December 29, 2023 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com For the third time this season, the Cass girls have reached the championship game of a holiday invitational tournament. The Lady Colonels took down Heritage-Conyers 66-51 on Friday afternoon to advance to the finals of the Jackson County Holiday Hoopfest. Two weeks ago the Cass girls made the finals of the SMI Carrollton Tournament before losing to Heard County. Just before Christmas, the Lady Colonels beat Winder-Barrow and host Madison County to win the Red Raider Classic. After topping Johns Creek on Thursday and Heritage-Conyers on Friday in Hoschton, the Lady Colonels are set to play in another tourney finals on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Cass held narrow 11-9 and 27-24 leads over Heritage following the first two quarters. The Lady Colonels extended their lead to 45-35 by the end of the third period and pulled away down the stretch for a 15-point win. Olivia Woods sparked the Cass offense by making seven three-pointers. She finished with 24 points. Zion Hayes followed with 15 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Navaeh Woods scored eight points as did Kiana McDaniel. McDaniel also added seven assists, five rebounds, and three steals. Tamira Feanny finished with four points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Darianna Sosa scored three with KK Evans and Kaitlyn Godwin adding two points each. Godwin and Evans combined for eight rebounds. Amara Humphries led Heritage-Conyers (5-6) with 16 points. Tyerra Johnson contributed 12 and Mei Tyler added 10 points for the Lady Patriots. Cass, now 10-3, will play 5th-ranked Jefferson (11-2). The Lady Dragons beat Jackson County in the other semifinal game, 59-43.

The Cass boys picked up a consolation bracket win on Friday afternoon while the Excel Christian Academy boys fell to Peach County. CASS BOYS 48, RIVERDALE (TN) 44 (OT) The Colonels trailed through three quarters Friday afternoon but rallied to send the game into overtime and beat Riverdale-Murfreesboro 48-44 at the Christian Heritage Holiday Tournament in Dalton. In a low-scoring contest, the Warriors led 9-6, 25-19, and 32-25 at the first three quarter stops. Cass then outscored Riverdale 15-8 in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime tied 40-40. Jakai Baldwin, who finished with 15, and Comari Nettles, who finished with 12, combined for the Colonels’ eight points in the overtime period. Jason Brown-Harmon contributed nine points for Cass and Parnell Gamble finished with seven points. Waymon West led Riverdale with 20 points. Hudson Fuqua added 15 for the Warriors (6-9). Cass (3-7) will play in the consolation bracket finals on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Riverbend Park. The Colonels will play Christo Rey-Atlanta who defeated White County on Friday. PEACH COUNTY 90, EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 62 The Peach County Trojans got 28 points from Cam Cherry and 20 more from Jamari Wright in a 90-62 win over the Excel Christian boys in a consolation bracket game of the Adairsville Christmas Clash. Carter May scored 18 points for ECA. David Jinks followed with 17 and Zion Green added 10 for the Eagles. Jayden Jinks chipped in with seven points while Kingston Eleazer and Kamarion Profit added four points each. Excel (2-10) will play one more consolation game on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. against Chattooga.

December 29, 2023 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Sonoraville outlasted the Lady Canes 56-46 Friday evening in the semifinals of the Adairsville Christmas Clash. The Lady Phoenix, led by Erin Garland’s 27 points, led at the end of each period and have now won two straight in the tournament after starting the year 0-11. Sonoraville led 16-11 after one quarter; 25-20 at halftime; and 38-32 at the end of the third quarter. Nayel Camper led the Cartersville scoring column with 13 points. Kaytlin Arnold and Senai Camper followed with eight points each. Ansley Griffin scored six. Zoie Shiflett contributed five points and Taff Bradley finished with four. Sonoraville (2-11) advances to the championship game on Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Adairsville / Northwest Whitfield winner. Cartersville (5-7) will play in Saturday’s third-place game at 4 p.m. against the Adairsville / Northwest Whitfield loser.

December 29, 2023 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Adairsville girls and boys basketball teams won their first-round games Thursday night as the Lady Tigers and Tigers host the Adairsville Christmas Clash. The Lady Tigers defeated Chattooga 60-33 and the Tigers handed Chattooga a 70-57 loss. The Adairsville girls took control early in their game and built a 33-13 lead by halftime. Aliya McBryde and NaXyria Roberts scored 15 points each. Akeyla Hendrix and McKenzie Evans scored eight each for the Lady Indians (4-10). The Lady Tigers (7-4) face Northwest Whitfield on Friday at 7 p.m. in the tournament semifinals. The Tigers took a similar route to their opening-round victory. The Adairsville boys led 18-5 after one quarter and 39-18 at halftime before holding off the visiting Indians in the second half for a 13-point win. Four Tigers hit double-figure scoring led by Tay Jackson with 20. Tre Winters scored 18 points while Xavious Nalls and Ben Abernathy added 15 and 14 points, respectively. Quarry Gibson led Chattooga (2-11) with 23 points. Adairsville (5-6) plays Long County on Friday at 8:30 p.m. in the semifinals.

December 28, 2023 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Cass Lady Colonels led by only three points at halftime Thursday afternoon but outscored Class 6A Johns Creek 25-6 in the third quarter to take a 56-41 first-round win at the Jackson County Holiday Hoopfest in Hoschton. Cass led 9-6 after the opening eight minutes and was up 22-19 at the intermission before locking down the Lady Gladiators in a one-sided third quarter. Kiana McDaniel, who also grabbed seven rebounds and had four assists, led the Lady Colonels in scoring with 21 points. Olivia Woods followed with 12 points and added three steals. Kaitlyn Godwin scored nine points while Zion Hayes totaled eight points, eight boards, and four steals. KK Evans and Cadie Paez chipped in with four and two points, respectively. Paez grabbed five rebounds. Grace Landeck led Johns Creek (1-13) with 17 points. Savannah Jenkins scored 12 and Kinsey Harper added 10 for the Gladiators. Cass (9-3) advances to the tournament semifinals on Friday at 3:30 p.m. against the Heritage-Conyers / Monroe Area winner. CALHOUN 86, EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 51 The Excel Christian Academy boys fell behind early to Class 5A Calhoun Thursday afternoon and could not recover in an 86-51 first-round loss at the Adairsville Christmas Clash. The Yellow Jackets raced to a 22-11 first-quarter lead and were up 38-27 at halftime before pushing their advantage to 60-39 through three quarters. Calhoun (4-5) had four players to reach double-figure scoring led by Landon Chattam with 16 points. Jace Johns finished with 15. Blake Hammett scored 14 and Landyn Tibbs added 10 points for the Jackets. Zyon Green led ECA with 16 points. Kingston Eleazer followed with 10. Kam Profit contributed nine points. Carter May tossed in six and Jayden Jinks added five points for the Eagles. Excel (2-9) will play Peach County on Friday at 11:30 a.m. in a consolation bracket game. The Trojans lost on Thursday to Sonoraville, 37-24. NORTH COBB 65, CASS BOYS 53 The Colonels fell behind 22-6 in the first quarter Thursday afternoon and failed to catch the North Cobb Warriors in a 65-53 first-round loss at the Christian Heritage Holiday Tournament in Dalton. Cass narrowed their deficit to 35-25 by halftime but North Cobb held them off down the stretch for a 12-point win. Noah Holloway led North Cobb (5-7) with 11 points. Marvin Maina added 10. Jason Brown-Harmon scored 20 points including six, three-pointers to pace the Colonels in the scoring column. Jayden Foster finished with 13 points. Parnell Gamble contributed eight points. Jakai Baldwin scored six while Kevin Henderson and Tayvian McKibbins added three points apiece. Cass (2-7) will play a consolation bracket game on Friday at 1 p.m. against Riverdale. The Raiders fell to North Cobb Christian on Thursday, 82-47.

December 28, 2023 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com One of the long-standing All-State rosters in Georgia high school football history is the selections made by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. On Thursday, the AJC released its 2023 picks and honored several local players. Highly successful campaigns by the three local programs that made the state playoffs — Cartersville, Cass, and Adairsville — were rewarded with selections. In Class 5A, Cass seniors Sacovie White and Devin Henderson were named First Teamers. White, currently involved in practice sessions with the University of Georgia Bulldogs at the Orange Bowl in Miami, was named as a wide receiver. Henderson, who also graduated early to join the Liberty Flames for spring practices, will enroll in Lynchburg on January 10. Henderson was chosen to the defensive First Team as a defensive back. The Class 5A Honorable Mention list includes Cartersville offensive lineman and recent UGA signee, Malachi Toliver; Cass sophomore offensive lineman Bear McWhorter; and Cartersville senior running back Khristian Lando. In Class 3A, Adairsville senior offensive lineman Bobby Campbell was a First Team selection. The four-year starter for the Tigers is close to announcing his college selection according to head coach Jon Cudd. Adairsville quarterback, senior Jonathan Gough, was named to the All-State Honorable Mention list. According to his head coach, he is also close to announcing his future school.

The Cartersville Lady Canes opened play at the Adairsville High Christmas Clash Thursday morning with a 51-34 win over Armuchee. Cartersville grabbed a 17-9 advantage in the first quarter and never trailed. The Lady Canes led 37-14 at the intermission and built a 26-point lead by the end of the third quarter. KK Arnold led Cartersville in the scoring column with 15 points. She was followed by the trio of Ansley Griffin, Nayel Camper, and Senai Camper with 7 points apiece. Arnold added five steals and two assists to her stat line. Senai Camper grabbed four rebounds and issued six assists. Nayel Camper added three assists and three steals while Griffin contributed three assists. Rounding out the scoring for the Lady Canes, Jabryanna Henderson posted five points; Zoie Shiflett and Allana Williams four points; and Lakiaya Banks two points in the victory. Chloe Shaw led Armuchee (6-5) with a game-high 21 points. Cartersville (5-6) advances to the tournament semifinals on Friday at 4 p.m. to play Sonoraville. The Lady Phoenix defeated North Cobb on Thursday, 58-44.

Elite Stone Supply, in conjunction with WBHF and Bartow Sports Zone, presents the ELITE ATHLETES OF THE MONTH. Each month, local high schools are provided the opportunity to name an Elite Athlete of the Month from their varsity programs and present the information on their honoree through Bartow Sports Zone and on 100.3FM and AM1450, WBHF in Cartersville. Georgia Burrows represents Cartersville High School as the Canes’ December 2023 Elite Athlete of the Month. A junior member of the Cartersville varsity sideline and gameday cheerleading teams, she is the daughter of Joseph and Emily Burrows. “Georgia is every coach’s dream. She is the most positive person you will ever meet and she always has a smile on her face. Georgia is one of the best sideline cheerleaders I have ever coached. She draws your eyes to her through her smile and spirit,” said Cartersville cheer coach Cissi Adams. “She is the epitome of an amazing young lady setting the standard for others to emulate.” Burrows maintains a 4.4 GPA. She is on the all-A Honor Roll, an AP Scholar, and a two-time Governor’s Honors Program state nominee. She is a member of student government, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, HOSA, and Beta Club. She plans to attend college to study nursing. Woodland High School’s December Elite Athlete of the Month is Zyon Heath. A senior forward and team captain for a second consecutive year on the Wildcats’ basketball team, Heath is the son of Fanesia Green. “Zyon always leads by example,” said Woodland basketball coach Kip Dyer. “He is one of the first ones in the gym and one of the last to leave it. He holds his teammates accountable and ensures all their roles and duties are met.” Heath plans to play college basketball. The December 2023 Elite Athlete of the Month for Cass High School is Kiana McDaniel. A junior guard and team captain for the Lady Colonels’ basketball team, McDaniel is averaging ten points, five steals, five assists, and five rebounds per game while Cass has started the season with an 8-3 mark. She was also named to the All-Tournament Team at the Red Raider Christmas Classic in Danielsville — a tournament won by the Lady Colonels. “Kiana displays great leadership through her passion for the game,” noted Cass coach Burt Jackson. “She is constantly encouraging her teammates and is a positive role model for our girls on and off the floor. She is the epitome of the student/athlete.” McDaniel is a 4.0 GPA student and the daughter of Corey and Dana McDaniel. Jacob Pasley is the December 2023 Elite Athlete of the Month representing Adairsville High School. A senior member of the Tigers’ wrestling team, Pasley had been successful at each tournament this season. He was 2-1 at the Dalton Carpet Classic; 4-2 at the McCallie Invitational; 3-0 in a dual match with Rome, Cedartown, and Armuchee; and was 3-1 and 165-pound runner-up at the Garvin Edwards Hall of Fame tournament. “Jacob is a hard worker who shows up every day to get better,” said Tigers’ coach Spencer Jones. “He is a returning state placer looking to improve his place on the podium at this year’s state tournament. Jacob leads by his actions and pushes his teammates to be their best. I am proud of the young man and wrestler Jacob has become.” A 4.0 GPA student, Pasley plans on attending a four-year college or university. Editors Note: Photos and bios are supplied to Bartow Sports Zone and WBHF by the respective schools and athletic departments. Elite Stone Supply Co., LLC is the monthly sponsor. Athletes receive a plaque along with recognition during a radio feature on WBHF. #EliteAthletesoftheMonth #Cass #Cartersville #Woodland #Adairsville #highschool

The Adairsville Tigers wrestling team placed sixth of 16 teams Thursday and Friday (Dec. 21-22) at the Garvin Edwards Hall of Fame tournament hosted by Armuchee High School. Adairsville’s team finish was powered by Howard Bailey and Jett Johnson who won individual titles at their respective weights. Jacob Pasley and Jamien Long of the Tigers were runners-up in their weight divisions. Gulf Shores High School (AL) won the tournament followed by Gilmer, Bremen, Gordon Lee, and Chestatee to round out the Top Five. Adairsville results: 113: Riley Pope (0-2) 120: Braxton Elrod (1-2) 157: Howard Bailey (4-0), Champion 165: Jacob Pasley (3-1), Runner-Up 175: Hayden Bailey (3-2) 190: Jamien Long (3-1), Runner-Up 215: Landon Nipper (0-2) 285: Jett Johnson (4-0), Champion Next on the Tigers’ schedule is the Guerrilla Duals at Cass on Saturday, December 30. CASS WRESTLERS COMPETE IN TWO TOURNAMENTS The Cass wrestling team split its roster to participate in two tournaments this past Thursday and Friday (Dec. 21-22) at the Kissimmee, Florida Knockout Classic, and the Garvin Edwards Hall of Fame tournament at Armuchee High School in Rome. Cass finished 27th of 70 teams in Florida and was 14th of 16 at the Armuchee tournament. The Knockout Classic was won by Cleveland (TN) followed by South Dade (FL), Buford (GA), Jesuit (FL), and Mill Creek (GA) to complete the top five. Cass results at the Knockout Classic: 113: Angel Castenado (1-2) 120: Hunter Barrett (1-2) 120: Lee Camp (4-2) 126: Luka Jensen (1-2) 132: Rowdy Duck (3-2) 138: Ethan Harrington (1-2) 144: AJ Piatt (5-2) 150: David Jewell (2-2) 157: Mason Tompkins (1-2) 165: Kirecg Roe (3-2) Cass results at the GE Hall of Fame: 138: Samuel Ingram (0-2) 144: Ezequiel Medina (4-1), Third place 150: Austin McArthur (1-2) 157: Richard Martin (2-2) 165: Jake Bradford (1-2) 215: Wyatt Harris (1-2) The Colonels will host the Guerrilla Duals on Saturday, December 30 starting at 8:30 a.m.

December 22, 2023 The Cass Lady Colonels defeated host Madison County Friday night 60-45 to win the 2023 Red Raider Christmas Classic in Danielsville. The tournament’s Most Valuable Player, Zion Hayes, scored 20 points and collected 12 rebounds to lead Cass in the win. Kiana McDaniel, who was named to the All-Tournament team, finished with 15 points and seven assists. Olivia Woods followed with eight points. KK Evans and Kaitlyn Godwin contributed four points each. Reese Howard, Nevaeh Woods, and Cadie Paez each added three. Jordyn Hall led Madison County with 12 points. Jordyn Jones added 11 for the Lady Raiders who slipped to 6-6 on the season. Cass led 11-6 after one quarter and built a 10-point lead by halftime at 29-19. The Lady Colonels pushed ahead 46-29 by the end of the third quarter. Cass (8-3) will play in the Jackson County Christmas Tournament December 28-30 and will open against Johns Creek on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.

December 21, 2023 The Cartersville Hurricanes salvaged the final game of their three contests at the Mistletoe Madness Tournament in Chatsworth Thursday night with a 60-54 win over Gilmer at North Murray High School. Gilmer led 16-13 after one quarter and 34-29 at the intermission before the Canes caught the Bobcats by the end of the third quarter at 43-all. Cartersville then outscored Gilmer 17-11 in the fourth quarter to earn the win. Ryder Wofford led the Bobcats (8-4) with 24 points. DJ Cain and Nas Bennett led the Canes in the scoring column with 10 points each. Jamauri Brice followed with nine. Daelyn Hall finished with eight points and Kaden Baldwin scored seven. Cartersville (3-8) returns to action on January 3 at home against North Paulding. PICKENS 50, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 37 The Adairsville boys basketball team struggled offensively Thursday evening and lost to the Pickens Dragons at the Fannin County Christmas Tournament, 50-37. Pickens held a 15-6 lead after the opening eight minutes and led 24-10 at halftime on the way to a 13-point win. Xavious Nalls led the Tigers with 10 points. Zach Postell and Tre Winters followed with eight points apiece. McCord Purdy was the top scorer for Pickens with 17 points. Dodge Davis and Parker Davis added 10 points each. The Dragons improved to 8-4. Adairsville (4-6) will return to action on their home floor on December 28 when they open their Christmas Tournament bracket against Chattooga at 8:30 p.m.

December 21, 2023 The Cass Lady Colonels pulled away early on Thursday to beat the Winder-Barrow Bulldoggs 58-20 in the opening round of the Red Raider Christmas Classic at Madison County High School. Cass led 15-2 after one period and 31-9 at the intermission en route to a 38-point win. Olivia Woods and Zion Hayes led the Lady Colonels with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Hayes also grabbed eight rebounds. KK Evans and Nevaeh Woods added nine points apiece. Evans added seven boards. Seneca Titshaw led Winder-Barrow (1-13) with seven points. Cass (7-3) will play in the tournament championship game on Friday at 6 p.m. against the Madison County / Pendleton (South Carolina) winner.