Rabun County football

Photography by Enoch Autry/The Clayton Tribune. Gunner Stockton holds his retired No. 14 Rabun County Wildcat jersey during a Sept. 19, 2025, pregame ceremony at midfield of Frank Snyder Memorial Stadium. The standout former RCHS quarterback, who still owns Georgia state football records, now is the starting QB for the University of Georgia. Applauding the honor are Stockton’s parents Sherrie and Rob (right). On the left are RCHS assistant principal Allen Blair, then RCHS assistant principal Kelsey Thompson

Photography by Enoch Autry/The Clayton Tribune. Gunner Stockton holds his retired No. 14 Rabun County Wildcat jersey during a Sept. 19, 2025, pregame ceremony at midfield of Frank Snyder Memorial Stadium. The standout former RCHS quarterback, who still owns Georgia state football records, now is the starting QB for the University of Georgia. Applauding the honor are Stockton’s parents Sherrie and Rob (right). On the left are RCHS assistant principal Allen Blair, then RCHS assistant principal Kelsey Thompson

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Relive Stockton’s No. 14 jersey retirement ahead of RCHS’ homecoming win

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
The No. 14 football jersey at Rabun County has a long list of legendary names attached to it. But that jersey will no longer be worn on the shoulders of any Wildcat player. The No. 14 – worn by former RCHS and current University of Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton – and all its glory is retired.
Photography by Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Former Rabun County and current UGA quarterback Gunner Stockton celebrates with teammates Nate Frazier Jr. (left) and Noah Thomas (right) after scoring a rushing touchdown during Georgia’s 43-35 win over Ole Miss at Sanford Stadium on Oct. 18, 2025. Stockton is heading into his final season of college football and his second season as Georgia’s starting QB

Photography by Wesley Branch/The Clayton Tribune. Former Rabun County and current UGA quarterback Gunner Stockton celebrates with teammates Nate Frazier Jr. (left) and Noah Thomas (right) after scoring a rushing touchdown during Georgia’s 43-35 win over Ole Miss at Sanford Stadium on Oct. 18, 2025. Stockton is heading into his final season of college football and his second season as Georgia’s starting QB

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Stockton shines in first season as UGA starter

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Although Georgia’s 2025 season came to an end on Jan. 1 in the Sugar Bowl, former Rabun County and current UGA quarterback Gunner Stockton provided plenty of exciting moments that made Bulldog fans leap from their seats and Rabun Countians even more proud of their hometown QB.
Photo courtesy UGAAA. Rabun County standout and current Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton sprints into the end zone in Knoxville against Tennessee in a back-and-forth 44-41 overtime game on Sept. 13, 2025.

Photo courtesy UGAAA. Rabun County standout and current Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton sprints into the end zone in Knoxville against Tennessee in a back-and-forth 44-41 overtime game on Sept. 13, 2025.

From a Bird’s eye view: Scott Howard discusses Gunner Stockton

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
The first radio broadcast of a football game was in October 1921 when KDKA, a radio station in Pittsburgh, Penn., hosted a live broadcast of Pittsburgh versus West Virginia, according to WeAreBroadcasters.com.For now over 100 years, radio broadcasters have had the responsibility to accurately and...
Photo courtesy of Von Watts. Rabun County retained the Region 8-AA championship on Oct. 28, 2021, scoring eight first-half touchdowns while dominating Union County in Blairsville. Gunner Stockton is pictured on the left with his teammates during his senior year at RCHS. Stockton’s UGA season will begin on Saturday, Sept. 4.

Photo courtesy of Von Watts. Rabun County retained the Region 8-AA championship on Oct. 28, 2021, scoring eight first-half touchdowns while dominating Union County in Blairsville. Gunner Stockton is pictured on the left with his teammates during his senior year at RCHS. Stockton’s UGA season will begin on Saturday, Sept. 4.

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Radio broadcasts from Tiger prelim to Gunner’s Classic City heroics

Enoch Autry - Publisher
Thursday, September 3, 2026
things on the football field in the Northeast Georgia mountains that had never been seen before.His feats were legendary.
Stockton

Stockton

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Previewing Georgia Bulldogs’ 2026 football schedule

Wesley Branch
Thursday, September 3, 2026
No. 3-ranked Georgia and former Rabun County quarterback Gunner Stockton will begin the 2026 season in just two days when the Bulldogs host Tennessee State on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 3 p.m. But beyond the nonconference schedule consisting of Tennessee State, Western Kentucky and Georgia Tech, the...
Photography Enoch Autry/The Clayton Tribune

Photography Enoch Autry/The Clayton Tribune

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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.Tiger resident Stockton and...
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.

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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.
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.

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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.At the beginning of the evening, the RCHS boys basketball team received its championship rings and the athletic programs’ spiritual...
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.

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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.
Photo courtesy Von Watts. From left, Braxton Hicks, Hoff Windham, Gunner Stockton and Mason Sprinkle pose for a photo during an episode of the “Fifth Quarter Show” at Mama G’s Italian Restaurant. The show was first held at Mama G’s before being moved to Wildcat Grill years later.

Photo courtesy Von Watts. From left, Braxton Hicks, Hoff Windham, Gunner Stockton and Mason Sprinkle pose for a photo during an episode of the “Fifth Quarter Show” at Mama G’s Italian Restaurant. The show was first held at Mama G’s before being moved to Wildcat Grill years later.

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‘Fifth Quarter Show’ unites Wildcat Nation

Wesley Branch
Thursday, August 20, 2026
During his 20-plus years as a high school head football coach, Rabun County head coach Rance Gillespie had learned a lot in the coaching business. Potentially the most significant learned aspect though, is that a football program has to be important to its community, and be supported.