DAHLONEGA — Any questions of the legitimacy of Lumpkin County, in the midst of a historic start, were more than answered Friday night in the Indian’s Region 7-3A opener against Pickens.
Lumpkin County piled up over 400 yards on offense, held Pickens to its lowest scoring output of the season, and rolled to a 42-7 win at The Burial Grounds.
The win moved Lumpkin to 5-0 for the first time since 1988 and may have served as the moment where the Indians went from believing they can win to expecting to.
“We told the guys today before the game that being 4-0 is awesome but these are the games that really matter,” Lumpkin coach Heath Webb said. “Tonight may be the point where we have turned the corner on this group showing that they have the confidence to win when it matters most.
Senior quarterback Cooper Scott and sophomore wide receiver Cal Faulkner also are proving to be a dangerous and explosive combination for opposing defenses. Scott finished a blistering 16-of-20 for 264 yards, with 10 going to Faulkner for 208 yards and 3 TDs of 57, 15, and 42 yards. The 57-yard bomb late in the first quarter gave them a 14-0 lead and all they would need.
“They are a pretty good duo,” Webb said. “Cooper can really extend plays and Faulkner is just a playmaker. He’s a big-time player and is only going to get better.”
But it was the Indians defense that set the tone early. Two incomplete passes and a huge Dragons (1-4, 0-1 Region 7-3A) personal foul penalty halted a promising opening drive. The Lumpkin offense then went to work.
A 16-yard pass from Scott to Faulkner got them into Pickens territory and five plays later Mason Sullens capped the drive with a 16-yard TD run for a 7-0 lead. Sullens finished with 115 yards on 27 carries.
After another Pickens punt, Cooper and Faulkner struck for the 57-yard TD.
Pickens used a 34-yard pass from Sam Streicher to Marcus Pike to get into Lumpkin territory on its next drive and Kadyn Hampton finished off the quick drive with an 11-yard TD run to cut the lead to 14-7.
That would be all they got.
After the two teams traded fumbles, Lumpkin County took advantage. The Indians executed a perfect fake punt on 4th-and-2 at their own 45 as Will Wood rumbled 13 yards to the Pickens 42 to keep the drive alive. Scott later capped their longest drive of the half with a 1-yard TD run for a 21-7 lead.
Pickens had one last chance driving to the Lumpkin 6 with under two minutes left in the half. But Jay Grizzle knocked down a pass on 4th-and-2 to deny the Dragons.
On the first drive of the second half Cooper went 5-for-6 for 80 yards, culminating in his second TD toss to Faulkner. His third TD pass to Faulkner came early in the fourth quarter to make it a 35-7 lead.
Harper Davenport put the finishing touches on the blowout win with a 64-yard interception return for a touchdown with just 41 seconds left.
As the only undefeated team left in Region 7-3A, the Indians can no longer be overlooked as perhaps the early front-runner for a region title, something they have never captured in their history.
“I feel great about the way they played. The kids are playing so hard, doing what they’re coached to do, and executing well on both sides of the ball,” Webb said. “But we have a long way to go before we talk about (region) favorites or anything like that. But I feel we’ve put ourselves in the conversation and that’s what we wanted to do.”
SCORING SUMMARY
Pickens................7.....0....0.....0 -- 7
Lumpkin Co......14....7.....7....14 -- 42
First Quarter
L -- Sullens 16 run (Staples kick) 7-0, 6:38
L -- Faulkner 57 pass from C. Scott (Staples kick) 14-0, 4:17
P -- Hampton 11 run (Gibbons kick) 14-7, 1:59
Second Quarter
L -- Scott 1 run (Staples kick) 21-7, 4:13
Third Quarter
L -- Faulkner 15 pass from C. Scott (Staples kick) 28-7, 4:17
Fourth Quarter
L -- Faulkner 42 pass from C. Scott (Staples kick) 35-7, 8:30
L -- Davenport 64 INT return (Staples kick) 42-7, 0:41
