The Lady Tigers began the season in the gym last summer putting in their time and effort during countless practices with no one watching.

But now, the entire state will be watching as Dawson finds itself battling for a State Championship.

Not since 1991 have the Lady Tigers advanced to the Title game.

Now that they have the chance, the girls will battle St. Pius X for the Class AAA crown at the Macon Centreplex this Saturday at 3 p.m.

An unforgettable pair of games unfolded last week as Dawson worked its way through the playoffs and into the Championship game.

Quarterfinals

In a game that featured extreme lows and highs, the Lady Tigers hosted their Elite Eight game versus Decatur last Tuesday.

After allowing the Lady Bulldogs to jump out to a 25-10 lead in the first half, Dawson spent the rest of the game clawing its way back one basket at a time.

Finally, with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter the Lady Tigers tied the game at 43-43 as the Dawson County fans exploded with cheers.

Sophomore sensation Sheyenne Seabolt came up big in the pivotal final quarter, going 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, helping push Dawson to a 52-47 win.

Seabolt said after the game that the Lady Tigers expected Decatur to be tough on defense and quick in transition.

But halftime adjustments paid off big for Dawson, which outscored the Bulldogs 33-20 in the second half.

Now the goals for the Lady Tigers, said Seabolt, are to play their hardest, have fun, and hopefully win State.

Freshman Karlie Bearden also refused to bend under pressure as she scored all of her seven points in the fourth quarter of the Elite Eight game.

Carly Gilreath, who scored eight points in the game, tried to sum up her feelings after the victory.

I dont know how to describe it, said Gilreath, We havent even made it to State before this year.

The senior guard added how proud she was of her teammates for holding on to earn the win after a less-than-impressive first half.

Helping to secure critical rebounds for Dawson during the game was senior Allie Costley with six, sophomore Ashley Parker with five and senior Kenna Seitz with five.

Dawson head coach Steve Sweat said he was happy for his players who have worked so hard to experience this success.

This is stuff you talk about for the rest of your life, said Sweat.

He said unless someone experiences it for themselves, the feeling is tough to describe.

Semifinals

The Lady Tigers continued their positive momentum from Tuesdays comeback straight from Dawsonville to Savannah on Saturday as they battled Southwest Macon in the Final Four.

After Gilreath nailed a pair of 3-pointers to begin the game, Dawson opened up a 19-12 lead over the Patriots.

Playing in front of an impressive contingency of Dawson County fans who made the trip to see their team at Armstrong Atlantic State University, the Lady Tigers put together a strong third quarter to turn a 30-29 halftime lead into a nine point advantage to begin the fourth.

Dawson kept the defensive pressure applied to pull away for a dominating 66-50 win.

Seabolt finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds, while Gilreath had 24, including five 3-pointers.

Other scorers for Dawson included Kacie Bearden with six points, Parker with four points and five rebounds, Hannah Porter with three points and Karlie Bearden. Costley finished with seven rebounds.

As coach Sweat said, the teams goals have been on a board in the locker room since the beginning of the season.

They divided the season into parts and checked off each accomplishment as they progressed.

Now Sweat can check off the one for playing in the State Championship.