“Rain, rain, go away, come again when it’s not Friday” was the tune sung by fans, coaches, and players alike last Friday night in Sonoraville as rain poured in the moments leading up to kickoff. The rain and lightning ultimately delayed kickoff to around 9:00 p.m.
Once play finally began, the Dragons came out somewhat thunderstruck themselves. Whether it was the elements, first-game jitters, or simply not executing to the level they would like, the Dragons found themselves trailing at the half with the scoreboard reading 20-0. The second half proved to be a second chance for the team who finally got on the board with a 54-yard run by senior Colby Brooks after a defensive battle for most of the third quarter. Pickens held the momentum for a while after the long touchdown run, but never could quite reach the comeback. Even with junior RB Miguel Salto adding another rushing touchdown late in the game, the final score read 27-15 in favor of the Sonoraville Phoenix.
This Friday, the team will be road trippin’ once again to Chatsworth to face off against the North Murray Mountaineers. Like Pickens, North Murray moved down a classification in the offseason, moving from 3A to 2A. Also like Pickens, the Mountaineers started their season off on the wrong foot last week, falling 49-27 to the Dalton Catamounts. Even so, there is no reason to sleep on the Mountaineers come Friday night. Since current head coach Preston Poag took the reins in 2016, North Murray has yet to have a losing season and even made a quarterfinal appearance in 2019 with team standout Ladd McConkey, now a wide receiver for the Georgia Bulldogs. Looking to replicate that success this season, the team boasts two members of Georgia High School Football Daily’s Preseason All-State team: senior QB Seth Griffin and senior WR Jadyn Rice. Griffin and Rice’s passing game will be a force to reckon with all season long.
Given the level of talent on both teams, it should be a great matchup in what many believe will be a high-scoring affair. For a win on Friday, QB Sam Streicher and Pickens’s offensive weapons will need to keep pace while the Dragon defense slows down the potent Mountaineer attack. Don’t miss a minute of the action with broadcast team Tucker Green and Jess Walker, live on WPGY 93.7/98.1 FM and streaming on WLJAradio.com. Tune in early for the Northside Medical pre-game show at 7:00 with kickoff (weather permitting!) at 7:30.
