Dawson County’s basketball teams are looking just as good as any teams the school has turned out in recent memory. 

Both the Tigers and the Lady Tigers are winning the games they should win and are ranked by high school sports website Maxpreps in the top 25 of 3-A teams; the Lady Tigers are ranked #15 and the Tigers are ranked #22. 

The 2021 portion of their season starts in region play, beginning with a trip to North Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 5. Based on their performances so far, another trip to the 3-A GHSA Basketball state tournament seems to be in their future. 

Could the Tigers win back-to-back region championships? Could the Lady Tigers run the table in their region? Here is a look at Region 7-3A and how they stack up against the Tigers. 

Cherokee Bluff High School

Current Record: 8-5, 3-0 in region 
Current Girls Record: 5-8, 1-2 in region 

Current Ranking: #13 in GA 3-A by Maxpreps 
Current Girls Ranking: Not Ranked 
Synopsis: With five seniors on the roster, the Bearcats are full of athletes on the court. They’ve beaten several 7-A opponents already this season. However, their point differential is not that far above even, with the team averaging 63 points scored and 59 points allowed. The Tigers definitely have the firepower to beat the Bearcats, but expect a close game every time these teams match up this season. 
Girls Synopsis: The Lady Bearcats will be right on the bubble of qualifying for the state tournament. Most of their wins are close and their losses are blowouts. They finished with about the same score against White County, so a matchup with the Lady Tigers will be close, but the advantage should go to Dawson. 

Gilmer High School

Current Record: 2-4, 0-1 in region 
Current Girls Record: 5-2, 1-0 in region 
Current Ranking: Not Ranked 
Current Girls Ranking: #12 in GA 3-A by Maxpreps 
Synopsis: Gilmer’s small sample size of games played this season make it difficult to figure out who they are. However, they lost by 25 to White Co. earlier in the season, showing that they are most likely a few steps below Dawson. They could compete for a state championship birth, but will have to win a few games they probably were not supposed to. 
Girls Synopsis: The Lady Bobcats are on fire this season. Other than two losses in a winter tournament, they are undefeated and are outscoring their opponents by 20 points on average. Gilmer is a lock for the state tournament with a potential region championship in mind. 

Lumpkin County High School 

Current Record: 5-5, 1-1 in region 
Current Girls Record: 8-3, 1-0 in region 
Current Ranking: Not Ranked 
Current Girls Ranking: #5 in GA 3-A by Maxpreps
Synopsis: When the Tigers traveled to Lumpkin earlier this season, it was an absolute massacre. The Indians are a shoot first team and when the shots don’t fall, it looks bad. The Tigers have enough scorers on their team to win every game against Lumpkin this season. 
Girls Synopsis: The region player of the year, Isabel Davenport, has led the Lady Indians on a tear so far this season. They were the preseason favorites to win region and are playing like the favorites. Their #5 ranking shows just how strong this team is, with a state championship run in mind. 

North Hall High School

Current Record: 5-6, 1-3 in region 
Current Girls Record: 3-9, 2-2 in region 
Current Ranking: Not Ranked 
Current Girls Ranking: Not Ranked 
Synopsis: Despite their record, the Trojans play good teams close. In their first game against Cherokee Bluff, the Trojans only lost by five points. However, losses can get sloppy. The Tigers should win every game against North Hall this season. 
Girls Synopsis: When the Lady Trojans played West Hall, the Lady Spartans only scored five points. However, both White Co. and Lumpkin Co. blew North Hall out earlier. They are most likely going to be out of the state tournament, but a couple big wins might give the team the confidence they need in the region tournament. 

West Hall High School

Current Record: 0-7, 0-2 in region 
Current Girls Record: 1-8, 0-3 in region 
Current Ranking: Not Ranked 
Current Girls Ranking: Not Ranked 
Synopsis: West Hall’s closest region game this season has been a 20-point loss to North Hall in a winter tournament. If you like watching dunks and offense, show up to the Tigers’ game against the Spartans, cause things will get ugly. Fast. 
Girls Synopsis: The Lady Spartans have yet to score more than 37 points in a game this season. The Lady Tigers average 56 points scored a game. 

White County High School

Current Record: 6-5, 3-1 in region
Current Girls Record: 4-6, 3-0 in region 
Current Ranking: #18 in GA 3-A by Maxpreps 
Current Girls Ranking: Not Ranked 
Synopsis: The one point loss to the Warriors earlier this season will leave a bad taste in the TIgers’ mouth. Both teams will qualify for the state tournament, but I would expect matchups against White Co. to be taken personally by the Tigers for the rest of the season. 
Girls Synopsis: Despite not being ranked, the Lady Warriors defeated Dawson by 22 earlier this season and are undefeated in the region. They are the region’s sleeper and will most likely stay around the top of the standings. If the Lady Tigers can find an answer to stop their shooting, do not expect another lopsided scoreboard.