DAWSONVILLE – When the Dawson County boys basketball team left for Savannah on Friday, it marked the program’s first-ever trip to play in a state semifinal game.
The program came close in 2012 when the Tigers lost to Jordan by one point, 47-48. That game, played in Dalton, dashed the hopes of finally getting the program closer to that elusive state championship.
In 2019, the Tigers thrilling come-from-behind win over Class 3A at-large Franklin County on Wednesday gave them a ticket to the semifinals.
“The send-off for us this (Friday) morning was unbelievable,” Dawson coach Chad Pittman said. “We made our “rockstar” tour around the elementary schools on our way out of town. That was really special for the players. I feel like we are locked in on our ultimate goal in what we want to achieve as a team. So I’m proud of them for being able to stay focused.”
The Tigers will face Region 8-3A No. 3 seed Hart County today at Georgia Southern University in Savannah for a berth in the state title game. Game time is 4 p.m.
The first two rounds of the state tournament seemed to be easy for the Tigers, dropping both Ringgold and Westminster by more than 20 points.
Franklin County, however, was a different story. The Lions, also out of Region 8-3A, took the Tigers down to the final second and Pittman says he expects the same style of play from Hart County.
“We’re going to have to be physical and strong,” he said. “We are going to have to protect the ball and value each possession. I don’t think it’s going to be a blowout either way. I think it’s going to be very similar to what we all saw a couple of nights ago against Franklin.”
Hart County (23-7) boasts a very guard-oriented team and are athletic. The Tigers can expect Hart to mix up their defensive scheme, from full court man-to-man pressure to half-court man-to-man defense. Offensively, the Bulldogs like the transition game.
“For us, we’re going to have to handle the pressure and play really good defense,” Pittman said. “They’re really strong and physical on the glass, so we’re going to have to do a good job rebounding the basketball. If we can do those things, I think we have a really good chance.”
Hart County’s Shone Webb is a very athletic lefty guard. Jordan Langston, senior point guard, runs the offense well and plays aggressive, and Rex McCord, 6-2 guard, is strong inside and out.
“They are very athletic,” Pittman said. “And play a very aggressive with their pressure defense. We’ll have to handle their press and be physical and strong with the basketball.”
Pittman also said he believes playing a team like Franklin has helped prepare his team for what to expect against Hart.
“I think so, the adversity we had early, being down and having to dig in and play defense and get stops against Franklin,” he said. “Other than the region tournament, we haven’t played an athletic team with the quickness like Franklin in a while, so hopefully that did help prepare us to play Hart.”
The Tigers have relied on gritty defensive play all season, holding their opponents to an average of 48 ppg. The Tiger offense has struggled at times but is averaging 70 ppg.
The Tigers will look to 6-foot-5 senior Luke Chism (19.5 ppg, 9 rpg, 4.7 apg, 16 double-doubles) and 6-foot-2 guard Jasper Gibson (19 ppg, 5apg, 4.5rpg, 41-percent 3-point average) to provide leadership on the floor. They’ll also rely on junior guard Campbell Reed (9 ppg, 40-percent 3-point average), junior forward Eli Burruss (10 ppg, 40-percent 3-point average) and senior forward Ahmad Kamara (6 ppg, 4 rpg).
“I think the fun and atmosphere is really what high school is supposed to be about, but, at the end of the day, we are going to keep our eyes and minds on what we're coming down here to do,” Pittman said. “Hopefully we can have a little fun, but at the end of the day, take care of what we are here to do.”
