Panthers dominate @ Rabun County, win 6-0
Sports, Team FYN Sports, UCHS Soccer March 11, 2021
Tiger, Georgia- The Panthers offense exploded in the second half, scoring 5 of 6 goals in the half. The Panthers offense was in complete control the entire game.
The Panthers are 1st in region and haven’t lost a game yet. Senior Goalkeeper Aaron Helton has yet to letup a goal as the Panthers are 3-0 and have outscored their opponents 16-0.
The Panthers offense kept that same offensive dominance against the Wildcats. Junior Kyler Robbins scored late in the first half on a penalty kick to put the Panthers up 1-0. In the second half, the Panthers were in full attack mode right out of the gate. Zach Jackson scored early in the second half off of a nice pass by Sophomore Wilson Walker to give the Panthers a quick 2-0 lead. Less than a minute later, Walker nearly scored. Senior Clayton Lester scored off a header as Robbins got the assist. The Panthers extended their lead to 3-0. Quickly after that, Walker scored and extended the lead to 4-0. After multiple opportunities to score again, Freshman Benton Gregory scored a long goal to extend the lead to 5-0. Another great assist by Robbins led to Senior Captain Malachi Patrick scoring to make the score 6-0. The Panthers had multiple great looks to score again but would fail to extend their 6-0 lead. The Panthers defeat the Rabun County Wildcats 6-0 to improve to 4-0 on the season and 3-0 in region play. The Panthers would travel to face a very good East Hall team on Wednesday.
Panthers track team dominates at Dawson County
Sports, Team FYN Sports, UCHS Track, Union County Panthers March 8, 2021
Dawsonville, Georgia- The Union County Track team traveled to compete at Dawson County against Dawson & Gilmer County. The Panthers dominated in all events. The Panthers had multiple first and second place finishes. Both Boys and Girls teams ended the night with the highest team scores.
Union Girls- 1st Place 
Girls Shot Put- Trinity Queen 2nd Place
Girls Discus- B Kennedy First Place
Girls Long Jump- Mia McCombs 2nd Place
Girls Triple Jump- C Silver 1st Place
High Jump- Riley Allison 2nd Place
Girls 400- Riley Allison 2nd Place
Girls 100 & 200- Lexi Sisum 1st Place
Girls 800- Hana Gregory 2nd Place
4×800 Relay – 1st Place
4×100 Relay- 1st Place
4×400- 2nd Place
Union Boys- 1st Place 
Boys Shot Put & Discus- Noah Underwood 1st Place
Boys Long Jump & Triple Jump- Riley Thomas- 1st Place
Boys 1600- Hunter Hartzog- 1st Place
Boys 400- Brady Guild- 2nd Place
Boys 100- Elliot Stepps- 1st Place
Boys 800- Hunter Hartzog- 2nd Place
Boys 200- Elliot Stepps- 1st Place
Boys 300 LH- Damon Wallace- 2nd Place
Boys 3200- Luke Gambrell- 2nd Place
Boys 4×800 Relay- 2nd Place
Boys 4×100 Relay- 1st Place
Boys 4×400 Relay- 2nd Place
Former East Hall Head Coach Michael Perry named Head Coach at Union County
Featured Stories, Panther's Corner, Sports, Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers March 2, 2021
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 to Dawson County 10-0
Team FYN Sports, UCHS Baseball, Union County Panthers March 2, 2021
Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers hosted the Dawson County Tigers in a non region matchup on a chilly evening in Blairsville. The Panthers are coming off 2 loses at the Pepperell Diamond Day on Saturday.
The Panthers quickly got in trouble as the Tigers had 3 straight hits, the third hit scoring 2 runs, Junior Pitcher Tyler Lloyd walked the next 2 batters, loading the bases. Lloyd walked another batter, allowing a run to score. Lloyd would get out of the inning with a groundout. The Panthers got on the bases quickly, with Senior Isaak Mullinack getting walked and Junior Thomas Dyer getting hit by a pitch. The Panthers would leave 2 men on as the next three batters would strike out. The Tigers bats were quiet during the next inning but the walks were looming large for the Panthers. Lloyd walked the bases loaded again in the 3rd inning and would walk in another run. Dyer would come in and get the final out and hold the Tigers to 1 run. The Panthers offense was quiet with no one making contact and struggling to get on base. The Tigers would hit a double and then a single to score the runner from second base to extend the lead to 5. In the top of the 5th, Dyer would have a hard time finding the strike zone, walking 4 straight batters, giving up another run. The Tigers would score 3 more runs after they gained some more momentum after a double. The Panthers would be mercy ruled as the Tigers scored 10 runs after 5 innings. The Panthers fall to the Tigers 10-0. The Panthers fall to 4-4 on the season.
Panthers fall to Heard County 2-1 in second game at Pepperell Diamond Day
Team FYN Sports, UCHS Baseball, Union County Panthers February 28, 2021
Lindale, Georgia- The Union County Panthers (4-2,0-0) faced off against the Heard County Braves (3-2,0-0) in the Panthers second game at the Pepperell Diamond Day.
The Panthers got things started on the base paths early as Senior Isaak Mullinack had a leadoff walk, Junior Thomas Dyer bunted Mullinack to second and then Senior Damien Chitwood had an infield single. Junior Bret Ballew grounded out with 2 outs to end the inning for the Panthers, leaving 2 on base. Senior Isaak Mullinack was the starting pitcher for the Panthers in the second game of the doubleheader. Mullinack had a great 1st inning, striking out 2 straight batters after a quick groundout to begin the game. The Panthers would have a good start to the second inning as Senior Hunter Lloyd had a leadoff walk and Junior Tyler Lloyd bunted Lloyd over to second. Junior Conner Shields would get a hit off an infield single but would be picked off at first base. Junior Bailey Brown would fly out to end the inning and the Panthers would leave 1 on base. The Braves would quickly get things started with a leadoff single and a walk after Mullinack was ahead in the count. The Panthers would attempt a double play but after getting the out at second, a bad throw led to the runner being safe at first base and the runner from second base, scored. The Braves would take the lead 1-0. Mullinack would get out of the inning after the Braves failed to get a successful bunt. The Panthers were unable to get on base in the 3rd inning after quick at bats, that ended up in 0 hits. Mullinack got in a little trouble as the Braves got on base on an infield single, and after a missed pickoff at first, the runner moved to second and then stole 3rd. Mullinack was able to get out of the inning allowing 0 runs. Both the Panthers and the Braves offenses were quiet in the 4th, each going three up three down. The Panthers were making solid contact but were unable to get on base. Mullinack gave up a run in the 5th as a walk ended up scoring . The runner stole second and scored on a shallow pop up that got down in the outfield. The Braves led 2-0 thru 5 innings. The Panthers got on base quickly as Junior Thomas Dyer had a leadoff single. Senior Zeke Swartz bunted Dyer to 2nd and Ballew singled and got the RBI as Dyer scored. The Panther cut the Braves lead to 1. Lloyd would pop out and the Panthers left another runner on base. Junior Tyler Lloyd would be brought in to pitch for Mullinack and would get the job done. Mullinack made a diving stop in the gap between short stop and third base to save a hit. The Panthers were unable to get a hit in the top of the 7th as the Panthers fall to the Braves 2-1. The Panthers out hit the Braves 5-2 but just couldn’t get a hit when the Panthers had runners in scoring position. The Panthers lost both games at the Pepperell Diamond Day.
Panthers fall to Pepperell Dragons 3-0 on Saturday at the Pepperell Diamond Day
Sports, Team FYN Sports, UCHS Baseball, Union County Panthers February 28, 2021
Lindale, Georgia- The Union County Panthers (4-1,0-0) faced the Pepperell Dragons (1-3,0-0) in the first game of a double header for the Panthers. There were 3 teams at the “Pepperell Diamond Day”. Union County would play back to back games versus Pepperell and Heard County. Then Heard County would face Pepperell to end the day.
Senior Zeke Swartz was the starting pitcher for the Panthers and he started the game off pitching very well, going 2 straight innings and only allowing no base runners. The Panthers couldn’t buy a hit as most of the lineup strike out of grounded out throughout the whole game. The Panthers made a lot of good contact but the balls were going right at each Dragon infielder. The Panthers finished with only 2 hits. In the 3rd inning, Swartz walked the first batter and the next batter hit a single and there were 2 men on base with no outs. A passed ball moved both runners up a base. Swartz was then called for a balk, which scored the runner on 3rd and moved the runner up from 2nd to 3rd. A ball dropped in for a hit and scored another run for the Dragons and the Dragons extended their lead to 2-0. Swartz would get out of the inning only allowing 2 runs. The Panthers would still not be able to get a hit in the next inning but Swartz was hit by a pitch with 2 outs. Pinch Runner Bailey Brown would steal 2nd with 2 outs but Senior Damien Chitwood would strikeout on the following pitch. Swartz would give up another run in the 4th inning to make the Dragon lead 3-0. Junior Thomas Dyer would pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning and get the job done, striking out one batter and getting 2 groundouts. The Panthers wouldn’t be able to get any runs on the board throughout the rest of the game and only finished with 2 hits. The Dragons would beat the Panthers 3-0. The Panthers faced the Heard County in the following game.
After huge first half, Panthers fall short @ Callaway as season comes to an end
Sports, Team FYN Sports February 25, 2021
Lagrange, Georgia- The #4 seed Union County Panthers (0-13) face the #1 seed Callaway Cavaliers (8-9) in the first round of the state playoffs. Senior Kaston Hemphill returned after being out with an ankle injury for about a month.
First Quarter
The Cavaliers went up 6-0 right out o f the gate, hitting two 3 pointers off Panther turnovers. Junior Landon Kight responded with a 3 to cut the deficit to 3. The Cavaliers went up 7-3 after scoring off an offensive rebound. Kight scored a layup after getting the offensive rebound to cut the deficit to 2. The Cavaliers extended their lead to 3 after making 1/2 free throws. Kight tied the game after making 3/3 free throws after getting fouled shooting a 3. The Cavaliers made another 3 to take the lead. Junior Lake Hughes responded with a 3 to tie the game. Senior Kaston Hemphill made a deep 2 to give the Panthers the 2 point lead. The Cavaliers responded with a deep 2 to tie the game at 13. The game was tied 13-13 at the end of the first quarter. Credit to the coaching staff for having a great game plan to slow down a very talented #1 seed. The Panthers did not look like an 0-9 team after a very impressive first quarter.
Second Quarter
The Cavaliers took a 2 point lead after a Panther turnover and Head Coach Corey Garrett called a timeout. The Panthers were playing great defense in the first half, playing their best game of the season at the right time. The Cavaliers went up 4 after another Panther turnover. The Panthers offense was really struggling breaking the press, which led to 2 more Cavalier points. The Panthers closed the quarter on a 8-1 run. With 30 seconds left, the Cavaliers had 6 players on the court and the Panthers got 2 free throws. Kight would miss both free throws. The Panthers had shocked the Cavaliers in the first half. Again, the Panthers did not look like an 0-9 team.
Third Quarter
Hemphill scored a deep 2 and gave the Panthers an early 1 point lead. The Cavaliers hit a 3 pointer to take a 2 point lead, which was the start of a big quarter from 3 point range for the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers hit a deep 2 to take a quick 4 point lead. Junior Hayden Payne made a layup and got fouled but missed the following free throw. The Cavaliers hit another 3 to take 5 point lead. The Panthers were struggling breaking the press as the Cavaliers were going on a run. The Cavaliers hit another 3 to take a 9 point lead. The Cavaliers scored again off another Panther turnover to extend the lead to 11. The Cavaliers hit another 3 pointer, their 4th of the quarter to extend their lead to 13. Kight responded with a 3 to cut the deficit to 10. Hughes made 1/2 free throws to cut the deficit to 9. The Cavaliers scored to extend their lead to 11 as the Panthers were struggling to slow down the Cavalier offense. Hughes hit a 3 to cut the deficit back to 8. The Cavaliers hit another 3 but Hughes responded with a 3. The Cavaliers made five 3’s in the third quarter. The Panthers trailed 45-36 to end the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Cavaliers extended their lead to 11 as they scored off another Panther turnover. Hemphill made 1/2 free throws to cut the deficit to 10. The Cavaliers hit a 3 and got fouled and made the following free throw to extend there lead to 14. The Cavaliers had all momentum and the panthers just had no answer. The Panthers fall to the Cavaliers 65-42 as their season comes to an end. The Panthers only lose 1 player this year and have a lot of players returning with experience. This was a very tough year for the Panthers due to COVID but the team got better each week. I expect the Panthers to have a better season next year.
Lady Panthers fall to Cavaliers 72-45 as season comes to an end
Lady Panthers, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers February 25, 2021
Lagrange, Georgia- In the first round of the state playoffs, the #4 seed Union County Lady Panthers (2-12) take on the #1 seed Callaway Lady Cavaliers. (13-6)
First Quarter
The Lady Panthers started the game on a 4-0 run as Sophomore Ellie Cook made a midrange jumper and Freshman Lara Turner made 2 free throws. The Lady Panthers picked the best time to have their best start of the year. The Cavaliers responded with a layup but Junior Ava Hunter made 2 free throws to extend the lead to 4. Junior Niakoe Burks hit a 3 to cut the Panthers lead to 1. Hunter extended the lead back to 3 as she made 2 more free throws. Junior Gabrielle Johnson made a 3 pointers to tie the game at 8. Cook stole the ball but turned the ball back over to the Cavaliers which led to 2 points and the Cavaliers took the lead. Hunter quickly responded with a floater to tie the game. Freshman Lacy Thomas made 2 free throws to give the Cavaliers the lead. The Cavaliers extended their lead to 4 after scoring off a Panther turnover. Junior Rebekah Chambers got the offensive rebound and scored to cut the deficit to 2. The Lady Panthers were getting out rebounded and the Cavaliers were capitalizing on it. Freshman Sophia McNabb had a great hustle player after a Panther turnover to save points. Thomas scored on a layup to extend the Cavalier lead to 4. The Cavaliers went on another 4-0 run and Coach Mandy Hunter used a timeout to slow the momentum. Johnson scored off a Panther turnover to extend the run to a 6-0 run. Cook responded with a layup to end the run. Johnson scored off another turnover but Cook responded with a big 3 pointer to end the quarter. The Lady Panthers trailed 22-17 at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
The Cavaliers got on the board first after making 1/2 free throws but Hunter quickly responded with a nice layup. Burks scored off another Panther turnover to extend the Cavaliers lead to 6. After the Cavaliers extend their lead to 8, Chambers responded with a layup to end the Cavalier scoring run. Johnson made 2 free throws to extend the Cavalier lead back to 8. Burks scored off another turnover to extend the lead to 10. The Cavaliers went on a 17-6 run. The Lady Panthers weren’t finding any rhythm offensively. The Lady Panthers trailed 39-23 to end the first half.
Third Quarter
Chambers got the Panthers on the board quickly as she made a layup. Freshman Jazmin Thornton responded by making a deep 2. Thornton scored again off a Panther turnover. Hunter scored on a layup. The Panthers just needed some stops defensively and to take care of the ball to get back in the game. The Cavaliers went on a 14-6 run. The Panthers were making good plays but were also making big mistakes. The Lady Panthers trailed 58-35 to end the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Not much happened for the Lady Panthers in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers kept their foot on the gas. The Lady Panthers season would come to an end as they would fall 72-45. The Lady Panthers finish the season 2-13 and 0-6 in region play. The Lady Panthers have every starter returning next season. I expect the Lady Panthers to have a big year as they have a lot of experience returning.
Panthers fall to Rabun County 73-55, finish 4th place in region tournament
Sports, Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers February 20, 2021
Homer, Georgia- The 4 seed Union County Panthers face the 3 seed Rabun County Wildcats in the consolation game of the region tournament. Each team will have to travel in the state tournament no matter the outcome. Rabun County has won both previous matchups.
First Quarter
The Wildcats got things going early with a lot of ball movement and an Adriel Clark layup. Junior Daniel Snow got his own rebound and scored to tie the game at 2. The Panthers were playing great defense early on. Junior Grayson Carver put the Wildcats ahead as he scored on a fast break layup. Junior Landon Kight got an offensive rebound and scored to tie it at 4. Junior Caleb John stole the ball and took it all the way to the basket to give the Panthers an early lead but Junior Connor McKay scored a 3 off a Panther turnover. After a 6-0 run by the Wildcats, Junior Lake Hughes ended the scoring drought for the Panthers with a baseline jumper. The Wildcats ended the first quarter on a 13-2 run. The Panthers trailed 20-8 to end the first quarter.
Second Quarter
The Wildcats started the quarter just how they ended the first. Junior Gus Hood hit a 3 right out of the gate to extend the scoring run to 16-2. Hughes hit a big 3 to gain some momentum after a good defensive possession. The Wildcats went on a 4-0 run after that 3 by Hughes to force the Panthers to use a timeout. The Panthers trailed by 17. Kight scored a mid range jumper but the Panthers just couldn’t stop the Wildcats offense. Sophomore Eli Underwood scored to cut the deficit to 16 but the Wildcats hit a 3 on the next possession to extend it to 19. Junior Austin Taylor made a nice fast break layup. The Panthers trailed 42-25 at halftime. The Panthers played a good quarter but the bad first quarter hurt them as they were already behind by 12.
Third Quarter
The Wildcats quickly scored to start the quarter. The Panthers free throw struggles continued as they started 1/4 to begin the second half. Hughes made a layup to end the scoring drought for the Panthers. Junior Hayden Payne made a huge block as Clark was going for the dunk. Taylor made a nice floater as the Panthers offense was starting to find a rhythm. After the Wildcats went a good while without scoring, Junior Clayton Dixon made a 3. The Wildcats ended the quarter with a dunk as they had all the momentum. The Panthers trailed 53-33.
Fourth Quarter
The Wildcats began the quarter on a 6-2 run. The Panthers would outscore the Wildcats 22-20 in the fourth quarter but were too far behind to catch up. The Panthers fall to the Wildcats 73-55 as the Panthers finish 4th in region. The Panthers will travel in the State Playoffs and will be facing a number 1 seed. The opponent has yet to be determined.
After huge fourth quarter by Hughes, Panthers fall short to Leopards in first game of region tournament
Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers February 14, 2021
Homer, Georgia- The 4 seed Union County Panthers face the 1 seed Banks County Leopards in the first round of the region tournament. The Leopards have beat the Panthers in both previous matchups.
First Quarter
Both teams had a slow start offensively as both teams were playing great defense. The Leopards got on the board first after a long stretch of no points by either team. The Panthers responded to tie it at 2 early but the Leopards responded quickly with a 3 pointer. Junior Hayden Payne scored after getting his own rebound to cut the deficit to 1. The Panthers were having their best defensive quarter of the season. Junior Lake Hughes rebounded an airball and scored to tie the game at 6. The Panthers had all the momentum to end the quarter as it was tied 6-6.
Second Quarter
The Leopards quickly took the lead as they hit a 3 to begin the quarter. After the Leopards scored again, Payne responded with a reverse layup to get the Panthers first points of the quarter. Junior Landon Kight hit a big 3 to cut the deficit to 1 after 2 Leopard free throws. Payne scored after getting another rebound as he was having a very productive first half. Payne scored again off a nice turnaround floater. The Panthers trailed 20-15 at the half. The Panthers were playing the best they have all year.
Third Quarter
The Leopards quickly got on the board to extend their lead to 7. Kight responded with another 3 pointer to cut the deficit to 4. The Leopards went on a quick 5-0 run, forcing the Panthers to call a timeout. The Leopards came out of the timeout and hit another 3 pointer to extend the run to 8-0. Junior Caleb John ended the scoring drought as he made a fast break layup after his 3rd steal of the game. The Panthers trailed the Leopards 33-20 after the Panthers were held to 5 points on offense.
Fourth Quarter
The Leopards came out and hit a 3 pointer right out of the gate to extend their lead to 16. The Leopards went on a 8-0 run to begin the quarter. The Panthers ended the scoring drought as Sophomore Eli Underwood made 2 free throws. Junior Lake Hughes made a 3 as his big quarter got started. The Leopards responded with a 3 on their next possession. Hughes hit another 3 pointer, his second of the quarter. Both teams were hitting all 3 pointers as each team made 4 in a row. Hughes scored as he stole the ball on an inbound pass. Hughes scored again as he made the layup and got fouled. He made the free throw as he scored his 11th point of the quarter. Hughes made another 3 pointer to make his quarter total of 14 points. The Panthers fall to the Leopards 48-35. The Panthers will hope to carry the momentum from Hughes’ 14 point 4th quarter into their next game. The Panthers will face Rabun County for the 3rd/4th place game on Tuesday.
Panthers fall to Elbert County 49-25 after big defensive first half performance
Sports, Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers February 6, 2021
Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers host the Elbert County Blue Devils in a region matchup. The Blue Devils won the previous matchup convincingly 68-26. The Panthers are still looking for their first win of the season. This is the last home game of the shortened season for the Panthers.
First Quarter
After both teams got off to a slow start, Freshman Eli Underwood scored to put the Panthers up 2-0. Junior Caleb John extended the Panthers lead to 3-0 as he made 1/2 free throws. The Blue Devils responded as they made a mid range jumper to make it 3-2. Junior Daniel Snow scored as he got his own rebound and extended the Panthers lead to 5-2. The Blue Devils responded with a 3 to tie the game at 5. The Panthers were playing great defense against a very talented Blue Devil team. Junior Lake Hughes made 2 free throws to take a 7-5 lead. The Blue Devils were making very tough shots due to good Panther defense as they tied the game at 7. Hughes made 2 free throws to make the score 9-7. The Panthers led 9-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
To begin the second quarter both teams were very sloppy. The Blue Devils tied the game after a steal and a made layup. Kight scored in the paint as the Panthers took a 2 point lead. Snow scored 4 quick points as the Panthers took a 6 point lead. The Blue Devils responded as they scored 4 quick points and cut the Panther lead to 2. Snow made 1/2 free throws to extend the Panther lead to 3 as Snow had a very big game, rebounding and scoring. The Blue Devils quickly cut the Panther lead to 1. The Panthers led 16-15 at the end of the first half. The Panthers had a huge half defensively holding the Blue Devils to 15 points.
Third Quarter
The beginning of the second half was very competitive as both defenses were holding their ground. The Blue Devils took a one point lead as most of the quarter was scoreless. John tied the game as he made 1/2 free throws. The Blue Devils scored 5 straight points to take a 5 point lead late in the 3rd as their offense started clicking. Snow scored as he ended the Panther scoring drought. The Blue Devils ended the quarter on a 12-2 run as they led the Panthers 29-19 to end the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Blue Devils offense had all the momentum and they kept their foot on the gas as they scored 4 straight points which forced the Panthers to call a timeout. John answered out of the timeout with a nice euro step layup to end the scoring run. John answered again with a nice move in the paint. .John had a big fourth quarter as he scored 6 straight points after the Panther timeout. The Blue Devils offense was just too much for the Panthers. The Blue Devils ended the game on a 12-0 run as the Panthers fall to the Blue Devils 49-25. The Panthers fall to 0-10 on the season. The Panthers travel to Rabun County as it will be the last regular season game of the season.
Second half miscues loom large as Lady Panthers fall to Elbert 60-35
Lady Panthers, Sports, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers February 6, 2021
Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Lady Panthers host the Elbert County Blue Devils in a region matchup. This was the last home game for the Panthers after a shortened season due to COVID-19 issues. The Lady Panthers are looking for their first region win of the season.
First Quarter
Elbert County got things started for both teams with a 3 pointer to go up 3-0 early after a slow start. Freshman Lara Turner responded quickly with a layup. The Lady Panthers took an early 1 point lead as Junior Ava Hunter made 2/2 free throws. The Blue Devils had a very slow start due to turnovers, which is not the way they usually play. The Blue Devils tied the game after a long period of turnovers for both teams. Things became very sloppy but each team kept scoring some as the game was tied 9-9 through most of the last 2 minutes of the quarter. The Lady Panthers trailed 11-9 to end the 1st quarter.
Second Quarter
Hunter tied things up to begin the second quarter as she scored on a fast break layup. Junior Rebekah Chambers gave the Lady Panthers the lead after she made a nice move in the paint and scored. The Blue Devils tied things up but Hunter backed her way into the paint and scored to retake the lead. Sophomore Ellie Cook got fouled, made the layup, and made the following free throw to take a 5 point lead. Things got sloppy again for both teams but the Blue Devils were able to cut the lead to 1, forcing a Lady Panther timeout. The Blue Devils took the lead after two steals that led to a 3 point lead, forcing the Lady Panthers to use another timeout. Turner cut the deficit to 2 as she scored on a nice inbound play. The Blue Devils responded and extended their lead back to 4. After a big Hunter block, the Lady Panthers cut the deficit back to 2, but he Blue Devils ended the half on a 4-0 run as they led 28-22.
Third Quarter
The Lady Panthers started the second half on 2 made free throws by Sophomore Corinne Hill. The Blue Devils scored off a Panther turnover as their lead was extended back to 6. The Lady Panthers became sloppy on offense as the Blue Devis extended their lead to 11. Tuner made a nice baseline jumper to cut the deficit to 9. The Blue Devil offense was starting to heat up as the Lady Panthers turnovers were piling up. The Blue Devils quickly extended their lead to 15. The Blue Devils maintained their lead as they led 44-29 to end the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Right out of the gate, Cook threw a great pass to Chambers as she cut the deficit to 13. Hunter scored as the deficit was cut to 11. After 3 Panther turnovers, the Blue Devils extended their lead to 16. The Lady Panthers were unable to stop the red hot Blue Devil offense, as they capitalized on a lot of the Panther turnovers. The Blue Devils extended their lead to 20 as the Panthers just couldn’t gain a rhythm on offense due to the turnovers. The Lady Panthers fall to the Blue Devils 60-35 as they fall to 2-9 on the season. The Lady Panthers will travel to Rabun County for the last regular season game of the year.
Ava Hunter reaches 1,000 career points as Panthers fall to Blue Devils 68-36
Lady Panthers, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers January 31, 2021
Elberton, Georgia- The Lady Panthers (2-6) traveled to Elbert County to face the Blue Devils (16-2) in a region matchup. Junior Ava Hunter was 17 points away from reaching 1,000 career points before the game.
First Quarter
Both teams started the game missing their first shots but Junior Ava Hunter got the Panthers on the board after making 1/2 free throws. The Lady Panthers were playing very well defensively to start the game. The Blue Devils took the lead as Sophomore Aaniyah Allen hit a midrange jumper. The Blue Devils went into a full court press against the Lady Panthers offense, causing turnovers. The Panthers were having a tough time breaking the press as the Blue Devils scored 5 quick points. The Panthers responded, breaking the press quickly for 2 quick points. Allen responded for the Blue Devils but Hunter responded to that with 2 points herself. Junior Rebecca Chambers added 2 points tying the game at 5 a piece. Things started to get sloppy for the Panthers but they kept things close. The Panthers tied it late in the first quarter as Hunter got fouled and made the basket, but missed the following free throw. Allen quickly responded, as she had a huge first quarter for the Blue Devils.
Second Quarter
The Lady Panthers got off to a bad start, turning the ball over on their first possession. The Lady Panthers got the rebound off a Blue Devil miss but turned the ball over again which led to 2 more Blue Devil points. Sophomore Ellie Cook got the Lady Panthers on the board after scoring on a nice euro step layup. The Blue Devils scored 2 more off another Panther turnover bt Hunter quickly responded as she made the shot as she was fouled. Hunter made the following free throw. The turnovers started topic up for the Lady Panthers. The Lady Panthers just couldn’t keep up offensively as the Blue Devils were scoring on a lot of the turnovers they were causing. After being down 2 late in the second quarter, The Lady Panthers trailed 38-21 at halftime.
Third Quarter
The Blue Devils started the second half still scorching hot on offense. The Lady Panthers just didn’t have much of an answer for the quick scoring of the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils came out of halftime and went on. 10-0 run. Hunter finally responded with a layup but nothing was going the Lady Panthers way. Hunter and Chambers seemed like the only Lady Panthers that could buy a basket in the second half as the deficit kept getting larger. The Lady Panthers trailed 56-27 to end the 3rd quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Chambers got the Lady Panthers on the board to begin the fourth quarter. Hill scored off of a steal to get the Panther offense going. Late in the fourth quarter, Junior Ava Hunter hit 1,000 career points. A huge accomplishment as a Junior. The Panthers would fall to the Blue Devils 68-36 to fall to 2-7 on the season. The Panthers will host Banks County on Tuesday February 2 @ 5:30.
Lady Panthers fall to Banks County 46-38
Lady Panthers, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers February 4, 2021
Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Lady Panthers host the Banks County Lady Leopards in a region matchup. The Lady Panthers lost their previous meeting with the Leopards 47-39. The Lady Panthers are looking for their first region win of the season.
First Quarter
To begin the game, both teams had a hard time scoring, missing some open shots. Junior Rebekah Chambers got the Lady Panthers on the board scoring on a nice move in the paint. The Leopards responded, getting the offensive rebound and scoring. The Lady panthers responded quickly, breaking the press and finding Chambers as she took it all the way to the basket. The Leopards quickly responded as the Panthers couldn’t pick up the steal. The Leopards capitalized on a Panther turnover, scoring on a nice post move by Sophomore Kamryn Grier. The Panthers started turning the ball over as the Leopards capitalized and quickly took a 4 point lead. The Panthers offense stalled out as nothing was going in for the Lady Panthers. Junior Ava Hunter stopped the Panthers scoring drought as she scored to cut the deficit to 2. The Lady Panthers stole the ball and Chambers drew a foul as she went up for a layup. She scored both free throws and tied the game at 8. The Panthers trailed 9-8 at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
The Leopards quickly got on the board as Sophomore Madison Adams hit a 3. The Lady Panthers were having better luck breaking the press in the game than they have in their past few games, which helps their offense tremendously. The Leopards extended their lead to 4 as the Lady Panthers went quiet offensively. Chambers responded with a nice move in the paint as she had a big first half. The Panthers quickly trailed by 6 as they were forcing the ball down the court which resulted in multiple turnovers. Sophomore Ellie Cook got the Panthers offense going out of the timeout with a nice euro step floater. Both teams went quiet offensively for a few minutes but Senior Hailey Seahorn hit a deep 3 to end the scoring drought for both teams. Freshman Addison Hoard hit a 3 to extend the Leopards lead to 9. The Panthers quickly responded as Freshman Lara Turner scored. The Lady Panthers trailed the Leopards 23-15 to end the first half.
Third Quarter
The Lady panthers had a nice start to the second half with a Ava Hunter block which turned into 2 points by Cook as she went behind the back and banked it in. The Lady Panthers scored quick again, breaking the press and Turner scoring. Chambers scored as the Panthers started the second half on a 6-0 run and cut the deficit to 2. The Panthers took the lead after a Cook 3, to extend the run to 9-0. The Leopards responded to take back the lead 25-24. Cook found Chambers down low as she threw a nice pass and the Panthers retook the lead. Cook was fouled on a 3 and made 2/3 free throws to take a 3 point lead. The Leopards cut the deficit to 1 after 2 made free throws by Grier. Grier made a layup after a Panther turnover to take a 1 point lead. After some nice ball movement by the Leopards, they took a 2 point lead as Seahorn made a midrange jumper. The Panthers quickly responded as Chambers scored. The Panthers trailed 32-31 at the end of a very tight 3rd quarter.
Fourth Quarter
To start the fourth quarter, The Lady Panthers got a steal but the Leopards stole it back and scored to extend their lead to 3. The Leopards got another steal and scored again to take a 36-31 lead. The Leopards would later extend their lead to 7. Chambers responded with a nice reverse layup as the deficit was cut to 5. Turner was fouled and she made 1/2 free throws. Cook was fouled on a 3 and made 1/3 as the Panthers trailed 38-35. The Leopards responded and extended their lead back to 5. Hunter made a layup and made the score 40-37. The Leopards responded with another mid rage jumper as they were hitting the big shots when they needed them. The Leopards extended their lead after another made basket. The Panthers turned the ball over as Hunter stepped out of bounds. Hunter made a huge block that ended in Cook free throws as she was fouled while shooting. Cook made 1/2 to cut the deficit to 8. The Panthers fall to the Leopards 46-38 to fall to 2-8 on the season and 0-4 in region play. The Panthers host Elbert County on Friday in their last home game of the season.
Panthers fall to Banks County 64-45, fall to 0-9 on the season
Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers February 4, 2021
Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers host the Banks County Leopards in a region matchup. The Leopards won the last game between these two teams. The Panthers are still looking for their first win. The Panthers have Head Coach Corey Garrett back after he missed the past 2 games due to an ejection a previous game. The Panthers needed to find an offensive rhythm as they haven’t had one since their game against Lumpkin County. Versus a talented team like Banks County, you need to score every chance you get and not having a rhythm offensively, lowers the chance for success. 
First Quarter
To begin the game, the Panthers and the Leopards were unable to score on their first possessions. The Leopards went up 5-0 quickly as Senior Garrett Presley made a 3 and Senior Clay Gonsell made a midrange jumper. The Panthers got on the board as Junior Landon Kight made a turn around jumper. Presley made his shot and the following free throw to put the Leopards up 8-2. After a Panther turnover, Senior Carter Stroud found Noah Oar on a no look pass to extend their lead to 10-2. Kight responded with a nice shot under the basket to cut the deficit to 6. Both offenses had a cold spell as both teams were playing very good defense. Gonsell hit a 3 to get the scoring started for the Leopards as they would close the quarter on a 8-0 run. The Panthers trailed 18-4 to end the first quarter.
Second Quarter
The Panthers needed to find a rhythm offensively as they struggled to get going in the first quarter. Junior Caleb John got the Panthers on the board to get the Panthers offense going and cut the deficit to 12. Junior Lake Hughes hit a 3 to cut the deficit to 9, as the Panthers were finding some rhythm offensively. The Leopards responded with a 3 on offense as that was their first points of the quarter. Oar made a fast break layup as the Leopards went up 14, forcing the Panthers to call timeout. After the timeout, the Leopards scored 4 quick points. Junior Daniel Snow stopped the quick scoring run as he scored on a put back layup. The Leopards were finding their rhythm on offense as they led 29-15 to end the second quarter.
Third Quarter
To start the third quarter, Presley got the Leopards on the board immediately as he scored a 3. Hughes responded and made a mid range floater after getting the rebound to get the Panthers on the board. Junior Hayden Payne scored to cut the deficit to 15. The Leopards responded after a nice pass from Gonsell to Oar. After Presley hit a 3 to extend the lead to 20, the Panthers had to call timeout to try and slow the momentum. Hughes hit a 3 out of the timeout but the Panthers just couldn’t get enough stops on defense to cut into the 18 point Leopard lead. Hughes hit another 3 pointer but Ivey responded with one as well for the Leopards. The Panthers would trail 54-30 to end the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Panthers would outscore the Leopards the fourth quarter, scoring 15 points but it wasn’t enough to make a comeback as the Leopards were on fire offensively for most of the game. The Panthers fall to the Leopards 64-45 and fall to 0-9 on the season. The Panthers will host Elbert County on Friday for their last home game of the season.
Panthers fall to Elbert County 68-26, fall to 0-3 in region play
Team FYN Sports, Union County Panthers January 31, 2021
Elberton, Georgia- The Union County Panthers (0-7) travel and take on the Elbert County Blue Devils (6-10). The Panthers look to win their first game in regular season and region play.
First Quarter
The Blue devils started the game on a 6-0 run, forcing the Panthers to call their first timeout. The Panthers just couldn’t get a good start on offense and get the ball moving around. Junior Lake Hughes got the Panthers on the board with a 3 pointer as the Panthers still trailed 8-3. The Panthers just didn’t have any answers offensively as they quickly trailed 15-3. To end the first quarter, the Panthers trailed 24-5. Nothing was going the Panthers way.
Second Quarter
The Blue Devils started the quarter just as they finished it with 2 quick points. The second quarter was a lot like the first for the Panthers. They just couldn’t get going on offense and the Blue Devils was scorching hot. The Blue Devils were scoring on almost every turnover the Panthers were having. The Blue Devils went on a 14-1 run before the Panthers could score again. The Panthers trailed 44-8 at halftime.
Third & Fourth Quarter
The Panthers got on the board quickly to begin the second half as Sophomore Eli Underwood made a contested layup. The Panthers were quiet on offense as they just couldn’t keep up with Elbert’s offense. The Panthers weren’t getting any good looks on offense against the Blue Devils. The third quarter was better than the first and second but was not good enough. In the fourth, the Panthers started to score a little and got a lot better looks offensively but it wasn’t enough to catch up to the Blue Devils. The Panthers fell to the Blue Devils 68-26 as they fall to 0-8 and 0-3 in region play. The Panthers host Banks County for a region matchup on Tuesday February 2 @ 7:00.