The Dawson County Tigers hosted the first round of the GHSA state tournament on Feb. 16 with a game against the Region 6-AAA Ringgold Tigers, and after a first half in which both teams struggled to find rhythm, Dawson County “upped the tempo” in the second half and stormed their way into the Sweet Sixteen with a 58-27 victory. Dawson County junior Eli Burrus started the scoring on the first play of the game and the teams traded buckets to keep the score close in the opening minutes until Dawson County engineered a series of turnovers to take an 8-point lead into the second quarter.