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Three of the four local high school football teams picked up wins Friday night with Woodland, Cartersville, and Adairsville earning non-region victories. Cass, the only local team to fall, scored in the final minute of their game to pull within one point and elected to go for the win with a two-point conversion pass that failed. CARTERSVILLE 24, JONESBORO 13 Cartersville’s Ja’Mauri Brice threw a 67-yard touchdown pass and caught a 15-yard scoring strike in the first half Friday as the Hurricanes defeated visiting Jonesboro 24-13. The Brice touchdown toss went to Kendrick Price on a gadget play on the Canes’ first possession. His reception was a 15-yard toss from quarterback Nate Russell with 10:58 to go in the first half. Baylon Long gave Cartersville a 21-0 lead with 7:39 remaining in the third quarter on a 3-yard run. The Cardinals scored two defensive touchdowns to narrow the Canes’ lead to 21-13 early in the final quarter, but a Ryan Johnson 23-yard field goal with 4:32 remaining in the game helped secure the Cartersville win. Jonesboro scored on a 55-yard fumble recovery and return with 0:11 left in the third quarter and Montez Redding returned a pick-six 45 yards for a Cardinals’ touchdown with 11:13 remaining in the fourth period. Jonesboro (1-1) hosts Dutchtown next Friday. Cartersville (2-0) entertains Allatoona Friday at Weinman Stadium in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. WOODLAND 35, COOSA 0 The Woodland Wildcats bounced back in Week 2 this past Friday night to win at Coosa in Rome, 35-0. Quarterback Brelace Williams threw three touchdown passes to help lead the Wildcats’ attack. The signal caller had a 20-yard TD pass to Josh McBroom early in the second quarter and connected twice in the second half with Isaiah Livsey for scores — one from 25 yards and another from seven yards out. Jay Walker’s 17-yard touchdown run gave Woodland a 6-0 lead in the first quarter and Christian Cothran had a 67-yard fumble recovery for a Wildcats’ touchdown. Coosa (1-1) hosts Gordon Central Friday at 7:30 p.m. Woodland (1-1) visits Model Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff in Shannon. ADAIRSVILLE 21, CHEROKEE BLUFF 7 The Adarisville Tigers led 14-0 at halftime and held a 21-0 advantage early in the third quarter Friday night in Flowery Branch on their way to a 21-7 win over the Cherokee Bluff Bears. Adairsville scored on their first possession with a five-play, 80-yard drive. Following four straight runs, quarterback Jonathan Gough connected with wide receiver Tre Winters on a 63-yard touchdown pass. Cooper Souders booted the first of three PATs to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead. They added to their lead on the next possession. Adairsville marched 83 yards on ten plays to go ahead 14-0. Ethan Blome punched in the score with a 1-yard run with 6:31 remaining in the first quarter. There was no scoring in the second period although Cherokee Bluff threatened. The Bears took 14 plays to drive to the Adairsville 2-yard line but the Tigers defense broke up a pass play and denied a score on a fourth-and-goal play. The defensive stand allowed the Tigers to maintain a 14-0 advantage at the intermission. On Adairsville’s second offensive possession of the third quarter, the Tigers drove 68-yards on six plays to take a 21-0 lead. The drive included a key 52-yard run by Peyton Bowen and was culminated with a 2-yard keeper by Gough with eight minutes remaining in the period. The Bears scored their touchdown later in the third period. A 12-play, 65-yard drive was capped with a 2-yard touchdown run by backup quarterback Kaden Thompson with three minutes left in the quarter. The two teams traded possessions in the fourth quarter but the game ended with a 21-7 Tigers’ win. Cherokee Bluff (0-2) has a bye week before hosting Madison County on September 8. Adairsville (1-0) hosts Rabun County Friday at 7:30 p.m. ROCKMART 24, CASS 23 Cass rallied on their final possession to pull within one point at Rockmart Friday night and head coach Steve Gates made the decision to go for the win on the road. Down 24-17 and facing a 4th-and-2 at the Yellow Jackets’ 27-yard line, Cass quarterback Brodie McWhorter tossed a touchdown pass to UGA signee Sacovie White with 0:36 remaining in the game. The scoring strike culminated a 70-yard, six-play drive and set up a dramatic two-point conversion attempt for the Colonels. Following a timeout, McWhorter again tried to connect with White in the left side of the end zone but Rockmart’s Tristan Anderson deflected the pass away allowing the Yellow Jackets to hold on for a 24-23 non-region win. Rockmart led 10-0 with 7:04 to go in the first half. Nazhir Turner scored on an 11-yard run capping an 88-yard, 11-play drive. Jackets’ kicker Jose Alegria, who added the PAT, had earlier kicked a 28-yard field goal midway through the first quarter. Cass narrowed the lead to 10-7 late in the second period. Devin Henderson scored on a 23-yard jaunt to finish off an 80-yard, 12-play drive by the Colonels. Austin McArthur added the extra-point kick. A 21-yard field goal by McArthur in the third period pulled Cass into a 10-10 tie with 4:14 showing on the clock but Rockmart regained the lead on its next possession. The Yellow Jackets drove 52 yards in six plays to regain the lead. The big play in the drive was a 45-yard pass from J.D. Davis to Tristan Anderson that ultimately set up a 1-yard scoring plunge by Brent Washington with 1:27 remaining in the third quarter. The Colonels kept the ball on the ground with their next possession. Devin Henderson capped an 11-play drive that covered 70 yards to knot the score again at 17-17. His 21-yard touchdown run finished off the drive that was all rushing plays and took over six minutes. Rockmart, ranked 7th in Class AA, gained the lead for good on the ensuing possession. The Yellow Jackets marched 77 yards in 12 plays with Washington scoring on a 12-yard run for a 24-17 advantage with 1:48 left in the game. Rockmart (1-1) has a bye week before hosting Dalton in a non-region game on September 8 at 7:30 p.m. Cass (0-2) will seek its first win of the season on Saturday (September 2) in a non-region game against Drew Charter. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Southern Crescent Stadium in Riverdale.

August 24, 2023 Cartersville defeated East Paulding in three straight sets Thursday night in a best-of-five match. The Hurricanes won 25-10, 25-16, and 25-6. Addison Marisko, Holly Dufrene, and Ailee England (photo) each totaled six kills in the win. Aubrey Barrett and Raylynn Bowen finished with 12 and 7 assists, respectively. McKenzie Wilkie contributed 10 digs and Barrett led the Canes with five aces. Cartersville improved to 7-5 heading into the Kell Classic this weekend where they will face St. Francis, South Paulding, and River Ridge in pool play. WOODLAND VOLLEYBALL EARNS SPLIT At Rockmart High School, Woodland volleyball lost to Darlington 25-22, 25-18 before defeating the host Yellow Jackets, 25-22, 16-25, 15-11. Lili Womack had 14 digs, eight aces, and five assists. Kendall Condon contributed 13 assists, 13 digs, and six kills. Anastyn Jones totaled 14 digs and four kills. Woodland (4-7) hosts North Paulding and Murray County Tuesday.

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com August 24, 2023 Cartersville softball scored three times in the top of the seventh Thursday night at Cass for a come-from-behind 6-5 Region 7-5A win. The game stayed knotted 2-2 through the first four innings before Cartersville scored in the top of the fifth to gain a 3-2 advantage. The Lady Colonels responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to gain a temporary 5-3 lead prior to the Lady Canes’ rally in the final frame. Cartersville out hit Cass 10 to 8 and both teams committed one error. Zoie Shiflett (7 IP, 5R, 3ER, 8H, 1BB, 7K) went the distance in the circle for the Hurricanes to collect the pitching win. Bailey York (7 IP, 6ER, 10H, 2BB, 4K) also worked a complete game for Cass but suffered the tough loss in the circle. Allana Williams had three hits for Cartersville including two doubles and scored three times to spark the Lady Canes’ offense. Addi Burns followed with two hits and three RBIs. Kennedy Crenshaw, Erin McCrary (double, RBI), and Shiflett produced one hit each. KK Evans had two hits including a triple and two RBIs for the Colonels. Braelyn Franklin (double) and Darianna Sosa (triple) also produced two hits. Autumn Smith added one hit and two RBIs in the loss. Cartersville (6-3, 4-0) hosts 2nd-ranked Calhoun Tuesday in region play at 5:30 p.m. Cass (3-8, 1-3) entertains 8th-ranked Woodland on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. WOODLAND 10, DALTON 2 Woodland scored eight runs in the bottom of the first inning and defeated visiting Dalton 10-2 in five innings Thursday night. The 8th-ranked Lady Cats out hit the Catamounts 13 to 2 in collecting the Region 7-5A win. Peyton Dorn (5 IP, 2R, 1ER, 2H, 2BB, 3K) collected the pitching win for Woodland. Elizabeth Hartsfield finished with three hits and one RBI to pace the Wildcats’ offense. Jordan Hammonds (RBI), Alana Carnes (triple, two RBIs), and Haley Collum (two RBIs) all tallied two hits each. Bailey Ryan (two RBIs), Mackenzie Araya, Ashlynn Baines (RBI), and Harley Hannah added one hit apiece. The loss kept Dalton (0-6, 0-4) winless on the season. Woodland (8-2, 2-2) plays a 1 p.m. game at Wheeler on Saturday and visits Cass next Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch. RINGGOLD 11, ADAIRSVILLE 3 In a battle of two teams of Tigers, Ringgold defeated visiting Adairsville Thursday night 11-3 in five innings. Ringgold led 7-0 after two innings and added on in the fourth and fifth innings to close out the contest. Adairsville scored a run in the fourth and added two in the fifth to narrow the margin to 8-3 at the time. Chelsea Bates (2 IP, 7R, 2ER, 6H, 3BB, 2K) was tagged with the pitching loss for Adairsville. Jordan Clay (2.2 IP, 4ER, 3H, 6BB, 2K) also pitched for the locals. Gabi Becerra had two hits and one RBI for the Adairsville offense. Bates, Alissa Winters (RBI), Taylor Evans, Brie Patterson, and Clay contributed one hit apiece. Ringgold moved to 3-5 overall and 1-1 in Region 6-AAA. Adairsville (1-8, 0-2) plays a non-region game at Sonoraville Monday at 5 p.m.and hosts LaFayette in region play next Thursday.

Cartersville volleyball split a pair of matches Tuesday night at Cambridge High School falling to Lovett 25-17 and 25-22 but defeating the host Bears in three sets. In a very close contest, Cambridge won the opening set 25-21 before Cartersville won the final two sets 25-23 and 15-13. Addison Marisko had eight kills against Cambridge. Ailee England had six kills. Holly Dufrene finished with eight service aces while Aubrey Barrett and Raylynn Bowen combined for 24 assists. Cartersville (6-5) hosts East Paulding Thursday at 5:30 p.m. WOODLAND FALLS TO HARALSON, UNITY Woodland volleyball dropped home matches Tuesday night to Haralson County and Unity Christian. The loss to Haralson County was 26-24, 25-16 and the loss to Unity was 25-20, 25-20. The Lady Cats (3-6) travel to Rockmart on Thursday. CASS DROPS TWO AT ROCKMART Cass volleyball won the middle set 25-17 at Rockmart Tuesday night but lost the opening set 25-17 and the deciding set 19-17. The Lady Colonels also fell to South Paulding 25-21, 25-15. Cass (2-11-1) returns to action next Monday at Murray County. ADAIRSVILLE CANCELS MATCHES Adairsville volleyball had its matches canceled on Tuesday due to team illnesses.

The Cartersville Lady Canes rallied past 8th-ranked Woodland Tuesday night for a 6-5 win while Adairsville was swept in a doubleheader at Bremen and Cass lost at region rival Hiram. CARTERSVILLE 6, WOODLAND 5 The Cartersville Lady Canes used a big fifth inning Tuesday night to rally past Woodland 6-5 in a Region 7-5A matchup. Woodland led 4-1 through four innings before Cartersville scored five runs in the top of the fifth to take a 6-4 lead. The Lady Cats answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth but that was the end of the scoring. Zoie Shiflett (6 IP, 4ER, 7H, 3BB, 2K) collected the pitching win for Cartersville. Jaycee Blackwell (1 IP, 1R, 0ER, 1H) also pitched for the Canes. Haley Collum (4 IP, 6ER, 9H, 0BB, 2K) suffered the pitching loss for Woodland. Peyton Dorn (3 IP, 0ER, 1H) also pitched for the Wildcats. Jordan Bishop paced the Cartersville offense with three hits including a two-run homer and a double. Addi Burns followed with two hits including one double and one RBI. Erin McCrary (double, two RBIs), Kennedy Crenshaw, Reese Dumas, Blackwell (RBI), and Layne Callan contributed one hit each. Alana Carnes (double, two RBIs) and Ashlynn Baines (double) led Woodland with two hits each. Mackenzie Araya (two RBIs), Jordan Hammonds, Kamryn Smith, and Harley Hannah added one hit apiece. Cartersville (5-3, 3-0) visits Cass on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Woodland (7-2, 1-3) hosts Dalton Thursday at 5:30 p.m. BREMEN SWEEPS DOUBLEHEADER WITH ADAIRSVILLE Host Bremen won both games of a doubleheader Tuesday evening with Adairsville. The Blue Devils won the opener 7-1 and took the second game 6-2. Gabi Becerra was the only Tiger with two hits in the doubleheader. Chelsea Bates (double), Taylor Evans, Madison Baker, Alissa Winters, and Riley Mounger (RBI) contributed one hit each on the night. Bremen improved to 6-1 on the season and 2-0 in Region 6-AAA. Adairsville (1-7, 0-2) visits Ringgold Thursday for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch. HIRAM 8, CASS 6 Cass fell behind early and dropped an 8-6 Region 7-5A decision Tuesday evening at Hiram. The Lady Colonels trailed 6-2 after just two innings but battled back to knot the score at 6-all with two runs in the third and two more in the sixth. The tie was short-lived, however, with the Hornets regaining the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Reese Howard had three hits to lead the Colonels’ offense. Darianna Sosa followed with two hits including a third inning solo home run. Harlee Thomason also had two hits and one RBI. KK Evans (two RBIs), Braelyn Franklin, Cayce Brown, Payton Mize, and Erin Clinard added one hit each in the loss. Lily Powell (1.2 IP, 6R, 5ER, 4H, 2BB, 3K) started in the circle for Cass. Bailey York (4.1 IP, 2R, 0ER, 3H, 1BB, 4K) was tagged with the pitching loss in relief. Hiram improved to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in Region 7-5A. Cass (3-7, 1-2) hosts Cartersville Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Class 5A 8th-ranked Woodland softball started fast and needed only four innings Monday evening to win at Adairsville 14-2. Pitchers Peyton Dorn and Ashlynn Baines split the pitching duties for the Lady Cats going two innings each in the circle. Dorn allowed no runs on one hit and one walk. She struck out one. Baines allowed two earned runs on two hits and three walks while fanning three. Bailey Ryan (three RBIs), Baines (two RBIs), and Haley Collum (two RBIs) produced two hits each for Woodland. Lainey Calhoun (RBI), Kamryn Smith (double), Mackenzie Araya (two RBIs), Elizabeth Hartsfield (double), Alana Carnes (two RBIs), and Harley Hannah (RBI) added one hit each. Ashlyn Carlton (1 IP, 10ER, 7H, 2BB, 1K) and Jordan Clay (3 IP, 4R, 2ER, 5H, 3BB, 4K) pitched for Adairsville. Gabi Becerra had one double and one RBI for the Tigers. Taylor Frazier and Alissa Winters added one hit each. Woodland (7-1) hosts Cartersville Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Adairsville (1-5) plays a region doubleheader Tuesday at Bremen starting at 4:30 p.m. SONORAVILLE 4, CARTERSVILLE 3 Sonoraville scored the deciding run in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday night on a wild pitch to edge the visiting Hurricanes, 4-3. Both teams scored three times in the second inning and the score stayed tied 3-3 until the walk-off run for the Phoenix. Zoie Shiflett (4 IP, 3R, 0ER, 3H, 6K) went four innings in the circle for Cartersville and Kennedy Stevens (2.2 IP, 1ER, 1H, 4BB, 4K) worked the final 2-⅔. LaKiaya Banks had three hits for the Canes including a double and one RBI. Kennedy Crenshaw finished with two hits. Jordan Bishop (RBI) and Layne Callan added one hit apiece. Sonoraville improved to 6-3 with their victory. Cartersville (4-3) plays at Woodland Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

We have reached the final four weeks of the 2023 MiLB regular season while the NFL season warms up with exhibition games. This week’s update also includes the beginning of some of the Fall collegiate sports. MiLB MASON BARNETT — Northwest Arkansas Naturals (KC Royals Double-A affiliate; 2nd-yr. pro; Auburn; Cartersville HS) … made a pair of starts last week for the Naturals but did not receive a pitching decision in either game although Northwest Arkansas won both. On Tuesday (Aug. 15) Barnett went four innings and allowed just one earned run on a solo home run. He also issued one walk and struck out six. Sunday, the righty went five shutout innings. He scattered five hits and one walk recording six more Ks. For the year in both Class A (Quad Cities) and Double-A, The 22-year-old is 4-7 in 19 starts covering 96 innings. He has a 3.00 ERA and 113 strikeouts. The Naturals (23-21 second-half standings; Texas League North Division) are only ½-game behind first-place Wichita with 25 games left in the regular season. ANTHONY SEIGLER — Somerset Patriots (NY Yankees Double-A affiliate; 6th-yr. pro; Cartersville HS) … saw action at DH and as a second baseman in games last Tuesday and Wednesday (Aug. 15-16) at the Reading Fightin Phils. Seigler was 1-for-6 in the two games with a two-run home run and a pair of walks. For the season, the 2018 first-round pick has a .171 batting average with three homers and 23 RBIs. Somerset has already clinched a playoff berth by winning the first half of the Eastern League’s Northeast Division race. The Patriots (67-46 overall) are 25-20 in the second half and lead Binghamton by 2-½ games in the second-half standings. NFL MILLER FORRISTALL — Cleveland Browns (NFL; 3rd-yr. pro; TE; Alabama; Cartersville HS) … now has five preseason receptions for 75 yards and an average of 15 yards per catch following the Browns’ 18-18 tie with the Eagles last Thursday in Philadelphia. Forristall had just one catch for nine yards in the tie and is one of six tight ends currently retained by the Browns. MANNY JONES — Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL; 2nd-yr. pro; DE; Colorado State; Woodland HS) … saw action for the second straight preseason game at defensive end for the Steelers who beat the visiting Buffalo Bills Saturday 27-15. The Steelers list Jones as the third defensive end on their current depth chart behind Larry Ogunjobi and DeMarvin Leal. Pittsburgh (2-0) conclude their exhibition schedule Thursday night at the Atlanta Falcons. TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL; 3rd-yr. pro; QB; Clemson; Cartersville HS) … did not see action in the Jaguars’ 25-7 win at the Detroit Lions last Saturday. He played two series and threw one touchdown pass in Jacksonville’s first preseason game — a 28-23 win on August 12 at the Dallas Cowboys. Jacksonville (2-0 preseason) hosts the Miami Dolphins this Saturday night. PRO GOLF JASON BOHN — PGA Tour Champions (Acworth resident; Cartersville Country Club member) … tied for 70th place this past weekend at the Shaw Charity Classic after shooting rounds of 69-70-74. The tournament was played at the par-70, 7,008-yard Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. SOCCER BRADY CRAIG — Reinhardt University (So., Cartersville HS) … a starting defender for the Eagles, Craig played all 90 minutes last Friday in a 1-1 tie at home against NAIA 4th-ranked Dalton State College. The Eagles (0-0-1) host Point University Saturday night. VOLLEYBALL MARIA PILIPOSYANS — Reinhardt University (So., Cass HS) … a starting middle hitter for the Eagles, Piliposyans had eight kills and one dig last Saturday in a straight sets victory over visiting Talladega University. Reinhardt won 25-17, 25-21, and 25-18. The Eagles (1-0) will play three matches Friday and Saturday at Life University facing the hosts on Friday then Keiser University and Lindsey Wilson College on Saturday.

The Cass volleyball team was in action Saturday (Aug. 19) at the Rockmart Invitational. The Lady Colonels lost to Central-Carroll (25-12, 25-16) and Murray County (25-14, 25-21), and tied Unity Christian (25-19, 22-25) in pool play. In bracket play, Cass defeated LaGrange (22-25, 25-14, 15-13) in three sets and lost to Villa Rica in three sets (25-22, 12-25, 8-15). Cass (2-9-1) hosts Rockmart and South Paulding Tuesday starting at 5 p.m.

August 20 The local high school cross country teams are off and running in 2023. CARTERSVILLE Malachi Vosburgh (6th, 10:00.44) and Barrett Stepp (48th, 11:07.02) led the Canes on August 12th at the Hoya 2 Mile Invitational in Acworth at Allatoona Creek Park. The duo led Cartersville to a seventh-place finish out of 15 teams in the event’s top-level race. The Cartersville girls placed fourth in the mid-level race of the day among 13 teams. Freshman Kylie Ham was the top runner for the Lady Canes placing second in 13:35.56. Vivi Vest was 17th at 14:35.31. The Cartersville teams are scheduled to compete this Friday at the Allatoona Creek Quad Meet in Acworth. WOODLAND The Woodland boys placed 11th in the top-level race on August 12th at the Hoya 2 Mile Invitational. Landon McSwain (28th, 10:43.58) and Andy Forsyth (46th, 11:06.43) were the top runners for the Wildcats. Woodland will run Saturday at the Ridge Ferry Invitational in Rome. ADAIRSVILLE Senior Callie Viktora won the girls’ race in 13:03 as the Adairsville cross country teams competed at the Rambler 2 Mile in LaFayette last Thursday (Aug. 17). Teammate Caroline O’Kelley was 14th overall in 15:47. The Lady Tigers did not field a full team to receive a team score. The Tigers were eighth of nine teams in the boys’ race. Griffin Bozeman was the top runner for Adairsville in 11:42. Adairsville competes in the Front Runner 5 Star Stride at Ringgold this Thursday and the Ridge Ferry Invitational in Rome on Saturday. CASS The Cass boys placed second this past Saturday at the Horizon Christian Academy in Cumming. Critton Gearhart won the boys’ race in 18:36.56. Leonardo Galeana placed fifth in 19:32.96. Jimena Perez (22nd, 28:58.20) ran in the girls’ race for the Lady Colonels who did not field a complete team. Next on the Cass schedule is the Woodland Run at the Rock on September 2.

Cartersville quarterback Nate Russell threw three touchdown passes Friday night as the Purple Hurricanes beat visiting Cherokee at Weinman Stadium, 27-14. Russell threw for two scores in the first half as Cartersville carried a 20-7 lead to the halftime intermission. He found Kendrick Price for a 38-yard touchdown midway through the first period and connected with Richard Houston for a 13-yard score with just 0:49 remaining in the half. Cherokee Tanner Savasir tossed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Gracen Sexton late in the first quarter. The touchdown tied the score at 7-7 with 2:20 to go in the opening period. Khristian Lando added a 4-yard touchdown run at the 4:38 mark of the second quarter, giving the Canes a 14-7 lead. Early in the third quarter, Russell completed his third touchdown pass of the game. The 56-yard reception by Cayden Aleman built the Canes a 27-7 lead following kicker Ryan Johnson’s third PAT kick. Cherokee added a fourth-quarter, 7-yard touchdown run by Savasir with only 3:10 remaining. "We're going to focus on what we do," Foster said. "We're looking and seeing who was productive with their time, who probably needs to get more time, that'll be a big piece ... always early in the year, that's where you see a big jump, between weeks one and two and three, special teams reps clean up a lot.” Cherokee (0-1) will host Etowah next Friday. Cartersville (1-0) has a home game Friday against Jonesboro. ROME 34, CASS 0 After a highly competitive first half Friday night the Class 6A 7th-ranked Rome Wolves imposed their will on the Cass Colonels in the second half to take total control in a 34-0 shutout win. Rome led 14-0 at halftime but it seemed Cass had gained some momentum heading into the intermission with an impressive four-play, goal-line stand in the final minute of the half. The Wolves, however, dominated the line of scrimmage in the second half on both sides of the ball and overpowered Cass in the final two periods. Rome finished the night with 399 yards of total offense while limiting the Colonels to 147. The Wolves picked up 25 first downs in the contest while Cass only made eight. Wolves’ quarterback Reece Fountain connected with Tinerius Stallings midway through the first quarter for the game’s first score. The 21-yard touchdown pass and reception capped an eight-play drive that covered 47 yards. The extra point kick by Jacob Fisher gave Rome a 7-0 lead. Two possessions later Rome added to its lead. A Wolves 64-yard drive took eight plays and was finalized with a five-yard touchdown pass from Fountain to Javarious McDearmont early in the second quarter. Another PAT by Fisher gave Rome a 14-0 advantage. Following another exchange of possessions, Rome drove 53 yards to the Cass one-yard line in the final seconds of the first half. The Colonels defensive front held strong against a “heavy-set” formation by the Wolves and the goal line stand kept the score 14-0 at the intermission. The Colonels had five offensive series in the first half. Two ended with fumbles, two with punts, and another turned over on downs. The offensive struggles were worse in the second half when seven possessions resulted in five punts and one interception. Rome took the opening possession of the second half 63 yards on 10 plays to go ahead 20-0. Fountain connected with DeKaylon Daniel with a 17-yard touchdown pass. The extra point attempt failed. In the fourth quarter, the Wolves leaned heavily on their running game. Chance Arthur scored on a 2-yard run with 8:48 remaining in the game to cap a 12-play, 49-yard drive. The scoring play gave Rome a 27-0 lead following Fisher’s third successful PAT kick. Just over six minutes later, McDearmont added a 9-yard touchdown run to finish off an 8-play, 53-yard scoring drive. Fountain finished 19-for-24 through the air for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Nic Hester had nine catches for 59 yards. Daniel had six receptions for 87 yards and one touchdown. Arthur led Rome’s rushing attack with 106 yards on 22 carries. McDearmont followed with 66 yards on 16 attempts. Cass quarterback Brodie McWhorter finished 12-for-27 passing for 99 yards. He was intercepted once. Sacovie White had six catches for 57 yards and ran for 18 yards on four carries. Devin Henderson caught four passes for 36 yards and had two carries for 12 yards. Defensively for the Colonels, Devin Henderson was credited with 15 tackles. Mason Tompkins followed with 14. Kevin Henderson and Malachi Harris added nine tackles each. Rome (1-0) will host Lithonia next Friday. Cass (0-1) will attempt to rebound next Friday night at Rockmart. EAST PAULDING 49, WOODLAND 0 James Swift / The Daily Tribune News Woodland began the 2023 football season with a 49-0 loss to East Paulding on Aug. 18. The nominal “home” game was held at Tiger Stadium in Adairsville, as the Wildcats’ home turf was rendered unplayable due to vandalism from earlier this summer. "First, I just want to give Adairsville all the credit that they deserve, just allowing us to play here and use their facilities," Woodland High Head Football Coach Brandon Haywood said. "I don't know if it affected the mental psyche of our kids not being at home, but we came out flat — I felt like we were flat this morning in the weight room, so I'm trying to stress to our kids that every detail matters and we've got to have some passion about what we do.” East Paulding scored one touchdown in each of the first two periods to lead 14-0 at the intermission. The Raiders then struck for three scores in the third quarter for a 35-0 advantage and added two more touchdowns in the final stanza. Baylor Thomason threw for three touchdowns while Chantz Bouknight added one more touchdown pass for the Raiders. East Paulding also had touchdown runs by Javen Parker, Eddy Ferguson, and Bouknight in the victory. The Wildcats won the opening coin toss and elected to defer. Isaiah Livsey recorded an interception for Woodland on the Raiders’ opening drive around midfield. On third and long, the Wildcats got stuffed on a run play and Woodland punted the pigskin back to East Paulding. The Raiders got on the scoreboard first via a 16-yard touchdown pass. Woodland’s offense stalled out on their subsequent possession and the Wildcats’ punting unit once again took the field. Dylan Carver picked up a loose East Paulding football and Woodland’s offense went back to business around midfield. Working from the shotgun, quarterback Brelace Williams pushed Woodland into Raiders’ territory. On fourth and three Woodland went for it. Devin Teasley took the ball and stomped down to the East Paulding 33-yard-line to convert. On the very next play, however, Woodland fumbled the ball away and the Raiders recovered. On fourth and inches, the Raiders converted. East Paulding continued to march downfield, chewing up much of the second quarter clock. On third and six near the Woodland 20, East Paulding didn’t quite get enough to move the chains — only for an offsides penalty against the Wildcats to give the Raiders a new set of downs. On third and three at the Woodland five, the Raiders recorded their second touchdown of the evening with about six minutes left in the first half. The Wildcats’ offense sputtered out near the team’s own 30-yard line and Woodland had to punt. A Raiders’ field goal attempt was no good and Woodland had less than a minute left to work with before the first half expired. East Paulding maintained a 14-0 lead heading into halftime. "We lost three starters tonight, three pivotal starters," Haywood said. "We had depth issues, we were very problematic on getting people on and off the field — we went past the depth chart when it comes to injury, fatigue, cramping, all these different things that we faced ... you want to prepare for the best, but moving forward as a head coach I will do a better job of preparing for the worst and making sure I have my kids and coaches ready to follow suit.” Woodland received the ball to begin the third quarter. Soon, the Wildcats stared down a fourth and long situation at midfield and the team had no choice but to punt. The Raiders scored on their next possession on a long TD strike to make it 21-0 all, East Paulding. The Raiders didn’t have to wait long for their next trip into the red zone, with another touchdown pass giving East Paulding a 28-0 lead. After the Raiders went up 35-0 on a roughly 40-yard touchdown pass, the final outcome became inevitable … with yet another East Paulding touchdown in the early moments of the fourth quarter completely putting the game out of reach for Woodland. East Paulding 49, Woodland 0 would prove to be the final score. "You can dwell on it, you can mope about it, but that doesn't change anything that happened tonight," Haywood. "But you can change the outcome for the future by preparing better, by being physically motivated, and by being accountable and pushing our team in the right direction.” Woodland is scheduled to travel to Coosa for a non-regional contest on Aug. 25. "We've got to address some things offensively, I think our defense played well but we put them in uncompromised positions," Haywood said. "We had a horrible time trying to sustain drives tonight ... and defensively, we've got to continue to pursue, we've got some holes to fill, so we've got to make sure we get these younger kids coached up to do what's necessary to win."

All four local volleyball teams were in action Thursday night. LADY CATS WIN AT TEMPLE Woodland volleyball won a best-of-three sets match Thursday night at Temple. The host Tigers won the opening set 25-14 but the Wildcats won the final two sets 25-21 and 15-12. “We got off to a sluggish start,” said Woodland coach David Condon. “We were able to dig deep, however, and did just enough to come out with the win.” Kendall Condon had 11 assists, five digs, and four aces. Megan Schultz contributed six kills, five digs, and two aces. Lili Womack added six digs and a pair of kills. Temple slipped to 4-3 with the loss. Woodland (3-4) hosts Haralson County and Unity Christian Tuesday. ADAIRSVILLE EARNS SPLIT Adairsville dropped a 25-10, 25-16 decision to Calhoun Thursday night but picked up a 25-9, 25-7 win over Coosa. In the loss to Calhoun, Addie Pearson had four blocks, two kills, and 10 assists. Jayna Wilson also had two kills and four blocks. Jordan Hartline finished with three kills while Sherry Wells added seven assists. In the win over Coosa, Pearson contributed ten aces, nine assists, and six digs while Wilson totaled six kills. “Jayna Wilson had a great night,” said Adairsville coach Kaylie Martin. “She was aggressive on the net both offensively and defensively. Addie Pearson played well also. It’s hard transitioning from setter to hitter and she does it seamlessly. I’m proud of the effort tonight and look forward to seeing Calhoun again.” Adairsville (2-4) visits Temple Tuesday and will also face Villa Rica. CASS AT ARMUCHEE THURSDAY The Lady Colonels (1-5) dropped three sets at Armuchee Thursday night falling 25-14, 25-21, and 25-10 to the host Indians. The Lady Colonels will play in a tournament at Rockmart Saturday. CARTERSVILLE DEFEATS NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN Cartersville beat North Cobb Christian in three sets Thursday night. The Lady Canes lost the opening set 25-23 but bounced back to win the next two sets 25-19 and 15-9. The Lady Canes also lost 25-17, 25-19 at host Greater Atlanta Christian. Cartersville (5-4) travels to Cambridge Tuesday for matches with Lovett and the host Bears.

Woodland and Cartersville picked up region wins Thursday night while Cass suffered a region loss and Adairsville fell in non-region action. WOODLAND 15, HIRAM 0 The Lady Cats made short work of the visiting Hornets Thursday evening defeating Hiram 15-0 in just three innings. Woodland pounded out a dozen hits in the run-rule-shortened game. Lady Cats’ pitcher Haley Collum gave up just one hit with no walks — facing just one over the minimum. Collum struck out one. Alana Carnes led the Woodland attack with three hits including a pair of doubles and six RBIs. Mackenzie Araya had two hits including one double and two RBIs. Kamryn Smith also had two hits. Harley Hannah, Ashlynn Baines (two RBIs), Elizabeth Hartsfield (RBI), and Peyton Dorn added one hit each. Bailey Ryan and Karmen Zeferino contributed one RBI apiece. With the loss, Hiram drops to 0-3 on the season and 0-2 in region play. Woodland (6-1, 1-1) returns to action Monday at Adairsville at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Cats also host Cartersville Tuesday and Dalton Thursday. CARTERSVILLE 9, DALTON 1 The Lady Canes scored in four of five frames Thursday evening and pulled away from visiting Dalton to win a Region 7-5A matchup, 9-1, in five innings. Cartersville had 13 hits in the abbreviated contest. Addi Burns (RBI) and Kenedy Crenshaw (double, three RBIs) had three hits each for the Hurricanes. Jordan Bishop followed with two hits including a double and two RBIs. Layne Callan (two RBIs), Reese Dumas, Erin McCrary, Miley Jo Williams, and Jaycee Blackwell added one hit apiece. The loss dropped Dalton to 0-4 on the season and 0-2 in region play. Cartersville (4-2, 2-0) plays at Sonoraville Monday at 5:30 p.m. in a non-region game before traveling to region opponents Woodland on Tuesday and Cass on Thursday. CALHOUN 14, CASS 4 Fourth-ranked Calhoun won at Cass Thursday night 14-4 with a seven-run outburst in the top of the seventh inning. The Yellow Jackets outhit the Lady Colonels in the contest, 13 to five and Cass committed seven errors. As a result, only three of Calhoun’s 14 runs were earned. Bailey York (6.2 IP, 14R, 3ER, 13H, 2BB, 2K) took the pitching loss for the Colonels. Lily Powell (0.1 IP) retired the final out in the seventh. Calhoun led 3-0 through 2-½ innings but Cass tied the score in the bottom of the third. The Yellow Jackets responded with four runs in the top of the fourth and added seven in the seventh to pull away. Cass scored a single run in the bottom of the seventh for a 14-4 final score. Cayce Brown had two hits for Cass including a solo home run in the third inning. Harlee Thomason had one hit and two RBIs. Braelyn Franklin and Darianna Sosa added one hit apiece in the loss. Maggy Abernathy had three hits including a triple and four RBIs to lead Calhoun’s offense. Breanna Baker added three hits including a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Calhoun improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in Region 7-5A play. Cass (3-6, 1-1) plays at Hiram Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and hosts Cartersville Thursday at 5:30 p.m. SONORAVILLE 10, ADAIRSVILLE 1 Sonoraville pitcher Lila Mullinax struck out 15 and limited the Tigers to just four hits Thursday evening as the Phoenix topped Adairsville, 10-1. The game was a nail-biter for the first five innings with Sonoraville taking a 1-0 lead in the fourth. The Phoenix then struck for four runs in the sixth and five more in the seventh inning to pull away. McKenzie Pullam had two hits for Adairsville including one double. Taylor Evans and Alissa Winters added one hit each. Sonoraville improved to 3-3 with their victory. Adairsville (1-4) hosts Woodland Monday at 5:30 p.m. and has a doubleheader Tuesday at Bremen starting at 4:30 p.m.