Union Co. girls soccer falls to Rabun Co. at home

Rabun Co. Soccer, Sports, Team FYN Sports
Soccer Rabun Co. Union Co.

Despite holding a 5-4 lead a little more than six minutes into the second half, the Union Co. girls soccer team couldn’t withstand a powerful Rabun Co. offense that outscored the Lady Panthers 4-1 over the final 34 minutes to earn the 8-6 region win Tuesday, March 3, in Blairsville.

Soccer Rabun Co. Union Co.

Rabun Co. sophomore Willow Fisher and Union Co. freshman Italia Salazar battle for the ball.

Rabun Co. (2-1, 2-0 Region 8-AA) was led by an incredible performance from junior Lauren Barnes. Barnes scored early and often and netted seven total goals in the game.

Soccer Rabun Co. Union Co.

Union Co. senior Desaray Patterson, left, and Rabun Co. freshman Ana Garcia fight for possession.

The Lady Panthers (0-1, 0-1) were led by senior Desaray Patterson and sophomore Leia Whitener, who scored two goals each in the loss.

Freshman Kaylee Watts added a goal for the Lady Wildcats, while senior Mattison Ruff and freshman Italia Salazar added a goal each for Union Co.

The game was tied at five each in the 59th minute before Rabun Co. exploded for three goals in an eight-minute span to put the game away.

Both teams are slated to play region games next as Union Co. is slated to visit Monticello (2-3) and Rabun Co. is scheduled to host Social Circle (2-4, 0-1). Both games are set for kickoff at 5:30 p.m., Friday, March 6.

The current Region 8-AA standings are: Rabun Co. (2-0), Oglethorpe Co. (1-0), Banks Co. (1-0), Social Circle (0-1), Union Co. (0-1), Elbert Co. (0-2), Monticello (0-0), and Putnam Co. (0-0).

 

Wildcats lose sixth straight, fall to Stephens Co.

Rabun Co. Baseball, Sports, Team FYN Sports
Wildcats

The early-season woes for the Rabun Co. baseball team continued Wednesday, March 4, in a 13-2 loss to Class 4A’s Stephens Co. in Tiger.

Rabun Co. (0-6, 0-2 Region 8-AA) stayed closed early before, leading 3-1 in the top of the fourth inning, the Indians (4-4) blew the game open with three runs to take a 6-1 lead.

Rabun Co. managed to add another run in the bottom of the fifth, but Stephens Co. scored two in the sixth and five more in the seventh to earn the big win.

Sophomore Gunner Stockton led the Wildcats at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a triple, a double, and a run scored.

Stockton’s run came after a one-out triple in the bottom of the fifth with Rabun Co. trailing 6-1.

Facing a full count, Stockton blasted a line drive to center field and ended up standing on third base. On the next at-bat, Brady Wilson hit a line-drive single to left field on the first pitch, scoring Stockton and cutting the lead to 6-2.

Wilson went 2-for-3 on the day with an RBI and a double.

Jon Sego and Brody Jarrard each added a hit for Rabun Co., with Sego adding an RBI and a double.

Clint Green added a run scored for the Wildcats.

Sego’s RBI and Green’s run came in the bottom of the second inning.

With one out, Green reached first on a fielder’s choice, he advanced to second after Grant Britton drew a walk.

With two runners on base and two out, Sego knocked a groundball into left field with an 0-1 count, allowing Green to score and the Wildcats to score their first run of the game and cut the lead to 2-1.

That was as close as Rabun Co. got to the lead in the game, as Stephens Co. scored in the top of the third to go up 3-1.

The Wildcats next play a region doubleheader with Putnam Co. (4-4, 1-1) beginning at 5 p.m., Friday, March 6, in Tiger.

Panthers earn big win against Wildcats in Tiger

Rabun Co. Basketball, TeamFYNSports
Panthers Wildcats

After leading by just one point at the end of the first quarter, the Union Co. Panthers blew open the game in the second quarter, outscoring Rabun Co. 22-7 in the period on the way to a 74-47 Region 8-AA victory Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

Panthers Wildcats

Union Co. senior Kyle Morlock goes up for a shot against Rabun Co. senior Sam Adams on Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

Seniors Sawyer Drake and Pierson Allison each had a game-high 17 points with neither playing in the fourth quarter for Union Co. (12-9, 7-4).

Panthers Wildcats

From left, Rabun Co. senior Phillip Roberson, Union Co. senior Sawyer Drake, and Rabun Co. senior Sam Adams battle for position Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

Rabun Co. (7-14, 5-6) was led by sophomore Connor McKay’s 16 points. He was the only player in double figures for the Wildcats.

The game was close early as the home crowd helped fuel Rabun Co.’s energy to keep pace with the high-scoring Panthers. The Wildcats trailed by just one point, 18-17, at the end of the period.

That was as close as Rabun Co. would get as the Panthers exploded for 22 points in the second quarter while holding the Wildcats to just seven.

Allison led the way in the second for Union Co. with eight points, while Drake scored seven, and junior Kaston Hemphill added five. Hemphill finished with seven points on the night.

Coming out of halftime, the Panthers held a commanding 40-24 lead before senior Kyle Morlock look over in the paint.

Morlock scored eight of his 13 points in the third and the Panthers began to truly pull away and take a 57-36 lead into the fourth.

Rabun Co. senior Sam Adams goes up against Union Co. junior Kaston Hemphill on Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

Rabun Co. sophomore Connor McKay goes up against Union Co. junior Kaston Hemphill on Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

The big lead allowed Union Co. head coach Corey Garrett to rest several of his starters and give his bench players a lot of floor experience.

Panthers Wildcats

Rabun Co. senior Sam Adams goes up for a shot as Union Co. senior Sawyer Brey tries for the block Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

Sophomore Landon Kight (5), senior Sawyer Brey (4), senior Bryson Lariscy (3), sophomore Austin Taylor (3), sophomore Logan Helcher (2), sophomore Daniel Snow (2), and sophomore Landon Cox (1) rounded out the scoring for Union Co.

The Panthers won’t have much time to celebrate the win, however. They are set to take on Putnam Co. (6-15, 5-6) at 4:30 p.m. today, Jan. 25, in an important region game.

For the Wildcats, sophomore Clayton Dixon scored eight, while senior Phillip Roberson, junior Nick Bradley, and sophomore Grayson Carver each scored five. Sophomore Gus Hood and freshman Jayton Henry both scored three for Rabun Co.

The Wildcats will need to move on from the loss quickly as they visit Monticello (5-17, 3-8) at 5:30 p.m. today, Jan. 25.

The Region 8-AA standing are Social Circle (10-1), Banks Co. (8-2), Union Co. (7-4), Rabun Co. (5-6), Putnam Co. (5-6), Elbert Co. (4-6), Monticello (3-8), and Oglethorpe Co. (1-10).

 

 

 

Lady Wildcats use suffocating defense to defeat Lady Panthers

Rabun Co. Basketball, Team FYN Sports
Lady Wildcats Lady Panthers

Using a stifling pressure defense and a hot hand off the bench, the third-ranked Rabun Co. Lady Wildcats took down seventh-ranked Union Co. on Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger to earn a fourth-straight Region 8-AA win.

Lady Wildcats Lady Panthers

From left, Rabun Co. senior Destiny Deetz, Union Co. sophomore Ava Hunter, and Rabun Co. sophomore Loren Stiles battle for a rebound Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

The Lady Wildcats (20-1, 10-1) started the game on a 6-0 run and never trailed the visiting Lady Panthers (17-5, 8-3) in the 72-39 victory.

After missing last season with an ACL injury, sophomore Carley Haban returned in November and has her best game of the season off the bench against Union Co., scoring a game-high 22 points.

But it was the Lady Wildcats defense that stole the show, forcing turnovers early and often.

“Honestly, that’s the best game we’ve played all year, and it was against a really good Union Co. team,” Rabun Co. coach DeeDee Dillard said. “Our defense really provided a lot of opportunities for us tonight.”

The Lady Wildcats normally play a full-court, pressure defense intent on trapping opponents and forcing turnovers, and Dillard said how the defense plays really determines how the offense plays.

“When we play aggressive on defense, we seem to play really aggressive on offense, and that was the case tonight,” Dillard said.”

Lady Wildcats Lady Panthers

Rabun Co. sophomore Carley Habanero’s drives into the lane against Union Co. sophomore Ava Hunter, left, and senior Kait McCarter on Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger. Habanero’s finished with a game-high 22 points off the bench.

As for the Lady Panthers, coach Crystal Beach said the team fell into a pattern of trying to dribble too much to beat the Rabun Co. press.

“We just have to focus on passing more effectively,” Beach said. “We actually managed to break the press several times by passing the ball well, which is how we scored most of our points. But (Rabun Co.) did a really great job putting pressure on us all night and we let that pressure affect us.”

Sophomore Ava Hunter led Union Co. with 14 points, while senior Andelin Hill scored 10 in the loss.

The Lady Panthers won’t have much time to get over the big loss, as they welcome fourth-ranked Putnam Co. (19-2, 10-1) to Blairsville at 3 p.m. today, Jan. 25. In the first meeting between the two teams this season Jan. 18, the Lady War Eagles came away with a 61-45 victory in Eatonton.

Beach said she isn’t worried about the quick turn around after the loss.

Lady Wildcats Lady Panthers

From left, Rabun Co. junior Beth Payne, Union Co. senior Andelin Hill, and Rabun Co. senior Hanna Cannon look for a rebound Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

“I’m very lucky in that I have a great group of seniors who are phenomenal young women and leaders, and I have no doubt that they will have the younger players set to come out ready to go,” Beach said.

For Rabun Co., sophomore Gracie Deetz scored 11, and senior Laken Stiles added 10 in the win.

Much like Union Co., the Lady Wildcats won’t have much time to dwell on Friday’s game. They are set to take the drive south and take on region-foe Monticello (3-17, 2-9) at 4 p.m. today, Jan. 25.

In the first meeting between the two this season, Rabun Co. earned a 72-23 victory in Tiger.

The Region 8-AA standings are currently Putnam Co. (10-1), Rabun Co. (10-1), Union Co. (8-3), Elbert Co. (6-5), Banks Co. (5-6), Social Circle (2-8), Monticello (2-9), and Oglethorpe Co. (0-10).

Putnam Co. and Rabun Co. are set to meet in the final game of the regular season Friday, Jan. 31, in Tiger.

 

Peyton Backer plays for Georgia Southern in bowl game

Rabun Co. Football, Team FYN Sports
Wildcats
Peyton Backer

Peyton Backer is an offensive lineman for Georgia Southern and is a Rabun Co. High graduate.

Rabun Co. High graduate Peyton Backer played for Georgia Southern in the FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl against Liberty on Saturday, Dec. 21.

Backer, who is a redshirt sophomore, played in all 13 games for the Eagles (7-6, 5-3 Sun Belt) this season. Georgia Southern lost the bowl game, 23-16.

Backer was a two-time all-state selection for the Wildcats during his high school career.

Backer is the son of Ryan and Shelly Backer, and has two siblings, Brew and Brett.

Wildcats fall to Bulldogs in state quarterfinals

Rabun Co. Football, Team FYN Sports
Wildcats

A furious Wildcats comeback effort in the fourth quarter wasn’t enough for top-ranked Rabun Co. to erase being outscored 21-0 in the third during a 38-24 loss at Thomasville on Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Class AA state playoffs.

The loss was the first of the season for the Region 8-AA champion Wildcats (12-1) who were led Friday night as they have been all season by sophomore quarterback Gunner Stockton.

Trailing 35-10 entering the fourth quarter, Stockton and the offense went to work. The sophomore threw touchdowns passes of 10 yards (to Cory Keller) and 30 yards (to Braxton Hicks), while the defense held the home team Bulldogs to a field goal in the period.

Wildcats

Sophomore quarterback Gunner Stockton threw two touchdowns in the loss to Thomasville.

Stockton finished the night 16-of-24 for 316 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the 2019 campaign with 3,462 yards and 43 touchdowns passing with a nearly 75 percent completion percentage.

Despite the good numbers, Stockton was on the run most of the night from a Thomasville defense that Rabun Co. head coach Jaybo Shaw said his team had a “hard time blocking.”

Stockton was sacked or dropped for a loss 10 times on the night. He also lost a fumble in the first quarter and threw an interception while on the run in the third quarter.

“We knew going in we were going to have our hands full,” Shaw said of the Bulldogs’ defensive front. The defense is a big part of the reaon the Bulldogs won Region 1-AA this season.

Rabun Co. broke the scoreless tie just 48 seconds into the game on their third play from scrimmage. Keller broke through that tough defensive line and burst 50 yards into the end zone to give the visiting Wildcats the 7-0 lead.

Thomasville answered later in the quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run, and then scored again midway through the second quarter to a take 14-7 lead.

Rabun Co. responded with a 63-yard, five-play drive that ended with an 18-yard field goal from Edwin Diaz to close the gap to 14-10.

Then the third quarter happened.

Thomasville scored 21 unanswered points in the period, including a blocked punt by Kevin Cochran on Stockton.

After scoring on a 54-yard screen pass on their first possession of the quarter, Cochran broke through to knock down Stockton’s punt on Rabun Co.’s first. The ball was scooped up by Thomasville’s Ricky Fulton, who scampered 16 yards into the end zone to put the score at 28-10.

The home team added a third score in the quarter on a 12-yard run to go up 35-10 heading into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter, the offense scored on Keller’s catch and the defense held Thomasville to a 35-yard field goal to make the score 38-17 with 8:24 to go.

Stockton struck again to Hicks with 6:50 to go, but Thomasville held on from there to earn a spot in the semifinals.

They will host Dumblin next Friday, Dec. 6.

With the loss, Rabun Co.’s season comes to an end.

 

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Rabun to host BEST

RCHS Sports, Sports
Wildcats

The Rabun County High football team is used to state playoff football.

In each of the last four seasons, the Wildcats have at least reached the state quarterfinals, including losing the championship game in 2017.

Rabun County has lost just six games in the past four seasons combined and haven’t lost a region game in longer than that.

Rabun

Rabun County sophomore quarterback Gunner Stockton

The offense has put up nearly 44 points per game this season and is led by nationally top-ranked quarterback, sophomore Gunner Stockton.

The 6-foot-1, 196-pounder has offers from more than a dozen Division-I programs. He’s got 2,650 yards and 37 touchdowns in the air this season. On the ground, Stockton has 827 yards and 16 scores as the leading rusher on the team.

On the outside, the Wildcats are led by senior receiver Braxton Lee Hicks, who just recently committed to the University of Georgia.

Rabun

Rabun County senior wideout Braxton Lee Hicks

Hicks has 879 yards and nine touchdowns on 46 catches in 10 games this season.

He’s joined in the receiving corps by senior Sam Adams (493 yards, 12 touchdowns), junior Sutton Jones (437 yards, six touchdowns), and sophomores Hogan Woodard (321 yards, two touchdowns) and Tate Ramey (281 yards, five touchdowns).

On defense, the Wildcats are led by seniors A.J. Wheeler (74 total tackles, two interceptions), Garrett Bragg (71 tackles), Trent Miller (67 tackles), and Phillip Roberson (62 tackles, 6.5 sacks), and juniors Hoff Windham (73 tackles, four sacks) and Brody Jarrard (57 tackles, two interceptions.)

Coming into Tiger on Friday night is the Business Engineering Science and Technology (BEST) Academy, the No. 4 seed from Region 8-AA.

Rabun

Rabun County Head Coach Jaybo Shaw

The Eagles (4-6, 4-3) come in with an offense that’s capable of putting up numbers. They’ve scored 26 or more points in six games this season, including exploding for 58 points two weeks ago against McNair.

BEST is led by junior quarterback Da’von Hixson, who has 846 yards and seven touchdowns this season on 73-for-166 passing. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Hixson is also a threat to run the ball, amassing four touchdowns and 83 yards on 86 carries in 2019.

The team’s leading running back is sophomore Nique Bell, who has 518 yards on 72 carries with three touchdowns this season. He’s helped by sophomore Khaliq Brock (390 yards, five touchdowns) and senior Giovanni Morgan (259 yards, four touchdowns) in the running back corps.

The Eagles’ leading receiver is senior Qwan’tez London stiggers, who has pulled in 282 yards and three touchdowns on 16 catches this season.

As the numbers indicate, BEST is a run-first team, which should suite a Rabun County defense that is holding opponents to less than 12 points per game in 2019.

The Wildcats and Eagles are set to tee it up beginning at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 15, in Tiger in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs.

For Rabun’s season results and team statistics, click here.

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