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April 13,
2023
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mi LAW
OFFICE OF
NICOLE L.
McArthur
CRIMINAL DEFENSE • DUI
ACCIDENTS’INJURY
706-253-9000
PHS Baseball continues amazing season with
three game sweep of Dawson
Sports
Fanatic
Team poised for state tournament
Impressive
pitching and
timely hitting
key to matchup
The Pickens baseball team
continued to roll along last
week with a key Region 7-
AAA three-game sweep over
the Dawson Tigers. By doing
so, the Dragons assured
themselves a place in the
GHSA state playoffs begin
ning in late April. In addition,
Pickens has positioned itself
to host a minimum of one se
ries with the possibility of
hosting multiple rounds.
With the sweep, the Drag
ons pushed their school-
record win streak to
15-consecutive games and
upped their program record
for most wins in a season to
a 22-3 overall record and a
14-1 mark in region play.
Pickens and Dawson
locked up for three consecu
tive nights last week due to a
forecast of heavy rain late in
the week.
The altered schedule
didn’t seem to bother the
Dragons as they continued to
flash impressive pitching and
timely hitting to take the first
game of the series, 5-3. Jun
ior pitcher Connor Shouse
upped his record to 7-1 on the
season by pitching five in
nings while scattering four
hits and two runs and striking
out six.
Junior J.P. Nunn pitched
the final two innings with
three strikeouts to earn his
fourth save of the season.
Junior outfielder Trey Payne
led the offense with three hits
and a run scored while also
knocking in three runs.
The Dragons traveled to
Dawson for the series’ sec
ond game and the offense
stepped to the forefront in the
7-3 victory. Pickens banged
out 11 hits on the night as
freshman A.J. Rice blasted a
pair of doubles on the way to
three hits, three runs scored
and two driven in. Sopho
more outfielder Dawson Hol
land and senior second
baseman Evan Giddens each
had two hits and a run scored
while senior designated hitter
Harlan Will got the scoring
started with a long home run
to lead off the second inning.
Junior pitcher James
Tilley continued his winning
ways on the mound with six
innings of work and allowing
three runs while striking out
10 Tigers. The victory upped
Tilley’s mark to 6-0 on the
year.
The series finale was back
at Pickens on Thursday night
and the Dragons wrapped up
the series in impressive fash
ion with a 3-0 shutout win.
Rice stole the show with a
Varsity Pickens Diamond Dragons Photo/Cady Studios
complete game effort on the
mound while throwing only
84 pitches.
The right-hander struck
out a school-record 12 batters
and allowed only four hits
and no walks. The victory
pushed his record to 7-0 for
the season. The offense
posted seven hits on the night
with junior first baseman
Trace Ledbetter and senior
outfielder Colby Brooks each
notching two hits for the
game.
Pickens will conclude its
region season this week with
a three-game set versus
Lumpkin County.
Pickens will travel to
Lumpkin on Tuesday (April
11) and on Friday (April 14).
The Dragons will play host
to the Indians on Thursday
(April 13). All three games
are scheduled for 6 p.m. start
times.
Senior designated hitter
Harlan Will got the scoring
started in a game against
Dawson with a long home
run to lead off the second in
ning.
PHS Golf teams tee off second half of season
The Pickens golf teams have got
ten off to a solid start for the 2023
season. The boys team is currently
3-3 in match play. They hold victo
ries over Gilmer, Fannin and North
west. In tournaments, the boys
placed 11th at the LaFayette Tour
nament and 9th at the Creekview In
vitational.
The Nettes golf team is also off
to a good start. Their match record
is 6-0 with wins over Calhoun, Fan
nin, Northwest, Dawson, Sonorav-
ille, Gilmer, and Creekview. The
Nettes finished 3rd at their only
tournament for the season.
For the second half of the season,
both teams will have multiple
matches at Bent Tree Golf Course.
Come out and support the golf
teams at one of the following
matches. All matches start at 3:30.
April 18th: Denmark and Daw
son.
April 26th: Northwest Whitfield
(Senior Recognition at 3:20 p.m.)
2023 PHS Golf Team
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By
Tommy
Gartrell
Columnist
“One To
Watch”
Even the very casual
golf fan like me enjoys the
pageantry, tradition and
beauty of the Masters Golf
Tournament. The annual
spring ritual seldom disap
points, and this year’s
event featured countless
milestones, storylines and
drama. One participant
caught my eye though.
From the ceremonial
opening drives by legends
Gary Player, Tom Watson
and Jack Nicklaus to the
grueling 30 hole finish on
Sunday and four stroke
comeback victory by Jon
Rahm, we are left with
many indelible images. We
saw Tiger Woods withdraw
early after hobbling in ob
vious agony throughout his
storm drenched third
round.
How many of you no
ticed the kid in the pink
shirt on Sunday though?
That youngster who’s
name is Sam Bennett, fin
ished tied in 16th place. Or
dinarily, we might not find
his accomplishment re
markable at all save for the
fact that he is an amateur
player. He shot -8 through
the first 36 holes but faded
to still salvage -2 overall.
That finish earned him
the Silver Cup, which is
given to the amateur with
the lowest score but the 23
year old Texan remains in
eligible for the 16th place
purse of $261,000 due to
his amateur status. Bennett
who is a senior at Texas
A&M might can in on mul
tiple NIL (name, image and
likeness deals though.
His score ranks fifth
lowest in an amateur in the
Masters yet he fell two
strokes shy of an automatic
bit for the 2024 tourna
ment.
Still, get used to the
name Sam Bennett because
I suspect that he is destined
to become one of the top
PGA Tour golfers very
soon.
Got a cool hobby or play an
interesting sport?
Contact us with your stories and photos
at 706-254-2457 or email us
articles@pickensprogress.com
Racing Across America
Race Recap - 2023 Food City Dirt Race
By Scott Korowotny
Back at Bristol. After coming off a
great short track race at Richmond, did
Dirt Bristol provide a race similar in
quality to Richmond or provide a very
boring race instead?
The race started at 7:17 p.m. with
Larson on pole. This race had a lot of
spins in it, due to the dirt surface and
three of them came in the first stage due
to self-spins by Wallace, Keselowski,
Grafton. This didn’t stop Larson from
leading every lap in Stage 1 and win
ning the stage. Stage 2 started with
Reddick now at front due to not coming
in to pit during the stage break. Red
dick would be able to hold onto the
lead for all of Stage 2, despite many
more spins happening throughout the
stage, until with 16 to go in Stage 2
when Busch would be able to slide in
front of him to take the lead, he looked
like he would win the stage until he slid
up the track in turn 4, which allowed
Reddick to take the lead back and win
Stage 2. Stage 3 started with Bell now
the leader due to staying out during the
stage break. Bell continued to hold onto
the lead, but Reddick would start to
close in on Bell for the lead towards the
end of the race. It looked to be a good
battle for the win during a long green
flag run at the end of the race until with
16 to go, Busch would spin out in turn
4. On the last restart, Bell held the lead
and would hold on to win the race
when the caution flew on the final lap
for drivers like Berry and Chastain
wrecking.
As for how the race was, it was a
Continued on Page 5B
The 3rd Annual CARES Spring Golf Classic
presented by Trinity Custom Homes
Thursday May 4 in Bent Tree!! Register and/or sponsor at www.caresforpickens.com.