January 16, 2024 A fourth-quarter rally that saw Cherokee Christian outscore the visiting Excel Christian Academy boys 26-7 resulted in a 63-56 win for the host Warriors on Monday night. Excel led 14-10 after one quarter; 32-28 at halftime; and 49-37 through three quarters before Cherokee Christian stormed back in the final period. Rutherford Nease and James Nease led the Warriors with 27 and 19 points, respectively. David Jinks and Carlos Cartagena led the Eagles with 17 points each. Cherokee Christian improved to 9-5 with the victory. Excel (3-14, 2-0) plays at Lyndon Academy on Thursday and hosts Oakwood Christian on Friday.

January 13, 2024 The Adairsville girls and boys basketball teams collected road wins Saturday afternoon in non-region action at Woodland. The Lady Tigers outlasted the Lady Cats 53-39 and the Tigers edged the Wildcats 55-54. Meanwhile, at the Church at Liberty Square, the Excel Christian Academy boys fell to visiting Whitefield Academy. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 53, WOODLAND 39 The Adairsville girls broke open a tight game in the fourth quarter to hold off host Woodland, 53-39. Adairsville held small leads at the end of each of the first three quarters. The Lady Tigers led 10-7 after one quarter; 24-20 at the intermission; and 38-34 after three quarters. Adairsville then outscored Woodland 15-5 in the final eight minutes to grab the road win. Aliya McBryde and NaXyria Roberts led the way for Adairsville with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Alissa Winters and Savannah Viktora posted six points each. Zariyah Hicks and Samantha Gough scored four each. Alivia Joslin contributed three points and Rihanna Crittenden added one point for the Tigers. Reagan Weightman and Megan Schultz were to top scorers for the Lady Cats with 10 points each. Libby Morgan finished with eight. Gracie Shipp tossed in six points. Ella Shipp had three points and Kasidee Wall added two points for Woodland. The loss evened the Woodland girls’ record to 7-7 on the season. The Lady Cats return to Region 7-5A play on Tuesday and Friday at home against Dalton and Cartersville. Adairsville (10-7, 5-2) plays another non-region game Monday at home at noon against Gilmer and returns to Region 6-AAA play on Tuesday at home against Gordon Lee. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 55, WOODLAND 54 The Adairsville Tigers trailed at the end of each of the first three quarters Saturday afternoon at county-rival Woodland but captured the win at the end, 55-54. Woodland led 15-8 at the end of the first quarter; 30-22 at halftime; and 37-35 through three quarters before the visiting Tigers won the final period 20-17 to escape with a one-point win. “We started pressing them defensively in the third quarter,” said Tigers’ head coach Alex Disbrow, “and that made it more difficult for them to get the ball to (Brelace) Williams. They did a great job of taking every punch we threw at them. We just made a couple more plays down the stretch than they did.” Ben Abernathy led three Tigers in double-digit scoring with 14 points. Xavious Nalls and Tayshaun Jackson scored 12 each for Adairsville. Brelace Williams scored a game-high 22 points for the Wildcats. Isaiah Livsey and Zyon Heath joined him in double-figure scoring with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Rounding out the scoring for Adairsville were Zachary Postell with eight, Chase Hilburn with four, Gabe Gomez with three, and Tyrek Hames with two points. Amir Heath and Caiden Moore chipped in with three points each for Woodland. David Byars added two points for the Wildcats. Woodland (7-9, 1-1) returns to Region 7-5A play on Tuesday at home to face Dalton. Adairsville (9-9, 5-2) will be back in action on Tuesday to host Gordon Lee in a Region 6-AAA game. GILMER 69, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 61 Jackson McVey scored 26 points and Ryder Wofford added 17 as the visiting Gilmer Bobcats won at Cartersville Saturday in a non-region game. The Hurricanes led 19-12 after the opening period but Gilmer outscored them 25-10 in the second quarter. That gave the Bobcats a 37-29 lead at halftime and they held on down the stretch for a 69-61 win. Gilmer (12-4) built a commanding 59-37 lead by the end of the third quarter but Cartersville chipped away in the fourth quarter only to come up eight points short. Kaden Baldwin led Cartersville with 14 points. Nas Bennett followed with 12. Monte Tolbert scored nine points. Jamauri Brice had seven points. Dalyn Hall contributed six points while Reed Ezell and Ced McClinic added five apiece. Cartersville (6-10, 1-1) returns to Region 7-5A play at home Tuesday against Calhoun. WHITEFIELD ACADEMY 76, EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 51 The Excel Christian Academy boys fell at home Saturday evening to Whitefield Academy, 76-51. The visiting Wolfpack improved to 6-10 on the season. Excel (3-13, 2-0) will look to bounce back on the road Monday at Cherokee Christian in a GAPPS Region 1-IA matchup.

January 15, 2024 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com This week’s ‘Athletes Beyond Bartow’ edition includes updates on 20 professional and college athletes with their contributions in basketball, wrestling, and track and field across the country. NBA G LEAGUE ASHTON HAGANS — Rip City Remix (4th yr. pro; Cartersville native; Kentucky; Newton HS) … in wins Sunday and Monday over the visiting Oklahoma City Blue Hagans averaged 16 points, 7.5 rebounds, and six assists. He also had three steals and one blocked shot. Next for Rip City (4-3) is a home game on Monday (Jan. 22) with the G League Ignite. PRO BASKETBALL SUPER LEAGUE AJ MOSBY — Sudbury Five (6th year pro; Alcorn State; Cartersville HS) … scored 23 points with three rebounds and two assists last Friday in a 115-112 loss to the London Lightning. Mosby then scored 12 points with six assists and three rebounds as The Five beat the Pontiac Pharaohs last Saturday night. Sudbury (4-2) hosts the Montreal Toundra on Saturday. COLLEGE BASKETBALL BRAXTON BENHAM — Berry College (Jr., Cass HS) … scored 13 points with nine rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one blocked shot last Friday in a 94-45 blowout win at Centre College (Kentucky). He then scored nine points with four steals, three boards, and three assists in a 102-63 win at Sewanee-University of the South on Sunday. The Vikings (7-9, 4-1 Southern Athletic Association) host Birmingham-Southern College on Friday night and Millsaps College on Sunday afternoon. ZAYLAN CHANEY — Tallahassee CC (So., Cartersville resident; Legacy Academy) … finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, three steals, and three assists last Wednesday in a 96-40 home win over TRC Academy. The Eagles (14-4) entertain Northwest Florida State CC on Wednesday and visit Pensacola State CC on Saturday. CLAIRE DAVIS — Palm Beach Atlantic University (So., Cass HS) … scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds last Wednesday in a 69-67 loss at Embry-Riddle University. She added two steals, one assist, and one block. The Sailfish (9-6, 3-4 Sunshine State Conference) host Lynn University on Wednesday and Eckerd College on Saturday in conference games. JA’KA’YAH DRAUGHN — Chattanooga State CC (Fr., Cartersville HS) … totaled four points, two rebounds, three assists, and one steal in the Tigers’ two wins last week at Roane State CC last Wednesday and at home against Columbia State CC last Saturday. Chatt State (13-1, 5-1 TCCAA) visits Walters State on Wednesday and hosts Southwest Tennessee CC on Saturday. JUSTICE HAYES — Point University (Jr., Cass HS) … totaled seven points, seven rebounds, and two assists in losses at home last Wednesday to Brewton-Parker and at Faulkner University (Alabama) this past Saturday. The Skyhawks (6-11, 0-9 Southern States Athletic Conference) visit New Orleans on Thursday to play at Loyola and play at the University of Mobile on Saturday. DiANTHONY HEATHCOCK — Columbia International University (Sr., Woodland HS) … collected 10 rebounds, scored three points and added one steal and one blocked shot this past Saturday in a 76-66 loss at Montreat College (North Carolina). The Rams (10-7, 9-4 Appalachian Athletic Conference) host St. Andrews (North Carolina) on Tuesday and travel to Bryan College (Tennessee) on Saturday. HALEY JOHNSON — Central Georgia Tech CC (So., Cass HS) … scored 13 points with four rebounds this past Saturday in an 84-47 home win over Southern Crescent Tech CC. Last Wednesday Johnson scored four points and had seven rebounds in a 74-59 home win over South Georgia Tech CC. She also totaled seven steals, four assists, and one blocked shot in those two wins.  The Titans (6-8, 4-0 GCAA) play at Albany Tech CC on Wednesday and host South Georgia Tech CC on Saturday. KEARA McDANIEL — Toccoa Falls College (So., Cass HS) … scored five points and grabbed five rebounds with one assist and one steal this past Saturday in a 75-54 win at Trinity Baptist (Florida). McDaniel also scored two points with two boards and one assist last Thursday in a 72-47 victory at Warren Wilson College (North Carolina). The Screaming Eagles (11-2, 1-0 NCCAA) play at Bob Jones University (South Carolina) on Tuesday and host Pensacola Christian on Saturday. T.J. PRINTUP, JR. — Tusculum University (R-Fr., Adairsville HS) … scored nine points and had six rebounds in the Pioneers’ 103-94 home win over Limestone University this past Saturday. Tusculum (5-8, 3-4 South Atlantic Conference) hosts Emory & Henry College on Wednesday and Catawba College on Saturday. WRESTLING COLTON BISHOP — Reinhardt University (Jr., Woodland HS) … the 125-pounder had one win by forfeit in the Eagles’ win over Johns Hopkins but lost to his opponents from Centenary University (New Jersey), Alvernia University (Pennsylvania) and Averett University (Virginia) at the Virginia American College Duals. Reinhardt went 2-2 at the tournament and placed fourth. The Eagles wrestle Tuesday at home against the University of Montavello. EASTON BISHOP — Reinhardt University (Jr., Woodland HS) … wrestling at 133 pounds, Bishop was 2-2 at the Virginia American College Duals. He had wins over opponents from Johns Hopkins University and Averett University. His losses came in bouts against Centenary University and Alvernia University. Reinhardt went 2-2 at the tournament and placed fourth. The Eagles wrestle Tuesday at home against the University of Montavello. CALEB HENSON — Virginia Tech (So., Woodland HS) … currently ranked No. 2 in the nation in the 149-pound weight class, Henson pinned his Appalachian State opponent last Friday night as the 13th-ranked Hokies beat the visiting 25th-ranked Mountaineers 28-10. Virginia Tech begins its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule on January 26 at home against 21st-ranked North Carolina. TYLER McKNIGHT — Davidson College (Fr., Cass HS) … went 2-2 in his bouts but the Wildcats were 0-4 this past weekend hosting the Davidson Duals. McKnight, wrestling at 149 pounds, had individual wins in his bouts against Little Rock and Brown University. His losses came to opponents from Harvard and Lock Haven. Next for the Wildcats is a Southern Conference home match with Campbell University. JAXON SMITH — University of Maryland (So., Woodland HS) … ranked No. 5 nationally in the 197-pound division, Smith had the Terrapins’ only bout win in a 38-7 team loss to 13th-ranked Michigan this past Friday. 21st-ranked Maryland bounced back on Sunday for a 29-15 victory over visiting Northwestern and Smith won by technical fall. Maryland will be back in action on Friday at 6th-ranked Ohio State and they will visit 29th-ranked Indiana on Sunday. JABRIL WILLIAMS — Midway University (Jr., Cartersville HS) … lost his 165-pound bout as the Eagles lost to Cumberland University (Tennessee), 34-9, last Thursday. Midway will participate in the Missouri Valley Invitational on Friday and Saturday in Marshall, Missouri,. TRACK & FIELD BILL ARCHER — University of Montevallo (Jr., Cartersville HS) … was first in the mile (4:20.17) at the Emory Crossplex Showdown this past Sunday in Birmingham. The Falcons will run in the Samford Multi and the KMS Invitational on Friday through Sunday in Birmingham STEPHEN SMITH — Kennesaw State University (Sr., Cass HS) … cleared 4.70m / 15-5 to finish third in pole vault this past weekend at the Clemson Invitational. The Owls compete at the Samford Invitational in Birmingham this Friday and Saturday. DREW THAYER — University of Montevallo (Fr., Woodland HS) … finished eighth this past Sunday in Birmingham in the 800 meters (2:04.30) at the Emory Crossplex Showdown. The Falcons will run in the Samford Multi and the KMS Invitational this weekend in Birmingham.

January 15, 2024 The Adairsville Lady Tigers had difficulty separating from the visiting Gilmer Bobcats on Monday afternoon but took an early lead and held it throughout in a 54-47 non-region win. Adairsville led 18-14 after one quarter; 29-22 at halftime; and 43-37 at the end of the third quarter en route to a seven-point win. NaXyria Roberts led the Lady Tigers with 18 points. Aliya McBryde followed with 14. Savannah Viktora scored eight points and Alissa Winters added seven points for Adairsville. Bree Burnette and Aliza Chastain paced the visiting Bobcats (7-9) with 17 and 14 points, respectively. Adairsville (10-7, 5-2) will host Gordon Lee on Wednesday at 5 p.m. with the boys’ game to follow. The game was originally scheduled for Tuesday but has been rescheduled due to anticipated inclement weather.

January 14, 2024 The swim teams from all four local high schools sent competitors to the 22-team Northwest Georgia High School Swim and Dive Championships this past Friday and Saturday at Calhoun High School. Adairsville placed sixth overall; Woodland was eighth; Cartersville 13th; and Cass 19th in the team scoring. The meet was won by Calhoun, who finished ahead of Dalton, Jefferson, North Paulding, and Mary Persons rounding out the top five. Top local finishers included Woodland's Grayson Moore who earned a second-place result in the boys' 50-yard freestyle. The Cartersville girls' 200-yard freestyle relay team -- consisting of Layne Callan, Lainey Saunders, Kat Conley, and Margherita Miniati finished third. Miniati was also fifth in the girls' 50-yard freestyle. Additionally, the Woodland boys' 200-yard freestyle relay team placed sixth but qualified for the state meet with their time. The team consists of Jack Webb, Isaac Muriel, Isaiah Muriel, and Grayson Moore.

January 13, 2024 The Cartersville girls and boys basketball teams swept to a pair of region wins Friday night at Cass with the Lady Canes winning 57-41 and the Hurricanes winning on a last-second shot, 45-44. At Adairsville, the Lady Tigers and Tigers swept Bremen in Region 6-AAA action. The Adairsville girls won 43-28 and the boys cruised to a 62-37 victory. At Woodland, the Wildcats knocked off visiting Calhoun 53-47 while the visiting Lady Jackets won 49-37. CARTERSVILLE BOYS 45, CASS 44 In a typical nip and tuck, cross-town rivalry game at Cass on Friday night, Cartersville’s Ced McClinic hit a floater in the lane with 0:02 remaining to lift the Hurricanes to a 45-44 Region 7-5A road win. Cass led 17-6 after the opening eight minutes but Cartersville surged back into the lead by halftime, 21-20. The two teams traded leads throughout the second half setting up McClinic’s game-winner. Kaden Baldwin led Cartersville with 16 points. Nas Bennett finished with seven. McClinic and DJ Cain contributed six points each. Reed Ezell scored five. Jamauri Brice chipped in with three points and Monte Tolbert added two for the Canes. Jakai Baldwin paced the Colonels with 20 points. Jayden Foster followed with 15. Kevin Henderson scored six and Derris Reece added three points in the loss. Cartersville (6-9, 2-0) hosts Gilmer on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Cass (4-9, 0-2) will entertain Hiram on Tuesday night. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 57, CASS 41 The Lady Canes built a comfortable first-half lead Friday night at Cass and held off the Lady Colonels in the second half for a 57-41 Region 7-5A win. Cartersville led 17-10 after one quarter and 31-16 by halftime. The lead increased to 47-26 by the end of the third quarter. KK Arnold led the scoring column for the Lady Canes with 23 points. She added seven assists and three rebounds. Taff Bradley scored 11 points with five boards while Zoie Shiflett followed with nine points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. Ansley Griffin contributed eight points and Senai Camper added six for Cartersville. Kaitlyn Godwin was the top scorer for Cass with 12 points. Tamira Feanny was next with 10. Cadie Paez and Olivia Woods produced five points each. Nevaeh Woods, Kiana McDaniel, and Zion Hayes added three points each. The Cartersville girls (8-9, 1-1) will host Calhoun on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Cass (11-6, 0-2) hosts Hiram on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. tip. WOODLAND BOYS 53, CALHOUN 47 Brelace Williams and Zyon Heath led the Wildcats with 14 points each and Isaiah Livsey added 10 points in a 53-47 home win Friday night over Calhoun (6-7, 1-1). The Woodland boys improved to 7-8 on the season and evened their Region 7-5A mark at 1-1. Woodland hosts Adairsville on Saturday at 4 p.m. in a non-region game and will return to region play Tuesday at home against Dalton. CALHOUN GIRLS 49, WOODLAND 37 Kat Atha scored 24 points and Jaylan Moore contributed 10 as Calhoun won at Woodland Friday night, 49-37. The visiting Lady Jackets led 28-19 at halftime and extended their lead to 41-25 by the end of the third quarter before holding off Woodland down the stretch for a 12-point win. Ella Shipp led Woodland with 10 points. Megan Schultz and Gracie Shipps followed with nine points each. Reagan Weightman scored six and Libby Morgan added three for the Lady Cats. Calhoun improved to 10-6 overall and 2-0 in Region 7-5A. Woodland (7-6, 0-2) hosts Adairsville on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in a non-region game and returns to region play on Tuesday at home against Dalton. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 62, BREMEN 37 The Adairsville Tigers completed the first rotation through their Region 6-AAA opponents Friday night at home and cruised to a 62-37 win over the Bremen Blue Devils. Up 19-12 early in the second quarter, Adairsville went on an 11-0 run to pull away and eased to a 41-17 lead at the half on the way to a 25-point win. “We played a well-rounded game tonight, defensively and offensively, everyone contributed and played hard. It was just a great team win,” said Tigers’ assistant coach Jeff Viktora. Gabriel Gomez led Adairsville in the scoring column with 14 points, most of those coming from four made three-pointers. Xavious Nalls scored 12 points and tied for the team lead with eight rebounds. Tayshaun Jackson scored 10 points and grabbed eight boards. He also led the team with six assists. Zach Postell and Benjamin Abernathy scored eight points each for the Tigers. Chase Hilburn and Tyrek Hames chipped in with four each and Kaden Scott added two points. Camden Jones led the Blue Devils (0-14, 0-7) with 13 points. Adairsville (8-9, 5-2) visits Woodland for a non-region game on Saturday at 4 p.m. and will return to Region 6-AAA play on Tuesday at home against Gordon Lee. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 43, BREMEN 28 The Lady Tigers raced to a 13-1 lead over visiting Bremen Friday night by the end of the first quarter and controlled the game moving forward for a 43-28 Region 6-AAA win. Adairsville led 27-13 at halftime and was up 36-22 at the end of the third quarter. NaXyria Roberts scored 20 points to lead the Lady Tigers. Alissa Winters followed with eight points and Alivia Joslin added five. Jayda Smith was the top scorer for Bremen (7-5, 2-5) with eight points. The Adairsville girls (9-7, 5-2) visit Woodland on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and will host Gilmer on Monday at noon in a pair of non-region games.  The Lady Tigers return to region play on Tuesday at home against Gordon Lee.

The Excel Christian Academy boys earned a region win Thursday night in Chickamauga at Oakwood Christian Academy, 80-55. Excel led 21-15 at the end of the opening quarter and added to their lead throughout the evening. The Eagles led 41-28 at halftime and 61-38 through three quarters en route to a 25-point win. Carter May led ECA with 18 points. King Eleazer followed with 13 and Christian Vieira scored 12 points. Gavin Dyson totaled eight points. Jayden Jinks and David Jinks finished with seven each. Hugo Jara added three points in the victory. Graham Moore led Oakwood (4-12, 0-2) with 17 points. Ryan Phillips finished with 13. The Excel boys (3-13, 2-0 GAPPS Region 1, I-A) host Whitefield Academy on Saturday at 5 p.m.

January 10, 2023 Cass High Swimming won a five-team meet Tuesday evening at the Adairsville natatorium by defeating Southeast Whitfield, Model, Armuchee, and Pepperell. Cass finished the meet with 156 total points followed by Southeast Whitfield (117), Model (85), Armuchee (40), and Pepperell (10). Event winners for the Colonels: Girls 200 Medley Relay — Ryland Piatt, Carson Brannon, Adyson Doolittle, and Stacia Zappoli Boys 100 Butterfly — Brandon Santana Boys 200 Freestyle Relay — Brandon Santana, Vy Lam, Sawyer Foy, and Jordan Russell Girls 200 Freestyle Relay — Jimena Perez, Carson Brannon, Stacia Zappoli, and Adyson Doolittle Boys 100 Breaststroke — Vy Lam Boys 400 Freestyle Relay — Brandon Santana, Sawyer Foy, Vy Lam, and Jordan Russell Girls 400 Freestyle Relay — Adyson Doolittle, Jimena Perez, Mallece Lorimer, and Stacia Zappoli The next meet for Cass is the Northwest Georgia Regional at Calhoun on Friday and Saturday.

January 10, 2024 The Adairsville Tigers earned their fourth Region 6-AAA win of the season Tuesday night at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe with a game-winning shot at the buzzer in overtime, 69-68. Adairsville raced to an early 13-2 lead and held a 23-11 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Xavious Nalls scored 12 of his 22 points in the opening quarter. The Warriors chipped away at their deficit in the second period and trailed 38-28 at the intermission. LFO outscored Adairsville 17-8 in the third period to cut the Tigers lead to 46-45 heading into the final eight minutes. The final period saw multiple lead changes before Adairsville’s Tayshaun Jackson missed a potential game-winning shot from behind the arc as the horn sounded. The miss sent the game to overtime with the score tied at 61. Tyrek Hames hit two free throws for Adairsville with 45.9 seconds remaining to give the Tigers a 67-66 lead. An Adairsville foul with 14.1 seconds remaining set up two made free throws for the Warriors and a fantastic finish. In the final seconds, Zachary Postell drove the lane and released a shot that bounced around the rim and in at the buzzer to give the Tigers a 69-68 victory. In addition to his 22 points, Nalls added six rebounds and five steals. Jackson scored 19 points. Gabriel Gomez contributed 10. Postell finished with nine points and five assists. The loss leaves LFO with a 3-11 mark for the season and 2-4 in Region 6-AAA. Adairsville (7-9, 4-2) hosts Bremen on Friday night and the Tigers will play at Woodland on Saturday afternoon. CARTERSVILLE BOYS 49, DALTON 41 The Purple Hurricanes picked up an important road, region win Tuesday night at Dalton, 49-41. DJ Cain finished with a double-double to lead the Hurricanes with 21 points and 17 rebounds. “I’m very pleased with our defensive effort tonight,” said Cartersville coach Mike Tobin. “We showed a lot of rebounding tenacity tonight on the road.” Nas Bennett contributed 13 points in the Canes’ win. Ced McClinic finished with six points. Reed Ezell scored five while Kaden Baldwin and Monte Tolbert added two points each. Cartersville led at each quarter stop — 13-12 after one quarter; 25-20 at halftime; and 41-35 after three quarters — en route to their eight-point win. “I would also like to commend our cheerleading team tonight. They were 18 strong and helped us collect the road win,” added Tobin. Kobi Cooper led Dalton with 15 points. Cartersville (5-9, 1-0 Region 7-5A) plays at Cass on Friday night and will host Gilmer on Saturday afternoon. CALHOUN 60, CASS BOYS 52 The Colonels stayed close but battled from behind most of Tuesday night at Calhoun in an eventual 60-52 loss. Cass led 17-16 after the opening eight minutes but Calhoun took control of the tilt in the second quarter and led 37-29 at the intermission. Cass again narrowed the margin to 49-46 by the end of the third quarter but the Yellow Jackets held on in the final period for an eight-point Region 7-5A win. Jace Johns and Makadon Griffin led Calhoun (6-6, 1-0) with 12 and nine points, respectively. Jayden Foster paced the Colonels with 20 points. Parnel Gamble and Kevin Henderson added nine each in the loss. Cass (4-8, 0-1) hosts Cartersville in another region tilt on Friday night. CALHOUN 52, CASS GIRLS 44 The Lady Colonels suffered a loss on the road Tuesday night in their Region 7-5A opener at Calhoun, 52-44. The Yellow Jackets led 29-21 at halftime but Cass narrowed their deficit to just two points heading into the fourth quarter, 38-36. Calhoun eased away in the final eight minutes, however, to win the initial region game for both teams. Tamira Feanny led Cass with nine points. Zion Hayes finished with seven. Darianna Sosa, Cadie Paez, and KK Evans each added five for the Lady Colonels. Calhoun improved to 9-6 overall and 1-0 in region play. Cass (11-5, 0-1) hosts Cartersville on Friday at 6 p.m. DALTON 65, CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 53 The Lady Canes had a rough second quarter Tuesday night at Dalton.  Cartersville was outscored 20-6 in the period and never recovered in a 65-53 road loss. Grace Ridley led the Lady Catamounts with 24 points as Dalton improved to 8-6 overall and 1-0 in Region 7-5A. Senai Camper scored 16 points to lead the Lady Canes. She added eight rebounds. Taff Bradley contributed nine points. KK Arnold pitched in with eight points. Nayel Camper and Zoie Shiflett had seven each and Ansley Griffin added six points, nine assists, and five boards. Cartersville (7-9, 0-1) visits Cass on Friday for a 6 p.m. tip. HIRAM 43, WOODLAND GIRLS 19 The host Lady Hornets led 24-14 at halftime and pulled away in the third quarter to take a 24-point lead en route to a 43-19 Region 7-5A win over Woodland. Hadiya Kennerly scored 12 points and Taylor Crawford added 11 for Hiram (8-7, 1-0). Megan Schultz led Woodland with 11 points. The Lady Cats (7-5, 0-1) host Calhoun on Friday and will entertain Adairsville on Saturday afternoon in a non-region game. LAKEVIEW-FT. OGLETHORPE 66, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 57 Region-leading Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe got 18 points from Christen Collins, 16 from Christal Collins, and 13 from Ziara Thompson Tuesday night in a nine-point Region 6-AAA home victory over Adairsville. NaXyria Roberts scored 28 points to lead the Lady Tigers. Darby Adams and Alissa Winters followed with nine and eight points, respectively. LFO improved to 8-5 overall and 6-0 in region play. Adairsville (8-7, 4-2) will host Bremen on Friday in a 6 p.m. tip and will travel to Woodland on Saturday for a non-region game. HIRAM 71, WOODLAND BOYS 48 The Wildcats lost at Hiram Tuesday night, 71-48, in the Region 7-5A opener for both teams. The Hornets improved to 8-6 on the season and 1-0 in the region. Woodland (6-8, 0-1) hosts Calhoun in another region game on Friday night and will entertain Adairsville in a non-region game on Saturday afternoon.

January 7, 2023 Three of the four local high school wrestling teams earned trips to the GHSA State Duals Championships by finishing first or second Saturday at region or area tournaments. Woodland won the Region 7-AAAAA championship held at Cass with the host Colonels finishing as runner-up. In the semifinals, the Wildcats defeated Calhoun 65-12 while the Colonels downed Dalton 38-33.  Woodland then edged Cass 36-34 in the finals to collect the title. Cass went on to defeat Calhoun 46-33 to determine the true region runner-up. Disregarding forfeits, Woodland’s Nathan Cates (138 pounds), Hayden Santora (144/150), John Gill (215), and Sebastian Garcia (285) each went 2-0 on the day in their bouts. Amari Kinnemore (106) and Owen Jones (190) both won their only contested bouts and had one win by forfeit. Cass wrestlers Hunter Barrett (113), Lee Camp (120), Luka Jensen (126), AJ Piatt (144), Mason Tompkins (157), and Kriecg Roe (165/175) each won all three of their bouts on Saturday. Rowdy Duck (132) was 2-0 and had one win by forfeit. Cartersville won one of three matches at the Region 7-AAAAA Duals and placed fourth. The Canes' win was a 42-39 victory over Dalton. The losses were both to Calhoun. Will Benson, Talan Nix, and Grey Williams were all 3-0 in their bouts. Eaiden Neal won his only bout for the Hurricanes. At the Area 5-AAA tournament at Bremen High School, Adairsville finished runner-up to the host Blue Devils. The Tigers defeated Cedar Grove (78-6), Douglass-Atlanta (72-12), and Sandy Creek (66-18) in the first three rounds before falling to Bremen 49-25 in the championship match. Howard Bailey (157) and Jett Johnson (285) both went 4-0 on the day for the Tigers. Woodland and Cass will advance to the 16-team Class AAAAA State Duals Tournament on January 19-20 at Jefferson High School. Adairsville advances to the 16-team Class AAA State Duals Tournament on January 19-20 in Dahlonega at Lumpkin County High School.

January 7, 2023 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com It was a disappointing end to what had started as a promising season for Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars. After reaching the playoffs last season and starting this year with an 8-3 mark, the Jags will miss the playoffs following their 28-20 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. NFL TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL; 3rd-yr. pro; QB; Clemson; Cartersville HS) … completed 29 of 43 pass attempts Sunday for 280 yards and two touchdowns but was also picked off twice and was stopped short on a crucial 4th-and-goal keeper in a season-ending loss at the Tennessee Titans. Jacksonville controlled its playoff fate entering the season's final weeks but lost five of six down the stretch after starting the season 8-3. The collapse makes the Jaguars the sixth team in the last 25 years to begin a season 8-3 or better and miss the playoffs.  Lawrence, who battled a series of injuries late in the season and missed a game for the first time in his career, completed 66 percent of his passes this season for more than 4,000 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was intercepted 14 times and had an 88.5 QB rating this season starting 16 of 17 games. NBA G LEAGUE ASHTON HAGANS — Rip City Remix (4th yr. pro; Cartersville native; Kentucky; Newton HS) … recorded a double-double with 18 points and 14 assists last Thursday in a 126-122 win at the Salt Lake City Stars. He also had five steals in that win. Over the weekend at the Mexico City Capitanes, Hagans scored 16 points with six assists, three rebounds, and one steal Friday in a 132-124 loss before recording another double-double on Sunday in a 118-110 win. He scored 10 points and had 11 assists, four rebounds, and one steal. The Remix (3-3) host the Oklahoma City Blue on Sunday. BASKETBALL SUPER LEAGUE A.J. MOSBY, JR — Sudbury Five (6th year pro; Alcorn State; Cartersville HS) … The Five split a pair of games this past Saturday and Sunday at the Montreal Toundra. In a 114-111 win on Saturday, Mosby scored 10 points and had four rebounds, five assists, and three steals. In Sunday’s 126-121 double-overtime loss, he finished with 29 points, eight boards, five assists, and three steals. Sudbury (3-1) hosts the London Lightning on Friday night and the Pontiac Pharaohs of The Basketball League (TBL) on Saturday night. WRESTLING CALEB HENSON — Virginia Tech (So., Woodland HS) … ranked second nationally in the 149-pound weight class, Henson defeated No. 24 Ethan Fernandez 9-2 this past Sunday but the 11th-ranked Hokies lost at 10th-ranked Cornell, 24-13. Virginia Tech returns to the mat on Friday at home against Appalachian State. BRYCE KRESHO — Franklin & Marshall College (So., Cass HS) … went 3-2 in his 141-pound bouts at the 2024 Lehman Open this past Friday hosted by the Diplomats. Kresho’s wins were over Army-West Point, Pittsburgh, and Drexel opponents. His losses came to opponents from Lehigh and Campbell. Next on the schedule for F&M is a home match with Hofstra on January 21. COLLEGE BASKETBALL BRAXTON BENHAM — Berry College (Jr., Cass HS) … in a 74-68 home win over Rhodes College last Friday he scored 26 points with six rebounds, four steals, two assists, and one blocked shot. This past Sunday in a 94-79 victory over visiting Hendrix College (Arkansas) he scored 17 points with seven boards, six assists, and three steals. The Vikings (5-9, 2-1 Southern Athletic Association) travel to Centre College (Kentucky) on Friday and visit Sewanee-University of the South on Sunday afternoon. ZAYLAN CHANEY — Tallahassee CC (So., Cartersville resident, Legacy Academy) … after missing three games, the 6-7 forward came off the Eagles’ bench last Wednesday to score 18 points with two rebounds and two steals in an 85-77 home win over St. Petersburg CC. Tallahassee (13-4) hosts TRC Academy on Wednesday. CLAIRE DAVIS — Palm Beach Atlantic University (So., Cass HS) … came off the bench to grab seven rebounds and score four points last Wednesday in a 72-56 Sunshine State Conference win over Florida Tech. The Sailfish (8-5, 2-3) will carry a five-game win streak to Embry-Riddle University on Wednesday night. PBAU will then return home to face Saint Leo University on Saturday. JUSTICE HAYES — Point University (Jr., Cass HS) … in a pair of starts Hayes totaled 15 points, one block, one rebound, and one assist in home losses to Blue Mountain College (Mississippi) last Thursday and Tennessee Southern this past Saturday. The Skyhawks (6-9, 0-7 Southern State Athletic Conference) host Brewton-Parker on Wednesday and visit Faulkner University (Alabama) on Saturday. DiANTHONY HEATHCOCK — Columbia International University (Sr., Woodland HS) … scored 13 points and had two steals, one rebound, and one assist this past Saturday in an 82-69 home loss to University of Pikeville (Kentucky). Columbia International (10-6, 9-3 Appalachian Athletic Conference) plays at Montreat College (North Carolina) on Saturday afternoon. HALEY JOHNSON — Central Georgia Tech CC — (So., Cass HS) … scored nine points and had three rebounds, three steals, and two assists last Wednesday in a 57-56 win at Albany Tech CC. CGTCC also had a 93-63 win this past Saturday at Andrew College but no box score information was available. The Titans (4-8, 2-0 Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association) have a home game on Wednesday night against South Georgia Tech CC, a home game on Saturday afternoon with Southern Crescent Tech CC, and a visit to Brenau University JV next Monday. T.J. PRINTUP, JR. — Tusculum University (R-Fr., Adairsville HS) … made his first start this past Saturday in an 87-78 loss at Wingate University (North Carolina) scoring 12 points with seven rebounds, one assist, and one blocked shot.  Last Wednesday at Emory & Henry College (Virginia), Printup collected five boards and scored two points with one assist and one blocked shot. The Pioneers (4-8, 2-4 South Atlantic Conference) host Limestone University on Saturday.

January 6, 2024 Playing in Saturday’s Wood Elite Showcase at Teasley Middle School in Cherokee County, the Cartersville girls took care of business against Class 6A Alexander, 57-35. The Lady Canes led 27-20 at halftime and pulled away in the third quarter to build a 46-27 lead heading into the final quarter. Senai Camper led Cartersville with 16 points. She added four steals and three assists. KK Arnold followed with 11 points, seven steals, and three assists.  Nayel Camper, who totaled six assists and six steals, had nine points. Taff Bradley scored eight and Zoie Shiflett collected a dozen rebounds, three steals, and seven points. Nimah Ibidunni led the Lady Cougars (8-6) with 13 points. Cartersville (7-8) begins Region 7-5A play on Tuesday at Dalton. CASS GIRLS 61, ROCKMART 33 The Lady Colonels built a 33-16 lead by halftime and cruised to a 61-33 win Saturday afternoon at Rockmart. Tamira Feanny scored 14 points and collected eight rebounds to lead Cass. Nevaeh Woods finished with 11 points. Kiana McDaniel posted eight points, five assists, and five steals.  Kaitlyn Godwin and Cadie Paez also scored eight points each. Olivia Woods chipped in with seven points. Zion Hayes had five points with four rebounds while KK Evans grabbed six boards and added one point. Sky Myers led Rockmart (9-4) with 10 points. The Cass girls (11-4) begin play in Region 7-5A on Tuesday at Calhoun. WOODLAND GIRLS 42, BOWDON 33 The Lady Cats wrapped up the pre-region portion of their schedule Saturday afternoon with a 42-33 win at Bowdon. The Woodland girls improved to 7-4 on the year while Bowdon remained winless at 0-10. Woodland (7-4) opens Region 7-5A play at Hiram on Tuesday. WOODLAND BOYS 63, BOWDON 48 The Wildcats won Saturday afternoon at Bowdon, 63-48. Jayden Metcalf led Woodland with 20 points. Zyon Heath and Isaiah Livsey both scored 14 points. The loss dropped the host Red Devils to 2-12 on the season. Woodland (6-7) starts Region 7-5A play on Tuesday at Hiram. CHEROKEE 75, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 65 In a back-and-forth contest that saw eight lead changes, Cherokee held off visiting Adairsville on Saturday evening, 75-65. The Tigers led 25-20 in the second quarter before the Warriors went on a 17-2 run to grab a 35-27 advantage at the break. Adairsville made a 10-point run of their own in the third quarter to narrow the margin to 41-39 but would get no closer. Lawrence Sanford poured in 40 points to lead Cherokee as the Warriors improved to 6-8. Benjamin Abernathy produced a double-double for the Tigers. He scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Xavious Nalls also reached double figures with 12 points. Gabriel Gomez and Tayshaun Jackson each produced nine. Adairsville shooters combined to make 9-of-22 shots (41%) from beyond the arc. Zach Postell finished with nine rebounds along with five points. Chase Hilburn and Tyrek Hames rounded out the Adairsville scoring with two points each. The Tigers (6-9) return to Region 6-AAA play on Tuesday at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe. ROCKMART 95, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 89 The Cartersville boys’ basketball team lost a high-scoring game at Rockmart on Saturday afternoon, falling to the Yellow Jackets 95-89. Rockmart led 27-24 after one quarter before Cartersville held leads of 49-44 and 72-68 at the end of the next two periods.  The Yellow Jackets surged ahead down the stretch outscoring the Canes 27-17 in the fourth quarter. Treylin Davis led Rockmart with 30 points. Sam Johnson and Hunter Atkins finished with 17 each. Trey Luke scored 15 points and Tristan Anderson had 12 for the Yellow Jackets. DJ Cain and Ced McClinic led the Cartersville scoring with 18 points each. Monte Tolbert followed with 17 points. Nas Bennett contributed 15 points and Kaden Baldwin scored 11 in the loss. Rockmart improved to 13-1 on the season. Cartersville (4-9) begins Region 7-5A play on Tuesday at Dalton at 7:30 p.m.