Indians Incredible Run Comes To An End vs Oconee County

Team FYN Sports

The Lumpkin County Indian’s Incredible Season Comes to an End at the Hands of the Oconee County Warriors 

 

By: Noah Johnson  

 

The Lumpkin County Indians hosted the Oconee County Warriors at Cottrell field for round one of the playoffs. The Indians had met their toughest foe in Oconee County as they were steadily handled in the game. The Warriors came out of the gate on fire, scoring 5 touchdowns before the end of the first quarter to give themselves a commanding 35-0 lead. The Indian offense was punted three times on their first three possessions allowing the strong Oconee offensive unit continue to score. The Warriors continued to pour it on in the second quarter, scoring two more times before halftime to make the score 49-0. The Indians played much better in the second half, not allowing the Warriors to score any more in the contest. The Indians were able to breakthrough for their first score in the third quarter and twice more in the fourth to make the score 49-21 as the game began to come to an end. The score would stay there as the Warriors defeated the Indians 49-21 to advance to round two of the playoffs. 

The Warriors began the game with the ball and started an offensive onslaught against the Indian’s defense. #15 Mac Ricks started the Warrior drive with a 60-yard run down to the Indian’s 12-yard line. Ricks’s big run would be capped off with a handoff to #3 CJ Jones who ran the ball in for a 12-yard touchdown one minute into the game. The Indian’s offense got the ball but was stifled by a tough Warrior defense. The Indian offense would be backed up to their own 13-yard line after a holding call against them. #40 Judah Birch got to Indian quarterback #18 Cooper Scott in the backfield forcing an Indian punt from their own 1-yard line. The Warriors got the ball at the Indian 34-yard line looking to get another quick score and did just that. Jones ran the ball on two plays to get into the endzone for his second rushing touchdown to put the Warriors up 14-0 after the extra point. The Indian’s next drive on offense would result in a 3-and-out punting back to the Warrior’s 35-yard line. The Warrior offense marched down the field on the next drive setting up another Jones run for a 21-yard touchdown making the score 21-0 with 4 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Indian offense got the ball back looking at three score deficit. The Warrior defense led by #88 Zane Fairbanks would get to Scott in the backfield for a sack setting up another 3rd and long for the Indians. The Indians would get help as they got the Warrior defense to jump offsides setting up 3rd and 15. Scott would scramble and throw the ball to #5 Carter Disanto for an 11-yard pickup but would be tackled short of the first down marker forcing another Indians punt. The punt would fall at midfield and the Warrior offense immediately got within the Indian’s 5-yard line. Jones found a hole and scored on a 2-yard rushing touchdown giving the Warriors a commanding 28-0 lead in the first quarter. The Indian’s next possession would not last long as #21 Cameron Thurmond intercepted Scott’s pass and ran it back to the Indian 11-yard line. Jones would need just two plays to run the ball in for a score, marking his 5th rushing touchdown in the first quarter of the game. The Indians would get the ball back and were looking for anything positive as the first quarter began to wind down. The Indians would get to just before midfield after a 15-yard pass from Scott to #1 Cal Faulker to give the Indians their first first down in the game as the quarter came to a close. 

 

The Indians were making progress down the field but found themselves on 4th and 6 at midfield. Faulkner would find #31 Tavion Lawerence on a screen pass, but would not be able to get past the first down marker turning the ball over on downs. The Warrior offense got the ball back looking to add to their 35-point lead. The Indian defense stepped up on the next series led by Faulkner and player of the week #23 Preston Cox. Faulkner nearly intercepted a pass forcing a 3rd and long for the Warriors. Cox got the quarterback for a sack to force a 4th and long for the Warriors. The Warriors elected to punt for the first time in the game giving the Indians some momentum to build off of. The Indians would have no luck as they went 3 and out and punted the ball back to the Warriors. The Warriors went back to work on the next drive scoring on a receiving touchdown by #12 Mac Little to put them up 42-0 halfway through the second quarter. The quarter would continue with the Indians unable to produce on offense giving the ball to a ruthless Warrior offense. The Warriors continued to run the ball down the field controlling the tempo of the game. The rushing unit for the Warriors would find the endzone again putting them up 49-0 on the Indians with 3 minutes remaining in the half. The Indians would have more one shot on offense in the half but were met with another Warrior interception by #26 Harrison Kilzi. The Warriors kept the ball on the ground on their next possession, taking their time as the clock ran out. The Warriors and Indians went to their respective locker rooms with the score at 49-0 Warriors. 

The Indians began the second half with the ball and were making progress toward their first potential score as they made their way into Warrior territory. The Indians could not score but put the Warrior offense in a difficult field position on the next series. The Indian defense stepped up on the Warrior’s first possession of the half forcing them into a 4th and long after a quarterback sack by Cox. The Warriors would go for it on 4th and long but would be met with another sack by #55 Connor Greilich forcing a turnover on downs. The Indians began pushing down the field after the Warrior turnover getting into the red zone for the first time in the game. #32 Mason Sullens would bring relief to a struggling Indian team on a 5-yard rushing touchdown to give their first points of the game. The Warrior offense received the ball at their own 30-yard line on the next drive with 2 minutes remaining in the third quarter. In the final seconds of the quarter #2, Harper Davenport intercepted the ball and ran it back to the Warrior’s 20-yard line setting up an Indian possession at the beginning of the 4th quarter. 

 

The Indians began the final quarter threatening to score within the Warrior’s 20-yard line. Sullens ran for 13-yards setting up a rushing touchdown by #28 Gerald Walker to make the score 49-14. The Warriors began draining the clock on the next drive, keeping the ball on the ground and taking their time in between plays. The Warriors would eventually be stopped at midfield as they turned the ball over on downs. The Indians got the ball back at midfield and were looking for another scoring drive with 6 minutes remaining in the game. The Indians would get to the endzone on a 16-yard passing touchdown from Scott to Disanto to give them another touchdown in the quarter making the score 49-21 with less than two minutes in the game. The Warriors would run a couple of plays on the next drive before kneeling the ball to let the game clock run out. The Warriors beat the Indians by a final score of 49-21. 

 

The Oconee County Warriors will move on in the playoffs with their victory against Lumpkin County. The Warriors will go on to face the Adairsville Tigers in the second round of the playoffs on November 18th. While it is not the ending that Lumpkin County hoped for, it was still an amazing season for the team and the community in Dahlonega. The Indians finish their season with a record of 8-3 and 4-2 in their region earning second place in the 7AAA region. First-year head coach Heath Webb had an amazing start to his career in Lumpkin leading the Indians to their first playoff birth since 2014 and tying their all-time single-season win record. Congratulations to the Lumpkin County Indians on their historic season in 2022. 

Tigers Crowned Region 7AAA Champs For Second Time In School History

Team FYN Sports

 

By: Noah Johnson   

 

The Lumpkin County Indians hosted the Dawson County Tigers for the biggest game of their season so far. If the Tigers could beat the Indians it would make them the winner of the 7AAA region for the second time in the history of their program. The Indians would need to win this game as well as next weeks game against the West Hall Warriors to win the region. If the Indians won the region it would be the first time for the Lumpkin County program in its 62 years since it was established. The first quarter of the game would be slow as neither team was able to find the endzone. The Indians were able to kick a field goal to give them the lead in the contest. The Tigers were able to respond in the second quarter scoring the first touchdown of the game making the score 7-3. The Tigers would tack on more as they kicked a short field goal to go up 10-3 before the end of the half. The second half began with the Tigers in possession of the football. The Indians would get a huge interception that would be taken all the way back for a score tying the game at 10 a piece. The Tigers would get the touchdown back as their defense intercepted the ball for a touchdown making the score 17-10. The Indians had no luck on the next series as the Tiger defense intercepted the ball again setting up another scoring drive and making the score 24-10 as the two teams headed to the 4th quarter. The 4th quarter would be all Tigers as they were able to stop any offensive efforts by the Indians while scoring two more times making the score 38-10, Tigers. The Indian’s hope of a comeback was over as there were only 5 minutes remaining in the game. The Indians were unable to score and would fall to the Tigers 38-10. The Dawson County Tigers are now the 7AAA regional champions for the first time since 2015. 

 

The Tigers kicked the ball off to begin the game, and the Indians were looking to score first in order to set the tone. The Indians would be unsuccessful as they put up a 3 and out and were forced to punt. The Tigers got the ball back and began driving the ball down the field. The Indian’s defense would step up and cause a 4th down. The Tigers elected to go for it but were unsuccessful as #6 Davis Glass threw it out of bounds as the player of the game #1 Cal Faulkner was able to cover the receiver. The Indians got the ball back in their own territory and began to make moves to get to the other side of the field. The Indians would get within the 20-yard line but were unable to punch their way through for a touchdown and had to settle for a field goal, making the score 3-0 Indians. The Tigers got the ball back and were looking to put themselves in a scoring position as the first quarter was winding down. Before the quarter ended, the Tigers were able to convert on 4th down inside Indian territory. 

 

    The second quarter began with the Tigers threatening to score inside Indian territory. The Tiger offense found themselves on 4th down again and elected to kick a long field goal. The ball would go just right of the uprights, resulting in another Tiger turnover. The Indians got the ball back and were aiming to get to the endzone for the game’s first touchdown. The Indians could not get anything going on the next drive and were forced to punt the ball back to the Tigers. The Tigers wasted no time and immediately responded with a 57-yard pass from Glass to #41 Hunter Casserleigh for a touchdown making the score 7-3, Tigers. The Indian’s offense was unable to respond on the next drive, forced to punt with less than 5 minutes left in the first half. The Tigers controlled the clock and marched down the field into Indian territory. The Indian’s defense was able to respond and force another 4th down, however, the Tigers were close enough to kick a field goal. The Tigers were able to score on the short field goal to make the score 10-3 as the first half came to a close. 

 

    The Tigers came back from the locker room looking to build on their strong defense and score again as they would receive the ball to begin the half. Within two minutes of the half, Glass through a pass that was intercepted by Faulkner. Faulkner caught the ball around midfield and brought it back to the house to tie the game at 10 a piece. The Indians showed up on the other side of the ball and forced another Tiger punt to give their offense a chance to take their first lead of the game. The next drive would give the Indians a taste of their own medicine as #33 Kade Moledor was able to intercept the pass from Indians quarterback #18 Cooper Scott. Moledor took the interception all the way back for a pick 6. After the extra point, the Tigers led the Indians 17-10. The Indian offense came back on the field hoping to shake off their previous turnover and get into the endzone. The Indians had no luck as Scott threw another interception that put the Tigers in striking distance at the Indian 20-yard line. The Tiger offense did not wait long to capitalize as #28 Kenny Nelson powered through for a touchdown making the score 24-10 after the extra point. The Indians were unable to respond on the next series, punting the ball back to the Tigers as the 3rd quarter winded down. 

 

    The Tigers began the 4th quarter with possession of the ball and were only 12 minutes away from winning the 7AAA region. The Tigers kept the ball on the ground to begin the 4th quarter as looked to manage the clock and keep the ball to prevent any comeback attempts by the Indians. The run game was successful as #7 Elijah Smith capped off a 6 minute with a touchdown making the score 31-10 after the extra point. The Indians were looking for a quick score as they got the ball back down three touchdowns with the clock running out. The final blow against Lumpkin came on another Tiger interception that was taken back for a touchdown. The pick-six by the Tigers put them up 38-10 ending any hopes of an Indian comeback. The Indians would get the ball back with 5 minutes remaining but could not get any traction and were forced to punt once again. The Tigers would run a few plays before the clock ran out. The Dawson County Tigers would fend off the Lumpkin County Indians to win the game 38-10. 

 

    The Tigers would become the regional champions in the 7AAA region with their win over the Indians for the second time in the history of their program. While it was not the outcome the Indians had hoped for, they will still head to playoffs after their final game of the season next week against the West Hall Warriors at home. 

 

   

Lumpkin County Spring Review

Lumpkin Co. Football, Sports, TeamFYNSports

By Lawrence Morgan

 

The Lumpkin County Indians travelled to NW Georgia and capped off their Spring practice with a 48-0 win over the Armuchee Indians.

 

 

A positive debut for new Head Coach Heath Webb who takes over at Lumpkin Co after spending the last 4 seasons at Gainesville. The win gives the Indians momentum heading into their Summer workouts.

 

 

Senior QB #18 Cooper Scott (6’0 200) was impressive both with his feet and with his arm. He connected on a long TD pass to fellow Senior WR #24 Caden Gibbons midway through the 2nd Q that put Lumpkin Co up 14-0. Scott was able to use his feet to avoid pressure and turned several potential negative plays into gains.

 

 

Junior RB #32 Mason Sullens (6’0 195) had a solid game running the ball. He scored a couple TDs in the 1st half. One was a 20 yard run up the middle where he had to change direction several times to avoid the defenders. Sullens split time in the backfield with fellow JR #22 Will Wood (5’10 187). Another solid runner that will give the Indians a good 1-2 punch in 2022.

 

 

You don’t score 48 points without a good offensive line. The OL is young but have good size. Rising Sophomores #54 Jacob Germany and #55 Connor Greilich did a good job all night. The anchor is big #78 Senior Taylor Beazley at 6’3 295 can open some running lanes.

 

 

Impressive performance by the defense Friday. The Indians only gave up one 1st down in the first half and only allowed 1 play across the 50 yard line.

 

 

Senior OLB #12 Caleb Norrell (5’11 175) was all over the field. The returning All Region performer had 4 TT a forced fumble and a PBU.

 

 

The defense is loaded with rising Juniors. #22 Will Wood, #23 Preston Cox (FF), #62 Will Soles, #10 Andrew Ross and #34 Dakota Bennett (6’3 205) who anchors the defensive line and recovered a fumble midway through the 2nd Q that set up an Indian TD.

 

 

Coach Webb has these guys pointed in the right direction. With a good Summer Lumpkin Co will be competitive in the Fall of ‘22.

Lumpkin Co. falls to Banks Co. 37-0 at home

Lumpkin Co. Football, Sports, Team FYN Sports

The Lumpkin Co. Indians lost to the Banks Co. Leopards 37-0 in Dahlonega on Friday night. The Indians struggled to move the ball most of the night, aside from a few big plays. One of those big plays was a screen pass to sophomore Caleb Norrell on a run-pass option that resulted in a huge gain for Lumpkin Co. late in the third quarter.

Brady Rice and Gannon Flakes celebrating Flakes’ interception.

The Indians won the toss to begin the game but chose to differ to the second half. Banks Co. started off the game with an eight minute drive that ended with them turning the ball over on downs. Unfortunately, Lumpkin Co.’s first drive wasn’t as productive. On the second play, a bad snap resulted in a safety that put Banks Co. up 2-0. Less than a minute later, Banks Co. scored on a one-yard touchdown run after two big plays.

Banks Co. started off the second quarter with a quick touchdown to put them up 16-0 less than a minute in. After a three and out from Lumpkin, junior Gannon Flakes intercepted a pass to get the ball back for the Indians. On the next drive, Lumpkin Co. threw an interception of their own, which was returned for a touchdown to extend the Banks Co. lead to 23-0. The Indians responded well with a good drive, but it was cut short by an interception at the line of scrimmage. The Leopards drove down the field and scored another touchdown to put them up 30-0 right before the end of the half.

Harper Davenport cutting up the field against the Leopards’ defense.

Lumpkin Co. started off the second half with a few strong runs by sophomore Caden Gibson. However, the Indians threw an interception and couldn’t maintain the momentum. The Indians dropped an interception on the next drive, and Banks Co. capitalized on a long touchdown run to put them up 37-0 late in the 3rd. The teams traded possessions to finish the game, but neither team was able to score.

Lumpkin Co. travels to play at St. Francis next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Lumpkin Co. falls to Franklin Co. in season opener

Lumpkin Co. Football, Sports, Team FYN Sports

The Lumpkin Co. Indians lost to the Franklin Co. Tigers 33-3 in their 2020 season debut. Despite a slow start to the game, the Indians fought hard in the second half. They held the Tigers scoreless in the second half and possessed the ball the majority of the half. If Lumpkin Co. can play like they did in the second half of the game consistently, they could be a team to watch this season.

#1 Jay Grizzle recovered a fumble for the Indians.

Franklin Co. received the ball to start the game. On the first drive, #1 Jay Grizzle recovered a fumble for the Indians to give them early momentum. However, they couldn’t build on their momentum, as they went three and out on the ensuing drive. For the rest of the first half, it was all Tigers. Franklin Co. led 10-0 at the end of the first quarter, but took control in the second quarter to take a 33-0 halftime lead.

#18 Cooper Scott throwing a pass for the Indians.

The score may not show it, but Lumpkin Co. dominated the second half. They had possession of the ball the entire third quarter. They were stopped on 4th down from the 9-yard line, but they moved the ball a lot better than they did in the first half. On the next possession, the defense looked much better, as they forced a quick three and out. The Indians had another long drive that resulted in a 35-yard field goal from freshman kicker Marcus Remillard with 1:55 remaining in the game. The Tigers ran out the clock from there, but Lumpkin Co. has plenty of reason for optimism as they continue their season.

The Indians play again next Friday as they host Banks Co. at 7:30 p.m. at Cottrell Field.

Lumpkin Co. Returns to Football Practice

Lumpkin Co. Football, Sports, Team FYN Sports

Lumpkin Co. high school’s football team may not be able to practice in pads until Saturday, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t working hard.

Lumpkin Co. Indians’ football practice.

The Indians returned to practiced on Monday, July 27th. In his second year as Lumpkin Co.’s head coach, Caleb Sorrells is excited for the opportunity that lies ahead for his young team.

“I’ll be very excited when we can put on pads and block and tackle and do what the game is all about. But right now it’s going well… it’s just such a learning curve because we missed so much time.”

The learning curve is to be expected for all teams, but, according to Coach Sorrells, “there’s about 35 freshmen and 35 sophomores, juniors, and seniors.”

It may take even longer for the team to get reacclimated to practicing at a high level, but Coach Sorrells understands that and is ready for the challenge. Heading into his second year leading the program, he is still in the process of building a winning culture at Lumpkin Co.

“We’re still learning how to practice. We’re in year two, but there’s a lot of things we didn’t do well last year that we’ve got to learn how to do this year. It’s a lot of learning how to be efficient, learning how to get the most out of every drill, learning how to compete. All of those are coaching clichés, but they’re clichés because they’re true.”

Lumpkin Co. practicing plays.

While there’s still over a month until the team will play it’s first game of the regular season, the team is already growing. The Lumpkin Co. Indians’ football program has a bright future and is in good hands with Coach Caleb Sorrells at the helm.

TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week- Tucker Kirk, No. 7

Sports, Team FYN Sports
Tucker

Tucker Kirk is the starting quarterback for the Lumpkin County Indians, and he displayed his abilities in this role during the game against Cherokee Bluff.

Indians fans got to see more of the passing game they’d heard about- Kirk completed eight passes out of 11 attempts. One of those was an early 13 yard touchdown to Brian Cunane. Kirk also showed his rushing skills, keeping numerous times throughout the night for a total of 64 yards.

Undoubtedly Kirk is also a leader on the field, as he can be spotted communicating plays with coaches on the sidelines before doing the same for his teammates on the field.

Congratulations to Tucker Kirk, this week’s TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for Lumpkin County!

Tucker

Indians football continues region play with loss to Cherokee Bluff

Sports, Team FYN Sports
Indians

Despite hard effort and an early touchdown, the Lumpkin County Indians football team was unable to get past region opponent Cherokee Bluff and lost 45-14.

The Indians defense kicked in early on, holding Cherokee Bluff to a field goal during their first drive. A turnover during the Indians first possession lead into a touchdown for the Bears, but Lumpkin County wasn’t backing down.

A combination of completed passes from quarterback Tucker Kirk and scampers from running back BoJack Dowdy led the Indians next drive. It was capped off by an 18 yard touchdown pass from Kirk to Brian Cunane, and the Indians closed the gap on the Bears 10-7.

Indians

Brian Cunane catches Tucker Kirk’s pass for the first Lumpkin County touchdown!

Kirk finished the night off with an increased passing game- eight completions for 11 attempts. One of those was the first touchdown pass to Cunane, and several others accounted for first downs. Kirk also showed his skills off on the ground with a total of 64 yards rushing.

Dowdy accounted for 87 of the Indians’ rushing yards over 18 carries.

Cherokee Bluff was able to answer Lumpkin County’s touchdown with one of their own and extend their lead 17-7 going into the second quarter. The Bears running game was led by sophomore running back Jayquan Smith, who racked up yards and touchdowns.

Lumpkin County’s defense struggled to keep up with Smith, but had their fair share of stops. Tanner Barber and Ethan Kline led the way with three solo tackles. Tate Reinhardt, Ryan Burkhart and Aaron Hopkins added to the total with two each.

The two teams went into the half with Cherokee Bluff ahead 31-7. The Bears would score twice more in the second half- but the Indians would have the last word for their homecoming.

Indians

Several Lumpkin County defenders pile on a Cherokee Bluff carrier.

The Indians spent their last possession driving down the field and winding down the clock. Kirk completed a 13 yard pass to Burkhart for a first down. Dowdy scampered down the field into Bears territory, and with a mere three minutes left punched it in for an eight yard touchdown. Final score Cherokee Bluff 45, Lumpkin County 14.

As is a new tradition for Lumpkin County this year, the football team took a moment after the game to thank the band and cheerleaders for their support. Undoubtedly the same support will follow the football team as they travel to Greater Atlanta Christian next Friday night.

Lumpkin County Indians football defeats Towns County in scrimmage 41-7

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The Lumpkin County Indians football team may not have played a perfect game on Friday night, but they still defeated Towns County 41-7 in their scrimmage at home.

Lumpkin started off strong when they recovered a Towns County fumble to take over on their 32 yard line. With great field position it didn’t take long for Lumpkin County to get in the end zone. Unfortunately a touchdown by Lumpkin County’s Drew Allison was overturned after a penalty call on Lumpkin, and a field goal attempt was no good.

During their next possession Lumpkin County’s BoJack Dowdy carried for a first down, and a 22 yard pass from quarterback Tucker Kirk to Trey Wilkes gained the Indians their first touchdown of the night. Shortly after Allison carried the ball another 22 yards for Lumpkin and drove in their second touchdown of the night.

Towns County fumbled again on their 25 yard line, setting Lumpkin County up for yet another touchdown. Roy Bennett rushed for twenty yards and gained Lumpkin a first down. Another completed pass from Kirk to Brian Cunane landed the Indians their third touchdown and a lead of 21-0.

Brian Cunane catches a pass from Tucker Kirk for a Lumpkin Indians touchdown!

The Lumpkin Indians scored their fourth touchdown of the night after Bennett carried 44 yards to gain the Indians a big first down. On the next play, Tanner Barber ran the ball in from the one yard line for Lumpkin County’s fourth touchdown of the night.

Towns County managed to get a first down during their next possession, but were pushed back by the Lumpkin County defense and an off-side penalty. Lumpkin County finished up the half with a big gain of twenty yards and another touchdown- this time from a two yard carry from Dowdy.

Coming out of the half, Lumpkin County was unable to get anything in the end zone during their first possession. Towns County scored their first and only touchdown of the night after a 23 yard pass from Kyle Oakes to Garrett Oakes.

Lumpkin County had a short celebration after an interception in the third quarter. Unfortunately a fumble gave possession right back to Towns County, which then gained two more first downs before fumbling again on their own 48 yard line.

Towns County lined up for a play on Friday night.

Freshman Caden Gibson carried the ball twenty yards during Lumpkin’s next possession for their last touchdown of the night. Lumpkin kept Towns pushed back during their last possession of the night, and when buzzer sounded Lumpkin finished the game ahead 41-7.

The Lumpkin County Indians will take on East Jackson at home next week. Watch the post-game interview with head coach Caleb Sorrells below!

https://youtu.be/H_VL00Y1E7I

Lumpkin County Indians get first season win

Sports, Team FYN Sports

The Lumpkin County Indians football had plenty to celebrate Friday night. Following their first season win over the Gilmer Bobcats, the Indians ran from midfield to the sideline to thank the band, and their fans, for their unending support.

It has been a hard fight for the team to get here. The Indians suffered three straight losses to begin their season to East Jackson, White County and Jackson County. But being back on their home turf, the Indians were hungry for a win, and ready to fight for one.

This victory was also the first for Coach Caleb Sorrells in his role as the new head coach. Sorrells was named head coach earlier in the summer, and it his first time in a head coach’s position.

When asked how he was feeling after the game, Sorrells smiled and said, “I’m really, really proud of our kids. I’m proud of them for how they played tonight, but I’m most proud of them for how they prepared to play tonight.”

The Lumpkin offense played an incredible game. Runningback Drew Allison carried five times for 35 yards and scored one touchdown. Runningback BoJack Dowdy ran for 166 yards over 22 carries and scored three of the four Indians touchdowns. Quarterback Tucker Kirk threw seven completions over a total of nine attempts.

Runningback Drew Allison after scoring the Indians first touchdown of the night.

Lumpkin County scored first during their first possession after a ten yard touchdown carry from Allison. The Indians defense held the Bobcats to a quick four and out, then regained possession at the Bobcats 49 yard line.

The first half of the game was riddled with penalties, and the Indians experienced that during their next drive. The offense drove down to the 24 yard line before they were hit with two penalties, one a personal foul and one for delay of game, to push them back to where they nearly started. Kirk punted from the Bobcat 43 yard line, and the Bobcats took over on their 21 yard line.

Gilmer went on a long drive that resulted in a touchdown to tie the game, and the Indians offense went back to work. Dowdy broke through the line with a huge 54 yard touchdown carry to bring the Indians ahead 13-7 with 4:37 left in the half. Lumpkin County got in field goal range during their next drive, and a 22 yard kick by Will Ramirez was good. The Indians held a lead of 16-7 going into the half.

Coming out of the half the Bobcats fumbled and Tanner Kirk recovered for the Indians. Lumpkin County was held to four and out by the Bobcat defense and was forced to punt. The Bobcats scored during their next possession to shorten the Indians lead 16-14. Lumpkin answered during their next possession with another touchdown carry, this one for three yards, by Dowdy.

The Indians celebrate another touchdown by BoJack Dowdy.

 

Gilmer went for an onside kick and got it, and scored again with a quarterback keeper. The Indians were still ahead 23-21, but weren’t giving in quite yet. Dowdy scored one more time for the Indians after a two yard carry to make the score 29-21. From there it was a matter of letting the clock run down so the Indians could begin their celebration.

Lumpkin County is going into a bye week this week before they kick off region play against the Dawson County Tigers. They will host the Tigers at Cottrell Stadium on the 27th.

https://youtu.be/3tdBIGbBGAI

Lumpkin Indians fall short to East Jackson Eagles in season opener

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The Lumpkin County Indians played hard in their regular season opener, but were unable to pull past East Jackson and ultimately lost 25-22.

Lumpkin Indians tight end Aaron Hopkins sacked East Jackson quarterback Greg Huggs twice during their first possession for a total loss of 19 yards.

The Indians started out strong with a first down on their very first possession after Drew Allison carried seventeen yards. During the Eagles first possession, Indians tight end Aaron Hopkins sacked quarterback Greg Huggs twice for a total loss of 19 yards. The Eagles were forced to punt from their own 18 yard line, but the punt was blocked by the Indians J.T. Thomas and recovered by Hopkins in the endzone for the Indians first touchdown. Lumpkin County quarterback Tucker Kirk carried the ball in for a two point conversion, and the Indians were ahead 8-0.

The Eagles fumbled during their next possession, which the Indians Tanner Barber recovered for first and goal on the Eagles 8 yard line. Running back BoJack Dowdy carried the ball in for the Indians next touchdown. The kick by Will Ramirez was good, and Lumpkin County was ahead 15-0.

The Eagles got their first touchdown of the night after a completed pass from Huggs to Caleb Adair. Immediately after during the kick return, the Indians responded with an incredible 89 yard touchdown run by Tate Reinhardt to make the score 22-6. The Eagles next touchdown came from Ty Brown with a 44 yard run to shorten the gap 22-12 going into the half.

Indians running back BoJack Dowdy celebrates with his teammates after his touchdown early on.

The Eagles scored again in the third quarter with a 26 yard pass completion for a touchdown by Huggs to Shawn Cunningham to make the score 22-18. The Indians struggled to put points on the board for the rest of the game, but were unable to do so. The rest of their plays were mainly short distance carries by Allison.

East Jackson scored with a 2 yard touchdown carry in the end of the third quarter. Neither team scored for the rest of the game, and the final score was 25-22 East Jackson Eagles.

The Lumpkin County Indians will travel to White County next Friday to face the Warriors.

Lumpkin County “defined by effort” in game against Spartans

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Lumpkin

The Lumpkin County Indians football team proved on Friday night that it’s not always about what the scoreboard says.

Although the Indians lost to Greater Atlanta Christian by a final score of 49-6, numerous great moments displayed the improvements the team has made over the course of the season- and all against one of the toughest teams in the region.

“We’ve been talking all season, but really just in the last couple of weeks about how we need to be defined by our effort,” said head coach Caleb Sorrells. “We had a lot of fun, we competed and that’s what you’re supposed to do!”

With starting players Aaron Hopkins, Drew Allison and Ryan Burkhart out with injuries the Indians were forced to switch around in positions to make do. But instead of shrinking away, those in different positions stepped up to make great plays.

Lumpkin

Joseph Allison with a stop for the Indians.

Lumpkin County’s defense started off on a strong note by holding the Spartans to three and out for their first possession.

The Indians defense provided great coverage of the Spartans receivers throughout the night. Jared Hoch broke up several passes to prevent first downs, and Joseph Allison broke through the line for a sack early into the game. Ethan Kline made several tackles, and even BoJack Dowdy, playing on the other side of the ball, stopped receivers with solid tackles in the second half.

The Lumpkin County offense struggled to convert a first down against the GAC starting defense, but came to life in the second quarter. A nine yard rush by Dowdy set up a play to get a first down, and then a pass from Tucker Kirk to Brian Cunane converted another.

Lumpkin

The Lumpkin County offense prepares for a play.

Lumpkin County was able to convert another first down during their next possession, when Cunane carried on a fake punt. The play payed off- as the highlight of the night for the Indians came shortly after.

On second down, Kirk started the play with a handoff to Jackson Root, who then dropped back to complete a pass to Cunane for a touchdown.

The Indians offense would go on to convert several more first downs throughout the second half of the game.

Quarterback Tucker Kirk finished the night going 8 for 20 with 71 yards. BoJack Dowdy finished the night with 21 yards rushing over 12 carries. Tanner Barber also rushed for 21 yards later in the game over four carries.

On the receiving end, Cunane was Kirk’s go-to guy for several pass completions, but Ethan Kline also had a couple long catches for 37 yards.

Looking ahead, Lumpkin County will be back at home Friday night, October 25th, for their next region game against the North Hall Trojans. The Trojans are 4-3 overall in the season and 2-1 in the region.

Lumpkin football opens season, passing game at Meet the Indians event

Lumpkin County High School, Sports, Team FYN Sports

Lumpkin Indians football is officially underway for the 2019 season- and so is the beginning of a new style of offense for the team.

Under the direction of new head football coach Caleb Sorrells, the Indians are upping their passing game. Fans got a glimpse of what this new offense will look like at the annual Meet the Indians event Friday night.

The event started with an introduction to the 2019 Indians team, immediately followed by the Purple and Gold scrimmage game. The game was divided into the normal four quarters, but with a shortened time of ten minutes per quarter.

Starting quarterback Tucker Kirk threw a total of seven completions over the course of the game- a testament to the Indians rechanneled offense. Backup quarterback Roy Bennett also threw a total of four out of five attempts. The Indians offense also scored a total of two touchdowns, both in the first quarter.

A pass thrown by quarterback Tucker Kirk in the Lumpkin County Purple and Gold game on Friday.

Coach Caleb Sorrells said of the passing game, “We threw the ball well. It’s a building process and so we’re still pretty simple, and we’ll just get good at what we can do and then begin to build once we master the basics.”

The Meet the Indians event also featured an introduction to the seniors on the Lumpkin Indians cheer squad in between the first and second quarters. The Lumpkin County Band of Gold performed a shortened version of their halftime show, and the Dahlonega Nugget Challenge saw three of the local newspaper’s reporters take on three Indians in a pass, punt and kick competition.

“The kids were excited, it was a good atmosphere [and] a lot of people came out,” said Coach Sorrells. “It’ll be good to go back and really evaluate where we are moving into our scrimmage week.”

The Indians will face Towns County in their scrimmage next Friday. Watch the full post-game interview with Coach Sorrells by using the link below!

https://youtu.be/iOhlc85XGyE

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