GBI names shooter in incident outside Union Primary

Featured Stories, News
incident

UNION COUNTY, Ga. – New information has been released regarding a shooting incident at Union County Primary School this week.

The suspect who was arrested after law enforcement responded and searched has been named as Dwight Anthony Brown, 64, of Blairsville, GA, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

According to a statement from the GBI, the incident wasn’t a standard school shooting inside the building as Brown allegedly targeted a vehicle in the parking lot. According to the GBI, the vehicle was also unoccupied at the time when the shooting occurred. No statements have placed any of the incident inside the building at this time. Brown is still facing three charges of aggravated assault as both the GBI and Union County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed this.

A maintenance employee for the Union County School System, Brown allegedly fired into the vehicle. Reports indicate he has not been terminated from the school system yet due to it needing to be a Board of Education decision that would require a standard or called meeting.

Union County Schools were closed on Friday, August 12, 2022. Union County Schools stated that they have requested the GBI “conduct the Union County Primary School shooting incident investigation.” They have also assured parents and students that no threat remains to the community. However, reports state that the school system is still in question on whether they will return t o class on Monday, August 14, 2022.

Brown is currently still in the Union County Jail and has been denied bond. The GBI has stated that the investigation is active and ongoing. Once the investigation is complete, it will be given to the Enotah Judicial Circuit District Attorney for prosecution.

As previously reported, the incident occurred during school hours while teachers were in pre-planning. However, class was not in session and students were not on campus. Union Schools stated, “The incident occurred outside of the school, and no one was injured.”

School Shooter arrested in downtown Blairsville

News
Shooter

UNION COUNTY, Ga. – An arrest has been made by the Union County Sheriff’s Office this afternoon in relation to a school shooter situation.

Some time between 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. today, an active shooter situation developed at the Union County Primary School. The school system went into lockdown as law enforcement responded.

Less than an hour later, reports from the Union County Sheriff’s Office stated they have a suspect in custody in relation to the shooting. The suspect was arrested on the city square.

All reports indicate that nobody was harmed during the shooting, classes in Union County don’t return until tomorrow,  August 12, 2022. However, with Pre-Planning finishing up today, school staff underwent nearly an hour of lockdown before being released. At this time, reports say that law enforcement and considering the threat resolved. But no response has come from the school system as to how this might affect their schools or if they will continue with classes tomorrow or not.

Authorities have also not released the name of the suspect yet as he has been taken into custody and is being processed.

Union County General Primary Election Returns

Election, Election 2020
election returns

UNION COUNTY, Ga – The polls have closed for the June 9 General Primary. To review the unofficial election returns for your local, state, and federal races, check out the list below. Please remember all the results are unofficial until certified by the Secretary of State.

Precincts: 100% reporting

COUNTY

Sole Commissioner 

Democrat

Presumptive Winner: Lamar Paris (Incumbent)

Tax Commissioner 

Republican

Presumptive Winner: Lee Knight (Incumbent)

Sheriff

Republican

Presumptive Winner: Mack Mason (Incumbent)

Clerk of Superior Court 

Democrat

Presumptive Winner: Judy Odom (Incumbent)

Magistrate Judge 

Presumptive Winner: Cary Cox (Incumbent)

Probate Judge

Presumptive Winner: Dwain Brackett (Incumbent)

Board of Education District One 

Republican

Presumptive Winner: Janna Akins (Incumbent)

Board of Education District Three 

Republican

Presumptive Winner: Julia Barnett – 3,543 – 62%

Dale Spivey – 2,130 – 38%

County Surveyor

Republican

Presumptive Winner: Jason Henson

County Coroner

Republican

Presumptive Winner: Benny Erwin (Incumbent)

U.S. House of Representatives District 9

Republican

Michael Boggus – 1.38%

Paul Broun – 3.94%

Andrew Clyde – 15.44%

Matt Gurtler – 52.88%

Maria Strickland – 2.64%

Kevin Tanner – 12.30%

Ethan Underwood – 4.88%

Kellie Weeks – 2.24%

John Wilkinson – 4.29%

Democrat

Devin Pandy – 31.05%

Brooke Siskin – 41.53%

Dan Wilson – 27.42%

State House District 8

Republican

Stan Gunter – 72.41%

Steve Townsend – 27.59%

Democrat

Dave Cooper – 100%

To see the state election returns, click here. This article contains the overall race winner and identified runoffs for State House, State Senate, U.S. House, and U.S. Senate in FYN’s coverage area.

Run-off elections will be held on August 11 if needed. The General Election is scheduled for November 3 as well as the jungle primary for Senator Kelly Loeffler’s seat.

 

To review everyone who qualified this year, click here. 

Fetching Features: a look at former Superintendent Mark Henson

Community, Lifestyle

Have you ever had a goal that you wished to achieve? Something became a driving force in your life as it took a point of focus. It may have been that you wanted to become something, maybe a firefighter, an astronaut, or a soldier. You strove to follow that dream, to grow closer to that goal. The achievement was your motivation.

For some, at least.

Many people will recall the nearly 30 years Mark Henson spent as the Superintendent of Fannin County Schools teaching and influencing the kids of Fannin County. Many may think of this as a life well spent. Henson himself would agree, but it was not always so.

Growing up among a family of educators, Henson knew the life well before he even graduated high school. It was part of the reason he struggled so hard against it. While it may seem like 30 years in the career isn’t the best evasion strategy, Henson says it came down to logic as to why he finally gave in.

After high school graduation, he took his goal of avoidance instead of achievement to heart. “If you go back and look at my high school annual, my ambition was to do anything but teach school because everybody in my family at that time, were teachers,” says Henson as he explains attending the University of Georgia shortly before moving back to Blue ridge to work for the Blue Ridge Telephone Company.

Spending about a year at the job after college didn’t work out. Henson doesn’t speak much on the topic as he says his father knew someone working for Canada Dry in Athens. With a job opening available and good pay to entice him, Henson made the switch to working for the soda company.

Moving to Athens, Henson became an RC/Canada Dry Salesperson over the surrounding five counties in Athens. A hard job that required many hours, Henson said he’d be at work at 6 a.m. and got back home at 8:30 p.m. Though well-paying, the job fell flat for Henson as he came to terms with the long hours and little time for himself. With two years under his belt at the company, he began thinking about Blue Ridge again and his options. As he says, “Teaching didn’t look so bad then.”

Despite the years in opposition, the effort spent running away from the ‘family business,’ Henson began thinking ahead at the rest of his life. Already considering retirement at the time, it was this that ultimately turned his attention back to teaching. It wasn’t family, it wasn’t friends, but rather, it was logic that drew him to the career his life’s ambition avoided.

“I made pretty good money, there just wasn’t any retirement,” says Henson about his time at Canada Dry. As he looked harder at teaching and began seriously considering the career path, he says, “When you look at teachers, you’re never going to get rich being a teacher, but there’s a lot of benefits like retirement and health insurance that these other jobs just didn’t have.” He also notes he proved what he wanted as he retired at 54-years-old.

After much thought, it began with a call to his father, Frank Henson. He told his father he wanted to come home and pursue teaching. Though his father told him to come home and stay with them again, Henson says it was the money he had saved from his position at Canada Dry that allowed him to attend school for a year before being hired as a para-pro, a paraprofessional educator. It was a very busy time in his life as Henson states, “I would go up there and work until 11:30, and then I would work 12 to 4 at what used to be the A&P in McCaysville. I went to school at night…”

The next few years proved to be hectic as he graduated and started teaching professionally “with a job I wasn’t even certified for.” It was January of 1989 and the new school superintendent had been elected in November and as he took office in January he left a gap in the school. To fill the Assistant Principal position the, then, Superintendent had left, they promoted the teacher of the career skills class. With the vacancy in the classroom, Henson was appointed to step in to teach the class. Half a year was spent teaching a career path and skill class to 9th graders in what Henson refers to as a “foreign world.”

The first full-time teaching position he holds was perhaps the one he was least qualified for. Henson noted his nervousness taking the state-funded program. The previous teacher had gone to the University of Georgia to receive training to fill the position. Talking with the previous teacher about the class, Henson shared his reservations about the lack of training and certification. Receiving note cards and guidance on how to handle it helped, but only so far.

Henson recalled looking at the cards and seeing tips like, “Talk about work ethic for 20 minutes.” He was stuck in a position without a firm foundation. He spent the next semester “winging it” and juggling the class with student placement in businesses. Struggling through the day to day at the time, he now looks back and says, “Apparently, I did pretty good at it.”

The interesting part was that the promotions that led him into this position similarly mirrored Henson’s own path to Superintendent one day. An omen easily looked over at the time, but glaringly obvious in hindsight. Though he wouldn’t take the direct path from Teaching to Assistant Principal to Superintendent, they did set the milestones that he would hit on his way.

He also saw plenty of doubt on his way, too. He never looked at the Superintendent position as a goal, but even maintaining a teaching position seemed bleak as he was called into the office one day and told his career class position was no longer being funded.

Thinking he was losing his job, he began considering other opportunities as well as missed options, he had just turned down a position in Cartersville where Stacy, his wife, was teaching. Worrying for no reason, Henson says he was racing through these thoughts until they finally told him they were moving him to Morganton Elementary.

Taking up a Math and Social Studies teaching at Morganton Elementary, Henson found more familiar territory in these subjects. Yet, having gotten used to the career skills, he says he still felt like he was starting over again. The years proved later to be quite fortuitous as Henson says he still has people to this day stop him and talk about their time learning from him as students. Relating back to his own school years, he admits he wasn’t the best student and he made his own bad decisions.

From situations in band and class alike, he notes that he worked hard, usually sitting in first and second chair as he played the trombone, but he still found plenty of things to get into as he, by his own confession, “made the drum major’s lives and stuff miserable.” Enjoying every opportunity he could get to goof off, it became a trend throughout his school career.

Yet, in teaching, he brought those experiences and understanding to the kids as he tailored his classes each year. He shared one story of a girl that stopped him to speak for a while. Eventually, she asked, “You don’t remember me, do you?”

Admitting that he didn’t, she replied, “Well, you really helped me a lot. I was ADD and you would let me sit at your desk.” He says she went on talking about the way he changed her life.

It seems almost common now to associate teachers with stories like these, changing people’s lives, yet, it’s not often you may think a student causing trouble would become that kind of teacher.

The effort returned in a major way as Henson was elected Teach of the Year at Morganton Elementary in only his second year. The award was a testament to his efforts and success, but also evidence of how much he had changed in his life.

“You get out of school and you work a couple of real hard jobs, you see there might be more to life than goofing off. That got me redirected and helped me get through college and get my teaching degree,” says Henson.

It was more than just awards, though. Morganton Elementary created several relationships for Henson that followed him throughout his career and his life. spending four years at Morganton made it the longest position at the point, but it led to so much more. It led to three more years of teaching at East Fannin Elementary before receiving a promotion to Assistant Principal at West Fannin Middle School.

Moving from a position as a teacher to Assistant Principal isn’t just a promotion, it is a major change into school administration. No longer dealing with individual classes of students, Henson says it becomes far more political as you get pressed between teachers and parents. You walk a tightrope as you want to support your teachers in what they do, and you want to listen to concerned parents and find that middle ground. “You have got to kind of be a buffer between them… You’re always walking a tightrope,” he said.

He served as Assistant Principal to Principal David Crawford who served as Assistant Principal to his father, Frank Henson. Mentoring him in administration, he says David was a “laid back guy” that would still “let you have it” some days. It set him on a steep learning curve. Despite the jokes and stories, he led Henson on a quick path to his own education. In a sort of ‘sink or swim’ mentality, Henson said he was given a lot more authority than he expected, but he enjoyed the job.

How much he enjoyed it was a different point. Though Henson says he has never had a job in education he hated, he did say that his year as Assistant Principal was his “least-favorite job.” Though stressing he has enjoyed his entire career, he noted that the stress and shock of transitioning from Teaching to the Administration as a more big picture job factors into the thought.

Even that wasn’t meant to last long as he moved from Assistant Principal to Principal after just one year.

Nearing the end of his first, and only, year as Assistant Principal, he was called into the office again. This time it was the school systems office as his Superintendent at the time, Morgan Arp, wanted to speak with him. As he tells the story, “He said, ‘I’m looking at restructuring the system a little bit on principals and administrators. I’m not saying this is gonna happen, but if I made you Principal at East Fannin, would that be okay?’

I said, ‘Sure, I’ve been there and I know the people fine.’

He said, ‘What about West Fannin?’

I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve been there a year, I can deal with that.’

He said, ‘What about Blue Ridge Elementary?’

I said, ‘Well, that’s the school I know the least. I’m sure if you put me in there, I could. But the other two make me feel a little more comfortable.’

So the next day I got a call, and I was principal for Blue Ridge Elementary.”

Though comical, Henson said it actually worked out great as he met two of his best colleagues there. Cynthia Panter later became an Associate Superintendent and Karen Walton later became his Assistant Superintendent. Both were teachers he met at Blue Ridge Elementary.

“Blue Ridge was really where I made a lot of later career relationships,” says Henson.

His time as Principal was also a lot easier for him as he says after the year at West Fannin he knew what he was doing and had more confidence in the position. Having ‘matured’ into the job, he says the Principal position has more latitude in decisions. Having a great staff at both schools made the job easier, but the transition was simpler also because he felt he was always second-guessing himself as an assistant principal. His maturity also gave him new outlooks on the choices and decisions made.

“I think a good administrator serves as a shield between the public and teachers who need someone in there to mediate,” he says. Molding things into a larger plan for the schools and taking views from all those who take a stake in their education, “Everybody wants what’s best for the child.”

Surrounding himself with assistant principals and administrators that were detail oriented to allow him to deal with people and focus on the ‘big picture,’ two of his favorite parts of his career as he says.

After three years at Blue Ridge Elementary, the Curriculum Director at the county office resigned. Applying on a fluke instinct, he later got a call saying he got the position. He joined the staff as K-6 Director of Curriculum alongside Sandra Mercier as 7-12 Director of Curriculum.

However, his time in the office saw much more work as he spent time covering as Transportation Director and other fill-in duties. It wasn’t until 2003 when Sandra Mercier took the office of Superintendent, according to Henson, that she named him as Assistant Superintendent and really began his time in the Superintendent position.

He had never thought about going for the position, applying, or even thinking of it. Henson said he did want to be a Principal, but the county offices were beyond his aspirations.

Largely different from transitioning from Teacher to Administrator, the transition into the Superintendent position was far easier says Henson. You’re already dealing with a lot of the same things on a single school scale, but moving to the Superintendent position crosses schools and districts. He did not there is a lot more PR involved, but nothing to the extreme change as he experienced his first year in administration.

Becoming Superintendent in 2007, he says he focused on opening the school system up and growing more transparent than it already was. Sharing information and speaking straight about his feelings allowed a certain connection with people. It seems, in truth, that he never quite outgrew some of the goofiness of his childhood as he recalls joking with colleagues and staff.

Henson says he wanted to have a good time in the office despite everything they dealt with. He pushed the staff, but they also played pranks on each other and shared moments like a school secretary embarrassing her daughter with a funny picture.

Noting one particular instance, Stacy recalls a story with finance running checks in the office. With one office member in particular who would always try to jump scare people running the check machine. Henson quickly opened the door and threw a handful of gummy bears at her. Unfortunately, a few were sucked into the machine and ruined the check run. It wasn’t a good day considering, yet the staff laughed about it and shared in the comedy.

A necessary part of the job is what Henson calls it. The lightheartedness was key to maintaining his staff. “If you stay serious a hundred percent of the time, it’s going to kill you,” he says.

The position wasn’t just laughter and jokes though, tough times came plenty enough. Not all of them were the expected issues that you might expect. Aside from the general politics that face schools daily in these times, Henson even dealt with death threats in his position. Having let people go and dealt with others careers, he admits he had that one employee’s spouse threated his life after a firing.

As he speaks about some of the hardest moments like this, it’s hard to find out how harrowing the event really was. Henson says now that it’s not a big deal, it wasn’t the only threat he had. His wife speaks a little more plainly as she confesses some days, she couldn’t tell if it was worth it for him to be the Superintendent. Yet, even she says in hindsight that she is proud of the honesty, integrity, and openness that permeated his ten years.

Additionally, dealing with things like the shootings and issues that have plagued schools in the last decade, he adds, “It’s a more stressful job than when I started 30 years ago. It’s much more stressful. There are so many things that the state expects, that locals expect, that parents expect… I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like in another 30 years.”

Henson agreed that schools have lost a lot of the innocence they used to have within the teachers and staff. As these people continue to rack their brains on following the mission to educate and keep kids safe, they take a lot of the stress off the kids as they are at school. He said, “I don’t know if it’s spelled out, but I think if you’re a good teacher, you feel that inherently.”

It also branched over into policies, with increased focus on testing and numbers, Henson said the position got a lot more into the realm of politics as you deal with the state legislature and handling the constant changes that came from the state adds another item to juggle.

As a superintendent, you don’t need state tests, as Henson says, to tell you how well a teacher teaches. “I can sit in a class for five minutes and tell you if a teacher can teach.”

In the face of everything, Henson said he wouldn’t burn any bridges about returning to education, but he’s enjoying his retirement.

Henson has already reached the “what’s next” point in his career as he retired last year. One year into retirement, he says he is just as busy as ever with his position on the Board of Tax Assessors and putting a daughter through college at the University of Georgia. On top of maintaining his own projects, he says he’s focusing on being a parent and husband and making up for time lost in his position as Superintendent.

Once he hit ten years in the office, Henson said he felt like he had done what he wanted, it was time to hand it over to someone else for their impressions and interpretations. Though retiring from his career, he didn’t fade into obscurity. With Stan Helton asking him to sit on the Board of Tax Assessors and others still seeking advice and counsel, he simply transitioned once more.

Panthers defeat North Hall, Ladies fall to Trojans

Union County High School

Tuesday, Jan 24th the Union County Panthers hosted the North Hall Trojans in a region 7-AAA matchup. The Lady Panthers tipped off at 6. The Panthers followed at 7:30.

Both teams had shots to improve where they stood in the region. The Lady Panthers came into the game 4-5 in region play sitting at 4th place.

The Panthers came into the game 4-5 in region play and were 4th. The Lady Panthers got off to a quick start as they led 18-14 at the end of Q1 led by Mccarter 7. The Lady Trojans got off to a 11-0 run to open the 2Q.

The Lady Panthers scored 6 unanswered points going into the half to tie the game at 25.

A slow Q3 put the Lady Panthers in a tough spot to try to regain the lead as the Lady Panthers scored only 8 in the 3rd to fall behind 45-33.

Guards Brooke Dockrey and Bailey Daniel both fouled out early in Q4 as the Lady Trojans scored 10 points in the finals 2:00 to put the game away. The lady Panthers fall 57-47 to fall to 13-8 and 4-5 in region play.

The Lady Panthers have a 1 game lead of the 5th placed Trojans in the region as they sit in 4th place. The Lady Panthers will host the East Hall VIkings Friday, Jan 26th.

The Panthers followed the Lady Panthers.

The Panthers trailed 7-2 early but led 11-9 at the end of Q1.

UC scored 15 unanswered to open Q2. The Panthers led 29-20 at the half. Drake and Craw. Colwell led UC with 4 points each in Q3 as UC extended the lead 42-31.

A hot Q4 of shooting extended the lead as UC goes on to win 55-42 as Bagget goes 3-3 from 3  in the final 4:00. UC was led by Allison with 13, Bagget and Craw. Colwell score 11.

UC improves to 15-6 and 4-5 in region play. UC will host East Hall Friday, Jan. 26th. 

GAC wins big over Panthers, Lady Panthers

Union County High School

Saturday Jan 13th the Lady Panthers tipped off at 6pm against the Lady Spartans of Greater Atlanta Christian Academy.

The Lady Spartans lost their star point guard Robynn Benton, Auburn basketball commit class of 2018. The Lady Panthers seemed well over matched as GAC was ranked the #1 team in the state.

The Lady Panthers never backed down to what would be a hard fought tough four quarters in which the score doesn’t show.

The Lady Panthers were led by Brooke Dockrey in the first quarter as she had 6. Followed by Andelin Hill who had 2. The Lady Panthers trailed 18-6 at the end of Q1. The Lady Panthers trailed ay the half 27-12. The leading scorers at the half were Brooke Dockrey and Andelin Hill 4 points. The Lady Spartans leading scorer was #2 Taylor Sutton with 10 points.

The Lady Panthers scored more points in the third quarter than in the first 2 combined, to trail 43-26 going into the fourth.

Kait McCarter led all scorers in the fourth quarter on both sides with 6 points.

The Lady Panthers fell to the top ranked team 61-38, bringing their record to 12-6 and 4-3 in region play.

The Lady Panthers top scorers were sophomores Kait McCarter and Andelin Hill (10) followed by Brooke Dockrey (8), and Bailey Daniel (6).

 

The Panthers followed the varsity girls by tipping off at 7:30pm.

The first quarter showed that GAC was all that they’ve been hyped up to be, as Union County trailed 24-12 at the end of the first. The Panthers were led by Pierson Allison (5).

At the half, the Panthers trailed 33-18, sophomore guard Pierson Allison accounted for half of Unions points scoring 9 in the first half.

Fifth-ranked GAC blew things open with a 16-6 third quarter.

The Panthers trailed 49-24 at the end of Q3, but they didn’t hang their heads.  They expected a tough game against the region leading Spartans.

Pierson Allison again led all Panther scorers in the 3rd with 4 points.

In the end, the Panthers fell to the Spartans 70-39. With the loss, the Panthers fell to 13-5 and 3-4 in region play.

The Panthers top scorers were Pierson Allison (13), Patrick Baggett (10), RJ Banton and Candler Colwell both scored 4. The Panthers were scheduled to travel to Pickens County Tuesday Jan 16, but those games were canceled due to inclement weather and have yet to be rescheduled.

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.

Union County hosts annual football banquet

UCHS Football

By Isaiah Garrett, TeamFYNSports Reporter

On Tuesday, Dec 5, the Union County Panthers held their annual banquet and award ceremony. This event was hosted at Antioch Baptist Church in Blairsville, and it was the first time Antioch had ever hosted the banquet. Organized by the Union County Quarterback Club, the event proved to be another success thanks to the hard work and participation by everyone involved.

The night got kicked off as players and families were fed steak and spaghetti dinners.

Head coach Brian Allison followed up the meal by starting the awards ceremony and introducing all of the coaches on his staff.  The awards, which are  selected by the coaches, are each given to the hardest working player at that position (and to whom contributed the most on and off the field to the team).   The receivers “caught” their awards first – no pun intended.

Outside receiver coach Paul McBride presented his award to Sawyer Drake. Drake had 38 receptions for a team-high 63 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Inside receiver coach James Avery selected senior Austin Pattee for his reward.  Pattee led the team with 43 catches.

Quarterbacks and running backs coach (and offensive coordinator) Howard Mccombs was the next to present his award, and everyone in the room knew exactly where it was going. Senior quarterback Cole Wright had an outstanding season.  Wright will continue his playing career at the United States Military Academy, also known as Army or West Point, where he plans to enroll next fall.  Wright finished the year with 3,081 total yards of offensive and a combined 36 touchdowns.

To close the Offensive awards out, junior lineman Coleson Daniel was presented with the Offensive Line award, presented by coach Neil Setzer and Parker Daniel.  Without the effort and consistent blocking up front, the offense would not have performed as well as it did this year.  Coleson Daniel was a huge part of that effort.

Defensive Coordinator and defensive backs coach Robby Roxbury was first to kick off the defensive awards, and senior cornerback Sean Dobbins was presented with the defensive backs award.  Dobbins finished the season with 50 total tackles.

Senior lineman Matthew Beise was awarded the defensive line award by coach Gabe Miller.  Beise finished the season with 48 total tackles.

Inside linebackers coach Greg Chambers awarded senior RJ Banton, who led the team in total tackles with 108 tackles.

Outside Linebackers coach Wade Hodges awarded senior and 3-year varsity starter Cole Dockrey with the Iron Panther award.  This award is given to the player who contributes on both sides of the ball, displays the highest work ethic on and off the field, and is a leader in more ways than one. Dockery finished the season with 50 total tackles, 372 yards of offense, and a touchdown.

It was a night of celebration as players, coaches and family members gathered to reflect on the performance by the Union County Panthers varsity football team one last time this year.

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.

 

S.A.F.E. Kids Fishing Derby Results

Community
What a splendid day May 19 was for all of the families who attended the first annual S.A.F.E. Kids Fishing Derby at Nottely Marina. The parking lot was filled. The sun was shining and the fish were biting. The excitement was evidenced by all who participated.
This was a terrific way to celebrate the ending of the school year. Families enjoyed hot dog meals, on shore fishing games, the playground, and of course the serious fishing Derby.

Joshua Owens caught a Catfish and here he is holding his Carp.

A total of eight prizes were awarded including the top Four Largest Fish caught. Joshua Owens came in First Place by catching a 17 1/2″ 34.5 oz Carp. For his win, Joshua received a free half day fishing charter for one adult and two kids. This charter was provided by Jeremy Seabolt at Lake Nottely Fishing Charter.

Katryn Mason Placed Second, Ava Irwin, Came in Third Place, and Lindsey Hammond Placed 4th Place. The top four largest fish winners also received fishing rods and fishing gear which were provided by our
generous sponsors.
Karson Wester won the Tiniest Fish; Joshua Owens, won the First Catch of the Day, a Catfish; Cayden Cunningham caught the Ugliest Fish, and Ava Irwin caught the Prettiest Fish.
S.A.F.E. is grateful to the following businesses and individuals that are making these events possible:
Save A Lot, Blairsville; Paradise Bait and Tackle; Nottely Marina; Mike’s Seafood; Men on the Move;
Leon Farmer Company; Lake Nottely Fishing Charter; Lake Chatuge Marine; Mike’s Seafood; Jim/Linda
McAfee; Men on the Move; Ingle’s Blairsville and Hiawassee; G&S Bait; Hughes General Store; Hiawassee Antique Mall. Food Land; Cook’s Country Kitchen; Cindy Odom; Carl Bledsoe New Horizon
Homes; Bank of the Ozarks; Anonymous Donor.
S.A.F.E. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides services to Sexual Assault and Child abuse in
Towns and Union Counties. For information on available workshops or to volunteer for S.A.F.E. please
contact (706) 379-1901. If you are a victim of Domestic Abuse or Sexual Abuse or you know someone
who is, call S.A.F.E. for confidential assistance 24 hours a day. (706) 379-1901

Panthers, Lady Panthers defeat Andrews

Union County High School

Saturday, Jan 20th Union County faced off against Andrews NC in a non region matchup. The Lady Panthers were in for a battle early on as they led 16-10 at the end of Q1 led by sophomore center #30 Kait Mccarter as she had 8.

The Lady Panthers extended the lead to 28-17 led by Mccarter’s 5 points. The Lady Panthers used a huge 3rd quarter from sophomore forward #14 Andelin Hill as she scored 13 to extend the lead 47-31.

The Lady Panthers finished with a score of 69-35. Mccarter led all scorers with 18 points followed by Hill 15 and B. Dockrey 11.

UC improves to 13-7. The Lady Panthers will resume region play Tuesday, Jan 22 against North Hall.

The Panthers followed the Lady Panthers tipping off @7. UC looked to end the 4 game loosing streak as sophomore Sawyer Drake returned. The Panthers got off to a slow start as they trailed 10-9 at the end of Q1.

As sophomore Sawyer Drake returned to the court after missing 2 weeks to a knee injury, leading UC with 7 points off the bench including a blocked shot late in the 2Q that sparked a 10-0 run to close the half. To lead 22-19.

The Panthers got off to a slow start after the half but continued to lead 34-31 led by Drake 5 points. UC got in rhythm and dominated the 4th quarter by opening on a 16-1 run. The Panthers won 50-32 led by Drake 15 and Baggett 11. UC improves to 14-6.

The Panthers will also resume region play Tuesday against North Hall.

Georgia Election Run-Off Results

Election 2018

 2018 Georgia Election Run-Off Results

Tonight marks the run-offs for election races in Georgia, these results are unofficial until approved by the Secretary of State.

 

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 756,016 votes   51.97%

John Barrow (D) – 698,770 votes   48.03%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 749,805 votes   51.83%

Lindy Miller (D) – 696,957 votes   48.17%

 

 

Check for local results by county here:

 

Gilmer

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 4,337 votes   83.13%

John Barrow (D) – 880 votes   16.87%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 4,250 votes   81.79%

Lindy Miller (D) – 946 votes   18.21%

 

Pickens

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 4,408 votes   84.01%

John Barrow (D) – 839 votes   15.99%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 4,325 votes   82.70%

Lindy Miller (D) – 905   17.30%

 

Fannin

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 3,522 votes   81.89%

John Barrow (D) – 779 votes   18.11%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 3,454 votes   80.57%

Lindy Miller (D) – 833 votes   19.43%

 

Dawson

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 3,985 votes   85.83%

John Barrow (D) – 658 votes   14.17%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 3,939 votes   85.02%

Lindy Miller (D) – 694 votes   14.98%

 

White

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 4,063 votes   82.78%

John Barrow (D) – 845 votes   17.22%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 3,960 votes   80.82%

Lindy Miller (D) – 940 votes   19.18%

 

Union

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 4,246 votes   80.92%

John Barrow (D) – 1,001 votes   19.08%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 4,108 votes   78.65%

Lindy Miller (D) – 1,115 votes   21.35%

 

Towns

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 2,161 votes   79.95%

John Barrow (D) – 542 votes   20.05%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 2,105 votes   78.22%

Lindy Miller (D) – 586 votes   21.78%

 

Murray

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 2,699 votes   88.99%

John Barrow (D) – 334 votes   11.01%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 2,691 votes   88.84%

Lindy Miller (D) – 338 votes   11.16%

 

Lumpkin

Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger (R) – 3,378 votes   78.47%

John Barrow (D) – 927 votes   21.53%

 

Public Service Commission, District 3

Chuck Eaton (R) – 3,337 votes   77.89%

Lindy Miller (D) – 947 votes   22.11%

Ruff leads Panthers over Bobcats

UCHS Baseball

The Panthers faced off against the Gilmer County Bobcats in a non-conference matchup. The Panthers entered the contest with a 1-1 record.

Davis took the mound for the Panthers for the second time this season. Davis pitched well as he allowed one earned run during 4 innings of work.

Davis got info some trouble to start the game allowing a hit and a walk as the Bobcats pounced onto an early lead 1-0.

UCHS senior RJ Banton warms up on the mound during Tuesday night’s game against Gilmer High. Photo by Isaiah Garrett, TeamFYNSports.

Banton stepped in to relive Davis after 4 innings of work. Davis finished with 1 K and 2 BB’s over the course of 4 innings. Davis allowed one earned run.

Can Colwell helped the Panthers grab a lead in the bottom of the 4th with a 2-out, 2-run, single.

The Panthers got into some trouble early in the 6th inning after an error at 3rd base let the Bobcats gain some momentum as they went on to score 3 runs. The Panthers trailed 4-2.

After allowing 3 runs, 2 of which were earned, Banton returned to pitch in the 7th. Banton struck out a batter to start the 7th and finished with 2 groundouts.

Trialing by 2 the Panthers looked to regain the lead and a win. Allison and Ruff walked. Banton got on base with a single. Junior Kelley hit a 2-out, bases clearing, double in walkoff fashion to win the game.

The Panthers were led by, Ruff with 3 HBP BB’s 1RBI and Can. Colwell 1-3 with 2 RBI’s.

The Panthers improve to 2-1. The Panthers will host the Rabun County Wildcats Monday, Feb. 26th in a non-conference matchup.

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.

Wright signs with Army

UCHS Football

Union County High School is losing a great athlete, but Army-West Point is welcoming him with open arms.  Senior quarterback Cole Wright signed with Army last week in a ceremony held with friends, family, coaches and faculty.  The four-year letterman threw for 1,938 yards last year, completing 136-of-247 passing attempts with 19 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions.

After signing his letter of intent, TeamFYNSports sat down with Wright to discuss his career at UC and his future as a D1 commit.

 

TeamFYNSports:  What are some of your accomplishments?

“I have maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school and I was named 7-AAA Offensive POY in 2016 and 1st team All-Region in 2017. I was All-State honorable mention in 2016 and 2017. I reached 7000 total yards and 70+ TD’s in two years at QB

TeamFYNSports:  How long have you played football?

“ I have played since I was five years old.”

TeamFYNSports:  Who have you tried to model your game after?

“I have always loved Tom Brady and his winning mentality and competitiveness. Obviously I’m a different style QB, but I try to imitate his leadership ability and drive.”

TeamFYNSports:  What’s your biggest highlight of playing football so far?

“Senior Night would definitely be the highlight of my career. After the game I looked across at my best friends who I’ve grown up playing football with and realized these guys were my brothers for life. It’s a great feeling knowing you’ve created bonds that could never be broken.”

TeamFYNSports:  What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced, and how has that made you the person you are today?

“My biggest problem was worrying about negativity from outside of my circle. There will always be people saying, “You’ll never make it” and to that I say we’ll see. Once I focused on the game I loved and blocked all of the negativity I started to play better. This helped me grow not only as a football player but a person as well.”

TeamFYNSports:  What’s a typical day for you training wise?

“I’ve been on a new West Point workout schedule for the last month and it’s intense. I’m also running track for speed and stamina. I’m working on gaining some weight before I leave, so I’m consuming a large amount of calories per day.”

TeamFYNSports:  How have you trained? What have you done differently that has separated you from other quarterbacks?

“I started Speed and Agility freshman year and didn’t miss a day in two years. Joe Mancuso and I would go and throw and I’d learn as much as I could from him. I’m a very coachable guy so I would take little tips and advice from every camp and then try to execute them when I got back home.”

TeamFYNSports:  How big of a influence did your parents or coach have on you to continue your playing career at West Point versus any other school?

“My dad was probably my biggest influence. No one in my family has ever had this opportunity to attend an Academy. My dad and I are all about leadership and history; when we toured the campus we both fell in love with the place. West Point offers the combination of a high level education, a chance to play D1 football, and leadership training that can’t be matched at any other school.”

TeamFYNSports:  What other schools have offered you?

“No other schools have offered. Kennesaw State, Furman, GA Tech, and Georgia Southern were interested but after I committed they went cold.”

TeamFYNSports:  What are your plans once you get to college? What are you going to major in? What position(s) do you plan on playing?

“Once I get to West Point I will begin my tough journey to become the greatest version of myself. I know it will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life but I will stay mentality strong and prove the doubters wrong. I plan on majoring in aerospace engineering but I am not completely locked on that specific one. I am on the board as a Wide Receiver right now, but I will remain open for whatever position I am needed.”

TeamFYNSports would like to wish Wright the best of luck as he closes one chapter and opens another, with a bright future ahead of him.

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