It’s about time for basketball! Now Georgia and reporting partner BLITZ Sports bring you team-by-team previews with the players to watch and storylines to follow as local schools tip off the 2026-27 basketball season. This preview: Dawson County Tigers.
Head Coach: Todd Cottrell (7th Season)
2025-26 Record/Results: 16-14; Region RU; Sweet 16
The Tigers had a second Sweet 16 run in three years, playing their best ball when it mattered most. Todd Cottrell enters his seventh year over the Dawson County boys team, and he’s made three such runs, with all other seasons not making the playoffs. That’s a trend he’s hoping to alter, as Dawson looks to retool the lineup and make another playoff push this season.
PERSONNEL & STYLE OF PLAY
# of Returning Starters: 4
Key Players: Mason Harvey (SR G), Jack Ledbetter (SR G), Cayson Chester (SR G), Brody Sorensen (JR F), Cobrin Cantrell (SR G), Gunnar Weaver (SR G)
“We expect Jr G Pax Garrett, Jr F Kevin Matos, Fr F Noah Tice, Fr G Stephen Weed, Fr G Zeke Burruss to be key contributors as well this season,” adds Cottrell.
Key Departures: Landon Lee (Truett McConnell), Jed Morris, Garrett Matthews, Cape Garrett
Offensive Style: High-tempo, variable, and lots of movement
STRENGTHS & CHALLENGES
Strengths: “Experience, depth, internal team leadership. We return a very experienced group who have all played meaningful minutes over the past few seasons.”
Biggest Challenges: “Can we consistently defend and rebound at a high level? We also play an extremely challenging non-region schedule on top of being in a very competitive and wide-open region.”
EXPECTATIONS
From the Coach: “We are truly excited about the opportunities we will face this season. If we can consistently defend and rebound at a high level, and somehow survive our non-region schedule, we could have a chance to be very competitive in February.”
From BLITZ: Without Landon Lee, it will look different. But Brody Sorensen was fantastic and will be again, and Mason Harvey, Jack Ledbetter, and Cayson Chester have great chemistry together. This is a team that has the makings of enduring some tough early games and once again be peaking at the right time.
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