September 7, 2024 The Woodland High School cross country teams hosted the 18th annual Run at the Rock on Saturday and the Wildcats and Lady Cats both placed third. The boys' varsity race included 19 teams and 151 runners. The varsity girls' race included 14 teams and 94 competitors. East Paulding won the boys' team race with Southeast Whitfield runner-up. The Cass boys placed seventh and the Adairsville boys team was 12th. The King’s Academy was the team winner of the girls' race with East Paulding as runner-up.  Woodland’s Juan Mendoza won the boys individual title in 17:18. He was followed by teammates Will Parker (20th, 19:00), James Morris (24th, 19:10), Conner Cruz (45th, 20:04), and Gabe Hardin (56th, 20:23). Allison Snead led the Lady Cats with a third place finish individually in 21:53. Woodland’s other top finishers were Miranda Pelow (6th, 22:23), Addison Brown (17th, 23:49), Abby George (35th, 25:45), and Sophia St. James (37th, 25:47). The top runners for the Cass boys were Leonardo Galeana (32nd, 19:33), Booker Gearhart (35th, 19:40), Jordan Russell (48th, 20:06), Sawyer Foy (53rd, 20:20), and Cristian Lenhart (65th, 20:33). The Adairsville boys' top performers were Griffin Bozeman (15th, 18:43), Johnathan Ringwell (23rd, 19:08), Aaron Souders (91st, 21:33), Canyon East (126th, 24:04), and Owen Kelly (130th, 24:15). The Adairsville girls and Cass girls teams did not field a full team but had individual competitors. Fernanda Singer placed 30th in 25:15 and Charley Doyle of Cass was 54th in 28:17. Adairsville will run again on Tuesday at the Rocky Face Ridge Race in Dalton. Woodland will run on Saturday at the Wire to Wire Invitational hosted by Cartersville while Cass is off until September 28 at the Darlingon XC Festival. CANES RUNNER-UP, LADY CANES FIFTH AT MUSTANG STAMPEDE The Cartersville cross country teams were in action on Saturday morning at the 9th Annual Mustang Stampede hosted by Kennesaw Mountain High School. The Cartersville boys finished runner-up to champion West Forsyth and the Cartersville girls finished fifth. The West Forsyth boys had five of the top seven finishers in the race which included 15 teams and 136 competitors. The West Forsyth girls finished ahead of St. Pius, Wesleyan, and Cherokee. Top performances for the Lady Canes included Sofia Burns (3rd, 19:06), Kylie Ham (24th, 21:14), Genevieve Alessandro (46th, 22:41), Jordan Hathaway (47th, 22:46), and Hadley Finnemore (48th, 22:46). Top runners for the Hurricanes were Barrett Stepp (8th, 16:10), Will Feuerbach (19th, 16:40), Kaleb Lanier (26th, 16:59), Hayden Mitchell (27th, 17:05), and Carson Robinson (31st, 17:15). Kyle Camper II (32nd, 17:18), Ethan Empie (36th, 17:25), and Tripp Chitwood (38th, 17:32) also eclipsed the 18-minute mark for Cartersville. The Canes and Lady Canes host the Wire to Wire Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 14). EXCEL RUNNERS COMPETE AT HORIZON CHRISTIAN FALL XC INVITATIONAL The Excel Eagles did field enough runners to post a team score but had four competitors Saturday at the Horizon Christian Fall Cross Country Invitational in Cumming. Hugo Jara (18th, 21:25), Raul Vazquez (21st, 21:53), Kasen Higginbotham (28th, 23:16), and Hunter Jumper (40th, 27:09) represented the Eagles. Excel is scheduled next for the Bobby Scott Cross Country Invitational in Johns Creek on September 26.

September 7, 2024 Cass softball lost a non-region game to visiting Paulding County on Saturday, 11-8. The Lady Colonels traded leads with the Lady Patriots through the first three frames and led 5-4 but Paulding County posted seven runs over the final three innings to build an 11-5 lead. Cass rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh but came up short. Sydney Satterfield had three hits including a double and three RBI to pace the Lady Colonels offense. Cayce Brown (double, two RBI), Bailey York (RBI), and Braelyn Franklin (two doubles) followed with two hits. Kylie Gentry drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Lily Powell (4 IP, 7R, 3ER, 6H, 4BB, 2K) and Chloe Hill (3 IP, 4ER, 6H, 5K) shared the Cass pitching duties in the loss. The Patriots improved to 6-12 on the season. Cass (9-6, 7-4) returns to Region 7-4A play at home on Monday at 5:30 p.m. against Cedartown.

September 7, 2024 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Adairsville Tigers posted 44 first-half points Friday night at Woodland en route to a 44-14 win over the Wildcats. Jamarian Pullum had three rushing touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass to highlight the Adairsville first-half scoring barrage.  Westin Crisp returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for an Adairsville touchdown to get things started and Cooper Souders added the first of his six PAT kicks to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead just 14 seconds into the game. Adairsville’s Xavious Nalls picked off Woodland quarterback JD Trail inside the red zone to set up the next Tigers’ score. Pullum slammed into the endzone four plays later with a 2-yard touchdown run, and Adairsville sported a 14-0 lead at the 8:08 mark of the initial period. Tre Winters picked off a Woodland pass on the next series. Five plays later, Pullum punched in a 1-yard run for a 21-0 advantage with 4:08 left to play in the first quarter. CJ Gardner recovered a Woodland fumble to set up the Tigers’ next scoring possession in plus territory. Adairsville quarterback Ethan Long connected with Xavious Nalls just three plays later to increase the lead to 28-0 with 2:04 remaining in the first quarter. Woodland faked a punt near midfield on their next possession but Adairsville took over on downs at the 50-yard line. Five plays later, Long hit Pullum on a swing pass for a 7-yard touchdown and a 35-0 score with 7:02 left in the second quarter. Adairsville added a safety at the end of the next Woodland possession. The Wildcats’ punt snap sailed over the head of punter Nick Miranda and into the end zone for a 37-0 Tigers lead with 4:27 remaining in the half. On the Tigers’ next drive, it took three plays before Pullum broke free for a 37-yard touchdown run and a 44-0 advantage with 1:52 left in the half. The Wildcats matched the Adairsville kickoff return with one of their own to open the second half. Isaiah Livsey took the kick back 90 yards to make the score 44-7 with 11:42 left in the third quarter. Late in the third quarter, Livsey broke free again for a 76-yard touchdown run with 1:43 left, but a fourth-quarter running clock left the final score 44-14. Adairsville (3-1) has a bye week in the schedule next Friday before hosting LaFayette on September 20. Woodland (1-2) also has a bye week before hosting Cartersville on September 20. ~~~ Larry Gardner contributed to this report. CARTERSVILLE 35, CALHOUN 13 The Class 4A second-ranked Cartersville Hurricanes utilized another ironfisted defensive performance and got four rushing touchdowns from four different players Friday night to win 35-13 at Class 3A 10th-ranked Calhoun. For the Canes, it was their 33rd win in 41 games with the Yellow Jackets. The two defenses were on display early in a scoreless first quarter but the Hurricanes broke the scoring ice with a 28-yard touchdown run by Jacaiden Leonard with 7:48 remaining in the first half. A long completion from Nate Russell to A’darrian Taylor-Wilson sparked the drive and converted a 3rd-and-18. Ramsey Rowell booted the first of five PAT kicks to give Cartersville a 7-0 lead. A Calhoun fumble on the ensuing kickoff return set up the Canes’ next score — a 14-yard run by Baylon Long with 4:59 to play in the second quarter. Brayden Logan recovered the fumble for the Hurricanes deep in Yellow Jacket territory. The Yellow Jackets cracked the scoreboard before the intermission with a 39-yard field goal by Carlos Lopez sending the two teams to the break with a 14-3 score. The Hurricanes’ defense forced a Calhoun punt on the second half's initial possession, and the Cartersville offense stretched the lead. Russell scored on a 9-yard run with 9:05 remaining in the third period to extend the Cartersville advantage to 21-3. After the Yellow Jackets made it 21-6 with a 39-yard field goal by Lopez, Russell connected with Brady Marchese for a 90-yard touchdown pass and a more comfortable 28-6 lead with 1:53 left in the quarter. Calhoun scored its only touchdown of the night on the next possession, narrowing the deficit to 28-13. A 30-yard scoring strike from Trace Hawkins to Justin Beasley culminated a drive that included chunk runs by Isaiah Nalls. Cartersville had a 70-yard scoring pass nullified by a penalty on the next possession but did add a late touchdown to seal the victory on a 1-yard run by Andrew Purdy with 1:58 left in the game. The loss dropped Calhoun to 1-2 on the season. The Yellow Jackets travel to unbeaten Cambridge on Friday before opening Region 7-3A play the following week at home against Adairsville. Cartersville (4-0) begins play in Region 7-4A next Friday at Weinman Stadium against Dalton. ~~~ Matt Santini contributed to this report. NORTH COBB 43, CASS 14 North Cobb running back Zach Belyeu had two first-half rushing touchdowns, while quarterback Nick Grimstead had touchdown passes to Steele Ingram and Micah Billingsley Friday night as the Warriors overpowered host Cass. 43-14. Quavy Echols added a second-quarter rushing touchdown as North Cobb built a 33-7 advantage by halftime. The only Cass scoring in the first half was a 77-yard interception return for a touchdown by Ian Williams midway through the first quarter. The pick-six tied the game at 7-7, but North Cobb responded with 29 unanswered points from that point to pull away.  Belyeu’s first touchdown run came just 34 seconds into the game. A Cass fumble on the opening kickoff gave North Cobb the ball at the 17-yard line. Back-to-back runs by Belyeu included a 12-yard scoring scamper. After Cass knotted the score, the Warriors struck back with a 44-yard touchdown pass from Grimstead to Ingram. The PAT kick failed, but North Cobb had a 13-7 lead with 3:42 left in the opening quarter. On their next possession, North Cobb drove for their third touchdown. Belyeu punched in an 8-yard run on the first play of the second quarter for a 19-7 lead after a two-point conversion run attempt failed. Midway through the second quarter, North Cobb built a 26-7 advantage when Echols scored on a 7-yard run. This time, Michael Hill made his second PAT kick. After stopping Cass and using a timeout to preserve time at the end of the second quarter, the Warriors added a 23-yard touchdown pass from Grimstead to Billingsley with only 0:07 remaining in the half. Hill’s kick put North Cobb up 33-7 at the intermission. Kaleb Castro booted a 42-yard field goal for the Warriors for the third quarter's only points, giving North Cobb a 36-7 lead. In the final stanza, Cass forced a North Cobb turnover and drove 35 yards for their only offensive touchdown.  Sergio Ochoa stripped reserve quarterback Christion Peacock in the backfield, and the Colonels recovered the fumble at the North Cobb 35 yard line.  Cass quarterback Brodie McWhorter had a 13-yard run to keep the drive moving and later finished the nine-play march with a 1-yard keeper. Mason Madrid made his second PAT kick of the night, and Cass briefly cut the North Cobb lead to 36-14 with 7:00 remaining. The Warriors added the final scoring of the night with the ensuing possession. Cam Morris had three chunk runs during the drive and punched in a 1-yard run with 2:51 remaining and a 43-14 final score. North Cobb (4-0) hosts North Paulding next Friday. Cass (3-1) will entertain the Hiram Hornets in their Region 7-4A opener.

September 5, 2024 The Cartersville High volleyball team swept a pair of Region 7-4A opponents in straight sets Thursday night in Cobb County by defeating Cass and 9th-ranked Allatoona. The Lady Canes beat Cass 25-10 and 25-12. Cartersville also downed the host Buccaneers, 25-17 and 26-24.  Riley Huff had five kills and one block in the Lady Canes' win over Cass. Amara Ejieka finished with four kills and one block. Holly Dufrene totaled four kills. McKenzie Wilkie contributed four aces and 13 digs. Sydney McNair-Seigler had three aces and Aubree Barrett added seven assists. In the win over Allatoona, Ejieke finished with five kills and six digs. Marisko totaled five kills and one block. Dufrene added five kills. Wilkie contributed four aces and eight digs. Barrett had three aces and nine assists while Emma Wall also distributed nine. In the third match of the tri-match, Allatoona defeated the Lady Colonels 25-11 and 25-14. Cartersville (15-6, 4-0) and Cass (3-9, 0-4) will join Woodland and Adairsville on Saturday for the annual Bartow County Championship. Adairsville will host the tournament. ADAIRSVILLE SPLITS DECISIONS AT GORDON CENTRAL The Adairsville High volleyball team defeated host Gordon Central 25-15, 25-13 Thursday evening but lost to Chattooga 12-25 and 8-25. In the win over the Warriors, Ella Steward had five kills and four aces. Alexis Scott contributed three kills and one block. Alivia Wynn totaled three aces and four assists. Addie Pearson distributed nine assists and Abby Farr added three kills. In the loss to Chattooga, Pearson had two kills, three assists, and six digs. Scott produced two kills and two digs while Wynn added two aces and three digs. Adairsville (8-13, 2-2) hosts the Bartow County Championship Tournament on Saturday and returns to region play on Tuesday at Northwest Whitfield where the Tigers will also play Gilmer in a tri-match. EXCEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY WINS IN STRAIGHT SETS The Lady Eagles won a best-of-five set match over Hearts Academy in three straight Thursday night, 25-11, 25-22, and 25-14. Excel outside hitter, Chae Vieria, led the Lady Eagles in kills. ECA improved to 2-7 overall and 2-3 in GAPPS DI-Region 1. LADY CATS FALL AT SOUTHEAST WHITFIELD Woodland volleyball lost a Region 7-4A match Thursday at Southeast Whitfield, 5-25 and 13-25. The host Lady Raiders improved to 5-14 overall and 1-2 in region play. The Lady Cats (2-14, 0-3) have the Bartow County Championship Tournament on Saturday before traveling to Hiram next Tuesday where they will also square off with Allatoona.

September 5, 2024 The Cass softball team scored five runs in the first two innings Thursday night at Hiram and never trailed in an 11-2 win. The Lady Colonels pounded out 19 hits in the region win. Cass third baseman Darianna Sosa homered twice, doubled, and had two more hits with three RBI. Braelyn Franklin also had four hits including a double and one RBI. Molli Morrow (triple, double, RBI) and Harlee Thomason (double) finished with three hits. Sydney Satterfield produced two hits with three RBI. Bailey York (RBI), Chloe Hill (RBI), and Payton Mize added one hit. Kylie Gentry (7 IP, 2R, 1ER, 7H, 1BB, 8K) pitched a complete game and recorded eight strikeouts. Hiram falls to 1-12 overall and 0-11 in Region 7-4A. Cass (9-5, 7-4) hosts a non-region game with Paulding County on Saturday at 1 p.m. CARTERSVILLE 9, SOUTHEAST WHITFIELD 0 Zoie Shiflett tossed a two-hitter with 16 strikeouts and the Lady Canes posted runs in every inning but one in a 9-0 six-inning win over visiting Southeast Whitfield Thursday evening. Jordan Bishop (home run, two RBI), Kennedy Crenshaw (RBI), Lakaiya Banks (two doubles), and Addi Burns (RBI) had two hits for the Hurricanes. Allana Williams (RBI), Layne Callan (double, RBI), and Shiflett (triple) added one hit. Southeast Whitfield remained winless at 0-14 overall and 0-10 in Region 7-4A. 4th-ranked Cartersville (13-3, 11-0) visits 9th-ranked Allatoona on Monday. DALTON 12, WOODLAND 6 Woodland’s Kamryn Smith drove in four runs with three hits including a pair of doubles Thursday night but the Lady Cats fell to visiting Dalton, 12-6. Smith (7 IP, 7R, 1ER, 10H, 1BB, 6K) also entered to pitch in the first inning after starter Gracie Korb (0.0 IP, 5R, 4ER, 2H, 3BB) failed to record an out in the opening frame. Lanie Calhoun, Bitsy Hartsfield (RBI), and Jordan Hammonds produced two hits for Woodland. Mackenzie Araya (RBI), Bailey Gerstner, and Bailey Ryan added one hit. Dalton improved to 4-9 overall and 4-7 in Region 7-4A action. Woodland (3-9, 3-8) visits Murray County for a non-region game on Saturday at noon. WEDNESDAY NIGHT: HARRISON 10, CARTERSVILLE 4 The host Harrison Hoyas scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on Wednesday night to pull away from the Lady Canes for a 10-4 non-region win. Zoie Shiflett (5.1 IP, 10ER, 13H, 3BB, 3K) suffered the pitching loss for Cartersville. Pressley Crabbe (0.2 IP) retired the final two outs. Lakaiya Banks led the Cartersville offense with three hits including a double and one RBI. Allana Williams and Kennedy Crenshaw (triple) finished with two hits. Jordan Bishop, Kinsey Woodard, Reese Dumas, and Shiflett (double, RBI) added one hit.

September 5, 2024 The 2024 Woodland High School girls soccer team from last Spring was recently recognized by the United Soccer Coaches in Kansas City as one of eight Georgia teams to receive a Team Academic Award. The Lady Cats were recognized for their exemplary performance in the classroom during the 2023-24 year. A total of 291 soccer teams (116 boys, 175 girls) posted a team GPA of 3.25 or higher to receive the award. Coach Kyle Morgan’s Lady Cats had a team GPA of 3.89.

September 4, 2024 Trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning Wednesday night, the Lady Tigers got a solo home run by Brie Patterson, a two-RBI double by Ansley Powell, and an RBI single by Maddie Baggett to pull out a 5-2 win over the visiting Christian Heritage Lions. Adairsville managed only five hits in the game, but four came with two outs in the decisive sixth inning. The Lady Tigers also took advantage of three walks in the frame. Baggett (6 IP, 1ER, 2H, 4BB, 5K) picked up the pitching win in relief of starter Jordan Clay (1 IP, 1ER, 1H, 1BB, 1K). Ashlyn Carlton (double) and Alivia Joslin added hits for the Tigers' offense. Christian Heritage fell to 4-5 with the loss. Adairsville (11-6, 3-5) returns to Region 7-AAA play on Monday at Calhoun.

September 3, 2024 Pressley Crabbe tossed a three-hit shutout while Kennedy Crenshaw and Jordan Bishop homered Tuesday evening as Cartersville won at Woodland, 8-0. The Lady Canes scored three runs in the first two innings to take control and added single runs in the third and fifth innings to close the game. Crabbe scattered three hits and three walks while striking out six. Lakaiya Banks had two hits for Cartersville. Kinsey Woodard, Reese Dumas, and Layne Callan added one hit. Bitsy Hartsfield, Alana Carnes, and Mackenzie Araya had one hit each for the Lady Cats. Kamryn Smith (3.1 IP, 7ER, 7H, 1BB) was charged with the pitching loss for Woodland. Gracie Korb (1.2 IP, 1ER, 0H, 4BB) also pitched for the Wildcats.  Cartersville (12-2, 10-0) steps outside Region 7-4A play on Wednesday to visit Harrison. Woodland (3-8, 3-7) hosts Dalton on Thursday. CASS 14, SOUTHEAST WHITFIELD 0 The Lady Colonels put eight runs on the scoreboard in the first inning and six more in the third on Tuesday night to beat visiting Southeast Whitfield in four innings, 14-0. Kylie Gentry (3 IP, 0R, 1H, 2BB, 5K) and Lily Powell (1 IP, 0R, 1H, 1K) shared the Cass pitching duties. Eight Colonels had at least one hit. Molli Morrow (two RBI), Bailey York (two RBI), and KK Evans (RBI) had two hits each. Harlee Thomason (double, three RBI), Darianna Sosa (triple, two RBI), Sydney Satterfield (RBI), Braelyn Franklin (RBI), and Cayce Brown (double) added one hit for the Lady Colonels. Southeast Whitfield remained winless at 0-13 overall and 0-9 in Region 7-4A. Cass (8-5, 6-4) visits Hiram on Thursday.

September 2, 2024 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com With the Minor League Baseball schedules for the regular season down to their final two weeks, the NFL, collegiate football, cross country, volleyball, and golf schedules for local athletes are beginning. MiLB MASON BARNETT — Midland RockHounds (3rd-yr. pro; Oakland A’s Double-A affiliate; Texas League; Auburn; Cartersville HS) … suffered a pitching loss last Wednesday in a seven-inning start at San Antonio. The 23-year-old allowed three earned runs on six hits and one walk while fanning nine. Barnett’s season record slipped to 7-8 in 23 starts and 24 appearances with both Northwest Arkansas and Midland. He has 143 strikeouts in 120 innings with a 4.58 ERA. The RockHounds (74-51 overall) lead the Texas League South’s second-half race with a 34-22 record. They are ahead of first-half division winner Frisco RoughRiders by three games. Midland hosts the Amarillo Sod Poodles for six games this week in the regular season’s penultimate series. LOGAN MARTIN — Columbia Fireflies (2nd-yr. pro; Kansas City Royals Single-A affiliate; Carolina League; Kentucky; Cartersville HS) …collected a pitching win on Saturday with a five-inning start at the Augusta GreenJackets. The 23-year-old righty yielded no runs on two hits and two walks while striking out seven in the 5-2 victory. Martin’s ERA in August was 2.59 in just over 24 innings. For the season, he is 4-3 with three saves in 23 appearances including 15 starts. He has 94 strikeouts and a 3.88 ERA in 95 innings in 2024. The Fireflies (66-57 overall) are 31-24 in the Carolina League’s South Division during the second half of the season. They trail Charleston by five games and have seven at the RiverDogs this week. ANTHONY SEIGLER — Somerset Patriots (7th-yr. pro; NY Yankees Double-A affiliate; Eastern League; Cartersville HS) …in six home games this past week against the Reading Fightin’ Phils, the 25-year-old second baseman was 4-for-18 at the plate with one double, two walks, and three RBI. He added one stolen base. Seigler hit .280 in August and has a .227 batting average for the year in just over 320 official at-bats. He has 11 homers and 41 RBI with 25 stolen bases. Somerset (65-59 overall) is 33-22 in the Eastern League’s Northeast Division second-half standings and trails Portland by two games. The Patriots play six games this week at the Binghampton Rumble Ponies in the next-to-last week of the regular season. NFL MILLER FORRISTALL — Los Angeles Rams (NFL, 4th-yr. pro; Alabama; Cartersville HS) … was officially signed to the Rams’ practice squad last Wednesday and is listed as a number three tight end on the unofficial depth chart.  During the preseason, the 26-year-old was targeted six times and caught five passes for 30 yards and one touchdown. The Rams open the 2024 regular season on Sunday night at the Detroit Lions. TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL, 4th-yr. pro; Clemson; Cartersville HS) …  appeared in three preseason games August 10-23 and was 11-for-14 passing for134 yards and three touchdowns. The Jaguars open the regular season on Sunday afternoon at the Miami Dolphins. COLLEGE FOOTBALL JONAH GAMBILL — University of Memphis (R-Sr., Cartersville HS) … a fourth-year starting offensive lineman in the Tigers’ 40-0 win on Saturday over North Alabama. Memphis had 367 total yards of offense in the victory. Memphis (1-0) hosts Troy this Saturday. DEVIN HENDERSON — Liberty University (Fr., Cass HS) … saw action in his first collegiate game this past Saturday as the Flames beat Campbell, 41-24. He did not record a stat line. Liberty (1-0) travels to New Mexico State this Saturday night. SHADRE HURST — Tulane University (So., Cartersville HS) … a second-year starter on the Green Wave’s offensive line that produced 241 rushing yards and 472 total yards in a 52-0 home win last Thursday night over Southeastern Louisiana. Tulane (1-0) hosts 18th-ranked Kansas State on Saturday in New Orleans. QUANTE JENNINGS — Presbyterian College (Sr., Cartersville HS) … had two carries for three yards last Thursday night in a 63-10 loss at Mercer. The Blue Hose (0-1) visit Erskine College this Saturday night. SAM PHILLIPS — UT-Chattanooga (R-Jr., Cartersville HS) … caught five passes for 59 yards on Saturday in a 69-3 loss in Knoxville to Tennessee. The Mocs (0-1) visit Georgia State on Saturday night. DEVONTE ROSS — Troy University (Jr., Cartersville HS) … had seven receptions for 103 yards including a 16-yard touchdown this past Saturday in a 28-26 home loss to Nevada. The Trojans (0-1) travel to Liberty Bowl Stadium this Saturday to take on the Memphis Tigers. COURTNEY SLOCUM — Mars Hill University (R-Sr., Adairsville HS) … started at linebacker last Thursday but did not record a tackle in the Lions’ 47-16 home loss to Delta State. Mars Hill has two weeks off before hosting Lenoir-Rhyne on September 21. EVAN SLOCUM — Wake Forest University (Sr., Cartersville HS) … a starter in the Demon Deacons’ defensive backfield, Slocum made seven total tackles (four solo) in a 45-13 home win last Thursday night over North Carolina A&T. Wake Forest (1-0) hosts Virginia in an ACC game on Saturday night. CROSS COUNTRY ANDY FORSYTH — Berry College (Fr., Woodland HS) … in a unique format to kick off the season, Berry ran a mixed relay race against Piedmont University at the Vikings’ own Clara Bowl course. Forsyth teamed with Katie Frankman, Sinclaire Denney, and Peter Ivester to place third in the 8K relay. Berry will be back in action on Saturday hosting the Equal Distance Meet. TYLER JONES — University of West Georgia (So., Woodland HS) … 106th of 184 last Friday at the 19-team Foothills Invitational at Jacksonville State University. The Wolves finished sixth as a team behind the host Gamecocks. UWG runs again on September 13 at the Southern Showcase Invitational in Huntsville. VOLLEYBALL MADELYN ORTON — LaGrange College (Jr., Cartersville resident, Cornerstone Prep) … in a pair of wins this past Saturday over Pensacola Christian and Middle Georgia State she had two kills, one assist, two aces, and four digs. The Panthers (2-0) host Tennessee Wesleyan and Tuskegee University on Saturday. MEREDITH ORTON — LaGrange College (Jr., Cartersville resident, Cornerstone Prep) … in Saturday's victories over Pensacola Christian and Middle Georgia State, Orton compiled six kills and eight digs and saw action in seven sets. LaGrange (2-0) hosts a tri-match on Saturday with Tennessee Wesleyan and Tuskegee University. GOLF BUCK BRUMLOW — University of Georgia (Sr., Cartersville HS) … fired rounds of 72-69-70 (5-under-par) and placed fourth individually at the Island Resort Intercollegiate in Bark River, Michigan. The Bulldogs (3-under-par, 861) finished fourth as a team in the 12-team event won by Purdue. Brumlow’s 211 total on the 7,375-yard, par-72 Sage Run Golf Club finished three shots behind Braden O’Grady of Virginia Commonwealth and Chase Haygood of UCF. Boise State’s Luke Cushman was third at 7-under-par. The next tournament for UGA is the Valero Texas Collegiate September 21-23 at TPC San Antonio. TYLER STEWARD — Hesston College (Fr., Adairsville HS) … carded rounds of 86-89-84 and was 76th individually at the UC Ferguson Classic played at Lincoln Park Golf Club in Oklahoma City August 26-27. Hesston placed 12th of 13 teams in the tournament won by Oklahoma City. The next event for the Larks will be the Carmichael Cup in Salina, Kansas September 9-10.

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Elite Stone Supply, in conjunction with WBHF and Bartow Sports Zone, presents the ELITE ATHLETES OF THE MONTH. Each month, local high schools are provided the opportunity to name an Elite Athlete of the Month from their varsity programs and present the information on their honoree through Bartow Sports Zone and on 100.3FM and AM1450, WBHF in Cartersville. Jordan Bishop is the August Elite Athlete of the Month for Cartersville High School, She is a senior catcher on the Lady Canes softball team and the daughter of Jerry and Kamila Bishop. Bishop was voted the Region 7-5A Player of the Year in 2023 and the Class 5A State Player of the Year. “She leads by her dedication and work ethic off the field,” noted Lady Canes head coach Glen Woodard. “Other players on the team want to be as good as she is and they realize the work that she puts in.” Bishop, a 4.0 GPA student, has committed to playing softball at Virginia Tech. Carson Brannon is the Elite Athlete of the Month for August at Cass High School. A junior libero and one of the team captains on the Lady Colonels volleyball team, she has averaged 4.5 digs per set and has 12 service aces through the team’s first nine matches. “Carson displays true leadership through her dedication and determination to excel,” said Cass volleyball coach Amanda Manson. “She is constantly encouraging her teammates and is always positive.” She is the daughter of Cecelia Leopard and stepfather Mitch Leopard. The Adairsville High School Elite Athlete of the Month for August is Addie Pearson. A senior setter and right-side hitter on the Lady Tigers volleyball team, Pearson is a senior and four-year team member. She also serves as a team captain. "Addie is a model player. I can always count on her to do the right thing, go above and beyond, and hold her teammates accountable. She is looked up to as a role model by the younger players,” commented head coach Kailey Martin. “As a coach, I look to her in tense game situations to provide the team with stability.  In the classroom, she excels as well.  I am proud to have her leading the volleyball team” The daughter of Brian Pearson and Brianne Hobbs, she has a 3.8 GPA and plans to study radiology in college. Cam Williams is the August Elite Athlete of the Month representing Woodland High School. A senior wide receiver and defensive back for the Wildcats football team, he is also a member of the baseball team. He has been a three-year starter and a multiple-time winner of Woodland’s Player of the Week honor for both football and baseball. “Cam is an extremely hard worker on the field and in the classroom,” said Wildcats head football coach Andy Scott. Williams has an overall GPA of 4.0 and is very involved in community activities. He plans to attend college and continue his football career. He is the son of John and Stella Williams. Editors Note: Photos and bios are supplied to Bartow Sports Zone and WBHF by the respective schools and athletic departments. Elite Stone Supply Co., LLC is the monthly sponsor. Athletes receive a plaque along with recognition during a radio feature on WBHF. #EliteAthletesoftheMonth #Cass #Cartersville #Woodland #Adairsville #highschool

August 31, 2024 The Cartersville boys placed seventh of 27 teams and the Lady Canes were 19th on Saturday at the Starr’s Mill Panther cross country meet in Fayetteville. Top runners for the Canes included Barrett Stepp (16th, 16:43), Will Feuerbach (31st, 17:14), Kaleb Lanier (52nd, 17:47), Carson Robinson (66th, 18:01), and Tripp Chitwood (71st, 18:06).  The varsity boys’ race included 204 runners with the team title captured by Harrison. Sofia Burns (13th, 19:48) led the Lady Canes. She was followed by teammates Kylie Ham (114th, 23:19), Jordan Hathaway (119th, 23:27), Vivi Vest (138th, 24:07), and Lilly McSwain (141st, 24:34).  Marist won the girls’ varsity race that included 180 runners. Next for Cartersville is the 9th annual Big Peach Mustang Stampede on Saturday in Acworth.

August 31, 2024 The Cartersville Hurricanes blanked visiting Hapeville Charter on Friday night at Weinman Stadium, 24-0. The Canes’ victory extends a streak of 10 seasons of beginning the year 3-0 and it was the defense that continued its dominance earning a second shutout in 2024. Rockmart’s touchdown late in the second quarter of Week 2 remains the only six points allowed by the Hurricanes this season. The last time Cartersville dropped one of its first three games was in coach Joey King's first season (2014) when the Canes lost 27-26 at North Cobb. On Friday, Cartersville scored the only points of the first half in the early going. Quarterback Nate Russell finished off an opening drive that took only 41 seconds. His 30-yard scamper gave the Canes a 7-0 lead with the addition of a Ramsey Rowell kick. The teams traded possession for the remainder of the opening half and rarely crossed midfield. Both defenses forced multiple three-and-outs and Cartersville carried their one-touchdown advantage to the intermission. The Canes' defense continued to stifle the Hornets in the second half. Hapeville failed to score a touchdown for the second straight game. Cartersville, however, found some offensive traction. Baylon Long and Jacaiden Leonard had second-half rushing touchdowns extending the Purple Hurricanes’ lead to 21-0. Both touchdown runs were set up by long Russell passes to Brady Marchese who advanced inside the 10-yard line on both occasions.  Later, a fumble recovery by Cooper Melvin led to a 40-yard field goal by Rowell and the 24-0 final score. Hapeville Charter (0-2) has the week off before traveling to Heritage-Conyers on September 13. Cartersville (3-0) travels to Calhoun (1-1) on Friday to face the Yellow Jackets in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Calhoun beat Westminster on Friday 28-20 and has a 17-10 loss to Creekview on August 16. ~~ Kevin Pate contributed to this report