An all-new chapter begins for the Tigers under familiar coach Jaybo Shaw. Since guiding the Rabun County program to big heights with Gunner Stockton at QB, Shaw then spent time at Wayne County where he had great success and a one-year stint in South Carolina. He saw a chance to get back to North Georgia, and Dawson was more than happy to snag him. He’s got several key pieces in back, though the Tigers will be young and inexperienced in a lot of areas too.

Head Coach: Jaybo Shaw (1st Season)
2024 Record: 4-6; No Playoffs

“Our expectation for this football program is for when people see Dawson County play, they leave the stadium saying, ‘those guys are extremely physical and they play with relentless effort’,” states coach Jaybo Shaw. “The expectation is to put a team on that field that ALL of Dawson County can be proud of (our alumni, our parents, our community, our school, etc.). We will be a disciplined football team that cares about the success of their teammates more than their own. WE > me! We have four goals in our program that will never change… (1) State Championship, (2), Region Championship, (3), Beat the Rivals, (4) Undefeated at Home. We have a great staff in place and the most important part of our entire program are the young men that we are blessed to coach! I am very proud to represent Dawson County and coach the young men in that locker room! DON’T EVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF BELIEF!”

2025 SCHEDULE – DAWSON COUNTY

Personnel & Schemes

Key Departures: Preston Bannister, Chatham Burnett, Zach Cruz, Davis Glass, Elijah Odom, Jacson Rickett

Returning Starters: 4 on offense; 5 on defense

Key Returning Players: Gunnar Weaver, Cody McBrayer, Dylan Edwards, Aden Bannister, Owen Wooten

Up & Coming Players: Jack Arnette (move-in), Sophomores Nate Grizzle, Avery Martin, Jayden Cohen

Offense: Spread/Multiple
Gunnar Weaver will be the starting QB, and Cody McBrayer and Aden Bannister will tote the rock often. Dylan Edwards, Paxton Phillips, Cash Watkins, Brody Sorenson, and Jadyn Mattie will be the primary receivers.

Defense: 3-4 Multiple
Names to look for on this side of the ball: Josh Baggett, Josiah Holtzclaw, Aden Bannister, Jacob Felkai, Jadyn Mattie, Tripp Fuerstenau, Brody Eason, Hunter Stroup, Owen Wooten

Trenches: “I am really excited about both of our lines of scrimmage,” adds Shaw. “We will have a couple of young guys up front on the offensive line but all five of them have high ceilings as far as their talent. We lack some experience, but I believe the sky’s the limit for that group. The future is certainly bright on the offensive line. I believe our defensive line has a chance to be extremely productive. They are guys that have played a lot of football on a Friday night. They play really well together and we certainly expect big things out of them this year. I think that group can continue to develop into being one of our strengths.”

Strengths & Areas of Focus

Strengths: “I believe our biggest strength is the pride our football team has for Dawson County!,” exclaims Shaw. “I think this senior class is also a strength for this 2025 football team. The way they have bought into our program has paved the way for our younger guys. There is no doubt in my mind that they BELIEVE!”

Focusing On: “The biggest focus for us has been establishing our brand of football,” says Shaw. “We are going to be a physical football team that plays with relentless effort. That is a non-negotiable for us and our program. We believe in being a part of something bigger than ourselves and taking great pride in representing Dawson County. We believe it all starts in the weight room/conditioning program, so that has been a big focus area for us. I am very proud of how our football team has bought into our beliefs and what we want to stand for. For us, we believe there is NO ONE bigger than Dawson County Football! It’s our responsibility to represent the ones that came before us, the ones that are in the fight with us now, and the future Dawson County Tigers with a lot of humility, effort, and excitement.”