About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 2024)
Wednesday, January 24,2024 dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3B Tigers earn wrestling wins over East Hall, Stephens Rio White Dawson County News Saul Ruiz, seen here at the Amicalola Classic earlier this season, helped Dawson County secure a win against Stephens County last week. By Rio White riowhite@dawsonnews.com In their penultimate regu lar season meet of the sea son, Dawson County’s var sity wrestling team tussled for two important Duals wins on Thursday, Jan. 18, against East Hall and Stephens County. With just a couple of weeks until the Area Traditional tournament, Tigers wrestlers were back in action at a tri-meet host ed by East Hall. Earlier this season, Dawson County and Stephens County met at a Duals meet just after Thanksgiving, when the Tigers edged out the Indians 45-34. Thursday’s rematch proved to be competitive once again, with DCHS winning 46-30. This time, it was fresh man Larry Arias who got the Tigers started in the first of two early heavy weight bathes. He won by pin in the 215-pound weight class while Brady Combs fell in the 285-pound class. After that, the matches reset at the lighter weights, with sophomore Landon Glander pinning his oppo nent to win the 113-pound bout. dander’s win put Dawson level at 12-12 after a forfeit had placed Stephens in the lead. But the Tigers would win three straight matches, with Aden Oglesby and Max Lowe winning by pin before Ronan O’Keeffe won a 9-1 decision. Stephens mounted a seri ous comeback effort from that point, taking a 28-12 Dawson lead and whittling it down to 28-27 with two wins by decision and one by pin. But the decisive victory came down to junior Saul Ruiz, whose pin in the 175- pound battie earned the six precious points that Dawson needed to stay ahead for good. Despite a loss by deci sion in the next match, the Tigers won by forfeit in the final two weight classes to extend the final margin of victory. Dawson County won against hosts East Hall 60-15, with winners includ ing Colton Schuette, Luke Lowe, Zach Cruz, Aden Oglesby and Angel Zavala. A few others won by for feit. The Tigers went to Johnson High School on Tuesday, Jan. 23, for one final regular season match before heading to Lumpkin County to begin the Traditional postseason. The Area Traditional tournament will be hosted by Lumpkin County, with girls competing on Lriday, Leb. 2, and boys on Saturday, Leb. 3. FROM IB Milestones and a second straight region victory. While the offense was led by those two, Ethan Parker and Joshua Priest, the four seniors made equally important contri butions on defense. After the two teams went back and forth for much of the first quarter, the Tigers forced some key turnovers to take a 23-15 lead heading into the second. The Tigers comple mented their intensity against the skilled Wesleyan shooters by dis playing efficiency on offense, avoiding mis takes and costly turn overs. With Parker once again distributing to all comers of the floor, Dawson County led 36-25 at the half. Harvey would go on to further expand that lead, wearing out the Wolves defense with his constant drives toward the basket. His efforts got the Tigers up 53-33 at the end of the third quarter and leading by as many as 27 points in the fourth quarter. Harvey finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds, Reed had 17 points, and Parker dished 7 assists. “That’s two games in a row where we’ve stacked pretty good defensive efforts on top of each other,” head coach Todd Cottrell said. “It starts with our communication. I’m really proud of our guys.” The Lady Tigers faced a Wesleyan team ranked both statewide and nation ally, gaining some valu able experience in the process. While the first quarter was a close affair at 19-16 to Wesleyan, the visitors quickly showed their cre dentials and would steadi ly build a large lead. Early on, junior Eva Bishop and senior Morgan Chester displayed some key physicality, showing no fear. The two gave spirited efforts, par ticularly with their rebounding and the tough battles they faced on defense. But eventually, the Lady Wolves pushed ahead with their efficient shooting and strong defense, leading 42-29 at halftime before eventually winning 71-46. Slaton led the team with 17 points, Bishop had 11, and Chester had 8. Rio White Dawson County News Harper Dussouy dribbles past her Oconee County opponents during Dawson’s state playoff game on Tuesday, April 11. She led the Lady Tigers with 18 goals in the 2023 season. FROM IB Girls soccer will be, it’s important to recognize the individual talents on the team as well. For all the highlight-reel offense that the team had last season after scoring 50 goals, the foundation of the team’s 12-match unde feated streak was a sound defense. Two freshmen, Cayden Townley and Corbi Hicks, immediately served as a wall in the back and were instrumental in allowing just six goals to be conced ed in those 12 games. That dynamic duo will be much-needed if the team wants to move up in the region standings in 2024 and compete against the likes of Lumpkin and White. Meanwhile, the midfield will consist of an interest ing setup, likely with some rotation. Two indi viduals who will see plen ty of time on the pitch are junior Elena Nelson and sophomore Madeline Clifford. While Clifford proved capable of tracking back and providing some box- to-box athleticism last season, Nelson provided a level of physicality that was equally as notable. Specifically, Nelson showed a willingness to apply constant pressure on opposing offenses, gaining possession for her team, and creating numerous scoring opportunities. And up front, the Lady Tigers will have more depth than ever, with the trio of Harper Dussouy, Melodie Martin and Hayden Hand set to have another talented crop of freshmen behind them. Those three combined for 37 goals last season and will be at the forefront of the team’s goals of bat tling their competitors in Region 7. The Lady Tigers will begin the season with a rematch of last year’s tus sle with East Forsyth, this time at home on Tuesday, Feb. 6. The hydrangea in mourning It was about 16 years ago that a famous man dug up part of a famous plant in his garden of world renown and gave it to me. “Don’t put it where it’ll get the hot afternoon sun, plant it in the gentle sun,” he explained. “If the leaves wilt, it’s from lack of hydration. Just water it and the leaves will perk right up.” The plant he gave me was about four feet tall with an abundance of roots. It took quickly to the red clay earth, facing the north where large oaks and maples shield the sun. It has always grown hardy and mightily with so many blossoms that, from time to time, a heavy rain would lay the limbs onto the ground. Until this past summer. It sets next to the back porch steps. Every morning when I’d let the dogs out, I studied the bush in its listless stage. One morning, I said quietly, “You’re grieving, aren’t you? Just like ail of us.” In the 1960s when Vince Dooley became the University of Georgia head football coach, he began to create a flower garden that would bring experts from around the world to view and write about it. A Camellia was named for him. To acclaimed gardeners, he is well known for the incredibly hardy hybrid of a hydran gea named, of course, The Dooley Hydrangea. To these lovers of the earth and its buds, his development of the Dooley Hydrangea, meant much more than the national championship he brought to Georgia or the 40 years that he spent there as head coach. This hydrangea’s outstand ing quality is its ability to withstand a late spring and still blossom. A deep freeze on Easter was unexpect ed and tough. As we stood on the hill beside the church as the sun rose and the preacher read the scripture of Christ and Him crucified, we shivered miserably in heavy coats and hats. The next day I saw that the Dooley Hydrangea, that plant he dug up for me from the original plant, had suffered heavy damage, perhaps even killed. I shrugged it off. I had, once, seen a much more severe freeze on the last day of April and, yet, it had sprung back to life. The days and weeks passed. The hydrangea seemed as if it couldn’t muster the strength to overcome this latest trial. On the steps beside if I sat and studied it carefully. “I understand, my little buddy. We all miss him. It’s only right that you should grieve his death, too.” Coach Dooley had died six months ear lier and this plant he birthed, seemed to know it. Finally, near mid-June, the greenery began to spring forward. After I trimmed 200 pieces of dead limbs, it grew back enormously with huge green leaves. Still, for the first time ever, it did not bloom. It merely promised me that it would be back when its grieving had ceased. Along the edge of the back porch are three plants gifted to me by special friends: Dooley, NASCAR’s Darrell and Stevie Waltrip and Mr. Gene Bobo, the co-inventor of pantyhose. Mr. Bobo once sent me an azalea plant for no special occasion. I planted it at the edge of the porch. Every spring, it brings forth the most beautiful deep pink buds. For about six weeks, it is beautiful then gently, one by one, it drops its flowers and only the green leaves remain. I have had this plant for 13 or 14 years and in that time, it has never flowered but once in a season. But this time ? When mid-September came, it began to bud again. By the first of October, the bush was half full with blooms. I looked at the two plants, sitting 15 feet apart, and I thought of what Mama and Daddy always said in a similar situa- tion.The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. This time, He taketh then giveth. Ronda Rich is the best-selling author of the new novel "St. Simons Island: A Stella Bankwell Mystery." Visit www.rondarich. com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter. RONDA RICH Columnist FROM IB Boys soccer success against teams who couldn’t wear out their defense but losses against teams who could control possession. Two close losses in par ticular, against Gilmer and Lumpkin, showed that the team had the tal ent to compete in the region but needed to fin ish matches as strongly as they started. What to expect Going into this season, the Tigers once again boast a formidable front line and midfield, even with the departure of talis man Sheppard Kohler. The team will seek to maintain two key ele ments if they want to return to the state playoffs for the first time since 2019 — balance and communication. Players such as Junior Sanchez and Hector Tenorio will be critical in helping the team achieve these goals. Sanchez will be particularly needed when it comes to commu nication, given his status as a senior and as one of the team’s most skilled players. Tenorio, who can play on the wing or down the middle, will be comple mented by Alessandro Franco, a tricky winger who can get downhill quickly. Up front, Saul Ruiz will be looked for when it comes to goals, with his intelligence and energy serving as two key traits. But the ultimate suc cess of the team may be determined by the play and positioning of the midfield, which includes a combination of Sanchez, Angel Zavala, Zach Cruz, Manny Lopez and Asher Morris. All these players made important contributions to last year’s team, but find ing the right combination and balance to start each week will be a major task for Muenchen. One player to look for, whose relentless energy may be just what the team would need off the bench, is sophomore Jacob Felkai. As a freshman, he made some sporadic but notable appearances for the Tigers and gave a glimpse of his potential. As important as balanc ing the team is, the play ers will also need to keep pushing to communicate as clearly, efficiently, and positively as they can dur ing matches. Being in a region with as much pari ty as Region 7, Dawson County is not far away from achieving big things. And at the helm of that ship is Muenchen, a man whose genuine approach to coaching has been one of his defining features. This season, he’ll also have his son Sam, who previously coached at Gordon Central, by his side to bring some youth ful perspective. The 2024 season begins Tuesday, Feb. 6, at home against East Forsyth. FROM IB Hoops with 18 points and 7 rebounds, Ethan Parker had 13 points and 5 rebounds, and Harvey manned the boards with 14 rebounds and 12 points. “Really excited about our defense,” Cottrell said. “We’re in good positions, we’re talking, and it’s gotten better and better the more we’re playing.” The Lady Tigers had a strong, fundamentally sound effort against the Lady Spartans, with Abby Samples-Slaton leading the way with 14 points. While her shooting was on point again, she was also part of a successful passing night for the team. The quick and efficient possessions by the Lady Tigers yielded points for 11 different players, including members of the junior varsity squad who got some meaningful minutes on the floor for the varsity team. But much like the boys team, the ladies showed their biggest strength in their rebounding. Eva Bishop, Morgan Chester, Heather Burt, Ava Roberson and Jaci Wilson all contributed to this effort. Head coach Will Caden Reed led the DCHS boys team with 18 points against West Hall. Rio White Dawson County News Anglin was impressed with the team’s execution during the game and was also impressed with the effort shown by some of the younger players who came off the bench. “I thought our younger kids, when they came in the game, competed like crazy,” Anglin said. “They did what we were asking them to do. As a program, that’s really awesome.” The Lady Tigers now also hold a 4-3 region record heading into this week’s action. Up next, Dawson County traveled to play Gilmer on Tuesday, Jan. 23, before heading back home to host Pickens on Friday, Jan. 26.
