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DawsonNewscom
Wednesday, September 7, 2022
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Longtime youth football coach dies
Grigsby remembered for dedication to youth sports, impact on community
By Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
One of Dawson County’s
longtime youth football coaches,
Ronald “Senior” Grigsby, died
Tuesday, Aug. 30, at age 63.
Most recently a coach for
Dawson County’s seventh-grade
team, Grigsby was still hard at
work just a day before his pass
ing.
“Everything he did was out of
love and for people to be their
absolute best,” his son Andrew
Grigsby said. “Kids would run
through a brick wall for him.”
Senior spent most of his child
Grigsby
hood in Dawson County,
graduating from DCHS
and later becoming
involved in coaching
youth sports.
Grigsby gave his time
and effort in a volunteer
capacity, becoming heav
ily involved in coaching
parks and recreation
teams in various age groups. For
a few years, he served as director
of Dawson County’s Parks and
Rec football division when it
was at risk of dissolving.
Of his four children, his sons
Andrew and Kevin currently
coach football in Dawson
County — with the for
mer as seventh-grade
head coach and the latter
as eighth-grade head
coach.
Andrew described his
father as an old-school
type who showed both
intensity and care toward
every kid he coached.
He also said that his father
was a direct influence on his
own character, values and coach
ing, with Senior even tagging
along with Andrew when he
became a coach out in Colorado.
“He’s the reason I am who I
am,” Grigsby said. “I do every
thing with my heart in the right
place. That’s what he taught us.”
Senior was also described as
an excellent organizer — both of
his team and of all the equip
ment needed for football on a
daily basis.
Throughout his career, he
would have a precise inventory of
helmets, jerseys, pads and every
thing in between. If the team
needed something for practice, he
would find it. Just recently, he
went out to procure training
equipment for the offensive line.
One quote shared by a coach
who worked alongside Senior
epitomized his passion for youth
sports.
“Senior was one of the funni
est but most wholesome guys I
had the pleasure of coaching
with,” coach Jacob Tatum said.
“He was rough with the kids, but
only because he expected their
very best!”
While Senior’s time as a fix
ture in local youth sports has
come to an end, his legacy and
influence will continue through
his sons.
After the seventh grade team’s
most recent game, the team
payed tribute to him by breaking
their postgame huddle with
“Senior on 3.”
Dawsonville’s Premier Collision Center
By Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
Dawson tops area rival
Darlington playoff
opener ends with
early exit for Elliott
Rio White Dawson County News
Elijah Smith carries the ball down the field in the second quarter against North Hall. He would score
Dawson's third touchdown of the game.
Tigers ground game proves too strong for North Hall
By Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
Strength in numbers —
it’s something head coach
Sid Maxwell has empha
sized as a necessary part of
his offense this season,
specifically about his com
mittee of running backs.
A trio of those backs
helped Dawson County’s
football team to a 30-13
road win over rivals North
Hall, taking a 5-4 lead in
the series between the two
programs in the process.
On a night that began
with steady rain followed
up by an intermittent mist,
the rushing attack was
always going to be the pri
ority. Senior running back
Kade Moledor got the
Tigers out to a roaring
start — setting the tone
for a long night for the
Trojans defensive line.
“I think we came out
[strong]. The line did a
good job, backs hit the
hole hard, we executed
and played tough
defense,” Maxwell said.
“We have to run the ball
[but] we threw the ball
enough to keep [North
Hall] honest.”
The defensive effort
was much improved from
the Lambert game, with
the Tigers forcing four
fumbles out of North Hall
and stopping the home
team from establishing
See Football 14B
This year’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener
was held at Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out
Southern 500, with the race living up to its billing as
the “track too tough to tame.”
The night’s festivities had major implications on
the playoff picture — perhaps none more so than for
Chase Elliott — who was the first of several victims
of misfortune on the night.
Coming in with a 15-point cushion over the next
closest driver, Elliott didn’t need a win at Darlington
to move forward but certainly did not need the lap
113 incident that ended his night.
Having moved all the way up to 13th position
after starting the race in 23rd, Elliott was just start
ing to get his footing in the race when he suddenly
flew up the track and into the wall between Turns 1
and 2.
While Elliott’s crew put in their best efforts to get
him back on the track, it was established that dam
age to the right-rear wheel’s suspension resulted in a
broken lower control arm and toe link.
It was quickly determined that the damage was
too severe to be fixed within the expanded 10 min
utes of allotted repair time under NASCAR’s dam
aged vehicle policy.
Elliott’s lead atop the playoff standings vanished
as a result and he is now officially in ninth place
after the night’s results were finalized. He remains
14 points clear of the cutoff for the round of 16 and
is 24 points behind current playoff leader Joey
Logano.
See NASCAR 13B
Player Of
The Week!
Hayden Hand
Dawson man wins Lanier bass fishing tournament
By Rio White
ri owh ite@d a wso n n ews.com
The player of the week is
Hayden Hand, who finished
5th overall at the cross country
teams meet at Wesleyan with a
time of 22:21.
Last weekend, local
man and Dawson County
High School alumnus Ty
Overmyer won a Major
League Fishing event
held on Lake Lanier,
catching 10 bass weigh
ing 30 pounds, 7 ounces
over the two-day tourna
ment.
Competing in the
Phoenix Bass Fishing
League Bulldog Division,
Overmyer has been a bass
fisher for a long time and
See Fishing 13B
Courtesy Major League Fishing
Ty Overmyer stands with his trophy after winning
the Bulldog Division event at Lake Lanier.
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