157 yards receiv
ing.
“[Dameron] has been running
routes in the rain for three years to
get to this moment,” Maxwell said.
“Last year, he was covered up by
some pretty good receivers, but he
has far exceeded my expectations.
He just keeps getting better.”
Until Friday, the least amount of
points the Tigers had allowed in a
single game this season was 13
against Northview earlier in the
season. Kade Moledor, AJ Moore,
Logan Berry and Cade Adams all
contributed for sacks in the game,
with Matt Bennett intercepting a
pass. Additionally, Walker Massey
recovered a fumble in the endzone
for a touchdown.
“Coach Woodall and my whole
defensive staff work hard,” “We can’t
make the plays but we can put them
into position to make the plays and
that’s what the guys did tonight.”
See Football |3B
Elliott finishes
7th to start
Round of 8
From staff reports
Dawsonville native Chase Elliott finished the
NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Texas Motor
Speedway in seventh place, his best finish at the
track in his last five races.
“I appreciate everybody continuing to fight
through the day and get our car a lot better,” Elliott
said after the race. “I thought by the end, we were
decent. Just by that point, obviously, it was too late.
I had another one (right-front tire) vibrate again
after that, so I’m not really sure what we had going
on there. I’m still currently confused. So, we’ll
see.”
The seventh place finish is Elliott’s third top-10
finish in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
He is currently in fifth place, with the top four driv
ers advancing to the championship race on Nov. 7
in Phoenix. Elliott is just eight points under the cut
line.
Teammate Kyle Larson earned his immediate
spot in the Cup Series championship race after win
ning Sunday’s race in Texas.
“But congrats to [Larson],” Elliott said.
“Hopefully, we can join those guys in Phoenix and
I’m looking forward to these next two weeks. I
think we can run good at the next couple, and I feel
like we’re all super close in points.”
Elliott started Sunday’s race at from the rear of
the field after an issue with pre-race inspection. He
wasted no time making his way through the field
and was running in the top 20 by lap five. When the
competition caution came out on lap 26, the No. 9
Kelley Blue Book team was up to 13th. After pit
ting for four tires and fuel, Elliott restarted 11th.
The No. 9 car quickly overtook 10th before
another quick caution. Following the restart, Elliott
rocketed up to sixth by lap 49 and eventually made
his way into the top five. Elliott remained in the top
five until lap 96 when he had to make a green-flag
pit stop for fuel. The driver of the No. 9 ended up
eighth when stage one concluded on lap 105.
After battling tight-handling conditions for much
for the first segment, Elliott reported he needed his
Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet to be freed up. He vis
ited pit road for four fresh tires, fuel, and tape on
the nose. Elliott lined up fifth for the start of stage
two and danced around the top 10 until he began to
report a vibration.
As the vibration progressed, crew chief Alan
Gustafson called Elliott to pit road as the KBB.com
team entered their pit window and was able to catch
the right-front tire going flat before any damage
was done.
A caution on lap 166 trapped Elliott one lap down
in 20th, but he was able to take the wave around to
rejoin the lead lap for the ensuing restart. He was
See NASCAR 13B
Senior Bailey Dameron evades the West Hall tacklers after a catch.
Player Of The Week!
Davis Glass
Dawson County High
School freshman and backup
quarterback Davis Glass
ran the ball into the end
zone for the first varsity
touchdown of his career
Friday night for the Tigers.
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