The Union Win Streak Ends at 6
FYNTV, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football October 30, 2022
Unfortunate news for Panthers fans as their six game win streak has come to an end. The Panthers were shut down on both sides of the ball this last Friday night as the Athens Academy Spartans took this one 38-7. This was a big win for the Spartans as they now find themselves second in the region standings. Union was outgained by just 95 yards despite the big 31-point loss. Two huge Pick-6’s really put this game away late.
Team Notes
After dominating over the course of the season, QB Caiden Tanner was stifled in this one. He was just 16/30 for 160 yards and threw two interceptions. He did record a TD on the ground but finished the game with -7 yards. Connor Schuknecht led the team with 50 yards on the ground on 11 carries. WR Jensen Goble led the WR room with 68 yards on six catches while Griff Young and Ethan McBride both finished with 35 yards on four catches. Union’s offense had one of their worst performances of the season as they finished with just 225 yards of total offense. The defense failed as well as the 38 points allowed were the second most, they have allowed in a game all season.
Photo from Union County QB Club Facebook page
Athens Academy showed up big and now sit ahead of Union in the region standings. Senior Sam Bush had himself a night throwing for 79 yards and a TD while leading the ground attack finishing with 104 yards on just nine carries and another TD. Tre Hawkins had a good night as well as he finished with 76 yards on 14 carries and another TD. Preston Darden led the team in receiving yards with 62 yards on two catches and a touchdown.
Look Ahead
Union’s offense will need to show up next week as they will host Fellowship Christian 6-3 (4-0). The Paladins are undefeated in region play, but a win for the Panthers could create an interesting three-way tie if Athens win as well. The Spartans will travel to East Jackson to take on a tough Eagles defense to end the regular season.
Union storms into Hiawassee and blows out the Indians
Team FYN Sports, UCHS Football, Union County High School September 5, 2022
Photos courtesy of Union County Schools Facebook page
The Union County Panthers move to 2-1 on the season after blowing out Towns County 42-7 on Friday night. The Panthers were led by a trio of juniors on offense in this one as QB Caiden Tanner, RB Braylen Rader, and WR Jensen Goble led the Panthers to this big victory. Union’s defense does deserve the spotlight however, as they totaled 18 TFLs, and were credited with 19 QB hurries, while also forcing 3 turnovers.
Team Notes
It was all Union all game. They outgained the Indians by 158 yards and finished the game scoring 35 unanswered points while shutting out Towns in the second half. As mentioned, the offense was led by the trio of juniors; Tanner was 20/29 for 190 yards and 3 TDs, Rader totaled 125 yards and 2 TDs on 18 carries and averaged 6.9 YPC, and Goble had 88 receiving yards and a TD on 5 receptions. WR’s Griff Young and Zach Taylor caught the other two TD passes, while Connor Schuknecht added a TD on the ground. The defense however deserves most of the attention as they held Towns to just 210 yards and the one early score. Led by Elijah Helton, who led the team in tackles (12), the Panthers were all over the backfield in this one. They had 4 different players who each got 3 TFLs and Taylor Whitehead added 9 more tackles and 3 PDs. The Panthers should carry over a lot of momentum into next week after this blowout win.
Towns was happy to see the clock hit 0 as they were unable to get anything done in this one. They were held to only 53 yards on the ground and totaled only 8 first downs in this one, going 3-13 on 3rd downs. Neither Maxpreps nor Hudl had individual stats posted for Towns County.
Look Ahead
Union will travel to Rome to take on the 2-0 Armuchee Indians who are coming off a Bye Week after squeaking out two wins by a total of 7 points combined. As for Towns they will welcome their upcoming Bye Week this week as they look to fix up the defense before heading to Rome to take on Coosa (1-2) on 09/16.
Panther fall @ East Hall 1-0, suffer 1st loss of season
Sports, Team FYN Sports, UCHS Soccer March 11, 2021
Gainesville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers (4-0,3-0) travel to East Hall to face the Vikings (5-1-1). The Panthers hope to keep the offensive dominance rolling against a very talented East Hall team.
The Panthers offense was quiet but Senior Goalkeeper Aaron Helton and the Panther defense was very busy. Helton only allowed 1 goal all night. Credit to Helton and the whole Panther defense for not letting the Vikings get any good looks throughout the entire game. In the middle of the first half, Helton made a huge save to keep the game tied at 0. With less than a minute to go in the half, Helton suffered a leg injury and had to leave the game. Helton did return in the second half. The game was tied 0-0 at the half. The Vikings kept possession for most of the first half. The Panthers were fatigued from the previous game the night before @ Rabun County. Early in the second half, the Vikings would score to take a 1-0 lead. That was the first goal Helton has given up through the first few games this season. The Panthers started to get some good looks on offense and gain some moemnetum. Junior Kyler Robbins would barely miss his attempted header off of a corner kick. With less than a minute left in the game, Robbins would barely miss another header off of another corner kick. The Panthers failed to tie the game. The Panthers suffer their first lost of the season as they fall 1-0 to East Hall. The Panthers are now 4-1 on the season. The Panthers will travel to Riverside Military Academy on Tuesday March 16.
Panthers track team dominates at Dawson County
Sports, Team FYN Sports, UCHS Track, Union County Panthers March 8, 2021
Dawsonville, Georgia- The Union County Track team traveled to compete at Dawson County against Dawson & Gilmer County. The Panthers dominated in all events. The Panthers had multiple first and second place finishes. Both Boys and Girls teams ended the night with the highest team scores.
Union Girls- 1st Place 
Girls Shot Put- Trinity Queen 2nd Place
Girls Discus- B Kennedy First Place
Girls Long Jump- Mia McCombs 2nd Place
Girls Triple Jump- C Silver 1st Place
High Jump- Riley Allison 2nd Place
Girls 400- Riley Allison 2nd Place
Girls 100 & 200- Lexi Sisum 1st Place
Girls 800- Hana Gregory 2nd Place
4×800 Relay – 1st Place
4×100 Relay- 1st Place
4×400- 2nd Place
Union Boys- 1st Place 
Boys Shot Put & Discus- Noah Underwood 1st Place
Boys Long Jump & Triple Jump- Riley Thomas- 1st Place
Boys 1600- Hunter Hartzog- 1st Place
Boys 400- Brady Guild- 2nd Place
Boys 100- Elliot Stepps- 1st Place
Boys 800- Hunter Hartzog- 2nd Place
Boys 200- Elliot Stepps- 1st Place
Boys 300 LH- Damon Wallace- 2nd Place
Boys 3200- Luke Gambrell- 2nd Place
Boys 4×800 Relay- 2nd Place
Boys 4×100 Relay- 1st Place
Boys 4×400 Relay- 2nd Place
Panthers fall to Rebels after huge early lead, 50-49
Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers December 13, 2020
Blue Ridge, Georgia- The Union County Panthers (0-3) traveled to Blue Ridge to face the Fannin County Rebels (2-2) on Saturday. The last 2 games for the Panthers were canceled due to the visiting teams having COVID issues.
First Half
To begin the game, everything was going the Panthers way, going up 19-0 very very quickly, led by Junior Landon Kight, Senior Kaston Hemphill and Junior Lake Hughes. Before you knew it, the Rebels came storming back and cut the lead to 6 to end the first quarter with almost each player on the court for Fannin scoring during the 14-1 scoring run by the Rebels. The Panthers led 20-14 to end the first quarter. To begin the 2nd quarter, the Rebels would quickly tie the game at 20 within the first minute of the half. The Panthers were turning the ball over, forcing passes and playing a little anxious once the Rebels stormed back to tie the game. Both teams were playing strong defense throughout the quarter and the Panthers were starting to turn the ball over more. The Panthers were doing a great job at drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. Even as the Panthers fell behind as the Rebels were scoring quickly, the Panthers kept battling. Lake Hughes and Landon Cox made some huge shots to take the lead before the end of the half. The Panthers led 30-28 at the break.
Second Half
To begin the second half, the Panthers struggled on offense due to turnovers and some costly fouls. The Panthers hit some huge threes by Sophomore Eli Underwood and Junior Austin Taylor. The whole second half was extremely physical, as it was close the whole entire half. Hughes would hit another huge three to put the Panthers ahead late in the 3rd quarter. To end the 3rd quarter the Panthers led 42-40. To begin the 4th, Junior Landon Cox had a huge steal and score. The whole fourth quarter was a defensive battle as each team knows each other very well and they all battled to the end. The Rebels took a 2 point lead with 3 minutes left to go in the 4th quarter. After both teams played great defense, the Rebels led by 1 with less than a minute remaining. The Panthers were forced to foul to make the Rebels go to the free throw line and have a chance to get the ball back and win the game. The Rebels would miss the free throw and the Panthers would call timeout at half court to draw up a play with 3 seconds remaining. Junior Caleb John would pass it to Junior Daniel Snow at the top of the paint and he would miss the game winning shot. He had it made if he just put a little bit more muscle into the shot. The Panthers fall to the Rebels 50-49 as the Panthers fall to 0-4. This was an all out battle for this young Panthers team and something they will learn from as they have played some very talented teams to start the season.
Panthers fall 31-28 as season comes to an end at Heard County
Featured Stories, Sports, Team FYN Sports, Union County High School, Union County Panthers November 30, 2020
Franklin, Georgia- The Union County Panthers (4-6) traveled to Franklin, Georgia to face the Heard County Braves (7-4) in the first round of the GHSA AA State Playoffs.
The Panthers had a tough task ahead as Heard had a lot of speed and Chief Borders, a 6’3, 230 LB, 2021 University of Florida commit.
First Quarter
The Panthers started off on defense and the Braves quickly picked up some first downs. The Braves completed a quick 37 yard pass to Senior Ayden Cannon to get them inside the Panthers 20 yard line and scored on the very next play to go up 7-0, early in the first quarter. Jonah Daniel got things going early and woke everyone up with a quick 17 yard reception as he ran over a defender. Carson Walker also got things going early with a quick carry for another first down. The Panthers had the ground game going on the first drive as 3 of their first downs were on rushing plays. Kaston Hemphill completed a 25 yard pass to Junior Keyton Chitwood to put the Panthers inside the Braves 20 yard line. Daniel almost scored and put the Panthers inside the 2 yard line and on the next play, Junior Carson Walker would score on a 2 yard run to tie it at 7. The Braves were moving the ball with ease as the Panthers were missing easy tackles due to the quickness of Senior Running-back Ashton Bonner. Bonner would lead the drive and score on a 1 yard rush to put the Braves ahead 14-7. The Panthers offense wouldn’t get anything going as the Braves defense was sniffing everything out and sacked Hemphill for a big loss. The Braves would quickly get the ball inside Panther territory as Quarterback Maurice Fench completed a 45 yard pass to Junior Receiver Isaiah O’neil. Junior Cornerback Eli Peugh played the pass well, but it was a perfectly placed pass. The Braves would score on a 24 yard pass to Michael Whitten to put the Braves up 21-7. The Panthers offense would punt the ball back to the Braves after a quick 3 yard rush and 2 straight incompletions.
Second Quarter
The Panther defense would get 2 huge tackles on first & second down, with a huge sack by Sophomore Gage Barnes. On the very next play, the Braves called the perfect play at the right time. They ran a bubble screen to Bonner and he took it 79 yards for a touchdown. The Braves led 28-7. The Panthers started moving the ball again on offense with some quick passes for big first downs. Daniel picked up a huge first down to keep the Panthers drive alive. Daniel also hurdled a man as he put the Panthers inside the Braves 10 yard line, giving the Panthers some momentum. Hemphill found Senior Noah Underwood on a 5 yard pass as he bounced off the attempted tackle to make the score 28-14. Just as the Braves were trying to hurry down the field and get some extra points, Hemphill would intercept the pass and take it down to the Braves 37 yard line. Hemphill would find Noah Underwood and Underwood would take it inside the Braves 10 yard line with less than 30 seconds left in the half. The Panthers would run a reverse pass play and throw the short pass to get inside the 2 yard line but would get called for a penalty. The Panthers would kick a field goal and make it 28-17 at halftime.
Third Quarter
The Panthers would start the second half with the ball and quickly pick up some first downs as they were balancing the run and the pass. The Panthers offense would stall around midfield and be forced to punt. The Panthers defense would start playing like they have all season to start the second half. Sophomore Elijah Helton would make a key tackle for loss on 3rd and short to force the Braves to punt. Daniel would pick up a first down on the first play of the drive as he was having the best game he has had all year. The Panthers offense was fighting for any extra yards they could get to keep the ball moving and pick up key first downs. Just as the Panthers offense was gaining the momentum, the Braves brought pressure on 3 straight plays to force the Panthers to try a long field goal. Mason McCombs would nail the 43 yard field goal to make it 28-20. The Panthers special teams made some huge tackles throughout the game to keep the Braves from attempting any big gains on returns. The Braves offense would go back to passing the ball and quickly move deep into Panther territory.
Fourth Quarter
The Braves would get inside the Panther 5 yard line but be pushed all the way back to the 30 yard line due to penalties. The Panthers defense did a great job of holding the Braves out of the end zone and hold them to a field goal. The Field Goal was good and the Braves extended their lead to 31-20. Hemphill would attempt a deep pass on first down and it would be intercepted, but as Bonner would attempt to run it back, Junior Trace Wright would strip the ball and the Panthers would recover and regain possession. The Panthers would pick up a huge first down to keep the drive alive around the Braves 45 yard line as Noah Underwood would fight for extra yards. On the next play, Hemphill would find Chitwood on a 34 yard pass to put the Panthers inside the Braves 15 yard line. On second down, Walker would score on a 6 yard rush to make it 31-26. The Panthers went for a 2 point conversion and would be successful, to make the score 31-28 with 4 minutes remaining. The Panthers would get a key stop on second down as Bonner was forced out of bounds but Noah Underwood was called for a late hit, which gave the Braves an automatic first down. The Panthers were going to have to use the rest of their timeouts and stop the Braves to give their offense a chance to get back on the field to tie or win the game. The Braves would pick up a first down and run the clock out and go on to win the game 31-28. After a hard fought game, the Panthers season comes to and end. The Panthers have a lot to be proud of as they fought back hard and had a chance to win the game against a very talented Heard County Team.
Panthers fall to Indians 63-37 in first game of season
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports November 30, 2020
Blairsville, Georgia- On Tuesday night, the Union County Panthers hosted the Towns County Indians for both teams’ first game of the season. The Panthers lost a lot of key seniors but have a lot of younger players that have a lot of experience from last year. The Indians have gained some additional players due to North Carolina canceling fall sports. Expect to see the Indians do some big things this year.
To begin the game, both teams turned the ball over twice. Union got on the board first with Junior Landon Kight making both free throws. Towns came right back down the court and tied it with a layup and took the lead with the and-1 free-throw by Junior Jake McTaggert. Towns would stay attacking the basket but miss their next few shots. Kight made a nice move in the post to get the and-1 layup to put the Panthers up 5-3. On the next possession, McTaggert would block a layup and on a fast break, Junior Caleb John would have a huge block on the other end. McTaggert would score on the inbound play to tie it 5-5. The Indians would go up 8-5 and just as the buzzer went off, John would hit a huge 3 to tie things at 8 a piece to end the first quarter. It was a huge defensive battle with each team only allowing 8 points through the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Panthers kept things close during the beginning of the quarter but the Indians would slowly pull away, led by Senior Kabe Ellis and Senior Colton Day, with Ellis scoring 11 points and Day scoring 6. The Indians went on an 11-0 run to end the half. The Indians were up at the half 31-20. To start the 3rd quarter, the Indians would come out firing scoring 4 quick points and going up 16 points quick. The Indians would end up outscoring the Panthers 15-10 in the 3rd. The same would happen in the fourth, the Indians would keep their foot on the gas and go onto win 63-37. The Panthers fall to 0-1. The Panthers were led by Junior Caleb John and Junior Landon Kight.
The Panthers will host Gilmer County on Tuesday, December 1st.
Panthers fall to Indians 63-37 in first game of season
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports November 25, 2020
Blairsville, Georgia- On Tuesday night, the Union County Panthers hosted the Towns County Indians for both teams’ first game of the season. The Panthers lost a lot of key seniors but have a lot of younger players that have a lot of experience from last year. The Indians have gained some additional players due to North Carolina canceling fall sports. Expect to see the Indians do some big things this year.
To begin the game, both teams turned the ball over twice. Union got on the board first with Junior Landon Kight making both free throws. Towns came right back down the court and tied it with a layup and took the lead with the and-1 free-throw by Junior Jake McTaggert. Towns would stay attacking the basket but miss their next few shots. Kight made a nice move in the post to get the and-1 layup to put the Panthers up 5-3. On the next possession, McTaggert would block a layup and on a fast break, Junior Caleb John would have a huge block on the other end. McTaggert would score on the inbound play to tie it 5-5. The Indians would go up 8-5 and just as the buzzer went off, John would hit a huge 3 to tie things at 8 a piece to end the first quarter. It was a huge defensive battle with each team only allowing 8 points through the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Panthers kept things close during the beginning of the quarter but the Indians would slowly pull away, led by Senior Kabe Ellis and Senior Colton Day, with Ellis scoring 11 points and Day scoring 6. The Indians went on an 11-0 run to end the half. The Indians were up at the half 31-20. To start the 3rd quarter, the Indians would come out firing scoring 4 quick points and going up 16 points quick. The Indians would end up outscoring the Panthers 15-10 in the 3rd. The same would happen in the fourth, the Indians would keep their foot on the gas and go onto win 63-37. The Panthers fall to 0-1. The Panthers were led by Junior Caleb John and Junior Landon Kight.
The Panthers will host Gilmer County on Tuesday, December 1st.
Panthers back in win column, beat Gilmer 7-0 on Thursday Night
Featured Stories, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports November 20, 2020
Ellijay, GA– The Union County Panthers(3-5) travelled to Gilmer County(3-5), home of the Bobcats. The Panthers heading into this game hoping to get a win and to gain momentum before heading into the playoffs.
The Panthers are getting back Starting Quarterback Logan Helcher and Running-back Jonah Daniel. The Bobcats are led by Junior Running-back Kobe Stonecipher and Senior Linebacker Ashton White.
First Quarter
The Bobcats would get the ball to start the game and would move the ball down the field very slowly. They would keep the ball for about 9 minutes in the 1st quarter. The Bobcats would take the ball all the way to the Panthers 25 yard line and fail to convert on 4th down. The Panthers would start the drive off with an 8 yard run by Helcher but fail to get anything else going after a holding penalty on 2nd down. The Bobcats would run one play to end the very quick 1st quarter.
Second Quarter
On the first play of the second quarter, Senior Noah Underwood would force a fumble around the Bobcats 40 yard line and Junior Trace Wright would recover the fumble. The Panthers would put Senior Kaston Hemphill in to give Helcher a breather as he is still recovering from an injury he suffered against Rabun Gap. The Panthers would fail to get a first down and punt the ball back to the Bobcats. The Panthers stuffed the run on the first 2 plays but were called for targeting on the 2nd down play. On the next play, Senior cornerback JJ Littles would intercept a pass at midfield, credit to Senior linebacker Hunter Young for getting his hands on the ball and causing the ball to be tipped and caught. On the first play of the Panthers offensive drive, Helcher suffered, what appeared to be a shoulder injury, which would sideline him for the rest of the game. The Panthers would pick up some quick first downs with some good hard runs by Junior Carson Walker. The Panthers would score on a 4 yard touchdown run by Senior Jonah Daniel and go up 7-0. The Bobcats would pick up a quick 1st down but the Panthers defense would stuff the run again and pick up a key tackle for loss by Senior Noah Underwood & Senior Aaron Helton. The Bobcats would punt pin the Panthers down at their own 5 yard line. The Panthers offense would fail to get a first down. The Bobcats would pick up a quick first down on a reverse play and quickly go deep into Panther territory. Senior JJ Liitles would make a great play to break up the pass at the goal line. The Panthers would hold the Bobcats to a field goal, that was missed with 20 seconds left to go in the half.
Third Quarter
The Panthers would start the second half on offense and would quickly pick up 2 first downs, sticking with the ground game. The Panthers offense would stall after that and would have to punt the ball away again. The Panthers defense would stand strong and sack the end around pass play on 3rd down and force another punt. The Panthers would start their drives in the 2nd half quickly picking up first downs but would quickly stall out. The Panthers had a chance to score on a deep pass to Senior Mason McCombs but McCombs was tripped up near the end zone before catching it. There was a penalty thrown for pass interference but was waved off. The pass was intercepted and the Bobcats took over at their own 15 yard line. The Bobcats would get a good drive going but the Panthers defense would stand strong to end the 3rd quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Panthers defense would force another punt to start the 4th quarter. The Panthers would pick up a big first down on the first play of the drive by Hemphill on a Quarterback keeper. The Panthers would have to punt again but they would pin the Bobcats inside their own 5 yard line. The Bobcats would run the same play from the same formation about 5 times in a row and catch the Panthers off guard with a QB keeper off the same play and pick up about 34 yards. Eli Peugh would make a huge tackle on 3rd and 10 and force the Bobcats to go for it on 4th down. On 4th down, the Bobcats would try to run a trick play and it was read quickly by Senior Clayton Lester. The Panthers offense finally got a big play and a penalty added to the end of it. The Panthers would drive all the way to the Bobcat 14 yard line but failed to covert on a 4th and 3 with 2:40 left in the 4th quarter. The Bobcats would quickly get to midfield on a 30 yard pass. The Panthers defensive backs had a bunch of opportunities to intercept multiple passes and end the game during this drive. The Panthers would force the Bobcats to go for it on 4th and inches but would pick up the 1st down. On 3rd and 10, JJ Littles would intercept the ball but it would be called back on a questionable pass interference call. The Panther defense would keep the Bobcats out of the end zone and hold on to win, 7-0.
The Panthers will finish 3rd in Region 8-AA and move on to the GHSA State Playoffs. They do not know who they will face yet, but they will matchup with Region 5-AA and face the 2nd place team out of that region. They will play next Friday November 27.
Offense struggles as Panthers fall to Elbert County.
Sports, Team FYN Sports November 1, 2020
BLAIRSVILLE, GA- The Union County Panthers (3-2,1-0) hosted The Elbert County Blue Devils (1-4,0-0) on a chilly night in the mountains.
First Quarter
The Blue Devils offense came out firing, pushing the ball all the way to the Panthers’ 35 yard line. The Panthers defense ended up forcing a punt. The Panthers offense, still trying to find an identity, started the game on the right foot. Huge rushes by Senior Running-back Jonah Daniel led the Panthers on the first drive. The Panthers had the ball on the 8 yard line and fumbled on the 1 as Junior Quarterback Logan Helcher tried to reach for the goal line. The Panthers defense held up strong forcing the Blue Devils to punt from their own end zone.
Second Quarter
The Panthers defense again held the Blue Devils to another punt. The defense had huge tackles for loss by Senior Noah Underwood and Senior Aaron Helton. The Panthers just couldn’t get anything going offensively, failing the 4th down conversion inside the Blue Devils 20 yard line. Both teams could not get anything going offensively, credit to both defenses for not allowing any big plays after both teams’ first drive. The Panthers held the Blue Devils to another punt, which was blocked by Junior Elijah Helton and the Panthers took over from the Blue Devils 45 yard line. On the first play of the drive, the Blue Devils intercepted Quarterback Logan Helcher and returned it for a touchdown. The next drive ended the same way. Logan Helcher’s pass was intercepted on an attempted screen pass. The Panthers defense held the Blue Devils to a field goal to make the score 10-0 late in the second quarter. The Panthers failed to score any points before halftime.
Third Quarter
To start the second half, the Panthers came out moving the ball down the field. Getting the ball down to the Blue Devils 12 yard line after the Blue Devils committed a pass interference on a deep pass intended for Kaston Hemphill. The Panthers would have to settle for a field goal which made the score 10-3. The Panthers defense forced a much needed turnover. Noah Underwood sacked the QB and picked up the fumble near midfield. On the first play of the Panthers offensive drive, Quarterback Logan Helcher evaded tackles and found Noah Underwood for a 40 yard touchdown to tie the game at 10 a piece. The Blue Devils started to move the ball well on offense, taking the ball all the way to the Panthers 35 yard line, but the Panthers defense stopped the drive there. The Blue Devils would again, intercept another pass and return it all the way to the 5 yard line and score on a 7 yard pass after a penalty, to take the lead, 17-10. The Panthers would get the ball moving well again offensively heading into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter
On the first play of the fourth quarter, The Blue Devils would intercept another pass as Quarterback Logan Helcher would try to get rid of the ball while getting hit. The Blue Devils would return it for a touchdown to extend their lead to 24-10. The Panthers offense couldn’t get going on the next drive and failed to convert on 4th down inside their own 30 yard line after a mistimed snap. The Panthers defense didn’t allow any points on that drive and forced another punt. The Panthers were forced to punt on their next offensive drive. The Blue Devils would quickly score on their next drive on a 47 yard touchdown run, extending their lead to 31-10. The Blue Devils would hold the ball until the clock ran out to end the game.
The Panthers fall to the Blue Devils, 31-10. That gives the Panthers their first region loss of the year.
The Panthers will host Rabun Gap on Thursday, November 6 @ 6:30.
Defense leads the way for the Panthers first region win against Banks
Featured Stories, Sports, Team FYN Sports October 25, 2020
HOMER, GA- The defense was key for the Panthers as they hold on to beat Banks County 19-7. The Panthers struggled on offense but made the right plays at the right time to seal the victory.
This was the first region matchup for both Union County (3-2,1-0) & Banks County (1-6,0-1). Union had not played a game in 2 weeks due to one of their games being cancelled because of COVID-19 and then one week was their bye week. Banks County had lost to Haralson County last week, 44-0. Both teams have played Commerce & Fannin County and had both lost to each team.
1st Quarter
The Panthers got off to a great start defensively led by senior Aaron Helton who had a big tackle for loss on the first drive and a sack on the second drive. (0:00-17:00) The Panthers struggled to move the ball most of the first quarter, mostly due to not playing the last 2 weeks. The Panthers defense held their ground all of the first quarter, not giving the Leopards a chance to get anything going offensively.
2nd Quarter
The Panthers had 2 quick turnovers, each happening on the first play of each drive, giving the Leopards great field position after each turnover. The Panthers did get the ball right back after the second turnover, the Leopards also fumbled on the first play of their drive. (18:00-29:00) That really lit a spark for the Panthers offense knowing that they can play better and getting a chance to prove it on this drive. On the second play of the drive, Junior Quarterback Logan Helcher ran a read option play and kept the ball and taking it 66 yards to the house. (30:00-49:00) The Panthers missed the PAT to maker it 6-0. After that, give credit to the Panthers defense, forcing the Leopards into some mistakes and forced another punt. The Panthers offense stalled out again going into halftime up 6-0.
3rd Quarter
The Panthers got the ball to start the second half and got off to a hot start running the hurry up offense. Gaining lots of yards each play and spreading the ball all around the field. Junior Quarterback Logan Helcher running for a gain of 30+ yards (0:50-1:01) and throwing a long pass to Junior Wide Receiver Keaton Chitwood.(1:02-1:13) The Panthers capped off the drive with a 1 yard touchdown by Senior Running back Jonah Daniel, his first of the season, in his first game back after breaking his ankle in week 1 against Fannin County. (1:14-1:26) Union County missed yet another PAT but still held the lead, 12-0. Again, the Panthers defense held the Leopards to a punt after letting up a few first downs. The Panthers drive ended on another turnover as Quarterback Logan Helcher threw his second interception of the game.
4th Quarter
The Leopards gave the ball right back to the Panthers, bobbling a handoff that was recovered by Senior Kaston Hemphill. (1:28-1:39) The Leopards would get the ball back after a 3 and out by The Panthers and finally get the ball rolling on offense. The Leopards stuck with the run game and caught the Panthers by surprise with a counter play on a 36 yard touchdown. The Panthers had another 3 and out on the next drive and the Leopards had the ball mid 4th quarter with the chance to take to the lead. The Panthers defense held strong and forced the Leopards to go for it on 4th down. On 4th down Senior JJ Littles made a great defensive play, breaking up the double-pass. (1:40-1:53) The Panthers took over deep in Leopard territory and scored on a 24 yard screen play to senior Jonah Daniel on 4th down with 1:36 left to seal the victory for the Panthers. (1:54-2:14)
Union County hosts Elbert County next Friday, Oct 30, which is their second region matchup of the season.
Lady Panthers advance to second straight Sweet Sixteen, beating ACA in four sets.
Team FYN Sports October 22, 2020
The Union County Lady Panthers (17-7,8-0) hosted Atlanta Classical Academy (6-9,5-4) for Round One of the Class A/AA State Tournament. Union dominated in Region 8-AA all season, going undefeated in region 8-AA. Atlanta Classical Academy finished fourth in Area 5-A/AA. As you know, in the state tournament, all records get thrown out the window and each team gets the chance to go on a run and ruin any teams good season.
In the first set, the Lady Panthers got off to a hot start, scoring the first 4 points and then went on a 6-1 run before ACA called their first timeout. After the timeout, Union took control of the game only allowing 5 points in the rest of the set. Union won the first set, 25-9.
The second set started off very competitive. ACA started off strong, leading most of first few minutes and making the most of their opportunities. Union started to pull away midway through the set, taking control of the set offensively and defensively. Union held a 22-13 lead and ACA started storming back. ACA went on a 9-0 run to make it 24-21. Union did settle down and get the game point to win the second set, 25-21.
In the third set, ACA picked the right time to play their best game. It was win or go home. ACA took the momentum from the end of the second set and ran with it. They got off to a hot start and kept the momentum throughout the whole set. Even though the Lady Panthers didn’t play their best game, they went on a few scoring runs late to make things interesting but fell short at the end, losing 25-23.
In the fourth set, the Lady Panthers got things back on track and won the fourth and final set 25-18. The Lady Panthers advance to their second straight Sweet 16 where they will host the Armuchee Indians (22-13) on Saturday at noon.
TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week – Mason McCombs
Player of the Week, TeamFYNSports September 7, 2019
Union County junior Mason McCombs has been kicking since he first started playing football, and it showed Friday night as the Panthers hosted the Towns County Indians in Blairsville.
McCombs went 6-for-6 on point-after attempts, while kicking off for four touchbacks and catching a touchdown pass as the Panthers won, 60-7.
For his efforts, McCombs is the Union County Panthers Player of the Week.
“I’ve been kicking since I was seven or eight-years-old, but this is my first year kicking for the varsity team,”
McCombs said.
McCombs handles all the kicking duties for the Panthers, kicking off and attempting extra points.
He also plays wide receiver, where he caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from senior Pierson Allison in the second quarter. After he converted the extra-point try, McCombs and the Panthers led 28-0 early in the second quarter.
The touchdown catch was the first for the varsity squad for McCombs, who said he would always remember the play.
“I loved it. That’s my first touchdown catch and it was exhilarating,” McCombs said.
As for the game, McCombs gave all the credit to his teammates for the big win.
“They did amazing. We knew what we had to do, and we did it tonight. Our coaches tell us to get 1 percent better every practice, and I think we did that all week and we proved it tonight.”
Panthers dominant in win over Indians in Blairsville
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football September 7, 2019
Blairsville, Ga. – From the opening kickoff until the final buzzer, the Union County Panthers were dominant Friday night against Towns County in Blairsville, winning 60-7 to earn their second victory to begin the 2019 season.
Head coach Brian Allison put it simply after the game, saying his team did a “great job doing exactly what we’re supposed to be doing.”
With the visiting Indians virtually unable to make it to midfield, the Panthers spent most of the night playing offense with a short field, scoring the first nine times they touched the ball. 
The Panthers (2-0) were led by senior quarterback Pierson Allison, who finished the night 5-for-7 for 90 yards and three touchdowns in the air, while accounting for 31 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Sophomore quarterback Logan Helcher also had a solid game. Helcher came in late in the first half to throw a 39-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Dalton Allen. The quarterback finished the night with a rushing and passing touchdown after the junior varsity took over the offense and defense in the second half.
“We got some good junior varsity reps,” Brian Allison said. “It’s always valuable when you can get the young guys on the field.”
Junior Jonah Daniel carried the ball just three times on the night, but had 63 yards rushing with a touchdown.
Seniors Kyle Morlock and Sawyer Drake, and junior Mason McCombs each caught touchdowns from Pierson Allison during the first half.
Seniors Zion Ross and Sloan Sutton, and junior Kaston Hemphill each added a tackle-for-loss on defense for the Panthers.
Allison said he hopes the team can build on the momentum from the win against Towns County with “a pretty big rivalry game next week.”
“Let’s role on this,” Allison said to his team after the game. “Let’s really roll on this thing now and get ready to roll next week.”
The Panthers will head south to Blue Ridge to take on Fannin County (2-0) beginning at 7:30 p.m., Friday, September 13. Union County put it on Fannin County last season, winning 49-7 in Blue Ridge. The Panthers have won five straight against the Rebels.
Panthers softball keeps region pace with big win
Sports, TeamFYNSports, Union County High School August 29, 2019
Blairsville, Ga. – The Union County High varsity softball team’s offense exploded Thursday night, August 29, scoring 16 runs during the first three frames and earning the three-inning, mercy-rule win over region-foe Putnam, 16-0.
Already leading 3-0 heading into the bottom of the second, the Panthers (6-6, 3-0 Region 8-AA) used great hitting to put six runs on the scoreboard in the inning and effectively put the game out of reach.
Megan Bright started the inning with a line-drive double to left field. She advanced to third base before scoring, both occurring on wild pitches.
The next batter, Caley Davis, walked and then stole second base, before Lexi Sisum drew a walk and Davis moved to third on a passed ball.
A tough single to shortstop from Miranda Lockaby scored Davis and moved Sisum to third.
Mary Wischmeyer followed with a single, also to shortstop, to drive Sisum in, move Lockaby to second, and push the score to 6-0.
Hannah Patton stepped to the plate and blew the game open with a powerful double to left field, scoring Lockaby and Wischmeyer and giving the Panthers an 8-0 lead.
Union continued to press the advantage, with Patton moving to third on a passed ball and then scoring when Trinity Queen rolled a groundball out to second base. The Panthers took a 9-0 lead and never looked back.
After another scoreless inning from the visiting Lady War Eagles in the top of the third, the Panthers scored another seven runs in the bottom of the frame to end the game by three-inning mercy rule.
Sisum and Lockaby both blasted doubles, while Patton, Queen, Krysten Hodges, Bright, and Davis each singled to put the mercy rule in reach. The offensive explosion gave the Panthers a 14-0 lead, with the game-ending runs on second and third with two outs.
On the first pitch of her second trip to the plate in the game, Aubrie Banton put a double into left field, scoring Hodges and Bright, and giving the Panthers a 16-0 lead and their third consecutive region win to start the 2019 season.
With the victory, Union County kept pace for the top spot in Region 8-AA with Banks County. The Lady Leopards (10-0, 3-0 Region 8-AA) defeated region opponent Oglethorpe County, 10-0, Thursday afternoon in Lexington to stay undefeated.
Union County next plays Lumpkin County (9-5, 5-1 Region 7-AAA), who won Thursday’s region game against Fannin County (1-12, 0-5), by a score of 12-2.
The Panthers will welcome the Lady Indians to Blairsville beginning at 5:55 p.m., Wednesday, September 4.
The game is also the annual “Pink Out” for cancer awareness with the junior varsity playing at 4 p.m.
Pre-season football interview with Panthers head coach Brian Allison
Sports, TeamFYNSports, Union County High School July 16, 2019
The Union County Panthers lost twelve seniors in last year’s graduating class, but according to head coach Brian Allison, returning players are ready to step up.
“I feel good about the direction we’re headed, and we’ll just see how we perform on the field,” said Allison.
The Panthers have been busy at work this off season between regular summer workouts, passing camps and 7v7 camps.
“Our participation has been good, we’re probably hitting 82-84% of our kids on a daily basis that are in voluntary workouts…it’s been a really good summer and we’re excited about the fall,” said Allison.
Team FYN Sports is excited about the fall as well! Watch the rest of the interview below!