SPORTS
DawsonNewscom
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
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SOCCER
Lady Tigers continue winning streak
Boys pick up first win in match against Franklin
By Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
Just a year ago, the Dawson
County varsity girls soccer team
lost 7-1 at home to a solid East
Forsyth team that would eventu
ally make the state playoffs.
But this time around, the Lady
Tigers conquered the task of fac
ing the Lady Broncos on the road
— winning 1-0 in an intense
match on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
While Dawson went into
Tuesday’s match coming off a
six-goal performance, the team’s
resolve to maintain a slim lead
against a challenging opponent
may have been just as indicative
of their abilities.
“They definitely rose to the
challenge,” head coach Chess
Hamby said. “They fought hard
[and] kept bathing, believing and
kept making plays when we
needed it.”
After securing that road win,
the Lady Tigers returned home
on Friday, Feb. 10, and won then-
fourth consecutive game —
defeating Franklin County 4-0.
Hayden Hamd and Melodie
Martin each had two goals, with
Harper Dussouy providing three
assists.
The opening 20 minutes of
action between Dawson and East
See Soccer|3B
Hayden
Hand
cele
brates
after
scoring
against
East
Forsyth
on
Tuesday,
Feb. 7.
Rio White
Dawson
County
News
By Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
Tradition returns to DCHS
Baseball ready
for Burt era
Members of the Dawson County High School Hall
basketball games on Friday, Feb. 10.
Rio White Dawson County News
of Fame Class of 2023 gather in between the varsity
School inducts Hall of Fame Class of 2023, first in 20 years
By Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
Dawson County High
School honored 10 indi
viduals at its Hall of Fame
induction ceremony on
Friday, Feb. 10, for the
class of 2023 — the first
group to be recognized
this way in 20 years.
These individuals each
made significant contribu
tions to the school in dif
ferent capacities — leav
ing influences that are still
felt today.
The DCHS Hall of
Fame class of 2023
includes Chad
Cunningham, Charles
Finley, Lloyd Harben, Jim
Howington, Dianne
Mayfield, Gene Odom,
Reggie Stowers, Steve
Sweat, Grady Turner and
Tim Whitmire — as well
as the 1991 state runner-up
Lady Tigers basketball
team.
Several previously
inducted members of the
DCHS Hall of Fame spoke
in support or on behalf of
the inductees.
The ceremony began
with the induction of the
late Finley, with his wife
Kathy and longtime friend
Nicky Gilleland speaking
on his behalf.
A teacher in Dawson
County for 42 years,
Finley was an ever-present
figure in the community
and helped found the
Dawson County Jaycees
club, which helped estab-
lish the Mountain
Moonshine Festival and
the Empty Stocking Fund
— now known as KARE
for Kids.
Finley authored the
book “Yesterday Once
More: A History of the
Schools of Dawson
County” and currently has
a collection of historical
information available at
the Dawson County Public
Library.
“Charles loved Dawson
County and its people,”
Kathy Finley said. “Any
time he was asked to serve
in any way, he wanted to
do that to the best of his
ability.”
Next to be honored were
former Lady Tigers bas
ketball head coach Steve
Sweat and members of the
1991 state runner-up team.
Former DCHS coach Phil
Moore joined Sweat at the
podium to recall the lat
ter’s history with the pro
gram.
Sweat spent nearly four
decades as a high school
basketball coach, serving
as head coach of the Lady
Tigers for two separate
stints.
He first came to Dawson
County in 1984, serving as
an assistant coach under
head coach Stan Worley.
After two seasons, Sweat
became head coach and
quickly turned the Lady
Tigers into a contender —
with the team making
three straight state semifi
nal appearances in the
early 1990s.
Sweat would later leave
Dawson County before
coming back in 2006,
leading the Lady Tigers to
a 2013 state runner-up fin
ish before retiring in 2020.
In total, he coached 24
years at DCHS.
“I just can’t be thankful
enough for what [Dawson
County] has done for me,
my family and everyone
who has been involved in
my coaching career,”
Sweat said. “The play
ers... I look around now
and see what you all have
done, the things you’ve
accomplished and what
you mean to this commu
nity now...it sure does do
the heart good.”
Harben was next to be
recognized, with Dawson
County Board of
Education member Elaine
Wilson speaking on his
behalf.
A lifelong resident of
Dawson County, Harben
helped transform agricul
ture education at DCHS,
serving as a vocational
agriculture teacher for two
decades before later serv
ing as the county superin
tendent.
Harben’s influence on
DCHS remains to this day
through the school’s
vibrant FFA program and
continued participation in
several aspects of agricul
ture.
“Agriculture in Dawson
County was here before
[Harben] came, but it real
ly took off when Lloyd
became the head of it,”
Wilson said. “He was a
good pillar to this commu
nity and just somebody
you wanted your kids to
look up to.”
Stowers was the next
inductee, with Wilson also
recalling her time working
with him.
A graduate of DCHS in
1975, Stowers returned to
Dawson County in 1982 as
a teacher, completing the
remainder of his 34-year
career at his alma mater.
See Fame 13B
Dawson County
Varsity Baseball
Head Coach: Logan
Burt, first season
2022 Record: 19-13
overall, third place in
Region 7-3A, made first
round of state playoffs
Key Returners: Colton
Rucker (Sr.),Trey Harvey
(Jr.), Davis Glass (So.)
Dawson County’s varsity baseball team is ready
to begin a new era under head coach Logan Burt —
a DCHS alum and assistant coach under Dwayne
Sapp.
While the depar
ture of six seniors
from last year’s
19-win group will
make this year’s
squad much young
er, that won’t stop
Burt and his staff
from working hard
to make a repeat
appearance in the
state playoffs hap
pen.
In contrast to last
year’s big-hitting
team led by seniors Brandon Cramer, Luke
Mulberry and Nick Mullinax, the 2023 season is set
to be led by a strong core of pitchers.
Contributions from the mound will be led by
junior Trey Harvey, who finished last season with a
5-3 record, 3.81 earned run average and 44 strike
outs.
Harvey’s steady improvements during his sopho
more year have set him up for a role as the team’s
ace this season.
He made his first appearance of the season during
the team’s scrimmage game at Chestatee on
Monday, Feb. 6, throwing four strikeouts in two
innings of relief pitching. The Tigers beat the War
Eagles 7-4.
Harvey will be joined by sophomores Davis
Glass, Joshua Priest and Jacson Rickett as tentative
starters for the Tigers rotation this season.
See Baseball 13B
Emma
Faircloth
The Player of the Week is
goalkeeper
Emma Faircloth,
who had several saves in
the girls soccer team’s win
over East Forsyth.
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