Pipe bust forces basketball schedule changes

Union County High School

A hyrdonic pipe burst in the sprinkler system outside of the Union County High School gymnasium caused administrators to make a quick decision with regard for the safety of students, spectators and school administration.  The East Hall High School basketball teams were scheduled to play at UCHS, but with water leaking and likely to freeze on the sidewalk outside the entrance of the facility; the decision to reschedule was an obvious choice.

“The pipe broke before East Hall got there,” UCHS athletic director Bryan Allison told TeamFYNSports Wednesday afternoon.  The good news:  It’s already been fixed.

The bad news?  Not necessarily bad – but the games have been rescheduled for tonight (Wed) at East Hall High School in Gainesville.  The varsity girls tip-off at 5pm, with the boys game following at 6:30pm.  TeamFYNSports will provide courtside coverage and a full story about the game will be up tomorrow.

After 10-0 start, Panthers season comes to disappointing end

Union County High School

The Panthers tipped off against North Hall @ 4:30 in the region tournament. The Panthers were looking to secure a playoff spot which a win would do. A loss would be the Panthers would not make the playoffs.

Both teams got off to a slow Q1 as the Panthers led 8-7 after Q1. Baggett led UC scorers with 3 in the first quarter.

The first half was one of the lowest scoring half’s UC had seen all season as they trailed 17-13. The Panthers were led by Drake with 4.

The Panthers grabbed a lead late in Q3 but couldn’t keep it as they trailed 31-30 at the end of the quarter. The Panthers were led by Baggett with 10.

Can. Colwell fouled out with a little over 4:00 left to play in Q4. The Panthers fell to the Trojans 50-42. UC was led by Baggett and Drake whom both had 15.

The Panthers fall to 16-9. The Panthers season is now over. This is only the second team in school history to ever start 10-0. Both teams that started 10-0 lost to Murphy in the 11th game and neither made the playoffs.

Sophomores Drake and Allison were both selected to the 7-AAA all region team which is voted on by the coaches. Cra. Colwell and Baggett were honorable mentions.

Drake led the Panthers with 13.0 points per game followed by Allison with 12.1. Drake did this despite missing 4 games with a knee injury.

Craw. Colwell and Drake both averaged 6 rebounds a game. Followed by Allison with 4.5.

Can. Colwell led the Panthers with assists per game averaging 2.8, followed by Allison with 2.4.

Drake also led the Panthers in steals per game with 2.9 followed by Allison with 2.4

Drake averaged 1.0 block per game followed by Waller with .5.

Panthers Wrestling: Tritt making history

Union County High School

Isaac Tritt made history last week.  With his 4th-place finish at the AAA Sectional wrestling tournament last weekend, Tritt became first person in Union County history to ever advance beyond Area competition.  He now has an opportunity to be the first Union County High School student to place at the state tournament.

Tritt started playing soccer when he was only four years old.  In the 7th grade, he began wrestling.  By his freshman year, he decided to dedicate 100% of his attention to the mat; and as a junior, his commitment is paying off.

 

Tritt wrestled in the 138-lb class his freshman year, before moving up to the 145-lb class last year.  The 7-lb weight gain has given him more strength in the clinch without sacrificing speed in scrambles or shots from outside.

TeamFYNSports asked Tritt how he’s handling the reality that he’s making history, and he said, “It feels great knowing I was able to pave the road to state. The hard work was definitely worth it.”

Tritt said the sport of wrestling has taught him more than just how to throw or pin someone – it’s built character.

“When life gets hard you just have to keep pushing forward, this is something the coaches have instilled in this program,”  Tritt told TeamFYNSports in a recent interview.

He said that he’s looking to push the pace of each match at the state tournament, and he is looking to dominate his opponents.  Recognizing that the Panthers wrestle in one of the toughest regions/areas in the state of Georgia, Tritt may see some familiar faces as he advances through the tournament this weekend.

TeamFYNSports would like to congratulate the Union County wrestling program and we wish Isaac Tritt all the best this weekend.

 

Union falls to Dawson County

Union County High School

The Lady Panthers tipped off at 4:30 Feb 7. The Lady Panthers looked to face a Dawson County Lady Tigers team that they had fell to twice already this season. A win for the Lady Panthers would secure the 4th spot in the region and a playoff berth, a loss would end the season.

The Lady Panthers got off to a sluggish and slow start as the Lady Tigers got off to a 10-0 run to start the game. The Lady Panthers found rhythm and followed that run up with a 9-0 run of their own. The Lady Panthers trialed 17-9 at the end of Q1 led by Daniel with 3.

The Lady Panthers continued with their Q1 rhythm as they grabbed a lead right before the half going on a 12-2 run as they led 21-19. Senior guard Daniel led the Lady Panthers with 11 in the first half.

The halftime break got the best of the Lady Panthers as they lost all rhythm and scored only 1 point during the first 5:20 of Q3, the Lady Panthers had 7 turnovers in that span of time. UC trailed 41-27 going into Q4.

The deficit seemed too much to overcome as the Lady Panthers trialed by as many as 18. The Lady Panthers season came to an end as they lost 41-53. Daniel led the Lady Panthers with 15 in her final game, Mccarter followed up with 12.

The Lady Panthers finished the season 15-10 under first year head coach Corey Garrett.

Daniel finished her high school career with over 1000 points and 2 all region selections. Mccarter was the only other Lady Panther to make the all region team. Hill was selected as an honorable mention.

Panthers celebrate senior night, fall to Tigers/Lady Tigers

Union County High School

The Lady Panthers tipped off at 7 following senior night at 6. The Lady Panthers had 2 seniors, Bailey Daniel and Grace Wischmeyer. Wischmeyer was limited to playing time this season due to a knee injury.

The Lady Panthers faced off against the Lady Tigers from Dawson County. The Lady Panthers fell to the Lady Tigers earlier in the season 54-42. The Lady Panthers looked to secure a spot in the playoffs with a win.

Mccarter led UC with 4 of the 9 points scored in the first quarter. The Lady Panthers trailed 11-9 after Q1.

The Lady Tigers used a 12-4 run to open Q2 to extend the halftime lead 32-21. Ade. Dockrey led the Lady Panthers with 4 points. The Lady Tigers also used a 9-1 run the close Q2.

The Lady Panthers fell behind majorly in the first half due to poor free throw shooting. The Lady Panthers shot only 35% from the line 6-17.

The Lady Tigers separates themselves over the course of Q3 with a score of 54-31. Hill led Lady Panthers scorers with 4.

The Lady Panthers fell 70-38 to the Lady Tigers. Sticker led the Lady Tigers with 25. Mccarter led the Lady Panthers with 8.

The Lady Panthers finish the 15-9 in the regular season. The Lady Panthers next game will be Wednesday Feb 7th, at East Hall facing off against Dawson in the first game of the region tournament.

The Panthers followed tipping off at 8:30.

The Panthers had several seniors, twins, Candler and Crawford Colwell, RJ Banton, Cole Davis, Timothy Patrick, and Patrick Baggett.

Cra. Colwell was only 6 points away from hitting his 1000th point. The Panthers trailed early 13-9 at the end of Q1 as they were led by Baggett who had 4.

The Panthers trailed 31-34 at the half. UC was led by Allison who has 3. Cra. Colwell with 1:38 left to play in Q2.

The Tigers used a 8-0 run to open Q3 as they led 45-34. DC was led by Reed with 5 and The Panthers were led by Davis with 4.

The Panthers would fall to the Tigers for the second time this season 59-47. The Panthers fall to 16-8. UC wad led by Baggett with 17. The Panthers will play @ East Hall Feb. 6th, I. The opening round of the region tournament. The Panthers will play North Hall.

Lady Panthers fall to North Hall, Panthers streak continues

TeamFYNSports
Courtside coverage by Isaiah Garrett, Union County Sports Writer
     On Friday, Dec 15, the Union County Panthers took the long road trip from Blairsville to Gainesville to take on the North Hall Trojans.  Unfortunately for the boys, the trip home most likely felt much longer than the ride prior to tip-off.
     The Lady Panthers knew they were in for a tough battle, as they were without their star center Kait Mccarter (#30) for this game.  Mccarter left some very large sneakers to fill and her absence proved to be a critical one, not only offensively but also under the bucket on defense.
     No strangers to victory, the Lady Trojans recognized Mccarter’s absence immediately and took pressure toward the basket with each possession, while also rushing inside defensively to crash the boards for rebounds.  The Lady Trojans were able to dominate possession of the ball and ultimately ran away with the game early.
     At the half, the Lady Panthers were already down 30-19.  Ultimately the Panthers lost 58-36, falling to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in Region 7-AAA, but the absence inside the box was the real loss as Union was out-rebounded 32-14. .  Offensively, skilled sophomore Andelin Hill led the way in the scorebook with 7 points in the game.
     For the boys game, the anxious and highly-motivated Panthers varsity started strong and were primed to win their seventh game in a row; their first in region play.  However, a technical foul against senior Crawford Colwell (#24) in the first quarter resulted in an ejection, and completely changed the dynamic of the game.  The Panthers’ bench would have to come together and step up to keep their perfect record alive.
     Thanks to some great coaching and a collaborative will to win, the Panthers would prevail.
     Union led 32-28 at the half, thanks to great hustle by the team on defense and a solid performance by sophomore Sawyer Drake (#14), who led the way with 11 points in the first half of play.
     Sophomores Pierson Allison (#21) and Sawyer Drake (#14) had a combined 40 points to lead the Panthers to a 52-49 victory over the Trojans and improve to 7-0 and 2-0 in the region.
     The next game will be Tuesday, Dec 19 as Union County fills the busses once again and hit the road, due south, for a non-region game against the Gilmer County Bobcats (Region 6-AAAA).
     Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

After losing only three seniors, Union baseball is loaded

UCHS Baseball

The Panthers look to improve after striking out on a 10-15 2017 season, and with a dugout full of experience returning this season, they’re chances are looking pretty good.

“The Panthers graduated only 3 players after the 2017 season,” third year head coach Robby Roxbury said in a recent interview with your TeamFYNSports reporter.  He added, “This team has a lot of potential and we’re looking on building momentum early in the season and riding on it throughout the season.”

This 2018 Panthers roster returns many starters and carries a deep bullpen into this season. Region 7-AAA is one of the more difficult regions in the state as North Hall won the state championship during the 2017 season and GAC advanced into the quarterfinals.

Coach Roxbury when asked about how this region stacks up replied, “You look at this region and say wow! This is easily one of the most talented and most difficult regions in the state. Just to show how talented this region is, North Hall placed 3rd in the region last year and went on to win the state championship.”

The Panthers look to lean on the senior leadership from this team as they will have 7 seniors. All 5 of the 7 seniors have played all 4 years at Union County.

When asking senior infielder Patrick Baggett on what he thought about the upcoming season: ‘“This has been the quickest 3 years of my life I can’t believe we’re already seniors I’ve played with these guys since t-ball. I think we will improve a lot in contrast to last year, I’m not going to lie it was a difficult year for all of us we hate losing.”

Baggett along with the rest of the players, coaches, and fans hope to see this team make a deep run in the playoffs.

Union County handles business, defeats Lumpkin varsity teams

Union County High School

Friday Jan 4, the Panthers faced off in a region matchup against the Lumpkin County Indians. The Lady Panthers tipped off at 7pm, the Lady Panthers got off to a hot start, taking a 12-3 lead as the first quarter came to a close.

The Lady Panthers continued to impress in the second quarter, led by sophomore center Kait Mccarter.  Mccarter nearly had a double-double in the first half, with 10 points scored and eight boards collected before the end of the first two quarters of play.

After halftime, the Lady Panthers showed no signs of letting up.  They went on a 10-3 run to end the third quarter with a score of 34-19 going into the fourth, a somewhat comfortable 15-pt lead.

The fourth quarter was a duplication of the previous three, demonstrated with an 11-2 run by the Lady Panthers, who at one point led by as many as 24.

The Lady Panthers top scorers were senior guard Bailey Daniel who had 19 (she is 7 points away from 1000!) and sophomore forward Kait Mccarter with 18 points and 14 rebounds.

The Lady Panthers improve to 10-4 and 3-1 in 7-AAA.  The next game will be Saturday, Jan 5, at Andrews (NC) at 5:30pm.

Varsity boys dominate in 76-54 win over Lumpkin County

The Panthers followed the Lady Panthers, tipping off at 8:30pm Friday night.

The varsity boys got off to a hot start, with starting forward Sawyer Drake scoring 12 straight points to put Union County up 23-17 after the first quarter of regulation.

Early in the second, however, tragedy struck as the super sophomore was forced to limp off the court in pain.  Preliminary reports speculate Drake suffered a torn meniscus, an injury that would certainly leave some large shoes to fill for the Panthers.

As the team regrouped, they continued to keep the momentum in their favor and led by as many as 17 in before heading to the locker room at halftime, leading by 13, 40-27.

The third quarter was much of the same, as the Panthers came out and went back to work.  They managed the ball well offensively, avoided unnecessary fouls,  and continued to apply pressure defensively; extending their lead at the end of the third by a score of 64-39. A large part of that effort offensively came from senior forward Crawford Colwell, who had produced 21 points going into the final quarter of play.

Union (12-2, 3-1) finished the game with a final score of 76-54. They traveled to Andrews (NC) on Saturday, full story to follow.

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

Panthers battle Indians for Region placements

UCHS Football

Tuesday Jan 30th played against the Lumpkin County Lady Indians. The Lady Panthers looked to complete the season sweep over the Lady Indians who sat in 5th place in the region. A win would secure a playoff spot. A win would put the Lady Panthers in place for a 3 way tie.

The Lady Panthers got off to a quick start against the Lady Indians. The Lady Panthers led 10-2 at the end of Q1. Mccarter led all scorers with 8 points.

A slow Q2 by the Lady Panthers put them ahead 19-16 at the half. The Lady Indians opened the quarter on a 8-0 run. The Lady Panthers were led by Mccarter who had 4.

Bailey Daniel led the Lady Panthers with 4 points in Q3. To extend the UC lead 28-27 over the Lady Indians.

The Lady Panthers would go on to win a tough fought game 36-33. Daniel made 2 free throws to seal the game. The Lady Panthers were led by Mccarter’s 14 and Daniel’s poured in 11.

The Lady Panthers are now in a 3 way tie for 2nd place with East Hall and Dawson. The Lady Panthers will play Dawson County Fri, Feb 2 for Senior Night (beginning at 6pm).

The Panthers followed, tipping off at 7:30pm. The Panthers got off to a hot scoring start as they led 14-11 at the end of Q1. The Panthers were led by Allison who scored 7 in the first.

The Panthers separated themselves over the course of Q2 as they led 38-26 at the half. Baggett led UC scorers in the second with 9 points.

Cra. Colwell went down with an injury with :02 left to play in the half as he got pushed down on the Indians inbound. He is believed to have a grade 2 LCL sprain. His status is uncertain for the next game.

Can. Colwell opened Q3 with 6 straight points himself to lead UC with 8 points in the quarter as The Panthers led 52-42 at the end of Q3.

Drake and Bagget led Panther scorers with 4 each in Q4. Drake fouled out with just under 3:00 left to play. The Panthers went on to win 66-58.

The Panthers were led by Allison 16 and Drake 13. The Panthers improve to 16-7 and 5-6 in region play. The Panthers next game will be against Dawson County Fri, Feb 2. It will be senior night as well. Senior night starts at 6pm.

Lady Panthers complete sweep, Panthers fall to East Hall

TeamFYNSports, Union County High School

Courtside coverage provided by Isaiah Garrett, TeamFYNSports:

Friday Jan 26th played East Hall and off in a 7-AAA matchup. The Lady Panthers looked to sweep the Lady Vikings in the regular season.

The Lady Panthers trailed 7-6 at the end of the first. UC was led by junior forward Jordan Rogers and center Kait Mccarter as they scored 2 each.

The Lady Panthers used a strong 2nd quarter as teams went back to back. There were 6 lead changes as the Lady Panthers led by as many as 9 to gain the lead 26-21. The Lady Panthers were led by Daniel who scored 9 in the first half.

Mccarter led the Lady Panthers with 8 points in Q3 and a 2 at the buzzer to give UC the lead 43-41. The Lady Vikings were led by Winters, she scored 12 points in Q3.

Hill led all Lady Panther scorers with 4 in the 4th as A. Dockrey fouls out with 4:32 left to play. The Lady Panthers won 61-53.

Senior Bailey Daniel led all Lady Panther scorers with 20 points. Hill and B. Dockrey followed with 8 points.

The Lady Panthers complete the season sweet over East Hall. They also improve to 14-8 and 5-5 in region 7-AAA.

The Lady Panthers next game will be Tues. Jan 30th @ Lumpkin County to play the Indians in a region 7-AAA matchup.

The Panthers followed by tipping off at 8:30. The Panthers looked to even the season series after falling the first time 77-61.

The Panthers got off to one of the coldest and most difficult first quarters they’d seen all season as they trailed 17-3 at the end of Q1.

UC faced a tough task but battled through to score 7 unanswered points going into the half trailing 30-20. The Panthers were led by Allison who had 5 points in Q2.

The Panthers opened the half on a 10-2 run to cut the m deficit 32-30. The Panthers rallied behind Allison’s 8 points to grab the lead late in Q3 43-39.

The Panthers took advantage of a couple fouls and a technical to score 6 straight free throw attempts to open Q4. The Vikings rallied back to tie it up at 47 with 3:29 left in regulation. East Hall capitalized on UC’s mistakes in the last few minutes of play as the Panthers were called for 2 charges and 2 travels in the final 3:00. The Vikings grabbed the lead 51-49 with ::47 left.

The Vikings would go on to win 55-49 as they complete the season sweep over the Panthers.  UC falls ro 15-7 and 4-6 in region 7-AAA.

The Panthers next game will be Tues. Jan 30th @ Lumpkin County to play the Indians in a region 7-AAA matchup.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]

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