Sawyer Drake is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Panthers!
Player of the Week, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers January 19, 2020
Sawyer Drake is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Union Co. Panthers!
Drake, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, had a week of strong performances as Union Co. (11-8, 6-3 Region 8-AA) swept three region games to move into third place in the region standings.
Drake scored 11 points Tuesday, Jan. 14, as the Panthers defeated Elbert Co. (7-13, 4-5) 64-52 on the road. He followed that with a game-high 19 points, including an emphatic second-half dunk, in a 67-49 victory against Monticello (5-14, 3-6) on Friday, Jan. 17, in Blairsville.
The senior was also instrumental in the Panthers’ 46-38 victory at Putnam Co. on Saturday, Jan. 18.
For his efforts, Drake is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Union Co. Panthers!
Panthers sweep the week, move into third in Region 8-AA
Lady Panthers, TeamFYNSports January 19, 2020
The Union Co. boys basketball team went 3-0 in region games last week to move into third place in Region 8-AA with a chance to move even higher during the coming week.
Senior Sawyer Drake bodies up a Monticello defender Friday, Jan. 17. Morlock scored 10 points in the Panthers’ win.
The Panthers (11-8, 6-3) started the week with a very important win on the road at Elbert Co. (7-13, 4-5) by a 64-52 margin. The Blue Devils currently sit in fourth place in the region.
Senior Sawyer Brey looks for options against Monticello on Friday, Jan. 17. Brey finished with seven points in the win.
Senior Pierson Allison led all scorers with 17 for the Panthers, followed by fellow senior Sawyer Brey with 12, and Sawyer Drake, also a senior, with 11.
Cayden Rich, another senior, scored nine, while junior Kaston Hemphill put up six.
Senior Kyle Morlock chipped in four points, sophomore Landon Kight scored three, and sophomore Landon Cox rounded out the scoring with two.
The Panthers continued their winnings ways Friday, Jan. 17, at home against Monticello (5-14, 3-6). Union Co. fell behind early in the first quarter, 8-2, but put together separate runs of 9-0 and 15-0 to take a 29-17 lead into halftime. The Panthers continued to push in the third quarter to go up by more than 20 before closing the game for a 19-point victory, 67-48.
Drake finished as the game’s high scorer with 19 points, followed by Allison with 12, and Morlock with 10. Brey scored seven, sophomore Lake Hughes added five, Hemphill and Cox each scored four, Kight scored three, Rich put up two, and Lariscy added one in the victory.
Sophomore Landon Cox works on defense against Monticello on Friday. Cox scored four points in Union Co.’s victory.
The Panthers closed the week by putting away Putnam Co. (4-15, 3-6) by eight points, 46-38, on Saturday, Jan. 18, in Eatonton.
Heading into this coming week, Union Co. has a chance to make a big move in the region with three important conference games.
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Panthers have a chance to avenge a 45-40 loss to region-leading Social Circle (15-5, 8-1) that occurred on the road Dec. 17. That games is in Blairsville.
Union Co. then travels to Tiger on Friday, Jan. 24, to take on Rabun Co. (6-13, 4-5), which the Panthers defeated Jan. 3, 63-48, in Blairsville.
The team ends the week with a rematch at home against Putnam Co. on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Panthers lose on late comeback by Rebels
TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers December 9, 2019
The Panthers led by nine entering the fourth quarter but couldn’t keep a scrappy Fannin Co. boys basketball team from putting up 19 points in the frame and lost, 53-51, Saturday, Dec. 7, in Blue Ridge.
Sophomore Lake Hughes goes up for two of his nine points in the loss to Fannin Co. on Saturday in Blue Ridge.
Union Co. (2-4) went cold on offense in the fourth, managing just eight points in the loss.
Panther head coach Corey Garrett gave all of the credit to Fannin Co. for earning the big comeback win.
“They made some huge shots down the stretch, and we just couldn’t answer them,” Garrett said.
Despite the loss to the rival Rebels, Garrett said there is plenty to be excited about moving forward.
“We’ve only had five practices with our full team and two of those were over Thanksgiving and were really just about conditioning,” Garrett said.
Senior Pierson Allison lines up a free throw against Fannin Co. on Saturday. Allison scored a team-high 16 points in the loss.
The Union Co. football team reached the second round of the state playoffs this season, meaning the players who play both football and basketball missed the start of the basketball season.
Those players include some of the team’s most productive seniors: Pierson Allison, Kyle Morlock, Cayden Rich, and Sawyer Drake, along with newcomer, junior Kaston Hemphill.
“Our biggest challenge is just getting better at the little things,” Garrett said of his team. “It’s a big of an odd situation. I wasn’t the coach last season, and even though we are running a lot of the same stuff, the styles are different.”
Garrett was the coach of the girls team last season before taking over the Panthers this year.
“We are still trying to gel so that we can play exactly how we want to play,” Garrett said. “But most of those things will work themselves out eventually.”
As for the loss to Fannin Co., Garrett said that Allison had taken the SAT the morning before the game. Also, Drake injured his hand in a car door earlier in the day and missed the game. The timetable for his return is uncertain.
“Not that any of that is an excuse for our loss. Fannin Co. played very well, especially in the second half, and we just did not have an answer for them,” Garrett said.
Allison scored a team-high 16 points in the loss. He currently leads the team with nearly 17 points per game in the four games he has played so far.
Senior Kyle Morelock (No. 15) blocks out Fannin Co.’s Kaeden Twiggs (No. 5) during the game Saturday. Morlock finished with 10 points in the loss.
Morlock is averaging slightly more than 13 points per game through four games. He scored 10 against the Rebels.
Before his injury, Drake was scoring 11 points per game in the three games he played.
Sophomore Lake Hughes scored nine, while senior Bryson Lariscy added six for Union Co.
Rich scored three and sophomore Landon Cox added a made free throw to round out the Panthers scorers.
Up next for Union Co. is the Region 8-AA opener against Elbert Co. on Friday, Dec. 13. That game begins at 7:30 p.m. in Blairsville.
“Elbert lost nine seniors from last season, but they are very athletic and very well coached, so we are going to be in for a challenge,” Garrett said.
After that, the Panthers travel to Monticello at 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14, for another region matchup.
To read about this week’s Player of the Week for the Panthers, click here.
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.
Bryson Lariscy is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Panthers!
Player of the Week, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers December 9, 2019
Bryson Lariscy is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Panthers!
Lariscy, the team’s starting senior point guard, is the leader of Union Co.’s boys basketball team both on and off the court, according to head coach Corey Garrett.
“He’s working his tail off this season,” Garrett said. “He basically runs our practices. You have the coaches on the side, obviously, at every practice, but it’s really Bryson who is running the show and actually helping improve his teammates.”
Garrett said that Lariscy’s contributions to the team rarely show up in the stat book.
“From day one, he has led our team with his energy and his body language. He’s one of our best defenders, especially in the open court, and he just helps us in so many ways that you can’t see just looking and stats.”
Larsicy scored six points for the Panthers (2-4) in a narrow, 53-51 loss to Fannin Co. on Saturday, Dec. 7, in Blue Ridge.
For his efforts, Bryson Lariscy is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Panthers!
To be considered for the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week, a player must play in all games the team plays during that week and must not have any unsportsmanlike conduct (ejections, etc.). Stats considered for Player of the Week run from Monday through Saturday, with Player of the Week being selected Sunday each week.
Panthers struggle, fall to Rabun County in Blairsville
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football November 9, 2019
Senior quarterback Pierson Allison evades defenders during the game Friday night.
Ten drives and just seven points told the story Friday night for the Union County football team in Blairsville.
The Panthers (9-1, 6-1 Region 8-AA) lost to top-ranked Rabun County (10-0, 7-0) for the second-straight season in the region championship game, this time by a score of 49-7.
While the weather was cold, the sky was clear and the conditions seemed poised to help the Panthers rushing attack.
Instead, Rabun County quarterback, sophomore Gunner Stockton, put on a show, accounting for seven touchdowns. Six of those came on the ground as the Wildcats came to town and beat the Panthers at their own game.
The seven points are the fewest Union County has scored in a game this season.
The game was still in reach for the Panthers at the start of the second half. Rabun County held a 21-0 lead after a rough start for the Union County defense.
In the third quarter, the Panthers turned the ball over on down and were forced to punt, but kept the Wildcats off the board to stay within striking distance at 21-0 heading into the final frame.
Junior Kaston Hemphill (No. 3) and senior John Mancuso (No. 9) make a tackle Friday night against Rabun County.
The defense, which had held strong for nearly a quarter and a half, finally broke in the fourth, giving up four scores in the final quarter in the blowout loss.
The one offensive bright spot for the Panthers came with 2:22 to go in the game as senior quarterback Pierson Allison hit junior Mason McCombs for a 15-yard score that moved the score to 42-7.
Apparently offended that Union County scored, the Rabun County coaching staff decided to keep in the starters and march down the field to score with just 55 seconds left. The Wildcats could have taken a knee and let the clock run out, but decided that Stockton needed just one more score as he ran in his sixth rushing touchdown of the night to end the game.
Union County had seven turnovers on the night, including three fumbles, two interceptions, and two turnovers on downs. The Panthers were forced to punt twice and scored once to account for all 10 drives on the night.
Union County will have to clean up the turnovers before next week. The Panthers, the No. 2 seed from Region 8-AA, will face South Atlanta (7-3, 5-2 Region 6-AA), the No. 3 seed from that region, next Friday in Blairsville for the first round of the Class AA state playoffs.
The Hornets are coming off of a 20-6 victory against KIPP Atlanta Collegiate on Thursday, Nov. 7.
TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week – No. 16 Noah Underwood
Player of the Week, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football October 27, 2019
In football, holding a team to zero points is difficult. Holding a region opponent to zero points is even more so.
But that’s just what the Union County defense did Friday night at home against Oglethorpe County in a 43-0 win in Blairsville.
The defense was led, as it has been all season, by junior Noah Underwood, who found himself showing up in big spots all over the field against the Patriots.
The Underwood-led defense held the visiting Patriots to zero points, just one first down, -8 yards rushing and zero yards passing.
For his efforts, Underwood is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week!
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.
TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week – Mason McCombs
Player of the Week, TeamFYNSports September 7, 2019
Union County junior Mason McCombs has been kicking since he first started playing football, and it showed Friday night as the Panthers hosted the Towns County Indians in Blairsville.
McCombs went 6-for-6 on point-after attempts, while kicking off for four touchbacks and catching a touchdown pass as the Panthers won, 60-7.
For his efforts, McCombs is the Union County Panthers Player of the Week.
“I’ve been kicking since I was seven or eight-years-old, but this is my first year kicking for the varsity team,”
McCombs said.
McCombs handles all the kicking duties for the Panthers, kicking off and attempting extra points.
He also plays wide receiver, where he caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from senior Pierson Allison in the second quarter. After he converted the extra-point try, McCombs and the Panthers led 28-0 early in the second quarter.
The touchdown catch was the first for the varsity squad for McCombs, who said he would always remember the play.
“I loved it. That’s my first touchdown catch and it was exhilarating,” McCombs said.
As for the game, McCombs gave all the credit to his teammates for the big win.
“They did amazing. We knew what we had to do, and we did it tonight. Our coaches tell us to get 1 percent better every practice, and I think we did that all week and we proved it tonight.”
Pierson Allison is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Panthers!
Player of the Week, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers December 16, 2019
Pierson Allison is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Panthers!
Allison, a senior guard, exploded on offense last week as Union Co. (3-5, 1-1 Region 8-AA) split the first two region games of the season.
Pierson is a competitor. He is willing to do whatever his team needs him to do to win,” Panthers head coach Corey Garrett said. “He is an elite scorer but is also a playmaker and distributor when he needs to be.”
It’s not just offense that defines Allison, he is also a great leader for Union Co., according to Garrett.
“Pierson is one of the best leaders that I have ever coaches. He is always keeping his teammates engaged and motivated,” Garrett said.
On Friday, Dec. 13, in Blairsville, Allison scored just four points heading into the fourth quarter but put on an offensive show in the final frame, scoring 19 points to will the Panthers to the 63-45 win. Allison finished the game with 23 points.
The next day, Saturday, Dec. 14, Allison put up 29 points but the Panthers couldn’t overcome a strong opposing offense as they lost at Monticello, 56-50.
For his effort, Allison is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Panthers!
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.
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.
Undefeated Panthers put up historic numbers in win
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football September 28, 2019
EATONTON, GA – Union County remained undefeated this season with a win on the road at Putnam County on Friday. The Panthers needed every bit of a historic night on offense to earn the 74-57 win.
Junior Mason McCombs looks for a defender after making a catch for Union County on the road at Putnam County on Friday. The catch turned into a 35-yard touchdown for McCombs and the Panthers, who needed all the points they could get in the high-scoring, 74-51, victory in Eatonton.
Despite the amount of points scored, two punts and turnovers decided the game as the Panthers defense stood up when it had to.
Union County (5-0, 2-0 Region 8-AA) put up the most points scored during head coach Brian Allison’s tenure, while surrendering the most since Week 6 of the 2017 season.
Allison was quick to focus on the end result after the win over the War Eagles (1-4, 0-2).
“We came here to win, and we did that. No matter what it looks like tomorrow, it’s still a win,” Allison said after the game.
He also rightfully praised his offense, which scored on 11 of 14 drives in the game.
“What a good night on offense; what a great job,” Allison said. “Play after play, we just kept making them.”
The Panthers had fantastic numbers on offense, with senior quarterback Pierson Allison accounting for eight touchdowns and junior running back Jonah Daniel for three.
Pierson Allison ended the night 23-for-34 in the air for 426 yards and six touchdowns, while netting two scores on 54 yards rushing.
Daniel had 239 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries.
Senior wideout Sawyer Drake caught three touchdowns in a nine-catch, 146-yard performance, while fellow senior Kyle Morlock caught six passes for 161 yards and two scores.
Sawyer Drake hauls in a catch for Union County on Friday, Sept. 27. Drake caught three touchdowns for Union County (5-0, 2-0 Region 8-AA) in a high-scoring win on the road against Putnam County on Friday night. The senior reeled in nine catches for 146 yards as the Panthers beat the War Eagles 74-51 in Eatonton.
Despite the big numbers on offense, it turned out to be a few defensive plays the made the difference in a game that saw both offenses score on the majority of drives.
A pair of juniors came up big throughout the night for the Panthers, as Kaston Hemphill pulled in two interceptions and Clayton Lester picked off a pass and recovered a fumble.
Senior John Mancuso also played well, accounting for more than a dozen tackles on defense.
Union County managed to force punts on Putnam County’s third and seventh drives. Combined with the takeaways, it was enough to give the high-powered offense a chance to outscore the home team.
Brian Allison said, “We’ve got to make some corrections; we’ve got to tighten some things up,” in reference to the amount of points given up, but he was all praise for his football team for earning the tough region win on the road.
Through two region games, the undefeated Panthers currently sit in a four-way tie atop the Region 8-AA standings. Also undefeated in the region are Elbert, Banks, and Rabun counties.
Union County will host a region game with Elbert County (3-2, 2-0) on Friday, Oct. 4.
The Panthers managed to earn a close, 29-28, win against Elbert County last season in Elberton.
This is the second consecutive season that the two teams have been in the same region.
Elbert County defeated region opponent Social Circle (1-3, 0-2) 56-7 on Friday night
PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Panthers to host Hornets
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football November 14, 2019
If the Union County Panthers want to earn the first state playoff victory in school history this Friday night, Nov. 15, they’re going to have their work cut out for them.
Union County Head Coach Brian Allison is seeking the school’s first playoff win.
This is the second-straight season the Panthers have lost the region title game to Rabun County with both teams coming into the game undefeated.
Union County is the No. 2 seed from Region 8-AA and will have to get over the 49-7 loss to the Wildcats quickly to make it into the second round of the playoff bracket.
South Atlanta (7-3) comes to town as the No. 3 seed from Region 6-AA. The Hornets bring with them a whole lot of speed and athleticism.
The South Atlanta offense is putting up 29.3 points per game this season, while giving up just 16.5.
The Hornets are led by a dynamic running attack that features strong athletes all over the field.
On offense, senior swing back Pete Boyd (5-foot-5, 160 pounds) will show the Panthers a little more than they’ve seen so far this season coming out of the backfield. Boyd had a 53-yard run last Friday in a 20-6 win against KIPP Atlanta Collegiate.
On the outside, the Hornets have freshman wideout Ricky Lee, who stands just 5-foot-9, but runs the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds.
Freshman Jontez Adams, always a threat to take off out of the backfield, will run the quarterback position for the Hornets.
Starting running back, junior Quintavious Frazier, also plays middle linebacker and is also an excellent athlete.
On defense, South Atlanta is led by senior cornerback Duane Russell, whose 6-foot, 155-pound frame holds a whole lot of speed and an ability to bawl-hawk.
Senior quarterback Pierson Allison will lead the Panthers against the Hornets this Friday.
But the Panthers (9-1) have weapons of their own.
Senior quarterback Pierson Allison has thrown for more than 2,500 yards and 27 touchdowns this season. He leads an offense that has put up 40.9 points per game so far.
Allison has great options at the wide receiver position, including senior Sawyer Drake. Drake surpassed 1,000 yards receiving on the season last week and has caught nine touchdowns.
Fellow senior Kyle Morlock was leading the team in receiving yards before going out on the first offensive play from scrimmage in the team’s sixth game.
While he dressed for the region championship game against Rabun County last week, Morlock never stepped onto the field.
Head coach Brian Allison said Morlock will be a game-time decision against South Atlanta.
Junior Jonah Daniel carries the ball for Union County.
Seeing the bulk of the carries for Union County will be junior Jonah Daniel.
Daniel has 1,375 yards rushing on 140 carries this season to go along with 14 touchdowns. He’s also proven to be a threat out of the backfield with 211 yards and two touchdowns on 14 receptions.
On defense, the Panthers are led by senior defensive back John Mancuso (108 total tackles) and senior linebacker Sloan Sutton (90 total tackles). Juniors Noah Underwood (73 tackles, three sacks) and Kaston Hemphill (71 tackles, three interceptions) also figure in on a defense that is allowing just 18.3 points per game.
Both Allison and Drake will also see time in the secondary for the Panthers’ defense.
South Atlanta is coached by WB Stephens, who is in his second season at the helm.
The Panthers and Hornets are set to kick off the first round of the Class AA state playoffs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, in Blairsville.
Panthers to host Blue Devils tonight in Region 8-AA clash
Featured Stories October 4, 2019
BLAIRSVILLE, GA –The Panthers might have their hands full tonight as they try to remain undefeated when region-foe Elbert County visits Blairsville.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Union County (5-0, 2-0 Region 8-AA) comes in sporting a high-octane offense that is averaging nearly 54 points per game. The team may need every bit of that offensive power against Elbert County (3-2, 2-0), which brings to Blairsville a defense that is surrendering just 17.6 points per game.
As the two units face off, something will have to give for the Panthers and head coach Brian Allison.
On offense, Allison said Friday morning that the Panthers will have to make sure they are playing with good technique.
Union County High football head coach Brian Allison
“First, we’ve got to make sure we’re blocking low and are able to run the football; that will be the key for us,” Allison said.
The Panthers run a lot of single-back formations on offense with senior quarterback Pierson Allison in the shotgun. When they do run the ball, most runs are called options that require Allison to read the defense and either hand the ball off or pull it down and run.
Allison has carried the ball 25 times for 240 yards and five scores this season, while throwing for 1,553 yards, 18 touchdowns and a completion percentage of nearly 69 percent.
Allison has connected with two seniors and two juniors for nearly all his passes.
Seniors Kyle Morlock and Sawyer Drake have both caught six touchdowns through five games. Morlock has a team-high 528 yards on 21 catches, while Drake has 465 yards on a team-high 27 catches.
Junior running back Jonah Daniel has 122 yards on eight catches and two receiving touchdowns out of the backfield. He’s also the other half of the main option attack for the Panthers and leads the team in carries (71), rushing yards (798), and rushing touchdowns (10). Daniel has recorded at least 100 yards on the ground in four games this season.
Junior Mason McCombs rounds out the top four receivers on the team with 11 catches, 208 yards, and three touchdowns.
Despite the great numbers, it will take more than offense to earn the Panthers a win tonight.
Both of the visiting Blue Devils’ losses this season have been to teams from higher classes. The most recent was a 28-24 loss to Class AAAA’s undefeated North Oconee three weeks ago.
Elbert County has also been able to put points on the board through two region wins this season.
The Blue Devils’ first region game, at Oglethorpe County on Sept. 20, ended on a running clock with the score 64-0. The team followed that with a 56-7 domination of Social Circle last Friday in Elberton.
If the Panthers want to remain unbeaten in Region 8-AA, the defense is going to have to play better than it did a week ago in Eatonton.
The Panthers gave up 57 points to Putnam County last Friday, the most since 2017, and they are allowing opposing offenses to score more than 21 points per game.
Elbert County, much like Putnam County, is led by a dynamic running back/quarterback duo that will be the key to the game for the Panthers.
“They are both really good players, so we have to make sure we stop their run game and maybe generate a few turnovers,” Coach Allison said Friday. “We have to try to do what we do best and not try and change anything, other than to make sure we are making good tackles and that we are in good position on defense.”
The Union County defense is led by junior Clayton Lester with 39 tackles (22 solo). Junior Noah Underwood is right behind him with 38 tackles (19 solo) and senior Sloan Sutton has added 37 tackles (17 solo).
On offense, Sutton has also added 136 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown for the Panthers.