April 22, 2024 The Georgia Highlands softball team dropped both games of a non-conference doubleheader Monday afternoon at Chattanooga State CC, falling 11-3 and 10-2. In the opener, the Chargers pulled into a 3-3 tie in the top of the third inning, but the Tigers posted eight runs over the next three frames to pull away. In Game 2, Chatt State pulled ahead 5-2 in the third inning and added five more runs in the next two frames to close out the victory. For GHC, Avrey Fisher had three hits including a solo home run and a double. Hannah Mounce finished with a homer, a double, and four RBIs. Haylee Dishmon and Chloe Fowler also had two hits in the doubleheader. Jaycie Hand (4.1 IP, 11R, 8ER, 11H, 1BB, 1K) was the losing pitcher in the opener. Hayden Joyner (4 IP, 7R, 3ER, 6H, 1BB) took the second loss in the circle. Grace Kendrick (0.2 IP, 3R, 2ER, 3H, 1K) also pitched. Chattanooga State improved to 33-11 on the season. Georgia Highlands (14-29) will host a doubleheader with the Tigers on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

April 22, 2024 (L-R): Sophie Kim, Lily Cagle, Maddy Morris, Margot Walker, coach Alicia Murray. The Cartersville High girls golf team placed second at the Class 5A, Area 3 tournament on Monday at Fields Ferry Golf Club in Calhoun. The Area runner-up finish secures the team a spot in the Class 5A State Championship Tournament on May 20-21 at Okefenokee Country Club in Blackshear.

April 22, 2024 Local high school baseball playoff first round schedules: GHSA CLASS 5A FIRST ROUND (Best of three) Cambridge (16-14) at Woodland (15-13) Game 1: Tuesday, April 23, 4 p.m. Game 2: Tuesday, April 23, (approx. 30 min. after Gm 1) Game 3 (if needed): Wednesday, April 24, TBA GHSA CLASS 5A FIRST ROUND (Best of three) Chattahoochee (11-17) at Cartersville (23-5) Game 1: Tuesday, April 23, 4:30 p.m. Game 2: Tuesday, April 23, (approx. 30 min. after Gm 1) Game 3 (if needed): Wednesday, April 24, 5:30 p.m. GHSA CLASS 5A FIRST ROUND (Best of three) Cass (13-16) at Kell (20-10) Game 1: Tuesday, April 23, 4:30 p.m. Game 2: Tuesday, April 23, 7 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Wednesday, April 24, 6 p.m. GHSA CLASS 3A FIRST ROUND (Best of three) Adairsville (15-9) at Pickens (25-5) Game 1: Tuesday, April 23, 5 p.m. Game 2: Tuesday, April 23, 7:15 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Wednesday, April 24, 5:30 p.m. GAPPS 1-A FIRST ROUND (Best of three) Excel Christian Academy (6-7) at Vidalia Heritage Academy (18-5-1) Game 1: Friday, April 26, 1:30 p.m. Game 2: Friday, April 26, 4 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m.

April 22, 2024 L-R: Coach Chad Murray, Reid Lowry, Carter Rice, Noah Pogue, Blake Lutjens, Bodie Brumlow, Owen Dunn, and Andrew Lutjens The Cartersville High boys golf team won the 12-team Class 5A Area 3 Championship held Monday at Fields Ferry Golf Club in Calhoun. The Canes fired a 308 team total and automatically qualified for the May 20-21 Class 5A State Championship Tournament at the par-72, 6655-yard Okefenokee Country Club in Blackshear. The top four counting scores for the Hurricanes in their Area win were: Bodie Brumlow 72, Reid Lowry 77, Andrew Lutjens 79, and Noah Pogue 80.

April 20, 2024 Georgia Highlands College baseball swept a doubleheader in Cuthbert Saturday afternoon and swept a week-long, four-game series with the Andrew College Tigers. The Chargers won the first game 13-7 and took the second game 9-7. Ryan Wideman went 4-for-5 with a triple, a homer, and three RBIs in the Chargers’ Game 1 win. GHC built a 9-1 lead through the first 5-½ innings and held on down the stretch. Georgia Highlands outhit the host Tigers 17 to 8 in the opener. Trip Dovale (5.1 IP, 4R, 1ER, 4H, 4BB, 4K) collected the pitching win. Max Eichenberger (1.2 IP, 3ER, 5H, 0BB, 2K) retired the final five outs on the mound. In Game 2 on Saturday, the Chargers built a 7-0 lead through 4-½ innings but Andrew rallied to tie the score 7-7 with two runs in the fifth and five runs in the seventh inning. Two runs by GHC in the top of the eight pulled out the victory and completed the sweep. Trace Horne (1.2 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB) picked up the Chargers’ pitching win with late relief. Chandler Anderson (4 IP, 2ER, 3H, 4BB, 4K) made the pitching start. Andrew Arnold (2.1 IP, 3ER, 3H, 3K), Hunter Ward (1ER, 1BB), and Barrett Eldridge (1ER, 2BB) also pitched. Luke Orfi led the GHC offense during the doubleheader with six hits that included a home run, two doubles, and one RBI. Will Cawthon (HR, double, two RBIs), Wideman (HR, triple, three RBIs), and Eldridge (HR, double, five RBIs) contributed five hits on the day. Andrew drops to 21-27 overall and 7-13 in Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association play.Georgia Highlands (43-7, 15-5) plays on Tuesday afternoon at ABAC. GHC SOFTBALL SPLITS SATURDAY DOUBLEHEADER The Georgia Highlands College softball team split a home doubleheader with the South Georgia State Hawks on Saturday in Cartersville. The Chargers lost the opening game 10-9 but bounced back for a 4-0 win in Game 2. Grace Kendrick (1.2 IP, 6R, 4ER, 4H, 2BB) was charged with the pitching loss for Georgia Highlands in the first game. Jaycie Hand (5.1 IP, 4ER, 4H, 2BB, 3K) pitched in relief. Hayden Joyner (7 IP, 0R, 7H, 1BB, 4K) tossed a complete game for the second game pitching win. Ally Graden (three RBIs), Ansley Farmer, Hannah Mounce (two RBIs), and Joyner had three hits in the doubleheader. Avrey Fisher (two triples, two RBIs), Haylee Dishmon, and Chloe Fowler (RBI) followed with two hits. Dishmon added four stolen bases. Cailey Barnett (double, two RBIs), Cayden Warren (triple, two RBIs), and Aliza Martinez added one hit. The two-game split leaves South Georgia with an 11-29 record overall and 3-17 mark in Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association play. The Chargers (14-27, 11-11) visit Chattanooga State CC on Monday.

April 19, 2024 For the twenty-second time this season in 41 wins this season, the Georgia Highlands College baseball team scored double-digit runs. Friday's contribution was a 16-6 conference win at Andrew College. The Chargers also have two losses this season with double-digit runs scored. On Friday, they scored seven runs in the top of the fourth inning to break open a 2-1 game. The Chargers would add on seven more runs over their next three frames. Michael Sharman went six innings on the mound to collect the win. He yielded ten hits and one walk with six strikeouts. Oliver Wood allowed one earned run on two hits while wrapping up the seventh inning. Will Cawthon led the offense with three hits including two RBIs. Ryan Martin (double, three RBIs), CJ Blackwell (three RBIs), Clay Wiesen (double, three RBIs), Grayson Godbee (RBI), and Gray Wilson (HR, two RBIs) contributed two hits. Luke Orfi and Ryan Wideman added one hit. Georgia Highlands (41-7, 13-5) and Andrew College (21-25, 7-11) complete their four-game series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.

April 18, 2024 The Woodland Wildcats locked up second place in Region 7-5A and a state playoff first-round series at home by completing a series sweep of Cass on Thursday night. Woodland, who won the three-game series opener this past Monday, took both games of a doubleheader Thursday night 5-3 and 12-0. The Wildcats scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning in Thursday’s first game for a come-from-behind win.  Woodland trailed 3-1 through 5-½ innings but rallied to take the lead on two walks, a pair of doubles, and a sacrifice fly. Zach Lambert (3.2 IP, 2R, 0ER, 2H, 2BB, 2K) picked up the pitching victory in Game 1 in relief of starter Ayden Ray (3.1 IP, 1R, 0ER, 3H, 1BB, 4K). In Game 2, Woodland scored seven runs in the first two innings and was not challenged. Wildcats’ pitcher Austin Daves (4.1 IP, 0R, 1H, 3BB, 3K) carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and combined with J.D. Trail (0.2 IP) to blank the Colonels in five innings. Connor Stermer led the Woodland offense in the doubleheader with five hits including one double and one RBI. Logan Bentley followed with three hits including one double and two RBIs. Mason Williams (home run, double, sac fly, four RBIs), Jake Clowers (RBI), Ray (double, RBI), Joshua Hicks (two RBIs), and Brett Good (double, four RBIs) contributed two hits in the two games. Cam Williams (sac fly) and Conner Lujan added one RBI. Nic Wright had two hits for Cass in the doubleheader. Jesiel Moctezuma (sac fly, RBI), Israel Contreras, Landon Lamb, and Devan Hutchinson had one hit. Hutchinson (0.0 IP, 3ER, 1H, 2BB) suffered the pitching loss in the first game in relief of starter Trenton Payne (5 IP, 2ER, 6H, 2BB, 4K). Justin Peace (1 IP) retired the final three outs in the opener. Cayden Roberts (2 IP, 7ER, 6H, 2BB, 1K) was the pitcher of record in Game 2 for the Colonels. Jacob Johnson (1 IP, 5ER, 4H, 2BB, 1K) and Chase Tatum (2 IP, 0R, 1H, 3BB, 1K) also pitched in the second game. Woodland (15-13, 6-6) has a non-region game at Pepperell on Saturday and will host the Cambridge Bears, the No. 3 seed from Region 6-5A, in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs. The best-of-three playoff series will begin with a doubleheader on Tuesday. Cass (13-16, 4-8) finished in a three-way tie for third place in the Region 7-5A standings with Calhoun and Dalton. The Colonels will advance as the No. 3 seed by winning the three-way tiebreaker. In head-to-head games among the three tied teams, Cass was 4-2, Dalton was 3-3, and Calhoun was 2-4. As a result, Dalton will be the No. 4 seed from Region 7-5A and begin the playoffs in a series with Region 6-AAA champ and 2nd-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian. Cass will open the state playoffs in a best-of-three series starting Tuesday at 10th-ranked Kell. BREMEN 4, ADAIRSVILLE 0 The Adairsville Tigers managed just two hits Thursday afternoon in a 4-0 home loss to the Bremen Blue Devils. Bremen scored two runs in the top of the first and single runs in the third and seventh innings. A pair of Blue Devils’ pitchers — Slade Bishop and Aiden Price — combined for eleven strikeouts. PJ Weeks and Jarrett Scott had the Tigers’ base hits. Adairsville utilized four pitchers including Dawson Craig (0.2 IP, 2ER, 2H, 2BB), Jack Nelson (4 IP, 1R, 0ER, 4H, 4BB, 3K), Ryan Farr (1.1 IP, 1R, 0ER, 1H, 1BB, 2K), and Hudson Parr (1 IP, 0R, 0H). Bremen, ranked No. 7 in Class AAA, improved to 19-8 overall and 11-3 in Region 6-AAA. The Blue Devils finished in a tie for second place in the region standings with Gordon Lee. Adairsville (15-9, 8-6) will enter the Class AAA state playoffs next week on the road at the 2nd-ranked Pickens Dragons. Pickens won Region 7-AAA. EXCEL CHRISTIAN 9, OAKWOOD CHRISTIAN 4 The Excel Christian Eagles trailed 2-0 after 2-½ innings Thursday afternoon before posting nine runs in innings three through five to beat visiting Oakwood Christian, 9-4. Gavin Dyson reached base in all four plate appearances with three hits including a homer, a walk, and three RBIs to lead the Excel offense. Cameron Adams followed with two hits including a double and one RBI. Kamarion Profit (RBI), David Jinks, Jacob Jinks, Easton Hamilton, and Jayden Jinks added one hit. David Jinks went six innings on the mound to record the pitching win for ECA. He allowed four earned runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out four. Adams walked one and struck out two while closing out the seventh inning on the bump. The loss dropped Oakwood Christian to 7-4 on the season. Excel improved to 6-7 and will learn their possible post-season fate on Monday.

April 17, 2024 The Cartersville High tennis teams lost their first-round state tournament matches on Monday and Tuesday. The Lady Canes lost at Cambridge on Monday, 1-4. Chloie O'Banion won the Cartersville girls' point with a straight sets victory at Line 2 singles. The Cartersville boys were eliminated on Tuesday at home by Centennial, 0-3. Three of the five matches were in three sets. The Woodland boys also qualified for the state playoffs but lost to Greater Atlanta Christian, 0-4, in the opening round. In the Class 3A boys playoffs, the Adairsville boys lost in the first round to Wesleyan, 0-5.

April 17, 2024 The Cass boys’ soccer team advanced in the GHSA Class 5A state playoffs Wednesday night with a 2-1 overtime win at home over the Cambridge Bears. Camden Hillhouse scored in the first half on an assist from Christian Villela to give the Colonels a 1-0 lead at halftime. Midway through the second half, Cambridge scored an equalizer and the remainder of regulation stalemated sending the game into overtime. Villela scored with five minutes remaining in the second overtime period off a feed from Edgar Abeja lifting Cass to an opening-round win. Cambridge has its season end with a 4-11-2 mark. Cass (13-3-1) will host Chapel Hill in the Sweet Sixteen round next Wednesday. The Panthers defeated Jefferson in the first round, 3-1. CHATTAHOOCHEE 4, WOODLAND BOYS 0 The Wildcats were blanked 4-0 Wednesday night at Chattahoochee in the opening round of the GHSA Class 5A state tournament. The Cougars led 3-0 at the intermission following goals in the 17th, 22nd, and 32nd minutes. The final Chattahoochee counter came in the 43rd minute. Woodland keeper Miguel Sanchez had six saves in net. Chattahoochee (11-2-2) advances to play the Heritage-Conyers/Tri-Cities winner next Wednesday. Woodland’s season comes to a close with a 10-6 mark. Chris Sanchez set a new school record with 30 goals. He also had four assists this season. DAWSON COUNTY 4, ADAIRSVILLE 0 The host Dawson County Tigers defeated the visiting Adairsville Tigers Wednesday night 4-0 in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs. Following a scoreless first half, Dawson County scored two goals in the first five minutes of the second half and took control. Dawson County (10-7-1) advances to the second round. The Tigers will play at Hebron Christian next Wednesday. The Adairsville boys had their season end with a 6-7-2 mark.

April 16, 2024 Barrett Eldridge hit two home runs and drove in five as the 5th-ranked Georgia Highlands College Chargers defeated the Andrew College Tigers 13-3 on Tuesday in Cartersville. The Chargers pounded out fourteen hits in the seven-inning game with half of those hits clearing the fence. Eldridge homered in the third and fifth innings. Clay Wiesen, Luke Orfi, Grayson Godbee, Ryan Martin, and CJ Blackwell also homered in the game. GHC pitchers Kyle Stephenson (4 IP, 3ER, 5H, 2BB, 3K) and Oliver Wood (3 IP, 0R, 1H, 4K) shared the pitching duties. Stephenson, now 5-0, was credited with a win and Wood earned his first save. The Tigers (21-24, 7-10) will host the final three games of this four-game series with Georgia Highlands (40-7, 12-5) with a single game on Friday and a doubleheader on Saturday.

April 17, 2024 Georgia Highlands softball lost both games of a home, conference doubleheader Wednesday to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The Fillies won 16-2 and 15-3. Cayden Warren led the GHC offense with five hits including a double and one RBI in the two games. Haylee Dishmon finished with four hits and one RBI. She also added to her school record stolen bases total with three steals. Hayden Joyner and Avrey Fisher (double, RBI) added two hits for the Chargers. Aliza Martinez (double), Chloe Fowler, Hannah Mounce (RBI), and Ally Graden (RBI) contributed one hit. ABAC improved to 27-13 overall and 14-6 in Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association play. Georgia Highlands (13-26, 10-10) hosts South Georgia State College in a doubleheader on Saturday.

April 16, 2024 All three local girls' high school soccer teams in the state playoffs dropped their first-round games on Tuesday night. Woodland lost at Greater Atlanta Christian while Adairsville and Cartersville lost home matches to Dawson County and Chattahoochee, respectively. GREATER ATLANTA CHRISTIAN 10, WOODLAND GIRLS 0 The Lady Cats' season came to an end at Greater Atlanta Christian Tuesday night with a 10-0 loss in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs. The Lady Cats finished the year with a 10-4 mark. The playoff loss marks the end of the high school careers for Woodland’s two seniors, Luz Santamaria and Reagan “Dutch” Weightman. Greater Atlanta Christian improved to 13-3-1 and will face the Eastside/Midtown winner in the second round next Tuesday. DAWSON COUNTY 4, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 2 Adairsville’s Ella Edwards scored on a penalty kick in the 8th minute Tuesday night to take an early lead but Dawson County responded to build a 3-1 advantage by the intermission en route to a 4-2 first-round playoff win in Tiger Valley. Sam Gough scored Adairsville’s second-half goal in the 63rd minute off an assist from Edwards. Dawson County (11-4) advances to face the Stephens County/Sandy Creek winner in the second round of the Class 3A state tournament next Tuesday. Adairsville finished the year with a 13-4 mark. CHATTAHOOCHEE 7, CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 1 The Cartersville girls' soccer team trailed 4-1 by halftime and fell to visiting Chattahoochee 7-1 Tuesday night in a Class 5A state playoff first-round match. The Cougars (10-4-1) advance to play at Jefferson in the second round next Tuesday night. The Lady Canes completed their season with a 9-7 record.