Bond Becomes TMU Bear
FCHS Soccer, Team FYN Sports June 28, 2020
Although the school year may not have ended as it should have, recent Fannin County High School graduate Chandler Bond made his mark and was able to commit to Truett McConnell University to play soccer!
Not only did Bond play soccer all four years of high school, but he also ran cross country for two. Chandler has been awarded for his great performance on the field by receiving many awards including a First Team All-Region Mention and the Most Valuable Player Award for two years in a row. The dual athlete was very involved in school as he was in a club called HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) and even took some honors and AP classes.
“Chandler Bond is Fannin County High School’s all-time leader in wins as a goalkeeper, clean sheets, penalty kicks blocked, and goals scored while primarily playing goalkeeper. We are looking forward to watching him develop at the next level,” Lee Johnson, head coach of the Fannin Rebels Soccer Team shared with Team FYN Sports.
Cheves Commits to TMU
FCHS Soccer, Team FYN Sports June 28, 2020
Recent graduate, Tristan Cheves, decided to take on the next chapter of his life as he committed to Truett McConnell University to play soccer! Tristan was part of Fannin County High School’s class of 2020 who did not have the most ideal senior year, but he still made the most of it by getting his name out there.
Cheves was a dual athlete for the school who not only played for the varsity soccer team all four years, but he also ran with the varsity cross country team for one year. The dual athlete was even awarded for his great performance on the soccer field as he has received many awards for his accomplishments which include Most Valuable Player and an All-Region First Team mention two years in a row! Not only was the graduate juggling school and sports, but also clubs at the school. Tristan was a member of the high school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) for all four years.
“Tristan Cheves was a 3-year captain for the Rebels. He was the winningest captain in team history, leading the team to the playoffs two of those years. He was in the process of leading the team to playoffs this season as well before it was cut short due to the pandemic. Tristan will no doubt be a fun player to watch at the collegiate level,” Lee Johnson, head coach of the Fannin Rebels Soccer Team shared with Team FYN.
When asking Cheves why he chose Truett McConnell University, he stated, “For men’s soccer, NAIA is just as good as NCAA D1 soccer. It’s just a different playing style. I wanted to play NAIA so I would learn European style soccer and be better prepared to go play professionally in Europe one day. I want to say a huge thank you to all of the coaches, families, and players that have been a part of my soccer career. Without every one of you, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Bowers Commits to Toccoa Falls
FCHS Volleyball, Team FYN Sports June 2, 2020
While many recent graduates are trying to figure out what their next step in life will be, Maddie Bowers decided to further her education and volleyball career at Toccoa Falls College. Maddie is a recent graduate of the Fannin County High School 2020 class who got involved with the sport her eighth-grade year. Her plans are to attend Toccoa Falls College in the fall and pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education to become an elementary school teacher.
Bowers has been awarded for her outstanding performance in volleyball over the years as she lettered for two years, was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year Award for two years, and earned the title of Most Valuable Player for one year. Not only was the athlete involved in volleyball, but she was also part of the club Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at the school.
When asking Maddie why she chose Toccoa Falls College, she shared, “All of the girls on the team were so welcoming and I wanted somewhere similar to home where I could grow my faith and continue my education and volleyball career.”
“We are very excited to have Maddie become part of the Toccoa Falls Volleyball program. Maddie is going to bring energy and a high level of defense, which is what we were looking for. I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes at Toccoa Falls,” Jordan Southerland, head coach of Toccoa Falls Women’s Volleyball, shared with Team FYN Sports.
Lady Rebel becomes Nighthawk
Fannin Co. Basketball, Team FYN Sports May 30, 2020
Morgan Holt decided to take an exciting step towards her future as she committed to the University of North Georgia to play basketball! Holt is a recent graduate of the 2020 Fannin County High School class who is excited to start this next chapter of her life.
The graduate has played basketball for all of her life as she fell in love with the sport over time. Morgan played the sport for the school all four years where she lettered for three of them and was named First Team All-Region for the remaining two. She even played a vital role in helping her team make it to the Sweet 16 this past basketball season.
When asking Holt why she chose the University of North Georgia she stated, “ I chose UNG because it is my dream school. I want to say thank you to all of my friends and family who have supported me throughout the years. I want to say a huge thank you to coach Chastain for pushing me and molding me into a better player which has led me to this amazing opportunity. Last but not least, I want to say a huge thank you to my team for having my back. They are the reason I have made it this far.” 
“Morgan is a great kid, teammate, and a great competitor! Everyone sees her performance on the court, but very few see the countless hours of work she has put in to become the player that she is. When we visited UNG for team camp last summer she told me that she would love to be able to play there. She asked me if it was possible. I told her that it was definitely possible, but that she would have to put in a lot of work to achieve something like that and she did. That’s the best part about coaching, getting to watch players work hard and achieve things that they didn’t even think were possible. What makes it even sweeter is that it never came at the expense of her teammates. She was all about our team and winning games. It was never about individual stats or recognition with Morgan. She was never bragging about who was recruiting her. She was just trying to help the team win in any way that she could, and the rest took care of itself. I am very happy for her! I think she will be a great fit and have a great career at North Georgia,” head coach of the Lady Rebels Basketball Team, Ryan Chastain, shared about the athlete.
Coach Chastain was not the only one who had good things to say about the athlete. Head coach of the Lady Nighthawks, Buffie Burson, also added. “We believe Morgan is a great fit for our program with her strong academic background and great character! Her versatility and athleticism will be a huge asset to our team. We can’t wait to get her on campus to join the team!”
Fannin Rebel Becomes Eagle
FCHS Wrestling, Team FYN Sports May 10, 2020
Grayson Patterson made the most of his wrestling season by getting his name out there and grabbing the attention of colleges. Patterson is a senior at Fannin County High School who recently committed to continuing his education and wrestling career at Life University.
The athlete recently moved from Gilmer County to take on his senior year at Fannin County High School. He proved to be an asset to the wrestling team as he earned the title of area runner up and placed third in the state. During his entire high school career, he has lettered each year in wrestling. Not only did the senior participate in wrestling, but he also tried his luck with track and field his sophomore year.
When asking the senior why he chose Life University, he stated, “I decided to continue my education and wrestling career at Life University because they are a great school with a spectacular wrestling program. My brother is a senior who also wrestles at Life and I thought it would be special for me to carry on the tradition and follow in his footsteps.”
“Grayson Patterson has been a huge asset to the Fannin County High School Wrestling program. Since he came to us, he has done nothing but contribute to the hard-nosed, no-excuses culture we are trying to build here. He has worked extremely hard to be able to achieve this amazing accomplishment his entire life and we are happy that he is a big part of our Fannin wrestling family,” Chuck Patterson, head coach of Fannin Wresting shared with Team FYN Sports.
Patton Commits to Piedmont
FCHS Tennis, Team FYN Sports May 10, 2020
While her senior tennis season may have gotten cut short, Brook Patton made the most of her talents as she committed to Piedmont College to continue her tennis career. Patton is a senior at Fannin County High School who goes above and beyond at everything she does.
Brook has played tennis for Fannin County High School all four years where she fell in love with the sport. She has been awarded for her great performance in the sport as she lettered all four years and earned the most individual wins on the team her sophomore and junior year. The athlete also played basketball during her freshman year where she earned the Coaches Award.
Not only has the senior made her mark in athletics, but also in her academics. Brook has taken every AP and honors class that the school has to offer and has excelled in each of them, putting her seventh in her class and graduating with honors. Her academic record earned her a spot into National Honors Society her sophomore year, and National Technical Honors Society her junior year.
If all of this wasn’t enough for the student to juggle, she was also involved in clubs at the school. The senior was a member of the academic team, engineering team, and even helped out with Rebel Radio.
“My family and team were the reasons that I played above anything else. They were always so supportive and my high school tennis career wouldn’t have been the same without them because they are what shaped my memories as a player. Coach Pass was hands down the best coach I could have ever asked for. She is so supportive and encouraging and is all around just an amazing coach,” Patton shared with Team FYN Sports. When asking the athlete why she chose to continue her education and tennis career at Piedmont, she shared, “I chose to play at Piedmont because it makes me feel close to home. I love the atmosphere set by the coaches and players and I can’t wait to be part of their team!”
“I am very proud of Brook. I know she will do well at Piedmont. She has worked hard and will continue to do so as she continues her collegiate career,” Suzianne Pass, head coach of Lady Rebels Tennis stated about the athlete.
Catch the Lady Lion on the court next spring in Demorest as she takes on this new chapter in her life.