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.

January 6, 2024 The Adairsville swim team won the Bartow County Swimming Championship on Saturday earning a fifth consecutive title for the Tigers. Adairsville finished with 343 total points. Woodland was runner-up with 257 points followed by Cartersville (234) and Cass (153). Adairsville’s Gabriel Greenway and Brayden Rizer won four events each to lead the Adairsville effort. Jaxon Leger, Dylan Barrett, Will Altizer, Eli Burke, and Luke Altizer each won two events for the Tigers. Cartersville’s Margherita Miniati was a four-event winner. Kat Conley won three events and Margo Walker had two victories on the day. Woodland’s Grayson Moore won two events to round out the multiple event winners in the meet. Event winners: ADAIRSVILLE Gabriel Greenway 200 medley relay, 200 free, 100 fly, 200 free relay Brayden Rizer 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 100 breaststroke, 400 free relay Jaxon Leger 200 free, 400 free relay Dylan Barrett 200 free relay, 400 free relay Will Altizer 100 backstroke, 400 free relay Eli Burke 200 medley relay, 200 ind. medley Luke Altizer 200 medley relay, 200 free relay Gavin Tatum 500 free Kaitlyn Queen 500 free Andrew Harris 400 free relay Victoria Loudon 400 free relay Bryce Salmi 400 free relay Callie Viktora 400 free relay CARTERSVILLE Margherita Miniati 200 medley relay, 200 ind. medley, 100 free, 200 free relay Kat Conley 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 100 backstroke Margo Walker 200 medley relay, 200 free relay Lainey Saunders 200 medley relay Layne Callan 200 free relay WOODLAND Grayson Moore 50 free, 100 free Emily Guin 50 free Natalie Guin 100 fly CASS Carson Brannon 100 breaststroke FULL MEET RESULTS:

The Excel Christian Academy boys led most of the way Friday night in a home matchup with Cornerstone Prep Academy but came up short in the final minute, 73-69. The Eagles raced to a 21-4 lead by the end of the first quarter but the visiting Cougars chipped away at that lead before pulling ahead for good with just 0:27 remaining in the game. Excel led 32-27 at halftime and 48-46 at the end of the third quarter. Ben Cobb of Cornerstone (7-4) led all scorers in the game with 29 points. David Jinks scored 24 points for the Eagles. Carter May followed with 17 points. Kamarion Profit and King Eleazer contributed 14 points each. ECA (2-12) visits Chickamauga next Thursday to take on Oakwood Christian.

The Lady Tigers built a 10-point lead by halftime and maintained their lead through the second half Thursday night in a 45-34 Region 6-AAA win over visiting LaFayette. Adairsville led 25-15 at the intermission and 37-24 by the end of the third quarter. Aliya McBryde scored a game-high 17 points to lead the Lady Tigers. Alissa Winters and Savannah Viktora added six points each. Jenna Baker led the Lady Ramblers (7-6, 2-3) with 10 points. The Adairsville girls (8-6, 4-1) play at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe on Tuesday at 6 p.m. In the boys’ game, the Tigers had a scoring run at the end of the first half and started the second half with another scoring run to build a healthy lead en route to a 66-48 win over the Ramblers. Tayshaun Jackson scored a game-high 26 points for the Tigers while Zachary Postell contributed an all-around performance with seven points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and three steals in the region victory. Leading 28-23 late in the second quarter, Adairsville went on a six-point run to close out the first half. The Tigers then scored the first six points of the third quarter to extend their lead to 40-23 and take full control of the game. Dawson Pendergrass led LaFayette (10-3, 4-2) in the scoring column with 20 points. In addition to Jackson and Postell, Adairsville got 10 points from Benjamin Abernathy, Xavious Nalls, and Kaden Scott scored eight points each. Chase Hilburn finished with four points and Gabriel Gomez added three. Adairsville (6-8, 3-2) visits Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe on Tuesday in a 7:30 p.m. tip.

The Cartersville boys basketball team overcame a slow start Wednesday at home to defeat North Paulding, 63-56. The visiting Wolfpack led 19-5 at the end of the first quarter and 35-27 at halftime. Cartersville then outscored North Paulding 18-10 in the third quarter to head into the final eight minutes in a tied game. The Hurricanes then outscored the Wolfpack 18-11 in the final period to earn their fourth win of the season. Nas Bennett scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Canes’ scoring attack. Reed Ezell and Kaden Baldwin followed with nine points each. Ced McClinic added seven. Myti Johnson led North Paulding (4-12) with 14 points. Gavin Hawk scored 13 points for the Wolfpack. Cartersville (4-8) visits Rockmart on Saturday afternoon. The Cartersville Lady Canes lost a tight struggle with visiting North Paulding Wednesday night at The Storm Center, 60-50. Cartersville led 33-32 at halftime after a slow start but trailed 45-42 after three quarters. The Wolfpack then pulled away with a 15-8 final quarter to finish with a ten-point win. Kaden McCorvey led North Paulding (6-8) with 14 points, Lillie Harris scored 13 points and Morgan Landrum added 12 for the Wolfpack. Senai Camper and KK Arnold paced the Lady Canes with 17 points each. Zoie Shiflett and Taff Bradley scored five points each. The Cartersville girls (6-8) will host Alexander on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

January 1, 2024 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com This week’s edition of Athletes Beyond Bartow covers the previous two weeks ending on Monday, January 1, 2024. NFL TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL; 3rd-yr. pro; QB; Clemson; Cartersville HS) … missed the first game of his career this past Sunday due to a sprained throwing shoulder. The injury was sustained in Jacksonville’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 24. Lawrence did not practice the entire week due to a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder. On Sunday, C.J. Beathard replaced him as the Jaguars shut out the Carolina Panthers, 26-0. In the loss at Tampa Bay, the 24-year-old QB was 17-for-29 passing for 211 yards and one touchdown. He threw a pair of interceptions and coughed up one fumble. Lawrence has dealt with multiple injuries this season, including a stint in concussion protocol and an ankle injury. Those setbacks, however, did not force him to miss any games. For the season, the 6-6 signal-caller has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 3,736 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Jacksonville (9-7) can win the AFC South with a victory on Sunday at the Tennessee Titans. The Associated Press reported on Monday that the Jags expect to get Lawrence and receiver Christian Kirk back for this Sunday's game. NBA G-LEAGUE ASHTON HAGANS — Rip City Remix (4th yr. pro; Cartersville native; Kentucky; Newton HS) … Hagans and the Remix completed the 16-game Showcase portion of the NBA G League schedule with an 8-8 record after defeating the Rio Grande Valley Vipers 117-103 on December 21. The Cartersville native had 19 points, five assists, three blocks, and three rebounds in that victory. Rip City, a first-year G League team and Portland Blazers' affiliate, has started the Regular Season schedule 1-1 after splitting home games this past weekend with the Delaware Blue Coats. Hagans scored 20 points with six assists, five boards, and one block in this past Saturday’s 126-122 win. He then scored 22 points with nine assists and eight rebounds Sunday in a 130-117 loss. This week, Rip City plays at the Salt Lake City Stars on Thursday and at the Mexico City Capitanes on Saturday and Sunday. CANADIAN BASKETBALL SUPER LEAGUE A.J. MOSBY, JR. — Sudbury Five (6th year pro; Alcorn State; Cartersville HS) … The Five started the 2024 season this past week with a home win over the London Lightning 124-113 and at the Kitchener Waterloo Titans, 122-114. Mosby scored 18 points with six rebounds and five assists in the opener. He then scored 23 points with eight rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one blocked shot in The Five’s first road game. Sudbury (2-0) plays at the Montreal Toundra on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. COLLEGE FOOTBALL JONAH GAMBILL — University of Memphis (R-Jr., Cartersville HS) … started on a Tigers’ offensive line that helped produce 530 yards of total offense in a 36-26 Liberty Bowl win over Iowa State. Gambill made starts in 10 games this season as Memphis finished 10-3. SHADRE HURST — Tulane University (R-Fr., Cartersville HS) … the recently named Freshman All-American started on the Green Wave’s offensive line that helped produce 252 yards of total offense in a 41-20 Military Bowl loss to Virginia Tech in Annapolis, Maryland. Hurst appeared in every game this year for Tulane as the Green Wave completed an 11-3 campaign. DEVONTE ROSS — Troy University (So., Cartersville HS) … made two catches for 11 yards on December 23 in the Trojans’ 17-10 loss to Duke in the Birmingham Bowl. Ross had at least one reception in 13 games this season and totaled 428 yards with three touchdowns as Troy went 11-3. WRESTLING BRYCE KRESHO — Franklin & Marshall College (So., Cass HS) … went 2-1 at the Sheridan Invitational on December 22 improving to 9-6 this season in the 141-pound weight class. Next on the Diplomats’ schedule is the David Lehman Open on Friday. CADEN McCRARY — University of North Carolina (R-So., Woodland HS) … finished 0-3 December 29-30 in his 133-pound bouts at the Soldier Salute tournament in Coralville, Iowa. The Tar Heels have home matches January 12 and 13 against Penn, Brown, and Harvard. TYLER McKNIGHT — Davidson College (Fr., Cass HS) … won his Round of 16 bout on Monday and will continue at the 21-team Chattanooga Southern Scuffle on Tuesday. COLLEGE BASKETBALL BRAXTON BENHAM — Berry College (Jr., Cass HS) …  Benham totaled 20 points, eight assists, eight rebounds, and four steals as the Vikings split two games in Belton, Texas. Berry lost to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 85-78 and beat Concordia (Texas) 88-83 on December 19-20. The Vikings then dropped both games this past Friday and Saturday in a tournament at Trine University in Angola, Indiana. Benham totaled 24 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in losses to Trine (88-76) and Calvin University (Michigan)(79-74). On Monday, Benham scored 20 points, collected five rebounds, and had two assists and two steals in a 76-71 home loss to Christopher Newport. Berry (3-9, 0-1 SAA) hosts Rhodes College on Friday and Hendrix College on Sunday. CLAIRE DAVIS — Palm Beach Atlantic University (So., Cass HS) … scored 22 points and added four rebounds, one steal, one blocked shot, and one assist this past Saturday in a 79-63 Sailfish win at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. She also totaled 21 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, two blocked shots, and one steal in wins December 18-19 over Bowie State and Shaw University at the Fighting Knight Christmas Classic in Boca Raton. Palm Beach Atlantic (7-5, 1-3 Sunshine State Conference) returns to conference action Wednesday at home against Florida Tech. JA’KA’YAH DRAUGHN — Chattanooga State CC (Fr., Cartersville HS) … saw action off the Tigers’ bench but had no stat line in a 61-56 loss on December 20 at Dyersburg State CC. Chatt State (10-1, 3-1 Tennessee Community College Athletic Association) plays at Snead State CC on Friday night. JUSTICE HAYES — Point University (Jr., Cass HS) … in a home start this past Saturday against Truett McConnell University Hayes scored five points, grabbed five rebounds, and added two assists and two steals as the Skyhawks won 58-57. Point (6-7, 0-5 Southern States Athletic Conference) hosts Blue Mountain College (Mississippi) on Thursday night and Tennessee Southern on Saturday afternoon. T.J. PRINTUP — Tusculum University (R-Fr., Adairsville HS) … scored four points off the Pioneers’ bench this past Saturday in a 68-57 loss at UNC-Pembroke. He added six rebounds, two blocked shots, and one assist in the loss. Tusculum (3-7, 1-3 South Atlantic Conference) plays conference games Wednesday and Saturday at Emory & Hayes and Wingate.

December 30, 2023 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Playing in their third holiday tournament championship game in just over two weeks, the Cass Lady Colonels fell behind early and could not catch 5th-ranked Jefferson in the finals of the Jackson County Holiday Hoopfest in Hoschton. The Lady Dragons held off a strong charge by Cass in the fourth quarter to win 51-47. Jefferson, essentially playing in front of a home crowd, built a 22-11 advantage by halftime and extended that lead to 37-21 by the end of the third quarter. Cass rallied in the final eight minutes to narrow the deficit but could not quite catch the Lady Dragons who improved to 12-2 on the season. Michel Robbins scored 18 points to lead Jefferson. Karlee Law followed with 10 points and Delaney Dewitt added nine. Zion Hayes and Kaitlyn Godwin paced Cass with 12 points each. Kiana McDaniel contributed eight points and Olivia Woods added seven. Woods was named to the All-Tournament team. The Cass girls (10-4) return to action on Saturday at Rockmart at 1:30 p.m. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 34, ADAIRSVILLE 32 In the girls’ third-place game of the Adairsville Christmas Clash, Cartersville held off the host Lady Tigers 34-32. The two teams swapped leads the entire way with Adairsville leading 6-4 after the opening eight minutes; Cartersville up 17-14 at halftime; and the Lady Tigers leading 26-24 after three quarters. Senai Camper led the Cartersville scoring column with eight points. Taff Bradley and KK Arnold followed with seven points each. Ansley Griffin finished with four. Nayel Camper contributed three. LaKiaya Banks and Zoie Shiflett tossed in two points each and Allana Williams added one for the Lady Canes. Alissa Winters and Aliya McBryde scored six each for Adairsville. Ziyah Hicks followed with five points. Samantha Gough and Darby Adams posted four points apiece. Savannah Viktora contributed three points while NaXyria Roberts and Lily Roberts added two each. Alissa Winters and Naxyria Roberts were named All-Tournament for Adairsville. KK Arnold and Senai Camper were selected for the All-Tournament team for Cartersville. Adairsville (7-7) hosts LaFayette in a Region 6-AAA matchup on Thursday at 6 p.m. Cartersville (6-7) hosts North Paulding on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CASS BOYS 63, CRISTO REY-ATLANTA 52 Playing what head coach Kevin Cunningham called “our best performance of the season,” the Cass boys beat Cristo Rey-Atlanta 63-52 Saturday afternoon to win the consolation bracket of the Christian Heritage Christmas Tournament at the Riverbend Center in Dalton. The Colonels led at the end of each quarter but did not separate from the Flames until the final minutes. Cass led 15-6 after one quarter; 26-20 at halftime; and 40-37 at the end of the third quarter before finishing off an 11-point win. Jayden Foster and Tayvian McKibbins led the Cass attack with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Jason Brown-Harmon scored nine. Parnel Gamble contributed eight points. Kevin Henderson finished with six. Derrick Sams totaled five points. Jakai Baldwin and Camari Nettles pitched in four points each and Derris Reece added two. Jayden Crawford scored a game-high 24 points for the Flames. Ethan Minot scored 13 points and Trent Dean had 10 for Cristo Rey-Atlanta (7-7). Cass (4-7) has a 10-day break before returning to action in the Colonels’ Region 7-5A opener at Calhoun on January 9. CHATTOOGA 47, EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 46 The Excel Christian Eagles swapped leads with Chattooga for most of four quarters Saturday afternoon but came up short in a 47-46 consolation loss. The Indians trailed at the end of each quarter until the fourth where they took the lead for good with only 12 seconds remaining. ECA led 22-13 after one quarter; 29-27 at halftime; and 38-37 at the end of the third quarter. Koi Dodd led three Indians in double-digit scoring with 12 points. Quarry Gibson and Brock Cooper contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively. Chattooga improved its season mark to 3-12. Zion Green led the Eagles’ offense with 15 points. Carter May, named to the All-Tournament team, followed with 12. Jayden Jinks scored 10 points. Kamarion Profit tossed in four points. Kingston Eleazer finished with three points and David Jinks added two for the Eagles. Excel (2-11) returns to action on Friday at home in an 8 p.m. start against Cornerstone Prep Academy. CALHOUN 73, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 52 The Tigers failed to keep up with Calhoun on Saturday in a 73-52 loss in the third-place game of the Adairsville Christmas Clash. Calhoun led 17-10 after the opening period before Adairsville narrowed the margin to 20-12 early in the second quarter. From there the Yellow Jackets went on an 11-0 run to pull away and never looked back. Adairsville’s Gabriel Gomez scored all 14 of his points, including four shots from behind the arc, in the third quarter to chip the Calhoun lead down to ten points. The Yellow Jackets responded with three consecutive three-pointers to extend their lead once again. Emaree Winston led Calhoun (5-6) with 23 points. Blake Hammett finished with 15 for the Jackets. Jace Johns and Bryant Arnold pitched in with 10 points each. Benjamin Abernathy scored nine points for the Tigers. Tayshaun Jackson and Xavious Nalls contributed eight points each. Zachary Postell and Jamarian Pullam finished with six each and Barrett Fuller added one point. Abernathy and Jackson were selected to the All-Tournament team representing Adairsville. The Tigers (5-8) will return to Region 6-AAA action on Thursday at home against LaFayette. NORTHWEST WHITFIELD 57, WOODLAND BOYS 48 The Wildcats lost a non-region game on Friday, December 29 at Northwest Whitfield 57-48. The Bruins improved to 9-3 on the season. The Woodland boys (5-7) have a final non-region game on Saturday, January 6 at Bowdon before starting Region 7-5A play on Tuesday, January 9 at Hiram.

December 30, 2023 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com All four local high school wrestling teams were in action on Saturday participating in the 15-team Guerilla Wrestling Duals hosted by Cass High School. The Colonels had a 4-1 day with wins over Lamar County, Northwest Whitfield, Dalton, and Troup County to win the Silver Bracket. The Cass loss came to a state title contender, Ola. Kriecg Roe, Hunter Barrett, Lee Camp, and Luka Jensen each won all five of their bouts on the day. AJ Piatt, Mason Tompkins, and Rowdy Duck had four wins. Ethan Harrington won three bouts. Jayce Bradford picked up a pair of wins while John Abernathy, Richard Martin, Wyatt Harris, and Nate Johnson had one victory each. Cartersville completed Saturday’s tournament with a 2-3 team record. The Canes beat Riverwood and Adairsville but lost matches with Central-Carroll, Dalton, and Northwest Whitfield. Talan Nix was 4-0 on the day for the Hurricanes. William Benson and Eaiden Neal both completed the day with 3-1 marks. Giancarlo Rivadeneyra was 3-2 in his bouts and Grey Williams had a 2-2 day. Wyatt Earwood, Tyler Phillips, and Delroy Hurst all collected one bout victory apiece for Cartersville. Adairsville finished the tournament with a 2-3 record. The Tigers earned wins over Woodland and Northwest Whitfield but dropped matches to Cartersville, Troup, and Gordon Lee. Howard Bailey and Jamien Long were the top performers for Adairsville. Both Tigers’ grapplers went 5-0 in the tournament. Cass will host the Region 7-5A Duals which will also include Cartersville and Woodland on Saturday. Adairsville will compete in their Area Duals on Saturday at Bremen. Editor’s note:  At the time of this publication, Woodland had not reported results. BSZ has been advised that Woodland rested most of their varsity wrestlers. Woodland results will be added to the story when made available.

December 29, 2023 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Adairsville girls and boys basketball teams — hosts of the Adairsville Christmas Clash — both lost their semifinal games on Friday night and will both play for third place on Saturday. The Lady Tigers led most of the way but were edged by Northwest Whitfield 46-43. The Tigers battled Long County to the wire before falling 63-60. NORTHWEST WHITFIELD 46, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 43 The Lady Tigers led through three quarters but were outscored 14-9 over the final eight minutes in a three-point semifinal loss. Adairsville led 12-8 after one quarter; 22-21 at halftime; and 34-32 at the end of the third quarter. Sloan Pender scored 10 points and Kennedy Baker added nine in a balanced Northwest Whitfield attack. The Lady Bruins improved to 7-2 on the season. NaXyria Roberts led Adairsville with 11 points. Alissa Winters and Aliya McBryde added eight each for the Lady Tigers. Northwest Whitfield will play Sonoraville on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the girls' championship game. Adairsville (6-5) will square off against Cartersville in the third-place game at 4 p.m. LONG COUNTY 63, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 60 Kaleel Anderson scored 28 points and Keshawn Smith had 13 as Long County outlasted Adairsville Friday night in a semifinal game. The Blue Tide led 29-22 at the intermission but the Tigers made it tight down the stretch cutting the lead to 42-40 going into the fourth quarter. Ben Abernathy finished with a double-double for the Tigers. He poured in 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Tay Jackson followed with 15 points and collected nine boards. Zac Postell and Xavious Nalls added eight points each. Long County (11-1), led by former Adairsville coach Reggie Wilkes, will play Sonoraville for the tournament championship on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Adairsville (5-7) will play Calhoun in the third-place game on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.