Win & You’re In: Fannin Hosts Haralson County Thursday Night For Final Region 7AA Playoff Spot

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Photo courtesy of Rachel Adams

Blue Ridge, Ga- Every year since Chad Cheatham has taken over the reins as head football coach at Fannin County High School, the Rebels have seen postseason action. In his first year as head coach in 2018, he led the Rebels to a 4 and 7 record and their first playoff appearance in eight years. The Rebels’ success has only grown since then and they have two Region 7AA Titles in their trophy case to prove it.

While the Region Title may be out of reach this year, the Rebels have a chance to make their fifth straight playoff appearance in as many years with a win over the Haralson County Rebels this Thursday night.

This year has been one of ups and downs for the Fannin County faithful. Starting out the year 0 and 2 with losses to both of your bitter rivals wasn’t exactly the way Rebel fans thought this 2022 season would go. But since the shaky start, Cheatham and company have been able to right the ship, and they sit at 5-4 on the year with a chance to cement themselves into the playoffs in their final regular season game of the year.

A home game in Blue Ridge.

Against the “other” Rebels in Region 7AA.

For a spot in the GHSA State Playoffs.

You can’t script it any better than this.

Fannin County enters Thursday night’s contest coming off of a loss to the number 7 ranked team in AA ball, the Rockmart Yellow Jackets. Fannin was able to hold the powerhouse to just 21 points in the game, and while they may have taken the L they are holding their heads high. Haralson County enters the game 3-6 overall, coming off a blowout win over Murray County.

This is playoff football in Blue Ridge before the playoffs even start, and the “real” Rebels will need your support this Thursday night. This is shaping up to be one of the best regular season games in recent memory, so come out and support Fannin County in the quest to make it 5 in a row. Kickoff is at 6:30 in Blue Ridge.

 

Fannin Jumps Model In Region 7AA Standings With Blowout Win Over Murray County

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For any Indians player or fan hoping they’d finally find the win column will have to wait one more week as Fannin County dominated the Indians on their own turf, winning 49-6. Fannin County scored at least ten points in every quarter in this game and their defense did a great job shutting out Murray County until a late garbage time TD. The Rebels now 3-1 in region play, sit at third place in the region standings after Model suffered another loss. Fannin County does hold a potential decisive tiebreaker over North Murray. As for the Indians, they remain winless on the season.

Team Notes

QB Elijah Weaver completed nine passes for 112 yards and three touchdowns. Bryson Holloway racked up 57 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns on the ground while also hauling in one of Weaver’s TD passes. Corbin Davenport led the team in rushing yards with 113 yards and a TD on just three carries, good for a 37.7 YPC average. He also had 69 receiving yards on four catches and a TD. Carson Collis brought in the other TD pass from Weaver. The Fannin defense showed up big and was led by So. Cooper Born who led the team with eight tackles while Jr. Brody Paskill led the team with four TFLs, one being a sack. The Rebels picked off the Indians three times with Bryson Holloway grabbing two and Cooper Born snagging the other.

The struggles continue for the winless Murray County Indians. Neither Maxpreps nor Hudl had individual stats posted for Murray County.

Look Ahead

Fannin will host the Rockmart Yellowjackets in what’s sure to be a dog fight. Rockmart sits atop the region standings and has held region opponents to just 14 points. If the Rebels can pull it off, they could potentially lay claim to the region title. As for the Indians they will travel to Tallapoosa to take on 2-6 (1-3) Haralson County.

FYN Sports Top 5 Football Stadiums in Our Viewing Area

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Just here to spark a little bit of fun debate during the off-season! Our writers blind voted on their favorite stadiums in our viewing area, and these were the results. I’m sure everyone will have their own opinion, so let us hear your opinions and what we got wrong!

Each stadium write up is written by a member of the schools community.

1. Fannin County High School

Fannin County High School Football Stadium comes in at #1 on our FYN Sports Top Football Stadium in our Coverage Area.

Although the stadium has no nickname, it is often been referred to in the past as “The Battlefield”

Fannin County may have the best entrance in all of Georgia. The Rebels walk out of their locker-room directly to a gigantic blow up Fannin County Football Helmet.  Coach Cheatham usually is the 1st one to break open the facemask on the helmet and the Fannin County Football team walks onto the field with arms locked. The cannon fires, the smoke rises, music blares, lights go out and then flash from pole to pole. It is a striking entrance and one that every High School Football fan needs to see.

Yes, we mentioned a Cannon. And yes, it does fire. Every time Fannin County enters the stadium and scores a Touchdown the Cannon is shot and is heard throughout the town of Blue Ridge. Yes, we mentioned Lights cutting off and flashing. Every time a Touchdown is scored Fannin County’s LED Light system will flash from pole to pole igniting the roar of the Fannin County 12th man.

Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” is played and PA Announcer Tim Towe famous “ITS 3rd DOWN” sparks the Rebel Nation to make noise on 3rd Down.

I think if you witnessed a game here during Fannin County’s magical season last season you would agree with our choice.

The Stadium is a true 12th man Atmosphere. Powered by everything we have mentioned and the award winning Fannin County High School Marching band, the cheerleaders and “The Blue Crew” ( Student Section)  Fannin County is our choice for Top Stadium in our coverage area.

2. Murphy High School

Photo taken by Mark Muir

David Gentry Field at Bob Hedrix memorial stadium is nothing short of picturesque. The location of the stadium is one of it’s best qualities, being right off the road and allowing passers by to honk their car horns and cheer on the Dogs, whether that be on Friday night or Tuesday afternoon at practice. Watching the team walk down the hill at 7:27 on Friday night just before kickoff is electric. The sun setting behind the visiting bleachers on a crisp fall evening is really something to behold. Dont even get me started on the sheer history of what’s been accomplished on that field. 10 state championship teams have played under those lights, and for the past 40 years, perhaps the greatest High School football coach of all time has coached on that sideline. Add to that JR Carrol shouting “1st and 10 Bulldogs” over the speakers, you’ve got a recipe for one of the greatest high school football atmospheres in the country.

Photo taken by MHS Athletics on Facebook

They don’t call it “BULLDOG COUNTRY” for nothin’.

Former Dogs Head Coach & Hall of Famer David Gentry said, “There’s no better high than the one you get on Friday nights in Murphy between the hours of 7:30 & 9:30. That feeling you get for those two hours, it’s unattainable anywhere else.”

3. Robbinsville High School

Robbinsville’s Big Oaks Stadium is a rethink-your-ranking kind of stadium. A truly historical field, it has hosted the home games of over 50 years of Black Knight football teams without ever being moved to a new location. The stadium is also directly adjacent to the original “old rock” schoolhouse of the 1900s.

The field is not the only piece of historical significance—the players themselves, often generational descendants of fellow state champions, give the Friday Night aesthetic of a Robbinsville Black Knights’ football game the aura of dominance. These boys know the magnitude of what they are playing for.

With 14 State Titles earned on its grass, the Big Oaks guarantees you a night of knock-down and drag-out, old-fashioned football, complete with rows of aged-oak trees, and a sunset view over its Smoky Mountain backdrop. Being the true embodiment of the AC/DC rock hit—Back In Black—the Big Oaks Stadium is THE must see stop of any stadium tour.

4. Union County High School

Photo from Chris Mathis

We look to Union County’s Mike Colwell Memorial Stadium a.k.a “The Mike.” There are many great high school football venues; not many, however, pack a 1-2 punch with a beautiful view and electric atmosphere like this one.

Photo from Chris Mathis

This venue offers a beautiful turf field and an even more astounding view of the crisp Blue Ridge Mountains. Mike Colwell Memorial Stadium is one that you’ll never forget, one that provides a bit of everything you could ever want on a Friday night underneath the lights!

5. Pickens County High School

Photo from North Cobb Electrical Services

 

What can there be said about Dragon Stadium? The crowd, the atmosphere, the view? It starts when you pull into Pickens High School with Sharptop Mountain in the background. The sun coming down behind the trees. The Dragons walking down the hill as they make their entrance. The thing about being in a small, mountain community, when the Dragons take the field, it’s the main attraction on Friday nights. There is no doubt, that Dragon Stadium has one of the more picturesque backgrounds in the state of Georgia.

Playoff Preview: What you need to know about Heard County

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If you’re reading this article then odds are that you have been following the Fannin County Rebels football team all year. This year has brought them a lot of success on the field, and this week a Fannin football team is preparing for a second round playoff game for the first time since 1995.

#TeamFYNSports would like to give you a little insight about what to expect from the Rebels second round opponent, the Heard County Braves.

What you need to know-

Schedule-

The Braves went 8-4 on the year. Two of their losses came against bigger schools like Cedartown and Central. One came in overtime against Temple, and the other in their last regular season game against number 8 AJC ranked Callaway.

They have a few key wins over some good opponents. The first game of the year they were able to handle South Atlanta pretty easily, and then beat Pepperell the next week.

Last week they played in a tough one against Union County in the first round of the playoffs. They were up 28-7 in the second quarter, before allowing Union to climb back into it. Union cut Heards lead to 3 points with 4:55 left in the fourth quarter, but the Braves were ultimately able to hold on and win 31-28.

Chief Borders-

Chief Borders is Heard County’s impact player. He is a 6-foot-5, 242-pound, four star linebacker who is committed to the University of Florida. He plays all over the field, but is most dangerous in the buck rush D-end position. In his last two years of football, he has 106 total tackles, two sacks, five tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble, and two defended passes.

As a senior this year, he has also been playing on the offensive side of the football. He has 5 catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.

As a fan in the stands this Friday night, you should definitely keep your eyes on number 14.

Run first offense-

The Heard County offense this year has scored over 300 total points on the year. That is thanks to the 220 yards per game they average on the ground.

Number 7, Ashton Bonner is a little scat back that has found the end zone 11 times for the Braves. He has rushed for over 100 yards in the last four games that Heard has played, including 185 against Callaway. He also compiled 200 all purpose yards in last weeks game against Union, 99 through the air and 101 on the ground.

Established Program-

Won 2018 state championship in 2018. They were 10-3 overall in 2018 and beat Rockmart in the AA State Championship. They also went 12-2 in 2017. Last year they were down a little bit, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that usually every year they are in the thick of things come December. There are players on this team that know what its like to play in a state championship and they are definitely an experienced team.

#17-

Skyler Thomas, number 17 for the Braves, is a transfer out of California. He is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound cornerback with an offer from UNLV. Thomas did not play last week against Union County. He will be one to watch out for IF he plays this week against the Rebels.

 

Vote for Rebels Head Coach Chad Cheatham to win Coach of the Year!

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Fannin County Rebels Head Coach Chad Cheatham is in the running for the NwGAFootball Coach of The Year award!

Coach Cheatham has led the Rebels to an undefeated regular season, the Region 7aa Championship, and the second round of the playoffs thus far!

His success on the field is overshadowed only by what he and his football team have been able to do off the field. They have made a huge impact in the community of Blue Ridge, and helped families come together during this trying year that has been 2020.

This 2020 Fannin County Rebels football team has scored the most points in program history at 376. To go right along with the Rebs high powered offense, the defense has been a brick wall all year, only allowing 104 points to be scored on them all year, another program record.

This was the first year since 2007 that the Rebels won a Region Championship, and the first time that they had won a playoff game since 1995!

This 2020 group of players and coaches will be remembered no matter what, but #TeamFYNsports is inviting you to make sure that they can also be remembered by having the Coach of the Year!

You can vote for Chad Cheatham to win NwGAFootball Coach of the Year HERE.

Click the link and scroll to the bottom of the page where it says VOTE.

Fannin VS Pace game time moved to Saturday Nov. 28th @ 6 p.m.

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The undefeated, Region 7 AA champion, Fannin County Rebels will face off against the 6-2 Pace Academy Knights this coming Saturday November 28th at 6 p.m. at Fannin County High School.

The GHSA announced earlier today that they were moving the 2a and 5a state playoff games from Friday to Saturday so that the best available referees would be able to work both days.

I would not be surprised if this is the precedent going forward. I would expect most 2a and 5a games to be played on Saturdays from here on out.

#TeamFYNsports will also be hosting a special edition of Rebel Wrap up tomorrow at 1130 at the Fannin County High School football field.

Good Luck to the Rebels, #TeamFYNsports is in your corner!

Rebels 1 Win Away From Perfect Regular Season

Team FYN Sports

Written by Tim Towe

 

Region Champs Fannin County 1 Win away from Perfect Regular Season Travel to Dade Friday

Fannin County last Wednesday Nov 11th clinched their 1st Football Region Title since 2007. Only in 2020, would you clinch a Region Championship on a Wednesday. The Rebels were slated to play the 4-4- Coosa Eagles at home on Friday Nov 13th but the game was cancelled due to Covid Protocols from Coosa. Coosa’s football season is over as they had to cancel their remaining games against Fannin and Pepperell

This has been a special season for the Rebels. I know the Coaching Staff and the Players wanted to clinch the Region Championship on their home turf. This Friday, the current Fannin Football team, can do only what one Fannin County team has done in School history with a win. The Rebels are led by a great senior leadership QB Luke Holloway, LB Micah Oneal, OL Mason Bundy, WR Cohutta Hyde, Jalen Ingram and many more.

An Undefeated Regular Season.

Something that has only been done once in School History. As the 1995 team led by Head Coach Joby Scroggs went 12-1 and lost in the quarterfinals to Cartersville. The 1995 team ended the season ranked 13th in the AJC and 10th in the Writer’s Poll.

#7

The number of the week is 7. This year’s Rebels are currently ranked 7th by the AJC, 7th by GPB Sports, and 7th by Recruit Georgia. 7, of course a very popular number around the Fannin High School program. That number is retired and was worn by Former Fannin Rebel and Former Green Bay Packer Brian Satterfield.

Game Preview

#7 Fannin vs Dade 

QB Battle ( 2 of the State’s Top 3 QB’s in this game)

Tonight’s game features 2 of the top 3 players in AA in Total Yards Per Game. Fannin’s Luke Holloway is 2nd with 265 yards per game. Dade County’s Makinley Everett is 3rd with 257 Yard Per Game. Rabun County 5 Star South Carolina commit Gunner Stockton is 1st with 341.

All Time Series

The series is tied at 2. This is the 1st meeting since 1979.  In 1978, the Rebels lost the 1st ever meeting 16-7. In 1979, the Rebels won the game 7-3 led by Head Coach Raymond Montgomery.

 

History for Fannin on Friday Night?

7-0 with a chance to finish the regular season tonight at 8-0. The Rebels play at Dade County tonight. It’s a good drive but I highly encourage everyone in Blue Ridge to go support these boys tonight.  You will get a chance to witness history as Rebels try to become 2nd team in school history to go undefeated.

The Rebels will host a 1st Round Playoff Game Next Friday Nov 27th 7:30pm

Fannin County defeats Chattooga, Now Ranked 8th in AJC

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Author: Tim Towe

The undefeated record for the Fannin County Rebels improved to 7-0 on a rare Saturday night game against Chattooga.

This was the 4th road game of the season for Fannin, and it was also the 4th road game where the Rebel Fans from Blue Ridge had a better crowd than the hometown team did. Chattooga isn’t exactly a rock throw from Blue Ridge like Union County is.

Micah ONeal had a game to remember on defense for the Rebels. 15 tackles, 3 TFL’s and a safety that led the Rebels to a 37-7 victory on Saturday at Chattooga. The Rebel defense only allowed 108 total yards. 48 of those 108 came on a touchdown run by Chattooga’s LaShaun Lester who is the region’s best running back and has a UAB offer. The Rebel defense held the highly recruited Lester to 51 yards on the night. McCay Turner, Jake Sands and James Mercer had 5 tackles. Andrew Waldrep had 6 tackles, Dalton Ross had 7 tackles, Logan Long had 8 Tackles, Cason Owensby had 11. Carson Collis had an INT for the Rebels.

Luke Holloway found Cohutta Hyde and Jalen Ingram for Touchdown passes, and Seth Reece found pay-dirt 3 times in the 3rd quarter and had 80 yards on the ground Saturday.

All State Punter Luke Holloway had his best punting performance of the year. 4 Punts with 220 yards and averaged 55 yards per punt with a long of 66.

This is a special season for the Fannin County Rebels with amazing support from the whole county.

The Rebels are receiving statewide recognition. They have been ranked by GPB, Recruit Georgia and Cal Prep for the last several weeks. On Tuesday The Atlanta Journal Constitution ranked the Rebels for the 1st time since 1996 coming in at 8th.

Fannin County host Coosa this Friday Night. The Rebels are asking all fans to wear black for a blackout. Fannin can clinch its 1st Region Title Friday with a Win since 2007 and 3rd in School History. Kickoff is at 7:30pm.

Fannin 36-Pepperell 23, Rebels take early control of Region 7AA

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Written by: Tim Towe

 

Lindale Georgia and Pepperell High School at Dragon stadium was the site of the highly anticipated region showdown between Region Favorite Pepperell and Fannin County.

When the GHSA announced is reclassification and the Rebels were put in region 7aa, every Rebel Fan had this one circled.

The week was filled with quite the bit of chatter on twitter from Pepperell players and even Dade County Head Football Coach Jeff Potson who was quoted saying “Pepperell by more than you think.”

Side Note: Fannin travels to Dade County on November 20th.

Credit the Rebels of Fannin County, led by 3rd year Head Coach Chad Cheatham for keeping the Rebels off social media and simply focused on taking care of business on the field on Friday night.

The Rebels won the coin toss and elected to receive. Seth Reece was the captain for the Rebels.

1st Quarter 

Fannin would put together an 8 play 70-yard opening drive that ended with a Seth Reece 1-yard Touchdown.  7-0 Rebels.

The following kickoff, Pepperell’s Marsyan Griffin went 81 yards to the end zone. Pepperell would convert the 2 pt. try and lead 8-7 with 8:09 left in the 1st.

Senior Quarterback and Team Captain Luke Holloway had a night to remember. On the next drive he found Cohutta Hyde for a 53-yard touchdown pass and Hyde ran right past Griffin in coverage to take a 15-8 lead. Luke would find Jalen Ingram on the 2-pt. conversion.

The following possession for Pepperell, Andre Bivens had a near interception on 1st down, Micah Oneal made the stop on 2nd down on Pepperell Running Back DJ Rogers.  Dalton Ross made the stop on 3rd down and on 4th and 1 the Rebel Defense got a big turnover on downs as Cason Owensby, Jake Sands, Andrew Waldrep and Jalen Ingram all broke through and helped make the stop.

Fannin would take over on the 43 and put together a nice drive before a pass was tipped in the end zone for an interception. Pepperell would take over on their own 4 to end the 1st.

2nd Quarter 

Pepperell would put together a nice drive before having to punt. Pepperell had a great punt as they completely flipped field position by having punt go all the way to the Fannin 1-yard line.

Fannin would drive just across midfield before having to punt. Luke Holloway, who also is an all-state punter, had a great punt that put Pepperell starting inside their own 20 YARD LINE

DJ Rogers would break loose for an 81-yard Pepperell Touchdown. Extra point was good bringing the score 15 all with 1:40 left in 2nd quarter.

Fannin would punt back to Pepperell. Pepperell would miss a 40-yard field goal wide left to take us to halftime.

3rd Quarter 

Pepperell would receive the kickoff to start the 2nd half and take over on the 30. Cason Owensby would deliver a nice hit forcing a fumble and Seth Reece would recover. A huge momentum swing for the Rebels.

Caleb Postell would have a nice 15-yard run on the drive down to the Pepperell 5. Luke Holloway would punch it in for touchdown. Fannin would take the lead 22-15 with 7:57 left in the 3rd.

A big 3rd down stop by the Rebels led by Jake Sands and Mason Bundy would force Pepperell to punt.

Fannin would punt right back to Pepperell with a nice punt by Holloway that landed at Pepperell’s own 13.

Andrew Waldrop and Carson Collis would have a nice stop on 2nd down forcing a big 3rd down for Pepperell late in the 3rd quarter. Dalton Ross and Micah Oneal would Sack the Pepperell Quarterback forcing a huge 3 and out for The Rebel Defense.

4th quarter 

Pepperell would force Fannin to punt on the following possession. Then the Rebel defense stood tall forcing a punt.

Luke Holloway would engineer a great drive with some great runs on the drive. Caleb Postell would have some nice runs on the ground of his own on the drive also that put the Rebels in striking distance. Luke would find Jalen Ingram and then found Andre Bivens to set up 1st and goal for the Rebels. Luke would punch it in from the 5-yard line and the Rebels took a 29-15 lead with 4:50 to go.

Pepperell would answer with another touchdown run by DJ Rogers. That would bring the score 29-23 Fannin with 3:01 left in the ball game.

Next possession for Fannin. Luke Holloway would provide one of the most memorable touchdown runs in recent memory for Fannin County going 64 yards for a touchdown. Score was 36-23 with 1:56 left in the 4th.

Fannin would control rest of clock and win the game 36-23 advancing to 2-0 in Region 7AA.

Luke Holloway was the player of the game for Fannin with 373 Total yards. 231 Yards Rushing and 142 passing and 4 Total Touchdowns. Every member of the Rebel defense stepped up but I want to give a special shoutout to the Fannin Offensive Line. Mason Bundy, Micah Oneal, Dylan Collins, Chris Scott, Rico Arellanes and Brayden Foster all played great.

Fannin County is 5-0 for the 1st time since 1995. A year the Rebels went 12-1 with a loss to Cartersville in the State Quarterfinals. The Rebels win over Pepperell Friday was the 1st in School’s history over Pepperell though the teams haven’t played since 1989.

The Rebels were scheduled to play @ Copper Basin on Friday, but that game is not cancelled due to Covid protocols from Copper Basin.

The Rebels will now look ahead to hosting Model on Friday October 30th. In what could very well decide at the very least a playoff spot and possibly a region championship.

Fannin County blows past Gordon Central, remains undefeated

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https://youtu.be/uOx1EknfzcA

Timestamps for the highlight plays in the video above are bolded in the article below.

 

Fannin County (3-0,0-0) hosted The Gordon Central Warriors (1-3, 0-0) on a rainy Friday night in the first region matchup of the year for both teams.

Fannin has started the season off in the best way possible, beating Union County for the first time since 2007 and dominating both Southwest Whitfield & Banks County.

Gordon Central has started the season off with a rough start losing to Woodland, Northwest Whitfield and Gordon Lee and only beating Southwest Whitfield.

Fannin got off to a great start, scoring on the very first play of the game. Starting Quarterback Luke Holloway throwing a short pass to Wide Receiver Jalen Ingram and Ingram taking it 55 yards to the house.(0:00-0:15)  The Rebels defense started off strong only allowing Gordon Central to gain 5 yards on their first drive, followed by a blocked punt that was picked up by the Rebels and walked in for the touchdown. (0:15-0:20) The Rebels continued dominating the game on both sides of the ball, with another score on their next offensive drive with a 9 yard touchdown run by Caleb Postell. (0:21-0:33)

Late in the first quarter, Gordon Central started to gain some momentum offensively led by starting quarterback Tre Williams & Jordan Boone. The Warriors picked up a few first downs and was moving the ball with ease. At the beginning of the second quarter, the drive came to an end due to a fumbled handoff recovered by the Rebels around midfield.

In the second quarter, the Rebels kept their foot on the gas, scoring 3 quick touchdowns. Luke Hollloway found Andre Bivens for a long touchdown pass (0:34-0:46) & then found Cohutta Hyde on the next drive for a 30 yard touchdown. (0:47-0:59)  The next offensive drive Luke Holloway threw a short screen pass to Cohutta Hyde and he took it 35 yards to the house. (1:00- 1:11) If you thought Fannin was gonna let off the gas, you thought wrong. The next drive by Gordon Central ended with an interception by Andre Bivens and he ran all the way down to the 4 yard line. That was followed by a 4 yard touchdown run by Seth Reece. (1:12- 1:22) The Rebels led the Indians 49-0 at halftime.

 

The Rebels defense started off the 2nd half with a fumble recovery taken for a touchdown to make it 57-0. (1:23-1:43) The Rebels defense held their ground the entire game and played as well a game as the coaching staff could have asked for. The Warriors did eventually score late in the 4th quarter but missed the PAT to make the final score 57-6.

Fannin County is now 4-0 and they will travel to Pepperell to play the Dragons next Friday.

Fannin County 2-0 following 48-0 shutout over Southeast Whitfield

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Written by Tim Towe

The Rebels were back in action this past Friday (Sept 26th) at Southeast Whitfield after 21 days between games. Fannin was unable to play against Gilmer County on Sept 12th due to Covid protocols. September 19th was an original bye week scheduled for Fannin.

Fannin walked out on Friday night led by Head Coach Chad Cheatham, Mason Bundy and Dalton Ross. Cohutta Hyde was the lone captain at midfield for the Rebels. Fannin won the toss and elected to receive.

On the 2nd play from scrimmage, Quarterback Luke Holloway found Jalen Ingram for a 78-yard touchdown pass, but it was called back via a holding penalty.

Later in the 1st, Southeast would put together a decent drive. Driving all the way down to Fannin 1. The Rebels would have an amazing goal line stand with a big tackle by Logan Long.

Fannin would go 99 yards on the following drive highlighted by an 80-yard pass from Holloway to Jalen Ingram. This time there were no flags and Fannin took a 6-0 lead with 1:55 left in the 1st.

The 2nd quarter and the remainder of the game would be all Rebels. Luke Holloway connected with Jalen Ingram through the air again to go up 14-0 with 8:25 left. Ingram would add another catch on the 2 pt. conversion.

Fannin would add another touchdown pass through the air via the Holloway/Hyde connection from 35 yards out. The extra point was good making it 21-0 Fannin with 6:08 left in 2nd.

Running Back Caleb Postell would get in on the scoring party for the Rebels on the next drive making it 28-0 Fannin and that would be your score heading into the half.

Fannin would start the 3rd quarter on fire as Luke Holloway found Cohutta Hyde for a touchdown pass. It was Holloway’s 4th touchdown pass of the night and Hyde’s 2nd receiving touchdown pass of the night.

Jackson Davis would score his 1st touchdown of the season on the ground for the Rebels making it 42-0 with 5:53 left in the 3rd.

Carter Mann checked in at quarterback for Fannin and engineered a scoring drive halfway through the 4th. Mann found the end zone on the ground with 5 minutes left in the 4th to make it 48-0.

What you see so far in this article is all offensive stats.

What you don’t see is defense.

Fannin’s varsity defense only allowed 17 yards of total offense on Friday night. The Southeast Raider offense only had 96 total yards on offense.

The linebacker trio of Micah ONeal, Cason Owensby and Andrew Waldrep led the way for Fannin with 29 tackles combined. Dalton Ross and Tommy Ledford each had a sack on the night for Fannin.

Carson Collis had an interception and a fumble recovery for Fannin.

Fannin will host their 1st game of the 2020 season Friday night (October 2nd)  as they welcome the Banks County Leopards. This will be the 1st game for Head Coach Chad Cheatham against his former team.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 and it will be Homecoming for the Rebels. This will be the 11th all-time meeting between Fannin and Banks. Fannin leads the series 6-4

Rebels fired up for Friday night after 2 weeks off

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It has been a long time coming for the Fannin County Rebels this week. They have faced a ton of turmoil since their week one thriller victory over Union County.

Fannin County was scheduled to play Gilmer County as we all know, in their second game of the year. That game was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19 protocol. Some trash talking from one side or the other began after that, which I will not get into.

Fannin then had a bye week scheduled for last Friday night, so they did not play then either.

Come Friday night the 25th, it will have been 21 days since Fannin County has played a football game. I would venture to guess that this is the longest in Fannin County football history that they have went between regular season games.

Unfortunately for Southeast Whitfield, they drew the short straw and have to play a team that I would say this Friday, after all they have been through, will be one of the hottest teams in the country.

I spoke to Senior quarterback Luke Holloway this week, and he simply had this to say about the Rebels sabbatical:

“It has felt great to be back at practice after having to sit out for a week and then having a bye. Although, all that matters is that we still have a ten game schedule. It means a lot knowing that as of right now we still have a full schedule and I can’t imagine having a shortened senior season.”

You can tell just from speaking to these Fannin County players just for five minutes that Head Coach Chad Cheatham has instilled in them a sense of humility. A lot of players from a lot of teams tend to let their mouths do the talking instead of their play. That is not the case from this 2020 Fannin team. You’re not gonna get some “yeah we are gonna kick their tail” sound bite from any of Coach Cheatham’s players or staff.

The Rebels carry themselves on an everyday basis the same way that they came out of the tunnel 3 weeks ago against Union County. With their heads down and their eyes forward.

I was also able to speak to some long time Rebel fans about how they feel about the upcoming week after having to go so long without seeing or even hearing any high school football. One elderly gentleman said:

“I’ve been around Fannin County football since before you were born. It’s a part of me. Hell, its a part of this whole town. Things just don’t seem right when they aren’t playing on Friday night in the fall. All I know is that on Friday night, I would hate to be Southeast Whitfield.”

You might not be able to get a sound bite from the current Fannin players, but you can always count on getting one from an old Rebel fan.

Fannin County will play at Southeast Whitfield this Friday night the 23rd, where senior QB Luke Holloway and Head Coach Chad Cheatham will look to improve on their 1-0 record. Stay tuned into Team FYN Sports for the latest updates on the game and your other favorite teams in the surrounding area.

GHSA to discuss department of public health’s concerns tomorrow

FCHS Football, Sports
ghsa football

Georgia High School Association director Robin Hines has his weekly meeting with the sports medicine advisory committee on Wednesday, and this week they will discuss the Georgia Department of Public Health’s concerns about fall sports.

Dr. Kathleen Toomey said on a zoom call on Friday that she had rising concerns about fall sports and the risks involved in football, cheerleading and band.

Hines responded to the department of public health’s concerns by saying, “I felt like the meeting was informative, and I appreciate Dr. Toomey taking the time to share with our superintendents her thoughts on reopening schools. As a result, it’s certainly increased the communication between the GHSA and the department of public health. We look forward to working with them.”

Dr. Toomey did not specifically say that fall sports should not be played, however she did mention that sports such as golf and tennis make it easier to maintain social distance than something like football or cheerleading would.

Stay tuned to the FYN Sports pages to find out how tomorrows meeting went and get the most recent updates on GHSA sports.

Over 600 players and coaches in Georgia test positive for COVID

FCHS Football
ghsa positive

The GHSA has reported that over 600 players and coaches have tested positive for COVID since voluntary workouts began on June 8th.

The Georgia High School Association sent out and email on Tuesday, where they confirmed that they have had a reported 655 positive tests, including over 1,000 screen outs. Screen outs are when a player or coach is held out of practice due to a high temperature check or health questionnaire.

Several local area teams have stopped and started workouts since the June 8th restart, due to complications with the virus.

These numbers that he GHSA has released are not entirely accurate, as the GHSA does not require positive tests to be reported to the association, however it is encouraged so that the data can be compiled and used in the decision making process.

“The data is aggregate and for decision-making purposes,” GHSA associate director Don Corr said in Tuesdays email. “It is our belief that this data is incomplete and varies due to individual infectious disease plans formulated by each member school.”

6 GHSA teams have reported to the GHSA that they are shutting down their practice’s this week. There could be more since the GHSA also does not require practice activity to be reported either. The teams that are not practicing currently are Morgan County, Putnam County, Greene County, Social Circle and Lincoln County in east and central Georgia and Lakeside in DeKalb County.

Each school district has their own protocol in dealing with the positive coronavirus cases, as the GHSA has decided to give the power to the schools instead of setting a governing body of rules.

 

Rebels Become 2-0 in Region

Fannin County High, Team FYN Sports
Rebels 2-0 in region!

Last night, the Fannin County Rebels traveled to East Hall to take on the Vikings for their second region game of the season. The Rebels had just come from a 21-7 region victory over the Cherokee Bluff Bears and hoped to continue the trend.

Fannin won the coin toss and decided to receive the ball. Cohutta Hyde was the one to receive as he ran it to the 35 yard line. Treylyn Owensby was the go to guy for handoffs as he gained most of Fannin’s yards.

After Owensby earned a Fannin first down, he ran the ball in for a touchdown on the next play. Sara Sosebee’s attempt at an extra point was good, putting Fannin ahead 7-0.

The Rebels defense was solid as Micah O’Neal had big tackles and Carson Beavers had great coverage to keep the Vikings from catching long passes.

After the defense refused to give up any points, their offense took the field. As Fannin made their way up the field, Luke Holloway made a pass to Hyde for him to move around the defense and score another Fannin touchdown for Sosebee’s kick to be good, putting the score at 14-0.

Jalen Ingram had a squib kick where Fannin stopped the Vikings as Jackson Weeks mas a wall on defense. Seth Reece continued the trend as he brought a Viking down and kept them from gaining any yards. Fannin’s defensive pressure caused the quarterback to fumble the ball for Jakob Tuggle to recover and gain possession for Fannin. East Hall redeemed themselves soon after that as they recovered a Rebel fumble.

To close out an eventful first quarter, the Vikings made their mark on the score board as they ran the ball from their 20 yard line all the way to their end zone, but failed at an attempt of a two point conversion, putting Fannin ahead 14-6.

Andre Bivens hustled as he made a great catch right beside the sideline and did everything in his power to keep it in bounds for a Rebel first down.

Will Mosley was another go to for handoffs to gain yards for Fannin. Holloway looked up the field to find Mosely open as he ran it to the 1 yard line, putting the Rebels in perfect scoring position. Owensby did it again as he ran the ball in for a touchdown on the next play.

Sosebee’s kick went right through the uprights, giving Fannin a 28-6 lead. Despite the Rebel’s great defensive pressure, the Vikings found an open man to make a long pass to for East Hall to find themselves at their one yard line to run the ball in for a touchdown on the next play. They once again attempted for two points and were successful the second go around, putting the score at 28-14 to go into halftime. 

Fannin’s defense came to play at the start of the third quarter. Jalen Ingram had a big stop, followed by Jackson Weeks. The Vikings had a long pass for a first down, just for Dalton Ross to recover an East Hall fumble on the next play and gain possession for Fannin. The Rebels focused on their running game as Owensby gained most of the yards for Fannin. After earning a first down, Treylyn ran the ball in for his third touchdown of the night. Sosebee’s PAT was good, extending Fannin’s lead 35-14. As Fannin’s defense held the Vikings, Tuggle closed out the quarter with a quarterback sack.

As the Rebels got closer to their end zone, Holloway threw a pass to Ingram who was wide open and pushed his way into the end zone, putting Fannin ahead 42-14 with Sara’s made kick.

Hyde had a great onside kick for Fannin’s defense to stop the Vikings right where they wanted them. Tuggle broke through the line and was able to sack the quarterback one more time. As Fannin got closer to their end zone, Holloway had a QB sneak to score another Rebel touchdown. Sosebee’s kick was good, extending Fannin’s lead 49-14.

The Vikings were quick to answer the Rebels call as they had a long run for another East Hall touchdown and one more shortly after they held Fannin on offense. Neither two point conversion was successful, leaving the score at 49-26 for Fannin to become 2-0 in the region.  

Fannin’s victory puts their overall record at 5-1 and their region record at 2-0! Catch the Rebel’s next game, next Friday as they take on North Hall at home starting @7:30pm!

Dawson Defeats Fannin

Fannin County High, Team FYN Sports

Last night, the Fannin County Rebels traveled to Dawsonville to take on the Tigers. Fannin had just come from a tough 38-0 loss to the North Hall Trojans and hoped to redeem themselves with a win.

It took no time at all for Dawsonville to make their mark as scored their first touchdown to get an early lead. The Rebels answered their call as Will Mosley had a 70 yard run to put Fannin in perfect scoring position at the two yard line. Luke Holloway handed the ball off to Treylyn Owensby on the next play for him to run it in the end zone and Sara Sosebee to kick an extra point to tie up the game 7-7! Dawson refused to give up their lead as they pushed their way up the field through Fannin’s defense and scored another touchdown to put the score at 14-7. Dawson’s defense was solid as they had no problem stopping Fannin from reaching their end zone. When the Tigers earned possession again, they managed to run past Fannin and score another touchdown to end the first quarter with a 21-7 lead

The Rebels started off the second quarter on offense where they mostly ran the ball. Holloway’s go to guys for handoffs for the night were Mosley and Owensby who fought to earn yards for Fannin. After seeing the Tigers take down the Rebels running game, Luke looked up the field to find JoJo Goodwin as an open target for a complete pass. After the Tigers took down the Rebels offense, Dalton Ross made his mark on defense for Fannin as he made big stops. Despite Fannin’s hustle, the Tigers offense juked right through Fannin to score another touchdown. Andre Bivens received the punt and returned the ball to the 40 yard line for the Rebels. Despite Bivens great run, the Rebels were pushed back to the 30 yard line due to a holding penalty. Thanks to Dawson’s solid defense, the Rebels struggled to gain any yards before the Tigers could get the ball back and make a long pass to score another touchdown. Holloway began to throw the ball more in hopes to gain yards and found Seth Reece up the field for a complete pass. Holloway was able to run the ball with a quarterback sneak to earn a first down for Fannin. While Fannin advanced up the field, the Tigers were able to keep them from their end zone and go into halftime with a 35-7 lead.

As Sosebee kicked off the ball to start the second half, James Mercer made a stop from the Tigers return. Micah O’Neal also made big stops for the night but sadly were not enough to keep Dawson from making a pass into their end zone for another touchdown. When Fannin came back on offense, they were unable to gain enough yards to keep possession, putting the ball back into the hands of the Tigers to run it in for another touchdown. The extra point attempt was no good, putting Dawson ahead 48-7 to end the third quarter. 

After Fannin had no luck on their possession, Dawson was able to make their way up the field to the 20 yard line where they kicked a field goal to extend their lead. Will Mosley showed hustle on the punt as he recovered the ball to give Fannin possession. To end the game, sophomore Carter Mann went into the game as quarterback as he completed a pass to Sawyer Moreland for the clock to wind down on the Tigers 51-7 victory. 

Fannin’s loss puts their overall record at 5-3 and their region record at 2-2. Catch Fannin’s next game as they take on Lumpkin County for their homecoming game at 7:30!

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