Panthers fall to Lovett 28-7 as season comes to an end

Sports, Team FYN Sports, UCHS Football

Atlanta, Georgia- The Union County Panthers football team traveled to Lovett High School to play in the first round of the GHSA State Playoffs. The Panthers were a 3 seed out of region 8.

First Quarter

The Panthers started off the game with the ball but on the first play of the game, Helcher threw an interception. The Lions had the ball deep in Panther territory to start their drive. The Lions fumbled on the second play of their drive and the Panthers recovered. On the second drive for the Panthers, Trace Wright picked up a quick first down for the Panthers. The Panthers drive stalled after a failed 4th down conversion. 2 straight drops on the same play ended the drive. The Lions would take a 7-0 lead after a quick 6 play drive. The Panthers offense would fail to gain any positive yards and after a sack on 3rd down, the Panthers were forced to punt. After 2 big plays by Lovett, the Lions scored again on a 33 yard run. Lovett had a 14-0 lead. The Panthers offense started to move the ball well as Connor Schuknecht led the running attack. The Panthers picked up a huge gain but it was called back due to illegal formation. After the penalty, the drive lost its momentum and the Panthers were forced to punt. The Panthers defense got their first stop of the game and forced the Lions to punt for the first time of the game.

Second Quarter

The Panthers picked up a quick first down to begin the quarter. Helcher found Chitwood for a huge gain to put the Panthers across midfield for the first time of the game. The Panthers drive would stall inside the Lovett 20 yard line after the Panthers failed another 4th down conversion. Lovett would drive the ball all the way down the field and score to take a 21-0 lead. The Panthers offense went 3 and out again and punted again. After 2 great plays by the Panther defense, the Panthers forced Lovett to punt again. The Panthers trailed Lovett 21-0 at halftime.

Third Quarter

The Panthers started the second half red hot on defense. Lovett didn’t gain a yard and were forced to punt. The offense picked up 2 quick first downs. The Panthers offense stalled again in Lovett territory after a failed 4th down conversion. The Panther defense got their 2nd consecutive stop and forced another punt. On 3rd down of the Panthers offensive drive, Helcher fumbled and it was recovered by the Lions at the 10 yard line. Lovett would score on 3rd down and take a 28-0 lead. The Panther offense went 3 and out again and were forced to punt.

Fourth Quarter

The Panther defense got a sack and another stop to force another Lovett punt. On the second play of the Panthers offensive drive, Helcher threw an interception. The Panther defense forced another punt but the Panther offense had not taken advantage of any stop the defense had made. The Panthers offense was forced to punt again. After another stop by the Panther defense, the offense drove the ball dow the field and scored to cut the deficit to 28-7. Lovett would recover the onside kick and knee the ball to run the rest of the clock out. The Panthers fell to Lovett 28-7 to end their season. The Panthers ended the season with a 3-7 record and 2-2 region record.

Panthers score 28 unanswered points in 4th quarter to comeback and beat Gilmer County in OT 49-48

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Blarisville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers hosted the Gilmer Bobcats on senior night for the Panthers in a non region matchup.

First Quarter

On the first play of the game, the Bobcats fumbled the ball and the Panthers recovered at the 35 yard line. The Panthers scored on a 4th down conversion as Helcher found Chitwood for a 30 yard touchdown. The Bobcats picked up a quick first down and started moving the ball pretty easily. The Panther defense was having a hard time stopping the triple option offense. The Bobcats drove all the way down and tied the game 7-7. Caiden Tanner returned the kickoff all the way down to the Bobcat 30 yard line. The Panthers were held to 4th down but  successfully picked up the 1st down. The Panthers scored as Helcher found Caleb Rogers to put the Panthers up 14-7. The Bobcats returned the kickoff down inside the Panther 30 yard line. The Panthers forced a fumble but the Bobcats picked it up and got the first down. The Panthers led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Second Quarter

The Bobcats scored on the first play of the quarter to tie the game at 14. The Bobcats attempted an onside kick but the Panthers were ready for it and started their drive at the 50 yard line. Rogers got the Panthers drive started with a 19 yard run on first down. Rogers put the offense on his back and the Panthers drove deep inside Bobcat territory. The Panthers drive stalled and failed to pick up a first down on fourth down. The Panthers defense held strong and forced the Bobcats to punt. Helcher found Rogers out of the backfield to pick up a huge first down. Helcher found Rogers again across the middle to put the Panthers inside the Bobcat 10 yard line. Helcher ran in for a touchdown to put the Panthers back in the lead 21-14. After a punt on their last drive, the Bobcats started moving the ball well and scored to tie the game at 21. The Panther offense failed to pick up a first down and punted the ball back to the Bobcats. On the first play of the Bobcat drive, Caleb John intercepted the deep pass. After a 3 and out, the Panthers were back to moving the ball well. With 5 seconds left, Helcher threw a deep pass to Chitwood that was intercepted to end the half. The game was tied 21-21 at halftime.

Third Quarter

On the first play of the half for the Panthers, Rogers ran the ball all the way inside Bobcat territory. The Panthers drive stalled after picking up another first down but failed to convert on 4th down.The Bobcats picked up a quick and easy first down on the first play of the drive. The Bobcats were picking up a bunch of chunk plays and scored to take a 28-21 lead. The Panthers were struggling to slow down the Bobcat offense. After another quick first down by the Panthers, the offense stalled and were forced to punt again. On the 3rd play of the Bobcat drive, the Bobcats scored on a 73 yard run to extend their lead 35-21. The Panthers picked up 3 quick first downs and were inside the Bobcat 20 yard line in 5 plays. The Panthers trailed 35-21 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Fourth Quarter

The Panthers drive stalled inside the Bobcat 10 yard line after another failed 4th down conversion. On 3rd down on the Bobcat drive, the Bobcats scored on an 89 yard touchdown to extend their lead to 42-21. On the kickoff, Tanner returned it all the way down to the Bobcat 30 yard line for the second time in a row. Helcher found Chitwood as Chitwood made a spectacular one handed catch for the touchdown. The Panthers still trailed 42-28. The Bobcats returned the next kickoff down inside Panther territory after the Panthers had to kick off from the 20 yard line after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Panthers made a huge 4th down stop to get the ball back at their own 26 yard line. After gaining some momentum after the 4th down stop, the Panthers were moving the ball easily and drove down deep inside Bobcat territory. Helcher scored on a 15 yard QB draw to cut the deficit to 7, 42-35. After the Bobcats picked up a first down, the Bobcats fumbled the ball and the Panthers recovered around midfield. Helcher found Tanner across the middle to pick up a huge 1st down. Helcher scored his 2nd straight rushing touchdown to tie the game up at 42. The Bobcats would run the rest of the clock out and settle for overtime.

Overtime

The Panthers started the overtime on defense. On the 4th play, the Bobcats scored but went for a 2 point conversion. The Bobcats failed the 2 point conversion and all the Panthers needed was a touchdown and a PAT to win. Eli Peugh caught a screen on first down but fumbled it out of bounds. Rogers took the handoff and ran down to the 1. Helcher scored on the next play to tie the game at 48 and Kyler Robbins nailed the PAT to complete the miraculous comeback for the Panthers. In one of the greatest comebacks in Union County history, the Panthers beat the Bobcats 49-48 in overtime. The Panthers will travel to Lovett in the first round of the playoffs next Friday.

Panthers fall to Elbert County 52-29, fall to 2-5 on season

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Elberton, Georgia- The Union County Panthers football team traveled to Elberton, Georgia to face Elbert County Blue Devils in the Panthers third region matchup of the year.

First Quarter

The Panthers started the game off with the ball but went 3 & out and punted the ball to the Blue Devils. The Panther defense held up nicely on first and second down but gave up a 65 yard touchdown on 3rd down. The Panthers trailed 7-0 very early into the first quarter. The Panther offense was forced to punt again after failing to pick up a first down. The Panther defense held the Blue Devils to a punt on their second drive of the game but the Panthers had another 3 & out and punted the ball right back to the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils picked up a quick first down with an 11 yard run. After an offsides penalty on the Panthers, Senior Eli Peugh made a great play on an attempted screen pass for a loss of 3. The Panthers made 2 big stops but on 3rd and long, the Blue Devils scored on a 45 yard run. The Panthers trailed 14-0. On the kickoff, Peugh fumbled inside their own 15 yard line and the Blue Devils recovered. The Blue Devils picked up a first down to make it 1st and goal to end the first quarter. The Panthers trailed 14-0.

Second Quarter

The Blue Devils passed the ball to begin the quarter on the goal line but Junior Sam Page made a great play to knock the ball loose while the Blue Devil receiver was bobbling the ball. Senior Trace Wright made a huge tackle for a loss to back the Blue Devils up behind the 10 yard line. On 3rd and goal, Junior Elijah Helton and Trace Wright made a great play to stop the Blue Devils and hold them to a field goal. The Blue Devils made the field goal and extended their lead to 17-0. The Panthers ran the ball for 1 yard, had a dropped pass, and another dropped pass on an attempted double pass and were forced to punt again. The Panthers offense just couldn’t find a rhythm to start the game. The Blue Devils picked up a quick first down and on the next play, scored on a 40 yard pass. The Panthers trailed 24-0. The Panthers picked up a first down and were moving the ball the best they have all game. On 3rd down around midfield, Logan Helcher found receiver Keyton Chitwood to pick up the first down. On 4th down, Helcher found receiver Griffin Young for a first down to put the Panthers inside the Blue Devil 20 yard line. Helcher found Chitwood for a touchdown to put the Panthers on the board. The Panthers still trailed 24-7. The Blue Devils picked up 2 quick first downs and would drive all the way down the field and score to extend their lead to 31-7. On the Panthers next drive, Chitwood would have 2 straight dropped passes. On 3rd down, Chitwood and Helcher weren’t on the same page and the pass would fall incomplete. Senior Kyler Robbins punt would roll inside the 5 yard line but the Blue Devils would knee the ball to run the clock out. The Panthers trailed 31-7 at halftime.

Third Quarter

The Panthers would recover the great onside kick by Robbins to begin the half but the Panthers would fail to capitalize on it. Helcher was sacked on 4th and short. Peugh would blow up another screen play on 2nd down. The Blue Devils would pick up the first down on the following play. The Blue Devils would run a QB draw and run it all the way down inside the Panthers 5 yard line. The Blue Devils would score on the following play. The Panthers trailed 38-7. The Panthers would pick up 2 quick first downs and were moving the ball very well. Helcher found Peugh for a huge gain to put the Panthers into Blue Devil territory. Peugh dropped the 3rd down pass in the end zone as he mistimed his jump. Freshman Connor Schutnecht picked up the first down on 4th down to keep the drive alive. The Panthers scored on 3rd down as Helcher found Wright in the end zone. The Panthers still trailed 38-14. The Panther defense made 2 big plays forced the Blue Devils to punt and the Blue Devil punt went 7 yards. The Panthers started the drive inside Blue Devil territory. On 3rd down, Helcher found Young for a 30 yard touchdown. The Panthers trailed 38-22 after a successful 2 point conversion as Helcher found Peugh. The Panthers had all the momentum but that momentum was lost as the Blue Devils returned the kickoff back for a touchdown. The Panthers trailed 45-22. Helcher found Peugh for a quick first down on first down to end the quarter.

Fourth Quarter

To begin the quarter, Peugh was short of the first down on 3rd down. The Panthers went for it on 4th down but due to a questionable spot, the Panthers failed to pick up the first down. On the following drive by the Blue Devils, Junior Wilson Walker intercepted the ball around midfield. Helcher found Wright on a screen pass to pick up a quick first down. Helcher found Sophomore Kooper Ashcraft for another first down and found Peugh for a first down on the following play. On 3rd down, Helcher found Peugh for a touchdown. The Panthers still trailed 45-29. After a failed onside kick, the Blue Devils drove the ball all the way and scored again to extend their lead to 52-29. The Panthers fall to Elbert County 59-29. The Panthers fall to 2-5 on the year and 2-1 in region play. The Panthers have a bye week and play Rabun County @ home on October 29.

Panthers dominate Leopards @ home 36-14, win 2nd game in a row

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Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers hosted the Banks County Leopards in the second region matchup of the year. The Panthers were looking to go 2-0 in region play. The Panthers were without Senior star receiver Keyton Chitwood.

First Quarter

The Panthers started the game on defense and the Leopards picked up a quick first down. Wilson Walker tackled the Leopard QB for a 5 yard loss on 1st down. The Panthers defense held the Leopards to a punt and started their first offensive drive at their own 22 yard line. The Panthers picked up a quick first down after 2 screen plays to Junior Griffin Young and Senior Trace Wright. The offense stalled around midfield and were forced to punt. The Leopards drove 80 yards and scored to take an early 7-0 lead. On the first play of the Panthers drive, quarterback Logan Helcher found Wright for a 70 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. The Leopards picked up a quick first down to start their drive as the first quarter ended.

Second Quarter

To begin the quarter, the Panthers held the Leopards to another punt. Sophomore Jensen Goble had a great punt return and got hit very late after he ran out of bounds. The late hit penalty put the Panthers even deeper into Leopard territory to start the drive. On the first play of the drive, Helcher found Young for a 15 yard touchdown to give the Panthers a 14-7 lead. The Panthers scored their first 2 touchdowns on the first play of each drive. The Leopards turned the ball over on the first play of their drive and Wright recovered the ball at the 31 yard line. The Panthers couldn’t capitalize on the turnover and were forced to punt. The Panthers had the Leopards stopped and forced them to go for it on 4th down at midfield but jumped offsides and gave up a first down. The Leopards then drove down and scored to tie the game at 14. With 17 seconds left, the Panthers got within field goal range for senior kicker Kyler Robbins. Robbins nailed the last second field goal to put the Panthers up 17-14 at the half.

Third Quarter

The Panthers started the second half with the ball and picked up a huge first down on 4th and 1. On the following play, Junior running back Caleb Rogers picked up a 35 yard gain to put the Panthers inside the Leopards 20 yard line. On 4th down inside the 15 yard line, Helcher found Young for another touchdown to extend the Panther lead to 24-14. After 2 Leopard first downs, the Panthers defense made 2 big tackles behind the line of scrimmage to force the Leopards to punt. After a couple first downs by the Panthers, Helcher found Young for a big gain. The Panthers drive stalled inside the Leopards 20 yard line but Robbins would make the field goal to extend the lead to 27-14. The Leopards ran the ball twice and let the clock run out to end the quarter.

Fourth Quarter

The first play of the quarter resulted in a sack by Junior Lane Lance. After a fumbled snap that was recovered by the Leopards, the Panthers sacked the Leopards QB for a safety that extended their lead to 29-14. The Panthers ran the ball 6 times in a row to run the clock. Helcher threw an incompletion and then the Panthers ran it 7 times in a row and scored to extend the lead to 36-14. The Panthers defense got the job done and got the ball back to the offense to kneel the ball to end the game. The defense allowed 0 points in the second half. The Panthers beat the Leopards 36-14 and are 2-0 in region play. The Panthers travel to Elbert County on Friday. If the Panthers win the game, they will host the first round of the playoffs.

Panthers fall 54-24 as Bulldogs comeback late

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Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers hosted the Murphy Bulldogs in the first matchup between teams since 1989. The Panthers look to pick up their first win of the season and first win under Perry.

First Quarter

The Panthers started the game on offense and found some rhythm early but failed to pick up a 4th conversion. The Bulldogs took over in their own territory but the Panther defense held strong and forced a punt. After a pass interference call, the Panthers had a first down at midfield. 2 big catches by Senior Keyton Chitwood and Sophomore backup QB/RB Caiden Tanner picked up 2 quick first downs for the Panthers. On 3rd down, Senior quarterback Logan Helcher found Junior receiver Griffin Young on a crossing route and Young picked up the first down to move the ball down inside the Bulldogs 5 yard line. Helcher tossed it to Tanner on a speed option play and Tanner scored from 2 yards out to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. That score was the first points scored in the first quarter by the Panthers this season. The Panthers defense was having a tough time slowing down the Bulldog offense. Quarterback Kellen Rumfelt found Payton McCracken for a big gain to get the Bulldogs into Panther territory. Runningback Ty Laney picked up a huge gain after running through Panther tacklers all the way down to the 20 yard line.

Second Quarter

Rumfelt found receiver Cole Laney for a big first down pickup. Safety Eli Peugh made a great play on the ball but just missed the ball by an inch. The Panthers defense held strong but the Bulldogs inched their way closer and closer to the goal line and eventually score. The Bulldogs would miss the extra point and trail 7-6.  After a great kickoff return by Peugh and a dropped pass by Chitwood on first down, Helcher picked up a huge gain on a designed QB draw to get inside the Bulldog 30 yard line. After a 8 yard gain by Sophomore receiver Jensen Goble, Freshman running back Connor Schuknecht picked up a first down. Helcher found Young over the middle for a big pickup down to the 2 yard line. After slipping on the previous play, Helcher found the end zone to put the Panthers back in front 14-6. The Panthers defense was doing a good job slowing down the Bulldog offense but just couldn’t get the big stop on 3rd down. The Bulldogs drove all the way down the field and Rumfelt scored on a 1 yard run to tie the game 14-14 late in the 2nd quarter. The Panthers had 48 seconds to make it into field goal range for Senior kicker Kyler Robbins. Helcher quickly found Goble for a quick pickup to get around midfield, then found Chitwood to get across midfield. After Helcher ran out of bounds after a nice pickup and short gain on another run, Helcher found Young across the middle with less than 5 seconds left and the Panthers called timeout. After the Bulldogs called timeout as they tried to ice Robbins. Robbins made the 39 yard field goal to give the Panthers a 17-14 lead at halftime.

Third Quarter

The Bulldogs were again driving the ball downfield and the Panthers were missing easy tackles. Juan Allen got the end around handoff and took it 40 yards to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the game 21-17. The Panthers couldn’t get anything going early in the drive but penalties by the Bulldogs kept the drive alive. Helcher found Young over the middle again and Young picked up a huge first down. Tanner picked up another huge first down to put the Panthers inside the Bulldogs 10 yard line. After 2 short rushes and a pass interference call at the 1 yard line, Helcher found Tanner in the corner of the end zone for a 5 yard touchdown to put the Panthers back in front 24-21 with 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. The Bulldogs again drove the ball downfield easily and Allen scored on a 15 yard rush to put the Bulldogs up 28-24 just as the 3rd quarter ended.

Fourth Quarter

Nothing went right for the Panthers in the fourth quarter. Helcher threw 2 interceptions and fumbled. One interception and the fumble by Helcher was returned for touchdowns. The Bulldogs would go on to win 54-24. the Panthers were outscored 26-0 in the fourth quarter. The Panthers played a great first half and had some confidence and rhythm on offense. The Panthers have a lot of positives that came from this game and hope to start off region play on the right foot next week @ Riverside.

Panthers comeback falls short, fall to Chestatee 41-28

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Gainesville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers traveled to Gainesville to take on the Chestatee War Eagles in a non region matchup. The Panthers look to bounce back after a loss to Fannin County in the 2021 season opener.

First Quarter 

The Panthers started the game on defense and immediately had a hard time stopping the run. The War Eagles moved the ball with ease and scored quickly. The War Eagles took an early 7-0 lead. The Panthers offense quickly found some rhythm and were moving the ball. but turned the ball over inside War Eagle territory after the ball slipped out of Senior quarterback Logan Helcher’s hands. Junior Wilson Walker started the drive with a sack for an 8 yard loss. The Panthers were still having a hard time slowing down the offense as the War Eagles scored another quick touchdown to take a 14-0 lead. The Panthers turned the ball over again on the first play of the drive as Junior running back Caleb Rogers ran into Helcher as he was throwing the ball. The War Eagles took over at midfield. The Panthers stopped the War Eagles on 4 downs inside their own 20 yard line as Senior Cornerback Tyler Whitehead had a great pass breakup on 4th down. The Panthers trailed 14-0 at the end of the quarter.

Second Quarter 

The Panthers would start the second quarter punting the ball back to the War Eagles. The War Eagles were moving the ball deep in Panther territory. Senior Cornerback Caleb John had a great pass break up but was called for a questionable pass interference. The War Eagles would score again 3 plays later to extend their lead to 20-0. The Panthers were struggling to get positive yards on the first 2 plays but gained a first down on a nice screen pass to Rogers as he picked up the first down. The Panthers drove all the way down inside the War Eagle 20 yard line and Helcher found Senior receiver Keyton Chitwood for the touchdown as Chitwood made an impressive catch over the War Eagle defender. The Panthers cut the War Eagle lead to 13. The Panthers forced a punt and got the ball back around midfield. The Panthers went for it on 4th down and picked up the 1st down to keep the drive alive. After a Panther touchdown was called back, Helcher found Rogers for a 30 yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 20-13. The Panthers finally had some rhythm on offense and were gaining confidence. The Panthers trailed 20-14 at halftime.

Third Quarter

The Panthers started the second half with the ball and picked up a quick first down as Helcher ran the ball for a 14 yard pickup. Helcher ran it again for a pickup of 6 and on the next play, faked a run and threw a Tebow jump pass to Junior Griffin Young for a first down. Helcher ran it again for another first down as the War Eagles had no answer for the Helcher run game. After a holding penalty backed the Panthers up back to midfield, the Panthers failed to pickup a first down. The Panthers attempted a 47 yard field goal with Senior Kicker Kyler Robbins but the kick was blocked. The Panther defense stood strong and stopped the War Eagles from picking up the first down. The Panthers took over at midfield and on 3rd down of the drive, Helcher found Chitwood for a 59 yard touchdown pass as the Panthers took a 21-20 lead. On the first play of the War Eagle drive, Senior Eli Peugh forced a fumble and the Panthers recovered at the War Eagle 20 yard line. The Panthers failed to pickup a first down after going for it on 4th down and gave the ball back to the War Eagles. The Panthers held strong again and forced another War Eagle punt. The Panthers picked up a quick first down as Rogers caught another screen pass for a big gain to end the third quarter. The Panthers led 21-20.

Fourth Quarter 

The Panthers attempted a 4th down conversion but failed to pick up the first down to begin the fourth quarter. The War Eagles went back to their run game and started moving the ball well again. The War Eagles drove it all the way down to 1 yard line. The War Eagles would score and take a 28-21 lead after making the 2 point conversion. The Panthers were forced to punt on the next drive but the War Eagle returner fumbled the fair catch and Peugh recovered it. On 2nd down of the drive, Helcher found Young for a 20 yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 28. The War Eagles went back to their run game again and then picked up a huge gain as the War Eagle QB found the receiver over the middle. The War Eagles ran the ball over and over and scored to take a 35-28 lead late in the 4th quarter. The Panthers had multiple dropped passes on their next drive but Helcher found Sophomore Jensen Goble on 4th down to pick up the first down. On the following play, Helcher found Rogers again as he picked up another first down and stepped out of bounds. On the next play, Helcher was rolling out to the right, avoiding pressure and threw it back across the field and the pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. The Panthers comeback fell short as the War Eagles win 41-28. The Panthers fall to 0-2 on the season. The Panthers have a bye week next week and their next game will be @ Pickens County on September 17.

2021 Union County Football Season Preview

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Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers football team is under a new head coach and staff for the 2021 season. Michael Perry was hired in March and he has brought a whole new staff with him to Union County. Thomas Nelson is a big name coach that was brought in from Murphy to be the defensive coordinator.  The Panthers won’t look much different offensively but they are looking more and more confident. The Panthers struggled offensively last year under Allison, but didn’t have much experience nor good luck with injuries. The Panthers biggest question mark is the Offensive and Defensive line. The Panthers are capable of having a great year if they dominate in the trenches. Tyler Perry, brother of Head Coach Michael Perry, coaches the offensive line and Justin Byers coaches the defensive line. In the 7v7’s the Panthers have attended, they have looked more confident on offense and are executing better under the new system. Senior Quarterback Logan Helcher looks more comfortable and confident in the pocket and Senior Receiver Keyton Chitwood is playing with more confidence than all of last year. On the defensive side of the ball, Seniors Eli Peugh, Trace Wright and Juniors Wilson Walker, Elijah Helton, and Gage Barnes look to have big years under Nelson after ending on a good note last year. The Panthers lost a lot at the linebacker position but they have the capability to live up to the expectations that Noah Underwood & Clayton Lester left behind. The Panthers look to have big contributions offensively from Senior Caleb John, Sophomore Jenson Goble, and Juniors Sam Page and Griffin Young. The Panthers start the season off with a scrimmage @ Southeast Whitfield on August 13 @ 7:30. Then the Panthers travel to Fannin County on August 20 to start off the 2021 regular season. 

Former East Hall Head Coach Michael Perry named Head Coach at Union County

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Michael Perry, former head coach at East Hall & Centennial, was officially announced as Head Football Coach at Union County High School on Tuesday afternoon. Perry is the 13th head football coach at Union County High School. Perry replaces Brian Allison, who is now the Head Coach at East Forsyth. Perry will bring the same, high-tempo spread offense to Union County, which is what the Panthers offense has previously ran.

Perry has previously coached at East Hall (2019-2020), Centennial High School (Roswell) (2017-2018), Coffee High School (2016) and served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Hall of Fame coach Robby Pruit. Gainesville High School (2011-2015) where Perry was quarterbacks coach for Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion Deshaun Watson. Perry was on the coaching staff when Gainesville won the 5a State Championship in 2012. In 2012, Watson became the GHSA all-time leader in touchdown passes and yards passing. At Coffee County, Perry also helped the Trojans reach their first Elite Eight appearance since 2008. Perry has a unique way of coaching quarterbacks, as he has coached six different All-State quarterbacks during the span of 2012-2018.

In the four years Perry has been a head coach, his overall record is 21-20. 6-12 at East Hall and 15-8 at Centennial. While at Centennial, Perry led the program to their first Sweet 16 appearance in 15 years in 2017 and led the entire state in total offense with 517 yards per game. The quarterback at Centennial under Perry, Max Brosmer, led the state in passing yards with 3,459 yards. Perry left Centennial with the highest winning percentage (65%) in school history. In 2018, Perry’s offense led the entire state, throughout all classifications with 5,481 yards.

Perry is a graduate of Gainesville High School, The University of Georgia (2006), a master’s degree from North Georgia (2008) and a specialists degree from Piedmont College (2012).

Panthers fall 31-28 as season comes to an end at Heard County

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Franklin, Georgia- The Union County Panthers (4-6) traveled to Franklin, Georgia to face the Heard County Braves (7-4) in the first round of the GHSA AA State Playoffs.

The Panthers had a tough task ahead as Heard had a lot of speed and Chief Borders, a 6’3, 230 LB, 2021 University of Florida commit.

First Quarter

The Panthers started off on defense and the Braves quickly picked up some first downs. The Braves completed a quick 37 yard pass to Senior Ayden Cannon to get them inside the Panthers 20 yard line and scored on the very next play to go up  7-0, early in the first quarter. Jonah Daniel got things going early and woke everyone up with a quick 17 yard reception as he ran over a defender. Carson Walker also got things going early with a quick carry for another first down. The Panthers had the ground game going on the first drive as 3 of their first downs were on rushing plays. Kaston Hemphill completed a 25 yard pass to Junior Keyton Chitwood to put the Panthers inside the Braves 20 yard line. Daniel almost scored and put the Panthers inside the 2 yard line and on the next play, Junior Carson Walker would score on a 2 yard run to tie it at 7. The Braves were moving the ball with ease as the Panthers were missing easy tackles due to the quickness of Senior Running-back Ashton Bonner. Bonner would lead the drive and score on a 1 yard rush to put the Braves ahead 14-7. The Panthers offense wouldn’t get anything going as the Braves defense was sniffing everything out and sacked Hemphill for a big loss. The Braves would quickly get the ball inside Panther territory as Quarterback Maurice Fench completed a 45 yard pass to Junior Receiver Isaiah O’neil. Junior Cornerback Eli Peugh played the pass well, but it was a perfectly placed pass. The Braves would score on a 24 yard pass to Michael Whitten to put the Braves up 21-7. The Panthers offense would punt the ball back to the Braves after a quick 3 yard rush and 2 straight incompletions.

Second Quarter

The Panther defense would get 2 huge tackles on first & second down, with a huge sack by Sophomore Gage Barnes. On the very next play, the Braves called the perfect play at the right time. They ran a bubble screen to Bonner and he took it 79 yards for a touchdown. The Braves led 28-7.  The Panthers started moving the ball again on offense with some quick passes for big first downs. Daniel picked up a huge first down to keep the Panthers drive alive. Daniel also hurdled a man as he put the Panthers inside the Braves 10 yard line, giving the Panthers some momentum. Hemphill found Senior Noah Underwood on a 5 yard pass as he bounced off the attempted tackle to make the score 28-14. Just as the Braves were trying to hurry down the field and get some extra points, Hemphill would intercept the pass and take it down to the Braves 37 yard line. Hemphill would find Noah Underwood and Underwood would take it inside the Braves 10 yard line with less than 30 seconds left in the half. The Panthers would run a reverse pass play and throw the short pass to get inside the 2 yard line but would get called for a penalty. The Panthers would kick a field goal and make it 28-17 at halftime.

Third Quarter

The Panthers would start the second half with the ball and quickly pick up some first downs as they were balancing the run and the pass. The Panthers offense would stall around midfield and be forced to punt. The Panthers defense would start playing like they have all season to start the second half. Sophomore Elijah Helton would make a key tackle for loss on 3rd and short to force the Braves to punt. Daniel would pick up a first down on the first play of the drive as he was having the best game he has had all year. The Panthers offense was fighting for any extra yards they could get to keep the ball moving and pick up key first downs. Just as the Panthers offense was gaining the momentum, the Braves brought pressure on 3 straight plays to force the Panthers to try a long field goal. Mason McCombs would nail the 43 yard field goal to make it 28-20. The Panthers special teams made some huge tackles throughout the game to keep the Braves from attempting any big gains on returns. The Braves offense would go back to passing the ball and quickly move deep into Panther territory.

Fourth Quarter

The Braves would get inside the Panther 5 yard line but be pushed all the way back to the 30 yard line due to penalties. The Panthers defense did a great job of holding the Braves out of the end zone and hold them to a field goal. The Field Goal was good and the Braves extended their lead to 31-20. Hemphill would attempt a deep pass on first down and it would be intercepted, but as Bonner would attempt to run it back, Junior Trace Wright would strip the ball and the Panthers would recover and regain possession. The Panthers would pick up a huge first down to keep the drive alive around the Braves 45 yard line as Noah Underwood would fight for extra yards. On the next play, Hemphill would find Chitwood on a 34 yard pass to put the Panthers inside the Braves 15 yard line. On second down, Walker would score on a 6 yard rush to make it 31-26. The Panthers went for a 2 point conversion and would be successful, to make the score 31-28 with 4 minutes remaining. The Panthers would get a key stop on second down as Bonner was forced out of bounds but Noah Underwood was called for a late hit, which gave the Braves an automatic first down. The Panthers were going to have to use the rest of their timeouts and stop the Braves to give their offense a chance to get back on the field to tie or win the game. The Braves would pick up a first down and run the clock out and go on to win the game 31-28. After a hard fought game, the Panthers season comes to and end. The Panthers have a lot to be proud of as they fought back hard and had a chance to win the game against a very talented Heard County Team.

Panthers back in win column, beat Gilmer 7-0 on Thursday Night

Featured Stories, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports

Ellijay, GA–  The Union County Panthers(3-5) travelled to Gilmer County(3-5), home of the Bobcats. The Panthers heading into this game hoping to get a win and to gain momentum before heading into the playoffs.

The Panthers are getting back Starting Quarterback Logan Helcher and Running-back Jonah Daniel. The Bobcats are led by Junior Running-back Kobe Stonecipher and Senior Linebacker Ashton White.

First Quarter

The Bobcats would get the ball to start the game and would move the ball down the field very slowly. They would keep the ball for about 9 minutes in the 1st quarter. The Bobcats would take the ball all the way to the Panthers 25 yard line and fail to convert on 4th down. The Panthers would start the drive off with an 8 yard run by Helcher but fail to get anything else going after a holding penalty on 2nd down. The Bobcats would run one play to end the very quick 1st quarter.

Second Quarter

On the first play of the second quarter, Senior Noah Underwood would force a fumble around the Bobcats 40 yard line and Junior Trace Wright would recover the fumble. The Panthers would put Senior Kaston Hemphill in to give Helcher a breather as he is still recovering from an injury he suffered against Rabun Gap. The Panthers would fail to get a first down and punt the ball back to the Bobcats. The Panthers stuffed the run on the first 2 plays but were called for targeting on the 2nd down play. On the next play, Senior cornerback JJ Littles would intercept a pass at midfield, credit to Senior linebacker Hunter Young for getting his hands on the ball and causing the ball to be tipped and caught. On the first play of the Panthers offensive drive, Helcher suffered, what appeared to be a shoulder injury, which would sideline him for the rest of the game. The Panthers would pick up some quick first downs with some good hard runs by Junior Carson Walker. The Panthers would score on a 4 yard touchdown run by Senior Jonah Daniel and go up 7-0. The Bobcats would pick up a quick 1st down but the Panthers defense would stuff the run again and pick up a key tackle for loss by Senior Noah Underwood & Senior Aaron Helton. The Bobcats would punt pin the Panthers down at their own 5 yard line. The Panthers offense would fail to get a first down. The Bobcats would pick up a quick first down on a reverse play and quickly go deep into Panther territory. Senior JJ Liitles would make a great play to break up the pass at the goal line. The Panthers would hold the Bobcats to a field goal, that was missed with 20 seconds left to go in the half.

Third Quarter

The Panthers would start the second half on offense and would quickly pick up 2 first downs, sticking with the ground game. The Panthers offense would stall after that and would have to punt the ball away again. The Panthers defense would stand strong and sack the end around pass play on 3rd down and force another punt. The Panthers would start their drives in the 2nd half quickly picking up first downs but would quickly stall out. The Panthers had a chance to score on a deep pass to Senior Mason McCombs but McCombs was tripped up near the end zone before catching it. There was a penalty thrown for pass interference but was waved off. The pass was intercepted and the Bobcats took over at their own 15 yard line. The Bobcats would get a good drive going but the Panthers defense would stand strong to end the 3rd quarter.

Fourth Quarter

The Panthers defense would force another punt to start the 4th quarter. The Panthers would pick up a big first down on the first play of the drive by Hemphill on a Quarterback keeper. The Panthers would have to punt again but they would pin the Bobcats inside their own 5 yard line. The Bobcats would run the same play from the same formation about 5 times in a row and catch the Panthers off guard with a QB keeper off the same play and pick up about 34 yards. Eli Peugh would make a huge tackle on 3rd and 10 and force the Bobcats to go for it on 4th down. On 4th down, the Bobcats would try to run a trick play and it was read quickly by Senior Clayton Lester. The Panthers offense finally got a big play and a penalty added to the end of it. The Panthers would drive all the way to the Bobcat 14 yard line but failed to covert on a 4th and 3 with 2:40 left in the 4th quarter. The Bobcats would quickly get to midfield on a 30 yard pass. The Panthers defensive backs had a bunch of opportunities to intercept multiple passes and end the game during this drive. The Panthers would force the Bobcats to go for it on 4th and inches but would pick up the 1st down. On 3rd and 10, JJ Littles would intercept the ball but it would be called back on a questionable pass interference call. The Panther defense would keep the Bobcats out of the end zone and hold on to win, 7-0.

The Panthers will finish 3rd in Region 8-AA and move on to the GHSA State Playoffs. They do not know who they will face yet, but they will matchup with Region 5-AA and face the 2nd place team out of that region. They will play next Friday November 27.

Offense struggles as Panthers fall to Elbert County.

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BLAIRSVILLE, GA- The Union County Panthers (3-2,1-0) hosted The Elbert County Blue Devils (1-4,0-0) on a chilly night in the mountains.

First Quarter

The Blue Devils offense came out firing, pushing the ball all the way to the Panthers’ 35 yard line. The Panthers defense ended up forcing a punt. The Panthers offense, still trying to find an identity, started the game on the right foot. Huge rushes by Senior Running-back Jonah Daniel led the Panthers on the first drive. The Panthers had the ball on the 8 yard line and  fumbled on the 1 as Junior Quarterback Logan Helcher tried to reach for the goal line. The Panthers defense held up strong forcing the Blue Devils to punt from their own end zone.

Second Quarter

The Panthers defense again held the Blue Devils to another punt. The defense had huge tackles for loss by Senior Noah Underwood and Senior Aaron Helton. The Panthers just couldn’t get anything going offensively, failing the 4th down conversion inside the Blue Devils 20 yard line. Both teams could not get anything going offensively, credit to both defenses for not allowing any big plays after both teams’ first drive. The Panthers held the Blue Devils to another punt, which was blocked by Junior Elijah Helton and the Panthers took over from the Blue Devils 45 yard line. On the first play of the drive, the Blue Devils intercepted Quarterback Logan Helcher and returned it for a touchdown.  The next drive ended the same way. Logan Helcher’s pass was intercepted on an attempted screen pass. The Panthers defense held the Blue Devils to a field goal to make the score 10-0 late in the second quarter. The Panthers failed to score any points before halftime.

Third Quarter

To start the second half, the Panthers came out moving the ball down the field. Getting the ball down to the Blue Devils 12 yard line after the Blue Devils committed a pass interference on a deep pass intended for Kaston Hemphill. The Panthers would have to settle for a field goal which made the score 10-3. The Panthers defense forced a much needed turnover. Noah Underwood sacked the QB and picked up the fumble near midfield. On the first play of the Panthers offensive drive, Quarterback Logan Helcher evaded tackles and found Noah Underwood for a 40 yard touchdown to tie the game at 10 a piece. The Blue Devils started to move the ball well on offense, taking the ball all the way to the Panthers 35 yard line, but the Panthers defense stopped the drive there. The Blue Devils would again, intercept another pass and return it all the way to the 5 yard line and score on a 7 yard pass after a penalty, to take the lead, 17-10. The Panthers would get the ball moving well again offensively heading into the fourth quarter.

Fourth Quarter

On the first play of the fourth quarter, The Blue Devils would intercept another pass as Quarterback Logan Helcher would try to get rid of the ball while getting hit. The Blue Devils would return it for a touchdown to extend their lead to 24-10. The Panthers offense couldn’t get going on the next drive and failed to convert on 4th down inside their own 30 yard line after a mistimed snap. The Panthers defense didn’t allow any points on that drive and forced another punt. The Panthers were forced to punt on their next offensive drive. The Blue Devils would quickly score on their next drive on a 47 yard touchdown run, extending their lead to 31-10. The Blue Devils would hold the ball until the clock ran out to end the game.

The Panthers fall to the Blue Devils, 31-10. That gives the Panthers their first region loss of the year.

The Panthers will host Rabun Gap on Thursday, November 6 @ 6:30.

Defense leads the way for the Panthers first region win against Banks

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HOMER, GA- The defense was key for the Panthers as they hold on to beat Banks County 19-7. The Panthers struggled on offense but made the right plays at the right time to seal the victory. 

This was the first region matchup for both Union County (3-2,1-0) & Banks County (1-6,0-1). Union had not played a game in 2 weeks due to one of their games being cancelled because of COVID-19 and then one week was their bye week. Banks County had lost to Haralson County last week, 44-0. Both teams have played Commerce & Fannin County and had both lost to each team.

1st Quarter

The Panthers got off to a great start defensively led by senior Aaron Helton who had a big tackle for loss on the first drive and a sack on the second drive. (0:00-17:00) The Panthers struggled to move the ball most of the first quarter, mostly due to not playing the last 2 weeks. The Panthers defense held their ground all of the first quarter, not giving the Leopards a chance to get anything going offensively.

2nd Quarter

The Panthers had 2 quick turnovers, each happening on the first play of each drive, giving the Leopards great field position after each turnover. The Panthers did get the ball right back after the second turnover, the Leopards also fumbled on the first play of their drive. (18:00-29:00) That really lit a spark for the Panthers offense knowing that they can play better and getting a chance to prove it on this drive. On the second play of the drive, Junior Quarterback Logan Helcher ran a read option play and kept the ball and taking it 66 yards to the house. (30:00-49:00) The Panthers missed the PAT to maker it 6-0. After that, give credit to the Panthers defense, forcing the Leopards into some mistakes and forced another punt. The Panthers offense stalled out again going into halftime up 6-0.

3rd Quarter

The Panthers got the ball to start the second half and got off to a hot start running the hurry up offense. Gaining lots of yards each play and spreading the ball all around the field. Junior Quarterback Logan Helcher running for a gain of 30+ yards (0:50-1:01) and throwing a long pass to Junior Wide Receiver Keaton Chitwood.(1:02-1:13) The Panthers capped off the drive with a 1 yard touchdown by Senior Running back Jonah Daniel, his first of the season, in his first game back after breaking his ankle in week 1 against Fannin County. (1:14-1:26) Union County missed yet another PAT but still held the lead, 12-0. Again, the Panthers defense held the Leopards to a punt after letting up a few first downs. The Panthers drive ended on another turnover as Quarterback Logan Helcher threw his second interception of the game.

4th Quarter

The Leopards gave the ball right back to the Panthers, bobbling a handoff that was recovered by Senior Kaston Hemphill. (1:28-1:39) The Leopards would get the ball back after a 3 and out by The Panthers and finally get the ball rolling on offense. The Leopards stuck with the run game and caught the Panthers by surprise with a counter play on a 36 yard touchdown. The Panthers had another 3 and out on the next drive and the Leopards had the ball mid 4th quarter with the chance to take to the lead. The Panthers defense held strong and forced the Leopards to go for it on 4th down. On 4th down Senior JJ Littles made a great defensive play, breaking up the double-pass. (1:40-1:53) The Panthers took over deep in Leopard territory and scored on a 24 yard screen play to senior Jonah Daniel on 4th down with 1:36 left to seal the victory for the Panthers. (1:54-2:14)

 

Union County hosts Elbert County next Friday, Oct 30, which is their second region matchup of the season.

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