January 20, 2024 The wrestling teams at Woodland and Cass won their first two matches Friday to advance to the Class 5A semifinals on Saturday at the GHSA State Duals Championships. Woodland had dominant wins over McIntosh (70-6) and Villa Rica (65-3) to reach Saturday’s semifinal match against Ola High School. Cass also won twice on Friday. The Colonels beat Harris County 39-36 in the opening round and then defeated Coffee 40-30 in the quarterfinal round to reach Saturday’s semifinal match against top-seed and host, Jefferson. In Class AAA in Dahlonega, Adairsville lost its first-round match to Franklin County, 52-27. The loss sends the Tigers to the consolation bracket where they will meet Long County on Saturday. Complete results from Friday’s matches: First Round Woodland defeated McIntosh 70-6 175 - Melvin Ramos (Woodland) over Jack Lavinder (McIntosh) Maj 12-3 190 - Owen Jones (Woodland) over Ajibola Batiste (McIntosh) Fall 1:25 215 - John Gill (Woodland) over Zach Proffitt (McIntosh) Fall 1:21 285 - Kwadrus Wilson (Woodland) over Boris Zdravkov (McIntosh) Fall 1:29 106 - Amari Kinnamore (Woodland) over Patrick Ward (McIntosh) Fall 2:41 113 - Noah Cates (Woodland) over Aiden Soy-Nin (McIntosh) Fall 1:23 120 - Dylan Couey (Woodland) over Brooks White (McIntosh) Fall 3:43 126 - Adrian Zapata (Woodland) over Elijah Bowen (McIntosh) Fall 2:36 132 - Brayden Petras (McIntosh) over Nathan Cates (Woodland) Dec 7-2 138 - John Maslowski (McIntosh) over Briggs Taff (Woodland) SV-1 7-6 144 - Hayden Santora (Woodland) over Yoshi Mayer (McIntosh) Fall 1:37 150 - Zachary Wallace (Woodland) over Graiden Garcia (McIntosh) Fall 1:38 157 - Christian Cothran (Woodland) over Henry Julian (McIntosh) Fall 0:30 165 - Heath Tatum (Woodland) over Breygan Douglas (McIntosh) Fall 1:18 Quarterfinal Woodland defeated Villa Rica 65-3 190 - Owen Jones (Woodland) over Riley Miller (Villa Rica) Fall 1:09 215 - John Gill (Woodland) over Sawyer Daniell (Villa Rica) Maj 14-4 285 - Kwadrus Wilson (Woodland) over Austin Presley (Villa Rica) Maj 9-1 106 - Tate Sauls (Villa Rica) over Amari Kinnamore (Woodland) Dec 1-0 113 - Noah Cates (Woodland) over Julian Newman (Villa Rica) Maj 11-2 120 - Dylan Couey (Woodland) over Elias Hook (Villa Rica) Fall 3:44 126 - Adrian Zapata (Woodland) over Javell Richards (Villa Rica) TF 17-0 132 - Nathan Cates (Woodland) over Makel Cronan (Villa Rica) Maj 13-5 138 - Paul Lanier (Woodland) over Bishop Barfield (Villa Rica) Fall 1:24 144 - Zachary Wallace (Woodland) over Malaki Williams (Villa Rica) Maj 10-0 150 - Hayden Santora (Woodland) over Devon Hardy (Villa Rica) Fall 1:08 157 - Christian Cothran (Woodland) over Talan Irelan (Villa Rica) Fall 0:49 165 - Heath Tatum (Woodland) over Cohen Ealey (Villa Rica) Fall 1:54 175 - Melvin Ramos (Woodland) over Tyson Brown (Villa Rica) Maj 12-3 First Round Cass defeated Harris County 39-36 175 - Matthew VanWettering (Harris County) over Jake Bradford (Cass) Fall 2:45 190 - Easton Boren (Harris County) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf 215 - Levi Garner (Harris County) over Wyatt Harris (Cass) Fall 5:43 285 - Wesley Sappington (Harris County) over John Abernathy (Cass) Fall 3:34 106 - Angel Castenado (Cass) over Chase Rust (Harris County) Fall 5:00 113 - Hunter Barrett (Cass) over Jaxon Barnett (Harris County) Fall 1:27 120 - Lee Camp (Cass) over Matthew Love (Harris County) Fall 1:02 126 - Luka Jensen (Cass) over Aiden Byrd (Harris County) Maj 10-2 132 - Rowdy Duck (Cass) over Tyler McGuire (Harris County) Maj 10-2 138 - Ethan Harrington (Cass) over Quinton Lewis (Harris County) Dec 5-4 144 - Austin McArthur (Cass) over Michael Outman (Harris County) Maj 18-5 150 - AJ Piatt (Cass) over Davis Brooks (Harris County) Fall 3:59 157 - Kaden Schacht (Harris County) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf 165 - Hayden Martin (Harris County) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf Quarterfinal Cass defeated Coffee 40-30 190 - Treyvon Thomas (Coffee) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf 215 - Jatavius Williams (Coffee) over Wyatt Harris (Cass) Fall 2:47 285 - Samuel Morris (Coffee) over John Abernathy (Cass) Dec 4-2 106 - Angel Castenado (Cass) over Zacirion Reed (Coffee) Maj 16-4 113 - Hunter Barrett (Cass) over Brayden Stevens (Coffee) Dec 8-4 120 - Lee Camp (Cass) over Bryan Cates (Coffee) Fall 2:28 126 - Luka Jensen (Cass) over Pablo Nunez (Coffee) Dec 6-5 132 - Rowdy Duck (Cass) over Zaire Brewton (Coffee) Fall 5:36 138 - Gunner Merritt (Coffee) over Ethan Harrington (Cass) Maj 15-3 144 - AJ Piatt (Cass) over Brandon Burch (Coffee) Fall 1:26 150 - Arthur Reed (Coffee) over Richard Martin (Cass) TF 23-8 157 - Mason Tompkins (Cass) over Luke Adams (Coffee) Fall 2:14 165 - Kirecg Roe (Cass) over Jacari Manning (Coffee) Fall 0:43 175 - Aiden Chancey (Coffee) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf First Round Franklin County defeated Adairsville 52-27 285 - Jett Johnson (Adairsville) over Jacob Baker (Franklin County) Fall 1:39 106 - Sam Bailey (Adairsville) over Aden Pirkle (Franklin County) Fall 3:45 113 - Riley Pope (Adairsville) over Kade Gentry (Franklin County) Fall 1:12 120 - Kaydon Roberts (Franklin County) over Madden Boyce (Adairsville) Fall 5:14 126 - Hunter Page (Franklin County) over Braxton Elrod (Adairsville) Fall 1:53 132 - Josh Baughcum (Franklin County) over John Hagan Balfour (Adairsville) Fall 0:34 138 - Will Ballenger (Franklin County) over Victor Singer (Adairsville) Maj 15-3 144 - Jonah Burger (Franklin County) over Jay Chancey (Adairsville) Fall 3:18 150 - Kam Osborne (Franklin County) over PJ Richards (Adairsville) Fall 0:36 157 - Howard Bailey (Adairsville) over Jacob Baughcum (Franklin County) Dec 5-2 165 - Zane Puff (Franklin County) over Jacob Pasley (Adairsville) Fall 5:56 175 - Brady Simms (Franklin County) over David Coon (Adairsville) Fall 2:35 190 - Jaimon Long (Adairsville) over Ramsey Fulbright (Franklin County) Fall 3:01 215 - Chase Hall (Franklin County) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

January 18, 2024 The Excel Christian Academy boys cruised to an easy 91-15 win Thursday night at Lyndon Academy in Woodstock. The Eagles led 22-3 at the end of the first quarter and were never threatened. Zion Green led Excel with 21 points. Carter May scored 20 for the Eagles. The result left Lyndon Academy winless on the season at 0-6. Excel (4-14) hosts Oakwood Christian on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

January 17, 2024 Following a Tuesday that left local basketball teams at home due to school cancellations, Wednesday night was filled with several make-up contests involving local teams. The Cartersville girls and boys completed a sweep of Calhoun at the Storm Center. The Adairsville girls and boys teams swept visiting Gordon Lee while the two Woodland teams dropped home games to visiting Dalton. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 41, CALHOUN 36 The Lady Canes pulled even with Calhoun in the Region 7-5A standings Wednesday night by pulling out a hard-fought 41-36 win over the Lady Jackets. Cartersville held narrow leads through the first three quarters. The Lady Canes led 15-12 after one quarter, 24-22 at halftime, and 29-28 at the end of the third quarter. Taff Bradley led Cartersville in the scoring column with 16 points. Ansley Griffin finished with 11 points and Senai Camper added eight. Sa’Niah Dorsey led Calhoun (11-7, 2-1) with 12 points. The Cartersville girls (9-9, 2-1) play at Woodland on Friday at 6 p.m. CARTERSVILLE BOYS 71, CALHOUN 65 In the second tight contest Wednesday night at the Storm Center, the Hurricanes held off Calhoun down the stretch to win 71-65 and stay on top of the Region 7-5A standings. The Canes led 35-30 at the intermission and held a 52-49 advantage heading into the final quarter on their way to a six-point win. Nas Bennett led four Canes in double-figure scoring with 21 points. Kaden Baldwin followed with 17. Monte Tolbert and Ced McClinic contributed 12 points apiece. Reed Ezell added seven points for Cartersville. Landon Chattam scored 23 points for the Yellow Jackets. Blake Hammett finished with 10 points. The loss dropped Calhoun to 6-9 on the season and 1-2 in region play. Cartersville (7-10, 3-0) plays at Woodland on Friday night. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 49, GORDON LEE 26 NaXyria Roberts paced the Lady Tigers with 19 points as they topped the visiting Lady Trojans of Gordon Lee, 49-26. Aliya McBryde and Alissa Winters added eight and seven points, respectively, for Adairsville. Macartney Angel led Gordon Lee (4-13, 1-6) with eight points. The Lady Tigers (12-7, 6-2) host Ringgold Friday at 7 p.m. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 55, GORDON LEE 53 The Tigers held off visiting Gordon Lee on Wednesday night and won a 55-53 back-and-forth, nail-biter. The two teams traded the lead 19 times in the contest that saw Adairsville lead 14-13 after one quarter. Gordon Lee led 29-26 at the break and the score was tied after three periods at 41-all. Gabriel Gomez led Adairsville in the scoring column with 16 points. Kaden Scott finished with 11 for the Tigers. Aiden Goodwin led the Trojans with 15 points. Andrew Armor scored 14 for Gordon Lee (4-10, 1-6). Adairsville (10-9, 6-2) hosts Ringgold in another Region 6-AAA matchup on Friday. DALTON 63, WOODLAND GIRLS 22 The visiting Lady Catamounts of Dalton burst to 29-11 lead by halftime Wednesday night at Woodland and went on to win 63-22. Grace Ridley led Dalton with 23 points. Alexia Gonzalez added 13. Grace Shipp scored 11 points for Woodland. The Dalton girls improved to 10-6 on the season and 3-0 in Region 7-5A. Woodland (7-8, 0-3) hosts Cartersville Friday at 6 p.m. DALTON 55, WOODLAND BOYS 47 Dalton improved to 5-11 on the season and 1-2 in Region 7-5A. Woodland (7-10, 1-2) will host Cartersville on Friday.

January 16, 2024 On Monday, the Georgia High School Association released the seeding and brackets for the Wrestling Duals State Championship tournaments. The Class AAA tournament will be held at Lumpkin County High School in Dahlonega on Friday and Saturday. The Class AAAAA tournament will be held at Jefferson High School.

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.