TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week – No. 16 Noah Underwood
Player of the Week, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football October 27, 2019
In football, holding a team to zero points is difficult. Holding a region opponent to zero points is even more so.
But that’s just what the Union County defense did Friday night at home against Oglethorpe County in a 43-0 win in Blairsville.
The defense was led, as it has been all season, by junior Noah Underwood, who found himself showing up in big spots all over the field against the Patriots.
The Underwood-led defense held the visiting Patriots to zero points, just one first down, -8 yards rushing and zero yards passing.
For his efforts, Underwood is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week!
History in Blairsville as the Panthers win playoff game
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football November 16, 2019
History was made in Blairsville on Friday night, and it was all thanks to a safety, a field goal, and an incredible defensive effort from the Union County football team in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs.
Union County head coach Brian Allison encourages his on, senior quarterback Pierson Allison, during the Panthers’ first-round playoff game Friday night in Blairsville.
In a game decided by who blinked first, Union County (10-1) earned the first playoff win in its 62-year school history by knocking off the visiting Hornets 19-15 to advance to the second round.
And it was all because of a blocked punt, a made field goal, and a stingy, dedicated, and down-right nasty defense that refused to break down the stretch.
“Our defense played lights out all night,” head coach Brian Allison said after the win, and he was right.
South Atlanta came into the game averaging more than 300 yards of offense per game, with 200 of those coming on the ground.
In the fourth quarter Friday night – with the game on the line – the Hornets were limited to just six plays for -3 yards.
Senior Cayden Rich hauls in a pass during Union County’s win Friday night.
While the Panthers’ offense has put up big numbers all season, it’s been the defense that has been steady and dependable. And that proved true Friday night.
“We focused on shutting down their key players, and it resulted in us getting off the field and gave our offense a chance to put some points on the board,” senior linebacker Sloan Sutton said. “I feel that, overall, we played pretty good.”
“Pretty good” is an understatement for how well the Panthers defense played Friday night.
In addition to shutting down the Hornets in the second half, the defense also provided the biggest play of the game on the scoreboard.
With the game tied at seven in the second quarter, a quick sequence of plays turned out to be the difference in the long run.
After Panthers senior quarterback Pierson Allison hit senior Sawyer Drake with a 15-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter to even the score at 7-7, the defense went to work.
Senior Sawyer Drake brings down a catch during the Panthers’ win Friday night.
The ensuing kickoff pinned the Hornets back on their own 11-yard line, and the Panthers defense stifled the Wing-T running attack to force a fourth-and-7 from the 10-yard line.
As the Hornets dropped back to punt, junior Noah Underwood broke through, stuffing the punt into the end zone and earning the Panthers a safety to go up 9-7.
Union County received the kick after the safety with 5:33 to go in the half. After taking over near midfield, the Panthers offense stalled and turned the ball over on downs at the South Atlanta 37-yard line.
But the defense continued to make the Hornets pay for every yard and forced the visiting team into a punt facing fourth-and-19 from their own 39-yard line.
The Union County offense took over on their own 25 with 1:24 left in the half.
A pair of catches from Cayden Rich and several from Drake looked to give the Panthers an opportunity to put one in the end zone.
But penalties seemed to kill the drive as the Panthers faced a fourth-and-10 from the South Atlanta 27 with just two seconds until halftime.
But the Panthers would not be denied on the scoreboard.
Junior Mason McCombs stepped up and drilled a career-long 44-yard field goal to give the Panthers a five-point lead heading into the half at 12-7.
“Mason was huge,” Brian Allison said after the game. “That kick might have been the most important kick in the history of Union County football.”
In the second half, the Panthers brought their rushing attack to the party.
Junior Jonah Daniel pounded the South Atlanta defense with hard runs for most of the second half, including an 11-yard touchdown scamper on the second play of the fourth quarter that put Union County in the position to make school history.
Daniel finished the night with 79 yards and a score.
Pierson Allison finished 17-for-32 for 206 yards a touchdown, while Drake hauled in 12 catches for 134 yards and a score.
The Panthers won’t have much time to celebrate the historic win. They head south this Friday – more than four hours away from Blairsville – to take on Region 2-AA champion Metter in the second round of the state playoffs.
Metter (10-1) defeated Hephzibah 37-34 on Friday night to punch a ticket into the next round.
Sanchez wins region championship for Union County
Sports, TeamFYNSports October 31, 2019
Senior Zoe Sanchez won the Region 8-AA cross country championship with a time of 20 minutes, 35 seconds.
LEXINGTON, GA – Senior Zoe Sanchez has brought a Region 8-AA championship to Union County High School.
Sanchez took first place for the Lady Panthers cross country team at the Region 8-AA championships last week at Oglethorpe County High in Lexington.
Sanchez ran to the top spot Oct. 22 with a time of 20 minutes, 35 seconds, more than 25 seconds faster than the next closest finisher, senior Mari Jablonski (21:02) from Monticello.
Senior Sadie Underwood competes for the Union County Cross Country team.
Oglethorpe Co. freshman Lizzie Wadsworth placed third with a time of 21:56, while sophomore Julie Russell, from Social Circle, finished fourth with a time of 22:03.
Madison Nimmons, a senior from Oglethorpe Co. rounded out the top five region finishers with a time of 22:11.
For Union County, senior Sadie Underwood placed eighth with a time of 22:52. Underwood finished as the second-fastest runner for the Lady Panthers.
Fellow senior Lexi Ochoa placed 23rd overall out of 50 runners with a time of 25:37.
As a team, Union County placed fourth overall with a total time of 2 hours, 1 minute, and 20 seconds. The average finishing time for Union County was 24:16.
Defense leads the way to big Panthers home win
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football October 27, 2019
Junior Jonah Daniel carries the ball for Union County on Friday.
BLAIRSVILLE, GA – A suffocating defense and a high-scoring offensive performance pushed eighth-ranked Union County to a 43-0 win against Oglethorpe County on Friday, Oct. 25, in Blairsville.
With the win, Union County (8-0, 5-0 Region 8-AA) secured home field advantage in the first round of the state playoffs.
The Panthers offense scored on its first possession – thanks to an 18-yard scramble score from senior quarterback Pierson Allison – but then seemed out-of-sync across their next three possessions.
Also during that first possession, senior running back Jonah Daniel busted off a big run to put his season total yardage over the 1,000-yard mark, making him the first Union County player with more than 1,000 yards since 2003.
With Allison missing last week’s game at Banks County, it seemed to take the offense a few possessions to get on track.
Senior Sloan Sutton celebrates a score in the 43-0 victory.
A punt and two turnovers followed the score, which would normally have put the visiting Patriots in position to tie the game and possibly take a lead.
If only it weren’t for that pesky, powerful Panthers defense.
Oglethorpe Co. managed one first down during their opening drive, but ended up punting the ball. Their next two possessions were three-and-out punts, followed by a turnover-on-downs.
In all, the Patriots had just one first down on the night to go with -8 yards rushing and 0 passing yards.
After Daniel, who played some linebacker in the game, sacked the Patriots quarterback in the end zone for a safety to put the Panthers up 8-0 with 8:15 to go in the second quarter, the Union County offense finally went to work.
Senior quarterback Pierson Allison surveys the defense Friday night.
Allison hit senior Cayden Rich with a 5-yard touchdown strike on the ensuing possession. The quarterback then found senior Sawyer Drake for a 9-yard pass in the back of the end zone as time expired in the half to give the Panthers a 23-0 lead at the break.
The second half saw much of the same as senior running back Sloan Sutton punched in a pair of scores and junior Mason McCombs hit a pair of field goals.
Sutton’s second touchdown, a 15-yard burst with 2:30 left, put the game on a running clock and effectively ended things.
In all, the Panthers defense forced seven punts, two turnovers-on-downs, a safety, and six three-and-outs.
Union County will travel to the region’s last place team, Social Circle, next Friday, before hosting fourth-ranked Rabun County the following week.
Lady Panthers lose first game of season at Fannin Co.
Lady Panthers, TeamFYNSports December 9, 2019
Sophomore Ava Hunter drives the lane against Fannin Co. on Saturday. Hunter finished with a game-high 17 points.
The Lady Panthers jumped out to a 5-0 overall record this season, but suffered their first loss Saturday, Dec. 7, on the road at Fannin Co., 52-47.
Union Co. (5-1) was in the game late, but too many turnovers forced by a full-court Lady Rebels press in the fourth quarter led to the loss.
Head coach Crystal Beach said the Lady Panthers have to start quicker and continue to press throughout the game.
“We got off to a slow start, even with the early lead,” Beach said. “We can’t have that, and it’s a big part of what we need to develop right now. We can’t wait until the third quarter to start playing with urgency.”
Union Co. took an early lead on Fannin Co. (5-2, 0-2 Region 7-AAA), but the home team managed to bounce back quickly and tie the game at 13 all after the first quarter.
Sophomore Ava Hunter scored seven of her game-high 17 points in the first, including shooting 5-of-8 from the free-throw line in the period. She finished the game 9-of-14 from the line.
So far this season, Hunter is leading the team with 18.8 points per game just a year removed from being named the 2018-19 Class AA Freshman of the Year.
“Ava is one of the best competitors I’ve ever seen,” Beach said. “We’re going to expect her to continue to produce like she has, and I don’t see any reason to expect she won’t.”
Senior Andelin Hill goes up for a shot against Fannin Co. on Saturday. Hill finished with seven points.
Hunter is also averaging double-digit rebounds per game for the Lady Panthers.
The Lady Rebels buried three 3-pointers in the second quarter to take a 27-22 lead over Union Co. heading into halftime.
Freshman Ellie Cook hit a 3-pointer, senior Andelin Hill made a pair of free throws, and Hunter scored twice from the block, but it wasn’t enough to draw even before halftime.
The Lady Panthers came out with purpose in the third quarter to draw within a point at 36-35 at the end of the period.
Senior Brooke Dockrey scored all seven of her points in the third quarter, while senior Kait McCarter went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
McCarter finished 9-of-10 from the charity stripe to account for all nine of her points.
Senior Kait McCarter moves in for a rebound against Fannin Co. on Saturday. McCarter finished the game with nine points.
“Kait leads by her actions and has been all season. Her teammates assume she’s going to make free throws, because that is what she does: whatever we need when we need it most. That’s all you can ask for,” Beach said.
Despite the pushback, all the momentum was going Fannin Co.’s way, inspired by a full-court defense that gave Union Co.’s guard fits all afternoon.
“We just didn’t execute well,” Beach said of the game as a whole. “We didn’t take the shots we should have taken and didn’t make a lot of shots we’re going to need to make moving forward.”
Despite the loss, Beach has no plans to change the team’s philosophy of playing as fast as possible.
“That is absolutely the mindset. We want to force turnovers, push the ball, and score in transition. We have to play our best and just continue to get better,” Beach said. “But most of all, we have to focus on jumping out fast and never letting up.”
Up next for Union Co. is the Region 8-AA opener against Elbert Co., beginning at 6 p.m., Friday, Dec. 13, in Blairsville. Elbert Co. is 2-1 overall and is a year removed from reaching the second round of the Class AA state playoffs.
The Lady Panthers and Lady Blue Devils split their two matchups last season, with each team winning on the road.
To read about the Union Co. Lady Panthers Player of the Week, click here.
Seven Lady Panthers named to softball all-region team
Sports, TeamFYNSports November 13, 2019
Seven members of the Union County High varsity softball squad were recently named to the Region 8-AA All-Region team as voted on by the region coaches. The Lady Panthers finished the season in the second round of the state playoffs. Those players honored included:
Junior Trinity Queen was named the Region 8-AA Pitcher of the Year this season. Queen had a 2.444 earned run average in 91 innings pitched this season. She struck out 81 batters, while walking just 17, and earned seven wins in 15 starts.
Sophomore Lexi Sisum was named to the Region 8-AA All-Region First Team. Sisum had 32 hits, three triples, two home runs, 14 runs batted in, 22 runs scored, and a .348 batting average in 92 at-bats this season.
Junior Hannah Patton was named to the All-Region First Team for Region 8-AA this season. Patton had 20 hits, a home run, 10 runs batted in, 10 runs scored, and a .238 batting average in 84 at-bats. From her catcher position, Patton accounted for 149 put-outs.
Senior Miranda Lockaby was named to the Region 8-AA All-Region First Team. Lockaby had 25 hits, 14 runs batted in, 14 runs scored, and a .281 batting average in 89 at-bats. From the field, she had 55 put-outs and 48 assists.
Senior Megan Bright was named Region 8-AA All-Region First Team after her performance this season. Bright went 9-4 from the circle with 61 strikeouts and a 1.985 earned run average.
Senior Mary Wischmeyer was named First Team All Region for Region 8-AA this season. She accounted for 40 hits, four home runs, 19 runs batted in, 20 runs scored, and a batting average of .404 in 99 at-bats this year.
Sophomore Emma Roxbury was named a Region 8-AA Honorable Mention for her performance this season. Roxbury had 21 hits, 10 runs batted in, and nine runs scored with a .328 batting average in 64 at-bats.
District teachers of the year announced by school board
Education, News October 25, 2019
From left: Superintendent John Hill, Union County High Teacher of the Year Kim Williams, and Principal C.T. Hussion.
BLAIRSVILLE, GA – The teachers of the year for the five Union County schools were announced Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the monthly meeting of the Union County Board of Education.
Union County High’s Kim Williams, Union County Middle’s Danya Nichols, Union County Elementary’s Jordan Rogers, Union County Primary’s Nicole Schuknecht, and Woody Gap’s Althea Cantrell were each named 2019-2020 Teachers of the Year.
From left: Superintendent John Hill, Union County Middle Teacher of the Year Danya Nichols, and Principal Gwen Stafford.
Williams was presented by high-school principal C.T. Hussion, who said Williams was a “leader” among the teachers at the school and one of its most respected educators.
From left: Superintendent John Hill, Union County Elementary Teacher of the Year Jordan Rogers, and Principal Jerry Bavero.
Middle-school Principal Gwen Stafford presented Nichols with her honor, saying Nichols “is a leader in school. She’s that quiet leader. … When she speaks, people will listen to her.”
Principal Jerry Bavero presented Rogers with her honor. Bavero said Rogers “has earned the respect of her peers … and has great leadership potential.”
From left: Superintendent John Hill, Union County Primary Teacher of the Year Nicole Schuknecht, and Principal Millie Owenby.
Schuknecht was presented by Principal Millie Owenby, who said that the teacher is “on the move all day long” and is the model of “patience, stamina, and consistency.”
From left: Superintendent John Hill, Woody Gap Principal Carol Knight, and Teacher of the Year Althea Cantrell.
Woody Gap Principal Carol Knight presented Cantrell with her honor. Knight read comments from other teachers about Cantrell, saying “she’s the favorite of both students and teachers alike.”
The district teacher of the year will be announced at the Union County Board of Education’s regular Nov. 19 meeting.
Also during the Oct. 22 meeting, the board approved three purchases totaling slightly more than $97,000. Those purchases included a hi-top passenger van from Jacky Jones Ford ($35,780), a regular 15-person passenger van from Ware Chevrolet ($29,375), and a contract with Iron Mountain Fencing to replace the fences around the high school football stadium ($32,068).
The board of education also approved the 2020-21 School calendar, which has 190 teacher days and 173 student days. A copy of the calendar can be found below.
Volleyball team from Union County ready for second round
Sports, TeamFYNSports October 22, 2019
BLAIRSVILLE, GA – The volleyball squad from Union County will make the three-hour trip south Wednesday, Oct. 23, to take on Harlem in the second round of the Class A/AA playoffs.
The Lady Panthers (14-19) earned a spot in the second round by taking down Model (24-18) Saturday, October 19. That match was also played at Harlem.
Union County won the match 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-19) to earn the second-round bid.
Union County head coach Megan Swanson
“We played with really good team chemistry,” coach Megan Swanson said. “We didn’t come out sluggish, which was a worry after the three-plus hour bus ride down. Instead, we showed up and took care of business.”
The Lady Panthers were led by senior Adelia Pyle, who had six aces, six kills and a block in the three sets against Model.
Senior Kait McCarter added eight blocks and six kills, while sophomore Riley Allison led the team with nine kills.
Junior Haley Noe digs a ball for the Lady Panthers. Noe will service as the team’s libero for the remainder of the playoffs.
Haley Noe played well in the match with a team-high 18 digs and two aces serving. Noe stepped into the libero role after senior Izabella Zamora suffered a season-ending hand injury during the region tournament.
“Haley has stepped into that role very well for us,” Swanson said. “She’s playing well and helping lead our team.”
While Union County’s overall record may not seem impressive, Swanson said it may be misleading.
“When you get into the state playoffs, you play the best-of-five games,” Swanson said. “So I tried to schedule our out-of-area matches against teams, mainly from North Carolina, that played the best-of-five so that we would be accustomed to that.”
Senior Adelia Pyle goes up for a kill for the Lady Panthers. Pyle had six aces and six kills in the first-round win.
A good many of those teams are from higher classifications. So while the matches may have went down in the record books as losses, the experience gained by the Lady Panthers can’t be recorded.
That experience proved its worth Saturday.
Georgia volleyball squads normally play matches in a best-of-three sets format.
“Even when you play a tri-match with two schools, you get a break between while the other two school play each other. You have to go straight through at least three sets in the playoffs,” Swanson said.
The pre-planning showed on Saturday as the Lady Panthers were readily prepared to not only play five sets, but dominate them.
Harlem comes into the second round as the Region 2-A/AA champion, setting up a challenge for the Lady Panthers.
“I feel confident, and I know the team does,” Swanson said. “We can win and move on. We want to raise the first volleyball banner in school history.”
Pierson Allison is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Panthers!
Player of the Week, TeamFYNSports, Union County Panthers December 16, 2019
Pierson Allison is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Panthers!
Allison, a senior guard, exploded on offense last week as Union Co. (3-5, 1-1 Region 8-AA) split the first two region games of the season.
Pierson is a competitor. He is willing to do whatever his team needs him to do to win,” Panthers head coach Corey Garrett said. “He is an elite scorer but is also a playmaker and distributor when he needs to be.”
It’s not just offense that defines Allison, he is also a great leader for Union Co., according to Garrett.
“Pierson is one of the best leaders that I have ever coaches. He is always keeping his teammates engaged and motivated,” Garrett said.
On Friday, Dec. 13, in Blairsville, Allison scored just four points heading into the fourth quarter but put on an offensive show in the final frame, scoring 19 points to will the Panthers to the 63-45 win. Allison finished the game with 23 points.
The next day, Saturday, Dec. 14, Allison put up 29 points but the Panthers couldn’t overcome a strong opposing offense as they lost at Monticello, 56-50.
For his effort, Allison is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Panthers!
State playoff run comes to end for Union County
Sports, TeamFYNSports October 22, 2019
VIDALIA, GA – The state playoff run for the Union County Lady Panthers softball squad ended Oct. 17 with a loss to Vidalia on the road in the second round of the Class AA postseason.
Caley Davis crosses the plate for Union County.
The Lady Panthers (16-15) lost the third game of the three-game series 10-2 after forcing game three with a gutsy win the day before.
The Lady Panthers struck first in the game. The offense put a run on the board in the top half of the first inning on a leadoff homerun from senior Mary Wischmeyer.
Wischmeyer took the first pitch she saw from Vidalia starting pitcher Madison Starr and sent it over the centerfield wall to put Union County up 1-0.
Starr settled in from there, retiring the majority of batters she faced and keeping the Union County bats quiet. Other than a bunt single from Ansley Collins to start the second inning, Starr was clean until the top of the sixth.
Trailing 6-1, the Lady Panthers managed to score their second run of the game thanks to an earned walk and a ground-ball triple.
Tori Tracy fires the ball for the Lady Panthers.
After Lexi Sisum earned a one-out walk on five pitches in the top of the sixth, Emma Roxbury drove a sharp ground ball past the third baseman. Roxbury came into third base with a triple and Sisum crossed the plate to give Union County life down 6-2.
Back-to-back ground-ball outs ended the threat for Union County, who went into the bottom of the sixth still trailing 6-2.
Vidalia poured on the runs in the bottom half of the frame, putting four runners across the plate to earn the mercy-rule win, six-inning victory.
Wischemeyer, Roxbury, and Collins were the only Lady Panthers to get a hit in the loss.
With the final out, Union County’s run in the Class AA state playoff came to an end.
Lady Panthers volleyball headed to state playoffs
Sports, TeamFYNSports October 2, 2019
Union County High senior libero Izabella Zamora.
BLAIRSVILLE, GA – The Lady Panthers volleyball team is headed to the Class A/AA state playoffs.
After taking down Lake Oconee County 2-1 Tuesday night, Union County (12-18, 4-1 Region 8-A/AA Public) secured the second seed in the region tournament and an automatic bid in the state playoffs.
Union County High volleyball senior Kaitlyn King.
After dropping the first game of the match 19-25, the Panthers rallied to win a tight, 25-23, second game and force a final game on Senior Night.
Head coach Megan Swanson said the way the team rallied to win the second game showed just how resilient they can be.
“We just pulled through to win the second game, and that required a lot of heart,” Swanson said. “There was a lot of emotion on the line and the girls knew exactly how big the match was. With it being Senior Night, a region game, and playoff positioning on the line, the team rallied in that second game.”
Union County High senior Adelia Pyle.
Swanson said the team’s five seniors – Kaitlyn King, Kait McCarter, Adelia Pyle, Bella Rosales, and Izabella Zamora – have helped give the team what’s needed to overcome adversity.
“The seniors have done a really good job to be leaders this season. Most of them stepped into roles that they weren’t necessarily comfortable with, but they went with it with class and integrity,” Swanson said. “They set a good example for their current teammates and the ones to come along in the future. They gave it their hardest effort and you can’t ask for much more than that.”
Lady Panthers senior Kait McCarter.
Much like the match Tuesday, Swanson said his seniors learned how to overcome adversity throughout the season, giving them what they needed to lead the team back for a win in the second game.
Union Co. closed out the match with a 15-10 victory in the third game.
Lady Panthers senior Bella Rosales.
The Lady Panthers will be the No. 2 seed in the Region 8/AA Public tournament, and will host the first round Tuesday, Oct. 8.
They will play at 6 p.m. against the winner of Washington-Wilks and Oglethorpe County.
Lady Panthers outlast Lady ‘Cats in Blairsville
Lady Panthers, TeamFYNSports December 22, 2019
Despite cutting the Lady Panthers’ lead to just one point twice in the final 90 seconds Saturday night, Dec. 21, the Gilmer girls basketball team couldn’t overcome a rough shooting night from the free-throw line and fell to Union Co. 54-52 in Blairsville.
Freshman Ellie Cook goes up for two of her team-high 14 points Saturday against Gilmer.
While Union Co. (9-1, 3-0 Region 8-2A) had three players score in double figures, it was a pressure defense in the second half that allowed the team to build off a six-point lead at half and take a 39-30 lead into the fourth.
Freshman Ellie Cook led the way for the Lady Panthers with a team-high 14 points, including three made 3-pointers. Senior Andelin Hill scored 12 and sophomore Ava Hunter added 11 for Union Co.
The Lady ‘Cats (8-3, 5-0 Region 6-4A) stormed back in the final frame led by strong guard play and a trapping, full-court defense that forced the home team into multiple turnovers.
Junior Emma Callihan goes up to score two of her 12 points during a two-point loss to Union Co. on Saturday.
Gilmer’s fourth-quarter surge was led by junior Emma Callihan and sophomore Elly Callihan. The pair scored 11 points combined in the period and, along with senior Bailey Teague, anchored a defense that put Gilmer right back in the game mid-way through the period.
Trailing by 10, 42-32, with 6:17 to go, junior Jasmine Staley hit a big 3-pointer from the wing, then follow on the next possession with a driving lay-up to close the gap to five with five minutes left.
Union Co. senior Kait McCarter stopped the run for a moment with a made shot, but a free-throw from Teague and made baskets from both Emma Callihan and Elly Callihan drew the Lady ‘Cats within two, 44-42, with 2:47 to go.
Senior Andelin Hill jumps to score two of her 12 points in Union Co.’s 54-52 win against Gilmer on Saturday.
Hunter and Hill hit back-to-back shots for the Lady Panthers during the next 30 seconds to push the lead back to six at 48-42.
A 5-0 run from Gilmer closed the gap to one, 48-47, with 57 seconds to go, before Hill made a pair of free throws for Union Co.
Emma Callihan scored against with 22 seconds left to close back to one point at 50-49, but senior Brooke Dockery made four-straight free throws to put the lead back to five at 55-49.
A late 3-pointer from Teague cut the lead to two, but time ran out for the Lady ‘Cats as Union Co. collected the two-point win.
Teague finished the night with a game-high 15 points for Gilmer, followed by 12 points each from Emma Callihan and Elly Callihan. Despite the strong effort, the Lady ‘Cats just couldn’t overcome going 6-of-21 as a team from the free-throw line.
Gilmer’s next regular-season game is Saturday, Jan. 4, against Fannin Co. at 4 p.m. in Ellijay.
Dockery scored nine points for Union Co., which begins play in the Towns Co. Battle of the States tournament Thursday, Dec. 26, against Walhalla at 1 p.m. in Hiawassee.
The Lady Panthers’ next regular-season game is against Rabun Co. (11-0, 3-0) on Friday, Jan. 3, in Blairsville.
Union Co. and Rabun Co. sit tied atop the Region 8-2A standings.
Ellie Cook is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Lady Panthers!
Lady Panthers, Player of the Week, TeamFYNSports December 9, 2019
Ellie Cook is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Lady Panthers!
Cook, a freshman point guard, has been steady in her first varsity season, helping the team set up on offense and providing strong defensive support.
Cook hit a 3-pointer in a loss to Fannin Co. on Saturday, Dec. 7. She scored six points the night before in a 52-24 win against Towns Co. in Blairsville, and put up nine points Tuesday, Dec. 3, in a 67-46 victory against Tallulah Falls at home.
Head coach Crystal Beach said Cook has been important so far this season in crucial moments.
“She didn’t have her best day against Fannin Co., so there are obviously some growing pains there for a freshman, but she has come through for us in some key spots already this season and has really played well,” Beach said.
For her efforts, Cook is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Lady Panthers!
To be considered for the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week, a player must play in all games the team plays during that week and must not have any unsportsmanlike conduct (ejections, etc.). Stats considered for Player of the Week run from Monday through Saturday, with Player of the Week being selected Sunday each week.
PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Union to visit Metter in second round
TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football November 20, 2019
Union Co. made history last week in their first-round state playoff win against South Atlanta. The post-season victory was the first state playoff win for the Panthers since the school began playing football in 1957.
Senior quarterback Pierson Allison has more than 2,800 yards passing and 28 touchdowns this season.
If they want to keep the momentum going, and continue to make even more school history, they’ll have to do it Friday night against a strong Metter team from Region 2-AA.
The Tigers (10-1) come in as a region champion that defeated Screven Co. 27-19 in the first round last Friday.
The Metter offense is an in-your-face, power running option, with a stable of strong and quick running backs able to take off for big gains at any moment.
Last week against Screven, the Tigers were led by Ahmod Collins who had 147 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, including runs of 61 and 41 yards.
Antwan Coney netted 102 yards and two scores on just seven carries, one of them a 64-yard touchdown run.
Aaron Collins had 83 yards on 16 carries, while Kaliq Collins added a 55-yard run out of the back field.
The Tigers regularly set up with three backs in the backfield under the direction of junior quarterback Taj Hobbs.
Senior Sawyer Drake leads the team with 1,184 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns this season.
The playoff win was the first for the school since 2003.
The Tigers won their first game of the season by forfeit. Excluding that game, the team is scoring slightly less than 27 points per game, while the defense is giving up just 8.6 points per game.
But if anyone in the state has the defense to stop such a potent running attack, it’s Union Co.
The Panthers (10-1) are led on defense by a pair of seniors: defensive back John Mancuso and middle linebacker Sloan Sutton.
Mancuso has a team-high 117 tackles this season to go along with two sacks. Sutton is right behind him with 104 total tackles, two sacks, and an interception.
Union Co. has playmakers all over the defense, including juniors Noah Underwood (80 tackles) and Kaston Hemphill (78 tackles).
Senior Sloan Sutton has 104 tackles this season from his middle linebacker position.
The defense will also get a boost from star offensive players Pierson Allison, Sawyer Drake, and Jonah Daniel, who have begun playing both ways for head coach Brian Allison.
Last week, senior quarterback Pierson Allison threw for 218 yards and a touchdown. He’s got 2,804 yards and 28 touchdowns so far this season.
Daniel, junior running back, has 1,470 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground this season. He clinched the game last week with a 22-yard touchdown run on the second play of the fourth quarter that proved to be the game winner for Union Co. He finished the game with 95 yards and a score on 21 carries, which is tied with most time he’s carried the ball in a game this season.
Drake, senior wideout, has 1,184 yards and 10 touchdowns 72 catches this season. Last week he led the team with 146 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches, the most catches he’s had in a game this season.
Fellow senior wideout Kyle Morlock, who was leading the team in receiving yards before being injured more than a month ago, was a full-go for the Panthers last Friday. While he pulled in just two catches for 15 touchdowns, he had several drops that would have normally been catches for him. With another week to shake off the rust, Morlock should have the opportunity this Friday against Metter to show why he has already received multiple Division-I offers.
The Panthers and the Tigers are set to kick-off at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 22, in Metter, which is about 65 miles west of Savannah and nearly five hours of travel time away from Blairsville.
For a recap of Union Co.’s playoff win last week, click here.
For information on Metter’s season, click here.
Union County dominates Social Circle 41-6 to stay unbeaten
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UCHS Football November 2, 2019
Junior Jonah Daniel (No. 24) is hoisted into the air by fellow junior Aaron Helton in celebration after a touchdown run.
SOCIAL CIRCLE, GA – If the Union County Panthers had played flat Friday night at Social Circle, it would have been understandable.
If the Panthers, currently ranked eighth in the state, had come out with little-to-no enthusiasm against Region 8-AA’s last-place team, in a game that had no effect on next week’s region championship showdown with Rabun County, no one would have been surprised.
But that’s not what happened.
Union County (9-0, 6-0) came to Social Circle like it was a business trip and the team had a job to accomplish before being allowed to take the three-hour bus ride home.
The Panthers handled that business and finished the job in a 41-6 demolition of the home team Redskins.
Other than a few plays ran before halftime, Union County had six drives in the first half.
Senior Josh Orr puts a defender on the turf with a move after making a catch Friday night. Orr finished with three catches.
They scored touchdowns on all six and the outcome of the game was never in doubt.
Efficiency proved to be the keyword for the Panthers, as senior quarterback Pierson Allison threw just 14 passes for 10 catches and two touchdowns.
Junior running back Jonah Daniel carried the ball just 10 times, but scored three touchdowns and went for more than 100 yards for the seventh time this season. One of those runs, a 48-yarder in the second quarter, was the last score of the game for the Panthers.
Senior Cayden Rich sprints during his 72-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter.
That score came with a few minutes remaining in the first half.
Senior Sloan Sutton added a score running the ball, an 8-yard burst that put the Panthers up 34-0 early in the second quarter.
Allison hit four different receivers on the night, with senior Cayden Rich and junior Mason McCombs each catching a touchdown.
The festivities started early for Union County, who kicked off to Social Circle to open the game.
On the Redskins first play from scrimmage, the quarterback muffed the snap and the ball hit the dirt.
Sutton, who starts as the team’s middle linebacker, fell on it, giving the Panthers their first offensive possession of the night.
A few plays later Daniel hit a big hole, rumbling 19 yards untouched into the end zone to give the Panthers the lead for good with 11:04 left in the first frame.
The defense then forced the first of the four punts from Social Circle in the first half.
Allison got into the mix on the ensuing drive, hitting Rich on a straight post route for a 72-yard touchdown to put Union County up 14-0.
The theme continued for the remainder of the first half, as the Panthers were too big, too strong, and simply too talented for the Redskins to keep up with.
Daniel scored his second rushing touchdown of the game with 4:54 left in the first quarter. The point-after attempt went wide right, and Union County led 20-0.
Four minutes later, McCombs made a beautiful, toe-tapping catch in the corner of the end zone to give the Panthers the 27-0 lead.
Junior Noah Underwood continued to play well leading the defense. He recovered a fumble on a kickoff and then recovered another fumble in the early minutes of the third quarter.
The starters for Union County played just one series in the second half, before head coach Brian Allison sent the junior varsity on the field for some much-needed game experience.
With the score at 41-6 to start the half, the referees went with a running clock and the score remained the same as the junior varsity squads went at it.
Union County faces No. 4 Rabun County, who is also undefeated, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 8, in Blairsville. The winner will be the No. 1 seed from Region 8-AA headed into the state playoffs.
The Union County seniors gathered for a picture after the win against Social Circle on Friday night. Pictured are, from left, front row: Cayden Rich, Sawyer Drake, JJ Engle, Josh Orr; and standing: Drake Groves, Pierson Allison, John Mancuso, Lance Patton, Sloan Sutton, Nathaniel Ledford, Joseph Rockenbaugh, Zion Ross, Bobby Rogers, and Kyle Morlock.
Lady Panthers win game two to split with Vidalia
Sports, TeamFYNSports October 22, 2019
Miranda Lockaby sets to swing for Union County. Lockaby drove into runs for the Lady Panthers in the game two win.
VIDALIA, GA – With a gutsy win in game two of their second-round playoff doubleheader at Vidalia on Oct 16, the Union County Lady Panthers forced game three and extended their postseason life for at least one more day.
Union County (16-14), the No. 2 seed from Region 8-AA fought well against the Region 2-AA champs.
After dropping the first game 9-1, the Lady Panthers came back to win a tight, 5-4, game to even the series and force a decisive game three the next day.
GAME TWO
After being dominated from the circle by Vidalia starting pitcher Madison Starr in game one, the Lady Panthers rebounded to keep pace with the home team in the second game.
After holding Vidalia scoreless in the top of the first two innings, Union County took a 3-0 lead at the end of the second after scoring once in the first and twice in the second.
The game was back-and-forth from there, with Vidalia scoring twice in both the top of the third and top of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead.
Trailing by one in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Union County bats went to work.
Hannah Patton swings at a pitch for the Lady Panthers. Patton went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a triple in Union County’s game two victory.
Hannah Patton reached base thanks to a one-out triple to put the tying run on base. She was driven in on the next at-bat as Miranda Lockaby managed to reach base on an error. Patton’s run tied the game at 4-4 with just one out in the inning.
After an out allowed Lockaby to come all the way around the third base, Trinity Queen stepped to the plate.
Queen bashed a fly-ball single to centerfield, scoring Lockaby and putting the Lady Panthers up 5-4.
Queen’s RBI turned out to the be the game winner as Union County managed to blank Vidalia in the tops of the sixth and seventh innings to earn the win and force a third game.
Emma Roxbury finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Lockaby added to RBIs and a run scored.
Senior Mary Wischmeyer and Queen each added an RBI and stolen base for the Lady Panthers.
Rebekah Helley was the only other Union County player with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-2 with a run scored and a stolen base.
GAME ONE
Union County struggled at the plate against Starr. The Panthers didn’t manage to get on the scoreboard until the top of the sixth inning, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the six-inning, mercy-rule loss.
Tori Tracy fires the ball for Union County’s softball squad.
Trailing 6-1 to start the sixth, Union County’s first run of the game came on an inside-the-park homerun courtesy of Lexi Sisum.
After battling Starr to earn a full count with no one on base, Sisum drove the ball deep into centerfield.
The one-out drive allowed Sisum to turn on the jets and make it all the way around the bases to give the Lady Panthers their only run of the game.
Sisum finished 1-for-3 with a run score, a run batted in, and a home run.
Emma Roxbury was the only other Union County player with a hit. She finished 1-for-3 with a stolen base.