Rabun County football

Enoch Autry/The Clayton Tribune. Senior running back JK Fruster goes in for the first of his three rushing touchdowns as the Wildcats move to 2-0 on the season.

Enoch Autry/The Clayton Tribune. Senior running back JK Fruster goes in for the first of his three rushing touchdowns as the Wildcats move to 2-0 on the season.

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Awesome thrill in Dawsonville

Enoch Autry - Publisher
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Rabun County’s 35-21 road victory over Class 4A Dawson County on Sept. 4 behind another three-touchdown performance by JK Fruster gives the Wildcats a 2-0 early season record with both of those wins over former RCHS head coaches with the last name Shaw.Following the game that saw the Wildcats break...
Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Former Rabun County and current UGA quarterback Gunner Stockton (center) celebrates with teammate Jaden Reddell after the duo connect for a touchdown in Georgia’s 63-3 Sept. 5 win over Tennessee State. Stockton and the Bulldogs will host Western Kentucky on Sept. 12.

Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Former Rabun County and current UGA quarterback Gunner Stockton (center) celebrates with teammate Jaden Reddell after the duo connect for a touchdown in Georgia’s 63-3 Sept. 5 win over Tennessee State. Stockton and the Bulldogs will host Western Kentucky on Sept. 12.

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Gunner, UGA cruise past Tennessee State in season opener

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 10, 2026
ATHENS – In what was the hottest game ever played at Sanford Stadium – 101 degrees at kickoff and even warmer with the heat index – the No. 3 ranked Georgia football team’s offense aligned with the scorching temperatures. The Bulldogs defeated Tennessee State 63-3 to open the new season.
Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. In his first regular-season game as a starter, Bulldog quarterback Gunner Stockton of Tiger pulls the ball down on a scramble against visiting Marshall on Aug. 30, 2025. Georgia opens its 2026 season again at home as Tennessee State comes to Athens.

Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. In his first regular-season game as a starter, Bulldog quarterback Gunner Stockton of Tiger pulls the ball down on a scramble against visiting Marshall on Aug. 30, 2025. Georgia opens its 2026 season again at home as Tennessee State comes to Athens.

Stockton would have been one of Vince Dooley’s ‘favorite players’

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Vince Dooley is arguably the most impactful figure in the history of the University of Georgia.An athletic director for the latter half of his career, but most famously known as Georgia’s head football coach before that, Dooley coached several legendary Bulldogs in his 24 years, which included a...
Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Starting quarterback Gunner Stockton is greeted by fans and fellow students during his “Dawg Walk” prior to the Ole Miss game in Athens on Oct. 18, 2025.

Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Starting quarterback Gunner Stockton is greeted by fans and fellow students during his “Dawg Walk” prior to the Ole Miss game in Athens on Oct. 18, 2025.

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Gunner to ‘make memories’ in final UGA season

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
The Georgia football team has several goals for itself as the 2026 season nears, although the Bulldogs will claim the “one day at a time” mentality.
Photo courtesy of DJ Shockley. Former UGA quarterback DJ Shockley goes airborne on a run versus South Carolina during his playing days. Shockley, now a sports anchor with Fox 5 Atlanta, was Georgia’s starter in 2005.

Photo courtesy of DJ Shockley. Former UGA quarterback DJ Shockley goes airborne on a run versus South Carolina during his playing days. Shockley, now a sports anchor with Fox 5 Atlanta, was Georgia’s starter in 2005.

Former Bulldog quarterbacks talk Stockton, impact of a championship on his Bulldog legacy

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
There’s a special fraternity in Athens, Ga. But this fraternity doesn’t call home on South Milledge Avenue, or boast large greek letters, like the many houses on that street in Athens.
Photo via @gstockton14 on Instagram. Gunner Stockton (left) poses for a photo with George Bobo on Stockton’s signing day in December 2021. Stockton began training with Bobo at age 6 and now plays for his son and University of Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and with grandson Drew Bobo, Georgia’s starting center.

Photo via @gstockton14 on Instagram. Gunner Stockton (left) poses for a photo with George Bobo on Stockton’s signing day in December 2021. Stockton began training with Bobo at age 6 and now plays for his son and University of Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and with grandson Drew Bobo, Georgia’s starting center.

Fear not a real thing for Gunner Stockton

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
George Bobo has trained plenty of successful quarterbacks during his lifetime. Those names include current James Madison head football coach Billy Napier and Tulane offensive coordinator Russ Callaway, just to name a few.
Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Former Rabun County standout and current Georgia starting quarterback Gunner Stockton prepares to release his pass around Ole Miss defensive lineman Will Echoles Sanford Stadium on Oct. 18, 2025.

Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Former Rabun County standout and current Georgia starting quarterback Gunner Stockton prepares to release his pass around Ole Miss defensive lineman Will Echoles Sanford Stadium on Oct. 18, 2025.

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Dooley: Watching Stockton is ‘like watching family’

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Derek Dooley has a perspective unlike others when watching University of Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton play. That perspective is not solely a result of Dooley – the son of the late Vince Dooley – having long-tenured coaching experience at the collegiate level.
Photo courtesy UGAAA. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton takes a knee to preserve a 24-20 win on Nov. 1, 2025, for the Dawgs over Florida by running out the clock.

Photo courtesy UGAAA. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton takes a knee to preserve a 24-20 win on Nov. 1, 2025, for the Dawgs over Florida by running out the clock.

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Stockton enters 2026 following No. 7 finish in Heisman voting

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Former Rabun County and current University of Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton had an excellent first-season as the full-time starting QB for the Bulldogs.
Photo courtesy Stockton family. Former Rabun County assistant coach George Bobo along with Gunner Stockton and Drew Bobo in Rabun County when the now Georgia football players were growing up.

Photo courtesy Stockton family. Former Rabun County assistant coach George Bobo along with Gunner Stockton and Drew Bobo in Rabun County when the now Georgia football players were growing up.

Bobo: Watching Stockton, family at UGA ‘special time in this old man’s life’

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
The Stockton and Bobo families have known each other for several years. Following George Bobo’s coaching tenure in Thomasville – where he is a member of the Thomasville-Thomas County Sports Hall of Fame – he came to Rabun County to be an assistant coach on the Rabun County High School football team.