Five local high school cross country teams including 36 individual runners competed Friday and Saturday (Nov. 3-4) in Carrollton at the 2023 GHSA State Championships. The Cartersville boys finished 14th in Class 5A while the Woodland boys were 16th of 32 teams on Friday. In the girls' Class 5A championship on Friday, the Woodland girls finished 18th and the Cartersville girls placed 25th of 31 teams. The Adairsville boys in Saturday’s Class AAA finals finished 21st of 29 teams. Qualifying as an individual in Class AAA, Adairsville’s Callie Viktora finished 13th of 179 runners. Her time of 21:19 was just over a minute behind individual champion Weezie Moore of Wesleyan School. Wesleyan also won the girls team title in AAA. Chattahoochee High School won the boys Class 5A team title followed by Jefferson, Clarke Central, Cambridge, and Greenbrier. Jacob Pullen of Maynard Jackson High School was the individual champion in 15:58. The 5A boys 5K race included 222 runners. Barrett Stepp led the Cartersville boys team with a 38th place individual finish in 17:07. He was followed by fellow Canes Kaleb Lanier (57th, 17:25), Hayden Mitchell (61st, 17:28), Carson Robinson (88th, 17:54), Tripp Chitwood (116th, 18:18), Ben Russell (135th, 18:47), and Micah Sanders (138th, 18:49). Woodland’s Landon McSwain paced the Wildcats with a 32nd place finish in 17:01. Teammates Andy Forsyth (47th, 17:15), Juan Mendoza (55th, 17:23), Knox Koontz (130th, 18:41), Connor Smith (180th, 19:32), Will Parker (183rd, 19:40), and James Morris (188th, 19:51) followed. Decatur won the 31-team Class 5A girls championship ahead of McIntosh, Northview, Chattahoochee, and Cambridge. Sanam Rangaraj of Cambridge won the individual title in Class 5A with a 5K time of 18:36. Miranda Pelow led the Lady Cats of Woodland with a 67th place finish in 21:55. She was followed by teammates Olivia Berry (77th, 22:10), Abby George (112th, 22:57), Addison Brown (118th, 23:15), Autumn Lottner (134th, 24:04), Lily Hiott (135th, 24:04), and Sophia St. James (174th, 25:46). Kimberly Guerra led the Cartersville girls with a 92nd place finish in 22:30. Teammates Jordan Hathaway (137th, 24:06), Hadley Finnemore (151st, 24:38), Vivi Vest (152nd, 24:38), Meredith Gaines (160th, 25:10), Ella Sabaka (163rd, 25:20), and Helen Learning (198th, 27:50) followed. The Class AAA boys championship was won by Oconee County followed by Lumpkin County and Hebron Christian. Oconee’s Cooper Timberman won the individual title with a 15:50 time. Griffin Bozeman placed 26th individually in 18:03 to lead the Adairsville boys. He was followed by Michael Spinks (98th, 19:57), Dutch Hernandez (123rd, 20:32), Aaron Souders (129th, 20:46), Cody Teer (180th, 22:53), Chris Pelchat (193rd, 25:58) and Lucas Henry (195th, 36:41).

Playing without starting quarterback Jonathan Gough Friday night, the Adairsville Tigers overcame three, first-half turnovers and relied almost entirely on their running game to win at Coahulla Creek, 28-21. Following a scoreless opening period, the host Colts built a 14-0 lead in the second quarter on a pair of short touchdown runs by quarterback Chase Ward. The first score capped a nine-play, 55-yard drive with 4:00 left in the first half. The second touchdown came after an Adairsville fumble inside their own five-yard line with 1:11 before the intermission. Noah Matthews returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for the Tigers to make the score 14-7 at halftime. Cooper Souders, who made two of three PAT attempts on the night, booted the extra point. Coahulla Creek attempted an onside kickoff to begin the second half but the Tigers recovered at the Colts’ 47-yard line. Adairsville then manufactured a seven-play, 53-yard scoring drive that was completed with a 5-yard scoring plunge by Tamarius Wilkey. The touchdown run knotted the score at 14-14 with 9:07 remaining in the third quarter. The Tigers attempted and recovered an onside kickoff of their own with the ensuing kick. Starting at their own 49-yard line, Adairsville drove 51 yards in six plays to take their first lead with 8:01 to go in the third period. Ethan Blome had a key 20-yard run in the drive and Pullum finished it with a 1-yard Wildcat run. The PAT kick failed, however, leaving the Tigers with a 20-14 lead. Coahulla Creek marched back down the field on their next possession. Danny Lidy had a long, 57-yard run that ultimately led to his 4-yard touchdown effort with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter. The Colts’ successful PAT kick gave the home team a 21-20 lead. Adairsville answered right away, however, and took the lead for good with their next possession. Jamarian Pullum sprinted for a 55-yard touchdown to cap a three-play, 60-yard scoring drive with 0:34 left in the quarter. He followed up with a two-point conversion run giving the Tigers a 28-21 lead. Both teams traded possessions throughout the fourth quarter but the Tigers’ defense stopped the Colts’ final possession near midfield in the final minute and held on for a 28-21 victory. Coupled with Ringgold’s 21-7 win over Gordon Lee, the Coahulla Creek loss eliminated the Colts (5-5, 4-3) from the playoffs. Adairsville (8-2, 7-0) had already clinched the Region 6-AAA title going into the game. The Tigers will host a first-round playoff game next Friday night.

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. The October 2023 Elite Athlete of the Month representing Cass High School is Ja’Kai Baldwin. A 6-0, 175-pound junior, Baldwin is a two-year starter at cornerback for the Colonels football team and a member of the Cass basketball team. “His ability to cover man-to-man is very natural and his desire to continue to grow his football IQ makes him a huge attribute for his team. He loves to compete and rarely takes a rep off at practice. He often slides over to the scout team to take reps against the first-team offense. Guys with D-I ability seldom want to take reps on the scout team but Ja’Kai’s work ethic, desire to compete, and love of the game challenge our best players and help to make our team better. He brings energy to every practice and makes the work fun with his infectious attitude. He embodies our belief in “Practice Makes Permanent.” ~~ Cass football head coach Steve Gates. He is the son of Brianna Prater and the late Elgin Baldwin. The Cartersville High School Elite Athlete of the Month for October 2023 is Karley Garrison. She is a senior and a member of the Purple Hurricanes’ varsity competition cheer team, football cheer team, game day cheer team, and varsity gymnastics team. “Karley is an exceptional athlete who has left an unforgettable mark on our cheer program,” noted Cartersville coaches Breanna Johnson and Cissi Adams. “Her versatility and skill set are truly remarkable. She consistently delivers exceptional performances in each area of cheerleading. Her dedication to the sport, coupled with her positive attitude, motivates her teammates to push their limits and strive for excellence — all qualities we value in our student-athletes.” The daughter of Rodney and Tara Garrison, she is a four-year Triathlete Award winner and a member of Beta Club, Mu Alpha Theta, and the National Honor Society. Already a dual-enrollment student, Garrison plans to attend Kennesaw State University and earn a degree in nursing. Jonathan Gough is the Adairsville High School Elite Athlete of the Month for October 2023. He is the starting quarterback for the Tigers football team and a member of the Adairsville track and field team. Gough has been a Player of the Week ten times over the last three seasons and leads Region 6-AAA in almost every statistical category this season. He is a three-year starter and was the region’s First Team All-Region Quarterback in 2022. A senior with a 3.7 GPA in the classroom, he is the son of Terry and Erin Gough. “Jonathan is one of the hardest working players I have been around in 23 years of coaching,” said Tigers’ Offensive Coordinator Pat Konen. “He consistently works on improving his skill set. He is never satisfied with his performance, accolades, or abilities. He is always seeking to improve. He makes others around him better and is like having a coach on the field.” Gough plans to attend college, major in business, and continue his football career at the next level. The October 2023 Elite Athlete of the Month for Woodland High School is Jamarion “Jay” Walker. A senior running back and defensive back on the Wildcats football team, Walker is also a member of Woodland’s basketball and track and field teams. “Jamarion has been a pivotal force for our football team in October,” said Wildcats head coach Brandon Haywood. “Jay demonstrates remarkable performance and has exhibited a well-rounded approach on the field against some formidable opponents.” Walker had 25 rushing attempts for 169 yards yielding a 6.76 yards per carry average. He coupled those numbers with 20 pass receptions for 306 yards and one touchdown — averaging 15.3 yards per catch. He amassed 475 yards in a three-game stretch. Walker, the son of Margo and Donald Ard, plans to continue playing football at the collegiate level and pursue a degree in Marine Biology. 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

October 30, 2023 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Athletes Beyond Bartow is a weekly report covering the pro and collegiate athletes from Bartow County. This week’s updates include the contributions of 23 local athletes across the country. NFL TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL; 3rd-yr. pro; QB; Clemson; Cartersville HS) … was 24-for-32 passing for 292 yards and one touchdown in the Jaguars’ 20-10 win this past Sunday at the Pittsburgh Steelers. He added a 10-yard rushing play but also threw a second-quarter interception. Jacksonville (6-2) has a bye week before hosting the San Francisco 49ers on November 12. COLLEGE FOOTBALL KOLBE BENHAM — Marist College (R-So., Cartersville HS) … saw action in the defensive secondary for an eighth straight game this season but did not have a stat line in the Red Foxes’ 49-14 loss at St. Thomas (Minnesota). Benham has 14 total tackles this season. Marist (4-4, 4-2 Pioneer Football League) hosts Drake for Homecoming this Saturday. HAYDEN CAGLE — Berry College (Jr., Cartersville HS) … started at center and contributed to a unit that generated 516 yards of total offense in a 53-6 home conference win over Hendrix College (Arkansas). The NCAA D-III 24th-ranked Vikings (7-1, 5-1 Southern Athletic Association) visit Birmingham-Southern College this Saturday. COLLIN FLETCHER — Reinhardt University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … had just one catch this past Saturday but it was good for a 73-yard touchdown in the second quarter as the Eagles beat visiting Union College (Kentucky) 45-10 in Waleska. Fletcher now has 281 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his freshman campaign for the NAIA 21st-ranked Eagles. Reinhardt (6-2, 4-0 Appalachian Athletic Conference) visits Kentucky Christian this Saturday. TYWUN GORDON — College of the Sequoias (So., Adairsville HS) … had one assisted tackle this past Saturday in the Giants’ 35-16 win at Sacramento City CC. College of Sequoias (4-4, 1-2 Valley Conference) hosts Modesto CC this Saturday. SHADRE HURST — Tulane University (R-Fr., Cartersville HS) … as a starter on the Green Wave’s offensive line, Hurst was part of a unit that produced 457 total yards in a 30-28 victory at Rice. Tulane (7-1, 4-0 American Athletic Conference), ranked No. 22, carries a six-game winning streak to East Carolina on Saturday. TYLER MARTIN — Berry College (So., Cass HS) … saw action with the Vikings’ offense that compiled over 500 yards of total offense this past Saturday in a 53-6 home win over conference-foe Hendrix College (Arkansas). Berry (7-1, 5-1 Southern Athletic Association) makes the trip to Birmingham-Southern College this Saturday. J.P. PERRY — Berry College (Sr., Cass HS) … the defensive lineman saw action this past Saturday in the Vikings’ 53-6 home victory over Hendrix College (Arkansas). 24th-ranked Berry (7-1, 5-1 Southern Athletic Association) plays at Birmingham-Southern College this Saturday. SAM PHILLIPS — UT-Chattanooga (R-So., Cartersville HS) … Phillips, who has 47 receptions this season, was limited to just one catch for two yards this past Saturday in a 24-23 win at VMI. The Mocs (7-2, 6-1 Southern Conference), currently ranked 15th in D-I FCS, will host Furman in a SoCon matchup this Saturday afternoon. DEVONTE ROSS — Troy University (So., Cartersville HS) … had a pair of pass receptions for 16 yards and added one kick return of 20 yards as the Trojans won 31-13 this past Saturday at Texas State. Through the first eight games, Ross has 22 catches for 243 yards and two touchdowns. He has five kickoff returns for a 21-yard average and one punt return of three yards. Troy (6-2, 3-1 Sun Belt Conference) hosts South Alabama Thursday night on ESPN2. COURTNEY SLOCUM — Mars Hill University (Sr., Adairsville HS) … had a pair of tackles bringing his season total to eleven as the Lions beat visiting Virginia-Wise this past Saturday 49-24. Mars Hill (7-1, 6-1 South Atlantic Conference) travels to Tusculum on Saturday. EVAN SLOCUM — Wake Forest University (Jr., Cartersville HS) … a defensive starter, Slocum had a pair of solo tackles this past Saturday in a 41-16 home loss to 4th-ranked Florida State. He has 18 tackles on the season. The Demon Deacons (4-4, 1-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) host Duke on Thursday night in a game to be televised by ESPN. JaSHAUN BROWN-WHATLEY — Berry College (Fr., Cass HS) … saw his first collegiate action this past Saturday in the Vikings’ 53-6 home conference win over Hendrix College (Arkansas). Ranked 24th in D3, Berry (7-1, 5-1 Southern Athletic Association) plays at Birmingham-Southern College this Saturday. VOLLEYBALL MADELYN ORTON — LaGrange College (So., Rydal resident; Cornerstone Prep) … made two starts and saw action in 10 sets this past week as the Panthers went 1-3. LaGrange lost to Huntingdon, Fort Valley State, and Maryville College (Tennessee) before defeating Agnes Scott College in straight sets on Saturday. Orton contributed six digs in those four matches. LaGrange (4-20, 3-13 Collegiate Conference of the South) hosts Point University on Tuesday. MEREDITH ORTON — LaGrange College (So., Rydal resident; Cornerstone Prep) … in four matches this past week, Orton totaled 19 kills, 10 digs, three blocks, and two aces while the Panthers lost to Huntingdon, Fort Valley State, and Maryville College (Tennessee) but beat Agnes Scott College. LaGrange (4-20, 3-13 Collegiate Conference of the South) hosts Point University on Tuesday. MARIA PILIPOSYANS — Reinhardt University (So., Cass HS) … in a home win over Brenau University last Tuesday and a loss to Milligan on Friday, the Eagles’ middle hitter totaled eight kills, six blocks, and four digs. Reinhardt (21-6, 14-5 Appalachian Athletic Conference) closes out its regular season slate Tuesday at Montreat College (North Carolina). SOCCER ABBEY CRAIG — Reinhardt University (So., Cartersville HS) … started at forward and saw 52 minutes of pitch time this past Saturday in a 4-0 win at Union College (Kentucky). The Lady Eagles completed their regular season schedule with a 12-5-1 record and were 12-1-1 in Appalachian Athletic Conference play. Reinhardt is the No. 3 seed for the AAC tournament and will host Columbia College on Saturday in their first post-season match. BRADY CRAIG — Reinhardt University (So., Cartersville HS) … in three starts where he logged all 90 minutes in each contest as a defender, the Eagles lost last Wednesday to visiting Tennessee Wesleyan 3-1, played Truett-McConnell University to a 1-1 draw, and fell at Union College on Sunday, 5-0. Reinhardt (9-4-5, 7-4-2) opens the AAC Championship Tournament this Friday as the No. 8 seed. The Eagles play at the top-seeded Milligan University Buffaloes. TENNIS EMILY SURCEY — Samford University (Jr., Cass HS) … suffered a pair of singles losses to her opponents from Tulane and Nebraska this past weekend at the University of Alabama Fall Invitational. Surcey and doubles partner Margaret Jaraczewski also lost twice at the event, falling to pairs from Clemson and UAB. The Bulldogs will return to the Spring portion of their schedule on January 20 at Mississippi State. GOLF BUCK BRUMLOW — University of Georgia (Jr., Cartersville HS) … carded rounds of 68-70-69 (207, 6-under-par) as the Bulldogs finished sixth of 20 teams last Thursday through Saturday at the Ka’anapali Classic Collegiate. Brumlow tied for 24th in the 120-player field. The 54-hole event was held on the par-71, 6,700-yard Ka’anapali Golf Course in Lahaina, Hawaii. Georgia shot 31-under-par as a team as East Tennessee State and Oklahoma tied atop the leaderboard at 42-under-par. It was the final Fall event for Georgia who will return to action February 11-13 at the Puerto Rico Classic in San Juan. ANDERSON McCARY — Birmingham-Southern College (Fr., Cartersville HS) … shot 95-99 last Monday and Tuesday at the Chick-fil-A Collegiate Invitational held at Stonebridge Golf Club in Rome. BSC finished last in the 20-team field. BRODY TIDWELL — Georgia State University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … participating as an individual at the Pinetree Intercollegiate hosted by Kennesaw State, Tidwell tied for 24th of 58 players after firing rounds of 74-75-79 (12-over-par) on the par-72, 7,080-yard Pinetree Country Club course. SWIMMING HARPER POWELL — Florida Tech (Jr., Adairsville HS) … in a 174-87 loss at Lynn University this past weekend, Powell was a member of the third place 200-yard freestyle team (1:40.76); the fourth place 200-yard medley team (1:52.80); and finished sixth (1:06.03) in the 100-yard backstroke and seventh (1:00.55) in the 100-yard freestyle. The next meet for FIT is a tri-match at Indian River State with Keiser University on November 8.

The visiting Dalton Catamounts led Cartersville 21-7 in the second quarter Friday night. However, the Purple Hurricanes dominated from that point with 35 unanswered points to capture the Region 7-5A championship and a 42-21 win at Weinman Stadium. Dalton scored first with an 11-yard touchdown run by Adriel Hernandez with 9:55 remaining in the first quarter. After the Canes missed a 31-yard field goal attempt, the Catamounts grabbed a 14-0 lead with 3:40 left in the opening period on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Long to Bubba Tanner. The Canes cut the lead in half with their next possession. Khristian Lando finished off the Cartersville scoring drive with a 2-yard run to make the score 14-7 with 0:26 remaining in the first quarter. Dalton pushed its lead back to two scores at the 9:40 mark of the second quarter. Long connected with one of his tight ends, Bannon Phelan, for a 7-yard scoring pass that gave the Catamounts a 21-7 lead. The Cartersville comeback started with their next score with just 1:23 left in the half. Quarterback Nate Russell hooked up with Brady Marchese on a 23-yard scoring strike that made the score 21-14 at the intermission. The third quarter belonged to the Hurricanes. Lando finished off three straight scoring drives with touchdown runs of 40-, 5-, and 15-yards as the Canes built a 35-21 lead. Turner Abernathy then picked off a pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown that put Cartersville up 42-21 with 1:08 left in the third quarter. Cartersville kicker, Ryan Johnson, converted all five of his PAT attempts. Neither team scored in the final period securing the region title for the Purple Hurricanes. Lando finished the night with 236 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Dalton (7-3, 3-2) slips to the No. 3 seed with their loss meaning the Catamounts will open the state playoffs on November 10 on the road. Cartersville (10-0, 5-0) has a bye week as the rest of the state finishes up the regular season. The Canes will host a first-round state playoff game on November 10 against the No. 4 seed from Region 6-5A. HIRAM 27, WOODLAND 0 The visiting Hiram Hornets spoiled Woodland’s final home regular season game of the year Friday night by shutting out the Wildcats 27-0. Hiram, the highest-scoring offense in the Class 5A classification, led 20-0 at halftime and added only one additional touchdown in the third quarter. Combined with the other results in Region 7-5A games on Friday, the Hornets’ victory secured a home playoff game in two weeks and the region’s No. 2 seed. Kaden Hamilton scored the Hornets' first touchdown with 8:37 remaining in the opening period on a 4-yard run. Quarterback Ryan Strickland then added a pair of touchdown throws in the second quarter. Strickland connected with Chase Tyler for an eight-yard score with 9:12 left in the half and added a 61-yard strike to Hamilton with 2:04 remaining before the intermission. The final Hiram touchdown was a Kendrick Brown 4-yard run with 5:40 left in the third quarter. The Woodland offense reached the red zone three times with scoring opportunities but was denied each time. Strickland passed for 158 yards and two touchdowns for Hiram. Hamilton had 142 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 12 touches. The Hornets improved to 8-2 and will host the No. 3 seed from Region 6-AAAAA in the first round of the state playoffs on November 10. Woodland’s season ends with a 2-8 record.

October 27 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Cass football started fast Friday night and kept their foot on the gas pedal in a surprising blowout of visiting 10th-ranked Calhoun at Cochran Stadium. Cass quarterback Brodie McWhorter accounted for four total touchdowns and running back Braylon Hill had a breakout game as the Colonels built a 31-7 lead through three quarters. The two teams traded scores in the fourth quarter with Cass holding on for a 52-29 win. The Colonels’ victory secured their third consecutive state playoff berth in Class 5A and it ended a string of 23 straight playoff appearances for the Yellow Jackets. A creative opening kickoff return by the Colonels helped set the tone for the night. Calhoun pooch-kicked to Cass up-back Elijah Slocum around the 25-yard line attempting to avoid dangerous returner Sacovie White. Slocum immediately fired a lateral back to White at the 10-yard line as the Colonels’ return team set up a wall along the right sideline. White returned the kick to the Yellow Jackets 41-yard line before being shoved out of bounds. The exciting and successful play gave Cass an early emotional lift. Just a few plays later, McWhorter connected with White for a 4-yard touchdown that gave the Colonels a 7-0 lead with 10:22 left in the initial period. Calhoun marched right back down the field on their first possession to knot the score with 6:18 to go in the first quarter. Caden Williams, from a Wildcat formation, finished the Yellow Jackets drive with a 3-yard run making the score 7-7. The second Cass possession ended on the first play of the second quarter. McWhorter’s 18-yard scamper on a bootleg keeper put the Colonels up by a touchdown with 11:51 showing in the second quarter. Austin McArthur converted the second of his seven successful PAT kicks to give Cass a 14-7 lead. After stopping Calhoun on their next possession, Cass engineered another scoring drive to take a 21-7 lead with 3:33 left in the half. Gambling a bit on a fourth down play at the Calhoun 9-yard line, McWhorter scrambled to his right and found White sprinting across the back line of the end zone. The Colonels got the ball back one more time before the intermission and drove to the Yellow Jackets’ 10-yard line. McArthur made a 26-yard field goal with 1:11 remaining in the half giving Cass a 24-7 advantage. A short kickoff gave Calhoun a final chance to get on the scoreboard before the break, but the Jackets missed a 42-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the first half. Both Calhoun and Cass had time-consuming possessions in the third quarter. The Colonels’ defense stiffened to stop Calhoun on downs in the first half of the third period. Then Cass drove for another touchdown with McWhorter completing the drive on a 1-yard keeper. The touchdown gave the Colonels a 31-7 lead with 1:21 remaining in the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets raced back down the field on their ensuing possession and scored on the first play of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Trey Townsend hit Bryant Arnold for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 11:50 remaining in the game. A two-point conversion attempt failed leaving Cass with a 31-13 lead. The first of three onside kickoff attempts by Calhoun in the fourth quarter gave Cass good field position for their next scoring drive. Hill, who had a fumble recovery and rushed for 136 yards on 21 attempts in the game, capped the Cass drive with the first of his two touchdown runs. His 18-yard jaunt with 8:46 left in the game put the Colonels ahead 38-13. Again, Calhoun scored quickly. A long pass completion from Townsend to Emaree Winston set up a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Williams. The Jackets added a two-point conversion pass cutting the Cass lead to 38-21 with 7:25 left. The Colonels responded with back-to-back touchdowns to put the game away. Hill weaved his way through traffic for a 26-yard touchdown with 3:18 to play and Jachai Baldwin returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown that gave Cass a 52-21 lead with 2:38 left in the game. Calhoun’s Cohen Chadwick caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Townsend with 2:01 remaining in the game. The pass was deflected by two different Cass defenders before it was collected and run in for a touchdown by Chadwick. He then caught a two-point conversion pass making the score 52-29. One final onside kickoff attempt by Calhoun was recovered by the Cass hands team and the Colonels were able to run out the clock. Unofficially, McWhorter finished 11-for-17 passing for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 11 times for 87 yards and two more scores. White had five catches for 37 yards and two touchdowns. He also had one rushing attempt for six yards. Devin Henderson had 17 carries for 79 yards. Chase Tatum caught three passes for 66 yards and Colton Cotton had one reception for 53 yards. In all, the Colonels rushed for 308 yards and totaled 462 yards. Cass (5-5) will have a bye week before going on the road for the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs at Kell on November 10. The Longhorns, who close out their regular season slate this Friday (Nov. 3) at Chattahoochee, have already secured the Region 6-5A championship.

October 27, 2023 The Adairsville Tigers secured the Region 6-AAA championship Friday night in Tiger Valley by defeating the Bremen Blue Devils, 28-21. The two rivals entered the night unbeaten in region play. Adairsville quarterback Jonathan Gough threw three touchdown passes to Tre Winters and Jamarian Pullum added a fourth-quarter touchdown run in the Tigers’ victory. Bremen led at halftime, 14-14. Gough and Winters finished off a five-play, 63-yard drive at the 8:37 mark of the first quarter to give Adairsville an early 7-0 lead following the PAT kick by Cooper Souders. Bremen answered with a pair of first-half touchdowns. Trent McPherson scored on a 9-yard run to culminate the Blue Devils' first scoring drive with 5:15 left in the opening period. The play completed a 66-yard drive for Bremen that took seven plays. In the second quarter, the Blue Devils drove 86 yards in eight plays to take a 14-7 lead. McPherson scored on a 15-yard run. Back-to-back Adairsville touchdowns in the third quarter enabled the Tigers to regain the lead. Gough, who left the game early in the second quarter with injury, returned to begin the second half and connected with Winters for a 98-yard touchdown pass just 0:50 seconds into the third quarter. The long touchdown strike tied the game 14-14. Later in the third, Adairsville regained the lead on another long pass play from Gough to Winters. This time it was an 85-yard play with 2:39 remaining in the period. The PAT kick failed, but the Tigers held a 20-14 advantage. Adairsville gained possession again just before the end of the third period but failed to score after missing a 34-yard field goal attempt. Most of the fourth quarter was a stalemate, but the final minutes were filled with excitement. Bremen took 14 plays to drive 80 yards to regain the lead 21-20 with only 2:28 left in the game. Kaleb Booker had the Devils’ 8-yard touchdown run but Adairsville was not done. The Tigers, who started with great field position at the Bremen 49-yard line, scored seven plays later on a 31-yard touchdown run by Jamarian Pullum with 1:22 left to play. Ethan Blome ran in a two-point conversion for a 28-21 lead. On Bremen’s final possession, L.J. Smith picked off a Blue Devils pass and the Tigers were able to run out the clock to secure their second straight region championship. Bremen (7-2, 5-1) will be a No. 2 seed in the state playoffs and host the No. 3 team from Region 7-AAA on November 10. The Blue Devils will complete the regular season this Friday (Nov. 3) at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe. Adairsville (7-2, 6-0) travels to Coahulla Creek for the regular season finale this Friday (Nov. 3) against the Colts. The Tigers will then host their first-round state playoff game on November 10 against the No. 4 seed from Region 7-AAA.

Cartersville softball was eliminated from the GHSA Class 5A Final Eight Championship Tournament in Columbus Thursday night following a 5-4, ten-inning loss to the Cambridge Bears. Lady Canes freshman pitcher Zoie Shiflett worked all ten innings in the circle for the Purple Hurricanes and suffered the tough-luck pitching loss without allowing an earned run. She allowed ten hits and two walks while the Cartersville defense committed seven errors. Cartersville led 1-0 through 4-½ innings on a Shiflett sacrifice fly. Cartersville’s Jordan Bishop and Kennedy Crenshaw later hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the fifth to give the Lady Canes a 4-0 lead but Cambridge did not fade. The Bears took advantage of an infield error and scored one run on an RBI single in the top of the sixth to narrow their deficit to 4-1. They then added three more runs in the top of the seventh inning to knot the score at 4-4. Two base hits and a pair of Hurricanes infield errors produced the Lady Bears’ unearned runs in the seventh and sent the contest into extra innings. Following a scoreless eighth inning, the Canes had their best chance of extra innings in the ninth when they loaded the bases with two outs but failed to score. Beginning in the tenth inning by rule, each team begins the inning with a base runner at second base. Cambridge scored in their half of the tenth on a one-out, RBI single to go ahead 5-4. The Bears then loaded the bases again before Shiflett escaped the additional threat with a popup and a groundout. Cartersville failed to score in its half of the tenth inning and their historic season had come to an end. The Bears improved to 20-10 on the year and advanced to another elimination game Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Northgate. The Lady Canes, who qualified for the Final Eight for the first time in school history, had their season end with a second consecutive Region 7-5A championship and a 21-11 mark.

The Cartersville boys won Region 7-5A on Tuesday at Dellinger Park by two points over Dalton. The Woodland boys were third with the Cass boys finishing fifth. Woodland’s Landon McSwain was the individual runner-up followed by Barrett Stepp of Cartersville in third. Woodland’s Andy Forsyth and Juan Mendoza finished 4th and 5th. Critton Gearhart of Cass was 7th and Cartersville’s Hayden Mitchell was 8th in the 42-runner race. The Woodland girls finished in second place, just six points behind Dalton on Tuesday. The Cartersville girls finished third another 30 points back. Miranda Pelow (21:10) and Olivia Berry (21:42) finished second and third, respectively, for Woodland. Abby George (22:05) was fifth and Kimberly Guerra (22:40) was tenth for Cartersville. The Adairsville boys finished fourth Tuesday at the Region 6AAA Championship at LaFayette where Bremen won the region title. The Tigers’ Griffin Bozeman (18:09) finished fifth of 41 runners to lead the Adairsville boys. Although the Adairsville girls did not field a full team for scoring, Callie Viktora won the individual Region 6AAA title with a 5K time of 20:46. The Class 5A State Championship meet will be on Friday, November 3 at Carrollton High School. The Class 3A State Championship meet is scheduled for Saturday, November 4 at Carrollton High School.

The Ola Mustangs mounted five of their six total runs in the fourth and fifth innings Wednesday afternoon to defeat Cartersville 6-4 in the opening round of the double-elimination Class 5A Final Eight softball tournament at South Commons Park in Columbus. The Lady Canes led 3-1 in the middle of the fourth inning but Ola tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run, a double, and an infield error. Cartersville regained the lead in the top of the fifth on LaKiaya Banks' RBI double that scored Erin McCrary. The Mustangs responded in the bottom of the inning utilizing three singles and a pair of walks to score three times and take the lead for good. Zoie Shiflett suffered the pitching loss for Cartersville. The freshman hurler allowed four earned runs on eight hits and three walks. She struck out four. Banks (two doubles, one RBI) and Allana Williams (RBI) led the Hurricanes’ offense with two hits each. Jordan Bishop had a leadoff solo home run in the top of the first inning. Layne Callan hit a solo homer in the top of the fourth inning. Kennedy Crenshaw and McCrary added one hit apiece. The Mustangs (28-3) advance to the second round on Thursday to face Harris County — an 8-7 winner Wednesday over Cambridge. Cartersville (21-10) falls to the elimination portion of the bracket and will face Cambridge (19-10) Thursday afternoon at 7 p.m.

October 23, 2023 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com A pair of Cartersville High School football standouts were inducted into the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame this past Saturday night in ceremonies held at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Former Hurricanes Keith Henderson and Ronnie Brown were among the 40 new members chosen from a 100-player ballot for the Hall of Fame Class 2023. The new members join the 45 players inducted in the 2022 inaugural class. Henderson was one of four players from the 1980s decade included in the 2023 class. Brown, who played in the 1990s at Cartersville, was included with 13 other players from that decade. Henderson was a rare three-time first-team all-state running back (1982-84) at Cartersville and was a Parade All-American and the AJC’s all-classification player of the year in 1984. As a senior, he rushed for 2,046 yards and 20 touchdowns on 191 carries in only 10 games for a team that ironically didn’t make the playoffs in an era when only region champions qualified for state. He rushed for 5,872 yards, scored 60 touchdowns in his career, and compiled 6,937 all-purpose yards, including receiving, passing, and return yards. Henderson rushed for a single-game state record 432 yards against Cass in 1984 and was featured in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd for the feat. Henderson led the University of Georgia in rushing as a true freshman (731 yards) and finished with 1,648 yards despite missing his junior season with a knee injury. The San Francisco 49ers drafted Henderson in the third round. He was the team’s leading rusher (531 yards) in 1991 on a team that featured Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. Henderson played four NFL seasons including a stint with the Minnesota Vikings. Brown was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft and enjoyed a 10-year NFL career. A standout running back at Cartersville High, he led the Canes to the 1999 Class AA title. During that championship season, Brown rushed for 1,931 yards and 25 touchdowns with 343 receiving yards and three touchdowns while snagging three interceptions on defense. In the 27-21 victory over Hart County in the AA final, Brown rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. The Georgia Sports Writers named Brown their Class AA Player of the Year. Brown went to Auburn, where he rushed for 2,707 career yards, which ranks seventh in school history. Brown rushed for 913 yards on Auburn’s 2004 13-0 SEC championship team that also featured running back Cadillac Williams. Their 2,078 yards together made the pair college football’s top backfield duo. Both went in the top five of the 2005 NFL Draft – Brown at No. 2 and Williams at No. 5. Brown, a 10-year NFL veteran, played with the Dolphins, Eagles, Chargers, and Texans. He rushed for 5,391 yards and 38 touchdowns for his career and added 1,966 receiving yards. He made the Pro Bowl in 2008. The complete list of those inducted into the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame is available at GeorgiaHighSchoolFootballDaily.com .

Former Cartersville High and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence went from doubtful and injured to his team's leading rusher last Thursday night as the Jacksonville Jaguars won 31-24 at the New Orleans Saints. The win keeps the Jags in first place in the AFC South Division. Lawrence had three end-of-game kneel-downs that took away four rushing yards from his total. Without those, his final rushing stats would have read five carries for 63 yards, with several coming in key spots lifting Jacksonville's offense that sputtered a bit after a fast start. NFL TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL; 3rd-yr. pro; QB; Clemson; Cartersville HS) … was 20-for-29 passing for 204 yards and one touchdown in the Jaguars’ 31-24 win last Thursday at the New Orleans Saints. He also ran eight times for 59 yards. Jacksonville (5-2) has a 1-1/2 game lead over the Houston Texans in the AFC South and plays at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon. COLLEGE FOOTBALL KOLBE BENHAM — Marist College (R-So., Cartersville HS) … recorded one tackle this past Saturday as the Red Foxes won 19-10 at Presbyterian College. Marist (4-3, 4-1 Pioneer Football League) plays at St. Thomas (Minnesota) on Saturday afternoon. HAYDEN CAGLE — Berry College (Jr., Cartersville HS) … a starter on the Vikings’ offensive line that helped produce 544 yards of total offense in a 61-23 win this past Saturday at Sewanee - University of the South (Tennessee). Berry (6-1, 4-1 Southern Athletic Association) hosts conference-foe Hendrix College (Arkansas) this Saturday afternoon. COLLIN FLETCHER — Reinhardt University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … made a pair of receptions for 27 yards this past Saturday in the Eagles’ 44-17 win at Point University. Reinhardt (5-2, 3-0 Appalachian Athletic Conference) hosts Union College (Kentucky) this Saturday afternoon for Homecoming. JONAH GAMBILL — University of Memphis (R-Jr., Cartersville HS) … a starter on the Tigers’ offensive line that helped produce 352 total yards in a 45-21 win at UAB this past Saturday. Memphis (5-2, 2-1 American Athletic Conference) plays at North Texas on Saturday afternoon. SHADRE HURST — Tulane University (R-Fr., Cartersville HS) … a starter on the Green Wave’s offensive line that helped produce 439 total yards in a 35-28 win this past Saturday over visiting North Texas. Tulane (6-1, 3-0 American Athletic Conference) plays Saturday afternoon at Rice. TYLER MARTIN — Berry College (So., Cass HS) … saw action in the Vikings’ 61-23 win last Saturday at Sewanee (Tennessee). Berry (6-1, 4-1 Southern Athletic Association) hosts conference-foe Hendrix College (Arkansas) this Saturday afternoon. SAM PHILLIPS — UT-Chattanooga (R-So., Cartersville HS) … caught six passes for 62 yards and also had a pair of punt returns totaling 17 yards as the Mocs defeated visiting East Tennessee State 34-3 this past Saturday. FCS 20th-ranked Chattanooga (6-2, 5-1 Southern Conference) plays at VMI on Saturday afternoon. COURTNEY SLOCUM — Mars Hill University (Sr., Adairsville HS) … made two tackles and blocked one kick as the Lions won this past Saturday at Carson-Newman University 21-17. Mars Hill (6-1, 5-1 South Atlantic Conference) hosts Virginia-Wise on Saturday afternoon. CROSS COUNTRY BILL ARCHER — University of Montevallo (Jr., Cartersville HS) … ran to an 80th place finish (28:06) of 105 runners at the 8K Gulf South Conference Championships hosted by the Falcons this past Saturday. Montevallo placed ninth of 12 teams. EMMA SEGARS — Georgia College (Fr., Woodland HS) … finished 38th (19:39) of 85 runners at the 5K Peach Belt Conference Championships this past Saturday in Gainesville. The Lady Bobcats placed fourth of 10 teams. DANIELLE THAYER — Augusta University (Fr., Woodland HS) … finished 50th (20:33) of 85 runners at the 5K Peach Belt Conference Championships this past Saturday in Gainesville. Augusta placed third of ten teams. DREW THAYER — University of Montevallo (Fr., Woodland HS) … finished 55th (27:00) of 105 runners at the 8K Gulf South Conference Championships hosted by Montevallo this past Saturday at John Hunt Park. The Falcons placed ninth of 12 teams. MADELYN ORTON — LaGrange College (So., Rydal resident; Cornerstone Prep) … had 10 digs this past Saturday in a three-set loss to Piedmont University played at Covenant College. She also saw action in two of three sets in a loss to the host Scots. LaGrange (3-17, 2-11 Collegiate Conference of the South) hosts Huntingdon College on Wednesday, Fort Valley State on Thursday, and Agnes Scott and Maryville College (Tennessee) on Saturday. MEREDITH ORTON — LaGrange College (So., Rydal resident; Cornerstone Prep) … in a pair of straight sets losses this past Saturday at Covenant College. Orton had seven digs and four kills against Covenant and seven kills with five digs and two blocks against Piedmont University. LaGrange (3-17, 2-11 Collegiate Conference of the South) hosts Huntingdon College on Wednesday, Fort Valley State on Thursday, and Agnes Scott and Maryville College (Tennessee) on Saturday. MARIA PILIPOSYANS — Reinhardt University (So., Cass HS) … in straight sets wins at home over Truett-McConnell University last Tuesday and at St. Andrews University (North Carolina) this past Saturday, Piliposyans contributed two kills and four blocks against TMU and five kills with one block against St. Andrews. Reinhardt (19-5, 12-4 Appalachian Athletic Conference) hosts Brenau University on Tuesday night, Milligan College (Tennessee) on Friday night, and the University of Pikeville (Kentucky) on Saturday morning. SOCCER ABBEY CRAIG — Reinhardt University (So., Cartersville HS) … was a starting forward in the Lady Eagles’ 5-0 win last Tuesday over the University of Pikeville (Kentucky) then entered as a reserve and took one shot this past Saturday in a 4-0 blanking of the Rams at Bluefield University (Virginia). Reinhardt (11-4-1, 11-0-1 Appalachian Athletic Conference) finishes its regular season this week with a home match on Wednesday against Tennessee Wesleyan and a road tilt on Saturday at Union College (Kentucky). BRADY CRAIG — Reinhardt University (So., Cartersville HS) … started as a defender in both 4-0 wins this past week as the Eagles blanked University of Pikeville (Kentucky) at home last Wednesday and won at Bluefield University (Virginia) this past Saturday. Craig took four shots, none on goal, in the victory at Bluefield. Reinhardt (9-2-4, 7-2-1 Appalachian Athletic Conference) hosts Tennessee Wesleyan on Wednesday before finishing the regular season on the road Friday at Truett-McConnell and Sunday at Union College (Kentucky) TENNIS EMILY BUSH — Young Harris College (So., Cartersville HS) … partnered with doubles teammate ?? Mercier last Thursday for the Mountain Lions’ only point in a 6-1 loss at Anderson University. Bush lost a 5-7, 6-2, 3-6 singles decision in that same match.