Sports

TFS tennis splits with Gainesville in opener

The Lady Indians opened the season with a great 5-0 victory at home over Gainesville on Tuesday evening. The all-time winningest tennis player, Jaeda-Lee Daniel-Joseph, won in straight sets without dropping a game.
Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart and East Tennessee State head football coach Will Healy talk during the Rabun Gap College Coaches Social on Jan. 28. Multiple players in attendance received a scholarship offer from Georgia following the event, and Rabun Gap’s Jaxon Totherow received an offer from ETSU, marking his first Division I offer.

Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart and East Tennessee State head football coach Will Healy talk during the Rabun Gap College Coaches Social on Jan. 28. Multiple players in attendance received a scholarship offer from Georgia following the event, and Rabun Gap’s Jaxon Totherow received an offer from ETSU, marking his first Division I offer.

Rabun Gap hosts winter ‘College Coaches Social’

RABUN GAP – With college and high school football season in the rearview, prime recruiting season is in full swing.

Stewart selected new head football coach at Rome High

Rabun County defensive coordinator Bill Stewart was named the next head football coach at Rome High School on Thursday, Jan. 29. Rome City Schools made the official announcement early Thursday morning, following a Board of Education (BOE) meeting.
Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Rabun Gap head girls basketball coach Dale Earnhardt directs his team during a timeout in its Jan. 30 game against Buford. Earnhardt recently notched his 450th career victory as a head basketball coach.

Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Rabun Gap head girls basketball coach Dale Earnhardt directs his team during a timeout in its Jan. 30 game against Buford. Earnhardt recently notched his 450th career victory as a head basketball coach.

Rabun Gap’s Earnhardt secures 450th career victory

In the year 2000, Dale Earnhardt – not that Dale Earnhardt, even though they share the same birthday and are from neighboring counties in North Carolina – was hired to be the head football coach at Asheville School in Asheville, N.C.
Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School junior Joonatan Tartu fights through the Buford defense for an and-one layup in Rabun Gap’s 61-56 win over Buford on Jan. 30. Tartu converted the and-one pictured above and made an important block late in the game in the Eagles’ victory.

Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School junior Joonatan Tartu fights through the Buford defense for an and-one layup in Rabun Gap’s 61-56 win over Buford on Jan. 30. Tartu converted the and-one pictured above and made an important block late in the game in the Eagles’ victory.

RGNS boys basketball wins nail-biter at Buford

BUFORD – Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School’s boys basketball team fought off several distractions and surges by its opponent on Jan. 30 to secure a 61-56 road win over Buford.

Schedules updated for winter sports after snow storm

With the impacts of the heavy snowfall of Winter Storm Gianna, several sports events in Rabun County over the weekend and early into this week have been rescheduled or canceled for Rabun County, Rabun Gap-Nachoochee School and Tallulah Falls School.
Photo courtesy Austin Poffenberger. Louis Lenain helped lead the way for TFS Indians with 11 points.

Photo courtesy Austin Poffenberger. Louis Lenain helped lead the way for TFS Indians with 11 points.

Indians avenge prior loss to Bethlehem Christian as three score in double figures

Todor Stanimirovic, Neyo Bain, and Louis Lenain combined for 46 points as Tallulah Falls (10-9; 4-4 in region) earned a 58-50 road win over Bethlehem Christian on Jan. 30. The No. 8-ranked Indians took the win over No. 3 Bethlehem Christian, avenging a prior loss to the Knights.
Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Rabun County senior quarterback Ty Truelove, an Erskine College commit, signals to his teammates before a play in Rabun County’s 35-0 win over Berrien in the second round of the GHSA state playoffs on Nov. 21, 2025. Truelove led the Wildcats to two state quarterfinal appearances in three years as a starter.

Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Rabun County senior quarterback Ty Truelove, an Erskine College commit, signals to his teammates before a play in Rabun County’s 35-0 win over Berrien in the second round of the GHSA state playoffs on Nov. 21, 2025. Truelove led the Wildcats to two state quarterfinal appearances in three years as a starter.

Rabun football’s Truelove announces commitment to Erskine College

abun County senior Ty Truelove announced his college intentions on Jan. 24, sharing on social media the RCHS quarterback would be continuing his football career at Erskine College next year.
Photo courtesy of Von Watts. Rabun County senior Chloe Shirley poses with her parents, Maria and Josh on Jan. 23 at her signing day ceremony on Rabun County’s campus. Shirley signed to continue her athletic and academic careers at Georgia Southern University East Georgia. Shirley played first and third base for the Lady Cats.

Photo courtesy of Von Watts. Rabun County senior Chloe Shirley poses with her parents, Maria and Josh on Jan. 23 at her signing day ceremony on Rabun County’s campus. Shirley signed to continue her athletic and academic careers at Georgia Southern University East Georgia. Shirley played first and third base for the Lady Cats.

RCHS Shirley inks letter of intent with Georgia Southern East Georgia

TIGER – Rabun County senior Chloe Shirley officially signed her letter of intent with Georgia Southern University East Georgia on Jan. 23 at a ceremony held on Rabun County’s campus Friday morning.

Schedules updated on local sports after winter storm

As Rabun County continues to recover from the impacts of Winter Storm Fern, changes have been made to the sports schedule for the three area schools – Rabun County, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee and Tallulah Falls. These schedule amendments were provided to The Clayton Tribune as of press time.