GHSA announces changes to playoffs
Team FYN Sports October 13, 2020
The GHSA (Georgia High School Association) has announced a few changes for the 2020 state playoffs in different sports.
Monday, Executive Director Robin Hines stated that the coronavirus would impact a number of sports when they enter postseason play when it came to attendance numbers.
The State football championship will be at full capacity in Georgia State’s Football Stadium so it will not be affected.
Basketball will see a huge change, as the state semifinals and finals games are usually played at surrounding colleges, but will not be this year. This year they will be played at high school gyms. The GHSA cited that many colleges simply are not allowing their arenas to open at all.
Hines said that the softball championships which take place in Columbus, will not have stands for fans. Attending fans will be required to bring their own chairs and seating and be required to socially distance.
Swimming finals are still set for Georgia Tech, but Hines said currently the facility is not allowing fans. The GHSA could possibly charge schools $40 per athlete to cover revenue loss and the cost of the facility.
Hines also announced the GHSA is forming a Diversity Committee.
Lady Panthers see successful season end with quarterfinal loss
Lady Panthers, TeamFYNSports February 26, 2020
The most successful season in nearly two decades came to end for the Union Co. Lady Panthers basketball squad Tuesday, Feb. 25, with a 60-58 loss to Early Co. in the Class AA state quarterfinals in Blairsville.
Senior Andelin Hill goes up for two of her 15 points for Union Co. on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
The game and atmosphere were electric as the Region 8-AA champion Lady Panthers (23-7) and Region 1-AA champion Lady Bobcats (26-4) traded massive runs throughout fueled by a raucous crowd on both sides of the floor.
First year head coach Crystal Beach said, while not the end result the team wanted, she’s very happy with how her team performed last night and throughout the season.
Lady Panthers head coach Crystal Beach.
“I’m very proud of entire program’s effort and dedication,” Beach said. “We have the saying to get one percent better each day and every opportunity we have to get together on the floor, and they consistently did that throughout the season. A lot of our early battles helped prepare us for this postseason run, and I told the team last night that they have nothing to hang their heads about.”
Facing a 13-point deficit after a 23-8 run by Early Co. through the end of the second quarter and start of the third, the Lady Panthers could have folded.
Instead, they countered with their own 17-3 run to cut the lead to three, 39-36, at the end of three quarters.
Beach said her squad’s refusal to quit on the game exemplified the character the team has shown all season. The coach said that throughout the 2019-20 campaign, the Lady Panthers have had the motto to “go out there to play with intensity and effort, together, for four quarters.”
“I think that was living and breathing proof of our team philosophy when they (made that run),” Beach said. “It was a great thing to see. They could have just let the game keep going by, but instead they took charge.”
Senior Kait McCarter puts up a shot for Union Co. on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
The second-half resurgence was propelled by senior Andelin Hill, who scored all 15 of her points in the second half. Hill added 10 rebounds and three assists to be one of two Lady Panthers to finish the night with a double-double.
Hill scored nine of her points in the fourth quarter alone. That quarter saw two lead changes and a tie in the final two minutes, leading to a last-second play for the Lady Panthers.
Trailing 60-58 with 3.5 seconds remaining, Beach called a timeout and drew up a play for Hill.
The Lady Bobcats were expecting Hill to take the shot, and doubled her off the inbounds, forcing the pass to inside to sophomore Ava Hunter, who’s rushed attempt to get up a shot was blocked to end the game.
Hunter led the team with 19 points and 13 rebounds, to go along with two steals, an assist, and two blocks.
Senior Brooke Dockrey also scored in double-figures with 14 points to go along with five rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
Kait McCarter, also a senior, added four points, while freshman Ellie Cook and junior Kyla Locklear added three points each to round out the scoring for Union Co.
Beach said she was very grateful for the community’s support during the game and throughout the season. The gym was virtually standing-room only, and so loud at times you couldn’t hear the referees when they blew the whistle.
“Especially being my first year up here, I can’t say enough for how thankful I am that this community has welcomed me into the family,” Beach said. “People said afterward that this was by far the most people they’ve seen packed in that gym. It was huge. Any time you can get a large crowd in the tournament for a home game, it’s always an advantage.”
For more pictures from the came, click here.
Moving on! Lady Panthers advance to the Class AA quarterfinals
Lady Panthers, TeamFYNSports February 21, 2020
For the first time in nearly two decades, the Union Co. Lady Panthers are back in the Class AA state playoff quarterfinals after a dominating 61-37 win against Butler in the second round Wednesday, Feb. 19, in Blairsville.
Sophomore Ava Hunter drives inside for two of her game-high 20 points Wednesday night.
As usual, Union Co. (23-6) used a high-pressure, full-court defense to spark a run early and never looked back on the way to the victory.
Head coach Crystal Beach said after the game that she felt her team is playing the best it has all season
Senior Brooke Dockrey knocks down a jump shot for Union Co. on Wednesday.
“I think that we are (playing our best). Of course, as coaches, we always try to see little things we can do better,” Beach said. “But that’s what you want to happen at this point in the season. You’re playing your best ball, making the adjustment, having your team make the adjustments and execute, that’s what leads to beating great teams like we did tonight. They’re a great, great team over there. (We) have a lot of respect for them.”
With the win, the Lady Panthers secured their spot in the quarterfinals. Due to a universal coin flip made by the Georgia High School Association earlier this week, the top team in the bracket, when teams with like seedings meet, will be the home team in the quarterfinals. As such, the Region 8-AA champion Lady Panthers will be the home team when they face Region 1-AA champion Early Co. (25-4) on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. The Lady Bobcats will have to make the 300-mile trip north from Blakely to take on the Lady Panthers after defeating Chattooga 64-45 in the second round Thursday, Feb. 20.
“Any time you can play at home in the state tournament is a huge deal,” Beach said of winning the coin flip. “Playing in front of a home crowd means something to our girls, and they played like that tonight.”
While the Lady Panthers started the game on a 6-0 run and never trailed, visiting Butler (19-10) went on a 6-0 run of their own at the end of the first quarter and startof the second to close the gap to 15-14 less than a minute into the second period.
Senior Andelin Hill looks for options Wednesday.
Then Union Co.’s defense took over, forcing multiple turnovers and sparking the offense to a 16-2 run to end the first half.
Sophomore Ava Hunter and senior Kait McCarter each had six points in the second to lead the Lady Panthers.
Hunter finished with a game-high 20 points to go along with eight rebounds, two assists, and three steals.
McCarter finished with a double-double: 11 points and 13 rebounds.
The second half proved more of the same as the Lady Panthers, sparked by a 3-pointer from senior Andelin Hill to start the frame, stretched the run to 25-2 before Butler finally managed to get on the board and make the margin 40-18 with 4 minutes and 35 seconds left in the third.
Hill finished with 11 points, including two made 3-pointers.
Senior Brooke Dockrey scored six points in the third and finished the night with eight points overall. Dockrey added six rebounds, two assists, and two steals in the win.
Freshman Ellie Cook scored six points, all in the first half, from her starting guard role, while fellow freshman Corinne Hill managed to hit a lay-up late in the game to round out the scoring for Union Co.
For more pictures from Union Co. second-round game with Butler, click here.
Dominating defense leads Lady Panthers to playoff win
Lady Panthers, Sports, TeamFYNSports February 14, 2020
Led by a dominating defense, the Union Co. girls basketball team controlled every phase of the game Thursday night, Feb. 13, in a 69-40 win against Therrell in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs in Blairsville.
Freshman Ellie Cook goes up for a shot Thursday, Feb. 13. Cook finished with seven points in the win.
Union Co. (22-6) forced turnovers on the first four Therrell (10-11) possessions while putting together an 8-0 run on offense. They led 16-7 at the end of the first quarter and never looked back.
Sophomore Ava Hunter, who is averaging 16.6 points per game this season, scored 27 in the win, which tied for her second-highest point total in 2019-20.
Despite the entire Union Co. squad having no state playoff experience, head coach Crystal Beach said the Lady Panthers came prepared.
“They were very focused going in,” Beach said. “Emotions and energy levels are always high, but they handled it well and stepped to the floor ready to play Lady Panther basketball.”
Even though Union Co. held visiting Therrell to just seven points in the first quarter, and built a 17-point lead, 36-19, heading into halftime, Beach said the defense still has some work to do.
“There are some things we need to improve a bit (on defense),” Beach said. “The press worked for us, but we need to execute more tightly with some of the things we saw out there. We definitely did what we had to do. Therrell is a great ball-handling team, with several kids who can take it all the way, so for us to put a stop to that shows how strong and capable our defense can be.”
Along with Hunter’s 27 points, senior Kait McCarter scored 12, while dominating on the offensive and defensive glass.
Senior Andelin Hill scored nine points, including knocking down two 3-pointers in the second half to keep the game out of reach for Union Co.
Senior Brooke Dockrey, left, drives into the lane Thursday, Feb. 13, in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs.
Point guard Brooke Dockrey, also a senior, scored eight points, while controlling the game’s tempo and keeping the Lady Panthers in a constant attacking mode on offense.
Those four players – Hunter, McCarter, Hill, and Dockrey – have been the core of success for the Lady Panthers this season, and Beach said she wasn’t surprised they showed up big when it mattered the most.
“That’s what you expect of them in this moment. That’s what we’ve practiced and preached all season, and that’s what you expect: stepping up when it matters most,” Beach said.
Freshman Ellie Cook, who scored the first two points of the game with a layup off the opening tip, finished the night with seven points.
Sophomore Rebekah Chambers scored six points, all in the second half, to round out the scoring for Union Co.
With the win, the Lady Panthers advanced to the second round of the Class AA state playoffs. As the No. 1 seed from Region 8-AA, they will host the winner of Bryan Co. and Butler.
Bryan Co. (22-5) is the second seed from Region 2, while Butler (18-9) is the third seed from Region 4.
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.
Historic season comes to end for Panthers
TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers November 25, 2019
The most historic football season in Union Co. High history came to an end Friday night as the Panthers fell in the second round of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Class AA state playoffs.
The Panthers (10-2) lost 14-7 on the road at Metter, the No. 1 seed out of Region 2-AA.
Senior wideout Sawyer Drake goes up for a catch against Metter. Drake had a team high in catches in the loss.
And while the end result was disappointing, the 2019 season has been nothing short of historic for the program.
For the first time since the school began playing football in 1957, the Panthers won a GHSA state playoff game when they took down visiting South Atlanta 19-15 on Nov. 15 in Blairsville.
The win was one Union Co. had waited a long time for, especially head coach Brian Allison.
Allison played four years for the Panthers, and has been their head coach for 17 seasons so far.
Not once in those first 20 seasons did Allison experience a playoff win with the Panthers.
Junior Jonah Daniel carries the ball against Metter. Daniel scored the lone Union Co. touchdown Friday night.
The historic game against South Atlanta changed all that.
As to the game Friday night at Metter, which lies nearly an hour West of Savannah, the Panthers played hard-nosed, stubborn, defensive football all night, giving the Tiger’s triple-option running attack all that it could handle.
The defense was led, as it has been all season, by a pair of seniors. Defensive back John Mancuso and middle linebacker Sloan Sutton set the tone for the Panthers defense all night. Juniors Kaston Hemphill and Clayton Lester also played well, making tackles everywhere and helping slow down the Tigers’ attack.
Senior linebacker Sloan Sutton brings down Metter’s Aaron Collins on Friday night.
As a unit, the defense forced two punts and a turnover-on-downs, while giving up two scores to account for all five meaningful Metter drives on the night.
But on offense, Union Co. just couldn’t get the passing game going against a fast, athletic Metter defense that had three takeaways, one of them to seal the game as the Panthers were driving to tie things up.
Trailing 14-0 midway through the fourth quarter, the Panthers put together their best drive of the night after the defense stopped the Tigers on fourth down.
With first-and-10 from their own 17 and 5:41 left to go in the game, the offense finally started clicking.
Completions to seniors Kyle Morlock and Sawyer Drake, a huge third-down catch from junior Mason McCombs, and a big run by junior Jonah Daniel all led to a first-and-10 from the Metter 12-yard line.
Daniel did what he did all season, taking the handoff and finding his way into the end zone to give Union Co. their first score of the night and close the game to 14-7.
After a failed onside-kick attempt, the defense forced the second Metter punt of the night. The kick was perfect and pinned the Panthers’ offense on its own 5-yard line with less than 3 minutes remaining.
After three unsuccessful passes, Union Co. faced fourth-and-10 from their own 5-yard line with less than two minutes to go and no timeouts.
Senior quarterback Pierson Allison attempted to hit fellow senior Kyle Morlock with a pass, but the ball fell incomplete.
But a defensive pass interference call gave the Panthers new life and a first down on their own 21-yard line.
Three plays later, Union Co. had fourth-and-two from the 29 with 1:20 to go. A catch by senior Cayden Rich kept the drive, and the Panthers’ season, alive for at least a few more seconds. The play resulted in a first down at the Union Co. 33 with less than a minute to go.
But it wasn’t to be for the Panthers. Two plays later Allison threw the last of his three interceptions to effectively end the game.
With the loss, Union Co.’s historic season is at an end.
PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Union to visit Metter in second round
TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football November 20, 2019
Union Co. made history last week in their first-round state playoff win against South Atlanta. The post-season victory was the first state playoff win for the Panthers since the school began playing football in 1957.
Senior quarterback Pierson Allison has more than 2,800 yards passing and 28 touchdowns this season.
If they want to keep the momentum going, and continue to make even more school history, they’ll have to do it Friday night against a strong Metter team from Region 2-AA.
The Tigers (10-1) come in as a region champion that defeated Screven Co. 27-19 in the first round last Friday.
The Metter offense is an in-your-face, power running option, with a stable of strong and quick running backs able to take off for big gains at any moment.
Last week against Screven, the Tigers were led by Ahmod Collins who had 147 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, including runs of 61 and 41 yards.
Antwan Coney netted 102 yards and two scores on just seven carries, one of them a 64-yard touchdown run.
Aaron Collins had 83 yards on 16 carries, while Kaliq Collins added a 55-yard run out of the back field.
The Tigers regularly set up with three backs in the backfield under the direction of junior quarterback Taj Hobbs.
Senior Sawyer Drake leads the team with 1,184 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns this season.
The playoff win was the first for the school since 2003.
The Tigers won their first game of the season by forfeit. Excluding that game, the team is scoring slightly less than 27 points per game, while the defense is giving up just 8.6 points per game.
But if anyone in the state has the defense to stop such a potent running attack, it’s Union Co.
The Panthers (10-1) are led on defense by a pair of seniors: defensive back John Mancuso and middle linebacker Sloan Sutton.
Mancuso has a team-high 117 tackles this season to go along with two sacks. Sutton is right behind him with 104 total tackles, two sacks, and an interception.
Union Co. has playmakers all over the defense, including juniors Noah Underwood (80 tackles) and Kaston Hemphill (78 tackles).
Senior Sloan Sutton has 104 tackles this season from his middle linebacker position.
The defense will also get a boost from star offensive players Pierson Allison, Sawyer Drake, and Jonah Daniel, who have begun playing both ways for head coach Brian Allison.
Last week, senior quarterback Pierson Allison threw for 218 yards and a touchdown. He’s got 2,804 yards and 28 touchdowns so far this season.
Daniel, junior running back, has 1,470 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground this season. He clinched the game last week with a 22-yard touchdown run on the second play of the fourth quarter that proved to be the game winner for Union Co. He finished the game with 95 yards and a score on 21 carries, which is tied with most time he’s carried the ball in a game this season.
Drake, senior wideout, has 1,184 yards and 10 touchdowns 72 catches this season. Last week he led the team with 146 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches, the most catches he’s had in a game this season.
Fellow senior wideout Kyle Morlock, who was leading the team in receiving yards before being injured more than a month ago, was a full-go for the Panthers last Friday. While he pulled in just two catches for 15 touchdowns, he had several drops that would have normally been catches for him. With another week to shake off the rust, Morlock should have the opportunity this Friday against Metter to show why he has already received multiple Division-I offers.
The Panthers and the Tigers are set to kick-off at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 22, in Metter, which is about 65 miles west of Savannah and nearly five hours of travel time away from Blairsville.
For a recap of Union Co.’s playoff win last week, click here.
For information on Metter’s season, click here.
New regions set for 2020-22 school years
Team FYN Sports November 20, 2019
There will be new school regions across north Georgia when the 2020-21 school year begins.
The appeal process for schools wishing to change regions or classifications within the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) was completed Tuesday, Nov. 19, and many area schools will soon see new foes in new places during the 2020 through 2022 school years.
After the GHSA released initial prospective region alignments earlier this month, several schools filed appeals to move to different regions or play in a different classification, including Fannin Co.
Fannin Co.’s appeal was granted, and they will play in Region 7-AA with Chattooga, Coosa, Dade Co., Gordon Central, Model, and Pepperell.
Fannin Co. had originally been placed in 8-AA but appealed due to travel times and distance.
Gilmer will move down a classification next year from Region 6-AAAA to play in Region 7-AAA. Along with Gilmer, Region 7-AAA will have newcomers in West Hall and White Co., while keeping Cherokee Bluff, Dawson Co., Lumpkin Co., and North Hall.
White Co. moves down from from Class AAAA to AAA.
Pickens will remain in Class AAAA but will move from Region 6 to Region 7. The Dragons will face Cedartown, Central Carroll, Heritage, Catoosa, Northwest Whitfield, Ridgeland, and Southeast Whitfield.
Murray Co. and North Murray remain in 6-AAA, which will include of Adairsville, Coahulla Creek, LaFayette, Lakeview-Ft. Oglethrope, Ringgold, Rockmart, and Sonoraville.
Rabun Co. and Union Co. remain in 8-AA, which includes of Banks Co., Elbert Co., and Riverside Military.
Towns Co. remains in 8-A Public, which includes of Commerce, Greene County, Lincoln County, Social Circle, and Washington-Wilkes.
Final region alignments still have to be verified by the GHSA’s Executive Committee for Reclassification, which is expected to meet in early December.
For a list of current GHSA regions, click here.
For the full list of anticipated regions for 2020-2022, click here.
Panthers defeat North Hall, Ladies fall to Trojans
Union County High School January 24, 2018Tuesday, 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.
Pipe bust forces basketball schedule changes
Union County High School January 3, 2018
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 December 14, 2017
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 February 7, 2018
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 February 7, 2018
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.
Panthers, Lady Panthers defeat Andrews
Union County High School January 24, 2018Saturday, 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.
Thriller in the Historical Granite Bowl
TeamFYNSports September 30, 2018
The Panthers traveled two and a half hours Southeast to Elberton, Georgia to take on the Blue Devils of Elbert Friday night. Union had one goal in mind and that was to go down and get a win to keep their Region Championship hopes in reach. Elbert County had the same mindset so you should not have expected anything else but a barn burner. A fun fact about Elbert County is it is the home to standout Georgia Bulldogs Wideout, Mecole Hardman. 
During warmups you could tell this was going to be a game for the ages. The game started out very sloppy for both teams but the intensity and effort was very evident. The Panthers could not get it rolling on Offense, but the Defense led by Chayton Schafer was picking up any slack to hold the Devils scoreless in the first quart. However, on the flip side the Blue Devils was doing the same thing so the first would end 0-0. The second quarter is when the Offense for Union would start clicking when Pierson Allison led them a on a drive ending in a 22 yard pass to Chayton Schafer. This would not go unmatched by the Blue Devils. Elbert would throw a quick pass to Metrius Fleming and he would do the rest taking it 69 yards for a touchdown, they would miss the extra point though. Kyle Morlock would extend the lead to 14-6 going into to halftime on a 22 yard touchdown reception from Allison.
The second half is when you could see that this game meant a lot to both of these teams. The 3rd quarter would be all Blue Devils. Elbert would rush for a 27 yard touch down and go for a two point conversion to tie the game back up then they would take the lead on 9 yard kick bringing the score to 21-14 in favor of Elbert going into the 4th quarter. The Panthers would march down the field and score of a 2 yard rushing touchdown by Chad Buzzard, but just like most of the night the Devils would respond with a 12 yard rushing touchdown to bring them ahead 28-21 with a little over 3 minutes left in the game. Pierson would march the Panthers down the field and hand Buzzard the ball from 1 yard out to give the Panthers a score bringing it to 27-28 with 1 minute and 30 seconds left in the game. At this point head coach, Brian Allison, had the choice to kick the extra point to tie or go for two to put the Panthers a head. With everyone of their feet and the Panthers jogging out to go for two to win the game the Blue Devils would call a time out. After the timeout they took the field to go ahead in this game and that’s exactly what happened. Union Ran a reverse to Sawyer Drake and with the help of a huge block by Pierson he would sneak in. Elbert still had time they would march down the field and with 9 seconds left would go for the deep ball, but Junior Safety, John Mancuso was not having it. John would pick the ball and help secure Unions quest for the Region Championship alive. Congrats to Brian Allison and the Union County Panthers.
For region, standings click HERE!
Player of The Week-Pierson Allison
Player of the Week, TeamFYNSports September 30, 2018
It is like deja vu, but when you put up numbers like the Junior signal caller is it is hard not to keep selecting him for Player of the week. Pierson was on fire again Friday night doing what ever he could to help prevail the Panthers to a victory, including a huge block for the Panthers on a 2-point conversion. Pierson was 28/41 for 400 passing yards and two touchdowns, but he also rushed for 70 more. Congrats to the Panthers on another huge win!
