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Inside: • Marble Festival Road Race photos, 2B • Muzzleloader season, 9B
With Cedartown loss, Dragons fall to 3-2
Pickens travels to Ridgeland Friday
photos/Dave McKissick
Quarterback Sam Stretcher (M2) tries to work around the corner against Cedartown Friday.
Below, Devin Hand puts the tackle on a Cedartown receiver.
On Friday, October 1st the Pickens Dragons
football team began region play against the Cedar
town Bulldogs. Both teams entered the game 3-1
overall and 0-0. There was a great atmosphere at
the stadium on Friday night. Both teams were ex
cited to start region play.
The Dragons received the opening kickoff and
looked to drive on the Bulldogs. They were forced
to punt the ball away. Cedartown took the punt and
drove the field, scoring on a touchdown pass from
25 yards out. They kicked the ball back off to the
Dragons and once again the offense stalled and the
Dragons had to punt. This series the Bulldogs
marched down the field running the football even
tually in for a touchdown. The score was now 14-
0 Cedartown.
The Dragons started to get something going at
the end of the first and beginning of the second
quarter offensively, but a sack forced Pickens to
punt back to Cedartown. The Dragons had a hard
time stopping the Bulldogs running game all
night. This series led to another Bulldog touch
down, this time on a jet sweep. The score halfway
through the second quarter was now 21-0.
The Dragons offense struggled to protect QB
Sam Streicher when he dropped back to pass so
the staff made the adjustment to get the ball out
on quick, timed passes. This helped the offense not
stall as much. Ultimately, the Dragons had to once
again punt the ball back to Cedartown with just
over two minutes to go. The Bulldogs were able
to get within field goal range and successfully kick
the ball through the uprights as the first half ended.
The score was 24-0.
At halftime the Pickens coaching staff chal
lenged the team to come out and compete. The
Dragons responded by forcing two straight
turnovers on downs for Bulldogs and a missed
field goal. While the offense struggled with the
physicality of the Bulldogs defense, they were
able to move the ball more successfully this half,
ft was not until the middle of the fourth quarter
that there was a score in the second half. The Bull
dogs were able to run the ball down to the Dragons
red zone and then punch it in from the two. The
PAT was good and the score was now 31-0. This
would be the final score of the game. Pickens
Continued on Page 4B
Lewis third in middle
school championships
Patrick Lewis had another good weekend finish
ing third at the Middle School Season Champi
onships at Baylor School. He defeated multiple
members of the 17 time Tennessee State Champion
Baylor Private School Tennis Team. Patrick and his
partner Richard Wallin also won the back draw of
the doubles winning the final 6-0,6-2.
Nettes volleyball season
winding down region play
The C-team and JV participated in the
Coahulla Creek JV tournament last Saturday.
The C-team fell short to Rome, but de
feated Coahulla Creek. The JV competed in
a separate bracket at the tournament. Geor
gia Teal played well and helped lead the JV
to finish second in the Silver Bracket beating
Coahulla Creek and North Murray.
Varsity traveled to Heritage for a region
tri-match with Heritage and Cedartown. It
was a tough trip as the varsity fell to both re
gion opponents.
The volleyball Nettes returned home to
host nearby non-region teams in Cherokee
and Adairsville on Thursday. Cherokee, a
ranked 7A team dispatched the Nettes in 2
games. However, the Nettes took down
Adairsville. Josey Copeland and Madison
Powell lead the team with kills. Lauran and
Ashlyn Sewell helped defend the back row
for the win against Adairsville.
The volleyball program is approaching
the post season. They travelled to SE Whit
field on Tuesday, Oct. 5th for their last region
contest and will wrap up the regular season
when they host Woodstock and Murray
County on Thursday, October 7th.
Nettes softball beats
back-to-back-to-back champs
The Pickens Nettes soft-
ball team played region op
ponent Heritage Generals in
a three-game series. The
Nettes were supposed to
travel to HHS on September
28th for a double header, but
it was postponed due to
weather. The series was
opened at Dunn Field on
Thursday, Sept. 30.
In Game 1, Emma Black
started in the pitcher’s circle
for the Nettes. She lasted six
innings, allowed eight hits
and five runs while striking
out six Generals. Cheyenne
Coleman entered the game in
relief. Hannah Grizzle, Sky-
lar Weaver, Hannah Parks,
Mckayla Kirchoff, and
Cheyenne Coleman all man
aged a hit for the Nettes.
Heritage took Game 1 of the
series.
On Friday, the Nettes
traveled to Heritage High
School for a double header.
The Nettes claimed a 7-5
victory over the back-to-
back-to-back state champi
ons and gave the Generals
their first loss of the season.
Emma Black earned the win
for PHS. She went seven in
nings, allowing five runs on
14 hits, struck out two Gen
erals, and walked one Gen
eral. Pickens racked up 13
hits on the day. Hannah Griz
zle, Ally Long, Emma Black,
and Hope Buchanan each
Pickens runners
finish first at
Marble Fest race
[See photos on 2B]
The PHS and PJHS cross
country teams competed in
the 40th annual Georgia
Marble Festival Road Race
hosted by Jasper United
Methodist Church Women
on Oct. 2nd.
The runners had awe
some performances and
many set PRs (personal
records. First overall male in
the race from the PHS cross
country team was Connor
Hedgpeth and first overall
female from the PJHS cross
country team was Kaela
Kearney.
The PJHS cross country
team will compete in the
Rockmart Invitational this
Saturday, October 9th in
Rockmart, and the PHS team
will be back in action next
Friday, October 15th as they
host the Pickens and a Grin-
nin’ Invitational next Friday
at Roper Park in Jasper.
Great job Dragons and
Nettes.
Continued on Page 4B
Bent Tree Tennis & Pickleball
Tournament provides scholarships
By Jesse Hunter
The 11th annual Bent Tree
Tennis & Pickleball Tourna
ment for Scholarships was
held at Bent Tree on Satur
day, September 25. Twenty-
seven men and women
participated in the event that
was highlighted by a beauti
ful day and a desire to join to
gether to raise $5,900 for
deserving students.
In addition to the $35 fee
paid by participants, the tour
ney was aided by many spon
sors. They are: Diamond
Level ($300)—Coca Cola
Company, David’s Tree Serv
ice, Jesse & Debbie Hunter,
Mark & Karen Krasner-M.K.
Distributors, Parish Lowrie
State Farm Insurance, Rock
Creek Manor, Dr. Lyn Lewis-
Wayside Animal Hospital;
Gold Level ($200)—Dr.
Matthew Camp-Georgia
Mountain Ophthalmology,
Bob & Kristy Coleman,
Community Bank of Pickens
County, Dr. Carlton Faulk-
Georgia Mountain Dermatol
ogy, Brenda Fritz Dentistry,
515 Life Real Estate, Sonny
& Carol Haisten, Harmony
Henderson Allstate Agency;
Silver Level ($150)—A&T
Towing and Service Center,
Collins Septic Tank Service,
SouthScape Landscape Sup
ply; Bronze Level ($100)—
Advance Rehabilitation, Tom
Ashbeck, Hanging by a
Thread Embroidery & Gifts,
Home Depot, Carol Hutchi
son, Dick & Debbie Kil
patrick, Tim and Sally Long,
Mama Geraldine’s Cookies,
Prestige Auto Repair, Dr.
Eric Pryor, DMD, Tom &
Margie Robinson, Roland
Tire; Supplementary Level—
Continued on Page 4B
Photos/ Sheila Thompson
Bob and Kristi Coleman who chaired the tournament
this year.
Sports
Fanatic
By
Tommy
Gartrell
Columnist
NLDS
Preview
The Braves dispatched
Philadelphia in a decisive
three game sweep last
week to win their fourth
consecutive division title
and 21 st division champi
onship in franchise history.
Beginning on Friday, At
lanta (88-73) will face the
NL Central champion Mil
waukee (95-67) in the Na
tional League Division
Series.
The Brewers hold the
home field in this best of
five game series, therefore
games one and two (Friday
at 4:30 p.m. and Saturday
at 5 p.m.) are in Milwau
kee. The Braves host
games three and four (if
necessary) on Monday and
Tuesday. The times are yet
to be decided for those
games or game five (if nec
essary) in Milwaukee on
Thursday, October 12.
How do these two
teams compare with each
other?
They split the season se
ries with three wins a
piece. Atlanta claimed two
of three away games in
mid-May, while the Brew
Crew returned the favor at
Truist Park at the end of
July. Obviously, they are
both pretty well matched,
so many media analysts
believe that it will be the
closest of all the 2021 play
off matchups. I concur!
Pitching should be the
key as always in postsea
son baseball.
The Brewers strength is
pitching. For this series,
they start a trio of right
handers: 26 year old
Corbin Bums (11-5; 2.43
era, 234 strikeouts), 28
year old Brandon
Woodruff (9-10; 2.56 era,
211 strikeouts) and 25 year
old Freddy Peralty (10-5;
2.81 era, 195 strikeouts).
Atlanta counters with
veteran righty Charlie
Morton (14-6; 3.31 era,
216 strikeouts), lefty Max
Fried (14-7; 3.03 era, 158
strikeouts) and 23 year old
right hander Ian Anderson
(9-5; 3.58 era, 124 strike
outs).
At first glance, the
Brewers appear to have the
advantage there. However,
Atlanta starters hold a huge
advantage in postseason
experience with 109.3 in
nings pitched in the play
offs to 34.0 by
Milwaukee’s starters. I call
it a draw with all things
considered.
Some experts would
have you believe that the
Braves find themselves at a
disadvantage in relief
pitching.
Untrue!
Atlanta ranks 11th in
MLB bullpen ERA at 3.97
and 27 blown saves, while
Milwaukee placed four
teenth with a 4.02 ERA
with 29 blown saves.
Again, I call it a draw here
too.
In team defense, the
Braves hold a tremendous
advantage. Atlanta led the
NL in fielding with 72 er
rors and was second only
to Houston in all of MLB.
Milwaukee ranked 20th
with 84 errors. Atlanta also
sports the games best all
around infield in Freddy
Freeman, Ozzie Albies,
Continued on Page 4B