Sports

Photography Enoch Autry/The Clayton Tribune

Photography Enoch Autry/The Clayton Tribune

 Exclusive Subscriber Content

Gunner’s football camp draws youth from around state

Enoch Autry - Publisher
Thursday, September 3, 2026
GAINESVILLE, GA – Fresh off a Southeastern Conference-winning season, former Rabun County record-setter and current Georgia Bulldog quarterback Gunner Stockton for a second consecutive year got to meet his younger fanbase first-hand at his youth football camp in June.
Enoch Autry/The Clayton Tribune. The Rabun County Wildcats run out onto the field to begin their 2026 campaign. RCHS would defeat visiting Metter 27-23 as former coach Lee Shaw brought his Tigers to Tiger.

Enoch Autry/The Clayton Tribune. The Rabun County Wildcats run out onto the field to begin their 2026 campaign. RCHS would defeat visiting Metter 27-23 as former coach Lee Shaw brought his Tigers to Tiger.

 Exclusive Subscriber Content

Wildcats head on road for Game Two to take on team of a second Shaw

Enoch Autry - Publisher
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Coming off of its season-opening win versus Metter, the Rabun County High School football team will be on the road on Friday, Sept. 4, versus Dawson County High School.
Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Rabun Gap linebacker Jay Schell brings down Brownsburg’s Brady Lewis during Rabun Gap’s 31-15 loss versus Brownsburg on Aug. 28. The Eagles will host No. 6 Baylor this Friday, Sept. 4.

Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Rabun Gap linebacker Jay Schell brings down Brownsburg’s Brady Lewis during Rabun Gap’s 31-15 loss versus Brownsburg on Aug. 28. The Eagles will host No. 6 Baylor this Friday, Sept. 4.

 Exclusive Subscriber Content

Rabun Gap looking to ‘get out of the valley’ versus No. 6 Baylor

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Sitting with an 0-2 start to begin the season for the second consecutive year, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School’s football team is far from where it wants to be. The Eagles currently sit in the valley, with work to be done to climb to the mountaintop.
Enoch Autry/The Clayton Tribune. With Wildcat Yiar Avila catching a football in front of them, Rabun County head coach Rance Gillespie (left) talks with former RCHS head coach and current Metter head coach Lee Shaw prior to the Aug. 28 matchup between the two teams in Tiger. RCHS won the back-and-forth contest 27-23 to begin 1-0.

Enoch Autry/The Clayton Tribune. With Wildcat Yiar Avila catching a football in front of them, Rabun County head coach Rance Gillespie (left) talks with former RCHS head coach and current Metter head coach Lee Shaw prior to the Aug. 28 matchup between the two teams in Tiger. RCHS won the back-and-forth contest 27-23 to begin 1-0.

 Exclusive Subscriber Content

In battle of former teammates, RCHS edges Metter

Enoch Autry - Publisher
Thursday, September 3, 2026
A bookend kind of night had Rabun County starting off its football season with a hard-earned 27-23 win against a Metter team coached by a former Wildcat head coach.
Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Rabun Gap quarterback Grayson Clary looks for tight end Cash Washburn on a 2-point conversion during Rabun Gap’s 31-15 loss to Brownsburg on Aug. 28. Clary completed 18-of-29 passes for 206 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss. RGNS will be at home on Friday, Sept. 4, against Baylor.

Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Rabun Gap quarterback Grayson Clary looks for tight end Cash Washburn on a 2-point conversion during Rabun Gap’s 31-15 loss to Brownsburg on Aug. 28. Clary completed 18-of-29 passes for 206 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss. RGNS will be at home on Friday, Sept. 4, against Baylor.

 Exclusive Subscriber Content

Rabun Gap falls to No. 17 Brownsburg on Indiana road trip

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
BROWNSBURG, Ind. – No. 97 nationally ranked Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School’s football team was soundly defeated on the road 31-15 by No. 17 Brownsburg High School in Brownsburg, Ind., on Aug. 28. The Eagles now sit at 0-2, dropping their first two games for the second consecutive season.
Photo courtesy Christian Stahl. Tallulah Falls’ Maddie Phillips had an RBI and a run scored against Gainesville on Aug. 31.

Photo courtesy Christian Stahl. Tallulah Falls’ Maddie Phillips had an RBI and a run scored against Gainesville on Aug. 31.

 Exclusive Subscriber Content

6-run third inning propels Lady Indians to victory

News Staff
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Tallulah Falls used a six-run third frame to pull ahead of Gainesville for good in a 12-5 final at home Monday, Aug. 31.After a scoreless first couple of innings, the Lady Indians gave up one in the top of the third before rebounding with half a dozen in the home half.
Photo via Christian Proscia, NewEraPrep. Current North Carolina and former Rabun Gap defensive back Coleman Bryson (No. 16, center) makes a tackle on TCU wide receiver Jacobe Hayes during the Tar Heels’ 15-10 win over TCU on Aug. 29 in Ireland. Bryson finished the win with two tackles and a pass breakup.

Photo via Christian Proscia, NewEraPrep. Current North Carolina and former Rabun Gap defensive back Coleman Bryson (No. 16, center) makes a tackle on TCU wide receiver Jacobe Hayes during the Tar Heels’ 15-10 win over TCU on Aug. 29 in Ireland. Bryson finished the win with two tackles and a pass breakup.

 Exclusive Subscriber Content

How local alumni fared this week in College Football

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
As college football kicked off last weekend with “Week Zero,” only a handful of teams – and players from local prep schools – began their new seasons.

 Exclusive Subscriber Content

Eight is great: TFS takes two matches to keep win streak alive

News Staff
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Make it eight straight victories for No. 5-ranked Tallulah Falls. The Lady Indians swept both sides of their Tuesday tri-match with straight-set wins over Lumpkin County and Stephens County.Against No. 9-ranked Lumpkin, TFS won 25-17, 25-16. In the first set, Tallulah took an early 5-0 lead.

 Exclusive Subscriber Content

Henderson crosses line first as TFS wins Short Course Challenge

Thursday, August 27, 2026
Tallulah Falls dominated the varsity girls race on Aug. 20 as the school hosted the Short Course Challenge which was an early in the season 3K instead of the traditional 5K.Six of the top seven runners were Lady Indians, led by senior Olivia Henderson’s win in 11:38 in the 3,000-meter run.