Panthers dominate Leopards @ home 36-14, win 2nd game in a row
Sports, TeamFYNSports October 10, 2021
Blairsville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers hosted the Banks County Leopards in the second region matchup of the year. The Panthers were looking to go 2-0 in region play. The Panthers were without Senior star receiver Keyton Chitwood.
First Quarter
The Panthers started the game on defense and the Leopards picked up a quick first down. Wilson Walker tackled the Leopard QB for a 5 yard loss on 1st down. The Panthers defense held the Leopards to a punt and started their first offensive drive at their own 22 yard line. The Panthers picked up a quick first down after 2 screen plays to Junior Griffin Young and Senior Trace Wright. The offense stalled around midfield and were forced to punt. The Leopards drove 80 yards and scored to take an early 7-0 lead. On the first play of the Panthers drive, quarterback Logan Helcher found Wright for a 70 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. The Leopards picked up a quick first down to start their drive as the first quarter ended.
Second Quarter
To begin the quarter, the Panthers held the Leopards to another punt. Sophomore Jensen Goble had a great punt return and got hit very late after he ran out of bounds. The late hit penalty put the Panthers even deeper into Leopard territory to start the drive. On the first play of the drive, Helcher found Young for a 15 yard touchdown to give the Panthers a 14-7 lead. The Panthers scored their first 2 touchdowns on the first play of each drive. The Leopards turned the ball over on the first play of their drive and Wright recovered the ball at the 31 yard line. The Panthers couldn’t capitalize on the turnover and were forced to punt. The Panthers had the Leopards stopped and forced them to go for it on 4th down at midfield but jumped offsides and gave up a first down. The Leopards then drove down and scored to tie the game at 14. With 17 seconds left, the Panthers got within field goal range for senior kicker Kyler Robbins. Robbins nailed the last second field goal to put the Panthers up 17-14 at the half.
Third Quarter
The Panthers started the second half with the ball and picked up a huge first down on 4th and 1. On the following play, Junior running back Caleb Rogers picked up a 35 yard gain to put the Panthers inside the Leopards 20 yard line. On 4th down inside the 15 yard line, Helcher found Young for another touchdown to extend the Panther lead to 24-14. After 2 Leopard first downs, the Panthers defense made 2 big tackles behind the line of scrimmage to force the Leopards to punt. After a couple first downs by the Panthers, Helcher found Young for a big gain. The Panthers drive stalled inside the Leopards 20 yard line but Robbins would make the field goal to extend the lead to 27-14. The Leopards ran the ball twice and let the clock run out to end the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The first play of the quarter resulted in a sack by Junior Lane Lance. After a fumbled snap that was recovered by the Leopards, the Panthers sacked the Leopards QB for a safety that extended their lead to 29-14. The Panthers ran the ball 6 times in a row to run the clock. Helcher threw an incompletion and then the Panthers ran it 7 times in a row and scored to extend the lead to 36-14. The Panthers defense got the job done and got the ball back to the offense to kneel the ball to end the game. The defense allowed 0 points in the second half. The Panthers beat the Leopards 36-14 and are 2-0 in region play. The Panthers travel to Elbert County on Friday. If the Panthers win the game, they will host the first round of the playoffs.
Panthers pick up first win of season @ Riverside Military Academy 48-14
Sports, Team FYN Sports October 4, 2021
Gainesville, Georgia- The Union County Panthers traveled to Gainesville, Georgia to take on Riverside Military Academy to start off the 4 game stretch of region matchups. The Panthers clinch a playoff spot with a win.
First Quarter
The Panthers started off the game with the ball and attempted to get the running game going. The Panthers moved the ball well with the running game and quickly moved the ball into Eagle territory after a 20 yard run by Senior Quarterback Logan Helcher. Helcher had another 20 yard run to move the Panthers inside the 10 yard line. Helcher scored the first touchdown of the game with a 2 yard rush into the end zone. The Panthers defense quickly forced a punt on the Eagles first drive of the game. The Panthers started moving the ball again and got the passing game going after moving the ball easily with the run game in the last drive. On the 5th play of the drive, Helcher found Senior receiver Keyton Chitwood for a 30 yard touchdown. The Panthers took a 14-0 lead. The Eagles picked up a quick first down but the Panthers held the Eagles to another punt. On the next drive, the Panthers offense wasn’t able to move the ball well and on 3rd down Helcher’s pass was intercepted after it bounced off of Sophomore Jensen Goble’s hands. The Panthers defense came back out and played very well and forced another Eagles punt. Helcher found Junior receiver Griffin Young on a screen pass and Young gained 33 yards after the catch. The Panthers led 14-0 at the end of the 1st quarter. 
Second Quarter
To begin the quarter, the Panthers drove 40 yards and scored on a 1 yard run by Sophomore runningback/backup quarterback Caiden Tanner to give the Panthers a 21-0 lead. The Panthers defense had multiple penalties and couldn’t get off the field which led to a 10 minute drive by the Eagles and they scored to cut the deficit to 21-7. The Panthers’ offense had 2 dropped interceptions on their drive. On the second play of the Panther drive, Helcher threw his 2nd interception of the game. The Eagles scored quickly to cut the deficit to 21-14 late in the 2nd quarter. To end the half, Helcher ran a designed QB run 40 yards for an exciting touchdown as the half ended. The Panthers led 28-14 to end the first half.
Third Quarter
To begin the second half, on the Eagles second play of the drive, Panthers’ Junior linebacker Gage Barnes intercepted the ball at the 25 yard line. The Panthers ran the ball with Tanner 4 times in a row to get inside the Eagles 5 yard line. Helcher faked the handoff and kept it and scored his 3rd touchdown of the game to extend the Panthers lead to 34-14. The Panthers ran a fake field goal and failed to convert it. After the Eagles picked up a 1st down on 3rd down, the Panthers defense held strong and forced another punt. The Panthers quickly scored as Helcher found Chitwood for another touchdown to extend the lead to 41-14. The Panthers defense was flying around and making plays in the second half. The Panthers are getting more comfortable and confident with the new coaching staff. The Panthers made a huge 4th down to give the offense the ball deep in the Eagles’ own territory. On the first play of the drive, Helcher found Chitwood for another touchdown, their second of the half to extend the lead to 48-14.
Fourth Quarter
The Panthers’ defense forced another punt to begin the quarter. The Panthers ran the rest of clock out but Freshman running back Conner Schuknecht ran through and over people late in the fourth quarter. The Panthers pick up their first win of the season and first win under head coach Michael Perry. The Panthers have punched their ticket into the playoffs but will need to beat Banks & Elbert County to host a playoff game. The Panthers host Banks County this Friday and travel to Elbert County the following Friday.
Border Secured- Fannin defeats Union 34-7
FCHS Football, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports August 22, 2021“The Border War”
The 30th edition of Fannin County and Union County was played on Friday at Rebel Stadium at Fannin County High School.
Fannin would defeat Union 34-7 to even the All Time Series Record at 15.
Captains Meetings at Midfield. All Photos by Rachel Adams
Pre Game
The game would not start on time. A lighting delay pushed the start time back 17 minutes to 7:47pm. Fannin County did win the toss and elected to receive.
Fannin County Captains: Seth Reece, Rico Arellanes and Dylan Collins.
Union County Captains: Logan Helcher, Trace Wright and Eli Peugh
1st Quarter
Fannin would start off with the ball. Seth Reece would get the 1st 3 touches of the games picking up 20 yards. David Mashburn would pick up 10 yards on the ground moving the ball to the Union 32. Mashburn would find Carter Mann for an 18 yard pass for a 1st down that put Fannin County at the Union 14. Union County would come up with a huge stop on 4th down to get the ball on their own 5.
Union County would go 3 and out and punt back to Fannin. Union’s Wilson Walker would come away with an Interception on Mashburn. Union would get the ball back but were unable to get anything going on offense. Carter Mann would come up with a great tackle on 1st down, Andrew Waldrep and Bryson Fink would come up with the stop on 2nd down, Logan Helcher would try and find a receiver on 3rd down but Carson Collis made a great play in coverage for the Rebels forcing another Union County 3 and out.
Penalties were an issue for Fannin on the following drive. A penalty on the punt return and the 1st play of the drive would put Fannin Starting on their own 30. Stein Harkins for Union County would have 2 back to back stops and Fannin faced 3rd down and 28 from their own 27. Mashburn would throw an incomplete pass forcing a Fannin punt.
Union took over with 2:30 left in the 1st quarter on their own 34. Corbin Davenport made a great play on Keyton Chitwood after a Panther holding penalty. Helcher decided to pick on Davenport again by trying to find Chitwood down the field but the pass was incomplete. Cade Sands, Rico Arellanes and Issac Davis were able to corral Helcher on 3rd down for a stop.
Union would punt the ball and push Fannin back to their own 19. Fannin would have another penalty on 1st down. Seth Reece picked up 19 yards on 2nd down and 1 yard on 3rd down to get the 1st down and that would be the end of the 1st Quarter.
Union played well in the 1st quarter defensively. The Panthers won the field position battle in the quarter. Defensive Coordinator Thomas Nelson done great with disguising coverage and it took the Rebels a few drives to get adjusted. Too many penalties to start the game off for Fannin. Fannin County would settle down starting in the 2nd Quarter.
2nd Quarter
Fannin was unable to get anything going on their 1st drive of the 2nd Quarter and were forced to punt back to Union.
Bryson Holloway made a great play in coverage on 1st down. Hayden Lynch, Cade Sands and Rico Arellanes were in on a tackle for loss on 2nd down. Logan Helcher had green turf in front of him on 3rd down but Cade Sands stayed at home and made a great tackle to force 4th down for Union.
Cade Sands shares a smile on the sidelines
Union would punt back to Fannin. Fannin would start on their own 3. Seth Reece picked up 18 yards on 1st down. David Mashburn sprinted to the end zone for a 78 yard Touchdown run but a block in the back was called that took 6 points off the board. However, Fannin County did not let the penalty on the run stop their momentum.
David Mashburn would find Hayden Lynch for a 16 yard gain to pick up the 1st down. Mashburn would again find Lynch for another 1st down for a gain of 10 yards. David Mashburn would find Sawyer Moreland for a 6 yard gain and then Seth Reece for a 25 yard gain.
With 3:39 Left in the 2nd Quarter David Mashburn would find pay dirt. Mashburn made several defenders miss and had a Super Man dive into the end zone.
David Mashburn dives into the end zone for a TD
Union would try and get the momentum on their side on the following drive but were unsuccessful. Helcher was trying to find Chitwood on 1st down. Pass was incomplete with Carson Collis in coverage. Andrew Waldrep made the stop on 2nd down. Helcher would pick up a panther 1st down on 3rd down.
Taylor Collis made a great play in the back field to start the next drive. With 2:22 left in the 2nd quarter, Helcher found a receiver down the sideline. The Panthers cut it up field and Carson Collis done a great job of putting his helmet on the football to force a fumble. Andrew Waldrep recovered the fumble on Fannin County’s own 45.
Andrew Waldrep #1 had 9 tackles vs Union
1:53 left in the 2nd quarter David Mashburn would find Bryson Holloway for a 45 yard TD Pass. Holloway hauled in a 10 yard reception on the previous play. This extended Fannin’s lead to 14-0. Fannin would take the 14-0 lead to the locker room into halftime.
#4 Bryson Holloway celebrates a TD
3rd Quarter
Union would start with the football to open up the 3rd quarter. On the drive, Nate Maloof and Rico Arellanes would both come inches away from getting a sack. Fannin’s Cason Owensby, Sawyer Moreland, Cade Sands, Corbin Davenport would come away with tackles.
Logan Long would force a fumble and Corbin Davenport would recover and Fannin would take over on their own 45 with 8:43 left in the quarter.
Logan Long after a tackle. Long played both ways Friday night at RT and DT
David Mashburn would find Sawyer Moreland 2 times on the following drive. A 13 yard reception and a 9 yard reception. Seth Reece would later punch it in the end zone with 5:33 left in the quarter to make it 21-0 Fannin.
Sawyer Moreland catches the opening kickoff earlier in the night
On the following Union County drive, Case Holloway had a near sack on Helcher on 1st down. Union would pick up a 1st down 2 plays later on 3rd and 10. Issac Davis and Cason Owensby would come up with tackles. Helcher and his Running back had miscommunication on the hand off and Case Holloway was able to come up with the fumble recovery.
Freshmen Case Holloway
Fannin was unable to move the ball on their next drive and were forced to punt back to Union. Nate Maloof, Carson Collis made tackles on Union County’s next drive. Helcher threw an incomplete pass on 3rd down and Union would punt the ball back to Fannin. Corbin Davenport had a great return to the Union County 23 yard line.
Nate Maloof #63 at DE
Next Play from Scrimmage David Mashburn found Seth Reece for a 23 yard Touchdown pass. Fannin would go for 2points but were unsuccessful. Fannin would take a 26-0 lead with 1:12 left in the 3rd Quarter.
4th Quarter
Cason Owensby started the 4th Quarter off with a forced fumble and Issac Davis recovered. Fannin took the ball over on the Union 33.
The next 3 plays and 33 yards belonged to Khole Green. Khole punched it in on his 3rd carry of the drive to score his 1st Touchdown. David Mashburn punched in the 2 pt try to make it 34-0 with 10:59 remaining in the 4th Quarter.
Union was unable to get anything going on offense and punted back to Fannin.
Brody Paskill caught a pass and Jackson Davis picked up 11 yards in the quarter.
Freshmen Lawson Sullivan would enter the game at QB and was very impressive going 5/6 for 35 yards in the quarter. Sullivan completed a 20 yard pass to Freshmen Copper Born and an 8 yard pass to Freshmen Brayden Taylor. Freshmen Carson Callihan carried the football in the 4th quarter picking up 13 yards on the ground.
Union County would add an 83 yard TD Helcher to Griffen Young late in the 4th Quarter.
The Final Score would be Fannin 34 and Union 7
Notable Offensive Stats for the Rebels
David Mashburn 17/28 for 208
Seth Reece 166 Total yards- 105 Rushing 61 Receiving
Fannin County’s offensive lineman deserved a ton of credit for the job they did. Dylan Collins, Jeremy Tammen, Taylor Collis, Rico Arellanes and Logan Long among others done a great job all night.
Notable Defensive Stats for the Rebels
Cason Owensby 10 Total Tackles
Andrew Waldrep 9 Total Tackles
Cade Sands 7 Total Tackles
Corbin Davenport 7 Total Tackles
Logan Long and Carson Collis each forced a Fumble
Cason Owensby, Andrew Waldrep, Corbin Davenport, Issac Davis and Case Holloway recovered a Fumble.
Who’s Next?
Fannin County will host Copper Basin on Friday. This will be the 1st time since 1996 the 2 Schools have met during a game. Stay tuned for a game preview later in the week.
Panthers back in win column, beat Gilmer 7-0 on Thursday Night
Featured Stories, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports November 20, 2020
Ellijay, GA– The Union County Panthers(3-5) travelled to Gilmer County(3-5), home of the Bobcats. The Panthers heading into this game hoping to get a win and to gain momentum before heading into the playoffs.
The Panthers are getting back Starting Quarterback Logan Helcher and Running-back Jonah Daniel. The Bobcats are led by Junior Running-back Kobe Stonecipher and Senior Linebacker Ashton White.
First Quarter
The Bobcats would get the ball to start the game and would move the ball down the field very slowly. They would keep the ball for about 9 minutes in the 1st quarter. The Bobcats would take the ball all the way to the Panthers 25 yard line and fail to convert on 4th down. The Panthers would start the drive off with an 8 yard run by Helcher but fail to get anything else going after a holding penalty on 2nd down. The Bobcats would run one play to end the very quick 1st quarter.
Second Quarter
On the first play of the second quarter, Senior Noah Underwood would force a fumble around the Bobcats 40 yard line and Junior Trace Wright would recover the fumble. The Panthers would put Senior Kaston Hemphill in to give Helcher a breather as he is still recovering from an injury he suffered against Rabun Gap. The Panthers would fail to get a first down and punt the ball back to the Bobcats. The Panthers stuffed the run on the first 2 plays but were called for targeting on the 2nd down play. On the next play, Senior cornerback JJ Littles would intercept a pass at midfield, credit to Senior linebacker Hunter Young for getting his hands on the ball and causing the ball to be tipped and caught. On the first play of the Panthers offensive drive, Helcher suffered, what appeared to be a shoulder injury, which would sideline him for the rest of the game. The Panthers would pick up some quick first downs with some good hard runs by Junior Carson Walker. The Panthers would score on a 4 yard touchdown run by Senior Jonah Daniel and go up 7-0. The Bobcats would pick up a quick 1st down but the Panthers defense would stuff the run again and pick up a key tackle for loss by Senior Noah Underwood & Senior Aaron Helton. The Bobcats would punt pin the Panthers down at their own 5 yard line. The Panthers offense would fail to get a first down. The Bobcats would pick up a quick first down on a reverse play and quickly go deep into Panther territory. Senior JJ Liitles would make a great play to break up the pass at the goal line. The Panthers would hold the Bobcats to a field goal, that was missed with 20 seconds left to go in the half.
Third Quarter
The Panthers would start the second half on offense and would quickly pick up 2 first downs, sticking with the ground game. The Panthers offense would stall after that and would have to punt the ball away again. The Panthers defense would stand strong and sack the end around pass play on 3rd down and force another punt. The Panthers would start their drives in the 2nd half quickly picking up first downs but would quickly stall out. The Panthers had a chance to score on a deep pass to Senior Mason McCombs but McCombs was tripped up near the end zone before catching it. There was a penalty thrown for pass interference but was waved off. The pass was intercepted and the Bobcats took over at their own 15 yard line. The Bobcats would get a good drive going but the Panthers defense would stand strong to end the 3rd quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Panthers defense would force another punt to start the 4th quarter. The Panthers would pick up a big first down on the first play of the drive by Hemphill on a Quarterback keeper. The Panthers would have to punt again but they would pin the Bobcats inside their own 5 yard line. The Bobcats would run the same play from the same formation about 5 times in a row and catch the Panthers off guard with a QB keeper off the same play and pick up about 34 yards. Eli Peugh would make a huge tackle on 3rd and 10 and force the Bobcats to go for it on 4th down. On 4th down, the Bobcats would try to run a trick play and it was read quickly by Senior Clayton Lester. The Panthers offense finally got a big play and a penalty added to the end of it. The Panthers would drive all the way to the Bobcat 14 yard line but failed to covert on a 4th and 3 with 2:40 left in the 4th quarter. The Bobcats would quickly get to midfield on a 30 yard pass. The Panthers defensive backs had a bunch of opportunities to intercept multiple passes and end the game during this drive. The Panthers would force the Bobcats to go for it on 4th and inches but would pick up the 1st down. On 3rd and 10, JJ Littles would intercept the ball but it would be called back on a questionable pass interference call. The Panther defense would keep the Bobcats out of the end zone and hold on to win, 7-0.
The Panthers will finish 3rd in Region 8-AA and move on to the GHSA State Playoffs. They do not know who they will face yet, but they will matchup with Region 5-AA and face the 2nd place team out of that region. They will play next Friday November 27.
Panthers Fall to Rabun 63-14, Panthers finish 3rd in region
Featured Stories, Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports November 15, 2020
Tiger, Georgia– The Union County Panthers (3-4,1-1) traveled to Tiger, Georgia to face the Rabun County Wildcats (8-1,2-0).The Panthers had a tough task ahead as Starting Quarterback Logan Helcher & Starting Running-back Jonah Daniel were out due to injuries. Senior Kaston Hemphill would be the starting quarterback for the Panthers. The Wildcats have proved in the past 2 weeks that they are the best team in the region.
The Wildcats are led by Junior Quarterback, 5 Star 2022 South Carolina Commit Gunner Stockton and Senior Wide Receiver Adriel Clark. The Panthers are led by Senior Kaston Hemphill and Senior Aaron Helton. Hemphill had a big task ahead of him Friday Night, but he was very confident.
First Quarter
The Panthers started on defense and the Wildcats came out swinging. Scoring quickly on a 39 yard touchdown run by Gunner Stockton. The Panthers came out moving the ball well and milking clock. The Panthers got around midfield but ended up punting the ball away. The Panthers defense held up well on the Wildcats second drive and recovered a fumbled snap by Stockton around midfield. The Wildcat defensive front didn’t allow the Panthers to move the ball and the Panthers were forced to punt. The Panther did a great job keeping the Wildcats explosive offense off of the field.
Second Quarter
The Wildcats started picking up the pace and moving the ball with ease, moving the ball all the way to the 30 yard line. Stockton would then find Clark for a 29 yard touchdown. The Panthers would again stick to running the ball on offense, getting good, hard runs by Junior Running-back Carson Walker. On 3rd down, Hemphill was looking for JJ Littles and the pass was tipped and intercepted by the Wildcats. The Wildcats would move the ball all the way down to the 3 yard line. The Wildcats scored again as Adriel Clark gets the end around handoff and goes in for the 3 yard score. That would make it 21-0 Wildcats. The Panthers wouldn’t move the sticks on their next drive and punt the ball away again. The Wildcats would score again on a 22 yard run by Stockton late in the second quarter. The Panthers tried to run the clock out to end the half, being down 28-0 but the Wildcats would use all of their timeouts with less than 2 minutes left in the half to get the ball back. The Wildcats would get the ball back and quickly score again. Stockton would find Clark for a 39 yard touchdown to make it 35-0. Those 2 match up with each other very well and are both insanely talented.
Third Quarter
The Panthers would start off the second half with the ball but would not be able to get anything going. The Wildcats would keep their foot on the gas to start the second half. On the second play of the drive, Lang Windham would take the handoff and score on a 37 yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 42-0. Later, the Wildcats would score again on a 1 yard pass to Lang Windham to make it 49-0. On the kickoff, JJ Littles would return it 90 yards for a touchdown to make it a 49-7 ballgame.
Fourth Quarter
Rabun County would drive down the field and extend their lead even more. Stockton would fine Clark again for a 12 yard pass to extend the lead to 56-7. The Panthers would finally start moving the ball on offense and move into Wildcat territory after a facemask penalty committed by the Wildcats. On the next play, Kaston Hemphill would find Junior Receiver Keyton Chitwood for a 40 yard touchdown pass, Chitwood’s first touchdown of the season. Rabun would then, again, extend their lead on a 5 yard pass from Stockton to Tate Ramey to make it 63-14.
The Panthers would fall to the Wildcats 63-14. Gunner Stockton finishes the game with 8 TD’s total (6 passing, 2 rushing) Going to give a huge shoutout to Gunner Stockton. One of the best high school athletes I have seen play in person. He will do huge things in the future.
The Panthers travel to Gilmer County next week. That will be the final regular season game for the Panthers before the playoffs begin.
Panthers fall to Rabun Gap, move to 3-4 on season
Featured Stories, Sports, Team FYN Sports November 6, 2020
The Union County Panthers (3-3,1-1) hosted the Rabun Gap Eagles (5-1,0-0) Thursday night @ Mike Colwell Memorial Stadium.
The Panthers are coming off their 3rd loss of the year, which is also their 1st region loss of the year. The Panthers are led by Junior Quarterback Logan Helcher & Senior Noah Underwood. The Eagles are coming off a big victory against Metrolina Christian Academy. The Eagles are led by Michigan Commit Junior Tight End Marlin Klein & Junior Defensive End Linus Zunk. The Panthers would be without Junior Running-back Carson Walker.
First Quarter
The Panthers had a big task ahead of them on Thursday size wise but they prepared well. The Eagles received the opening kickoff but the Panthers held them to a quick 3 and out on the first drive. Trace Wright made a a great pass breakup on 3rd down, covering the 6’6 TE of the Eagles. The Panthers started off their first drive with 3 straight rushes by Senior Jonah Daniel, picking up 2 quick first downs. Logan Helcher also picking up a big a big 3rd down inside the Eagles 30 yard line. The Panthers’ drive stalled but Mason McCombs made a 34 yard Field Goal to make it 3-0 early in the 1st quarter.
Second Quarter
The Panthers defense started off strong during the Eagles’ second drive, getting a key PBU by Trace Wright & Noah Underwood on an early 2nd down. The Eagles would pick up the 1st down on 3rd down, sparking a big drive by the Eagles. The Panthers defense made the Eagles work on this drive but the Eagles would end up scoring on a 10 yard touchdown pass. The Panthers would again keep handing the ball to Jonah Daniel, driving the ball into Eagle territory quickly. Jonah Daniel would exit the game during this drive, what looked like to be because of an injury. Daniel never returned so the Panthers had to rely on 3rd string running-back, Cayleb Rogers. The Panthers converted a 4th down conversion just near midfield to keep the drive alive.
Logan Helcher found Senior Kaston Hemphill for a long pass deep in Eagle territory. The drive would again stall inside Eagle territory. Senior Mason McCombs would make the 41 yard Field Goal to make it 7-6. The Eagles would get another drive going but after a deep pass was broken up again by Junior Trace Wright, the Panthers would force another punt. On the first play of the Panthers offensive drive inside their own 10 yard line, Cayleb Rogers fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Eagles. The Panthers would again hold Rabun Gap to a field goal attempt, which was missed. Logan Helcher would leave the game due to an injury and Kaston Hemphill came in to kneel the ball to end the 1st half. Junior Quarterback Logan Helcher would not return for the remainder of the game.
Third Quarter
The Panthers got the ball to start off the 3rd quarter. Without Starting Quarterback Logan Helcher and Starting Running-back Jonah Daniel, the Panthers offense had to step up big in the second half. The Panthers quickly punted the ball away after 3 straight rushes. The Eagles got off to a hot start in the 2nd half, quickly moving the ball into Panther territory. Trace Wright, already having a huge game, intercepts the pass in the end zone and gets a huge turnover for the Panthers defense. The Panthers would take over at their own 20 yard line but would quickly turn the ball over again around their own 30 yard line. On the 3rd play of the Eagles drive after the Panthers turned the ball over, the Eagles give the ball right back to the Panthers, fumbling inside the Panthers 20 yard line. Then on the first play of the Panthers drive, Kaston Hemphill’s pass is intercepted by Rabun Gap and returned to the 5 yard line. Senior Receiver Mason McCombs also got injured on this play after making the touchdown saving tackle. McCombs never returned to the game. The Panthers defense held up strong inside their own 5 yard line, but the Eagles capitalized on some miscommunication by the defense and scored on a 5 yard touchdown pass.
Fourth Quarter
On the very first play of the 4th quarter, Kaston Hemphill’s pass is intercepted at the 48 yard line. The Eagles would move the ball deep into Panther territory and score on a 21 yard pass to make it 21-6. The Panthers would have a quick 3 and out around midfield but would get a great punt by Cayleb Rogers to pin the Eagles deep inside their own 1 yard line. The Eagles would hold the ball and slowly move the ball past midfield and eventually knee the ball to run the clock out. The Panthers fall to the Eagles 21-6.
The Panthers move to 3-4 overall. The Panthers travel to Tiger, Georgia to face the Rabun County Wildcats led by the #2 ranked QB in the country, South Carolina commit, Gunner Stockton.
Offense struggles as Panthers fall to Elbert County.
Sports, Team FYN Sports November 1, 2020
BLAIRSVILLE, GA- The Union County Panthers (3-2,1-0) hosted The Elbert County Blue Devils (1-4,0-0) on a chilly night in the mountains.
First Quarter
The Blue Devils offense came out firing, pushing the ball all the way to the Panthers’ 35 yard line. The Panthers defense ended up forcing a punt. The Panthers offense, still trying to find an identity, started the game on the right foot. Huge rushes by Senior Running-back Jonah Daniel led the Panthers on the first drive. The Panthers had the ball on the 8 yard line and fumbled on the 1 as Junior Quarterback Logan Helcher tried to reach for the goal line. The Panthers defense held up strong forcing the Blue Devils to punt from their own end zone.
Second Quarter
The Panthers defense again held the Blue Devils to another punt. The defense had huge tackles for loss by Senior Noah Underwood and Senior Aaron Helton. The Panthers just couldn’t get anything going offensively, failing the 4th down conversion inside the Blue Devils 20 yard line. Both teams could not get anything going offensively, credit to both defenses for not allowing any big plays after both teams’ first drive. The Panthers held the Blue Devils to another punt, which was blocked by Junior Elijah Helton and the Panthers took over from the Blue Devils 45 yard line. On the first play of the drive, the Blue Devils intercepted Quarterback Logan Helcher and returned it for a touchdown. The next drive ended the same way. Logan Helcher’s pass was intercepted on an attempted screen pass. The Panthers defense held the Blue Devils to a field goal to make the score 10-0 late in the second quarter. The Panthers failed to score any points before halftime.
Third Quarter
To start the second half, the Panthers came out moving the ball down the field. Getting the ball down to the Blue Devils 12 yard line after the Blue Devils committed a pass interference on a deep pass intended for Kaston Hemphill. The Panthers would have to settle for a field goal which made the score 10-3. The Panthers defense forced a much needed turnover. Noah Underwood sacked the QB and picked up the fumble near midfield. On the first play of the Panthers offensive drive, Quarterback Logan Helcher evaded tackles and found Noah Underwood for a 40 yard touchdown to tie the game at 10 a piece. The Blue Devils started to move the ball well on offense, taking the ball all the way to the Panthers 35 yard line, but the Panthers defense stopped the drive there. The Blue Devils would again, intercept another pass and return it all the way to the 5 yard line and score on a 7 yard pass after a penalty, to take the lead, 17-10. The Panthers would get the ball moving well again offensively heading into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter
On the first play of the fourth quarter, The Blue Devils would intercept another pass as Quarterback Logan Helcher would try to get rid of the ball while getting hit. The Blue Devils would return it for a touchdown to extend their lead to 24-10. The Panthers offense couldn’t get going on the next drive and failed to convert on 4th down inside their own 30 yard line after a mistimed snap. The Panthers defense didn’t allow any points on that drive and forced another punt. The Panthers were forced to punt on their next offensive drive. The Blue Devils would quickly score on their next drive on a 47 yard touchdown run, extending their lead to 31-10. The Blue Devils would hold the ball until the clock ran out to end the game.
The Panthers fall to the Blue Devils, 31-10. That gives the Panthers their first region loss of the year.
The Panthers will host Rabun Gap on Thursday, November 6 @ 6:30.
Defense leads the way for the Panthers first region win against Banks
Featured Stories, Sports, Team FYN Sports October 24, 2020
HOMER, GA- The defense was key for the Panthers as they hold on to beat Banks County 19-7. The Panthers struggled on offense but made the right plays at the right time to seal the victory.
This was the first region matchup for both Union County (3-2,1-0) & Banks County (1-6,0-1). Union had not played a game in 2 weeks due to one of their games being cancelled because of COVID-19 and then one week was their bye week. Banks County had lost to Haralson County last week, 44-0. Both teams have played Commerce & Fannin County and had both lost to each team.
1st Quarter
The Panthers got off to a great start defensively led by senior Aaron Helton who had a big tackle for loss on the first drive and a sack on the second drive. (0:00-17:00) The Panthers struggled to move the ball most of the first quarter, mostly due to not playing the last 2 weeks. The Panthers defense held their ground all of the first quarter, not giving the Leopards a chance to get anything going offensively.
2nd Quarter
The Panthers had 2 quick turnovers, each happening on the first play of each drive, giving the Leopards great field position after each turnover. The Panthers did get the ball right back after the second turnover, the Leopards also fumbled on the first play of their drive. (18:00-29:00) That really lit a spark for the Panthers offense knowing that they can play better and getting a chance to prove it on this drive. On the second play of the drive, Junior Quarterback Logan Helcher ran a read option play and kept the ball and taking it 66 yards to the house. (30:00-49:00) The Panthers missed the PAT to maker it 6-0. After that, give credit to the Panthers defense, forcing the Leopards into some mistakes and forced another punt. The Panthers offense stalled out again going into halftime up 6-0.
3rd Quarter
The Panthers got the ball to start the second half and got off to a hot start running the hurry up offense. Gaining lots of yards each play and spreading the ball all around the field. Junior Quarterback Logan Helcher running for a gain of 30+ yards (0:50-1:01) and throwing a long pass to Junior Wide Receiver Keaton Chitwood.(1:02-1:13) The Panthers capped off the drive with a 1 yard touchdown by Senior Running back Jonah Daniel, his first of the season, in his first game back after breaking his ankle in week 1 against Fannin County. (1:14-1:26) Union County missed yet another PAT but still held the lead, 12-0. Again, the Panthers defense held the Leopards to a punt after letting up a few first downs. The Panthers drive ended on another turnover as Quarterback Logan Helcher threw his second interception of the game.
4th Quarter
The Leopards gave the ball right back to the Panthers, bobbling a handoff that was recovered by Senior Kaston Hemphill. (1:28-1:39) The Leopards would get the ball back after a 3 and out by The Panthers and finally get the ball rolling on offense. The Leopards stuck with the run game and caught the Panthers by surprise with a counter play on a 36 yard touchdown. The Panthers had another 3 and out on the next drive and the Leopards had the ball mid 4th quarter with the chance to take to the lead. The Panthers defense held strong and forced the Leopards to go for it on 4th down. On 4th down Senior JJ Littles made a great defensive play, breaking up the double-pass. (1:40-1:53) The Panthers took over deep in Leopard territory and scored on a 24 yard screen play to senior Jonah Daniel on 4th down with 1:36 left to seal the victory for the Panthers. (1:54-2:14)
Union County hosts Elbert County next Friday, Oct 30, which is their second region matchup of the season.