Newspaper Page Text
SPORTS
DawsonNewscom
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
facebook.com/dawsonnews
twitter.com/dawsonnews
8 soccer players earn All-Region honors
Rio White Dawson County News
Bryce Beach focuses on the opposing team's
offense during a match earlier this season. He
was chosen as a FirstTeam All-Region pick.
By Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
A total of eight Dawson County
High School soccer players earned
spots on their respective All-Region
lists — six coming from the girls
team and two from the boys team.
Heading up the list on the Region
7-3A First Team were goalkeeper
Bryce Beach, freshman scoring
machine Harper Dussouy, and fellow
first-year star Cayden Townley.
Beach, a junior on the boys team,
improved his already impressive
goalkeeping resume by accumulating
81 saves during the 2023 season
while also helping direct a new-look
defensive back line.
His quick instincts and calm
demeanor proved important in tight
games that the Tigers faced this past
season, including against Lumpkin,
White, and Pickens.
Dussouy served as a creative force
for the resurgent Lady Tigers, scoring
18 goals and providing 12 assists to
help the team return to the state play
offs.
Townley’s role was also critically
important, but in a less conspicuous
way.
She was a defensive enforcer, keep
ing the team’s shape in the back while
making key long passes to jumpstart
offensive possessions.
The All-Region Second Team
included Townley’s defensive partner
Corbi Hicks, whose energy and will
ingness to engage in tackles set a new
standard for the Lady Tigers defense.
Midfielder Elena Nelson also
received a Second Team honor after
becoming one of the team’s most
competitive and physical players.
Nelson wasn’t only a scrappy play
er, though, she had the skills to help
break the opponent’s offensive flow
and create scoring opportunities for
her team — even knocking in five
goals along the way.
For the boys team, sophomore
Hector Tenorio was the second All-
Region selection, earning a place on
the Second Team after expanding on
his exciting freshman season.
Whether playing on the wing or
through the middle, Tenorio adjusted
well to frequent formation changes
and provided excitement for a team
often plagued with injuries.
See Soccer|3B
Strong finish at state finals
DRWSQn’
Photos by Rio White Dawson County News
Anna LeCave races to the finish line in the 800-meter race during the State Sectionals. LeCave finished
third in the State Finals with a school record time of 2:23.1.
4x800 team earns runner-up, LeCave third in 800 individual
Emily Kurtz runs the anchor leg of the girls 4x400 relay event dur
ing the State Sectionals. She ran that and the 4x800 event at the
State Finals, helping the latter team earn a state runner-up finish.
By Rio White
riowhite@
dawsonnews.com
Dawson County’s varsity track
and field team wrapped up their
season at the Class 3A State Finals
in Albany last week, with three new
school records leading to three
top-6 finishes.
On the opening day of action on
Thursday, May 11, Emily Kurtz
helped break two of those records.
Head coach Arron Haynes made
the bold move to swap Kurtz into
the 4x800 team specifically for the
State Finals race, hoping to improve
on that group’s sixth-place State
finish last year.
The 4x800 team of Jules Phillips,
Katie Gloeckner, Kurtz and Anna
FeCave not only rocketed their way
to a state runner-up finish with a
time of 10:05, they obliterated the
former DCHS top mark by 21 sec
onds.
That old record time was shared
between a previous iteration of this
year’s 4x800 group and a relay
team from 2016.
Earlier in the day, Kurtz accom
plished something on an individual
See Track 13B
FOOTBALL
Tigers show
positive signs
at Spring Game
By Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
With the school year wrapping up, the Dawson
County football team gave a glimpse of what may
be in store for next season, hosting their Spring
Game against East Forsyth on Friday, May 12.
While no official score was kept, the Tigers fin
ished the game with a 35-27 advantage — showing
positive signs on both sides of the ball.
The 2022 region champion squad included many
seniors, meaning that Friday’s game gave many
players a chance to make an impression that could
potentially lead to a starting role.
With another new committee of running backs set
to shine, the offensive line will need to be playing at
a high level once again.
See Football 13B
Elliott muscles out
third-place finish
at Darlington race
By Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
Chase Elliott found a way to earn his best finish
since returning from his injury, coming up in third
position at Darlington Raceway’s Goodyear 400 on
Sunday, May 14, during throwback weekend.
Elliott paid tribute to his father’s early 2000s
resurgence by racing in the red Ray Evernham No. 9
paint scheme, harkening back to Bill’s Dodge days
and Chase’s childhood.
While Chase had a solid run at Darlington, he
largely blamed himself for not being able to
advance past the eighth to twelfth-position bubble
he floated in for most of the race.
“I felt like our car was plenty good throughout the
whole day; I just do such a terrible job getting up
through traffic,” Elliott said. “Everything on the
other side of the wall and the car that I was driving
was really good, so I need to just try to improve and
keep going to work on the areas I’m struggling in.”
Pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr. led more than 100 laps
to begin a race that included several recognizable
See Elliott 13B
Jett, Pagel round out college
signees for DCHS school year
By Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
Two more Dawson County High
School student-athletes recently made
their choices to continue their careers at
the collegiate level, with football player
Doug Pagel signing with Hanover
College in Indiana and Jace Jett joining
the track and field team at Truett
McConnell University.
Both players battled through injuries in
the past season, showing both physical
and mental determination in the process.
Pagel’s career as a wide receiver cul
minated in him winning the team’s
George Moser Leadership Award after
displaying his willingness to help the
team even through injury.
“Doug played hurt most of the year
and would never quit — that’s just who
he is,” head coach Sid Maxwell said. “To
build this football program, you need
See Signings 13B
Rio White Dawson County News
Doug Pagel (above) and Jace Jett
(below) sign their collegiate letters of
intent.
Emily Kurtz
The Player of the Week is
Emily Kurtz, who finished
sixth at State Finals in the
pole vault and set a new
DCHS record height of
9 feet even.
Sponsored by:
We’ve Gone Green! M-F: 8:00 - 5:00
“We will be here when you need us. ” 130 Industrial Park Rd, Dawsonville
Dawsonville’s Premier Collision Center