Lumpkin Co. falls to Banks Co. 37-0 at home
Lumpkin Co. Football, Sports, Team FYN Sports September 25, 2020
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 September 4, 2020
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 July 30, 2020
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.
Lumpkin County Indians “continue to fight” in final game
Sports, Team FYN Sports November 9, 2019
Head coach Caleb Sorrells of the Lumpkin County Indians may have summarized the game against East Hall and the 2019 season as a whole with a few simple words during the post-game huddle. He said, “it’s okay to fight even when you don’t feel like it.”
Without a doubt, this season has been a tough one for the Indians. They started off with an entirely new coaching staff to adjust to, and a stacked region schedule. There were moments where it might have been tempting for the team to stop caring- but they never did.
Instead, even though the final score read 40-31 Friday night, the season ended with perhaps one of the best games Lumpkin County has played all season.
The Vikings started out with an early lead after a score during their first possession, but the Indians went to work putting drives together that paid off. Indians quarterback Tucker Kirk hit Trey Wilkes with one of many completed passes for a touchdown early in the second quarter. The two-point conversion was successful, and the Indians had the lead at 8-6.
Quarterback Tucker Kirk drops back for the Indians’ first TD of the game.
The speed and athleticism of East Hall proved to be a struggle for Lumpkin County as they worked to stop the running game and block the passing. Both teams were also hit with numerous penalties throughout the game that would cost them necessary yards.
East Hall scored again with about half of the second quarter remaining to regain the lead 14-8. A two-point conversion was successful, and these attempts would continue to be important to both teams throughout the night.
Lumpkin County answered with just over a minute remaining in the half. Tavion Lawrence returned a kick nearly to the endzone, and Kirk drove it in for a 9 yard carry to close in on the Vikings 20-15. East Hall scored once more before the half to maintain their lead 26-15.
The second half of the game got off to a slow start with each team holding the other to three and out. Lumpkin County made the first conversion when Drew Allison carried for a first down and Kirk carried for another.
By the start of the fourth quarter, the Vikings were up 40-15 after two more touchdown passes. But they wouldn’t score for the rest of the game, and the Indians offense was ready to take over.
Drew Allison with a carry for the Indians.
For their next possession the Indians put together a drive that started off with a 10 yard pass from Kirk to Allison for a first down. Kirk then gave a hand off to Trey Wilkes, who pitched it to Allison to convert on fourth down. It was all the distance Kirk needed to punch the ball in for a touchdown on the next play.
From that point on it was all Indians offense as the clock wound down. Kirk continued to complete passes to Allison, Wilkes and Caleb Norrell to gain yards. All of those passes moved Lumpkin County closer to the goal line, and it was BoJack Dowdy that ran in the final touchdown of the night for the Indians.
To finish things off, the Indians recovered an onside kick to stay on offense the remainder of the game.
Coach Sorrells gave his thoughts on the season by saying, “These kids right here continue to fight, they continue to show up, they continue to try and learn what it means to give best effort and best focus. I hope that [they learned] how to push through and how to try hard no matter what the conditions may be.”
Congratulations to the Lumpkin County Indians football team on their 2019 season!
Indians football continues region play with loss to Cherokee Bluff
Sports, Team FYN Sports October 12, 2019
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.
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.
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 get first season win
Sports, Team FYN Sports September 14, 2019
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.
Lumpkin Indians fall short to East Jackson Eagles in season opener
Sports, Team FYN Sports August 24, 2019
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
Sports, Team FYN Sports October 19, 2019
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.
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.
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.
TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week-Jason Chamblee, no. 51
Sports, Team FYN Sports August 31, 2019
In a tough game against the White County Warriors on Friday night, Jason Chamblee played a key role on defense. Jason helped to prevent the Warriors from scoring any more touchdowns late into the game. The Warriors were ahead 38-0 in the third quarter, and in scoring position again on the two yard line. Chamblee helped to prevent the Warriors from moving any further- during the next play the Warriors were pushed back two yards to the four yard line.
Head coach Caleb Sorrells said of Jason, “He has been more of a LB/RB type in the past, and when we asked him to play OL/DL, he didn’t even blink. He’s poured himself into that role w/o a single complaint and has emerged as a key component of our trench warriors on both sides of the ball.”
Congratulations to Jason Chamblee, no. 51, for being named this week’s TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week!
Lumpkin County Indians defeated by longtime rivals White County
Sports, Team FYN Sports August 31, 2019
It was the fiftieth time the Lumpkin County Indians and the White County Warriors have met up on the gridiron. In what has developed over time as a big rivalry game for the two schools, the Warriors jumped ahead with an early lead and ultimately won 49-6.
The Indians were the first to receive, and a fumble on second down turned possession over to the Warriors on the Indians 41 yard line. In a matter of three plays the Warriors had carried for a first down and a touchdown to take an early lead 7-0.
The Indians offense couldn’t get anything past the Warriors defense during their next possession and were forced to punt. The Warriors took over at their 44 yard line, and a combination of passing and rushing game scored the Warriors their second touchdown of the night. The Warriors led 14-0 with plenty of playing time still in the first quarter.
Lumpkin County again struggled to move the ball past the Warriors defense. With no gain of yardage the Indians were again forced to punt from their 18 yard line. White County took over and carried in for another touchdown to extend their lead 21-0.
Quarterback Tucker Kirk completed several passes for gain of yardage during the game. He also filled in as the punter for the Indians.
The Indians took over at their 20 yard line, and this time were able to gain some yardage with a completed pass from quarterback Tucker Kirk to Roy Bennett. Kirk carried for a gain of 5 yards on second down, followed by a carry by Drew Allison for the Indians first down. Kirk threw a pass to Allison for another first down, and BoJack Dowdy carried the ball for a gain of one yard. Unfortunately the Indians couldn’t make it any further into Warrior territory, and punted on fourth down from the Warriors 49 yard line.
The Warriors ended the first quarter on a high note- a huge 45 yard pass from quarterback J.Ben Haynes. The Warriors would ultimately score again on that drive and put another seven points on the board for a 28-0 lead.
Lumpkin County took over on their 35 yard line and drove for a few yards before being forced to punt again on fourth down. The Indians defense came to life to force the Warriors back for a loss of 5 yards to prevent another touchdown, and the Warriors kicked a field goal for a 31-0 lead.
Although neither team put anymore points on the board before halftime, Lumpkin County had several highlights for their offense. A big pass from Kirk to Aaron Hopkins resulted in a gain of 16 yards and a first down during the Indians next possession, and just before halftime Dowdy carried for a gain of 19 yards.
Coming out of halftime the Warriors scored again for their fifth touchdown of the night and a lead of 38-0. Lumpkin County took over at their 23 yard line, but a snap that was recovered in the endzone resulted in a safety. The Warriors were stopped in by the Indians in four plays, and Lumpkin County took over at their 35 yard line.
Although the Indians couldn’t get much movement in their next possession, a fumble by the Warriors during their next possession was recovered by Bennett. Unfortunately for the Indians, the Warriors regained possession after a snap was over the head of Kirk.
The Indians defense again fought to push back the Warriors offense from another touchdown. A great play by the Indians Jason Chamblee helped prevent the Warriors from scoring from their position at the two yard line. The Warriors went for a field goal on fourth down, and got it to make the score 43-0.
The Indians Drew Allison carried multiple times for gain of yardage.
The Indians first and only touchdown of the night came during their next possession. Kirk found Brian Cunane along the sideline for an incredible pass and gain of 12 yards. After Allison carried for a gain of four yards, Kirk completed a 16 yard pass to Cunane for the Indians touchdown. The score was still 43-6, but the Indians had a reason to celebrate as the third quarter came to a close.
The Warriors scored their final touchdown of the night during their next possession, but the extra point attempt was blocked by the Indians J.T. Thomas. The Warriors led 49-6 early in the fourth quarter, and neither team scored the remainder of the game.
The Indians are 0-2 on the season, but with plenty of football left to play. They will travel to Jackson County to take on the Black Panthers next Friday night. The Warriors are 1-0 as this game was their season opener. They will travel to face Habersham Central next Friday.