Ending 12-3 in regular season, the Dawson County junior varsity girls’ basketball team played in the Invitational Tournament on Jan. 27. In addition to Dawson County, the tournament featured junior varsity talent from Habersham Central and both White and Gilmer Counties.

Point guard Madison Anglin put on a star performance for the Tigers when she put up seven 3-pointers, setting a seasonal record of 32 points against White County.  Anglin also had a 23 point game against the North Hall High School Trojans, managing to put up another seven three point shots.

For the Tigers, Shyla Sheffield was also a stand-out during the tournament. Sheffield scored 20 points against East Hall to win the tournament outright for Dawson County.

"I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to coach such a hard-working, dedicated, enjoyable group of young ladies," said Head Junior Varsity Coach Anne Hyams. "Their chemistry and team camaraderie was a significant contributor to their successes this season."

As successful as the DCHS junior varsity girls’ team has been this season, Hyams revealed the kind of individuals that these young women are off the court, and her hopes for their continued success.

"These young ladies have been a joy to coach, they're grounded in good values, and will make wonderful varsity players and even better citizens, of which I'm most proud," she said.

Runners up to an athletic 6-A Habersham Central in the championship game, the Dawson County junior varsity boys basketball team also ended their season in the Invitational Tournament. The Tigers came off on the losing end in a very tight 38-37 game.

Despite the sting that accompanies a season ending loss, the team remains optimistic about the future of the program.

"Their growth this season has been a pleasure to see firsthand everyday with practice and ultimately the games...We are expecting big things from them moving forward into the off-season and future," said Head Junior Varsity Coach Casey Cox.

The junior varsity boys’ season was hallmarked by notable wins over 7-A high school Central Forsyth, 4-A West Hall and 4-A White County.

The team was made up of one junior, four sophomores and five freshmen. This combined with the talent that Dawson County was stacked up against allowed for several David vs. Goliath match ups. Dawson's inexperience and size was generally at a disadvantage, but that never stopped the Tigers from playing with heart.

"The boys always battled and showed a mental and physical toughness which is something we pride ourselves on [at Dawson County],” Cox said.