About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 2024)
SPORTS DawsonNewscom Wednesday, January 24,2024 facebook.com/dawsonnews twitter.com/dawsonnews Boys hoops wins third straight region game Slaton leads girls past West Hall By Rio White riowhite@dawsonnews.com Two strong defensive efforts fueled the Dawson County varsity basketball programs to wins against West Hall at home on Friday, Jan. 19. The boys held off the visitors 50-43 while the Lady Tigers won 63-15. On a night when local Parks and Rec basketball teams were recognized, the high schoolers put on a show for the kids. DCHS boys head coach Todd Cottrell knew that Friday’s game against the Spartans was going to be vastly different from Tuesday’s big win against Wesleyan. If the Tigers were going to earn a third consecutive win against a Region 7-3A foe, they would have to neutralize West Hall’s scrappy, aggressive offense. They did just that, par ticularly in the first half when the visitors were held to just 16 points. This stout and energetic effort by Dawson County was complemented by another strong shooting night, highlighted by senior Caden Reed’s four 3-point shots made in the first quarter. After that, the Tigers continued their consisten cy on both ends of the court, with Trey Harvey taking over in the second quarter with eight points and several key rebounds to help get his team that 14-point halftime lead. The remainder of the game would be a defensive struggle, but Dawson County’s focus on keeping possession allowed them to maintain a double-digit lead well into the fourth quarter. West Hall made a late push that proved to fall short, with the Tigers win ning to improve to a 4-3 region record. Reed finished the game See Hoops 13B For the record books Rio White Dawson County News Caden Reed (left) and Abby Samples-Slaton (middle) each reached 1,000 career points during their games against Wesleyan on Tuesday, Jan. 16. Trey Harvey (right) picked up his 500th career rebound. Three Tigers achieve career milestones against Wesleyan By Rio White riowhite@dawsonnews.com A memorable night of basketball took place at the Ford Phillips Center last night, with three Dawson County players reaching career milestones against Wesleyan. During the Lady Tigers’ challenging region match up with the No. 2 Lady Wolves, Abby Samples- Slaton crossed the 1,000- point threshold, fittingly doing so on a three-point shot. In the boys game, Caden Reed also reached the 1,000-point mark and Trey Harvey brought in his 500th rebound. To add to the night’s unique occurrences, long time local sportscaster Tim Whitmire had the chance to announce all three achievements — filling in as public address announc er while also serving in his play-by-play role for North Georgia SportsLink. Between the boys and girls game, players from the seventh and eighth grade basketball teams were recognized as part of Middle School Night. These events were all woven into a night of Region 7-3A action, with parents and fans braving the bitter cold to watch two intriguing games. Harvey and Reed were right in the middle of everything against Wesleyan, as the Tigers fought to earn a 68-52 win See Milestones 13B Defense key to boys having good season in soccer By Rio White riowhite@dawsonnews.com It was a challenging and at times frustrating 2023 season for head coach Patrick Muenchen and Dawson County’s varsity boys soccer team. There were some matches where the offense flowed and could ping the ball around on the counterat tack with ease. But many other games exposed some areas that needed significant improvement, such as the defense. Despite having rock- solid senior defender Cole Palmer, the team often found itself rushing to help him when the opposing offense began building momentum. As a result, the Tigers had a mixed bag of results — See Boys soccer 13B Rio White Dawson County News Junior Sanchez will be an important player for DCHS boys soccer this season. DCHS boys soccer Head coach: Patrick Muenchen, sixth sea son 2023 record: 5-9-1 overall, 2-4 in Region 7-3A Key Returners: Junior Sanchez, Hector Tenorio, Angel Zavala, Alessandro Franco, Saul Ruiz Lady Tigers soccer will be fueled by chemistry and talent By Rio White riowhite@dawsonnews.com There are few girls soccer teams in Class 3A that can boast the returning tal- DCHS girls soccer Head coach: Chess Hamby, seventh sea son 2023 record: 11-4-1, 3-3 in Region 7-3A, first round of state playoffs Key returners: Harper Dussouy, Melodie Martin, Cayden Townley, Elena Nelson, Hayden Hand a loaded group that includes defending state runner-up Wesleyan. But last season, Dawson County made a statement both to themselves and to the region that they were back on the path to their previous era of success. From 2022 to 2023, the Lady Tigers quadrupled their goal tally, nearly tripled their win total, and made the state play offs with five freshmen often in the start ing lineup. But for head coach Chess Hamby and his team, the journey toward even greater heights is just getting started. What to Expect The Lady Tigers will once again look to their strong team chemistry to guide them this season. Last year, the team went undefeated in its first 12 matches against a wide range of non-region skill levels. From an 8-0 rain-soaked home win against Gordon Central to a scrappy, 1-0 road win against a solid East Forsyth squad, Dawson County’s players grew to bust each other and their coaches to exe cute each gameplan. But as crucial as their collective efforts See Girls soccer 13B e n t of Dawson County’s squad head ing into the 2024 sea son. It just so happens that a couple of those teams are along side the Lady Tigers in Region 7, Player Of The Week! Ethan Parker The Player of the Week is Ethan Parker, who had 13 combined assists for DCHS boys basketball in wins against White County and Wesleyan. | Certified Collision Center 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 >A COMMUNITY OF HEART EXPERTS CLOSE TO HOME N0RTHSIDE.COM/EXCELLENCE northside * EXCELLENCE HOSPITAL AT HEART HEART INSTITUTE
