Buford High School Class of 2020 graduates, Dylan Akins and Chase Carey won the 2024 Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year Award at the end of the Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship held at Lake Hartwell August 22-24.
Competing on behalf of Emmanuel University in Franklin Springs, Ga., the duo placed fifth overall at the National Championship which was enough to clinch the Team of the Year award.
Akins and Carey competed in the Strike King Bassmaster College series in the Legends Trail, which made stops in South Carolina, Tennessee and Michigan before ending in Anderson, South Carolina at Lake Hartwell. Akins and Carey were in third place leading up to the National Championship. Their fifth-place finish at the National Championship combined with the results from the Legends Trail stops proved to be enough to capture this year’s top award, the 2024 Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year. Their win qualifies them to compete in the 2024 College Classic Bracket.
During their time at Emmanuel University, Akins and Carey were four-time National qualifiers and were PBC Champions in 2022. The pair also won the Emmanuel University Team of the Year Award twice.
They were the first ever to be awarded scholarships for bass fishing at Buford High School. Akins and Carey were coached by Casey Laws at BHS in bass fishing. The duo had numerous accomplishments during their four years wearing the Kelly green and gold.
Akins had 11 top-10 finishes, two second-place finishes, two third-place finishes, two big fish awards over six pounds and one first-place finish during his high school tournaments. He was named Buford’s Angler of the Year in 2018 out of 14 teams. Akins was a member of the football team, riflery team and bass fishing team all four years at BHS.
Carey was the Buford Freshman Angler of the Year and a 2018 B.A.S.S high school National qualifier. In April 2018, Carey took home second place and was the Big Fish winner at Lake Lanier.
