DAWSONVILLE — Even under ordinary circumstances this one is big.
There is little ordinary about the 2015 installment of the Dawson County-Lumpkin County football rivalry, however -- especially not when one of the combatants is chasing history.
The Tigers will gun for their first ever region championship on Friday in Dawsonville -- an opportunity that the Indians would love nothing more than to deny.
(NOTE: For a look at all of Friday's showdowns concerning northeast Georgia-based programs, click here.)
Lumpkin is also looking for some forward momentum after a tough season built around blooding a youthful team -- and if it can get it against Dawson then all the better.
“(This game) means everything since they’re our rivals. And we definitely want to try and set Dawson not to be able to get their region championship that they want,” Indians junior running back Zach Matthews said.
The Tigers (5-3, 4-1 Region 7-AAA) enter the showdown well aware both of what’s on the line -- and how hard Lumpkin is ready to fight them for it.
“Our rivalry’s a big game. We’ve got a lot of friends (on the Lumpkin County team) -- we’ve been playing against them our whole lives,” said Conor Woodbury, Dawson County senior linebacker. “But it’s also the next game up; the next region game up, and we’ve got to come prepared.”
Certainly, the Tigers came prepared last week, hammering Banks County 45-0 to set up this week’s opportunity to claim a crown. And Dawson’s players believe they have maintained the intensity that marked last week’s build-up.
“We were focused before the (Banks County) game, and this week we’ve also been focused, so we’re going to be ready to play Friday,” Dawson County senior running back Hunter Mitchell said.
Despite the fact the Indians (2-6, 0-4) are winless in region so far, they have taken impressive strides and scared two playoff hopefuls in Fannin County (a 41-35 loss) and Banks (a 48-31 loss) in their last two contests. A bye last Friday also gave Lumpkin an extra week to prepare for this contest.
“I feel like we’re right on the verge,” said Indians coach Ty Maxwell, who moved the standout Matthews (995 yards rushing, 13 TDs) to running back and inserted Colby Woodham as starting quarterback earlier this season -- a move that is starting to spark the Lumpkin offense.
Woodham has passed for 411 yards and 3 TDs -- state 100 meter champion Austin Pierce is his top target with 27 catches for 326 yards and 2 TDs -- and also rushed for 143 yards and 3 TDs. Yet Lumpkin has in no way abandoned the run game that netted the Indians a state playoff berth last season, and sophomore Travis White is also a threat on the ground with 610 yards rushing and 2 TDs.
“They’re really developing,” Maxwell said. “We’ve become a little bit more balanced this year, which is what you want. So we’ve been progressing here lately on offense. We’re a young team, and these guys are slowly starting to get what it takes to win a football game. And we’ve just got to come out and play hard for four quarters.”
The question is can they slow a Dawson County offense that has been perhaps the most explosive unit in 7-AAA? Averaging 33.2 points per region game, the Tigers’ potent mix of run and pass has proven hard to stop for all but Fannin County, who held Dawson to a region-low 15 points two weeks ago.
Led by sophomore quarterback Coey Watson (1,405 yards passing, 11 TDs, 11 interceptions; 315 yards rushing, 8 TDs), the Tigers also lean on running back Mitchell (726 yards rushing, 5 TDs) and receivers Tucker Maxwell (26 receptions, 580 yards, 10 TDs) and Austin Young (36 receptions, 580 yards, 1 TD), as well as a strong offensive line.
“I think the biggest thing is we have to line up to their formations, and we’ve got to limit their run game. We’ve also got to limit the big plays they execute by throwing the football,” Maxwell said. “So we’ve got to play a very balanced game on defense and also be able to execute well on offense and take care of the football.”
Taking care of the ball and doing the little things right is also a priority for the Tigers.
“We’ve got to be fundamentally sound, prevent the big play, limit our turnovers,” Dawson County coach Sid Maxwell said. “We’ve got to play fast to the football. Those are the needs every week to keep on playing each week.”
It’s also the type of football that wins even when there are distractions -- no matter how historic. And Maxwell says his coaching staff has tried to direct his squad toward the process, rather than the potential.
“For us it’s always been focus on the next game and focus on us. That’s part of the path that lies in front of you when you do the right things,” said Maxwell, whose squad has already clinched the program’s first state playoff berth since 2012. “It’s about building for success. This one game doesn’t make or break our season. We’re getting a chance to go to game 11 and look to go beyond, and we’re going to have to get a whole lot better to keep on playing.”
Getting better is also very much on Lumpkin’s agenda.
“(A win Friday) would give us a little bit more confidence going into next year, knowing we can beat our rival,” Woodham said. “Beating our rival is a big deal for us, especially for our fans and everyone else. That would give us an extra boost of confidence going into next year.”
Like its rivals, Dawson is also focused on the task at hand -- even if the pay-off will avail itself much sooner.
“We’re playing at a high level right now. This past week at practice tempo has been high, enthusiasm’s been great, so I think we’re ready to play,” said Logan Hurst, Dawson County senior running back.
-- NOTE: Should the Tigers fall to the Indians they could still claim the region title but would be dependent on other outcomes to do so. ... This will be Dawson’s final region game of the campaign, as they travel to Johnson next week. Lumpkin County will close the season against West Hall in Dahlonega.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/10/345883/bvideo-game-of-the-weekb-dawson-aiming-for-history-lumpkin-to-deny-it