Dawson Fall Sports Preview 2023

SPORTS PREVIEW

A Publication By

PUBLISHER

Stephanie Woody

DIRECTOR OF REVENUE

Eugene Jackson

ADVERTISING SALES

David Smithson, Multimedia Sales Representative

CREATIVE SERVICES

Claudette Keeley, April Seymour, Chelsea Sunshine

SPORTS EDITOR

Rio White

PHOTOGRAPHY

Rio White

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

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PICTURED: Carah Matheson is one of the senior leader’s on this year’s squad.

Keep an eye out for new signs and cheers at football games this fall.

Lady Tigers cheer squad will have a shot a two state titles this season

By Rio White riowhite@dawsonnews.com

Season Outlook:

Head coach Kim Fleming might be calling this a rebuilding year, but by her and the team’s standards, that doesn’t serve as an excuse not to go after a 22nd Region 7-3A title and a second state championship in three years.

Last season, in a realigned Class 3A, the Lady Tigers competition cheer squad did well, but ultimately fell short in their quest to repeat as state champions.

Despite losing six talented seniors from a 2022 team that won yet another region title and finished sixth at state, this season provides many other cheerleaders an opportunity to step up and carry forward the team’s long history of success.

Additionally, Fleming is piecing

together a bold new element to the program — a game day squad that is combining competition and sideline cheerleaders.

And some of the current cheerleaders are already seeing the benefits of bringing the two squads together.

“I definitely think having both of those in the summer has been very fun — it’s been very energetic,” senior Kennedy Hoard said. “The whole basis of game day is that it’s upbeat and a very fast pace. So to have something that brings up the energy, since it gets so stressful whenever we have the comp season in the summer, it really helps even out and balance our energy.”

But the game day cheer team isn’t just about fun, either. Now that it falls under GHSA-sanctioned contests, game day squads from across the state can compete for a state title.

2023 Dawson County Competition Cheer

Head Coach: Kim Fleming, 29th season

Last season’s results: 21st region title, sixth place at Class 3A state championship

Key Returners: Carah Matheson, Kristi Brock, Kennedy Hoard, Braelynn Negley

Key Departures: Emily Peak, Emily Kurtz, Breeze Motte, Summer Adams, Zoe Cruz

This simply adds more fuel to Dawson County’s fire, now with two motivated teams that have been working all summer to be among the best in Georgia.

But for those cheerleaders who come from the competition side, they are realizing that the game day opportunities are another chance to work on their skills and become even better teammates.

“Whenever we got the opportunity to add some growth to the program, it definitely opened our eyes to see how big cheerleading is and how big of a family it can become,” Hoard said. “To have us come together, it really unites the school in a way that’s never happened before.”

The competition cheer team begins its season at the Lambert Cheer Classic on Saturday, Sept. 9. The annual Tiger Cheer Classic hosted by Dawson County is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 7.

BOTTOM

TOP: Photo by Kelly Collum.

Photos by Rio White MIDDLE: This year, many of the competition cheerleaders will be on the new gameday squad.

Last season, the competition cheer team won the region championship and placed sixth at state.

Tigers cross country teams in prime position to make region title runs

By Rio White riowhite@dawsonnews.com

Season Outlook:

There is plenty for head coach Jonathan Tinsley to be pleased about heading into his third season as the DCHS cross country team’s head coach.

Last season, the girls team shot out of the cannon with impressive performances across all classes. By the time the Region 7-3A championship race came around, the girls were firing on all cylinders, finishing as region runner-up with three top-10 results in that race.

The boys were impressive as well, with many on the team keeping similar paces during the season. They finished third in the region title race with a pair of top-10 finishes.

Such strides were made by runners who all return this season, giving Tinsley one of the most potent core group of runners in the region.

“It’s exciting…some of these kids I’ve coached since they were in sixth grade,” Tinsley said. “It’s a special group and [as for] the senior group, I’m really going to miss them. We’re really going to try and enjoy this season. I’ve got high

expectations for them.”

Heading into the 2023 season, seniors Anna LeCave and Jules Phillips are certainly the leaders for the girls team — but a sophomore trio is catching up to them quickly.

In fact, then-freshman Hayden Hand was the top finisher at State for Dawson County last year, crossing the finish line in ninth. Add to her Harper Dussouy and Addison Smith, and that top-five group is on a positive trajectory.

As for the boys, senior Tyler Tangel is the talisman for the Tigers, having finished eighth individually at last year’s region championship. But seniors like Cael Hand and Luke Lowe, and juniors like Bailey Swafford and Aaric Muilenburg, are also looking to improve further on their impressive times from last year.

“I’ve learned a lot,” Muilenburg said. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes from the seniors and really the whole team just how hard you have to work in this sport. And I’ve seen how it pays off when you work extremely hard in this sport. It’s really inspiring.”

At Fall Media Day, LeCave and Tangel talked about how much their mindsets

2023 Dawson County Cross Country

Head Coach: Jonathan Tinsley, third season

Last season: Girls team - Region runner-up, fifth at 3A state championship. Boys teamRegion third place, sixth at 3A state championship

Key Returners: Anna LeCave, Jules Phillips, Hayden Hand; Tyler Tangel, Bailey Swafford, Luke Lowe, Cael Hand

Key meets: 8/19 @ Pickens, 9/16 @ Warpath Invitational, 10/24 Region @ Unicoi State Park

have changed as seniors. The knowledge that they have a finite number of races left in their careers has given them meaningful perspectives.

And considering how much the cross country team has been growing, those two seniors will have important roles in keeping others accountable.

“This is my last year so I have been focusing a little more on the groups that are still going to be part of the cross country team next year,’’ Tangel said. “I’m just really trying to push them further so they can be more successful.”

Notably, both LeCave and Tangel also mentioned how important of an influence Tinsley has been through the years — and they hope they can help maximize the team’s potential this season.

“He has had such an impact on everything I’ve done in any kind of sport I do,” LeCave said. “It’s always him as my backbone because he’s the one who has encouraged me to come out and do cross country even when I did not want to. I’m going to miss him so much when I leave.”

The boys team is coming off a Region 7-3A third-place finish last season.

TOP LEFT: The girls team is coming off a Region 7-3A runnerup finish last season.

TOP RIGHT: Hayden Hand (front) and Addison Smith impressed as freshmen last season.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Tyler Tangel (left) is a senior leader on the cross country team.

BOTTOM: Luke Lowe is looking to improve his times and help the team compete for a region title.

FEATURE: Audrey Goode is taking over as the DCHS volleyball program’s head coach.

By Rio White riowhite@dawsonnews.com

Dawson County High School named Audrey Goode as the new head coach of the varsity volleyball team, as confirmed by the school on Friday, April 28.

Goode, a 2007 graduate of DCHS, spent the past four seasons as the volleyball team’s junior varsity coach — working under longtime varsity team coach Tanya Porter.

“I’m excited,” Goode said. “Getting to build those relationships with the girls across the board is something I’m really looking forward to.”

Goode enters the head coaching role to fill the shoes of Porter — who was the program’s first head coach starting in 2016.

Along with new assistant coach Courtney Walker, Goode heads up a Lady Tigers team that will be on the younger side for the 2023 season after five seniors graduated from last year’s team.

“We definitely lost some big powerhouses last year…but

Dawson County alumna Audrey Goode is the new Lady Tigers head coach

we are also bringing back a lot of good girls,” Goode said. “We have Meghan Roche coming back on the outside, Eva Bishop and Maggie Allen in the middle…we’ve got a good group.”

While Goode has been a part of the Lady Tigers program for a while, she is determined to work with Walker and become as technically astute as possible for her first varsity coaching job.

“Courtney, my assistant coach, is coming in and is super knowledgeable [as] she played in college and coached at several big schools,” Goode said. “Just the technique behind everything…will be the things I’m looking forward to learning.”

Given her experience with the junior varsity team, Goode has a strong working knowledge of the entire program’s roster and will continue to help strengthen the team’s identity.

“I’m looking forward to building the program as one full solid machine,” Goode said. “I want us to be one team, one family [and] one program. When it comes to the stuff off the court, I want them to build those relationships to where they can count on each other outside of sports.”

New era of Lady Tigers volleyball set to begin under Audrey Goode

By Rio White riowhite@dawsonnews.com

Season Outlook:

For the first time in program history, the Dawson County varsity volleyball team experienced a coaching change, with DCHS alumna Audrey Goode taking over for inaugural coach Tanya Porter over the off-season.

But make no mistake, the Lady Tigers aren’t changing any of their standards heading into the 2023 season — even after losing star players Abby Felkai, Emerald Sallee and Abby Clouser.

In fact, Goode has taken on her first head coaching job with confidence, bringing the team to new heights on and off the court.

While she’s kept the close-knit atmosphere of her predecessor, Goode has also stepped up the summer conditioning sessions for a Lady Tigers team focused on repeating a playoff appearance.

“Our summer has gone really well,

I think. This is the first summer we’ve practiced with our varsity team starting in June,” Goode said. “The improvement we’ve seen from then to now has been amazing. They’re ready to compete.”

Two huge assets to Goode and the team this season are seniors Maggie Allen and Meghan Roche, who were rising stars on last season’s entertaining and talented squad.

Much like before, the Lady Tigers will be fighting Lumpkin County for playoff positioning and will also be trying to compete with heavyweights White County and Wesleyan.

Interestingly, the Lady Tigers fared better against eventual state semifinalist White County than Wesleyan last season. And at Fall Media Day, both Allen and Roche exuded confidence that their team and new head coach believe they can compete with the powerhouses.

But this season, the biggest test for Dawson County will be its depth.

While players like Eva Bishop and

2023 Dawson County Lady Tigers Volleyball

Head Coach: Audrey Goode, first season

Last season’s record: 26-18 (11-5, 3rd in Region 7-3A), state playoff appearance

Key Returners: Meghan Roche (Sr. OH), Maggie Allen (Sr. OH/ MH), Eva Bishop (Jr. MH), Hope Selzer (So. DS)

Key games: 8/15 vs. Union Co. and East Forsyth, 8/29 vs. Gilmer and Pickens, 9/26 vs. Wesleyan and Lumpkin

Hope Selzer will be regulars, it remains to be seen who will shape the bench and provide ample substitute support.

However that evolves moving forward, the seniors on the team are taking the initiative to further solidify the team’s cohesion.

“As seniors, we’ve tried to be very inclusive with the younger girls and make them feel part of the team, which they are,” Roche said. They’ve responded really well. I feel that everyone is always trying to be uplifting, we’re pushing each other and we’re making each other better.”

And as Goode prepares to take charge of her first-ever varsity game as the head coach, she said the unity of the Lady Tigers is of the highest importance.

“We are one Dawson but we’re also one family,” Goode said. “We have each other’s backs on and off the court. The [players] have really come together and supported each other and it’s amazing to see. I just want to push that through and that will be our goal for the season.”

Meghan Roche is going to be an offensive force for the DCHS volleyball team this season.

TOP: Eva Bishop (center) is a energetic, tough player for Dawson.

BOTTOM LEFT: Maggie Allen is a versatile senior player for the Lady Tigers.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Sophomore Hope Selzer is an exciting rising star on the team.

Dawson County football will lean on newlook offense to keep playoff streak alive

By Rio White riowhite@dawsonnews.com

Season Outlook:

This year’s edition of Dawson County’s varsity football team might be very different from last season’s senior-laden squad, but the goal will be the same — pursuing another region title and a ninth consecutive state playoff appearance.

Head coach Sid Maxwell and his staff have shown over the years that their utilitarian approach to each season has resulted in remarkable consistency.

But this year especially, the coaches are making it abundantly clear that the defending region champion Tigers will have to make an even more concerted effort to stay on top — now that the team has a target on its back.

“Each year, we come in with the expectation that the next man is up,” Maxwell said. “These young men are ready for the season. [They’re] ready…to have that challenge to get better each day and keep the tradition we’ve had for the past eight years. That comes from dedication, hard work and consistency.”

Maxwell said that much of the team’s sustained success comes from the players trusting the system and maximizing their roles.

That trust will be paramount in the early stages of the season during a challenging non-region slate. Offensive coordinator Andy LeBlanc will be spearheading a group that went through some growing pains last year but is looking to thrive this season.

The anchor of that offense will be the experienced offensive line, which will include seniors Simeon Welch, Briggs Weaver, Anthony Garcia and Trenton Martinez.

Those big men will be tasked with protecting junior quarterback Davis Glass and what will likely be another committee of running backs similar to last season.

“We’ve been training hard all summer — got a lot of good kids on the offensive line,” Weaver said. “What we did last year was pretty good but I think we’re going to be even better [this year].”

Another player to watch on that side of the trenches is sophomore Krew Moledor, whose brother Kade was a star linebacker and running back for the Tigers.

Behind the line, LeBlanc will have many different players he can utilize the running back position, including Luke Smith — whose brother Elijah was an integral part of last season’s success.

But it will be the expansion of the passing game that may be important to monitor all season, with Glass looking to further

2023 Dawson County Tigers Football

Head Coach: Sid Maxwell, ninth season

Last season’s record: 8-3, Region 7-3A Champions, eighth straight state playoff appearance

Key Returners: Simeon Welch (Sr. OL), Briggs Weaver (Sr. Center), Davis Glass (Jr. QB), Sawyer Bearden (Sr. WR/DB), Alex Stewart (Sr. LB), Colton Schuette (Sr. LB)

Key games: 9/2 vs. North Hall, 9/29 vs. White County, 10/27 vs. Lumpkin County

cement his role. His targets will include Dom LeBlanc, Sawyer Bearden and several others.

Maxwell expects the current seniors to lead no differently than the previous group.

“These guys have to be a model for the young guys to follow,” Maxwell said. “When it’s your time to lead, all eyes are on you when you’re out there for a two-hour practice.”

On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Craig Woodall will preside over a group that graduated several seniors last year.

Despite this, key players such as Alex Stewart, Declan Rhodes, Zach Cruz and Braden Crane will provide a solid foundation for the defense to build on throughout the season.

That defensive unit, which is particularly changed on the line, will likely experience a similar period of growth and learning as last season’s offense.

But just like before, the lessons learned during the non-region schedule will need to be taken in and applied so that Dawson County will have yet another chance to fight for a region championship.

A reloaded defense will be tested throughout the season.

MIDDLE: Anthony Garcia is set to be a important defensive lineman.

BOTTOM LEFT: Davis Glass and Luke Smith are going to be two key pieces of the Dawson offense.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Briggs Weaver’s role as center will be important to protecting the quarterback.

TOP: Simeon Welch is a critical member of the offensive line.

Lady

Tigers softball needs strong core of hitters again for a bounce-back season

By Rio White riowhite@dawsonnews.com

Season Outlook:

The Dawson County varsity softball team has a chance to forge a fresh start in 2023 after a challenging experience last season.

After losing one of their largest senior classes following the 2021 season and state playoff run, 2022 brought forth plenty of adversity for a young team.

But the team fought through that by picking up some late-season wins and even opening the region tournament with an 1110 victory over West Hall. Dawson lost the next two games, just missing out on the state tournament.

One year later, many of the players who faced the uphill battle of the previous season will seek to apply the lessons they learned — in the hopes of guiding the Lady Tigers back to the state playoffs.

So far, third-year coach Justin Rickett is impressed with the team’s work ethic.

“We’re super excited about this season,” Rickett said. “This group is fun to watch…when we work on stuff I can see the progression and see how much further along we are.”

While the team is still relatively young — with just two juniors and two seniors — most of the roster had some playing time last season

and look to carry that momentum over.

Leading the charge once again is senior Layne Bailey, the team’s ace pitcher and a reliable bat as well. Her, along with fellow senior Alyssa Daniel, will be key assets on the mound for a team that is looking for depth in that position.

One of the brightest developments from last year’s team was the steady improvement of the offense. Now-sophomores Sadie Dotson and Bryce Greenwood were remarkably productive as freshman, with both finishing last season hitting over .300.

Juniors Micah Burruss and Aislynn Cochran also had solid seasons at the plate in 2022 and will be needed for the Lady Tigers to establish themselves as a force in Region 7-3A.

Rickett believes that the team is on a positive path at the moment — with each player showing individual improvements.

“My favorite part of being a coach is seeing where a kid gets to, not where they started from,” Rickett said. “When I’m standing out there and we’re going over something new… the quickness with which this group gets it is much better than it was last year.”

In order to compete within the region, the Lady Tigers must continue success against West Hall Gilmer, and Lumpkin. Those three opponents proved most evenly matched with Dawson.

2023 Dawson

County Lady Tigers Softball

Head Coach: Justin Rickett, third season

Last season’s record: 5-21 (3-9 in Region 7-3A)

Key Returners: Layne Bailey (Sr. Pitcher), Aislynn Cochran (Jr. INF), Micah Burruss (Jr. INF), Sadie Dotson (So. OF), Bryce Greenwood (So. Catcher)

Key games: 8/15 @ West Hall, 8/24 vs. Lumpkin, 9/11 vs. Gilmer

TOP: Bryce Greenwood was also a productive freshman last year and proved herself as a solid catcher.

MIDDLE: Sadie Dotson is coming off an excellent freshman season and is one of the team’s best hitters.

BOTTOM: Micah Burruss is an important power hitter for the Lady Tigers.

Layne Bailey will continue her role as the team’s ace pitcher this season.