When Lumpkin and Dawson squared off in Week One, it was more than just a non-region game to open the season. It’s an intense rivalry that lived to the hype, as the Indians won a 42-31 barn-burner at The Burial Grounds. 

Lumpkin County never trailed, and held on for the win as Kolson Howell accounted for five touchdowns (two passing, three rushing) in the rivals’ 49th all-time meeting. 

After both teams traded empty drives, the Indians drove the length of the field and got on the board first on a 40-yd TD from Howell to Mac Powell. The Tigers immediately punched back when Gunnar Weaver took the ensuing kickoff back for a 94-yd touchdown, knotting the game at 7-7. 

Lumpkin County reclaimed its lead when Howell ran one in from 15 yards out with 1:11 to play in the opening quarter. The Indians defense continued to impress, holding off Dawson through the second. The Tigers got a big boost when Jayden Cohen intercepted a ball near the red zone, keeping Lumpkin from taking a big lead. 

It was only momentarily though, as the Indians got another TD run by Howell late in the second to pad the lead up to 21-7. The Tigers converted a fourth down before the break, and ended up scoring on that drive via a 39-yd TD pass from Brody Sorensen to Blake Turner with 24 seconds left in the half. That had Lumpkin up 21-14 at the break. 

On the first drive for the Indians to start the second half, after a 3-and-out, Joseph Alvarez scampered home on a 59-yd TD to double up on the Tigers at 28-14. 

Dawson County again rallied when it needed to, capping off a lengthy ensuing drive with a 7-yd TD run by Weaver to cut the deficit to 28-21. For a fourth straight drive, we would get a touchdown. This time, Turner took a tote 41 yards for pay dirt, making it a 35-28 game late in the third. 

The Tigers again kept the chains moving with a long fourth quarter drive, getting inside the 5-yard line before a 22-yd field goal made it 35-31 with a few minutes to go. 

On fourth down at the 24, Dawson County’s defense tried everything to get a stop. But Howell threw one into the end zone for Martin Hulsey, who yanked it down for an acrobatic TD to make it 42-31 with under two minutes on the clock. 

The Tigers ran out of time on the final drive. Howell had a hand in five scores for Lumpkin. Turner and Weaver each had two scores for Dawson.