December 22, 2025 Woodland wrestling participated in the Knockout Classic in Kissimmee, Florida, last weekend, with athletes in 11 out of 14 weight categories. The Wildcats secured 42nd place out of 68 teams in this event, which typically features one of the most formidable lineups in the southeastern U.S. Although none of the Wildcats earned podium spots at the event, Adrian Zapata (126 pounds) went 4-2 to lead at least six Woodland wrestlers with at least two bout wins. Th

December 20, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes stayed perfect on the season, capturing the championship of the SMI Carroll County Christmas Tournament with an 87-59 victory over the host Central-Carroll Lions on Saturday. Cartersville led 20-17 after a competitive first quarter before pulling away with a 25-14 second period to take a 45-31 halftime advantage. The Hurricanes continued to dominate in the third, outscoring Central 21-1

December 20, 2025 The Excel Christian Academy Eagles improved to 11-3 on the season with an impressive 89-76 victory over the visiting Trion Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in Emerson. The Eagles led 24-14 after the first quarter and 44-36 at halftime before winning the third period 30-19 for a 74-55 advantage heading into the final period. Mason McKinney led the balanced Excel attack with a team-high 20 points. Damir McBride added 18 points, while Karden Wingard contributed 1

December 20, 2025 Kyron McClendon scored 23 points Friday night in the Hurricanes' 72-58 semifinal win over Bowdon at the SMI Carrollton Holiday Tournament. The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes remained unbeaten on the season with a 72-58 victory over the Bowdon Red Devils on Friday night in the semifinals of the SMI Carrollton Christmas Tournament, played at Villa Rica High School. Cartersville (7-0) took control in the middle two periods to pull away and never looked back, ad

December 19, 2025 The Adairsville High School wrestling team won two dual matches Wednesday night at home, defeating Pickens and Rome as the Tigers celebrated their 2025-26 seniors. Adairsville defeated Pickens 42-30 and Rome 44-35. Senior David Coon led the Tigers with pinfall victories in both of his 175-pound bouts. He improved his senior-season record to 23-5. Fellow seniors Sam Bailey (126), Victor Singer (150), and William Dinafrio (215) were also recognized. The Tiger

December 19, 2025 The 2025 high school football state championship games were completed earlier this week in Atlanta, and the six polling organizations in Georgia have released their final rankings for the year. In Class 4A, the Creekside Seminoles finished off a 15-0 season and were the unanimous choice for No. 1 in the classification. Creekside defeated Benedictine 42-39 in the title game, and the Cadets (11-3) were the unanimous No. 2 selection in the final polls. Cartersv

December 18, 2025 In Thursday night's basketball games, five local high school teams secured victories, with three teams avenging early-season losses. The Cartersville boys triumphed in their first-round game at the SMI Carrollton Holiday tournament. The Excel Christian boys powered past the LaFayette Ramblers. The Woodland boys defeated Unity Christian School, and both Cass teams topped Sonoraville. EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 83, LAFAYETTE 47 The Excel Christian Academy boys aveng

December 16, 2025 The Cartersville Lady Canes and Hurricanes completed a doubleheader sweep against the visiting Cass on Tuesday night. In contrast, both Woodland teams were defeated by visiting Allatoona, and the Adairsville boys lost at Walton. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 58, CASS 29 Zoe McCurry takes aim. PHOTO: Russell Andrews The Cartersville Lady Canes continued their strong start to the season with a commanding 58-29 victory over the Cass Lady Colonels on Tuesday night at Th

December 15, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Trevor Lawrence, the former quarterback from Cartersville High, guided the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 48-20 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. This marks the Jaguars' fifth consecutive win, placing them at the top of the AFC South. In the first nine games of this season, Lawrence threw 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. However, during the Jaguars' ongoing streak, he has improved to 13 touchdowns and four inter

December 14, 2025 Adairsville wrestling placed 29th of 34 teams Friday and Saturday at the McCallie Gordon Connell Invitational in Chattanooga. McCallie won the tournament with 320 points. Baylor (TN) (176), Bradley Central (TN) (172.5), Signal Mountain (TN) (166), and Lakeway Christian Academy (TN) (164) rounded out the top five teams.  David Coon finished sixth for the Tigers in the 175-pound bracket. He went 5-3 in his bouts during the tournament, with four wins by pin and