Join us November 18th at The Mill on Etowah
Announcements, Featured, Featured News, Featured Stories, News November 14, 2023
FYN Sports Top 5 Football Stadiums in Our Viewing Area
Team FYN Sports July 5, 2021
Just here to spark a little bit of fun debate during the off-season! Our writers blind voted on their favorite stadiums in our viewing area, and these were the results. I’m sure everyone will have their own opinion, so let us hear your opinions and what we got wrong!
Each stadium write up is written by a member of the schools community.
1. Fannin County High School
Fannin County High School Football Stadium comes in at #1 on our FYN Sports Top Football Stadium in our Coverage Area.
Although the stadium has no nickname, it is often been referred to in the past as “The Battlefield”
Fannin County may have the best entrance in all of Georgia. The Rebels walk out of their locker-room directly to a gigantic blow up Fannin County Football Helmet. Coach Cheatham usually is the 1st one to break open the facemask on the helmet and the Fannin County Football team walks onto the field with arms locked. The cannon fires, the smoke rises, music blares, lights go out and then flash from pole to pole. It is a striking entrance and one that every High School Football fan needs to see.
Yes, we mentioned a Cannon. And yes, it does fire. Every time Fannin County enters the stadium and scores a Touchdown the Cannon is shot and is heard throughout the town of Blue Ridge. Yes, we mentioned Lights cutting off and flashing. Every time a Touchdown is scored Fannin County’s LED Light system will flash from pole to pole igniting the roar of the Fannin County 12th man.
Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” is played and PA Announcer Tim Towe famous “ITS 3rd DOWN” sparks the Rebel Nation to make noise on 3rd Down.
I think if you witnessed a game here during Fannin County’s magical season last season you would agree with our choice.
The Stadium is a true 12th man Atmosphere. Powered by everything we have mentioned and the award winning Fannin County High School Marching band, the cheerleaders and “The Blue Crew” ( Student Section) Fannin County is our choice for Top Stadium in our coverage area.
2. Murphy High School
Photo taken by Mark Muir
David Gentry Field at Bob Hedrix memorial stadium is nothing short of picturesque. The location of the stadium is one of it’s best qualities, being right off the road and allowing passers by to honk their car horns and cheer on the Dogs, whether that be on Friday night or Tuesday afternoon at practice. Watching the team walk down the hill at 7:27 on Friday night just before kickoff is electric. The sun setting behind the visiting bleachers on a crisp fall evening is really something to behold. Dont even get me started on the sheer history of what’s been accomplished on that field. 10 state championship teams have played under those lights, and for the past 40 years, perhaps the greatest High School football coach of all time has coached on that sideline. Add to that JR Carrol shouting “1st and 10 Bulldogs” over the speakers, you’ve got a recipe for one of the greatest high school football atmospheres in the country.
Photo taken by MHS Athletics on Facebook
They don’t call it “BULLDOG COUNTRY” for nothin’.
Former Dogs Head Coach & Hall of Famer David Gentry said, “There’s no better high than the one you get on Friday nights in Murphy between the hours of 7:30 & 9:30. That feeling you get for those two hours, it’s unattainable anywhere else.”
3. Robbinsville High School
Robbinsville’s Big Oaks Stadium is a rethink-your-ranking kind of stadium. A truly historical field, it has hosted the home games of over 50 years of Black Knight football teams without ever being moved to a new location. The stadium is also directly adjacent to the original “old rock” schoolhouse of the 1900s.
The field is not the only piece of historical significance—the players themselves, often generational descendants of fellow state champions, give the Friday Night aesthetic of a Robbinsville Black Knights’ football game the aura of dominance. These boys know the magnitude of what they are playing for.
With 14 State Titles earned on its grass, the Big Oaks guarantees you a night of knock-down and drag-out, old-fashioned football, complete with rows of aged-oak trees, and a sunset view over its Smoky Mountain backdrop. Being the true embodiment of the AC/DC rock hit—Back In Black—the Big Oaks Stadium is THE must see stop of any stadium tour.
4. Union County High School
Photo from Chris Mathis
We look to Union County’s Mike Colwell Memorial Stadium a.k.a “The Mike.” There are many great high school football venues; not many, however, pack a 1-2 punch with a beautiful view and electric atmosphere like this one.
Photo from Chris Mathis
This venue offers a beautiful turf field and an even more astounding view of the crisp Blue Ridge Mountains. Mike Colwell Memorial Stadium is one that you’ll never forget, one that provides a bit of everything you could ever want on a Friday night underneath the lights!
5. Pickens County High School
Photo from North Cobb Electrical Services
#TeamFYNsports games of the week
Sports, Team FYN Sports September 2, 2020
Starting this year, #TeamFYNsports will be bringing you their top football games of the week for our local area football teams. This week, we have some rivalries on the horizon, with four local area teams going head to head.
Team FYN sports director Jake West and Fannin County Rec. Department Athletic Coordinator Tim Towe will also be giving you their picks to win these games of the week and we will be tracking their pick ’em record going forward.
- Fannin County Rebels @ Union County Panthers
If there was ever a year for Fannin County to be able to break their 6 year losing streak agains the Union County Panthers, it would be this year. Fannin is coming off an impressive 5-6 season last year, and with all the returning upper-classmen they have this year, this is the year that they have to make some moves. Even Coach Chad Cheatham said himself at media day, they are poised to make a run. Union County on the other hand is coming off of a 10-2 record last year, where it looked like they were going to go deep into the playoffs until losing a 7-14 game against Metter High School. Head Coach Brian Allison has turned Union County into a juggernaut over there in Blairsville, losing a combined four games in the past two years. However with the loss of their starting Quarterback Pierson Allison to graduation, we will if the newcomer behind center can handle the pressure of Friday Night Lights.
Jake’s Pick: Union County
Tim’s Pick: Fannin County
2. Gilmer County Bobcats @ Pickens Dragons
The Pickens Dragons finished 2019 with a 6-5 overall record and tied for third in their division. Their offense was crazy hot last year, putting up an average of 31.6 points. We will see if they have improved any on the defensive side of the ball however, where they managed to give up an average of 26.2 points per 
game in the previous season. When watching Pickens last year however, one of their more impressive games came against then region rival Gilmer, who they will be playing to kickoff this season. This season the anticipated Gilmer-Pickens game will not be a region game due to the realignment that took place in the offseason. Even though this is not going to be a region game this year, you can tell that it still means just as much to the players and coaches as it did when it counted against their region record. Gilmer is coming off of a 4-6 overall record last year in 2019. But, as rebuilds go it looks like Gilmer is on the backend of theirs and should start putting together some winning teams. Also, with Gilmer being bumped down a level, their opponents in their new region should play more to their level. I just think that the speed and power of the Pickens offense will be too much for the Bobcats to handle.
Jake’s Pick: Pickens County
Tim’s Pick: Gilmer County
GHSA confirms September 4th football start date
Sports, Team FYN Sports August 25, 2020
Following the weekly meeting with the Sports Medicine Advisory Council, Georgia High School Association Executive Director Robin Hines announced that the GHSA will be moving forward with the September fourth football start date for the opening of the 2020 season.
After the Sports Medicine Advisory Council meeting, director Hines spoke with the Athens Banner-Herald in regard to the number of COVID-19 cases across the state, but was confident that the season would return on the now delayed football start date of September fourth.
Hines told the Athens Banner-Herald, “While the numbers aren’t what we would prefer right now, they’re trending down, we feel good about that, and pending some spikes between now and then, my recommendation is going to be that we go ahead and play.”
The GHSA has previously reported that there will be around 70 Georgia football teams of 425 total that are unlikely to play the first week of the season because of coronavirus concerns dictated by their school district or private schools.
Included in the list of teams that will be sitting out for the week of September 4th are 19 DeKalb County teams, 16 Fulton County teams, 8 Savannah-Chatham teams, and 6 Bibb county teams. Several other teams across the state will also be sitting out until given the OK from their administrators and school board.
Tennessee will begin their High School football season tonight, and they have already released their guidelines for spectators and fines which can be found HERE. Viewing this should help give GHSA fans a little insight in what to expect come September fourth when Georgia returns to Friday night lights.
What fans can expect when High School football comes back
Sports, Team FYN Sports August 25, 2020
The Georgia High School Association has released “strongly recommended” game-day operation guidelines in order for the high school football season to proceed as normal when it opens for good on September Fourth. These game-day guidelines and recommendations are given to spectators and parents in order to ensure that the football season will be able to continue and so that these student athletes are able to play a whole season. The whole list of guidelines can be found HERE.
Game Day Venue Restrictions
- Local school administrators, in consultation with local health departments and health care professionals should determine what personnel (cheerleaders, band, mascots, dance team, etc.) should participate in events. It is strongly recommended to take into consideration the venue’s ability to safely allow for and enforce proper physical distancing.
- The media accommodations will be handled by host school personnel.
Spectators
- GHSA member schools should follow the guidance of local, state, and federal recommendations as it pertains to spectator events and stadium capacity restrictions if such information becomes available.
- It is highly recommended that spectators have their temperature assessed prior to entering the competition venue and should be denied entry if higher than 100.4 degrees.
- It is highly recommended that spectators always wear a facemask/covering possible. □ Spectators should be restricted from direct competition areas and from visiting with student athletes and personnel before, during and after events.
- Spectators should always practice social distancing whenever possible. Household members are excluded.
- Local school administrators, in consultation with local health departments, should determine whether “to-go” meals for their student-athletes in individualized, single packaged containers should be permitted.
Concessions
- If sales at concession stands are permitted, they must follow state guidelines for “Restaurants, Bars, and Banquet & Catering Facilities/Services” as outlined in the current Governor’s Executive Order
- If sales at concession stands are permitted, concession workers should wear masks and gloves in accordance with state mandates.
- Any worker should be screened before they are permitted to perform work duties in the concession.
- If sales at concession stands are permitted, individuals in line for concessions should practice physical distancing.
- If sales at concession stands are permitted, precautions for social distancing should always be adhered to.
Over 600 players and coaches in Georgia test positive for COVID
Featured Stories July 31, 2020
The GHSA has reported that over 600 players and coaches have tested positive for COVID since voluntary workouts began on June 8th.
The Georgia High School Association sent out and email on Tuesday, where they confirmed that they have had a reported 655 positive tests, including over 1,000 screen outs. Screen outs are when a player or coach is held out of practice due to a high temperature check or health questionnaire.
Several local area teams have stopped and started workouts since the June 8th restart, due to complications with the virus.
These numbers that he GHSA has released are not entirely accurate, as the GHSA does not require positive tests to be reported to the association, however it is encouraged so that the data can be compiled and used in the decision making process.
“The data is aggregate and for decision-making purposes,” GHSA associate director Don Corr said in Tuesdays email. “It is our belief that this data is incomplete and varies due to individual infectious disease plans formulated by each member school.”
6 GHSA teams have reported to the GHSA that they are shutting down their practice’s this week. There could be more since the GHSA also does not require practice activity to be reported either. The teams that are not practicing currently are Morgan County, Putnam County, Greene County, Social Circle and Lincoln County in east and central Georgia and Lakeside in DeKalb County.
Each school district has their own protocol in dealing with the positive coronavirus cases, as the GHSA has decided to give the power to the schools instead of setting a governing body of rules.
Jones Memorial Football Camp This Saturday 7/18
Team FYN Sports, UCHS Football July 13, 2020
The 4th annual Brannon Jones Memorial Football camp will be held this Saturday July the 18th at Sardis Baseball Park in Gainesville Georgia. There will be speed and agility workouts as well as football position drills. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and the camp concludes around 1:30. Lunch and a bracelet are provided and included in the 20 dollar cost of the camp, with all the proceeds going straight into a scholarship fund in memory of Brannon Jones.
A plethora of former and current Division 1 athletes will be helping coach at the camp, as well as current NFL rookie Auzoyah Alufohi, who was picked up by the Houston Texans as an un-drafted free agent this past year. Do not miss out on this opportunity to get some snaps in at a great football camp and be coached by some guys who have done it at the next level!
Awards given to Panthers at Union Co.’s annual football banquet
TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football January 10, 2020
An historic season for the Union Co. High football team came to an end Thursday, Jan. 9, as the Panthers held the annual awards banquet at Antioch Baptist Church in Blairsville.
From left, seniors Josh Orr, Sloan Sutton, and Zion Ross were recognized Thursday night.
The team’s 15 seniors were recognized at the banquet, along with individual honors awarded for standout performances during the season.
The group of seniors were a part of 33 wins during their four-year career.
The 2019 Panthers set a school record for wins with 10 and won a state playoff game for the first time in school history by defeating South Atlanta 19-15 on Nov. 15 in Blairsville.
Head coach Brian Allison said he was also proud of the fact that the entire team of 50 players managed to have academic success with an average of 80 or above in school, including 34 players with averages of 90 or above.
From left, Cayleb Rogers, Logan Helcher, Jonah Daniel, and Pierson Allison were recognized by Coach McCombs (right) Thursday night.
Among other awards he received, senior quarterback Pierson Allison was named the Offensive Player of the Year, while junior Jonah Daniel was named the Offensive Back of the Year.
Allison finished the season with 2,954 yards passing and 28 touchdowns, while accounting for 413 yards rushing and six touchdowns on 51 carries.
Daniel led the team with 1,570 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.
The Iron Panther award went to senior offensive lineman Drake Groves, while junior Aaron Helton was named the Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Junior kicker Mason McCombs was named the Special Teams Player of the Year after going 43-of-46 on point-after attempts and 4-of-5 on field goals with a long of 48 yards.
From left, seniors Pierson Allison, Sawyer Drake, and Bobby Rogers were recognized Thursday night.
Seniors Kyle Morlock and Sawyer Drake were named Co-Wide Receivers of the Year.
Drake netted 1,253 yards and 10 touchdowns on 78 catches in 12 games, while Morlock had 591 yards and six touchdowns in just eight games played.
John Mancuso, a senior, was named the Defensive Player of the Year, while Defensive Back of the Year went to junior Kaston Hemphill.
Mancuso was the team leader in tackles with 117 (81 solo, 36 assists), and Hemphill tallied 78 tackles (52 solo, 26 assists).
From left, seniors John Mancuso, Cayden Rich, and Kyle Morlock were honored Thursday.
Outside Linebacker of the Year was awarded to senior Noah Underwood, with fellow senior Sloan Sutton being named Inside Linebacker of the Year.
Sutton was second on the team with 104 total tackled (45 solo, 59 assists), while Underwood tallied 80 tackles (39 solo, 41 assists).
Defensive Lineman of the Year went to senior Nathaniel Ledford.
Junior Clayton Lester was the recipient of the team’s Academic Award.
Brian Allison also awarded the team’s Captain’s Awards to seniors Pierson Allison and Mancuso.
Pierson Allison, Daniel, Mancuso, Drake, Morlock, McCombs, Underwood, Cayden Rich, and Sutton were also recognized for being named the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week during the season.
Editor’s Note: TeamFYNSports would like to thank the sponsors for the Union Co. High football team’s 2019 season: Circuit World, Graphic Expressions, Day’s Chevrolet, Flash Media Group, Ingles, Pepsi, Nicholson Tire, Bill Potts Insurance, Downtown Pizza Company, and North Georgia Metals. Without their participation, our coverage and recognition of these student athletes would not have been possible.
Several area football players named to the all-state team
Team FYN Sports January 4, 2020
The 2019 All-State Football Teams as selected by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution were released Thursday and several area players were honored.
Two players were named to the Class AAA first team: North Murray senior Ladd McConkey was named the first team Athlete, while Fannin Co. junior Luke Holloway was named the first team Punter.
Dawson Co. placed two players on the Honorable Mention list: senior defensive back Riley Herndon and junior place kicker Caleb Bonesteel.
North Murray senior linebacker Dylan Flood was also named an Honorable Mention.
In Class AA, two players from Rabun Co. were named to the first team: sophomore quarterback Gunner Stockton and senior wide receiver Braxton Hicks.
Union Co. senior quarterback Pierson Allison was named an Honorable Mention in Class AA.
History in Blairsville as the Panthers win playoff game
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football November 16, 2019
History was made in Blairsville on Friday night, and it was all thanks to a safety, a field goal, and an incredible defensive effort from the Union County football team in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs.
Union County head coach Brian Allison encourages his on, senior quarterback Pierson Allison, during the Panthers’ first-round playoff game Friday night in Blairsville.
In a game decided by who blinked first, Union County (10-1) earned the first playoff win in its 62-year school history by knocking off the visiting Hornets 19-15 to advance to the second round.
And it was all because of a blocked punt, a made field goal, and a stingy, dedicated, and down-right nasty defense that refused to break down the stretch.
“Our defense played lights out all night,” head coach Brian Allison said after the win, and he was right.
South Atlanta came into the game averaging more than 300 yards of offense per game, with 200 of those coming on the ground.
In the fourth quarter Friday night – with the game on the line – the Hornets were limited to just six plays for -3 yards.
Senior Cayden Rich hauls in a pass during Union County’s win Friday night.
While the Panthers’ offense has put up big numbers all season, it’s been the defense that has been steady and dependable. And that proved true Friday night.
“We focused on shutting down their key players, and it resulted in us getting off the field and gave our offense a chance to put some points on the board,” senior linebacker Sloan Sutton said. “I feel that, overall, we played pretty good.”
“Pretty good” is an understatement for how well the Panthers defense played Friday night.
In addition to shutting down the Hornets in the second half, the defense also provided the biggest play of the game on the scoreboard.
With the game tied at seven in the second quarter, a quick sequence of plays turned out to be the difference in the long run.
After Panthers senior quarterback Pierson Allison hit senior Sawyer Drake with a 15-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter to even the score at 7-7, the defense went to work.
Senior Sawyer Drake brings down a catch during the Panthers’ win Friday night.
The ensuing kickoff pinned the Hornets back on their own 11-yard line, and the Panthers defense stifled the Wing-T running attack to force a fourth-and-7 from the 10-yard line.
As the Hornets dropped back to punt, junior Noah Underwood broke through, stuffing the punt into the end zone and earning the Panthers a safety to go up 9-7.
Union County received the kick after the safety with 5:33 to go in the half. After taking over near midfield, the Panthers offense stalled and turned the ball over on downs at the South Atlanta 37-yard line.
But the defense continued to make the Hornets pay for every yard and forced the visiting team into a punt facing fourth-and-19 from their own 39-yard line.
The Union County offense took over on their own 25 with 1:24 left in the half.
A pair of catches from Cayden Rich and several from Drake looked to give the Panthers an opportunity to put one in the end zone.
But penalties seemed to kill the drive as the Panthers faced a fourth-and-10 from the South Atlanta 27 with just two seconds until halftime.
But the Panthers would not be denied on the scoreboard.
Junior Mason McCombs stepped up and drilled a career-long 44-yard field goal to give the Panthers a five-point lead heading into the half at 12-7.
“Mason was huge,” Brian Allison said after the game. “That kick might have been the most important kick in the history of Union County football.”
In the second half, the Panthers brought their rushing attack to the party.
Junior Jonah Daniel pounded the South Atlanta defense with hard runs for most of the second half, including an 11-yard touchdown scamper on the second play of the fourth quarter that put Union County in the position to make school history.
Daniel finished the night with 79 yards and a score.
Pierson Allison finished 17-for-32 for 206 yards a touchdown, while Drake hauled in 12 catches for 134 yards and a score.
The Panthers won’t have much time to celebrate the historic win. They head south this Friday – more than four hours away from Blairsville – to take on Region 2-AA champion Metter in the second round of the state playoffs.
Metter (10-1) defeated Hephzibah 37-34 on Friday night to punch a ticket into the next round.
Defense leads the way to big Panthers home win
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football October 27, 2019
Junior Jonah Daniel carries the ball for Union County on Friday.
BLAIRSVILLE, GA – A suffocating defense and a high-scoring offensive performance pushed eighth-ranked Union County to a 43-0 win against Oglethorpe County on Friday, Oct. 25, in Blairsville.
With the win, Union County (8-0, 5-0 Region 8-AA) secured home field advantage in the first round of the state playoffs.
The Panthers offense scored on its first possession – thanks to an 18-yard scramble score from senior quarterback Pierson Allison – but then seemed out-of-sync across their next three possessions.
Also during that first possession, senior running back Jonah Daniel busted off a big run to put his season total yardage over the 1,000-yard mark, making him the first Union County player with more than 1,000 yards since 2003.
With Allison missing last week’s game at Banks County, it seemed to take the offense a few possessions to get on track.
Senior Sloan Sutton celebrates a score in the 43-0 victory.
A punt and two turnovers followed the score, which would normally have put the visiting Patriots in position to tie the game and possibly take a lead.
If only it weren’t for that pesky, powerful Panthers defense.
Oglethorpe Co. managed one first down during their opening drive, but ended up punting the ball. Their next two possessions were three-and-out punts, followed by a turnover-on-downs.
In all, the Patriots had just one first down on the night to go with -8 yards rushing and 0 passing yards.
After Daniel, who played some linebacker in the game, sacked the Patriots quarterback in the end zone for a safety to put the Panthers up 8-0 with 8:15 to go in the second quarter, the Union County offense finally went to work.
Senior quarterback Pierson Allison surveys the defense Friday night.
Allison hit senior Cayden Rich with a 5-yard touchdown strike on the ensuing possession. The quarterback then found senior Sawyer Drake for a 9-yard pass in the back of the end zone as time expired in the half to give the Panthers a 23-0 lead at the break.
The second half saw much of the same as senior running back Sloan Sutton punched in a pair of scores and junior Mason McCombs hit a pair of field goals.
Sutton’s second touchdown, a 15-yard burst with 2:30 left, put the game on a running clock and effectively ended things.
In all, the Panthers defense forced seven punts, two turnovers-on-downs, a safety, and six three-and-outs.
Union County will travel to the region’s last place team, Social Circle, next Friday, before hosting fourth-ranked Rabun County the following week.
Sports talk Thursday with Lauren Hunter-Back in season
Sports August 9, 2019
If any of you are under the age of 18 and reading this article, then I imagine this week was probably a tough week for you. I say that because the majority of schools in the state of Georgia started back this week.
I can remember being in high school and having a knot of dread in my stomach the night before the first day of school. I’ve never been a morning person, so having to get up early was my first problem. Add in all of the homework and having to spend my days in one building…it was easy to tell I wasn’t a school person.
The good news is there was always one bright spot in all of this gloom, and that was football season. I know I’ve said it before on our sports show, Instant Replay, and probably in this column as well, but in high school I lived for football season. I never missed a game, home or away. Granted I was in the colorguard with the marching band, so most of the time I HAD to go. But I can still remember a handful of games where we weren’t required to go, and some of my friends got together and still went anyway.
Those were good times, but I dare to say that these are even better. I’m thankful to have a job that pays me to follow a sport that I love. But on the other hand, it’s a job that’s helping me to get an inside look on other sports that are sometimes forgotten, especially in the South where football is a religion.
I covered my first softball game on Tuesday. I have watched and worked softball games in the past, so in my defense I knew what to expect, but it was my first time reporting on a game. It was the Lumpkin County Lady Indians against the Pickens Dragonettes in the Lady Indians home opener. One thing I loved about this game was that it wasn’t just smooth sailing, if you will. Just to give a brief recap, the Nettes put three runs on the board first. By the fifth inning, it was looking as though the Lady Indians might lose their home opener. But as with all great teams, the Lady Indians weren’t going down without a fight and ended up coming back to win 4-3. Ironically, I went to the next game where they played each other tonight and the Nettes ended up winning 9-4.
Softball is just one of several high school sports that is played in the fall. There’s also volleyball and cross country. While I haven’t gotten the chance to go cover either of these events yet, I know that I probably will be in the near future.
I’ve never personally played volleyball competitively, but I know several people who have. And from what I do know about it, there’s more technique to setting and hitting the ball than there seems. Whenever I play for fun at the beach I just feel lucky to get it over the net. But there are certain ways to prepare before you serve the ball and where to place your feet when you’re in an official match. I don’t see how players keep up with everything, other than that they practice. I know it’s got to feel great whenever you take all of your frustration out by smacking the ball.
Now I enjoy running, but I could never run cross country. I’ve seen the joke that says “my sport is your sport’s punishment” and to be honest, that’s how I feel because I don’t know how they do it. I can remember talking to cross country runners in high school, and them telling me that they would get up at 6 a.m. to run. And for some of them, the distances they would run blew my mind. But the other incredible thing to me about cross country is how much of a mental sport it is. Not only do runners have to be trained physically to maintain a certain time, they also have to be trained physically to encourage themselves to keep going.
The point I’m trying to make is that even though I’m still learning about other sports, I respect them because I do know how hard they work. I see the social media posts, I know people that play, and I see the teams out practicing well before their season starts. And even though the summer is ending and we’re back to school, the exciting thing is we’re past the days of camps and well on our way to the actual competition. I can’t wait to see what all of these young athletes accomplish.
Sports talk Thursday with Lauren Hunter- Thank a coach!
Sports July 25, 2019
Over the last week and a half BKP and I have been going from school to school interviewing head football coaches for our North Georgia Coaching Series. Now if any of y’all know BKP, you’ll know what I mean when I say that he’s been doing most of the talking and I’ve been doing most of the observing. But this doesn’t bother me, it gives me a chance to learn more about the programs I’ll be spending a lot of time with this fall.
With that being said, there’s one thing in particular I’ve been noticing in our interviews, and that’s how much these coaches truly care about their players and their programs.
Now me saying that might make some of y’all think, “Well, duh. That’s what they’re supposed to do.” Well, maybe. But I like to think I’m pretty good at picking up when someone is just putting on an act for appearances. And I can say with all sincerity that none of these coaches are doing that.
Obviously when BKP and I go into these interviews, he asks questions about what the teams have been doing during the summer and how they’re planning to prepare for the regular season. But he also asks the coaches if they can highlight a few players that have really stood out. This point in the interview, I believe, is where a coach who didn’t care would possibly just say a couple names and move on.
But these coaches not only name the players, they tell us about why they stand out. And it’s a sign of the hard work of these athletes, but there’s also a sense of pride from these coaches as they name them. A couple of coaches have mentioned that it’s hard to name just a few, because all of their players have worked hard. And it’s not that the rest of the team doesn’t matter or that they don’t care about them, but the ones that they mention they do so without hesitation because they’ve been there with them through the summer truly coaching them. There’s no so-so about the commitment these coaches make- they’re all in.
Another thing that has amazed me about these coaches, not just in the interviews but learning about them off the field, is how much they care about their community as well. A couple of them, such as Chad Cheatham at Fannin County and Chad McClure at Hayesville, are natives to their communities. It’s home to them, and they’re not going to be just halfway in their commitments to their programs.
When Coach Caleb Sorrells of the Lumpkin County Indians was first named as head coach, the school hosted a meet and greet for him. It was one of the first stories I covered in this position.
In his address to the parents, Sorrells promised to not only invest in the team as players and athletes, but as men who would one day be employees and fathers. I remember being caught off guard at first because I was expecting him to talk about plans for the future of the program, the summer schedule and what not. He did talk about these things, but I believe by telling the parents that he was going to invest in the players as men showed that it was going to be a priority.
Although I know more about the commitment that Sorrells has made because I’m positioned in Lumpkin County, he’s not the only one in the area who gets involved in the community and works to build up the athletes’ character.
Tim Cokely with the White County Warriors has an entire wall of his office decorated with signs of good character qualities to instill in the team. Chad Cheatham, who I mentioned earlier, referees basketball in the football off-season just because, and the community loves him for it. I’m sure that many of the other coaches in the area do similar things and I just don’t know about it yet.
These are commitments that we see played out by coaches in movies and don’t always think to look for in real life. And because I grew up in Gwinnett County, population one million, if there was this sort of commitment by coaches I didn’t always see it because there were so many people. I love living up here in North Georgia in a smaller community where an act of kindness, especially where sports are concerned, rarely goes unnoticed.
We think about football as a sport that instills a since of discipline, but why is that? Because there’s a coach that sets that standard and inspires the team to do the same. As a community we love football and we love our team, and we can thank a coach for that.
Sports talk Thursday with Lauren Hunter-First United Church of the Southeastern Conference
Sports August 16, 2019
On Wednesday I stopped by one of the local rec departments to iron out some details for an upcoming event that Team FYN Sports plans to cover. As often happens in small towns where time seems to move a little slower, you can’t go into a place where people are as close as a rec department and just have your meeting and leave. You end up talking about something like, in this case sports, that leads into one topic after another. Add a couple more people into the mix that you haven’t seen in a while and soon enough you glance down at your watch and you’ve been there for two hours with no idea where the time went. Southerners especially know what I mean.
Anyway, naturally with this being SEC country we had to talk about college football. And even more so when one of the people in the conversation was a Tennessee fan (you know who you are!)
Eventually our conversation turned to memories of our first college football games. The memories spanned years and were entwined with heartfelt stories of family, friends and Sanford stadium. There were tales of witnessing games where records were set and broken, of firsts and lasts. A couple of us could even recall games with rivalries so bitter that a rowdy fan from the opposing team was either physically injured or injured with glares.
Ah the glorious Sanford Stadium! And during a Georgia/Tennessee game, too!
For each of us that was sitting in the room we had a look of wonder in our eye. We were recalling memories that were so precious to us that we wouldn’t trade them for all the University of Florida defeats in the world. Especially the ones were loved ones were involved. Those are always the most precious.
Hearing those glorious tales took me back to my own first University of Georgia game. I couldn’t tell you who they were playing, but I remember watching the team run out with the big Georgia flag and feeling a since of pride I hadn’t felt before. I was with my mom and my grandparents. I had never seen my Nana get so rowdy. And my Papa Skip was especially proud to have the three most important women in his life with him and dressed in red and black. And a new love was born for me.
As a side note, my brother would later commit the ultimate sin in that side of the family and declare himself to be a Florida fan. I’m sure it broke Papa’s heart at the time, but he soon got over it when he had someone to accompany him to the Georgia/Florida game besides my Nana. Such is the seriousness of rivalries in the Southeastern Conference.
Here is a gem of a picture featuring my brother Devin, wearing a Florida shirt, and I with Governor Brian Kemp, who is a UGA alum. Even the governor gave Devin a hard time for being a Florida fan!
I know I probably sound like a broken record by now, but I firmly believe that nothing besides religion brings people together like a football game. Which is probably why it’s so common to refer to football as a religion in the South. You may hate someone during the week, but come Saturday morning if you’re both wearing red and black you’re going to at least be cordial.
I know that it may be more intense in other college towns, but in Athens people will arrive a full day early to claim their tailgating spots. Red and black tents flood the streets of downtown on every plot of grass that grows. Women (including myself) will go to get their nails and hair done ahead of time, and dress to the nine in ninety degree weather. There is no telling how many hundreds of thousands of dollars get spent on food and drinks for one weekend of tailgating alone.
I was recently watching an old episode of the show Designing Women. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the show, it’s about four women running an interior design firm in Atlanta. In one scene Julia Sugarbaker, who is the sharp-tongued primary owner of the firm, is leaving for a football game with one of her co-workers. Sadly, she was going to a Georgia Tech game, but we’ll overlook that part for now.
As the two characters are heading out the door, Julia says that she and her husband used to plan their weekends around the Georgia Tech games. She quips, “In the East, football is a cultural exercise. In the Midwest, it’s cannibalism. In the West, it’s a tourist attraction. But in the South, it’s a religion!”
Union County dominates Social Circle 41-6 to stay unbeaten
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football November 2, 2019
Junior Jonah Daniel (No. 24) is hoisted into the air by fellow junior Aaron Helton in celebration after a touchdown run.
SOCIAL CIRCLE, GA – If the Union County Panthers had played flat Friday night at Social Circle, it would have been understandable.
If the Panthers, currently ranked eighth in the state, had come out with little-to-no enthusiasm against Region 8-AA’s last-place team, in a game that had no effect on next week’s region championship showdown with Rabun County, no one would have been surprised.
But that’s not what happened.
Union County (9-0, 6-0) came to Social Circle like it was a business trip and the team had a job to accomplish before being allowed to take the three-hour bus ride home.
The Panthers handled that business and finished the job in a 41-6 demolition of the home team Redskins.
Other than a few plays ran before halftime, Union County had six drives in the first half.
Senior Josh Orr puts a defender on the turf with a move after making a catch Friday night. Orr finished with three catches.
They scored touchdowns on all six and the outcome of the game was never in doubt.
Efficiency proved to be the keyword for the Panthers, as senior quarterback Pierson Allison threw just 14 passes for 10 catches and two touchdowns.
Junior running back Jonah Daniel carried the ball just 10 times, but scored three touchdowns and went for more than 100 yards for the seventh time this season. One of those runs, a 48-yarder in the second quarter, was the last score of the game for the Panthers.
Senior Cayden Rich sprints during his 72-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter.
That score came with a few minutes remaining in the first half.
Senior Sloan Sutton added a score running the ball, an 8-yard burst that put the Panthers up 34-0 early in the second quarter.
Allison hit four different receivers on the night, with senior Cayden Rich and junior Mason McCombs each catching a touchdown.
The festivities started early for Union County, who kicked off to Social Circle to open the game.
On the Redskins first play from scrimmage, the quarterback muffed the snap and the ball hit the dirt.
Sutton, who starts as the team’s middle linebacker, fell on it, giving the Panthers their first offensive possession of the night.
A few plays later Daniel hit a big hole, rumbling 19 yards untouched into the end zone to give the Panthers the lead for good with 11:04 left in the first frame.
The defense then forced the first of the four punts from Social Circle in the first half.
Allison got into the mix on the ensuing drive, hitting Rich on a straight post route for a 72-yard touchdown to put Union County up 14-0.
The theme continued for the remainder of the first half, as the Panthers were too big, too strong, and simply too talented for the Redskins to keep up with.
Daniel scored his second rushing touchdown of the game with 4:54 left in the first quarter. The point-after attempt went wide right, and Union County led 20-0.
Four minutes later, McCombs made a beautiful, toe-tapping catch in the corner of the end zone to give the Panthers the 27-0 lead.
Junior Noah Underwood continued to play well leading the defense. He recovered a fumble on a kickoff and then recovered another fumble in the early minutes of the third quarter.
The starters for Union County played just one series in the second half, before head coach Brian Allison sent the junior varsity on the field for some much-needed game experience.
With the score at 41-6 to start the half, the referees went with a running clock and the score remained the same as the junior varsity squads went at it.
Union County faces No. 4 Rabun County, who is also undefeated, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 8, in Blairsville. The winner will be the No. 1 seed from Region 8-AA headed into the state playoffs.
The Union County seniors gathered for a picture after the win against Social Circle on Friday night. Pictured are, from left, front row: Cayden Rich, Sawyer Drake, JJ Engle, Josh Orr; and standing: Drake Groves, Pierson Allison, John Mancuso, Lance Patton, Sloan Sutton, Nathaniel Ledford, Joseph Rockenbaugh, Zion Ross, Bobby Rogers, and Kyle Morlock.
Honors roll in for Union Co. Panthers football team
TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football December 13, 2019
Honors were everywhere for the Panthers this week as Union Co. head football coach Brian Allison was named the Region 8-AA Coach of the Year as voted on by the region coaches.
Region 8-AA Coach of the Year Brian Allison
Allison led the Panthers to an 10-2 record this season and the first state playoff victory in school history. The team’s 10 wins are the most by a Union Co. football team since the program began.
Allison said he was happy with the selection, but that it was more about the team than himself.
“It’s a nice recognition of our football team and our coaching staff after the season we had,” Allison said.
He was not the only member of the Panthers honored as the Region 8-AA All-Region team was released; 19 players were included across the first team, second team, and honorable mentions.
Senior John Mancuso was named the Region 8-AA Defensive Player of the Year.
Senior defensive back John Mancuso was named the Defensive Player of the Year. He finished the season with 122 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and two sacks, and was most noted for showing up and playing his best in the team’s most important moments and games this season.
Senior quarterback Pierson Allison was named the Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 2,954 yards and 28 touchdowns, while adding 395 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
Being selected to the first team were:
-junior running back Jonah Daniel (1,570 yards on 177 carries, 16 touchdowns);
-senior wide receiver Sawyer Drake (1,253 yards on 78 catches, 10 touchdowns);
Junior Jonah Daniel was named the Region 8-AA All-Region First Team.
-senior wide receiver Kyle Morlock (591 yards on 28 catches, six touchdowns in eight games);
-junior offensive lineman Aaron Helton;
-senior defensive lineman Nathaniel Ledford;
Senior Sloan Sutton was named the Region 8-AA All-Region First Team.
-senior linebacker Sloan Sutton (104 tackles, two sacks, interceptions; and,
-junior defensive back Kaston Hemphill (78 tackles, three interceptions.
Panthers making the second team included senior offensive lineman Drake Groves, junior linebacker Noah Underwood, and junior kicker Mason McCombs.
Honorable Mentions included senior Lance Patton, senior Cayden Rich, senior Joseph Rockenbaugh, senior JJ Engle, junior Clayton Lester, and senior Zion Ross.