Cass volleyball split matches Thursday night in Calhoun. The Colonels earned a 25-15, 25-19 win over host Gordon Central but lost to North Murray, 25-23, 25-17. Jada Zimmerman had 12 kills on the night for Cass. Carson Brannon totaled 19 assists and six aces. Caidence Woolridge finished with 12 digs and Harlee Davis added four service aces. Cass (1-3) visits Pepperell on Tuesday and will play the host Dragons and Heard County.

The Lady Tigers used a seven-run fourth inning to do most of their damage Thursday night at home in a 9-4 win over Cass. Adairsville grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning before Cass scored four times in the top of the third to go up 4-1. The Tigers then sent eleven batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth and scored seven times for an 8-4 advantage. The hosts added an insurance run in the fifth to close out the scoring. Chelsea Bates was the winning pitcher for Adairsville with a complete-game effort. Bates scattered eight hits and six walks while fanning eight. Bailey York (3.1 IP, 6ER, 7H, 1BB, 3K) made the pitching start for Cass and was tagged with the loss. Emma Gibson (0.2 IP, 2ER, 4H) and Lily Powell (2 IP, 1ER, 1H) also pitched for the Colonels. Ashlynn Durden (double, RBI), McKenzie Pullum (double, RBI), Bates (double), and Taylor Evans (triple) led the Tigers’ offense with two hits each. Alissa Winters, Ashlyn Carlton (double, RBI), Riley Mounger (double, two RBIs), and Gabi Becerra (home run, three RBIs) added one hit apiece. Harlee Thomason (double, RBI) and Braelyn Franklin had two hits each for Cass. York, Darianna Sosa, Reese Howard (RBI), and Payton Mize finished with one hit each. KK Evans added one RBI for the Lady Colonels. Cass (1-5) starts play in Region 7-5A Tuesday at Dalton. Adairsville (1-2) plays Calhoun (10 a.m.) and Woodland (2 p.m.) Saturday in the Dalton High School Tournament.

Woodland softball routed Southeast Whitfield Wednesday evening in Dalton, 13-0 in four innings. The Lady Cats posted seven runs in the second inning, five more in the third, and an additional run in the top of the fourth inning. Pitcher Haley Collum tossed a one-hitter in the victory. She walked one and struck out three. Kamryn Smith (two RBIs), Ashlyn Baines (double, RBI), and Collum (double, RBI) led the Wildcats’ offense with two hits each. Mackenzie Araya (two RBIs), Jordan Hammonds (RBI), Alana Carnes (triple), and Bailey Ryan added one hit apiece. Southeast Whitfield slipped to 1-1 with the loss. Woodland (3-0) plays in the Dalton Invitational Tournament Friday and Saturday. The Lady Cats will face Chattooga Friday at 4 p.m., Coahulla Creek Saturday at noon, and Adairsville Saturday at 2 p.m. CASS 4, GILMER 3 The Cass softball team bounced back from four straight losses to start the 2023 season with a come-from-behind, walk-off win Wednesday night at home over the Gilmer Bobcats 4-3. The Lady Colonels trailed 3-0 heading to the home half of the sixth inning when they got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs. Darianna Sosa singled and eventually scored on a passed ball before Payton Mize singled home Harlee Thomason with two outs to make the score 3-2. In the bottom of the seventh, Braelyn Franklin reached on an error and scored when Bailey York smacked a double into left field to knot the score at 3-all. One out later, KK Evans reached on an outfield error by Gilmer and York scored the game-winning run. Lily Powell earned the pitching win for the Colonels with a seven-inning, complete game in the circle. She scattered four hits and one walk while striking out four. One of the Bobcats’ three runs was unearned. Six Cass starters had one hit apiece. York (double, RBI), Sosa, Franklin (double), Mize (RBI), Harlee Thomason, and Cayce Brown contributed one hit each. The loss dropped the Bobcats to 0-4 on the season. Cass (1-4) is scheduled to play at Adairsville Thursday at 5 p.m.

Cass volleyball dropped a pair of matches Tuesday night at Temple High School falling to Cedartown and the host Temple Tigers in straight sets. Cedartown topped Cass 25-16 and 25-20. Temple defeated the Lady Colonels 25-9 and 26-24. Andrea Vergara had 11 digs in the Cass losses. Jada Zimmerman finished with six kills. Cass (0-2) plays again on Thursday against North Murray and Gordon Central at Gordon Central High School.

The Woodland Lady Cats scored ten runs in the bottom of the first inning Tuesday night at home and cruised to a 12-1, four-inning victory over visiting Adairsville. Woodland pitcher Haley Collum collected her second win of the season in the circle by tossing a pair of shutout innings. She gave up three hits and faced just eight batters. Peyton Dorn also threw two innings for the Lady Cats allowing one, unearned run on two hits. Dorn struck out two and faced ten batters. Jordan Hammonds had two hits including one triple and two RBIs. Ashlynn Baines also had two hits with one RBI. Bailey Ryan contributed a double and three RBIs. Kamryn Smith (RBI), Collum (RBI), and Alana Carnes (RBI) added one hit each. Elizabeth Hartsfield finished with one RBI for Woodland. Jordan Clay (0.0 IP, 6ER, 1H, 3BB) started in the circle for Adairsville and was tagged with the pitching loss. C Bates (3 IP, 6R, 5ER, 7H, 1BB, 1K) pitched in relief for the Tigers. Brie Patterson had two of Adairsville’s five hits. Alissa Winters, Ashlynn Durden, and Chelsea Bates added one hit apiece. Adairsville (0-2) hosts Cass Thursday at 5 p.m. Woodland (2-0) visits Southeast Whitfield Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. PICKENS 9, CARTERSVILLE 0 Pickens pitcher Cheyenne Coleman tossed a five-inning, one-hitter Tuesday night in Jasper to blank visiting Cartersville, 9-0. LaKiaya Banks managed the lone Cartersville base hit in the top of the fifth to break up the no-hitter. Kennedy Stevens (1.1 IP, 6R, 5ER, 4H, 2BB, 1K) took the pitching loss for the Lady Canes. Zoie Shiflett (2.2 IP, 3ER, 2BB, 1K) also pitched for Cartersville. Hannah Grizzle and Charli Fendley combined for four hits and six RBIs to lead the Dragons’ offense. Pickens improved to 1-0. Cartersville (2-2) returns to the diamond Wednesday at Ridgeland. RIVERWOOD 8, CASS 0 The Lady Colonels managed only one hit off a pair of Riverwood pitchers Tuesday night in Atlanta and fell to the Raiders, 8-0. KK Evans had the only Cass base hit. It came in the top of the fifth inning. Emma Gibson (0.0 IP, 3R, 2ER, 1H, 3BB) and Bailey York (5.1 IP, 5R, 2ER, 8H, 2BB) handled the pitching duties for the Colonels in their loss. The Raiders improved to 1-3 with their win. Cass (0-4) hosts Gilmer Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and visits Adairsville Thursday at 5 p.m.

Woodland volleyball dropped its home and season openers Tuesday night, falling to Pepperell in three sets and Sprayberry and straight sets. The Lady Cats won the opening set with Pepperell 25-15 but lost the final two sets 25-9 and 15-12. Sprayberry topped Woodland 25-10 and 25-16. Kendall Condon had 17 assists and 12 digs in the two matches combined. Anastyn Jones finished with eight kills and three digs. Megan Schultz contributed a dozen digs and five kills. Bailee Motes had five kills and three digs and Lili Womack totaled 11 digs. Woodland (0-2) hosts Southeast Whitfield and Chattooga Thursday with matches starting at 5 p.m.

This week's edition of 'Athletes Beyond Bartow' includes updates on Cartersville and Bartow County athletes in minor league baseball, pro football, and professional soccer. In baseball, former Cartersville High pitcher, Mason Barnett, has been promoted to the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals while former Hurricane Anthony Seigler continues his season with the playoff-bound Somerset Patriots. Meanwhile, NFL training camps are well underway with preseason games beginning. MiLB MASON BARNETT — Northwest Arkansas Naturals (KC Royals Double-A affiliate; 2nd-yr. pro; Auburn; Cartersville HS) … the 22-year-old was promoted to the Double-A level last Wednesday joining the Northwest Arkansas Naturals located in Springville, Arkansas. The Naturals are members of the Texas League. Before the move, Barnett was 4-6 this season with the Class A Quad Cities River Bandits. He started 16 games striking out 94 in 82 innings with a 3.18 ERA. Northwest Arkansas (17-15 Texas League North Second Half) is 46-55 overall this season and finished fourth in the division during the first half schedule. The Naturals were 3-3 this past week at the Springfield (Missouri) Cardinals. They have a six-game home series this week with the Wichita Wind Surge. ANTHONY SEIGLER — Somerset Patriots (NY Yankees Double-A affiliate; 6th-yr. pro; Cartersville HS) … started four games and appeared in one more this past week as the Patriots went 2-4 at the Akron RubberDucks. Seigler finished the week 1-for-8 at the plate with seven walks, one run scored, and two RBIs. He started twice at Catcher and twice at DH. He also appeared off the bench in left field. The 24-year-old’s batting average is down to .163 with 18 RBIs in 200 plate appearances. Somerset (18-14 in the second half) is leading the Eastern League’s Northeast Division after winning the first half. The Patriots are 60-40 overall and host a six-game set with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies this Tuesday through Sunday. PRO FOOTBALL JaCOREY JOHNS — New Orleans Breakers (USFL, 1st-year pro; DE; Wake Forest University; Cartersville HS) … saw action this season in a pair of games with the Breakers after being selected by the Detroit Lions following the NFL draft as an undrafted free agent. He had one solo tackle and a pair of assists in road games at Houston on June 18 and Birmingham on June 25. His totals included one-half sack. MANNY JONES — Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL, 2nd-year pro; DE; Colorado State University; Woodland HS) … has been picked up by Pittsburgh after spending the 2022 season with the Arizona Cardinals. Jones was claimed off waivers on May 17. He is currently listed on the Steelers roster heading into this Friday’s preseason game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL, 3rd-year pro; QB; Clemson University; Cartersville HS) … Lawrence and the Jags begin their preseason schedule Saturday evening at the Dallas Cowboys but don’t expect to see the former first-round selection in too much preseason action. A year after leading the Jags to the Divisional round of the AFC playoffs and improving his passer rating by 23.3 points from his rookie season, Lawrence is expected to continue his rise among the NFL quarterback rankings. PRO SOCCER RUSSELL SHEALY — Crown Legacy FC (MLS Next Pro League, 1st-year pro; GK; Syracuse University; Darlington HS; Cartersville native . . . has been listed as the backup goalkeeper for 13 of Crown’s last 16 matches but has not seen action since three consecutive starts in late March and early April. Crown Legacy FC is 14-3-3 this season and leading the Eastern Conference of MLS Next Pro. The regular season continues through September followed by four weeks of playoffs.

The Cartersville softball team split a pair of games Saturday at the Cass Back to School Bash played at Hamilton Crossing Park. The Lady Canes dropped their first game to Rockmart 15-9 and bounced back to blank Gilmer 9-0 in five innings. Jordan Bishop paced the Cartersville offense in the doubleheader finishing with five hits and five RBIs. Reese Dumas followed with three hits including a double and three RBIs. Erin McCrary also totaled three hits with one RBI. Zoie Shiflett contributed two hits including a triple and one RBI. Addi Burns also had a two-hit day. Kennedy Stevens (3 IP, 14R, 6ER, 9H, 8BB, 1K) and Banks (1 IP, 1ER, 3H, 0BB) pitched in the opener. Shiflett (5 IP, 0R, 4H, 2BB, 7K) collected the pitching win over Gilmer. Cartersville (2-1) visits Northwest Whitfield Monday, travels to Pickens Tuesday, and makes a trip to Ridgeland on Wednesday. WOODLAND BLANKS WHEELER TO OPEN SEASON Woodland softball pounded out 11 eleven hits and cruised to a 13-0 shutout victory Saturday at home over the Wheeler Wildcats. Woodland pitcher Haley Collum earned the pitching win by scattering just two hits and one walk in three innings in the circle. She fanned eight. Kamryn Smith led the Woodland offense with three hits including a pair of doubles and five RBIs. Peyton Dorn and Bailey Ryan followed with two hits and two RBIs each. Jordan Hammonds, Ashlynn Baines (RBI), Collum, and Alana Carnes (RBI) added one hit apiece. Harley Hannah had one RBI. Woodland (1-0) travels to Southeast Whitfield Monday, hosts Adairsville Tuesday, and will play four games Friday and Saturday at the Dalton Invitational. LADY COLONELS DROP THREE GAMES SATURDAY Cass softball took it on the chin three times Saturday suffering three losses at Hamilton Crossing Park in games at the Back to School Bash. The Lady Colonels dropped their opener to Lumpkin County 8-7, fell to Temple 13-2, and lost to Griffin in their third game, 5-3. Bailey York led the Cass offense in the trio of games with five hits and five RBIs. Her hits included a triple and a pair of doubles. Darianna Sosa and Reese Howard both contributed four hits and one RBI in the three games. KK Evans had three hits including one triple and two RBIs and Payton Mize finished the day with three hits and one RBI. Cass utilized three pitchers during the day including York (6 IP, 8R, 6ER, 9H, 4BB, 4K), Emma Gibson (6 IP, 11R, 9ER, 10H, 3BB, 3K), and Lily Powell (3 IP, 7R, 2ER, 2BB, 1K). Cass (0-3) returns to action Tuesday at Riverwood. The Colonels will then host Gilmer Wednesday and visit Adairsville on Thursday.

The 2023 high school volleyball season gets underway this week and Bartow Sports Zone reached out to each of the four local programs for a brief preview of their teams. Three of the local head coaches responded regarding their outlook for the 2023 season. David Condon Woodland High School Coach Condon begins his 14th season as the head coach at Woodland and his 20th season coaching volleyball. The veteran has also coached girls and boys' soccer along with girls' and boys basketball in the past. Before joining the staff at Woodland, he served at Northgate High School in Coweta County near Newnan. How many players do you have in the program this season? We have 34 total players with 12 at the varsity level. We will have a JV squad and a Junior/Middle School team. Who are your top players to watch this season? Kendall Condon returns as our setter. Anastyn Jones is our top outside hitter and Lili Womack returns as a skilled Libero. What goals and expectations do you have for this year’s team? We have more experience so we should see improvement over last year. Who are the best teams in your region and where does your team fit into the region race for a state playoff berth? All six teams in our region are good but I expect Dalton, Cartersville, and Calhoun to be among the most solid teams in the league. Upcoming on the schedule August 8 — Pepperell at Woodland August 10 — Southeast Whitfield and Chattooga at Woodland August 15 — Woodland at South Paulding August 17 — Woodland at Temple August 22 — Unity Christian at Woodland Kailey Martin Adairsville High School Coach Martin begins her sixth season of coaching and the third year leading the Tigers. She has prior club volleyball coaching experience and has also served as a middle school track and field coach and a high school junior varsity basketball coach. How many players do you have in the program this season? Our numbers are slightly up again this season. We have 13 at the varsity level. We will also have 14 junior varsity players and nine freshmen players this year. Who are your top players to watch this season? Senior Jenna Claire Hendley is an outside and middle hitter. She is a positive force on the court. She is quick and smart and reads the ball very well. She will be a captain for a second year. I expect her leadership to be very evident on the court. Senior Jayna Wilson is a middle blocker. She is a “go-getter!” Jayna has a powerful hit and has great vision. She is just as strong as a defensive player as she is on offense. She is constantly pushing herself in all aspects of the game. Senior Sherry Wells will be our Libero. An unreal defensive player, Sherry is extremely quick. She plays fearlessly and is easily one of the strongest defensive players in our region. What goals and expectations do you have for this year’s team? We want to make it deeper into the state tournament than we did last year. We were eliminated in the second round last year and are working extremely hard to make school history by advancing beyond the second round. Who are the best teams in your region and where does your team fit into the region race for a state playoff berth? LaFayette is always a force to consider in our region but I feel we will be strong contenders this season as well. We lost two players to graduation from last season but return a strong senior class. I believe that experience will bode well for us. I also think Ringgold and Bremen will have another strong showing this year in Region 6-AAA. Upcoming on the schedule: August 10 — Temple and Christian Heritage at Adairsville August 15 — Adairsville at North Paulding with Hiram August 17 — Coosa and Calhoun at Adairsville August 22 — Adairsville at Temple with Villa Rica Lindsay Meltzer Cass High School Coach Meltzer returns to coach the Lady Colonels for a third season and begins her second year as the Cass head coach. In addition to her volleyball duties at Cass, she has coached with 575 Volleyball at both the local and regional levels. How many players do you have in the program this season? We will have 24 players in the program this season. That is roughly the same number from one year ago. Who are your top players to watch this season? Two of our top players are sophomores, Carson Brannon and Jada Zimmerman. Carson is quick on her feet and has great stamina and ball control. She is confident in her position as a setter and is one of our most reliable players on the floor. Jada has a great skill set and spatial awareness on the court when hitting. Her accuracy is solid. They both have a great combination of expertise in their positions and the drive to win. That makes for a great combination on the court as leaders of our team. What goals and expectations do you have for this year’s team? Our goal is to return to the state tournament for a second consecutive year. Before last season, the program’s previous trip to the state playoffs was in 2012. Our goal is to continue to learn and grow throughout the season so we are well-prepared and ready for the region tournament in October. Who are the best teams in your region and where does your team fit into the region race for a state playoff berth? We play in a great region with a lot of strong competition from all six teams. Last year for us, it came down to a tough match with Hiram for a state playoff berth so we are looking forward to the challenge again this year. The team has been working hard this summer and we want to return to the state playoffs. Upcoming on the schedule: August 8 — Cass at Temple with Cedartown August 10 — Cass at Gordon Central with North Murray August 15 — Cass at Pepperell with Heard County August 17 — Cass at Armuchee with Coosa August 19 — Tournament August 22 — Rockmart and South Paulding at Cass

Cartersville softball pounded out eleven hits and built a big lead early on the Lady Canes’ way to a 15-4 season-opening win Friday at Murray County. Jordan Bishop had three hits including a home run to pace Cartersville’s 15-hit attack. Addi Burns (two RBIs) and Reese Dumas followed with a pair of hits each. Layne Callan (RBI), Zoie Shiflett (two RBIs), LaKiaya Banks (two RBIs), and Ansleigh Tilley added one hit apiece. Kennedy Crenshaw and Jaycee Blackwell each contributed one RBI. Shiflett (6 IP, 2R, 1ER, 5BB, 8K) and Kennedy Stevens (0.0 IP, 2R, 3BB) both pitched for Cartersville. Cartersville (1-0) returns to action Saturday with games against Rockmart and Gilmer at Hamilton Crossing Park. The games are part of the Cass softball Back to School Bash.

The Tigers started fast, scoring four times in the top of the first inning, but Cedartown scored three times in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Adairsville in their season opener Friday, 5-4. Ashlynn Durden led Adairsville’s offense with three hits including a double and one RBI. Ashlyn Carlton had one hit and one RBI. Chelsea Bates and McKenzie Pullam added one hit apiece for the Lady Tigers. Bates (5.2 IP, 5R, 4ER, 7H, 2BB, 6K) and Madison Baker (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB, 2K) spent time in Adairsville's pitching circle. Chasity Washington had two hits to pace the Bulldogs’ offense. Shailey Pittman (7 IP, 4ER, 6H, 3BB, 5K) went the distance to collect the pitching win for Cedartown (1-0). Adairsville (0-1) travels to Paulding County for their second straight road game on Monday.

Cartersville golfer R.B. Clyburn won the 104th Georgia State Golf Association Match Play Championship Wednesday with a 2-up victory over Brody McQueen of Marietta in the championship match. The tournament was conducted this past Sunday through Wednesday (July 30-August 2) at the 6,655-yard, par-72 Old Toccoa Farm course in Mineral Bluff, Georgia. Clyburn, who won seven consecutive matches to capture the title, trailed McQueen early in the finals. McQueen had a 2-up lead through the first four holes before Clyburn had wins on holes 5, 8, and 10 to grab his first lead. After McQueen won holes 12 and 13 to go back ahead, Clyburn won three of the last four holes with a pair of birdies and an eagle on No. 18 to secure the title. Clyburn reached the bracket round of 16 by winning all three matches in his opening pod. He had wins over Jack Haller of Sandy Springs, fellow Cartersville Country Club member Rhett McGowan of Calhoun, and Andrew Carr of Guyton. Clyburn needed 20 holes to outlast Mark Buchholz of Mableton in the Round of 16. That was followed by a 2-up win over Zach Lassetter of Carrollton in the quarterfinals and a 19-hole win over Stephen Behr of Atlanta in the semifinals. Two other locals -- Tevis Upton of Dallas and a Cartersville Country Club member and Laine Frazier of Adairsville -- won two of three matches in their respective pods but did not advance to the Round of 16.