The South Paulding boys won the 2022 Adairsville Christmas Clash Friday night with a 78-49 win over the host Tigers while North Laurel (Kentucky) captured the girls’ title with a win over Murray County. SOUTH PAULDING 78, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 49 In the boys’ championship game of the 2022 Christmas Clash, Class 6A South Paulding outscored Adairsville 22-5 in the second quarter and cruised through the second half for a 78-49 title win. Jeremiah Taylor led the Spartans (10-3) with 20 points. Andrew Lavigne and David Williams both added 13 in the South Paulding win. Zach Postell had 15 points for the Tigers. Zach Weaver added 10 for Adairsville. The Tigers (9-5) will look to bounce back Tuesday at Sonoraville in a 7:30 p.m. tip. CALHOUN 58, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 28 The Lady Jackets used a huge second quarter Friday afternoon to pull away from the Lady Tigers in a 58-28 win. The contest was the consolation finals of the Adairsville Christmas Clash. Calhoun led 7-6 at the end of the first quarter but surged to a 31-11 lead by halftime. Poritiya Curtis led Calhoun (10-3) with 19 points. Lauren Watson and Sa’Niah Dorsey added 16 each for the Lady Jackets. Alissa Winters led Adairsville with 11 points. The Lady Tigers (8-4) travel to Sonoraville Tuesday for a 6 p.m. tip.

The Cass girls and boys basketball teams won their consolation bracket games Friday afternoon at Riverbend Park in Dalton as both finished up their participation in the Chick-Fil-A Classic. The Lady Colonels finished 2-1 in the event with a 64-53 win over Coahuila Creek. The Colonels got their only win of the three-game set with a 71-54 victory over Johnson-Gainesville. CASS GIRLS 64, COAHULLA CREEK 53 Kiana McDaniel scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out six assists Friday afternoon as the Lady Colonels beat Coahuila Creek 64-53 in the consolation finals of the Chick-Fil-A Classic at Riverbend Park in Dalton. Cass held narrow leads of 15-11, 27-25, and 43-39 at the ends of the first three quarters. The Lady Colonels then drained four three-pointers and made 5-of-8 free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. Olivia Woods followed McDaniel with 17 points. Mikaela Jackson had seven points and eight rebounds. Darianna Sosa and Nevaeh Woods scored six each. Reese Howard finished with five points. Cadie Paez and KK Evans added three and two points, respectively. Shea Poe led the Colts (7-5) with a game-high 26 points. Cass (11-2) plays at Dunwoody Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CASS BOYS 71, JOHNSON-GAINESVILLE 54 The Colonels defense clamped down in the third quarter Friday afternoon and salvaged their final game at the Chick-Fil-A Classic in Dalton by beating winless Johnson-Gainesville, 71-54. The Knights outscored the Colonels 17-10 in the second quarter to take a 30-28 lead to the intermission locker room but Cass responded with a strong defensive third quarter to garner control. “We stepped up our defensive intensity after halftime and it showed,” said Cass coach Kevin Cunningham. “Our defense led to offense and when we do that the game seems easier. We had a really bad second quarter, but got it together in the second half and played well. Happy to end the tournament with a win.” Kevin Henderson came off the Colonels’ bench to lead Cass with 14 points. KJ Rogers followed with 11. Isaiah Ford scored nine points. Jakai Baldwin and Devin Henderson finished with eight apiece. Jelani Hames and Jayden Foster chipped in with six each. Sacovie White contributed four points. Jason Brown-Harmon and DJ Sams rounded out the Colonels’ scoring with three and two points, respectively. Jaiden Riley led the Knights with 18 points. Andre Hernandez added 17 for Johnson-Gainesville (0-11). Cass (6-7) is off until they host Calhoun on Tuesday, January 10 in their Region 7-5A opener.

The Excel Christian Academy boys salvaged a win Friday afternoon in their final game of the 2022 Adairsville Christmas Clash by defeating Woodland in a consolation game, 61-53. Woodland led 17-14 at the end of the first quarter and 27-25 at halftime before the Eagles surged to the lead. ECA led 40-39 by the end of the third period and outscored the Wildcats 21-14 in the final eight minutes. Excel had four players reach double-digit scoring led by Caleb Landrum’s 19 points. Kyron McClendon scored 13, Comari Nettles 12, and Jakaden Barkley finished with 11 points for the Eagles. Christian Viera chipped in four points and Kamarion Profitt added two for the Eagles. Brelace Williams scored a game-high 28 points to pace Woodland. Amir Heath had seven points. Zyon Heath and Isaiah Livsey finished with six each. Parker Collins scored four and Evan Womack added two points for the Wildcats. Woodland (2-12) returns to action Saturday, January 7 when the Wildcats host East Paulding at 4:30 p.m. Excel Christian (6-7) plays at Christian Heritage in Dalton Friday, January 6 at 7:30 p.m. BLESSED TRINITY 52, WOODLAND GIRLS 19 In both teams’ final game of the Adairsville Christmas Clash, the Blessed Trinity girls built a 35-12 lead by halftime and eased to a 52-19 victory over Woodland. Christa Lair led the Lady Titans (8-7) with 25 points. Megan Schultz scored 10 points for the Lady Cats and Bailee Motes added four in the loss. Woodland (2-12) hosts East Paulding on Saturday, January 7 at 3 p.m.

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 December 2022 Elite Athlete of the Month for Adairsville High School is Jared Campbell. A junior on the Tigers’ swim team, Campbell is the son of Travis and Sherry Campbell. He is featured on the Adairsville roster in freestyle and breaststroke or medley events. “Jared has been a beast in practice this year,” noted Adairsville assistant swim coach Lance Hall. “He is the first swimmer in the water every day and the last out. He has dropped his time in every meet this season.” Campbell has a 3.7 GPA in Honors and Advanced Placement classes. He is also a member of the Adairsville magnet program. “Jared has made a commitment to improve and help the team this year,” Hall continued. “His work ethic is second to none. He is clearly our most improved swimmer so far this season and continues to push himself and others to improve every practice.” Jayden Foster is the December 2022 Elite Athlete of the Month representing Cass High School. Currently averaging almost 12 points per game, seven rebounds, and four assists, Foster is a junior on the Colonels’ basketball team. “Jayden has been a dependable leader at Cass both on and off the court,” said Cass boys basketball coach Kevin Cunningham. “He impacts our team with his defensive energy but he brings that effort to our practices too. He is able to play multiple positions and has helped this year’s team begin to find its stride.” Foster has performed well in the classroom also where he has earned a 3.4 GPA in his classes. He is the son of Jannelle and Brannon Foster. Cartersville High School’s December 2022 Elite Athlete of the Month is Paul Gamble. The Canes’ senior is a member of the school’s football and baseball teams where he played quarterback and will be a pitcher and outfielder this Spring. Gamble led the Purple Hurricanes to the semifinals of the Class 5A football playoffs this Fall with a 12-2 record. For the season, the signal caller was 108-for-176 passing (61%) for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. He added 78 rushing attempts for 487 yards and 10 touchdowns. “Paul is a fantastic young man that is gifted in unique ways on and off the field,” said Purple Hurricanes’ football assistant Brent Rickman. “He epitomizes a Canes’ student-athlete. Our team’s success was due in large part to his performance, leadership, and willingness to serve his teammates.” The son of April Kilgore, Gamble carries a 4.1 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society and Beta Club. His collegiate plans are currently undecided. Megan Schultz is the Elite Athlete of the Month for December 2022 representing Woodland High School. A junior, guard/wing on the Lady Cats basketball team, she currently leads the team in scoring, rebounding, and steals. She is second on the team in assists per game. "Megan is currently our team captain and a great teammate,” said Woodland basketball head coach Kyle Morgan. “We are asking a lot of Megan on both ends of the floor this season. She is required to be one of our primary ball handlers, score the ball, and make the game easier for her teammates by passing the ball to them when they are open. She often times the target of other teams' defenses. In addition, on the defensive end, she is often asked to guard the other team's best player, be our best rebounder, and get in the passing lanes for steals. She has come a long way over the years in many areas and her best basketball is still ahead of her. I look forward to seeing her continued progression as a player/leader both this season and next.” The daughter of Karen and Garth Schultz, she has a 3.88 GPA and would like to continue her basketball career in college. Her current plans also include majoring in Business. Editors Note: Photos and bios are supplied to Bartow Sports Zone and WBHF by the respective schools and their 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 started strong Thursday night in their Christmas Clash semifinal against Murray County but had to hold off a furious charge by the Indians down the stretch for a 51-46 win. The Tigers led 27-11 at halftime and had built a 21-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, 45-24. Murray County wasn’t finished, however, and narrowed the margin to just three points late in the fourth quarter before Adairsville sealed the win. “We started well with some great ball movement and a nice defensive effort,” said Tigers head coach Alex Disbrow following the victory. “We got into foul trouble in the fourth quarter due to some bad decision-making. Give them credit for a nice comeback but Jamarion Pullum made a pair of late free throws to seal a good team win.” Xavious Nalls and Zach Postell led Adairsville with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Tay Jackson followed with nine. Ben Abernathy finished with six points. Jamarion Pullum chipped in with five and Austin White added two points for the Tigers. Braxton Vineyard, Landon Bennett, and Avery Jones shared scoring honors for Murray County with nine points each. Murray County (5-6) will play in the third place game Friday at 5:30 p.m. against Calhoun (5-6). Adairsville (9-4) advances to the Christmas Clash championship game Friday night at 8:30 p.m. against South Paulding. The Spartans (9-3) beat Calhoun Thursday 63-44 in the other semifinal. The complete Adairsville Christmas Clash schedule for Friday: 10 a.m. — Girls — Blessed Trinity v. Woodland 11:30 a.m. — Boys — Excel Christian v. Woodland 1 p.m. — Girls — Calhoun v. Adairsville 2:30 p.m. — Boys — Long County v. Chattooga 4 p.m. — Girls 3rd Place — Sonoraville v. Chattooga 5:30 p.m. — Boys 3rd Place — Calhoun v. Murray County 7 p.m. — Girls Championship — North Laurel (KY) v. Murray County 8:30 p.m. — Boys Championship — Adairsville v. South Paulding In other action Thursday: CASS GIRLS 64, WALKER VALLEY (TN) 61 The Lady Colonels trailed Walker Valley (Tenn.) 33-26 at halftime and 50-42 heading into the fourth quarter before rallying over the final eight minutes for a 64-61 consolation semifinal win Thursday. The victory came at the Chick-Fil-A Classic at Dalton’s Riverbend Park. The victory margin could have been greater for Cass. The Lady Colonels made only 11 of 20 free throws in the second half. Kiana McDaniel finished with a double-double to lead Cass. She finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Mikaela Jackson scored 15 points and grabbed five boards. Nevaeh Woods tossed in 14 points. Olivia Woods contributed 10 and KK Evans added two points for Cass. Chloe Poe and Emilee Worden scored 11 points each for the Lady Jaguars. The Lady Colonels (10-2) will play Coahuila Creek Friday at 2:30 p.m. at Riverbend Park in the tournament consolation finals. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 43, WOODLAND 25 The Lady Tigers bounced back from Wednesday night’s loss to North Laurel (KY) and beat Woodland Thursday afternoon 43-25 in a consolation semifinal at the Adairsville Christmas Clash. Adairsville had nine players in the scoring column in the victory led by Naxyria Roberts with nine points. Analee Morris followed with eight. Darby Adams scored seven. Ziyah Hicks tossed in six points. Aliya McBryde and Zariyah Hicks contributed four each. Megan Gentry and Alyssa Jarrett finished with two points each and Addie Pearson added one for the Lady Tigers. Kasidee Wall led Woodland with nine points. Megan Schultz scored six. Libby Morgan had four points. Reign West finished with three. Abby George chipped in with two points and Bailee Motes added one for the Lady Cats. Adairsville (8-3) advances to Friday’s consolation finals and will face Calhoun at 1 p.m. Woodland (2-11) will play Blessed Trinity Friday at 10 a.m. in another consolation game. CARTERSVILLE BOYS 74, GILMER 61 The Canes trailed Gilmer 20-16 at the end of the first quarter before taking command in an eventual 74-61 win Thursday afternoon at the Pickens Holiday Classic in Jasper. Cartersville led 39-33 at halftime and 54-49 after three quarters on their way to a 13-point win. Romo Pace led the Hurricanes with 23 points. DJ Cain scored 19. Parnel Gamble finished with 13 points. Jamauri Brice chipped in with six. Collin Fletcher posted five points. Tyren Milner tossed in four. Kaden Baldwin and Monte Tolbert added three and one, respectively. Jackson McVey led Gilmer (8-5) with 18 points. Cartersville (3-5) returns to Jasper again Friday for a 5:30 p.m. matchup with Sonoraville. CHATTOOGA 70, WOODLAND BOYS 55 The Wildcats led 18-11 at the end of the opening period but trailed 33-27 by the intermission in a 70-55 loss to Chattooga Thursday afternoon in the consolation bracket of the Adairsville Christmas Clash. The Indians (7-5) were led by 21 points from Tequanus Gibson and 19 by Dan Meyer. Brelace Williams scored 27 for the Wildcats. Zyon Heath followed with 12 points. Bryson Van Tonder contributed six points. Parker Collins had four and Amir Heath added one point for Woodland. The Wildcats (2-11) play Excel Christian Academy Friday at 11:30 a.m. in another consolation game. NORTH PAULDING 65, CASS BOYS 39 The Colonels, playing without part of their roster involved in football all-star games, lost to North Paulding Thursday, 65-39. The Chick-Fil-A Classic consolation semifinal was played at Dalton’s Riverbend Park. Cass led 17-10 after one quarter but fell behind 28-23 by halftime and never recovered. Ryan Williams led the Wolfpack with 23 points. “We couldn’t execute on offense,” said Cass head coach Kevin Cunningham. “They were really tough on us the entire second half. We missed a lot of free throws and layups too. You aren’t going to beat many teams doing that.” Jelani Hames led Cass with 12 points. Jayden Foster scored eight. Tom Brennan followed with seven points. KJ Rogers and Jake Baldwin contributed four each. Isaiah Ford finished with three points and DJ Sams added one in the losing cause. North Paulding improved to 6-7 on the season. Cass (5-7) will face Johnson-Gainesville Friday at 1 p.m. in another consolation game at Riverbend Park in Dalton. LONG COUNTY 78, EXCEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY BOYS 40 Christian Glenn scored 17 points, Jamal Brimlett finished with 14 and Keshawn Smith added 13 points as the Long County Blue Tide built a 45-22 lead by halftime Thursday and cruised to a 78-40 win over Excel Christian in an Adairsville Christmas Clash consolation semifinal. Kyron McClendon led ECA with 16 points. Jakaden Barkley scored 10. Jacob Taylor finished with eight points. Kamarion Profit pitched in four and Comari Nettles added two points for the Eagles. Long County (7-5) will play Chattooga Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the consolation finals. Excel (5-7) will square off with Woodland Friday morning at 11:30 p.m. in a consolation game.

The Woodland girls and the Cartersville boys both dropped their opening games in holiday tournament action Wednesday. The Lady Cats lost to Chattooga in the first round of the Adairsville Christmas Clash. The Hurricanes fell to host Pickens in their initial game at the Pickens Holiday Classic. CHATTOOGA 39, WOODLAND GIRLS 27 The Chattooga girls defeated Woodland for the second time in an 11-day span Wednesday evening, 39-27. This time it was in a first round game at the Adairsville Christmas Clash. The Lady Cats stayed close most of the way trailing 20-14 at halftime, but never gained the traction needed to overtake the Lady Indians. Chattooga won the first matchup between the two teams on December 17, 50-27, at the Rome Holiday Tournament in a consolation game. Wednesday, Makiya Parrish led Chattooga with 13 points. Addyson Daniel added 10. Bailee Motes scored eight for Woodland. Kasidee Wall and Megan Schultz followed with seven apiece. Abby George contributed three points and Libby Morgan scored two for the Lady Cats. Chattooga improved to 4-7 and will play North Laurel (Kentucky) in the semifinals Thursday night at 7 p.m. Woodland (2-9) falls to the consolation bracket and will play Adairsville Thursday afternoon in a consolation semifinal at 1 p.m. PICKENS 74, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 68 A slow start by the Hurricanes was costly Wednesday night as Cartersville rallied in the second half but couldn’t catch the host Dragons in a 74-68 loss. The game was the first of three for the Canes Wednesday through Friday at the Pickens Holiday Classic in Jasper. Pickens led 19-9 after the opening quarter and was up 41-26 at halftime. Cartersville narrowed the margin to 55-45 by the end of the third quarter but the Dragons held on down the stretch for a six-point win. “We competed hard after a rough first half,” said Canes coach Mike Tobin. “We’re improving and slowly getting our basketball legs back. Pickens was 12-for-14 from the free throw line and we missed 12 free throws. You don’t win many games missing double-digit free throws.” Jaden Stewart led the Dragons with 18 points. Caleb Lanford scored 17 and Caleb Keith added 11 points for Pickens. Romo Pace pumped in a game-high 23 points for the Purple Hurricanes. Jamauri Brice followed with 14 points. Kaden Baldwin and Parnel Gamble pitched in seven each. Monte Tolbert contributed six. Cad McCline totaled four. Jaylen Scott and Tyron Milner added three and two points, respectively. “We have five more games to play before our region schedule begins,” noted Tobin. “We hope to be hitting our stride by then.”

The morning phase of the Adairsville Christmas Clash and the Dalton Chick-Fil-A Classic was not kind to local teams Wednesday in holiday tournament action. The Cass girls, who had won five straight and nine of their first ten, fell to Darlington and the Cass boys -- playing somewhat short-handed -- also had a modest win streak snapped with a loss to Walker Valley (Tennessee) in first round action in Dalton. At Adairsville High School, the Excel Christian Academy boys dropped their tournament opener to the South Paulding Spartans. SOUTH PAULDING 84, EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 66 The Excel Christian Academy boys used some hot first half shooting to lead Class 6A South Paulding 40-38 at halftime, but the Spartans outscored the Eagles 23-12 in the third quarter to take command in a first round game at the Adairsville Christmas Clash Wednesday. The Spartans had five players reach double-figure scoring in their 84-66 win. Andrew Lavigne posted 19 for South Paulding. Jeremiah Taylor followed with 17 points. Giovanny Thomas contributed 14. Sean Lynch finished with 12 points and Randy Harris added 10. Jacob Taylor scored a game-high 25 points to lead Excel. Jakaden Barkley scored 14 points. Kyron McClendon finished with nine. Comari Nettles and David Jinks tossed in six each while Matthew Simon, Christian Viera, and Kamarion Profitt added two points each for the Eagles. South Paulding improved to 8-3 and moved into Thursday’s 5:30 p.m. semifinal against Calhoun. Excel Christian Academy (5-6) will play in a consolation round semifinal Thursday at 11:30 a.m. against Long County. DARLINGTON 48, CASS GIRLS 37 Slow starts in the first and third quarters did the damage for the Lady Colonels Wednesday morning in a first round 48-37 loss to Darlington at the Chick-Fil-A Classic hosted by Christian Heritage in Dalton. The Lady Colonels trailed 15-9 after one quarter and kept pace the rest of the half to trail 21-16 at the intermission. The Lady Tigers then outscored Cass 20-10 in the third period to take control and carry a 41-26 lead into the final eight minutes. Cass made a dent in the margin in the fourth quarter but Darlington (10-2) held on for an 11-point win. Kiana McDaniel led the Lady Colonels with 12 points. Nevaeh Woods followed with 10. Mikaela Jackson scored six. KK Evans finished with five points. Kaitlyn Godwin and Olivia Woods added two points each in a losing cause. Cass (9-2) will play its second of three games at the tournament Thursday in a consolation bracket semifinal against Walker Valley (Tenn.) at Dalton’s Riverbend Park at 1 p.m. WALKER VALLEY (Tenn.) 76, CASS BOYS 52 The Cass boys had a three-game win streak snapped Wednesday in the first round of the Chick-Fil-A Classic in Dalton. The Colonels, who had won five of six heading into the three-day tournament, fell to Walker Valley (Tennessee) 76-52 at Christian Heritage School. The Mustangs from Cleveland, Tennessee, took a 15-8 lead in the first quarter and never trailed. Walker Valley led 34-21 at halftime and 54-35 by the end of the third quarter. Cash Coates and Coleman Green led the Mustangs with 17 points each. Tayvon Barber and Hubert Brabson also reached double figures for Walker Valley (10-3) with 14 and 13 points, respectively. KJ Rogers scored 17 points to pace the Colonels’ scoring column. Jelani Hames finished with 13 and Isaiah Ford had 10 points for Cass. Jason Brown-Harmon, Tom Brannon, and Jakai Baldwin scored three each. Jayden Foster added two points. Cass played without Sacovie White, Kevin Henderson, and Devin Henderson who are all playing in a football all-star game. “The layoff hurt us,” said Cass boys coach Kevin Cunningham. “We didn’t shoot the ball well and did not execute on offense. When you play a good team and do not play well this is what happens. It’s a tough loss. We will regroup for tomorrow.” Cass (5-6) plays Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Dalton Riverbend Park in a consolation semifinal against North Paulding.

The Adairsville boys basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 AHS Christmas Clash Wednesday night by defeating visiting Woodland, 70-49, but the Adairsville girls lost their tournament opener to North Laurel (Kentucky), 66-41. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 70, WOODLAND 49 The Tigers took a 36-28 lead by halftime and then outscored Woodland 15-4 in the third quarter on their way to a 70-49 first round win over the Wildcats Wednesday night. Tay Jackson led Adairsville with 18 points, Zach Postell tossed in 14, and Tre Winters scored 10 as the Tigers had three players reach double-digit scoring. Zach Weaver followed with eight. Xavious Nalls and Ben Abernathy chipped in six each. Austin White and Gabe Gomez contributed three points each and Barrett Fuller added two. Brelace Williams scored 21 points to lead the Wildcats. Isaiah Livsey followed with 16. Zyon Heath and Bryson Van Tonder finished with five each. David Byars added two points for Woodland. Woodland (2-10) will play Chattooga Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in the consolation bracket. Adairsville (8-4) reaches Thursday night’s semifinals to face Murray County at 8:30 p.m. NORTH LAUREL (Kentucky) 66, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 41 The North Laurel Lady Jaguars built an early lead Wednesday night at Adairsville and never looked back in a 66-41 first round win over the host Lady Tigers at the AHS Christmas Clash. North Laurel, from London, Kentucky, led at each quarter stop including a 14-5 lead at the end of the first quarter; 32-18 at halftime; and 52-29 by the end of the third period. Emily Sizemore scored a game-high 22 points to pace the visitors. Bella Sizemore and Brooke Nichelson contributed 11 points each. Naxyria Roberts scored 13 points for Adairsville. Analee Morris added 11 for the Lady Tigers. North Laurel (5-1) will face Chattooga Thursday night in the tournament semifinals at 7 p.m. Adairsville (7-3) falls to the consolation bracket Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. and will face Woodland.

Eight of the ten local high school basketball teams will be in action Wednesday through Friday of this week at three different holiday events. The Adairsville girls and boys, Woodland girls and boys, and the Excel Christian Academy boys will all be in action locally at the Adairsville Christmas Clash. In girls’ games Wednesday at Adairsville High School, Woodland will play Chattooga at 4 p.m. and the host Lady Tigers will play North Laurel (Kentucky) at 7 p.m. Other girls first round games Wednesday include Blessed Trinity vs. Sonoraville at 10 a.m. and Murray County vs. Calhoun at 1 p.m. The girls’ consolation games will be at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday. The girls’ semifinals are Thursday at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday’s third place game is scheduled for 4 p.m. with the girls’ championship game set for 7 p.m. In boys’ action at Adairsville High Wednesday involving local teams, Excel Christian takes on South Paulding at 11:30 a.m. and Woodland will play Adairsville in the 8:30 p.m. game. The other boys’ first round games Wednesday include Long County vs. Calhoun at 2:30 p.m. and Murray County vs. Chattooga at 5:30 p.m. The boys’ consolation games will be at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday. The boys’ semifinals are Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. with Friday’s third place game set for 5:30 p.m. and the boys’ title game scheduled for 8:30 p.m. The Cartersville boys will play Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in the Pickens Holiday Classic in Jasper. The Canes square off with host Pickens Wednesday night at 7 p.m. before facing Gilmer Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Sonoraville Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the round-robin scheduled event. Meanwhile, the Cass girls’ and boys’ teams will participate Wednesday through Friday at the Chick-fil-A Christmas Classic hosted by Christian Heritage in Dalton. The Lady Colonels play Darlington Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the opening round while the Colonels play Walker Valley (Tenn.) at 11:30 a.m. in their first round matchup. The other girls' teams in the tournament are Johnson-Gainesville, Christian Heritage, North Paulding, Coahuila Creek, Dawson County, and Walker Valley (Tenn.). The other boys' teams in the tournament are Johnson-Gainesville, Christian Heritage, Dawson County, Westminster, North Paulding, and North Oconee. After the opening day in Dalton, the tournament splits to two locations over the next two days. Thursday and Friday consolation games will be played at the Dalton Riverbend Recreation Center. The tournament semifinals will be on the Christian Heritage campus Thursday as well as the third place games and the championship games on Friday. Complete brackets are shown below. Note: There is no bracket for the Pickens event that includes Cartersville, the Canes' opponents and game times are predetermined.

As we wind down the year 2022, local wrestling coaches and athletes know the 2023 GHSA Region/Area Duals Championships are just around the corner. In fact, all four local programs will compete in their Area or Region dual format championships on January 7. As a tune-up in preparation, Cass High School will host the Guerrilla Warfare Duals Invitational this Friday. The Colonels, defending state champs in GHSA Class 5A, will host Cartersville, Adairsville, Rockmart, Trion, Ola, Cedartown, Mt. Pisgah, Villa Rica, Southeast Whitfield, North Paulding, and Dalton in the 12-team event. When Cass coach D.L. Koontz was asked about the estimated time for the championship matches, he responded: “To start the day, we are doing three preliminary pools with four teams in each pool. How each team finishes in their respective pool will determine their final bracket. The pool winners will go into a Gold Bracket. Those finishing second in their pool will go to a Silver Bracket. There will be a Bronze Bracket for the third-place teams and a White Bracket for the remaining four teams. Each of those brackets will run independently of one another at that point.” Wrestling is slated to begin at 8:30 a.m. Admission is $5.

There was limited action involving local Athletes Beyond Bartow during the past holiday week, but significant contributions and news were made by Bartow County athletes. In the NFL, former Cartersville High School quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars have been red hot in recent weeks. Their win Thursday night before a national audience moved the Jags into first place in the AFC South Division with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. In soccer news, Cartersville resident Russell Shealy was drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer following his national championship win with Syracuse. Meanwhile, in college football, former Hurricanes' defensive end JaCorey Johns of Wake Forest declared for the NFL Draft. NFL TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL, 2nd-yr. pro; Clemson; Cartersville HS … combining the Jaguars’ 19-3 Thursday night win over the Jets with the Titans’ 19-14 loss to the Texans Christmas Eve, Lawrence and Jacksonville have moved into first place in the AFC South with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. The Jags and Tennessee are both 7-8 but Jacksonville currently holds the tie-breaker. In this past Thursday’s win over the Jets, Lawrence was 20-for-31 passing for 229 yards. He did not throw for a touchdown but did have a rushing touchdown in the second quarter by leaping over the pile and extending the football on a 1-yard keeper that gave Jacksonville the lead at 10-3. The Jaguars, trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017, play at Houston on New Year’s Day and close the regular season at home against Tennessee on January 8. COLLEGE FOOTBALL JORDAN FERGUSON — Middle Tennessee State University (R-Sr., Cartersville HS) … prepped and played football at Norcross and St. Francis Academy before transferring and graduating from Cartersville High School in 2017. A defensive lineman and sixth-year senior at Middle Tennessee, Ferguson was on this year’s watch list for the Lombardi and Bednarik Awards. In last Saturday night’s 25-23 Hawai’i Bowl win over San Diego State, he was named Capital One Player of the Game after recording a comprehensive stat line. Ferguson finished with five tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass breakup, one quarterback hurry, and one interception. He also got into the action on offense catching an eight-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter that narrowed the Blue Raiders’ deficit to 14-10 at the time. It was his third career touchdown and first on offense. He also had a fumble recovery return for a touchdown this season and recovered a punt block for a touchdown in 2021. Ferguson, who has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, had 68 total tackles this season and finished his career with 22 sacks — second most all-time for the Blue Raiders. MTSU finished the year with an 8-5 record. JaCOREY JOHNS — Wake Forest University (R-Jr., Cartersville HS) … the Deacons’ defensive end opted to not participate in the Gasparilla Bowl — a game won by Wake Forest last Friday night in Tampa, 27-17. Johns announced via social media over the weekend that he will forego next season and make himself eligible for this Spring’s NFL Draft. Johns played in 43 games at Wake Forest across four seasons. He made 131 total tackles including 21.5 for loss and 8.5 sacks. EVAN SLOCUM — Wake Forest University (So., Cartersville HS) … made two tackles including one for a one-yard loss in the Demon Deacons’ 27-17 Gasparilla Bowl win over Missouri last Friday night in Tampa. Slocum added a pair of pass breakups and briefly had a fumble recovery return for a touchdown until a replay review ruled the play an incomplete forward pass. He finished the 2022 season with 45 total tackles. Wake Forest finished the season with an 8-5 record. BRANDON WADE — University of West Florida (Grad Student, Cartersville HS) … made a pair of tackles in the Argonauts’ 38-17 loss at Ferris State on December 10 in the NCAA Division II National Semifinals. Wade completed the season with 25 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one quarterback hurry. UWF was 12-2 this season. MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER RUSSELL SHEALY — Los Angeles Galaxy (Major League Soccer, Syracuse, Cartersville native, Darlington HS)… after winning the 2022 NCAA Championship with Syracuse University, Shealy, 23, was drafted by the Galaxy. He spent three seasons with Syracuse tallying 16 shutouts in 43 games played, including 10 shutouts and a 0.73 goals-against average this season. Prior to transferring to Syracuse, Shealy spent two seasons at the University of Maryland and was a member of the Terrapin side that claimed the 2018 NCAA National Championship during his redshirt season. COLLEGE WRESTLING KYLE GOLLHOFER — University of Northern Iowa (So., Woodland HS) … all three of his 125-pound bouts but the 22nd-ranked Panthers defeated Lock Haven 35-3 and No. 3 Ohio State 19-13 last Monday in New Orleans at the Collegiate Duals before falling Tuesday to 7th-ranked North Carolina State, 27-12. Northern Iowa participates in the Soldier Salute Thursday and Friday in Coralville, Iowa. PRO BASKETBALL ASHTON HAGANS — Greensboro Swarm (NBA G-League; 3rd-year pro; Cartersville native; Kentucky; Newton HS) … scored nine points with seven rebounds, three steals, and one assist last Tuesday in a 108-91 loss to the Sioux Falls Skyforce at the NBA G-League Showcase at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Last Thursday, he scored two points, grabbed two rebounds, and added two assists in a 109-90 victory over the G-League Ignite at the Showcase. The Swarm (7-11) play the Long Island Nets Tuesday and Thursday night in Uniondale, New York before hosting the Capital City Go-Go New Year’s Eve afternoon in Greensboro. COLLEGE BASKETBALL BRAXTON BENHAM —Berry College (So., Cass HS) … was a starter and played 25 minutes but recorded no stat line and took only one shot last Monday in an 82-76 loss to Roanoke College. He then did not play in the Vikings’ 83-64 loss to Hampden Sydney College Tuesday. Both games were part of the Nashville Shootout played at Welch College. Berry (8-2) plays Piedmont and Emory Thursday and Friday in the Emory Classic in Atlanta. CLAIRE DAVIS — Palm Beach Atlantic University (Fr., Cass HS) … grabbed six rebounds, scored four points, and made one steal in a 72-71 Sailfish loss to visiting Texas A&M International last Monday. Palm Beach Atlantic (6-4, 2-2 Sunshine State Conference) returns to conference play Thursday at Tampa University and plays at home Sunday against Eckerd College. JAYLON PUGH — Lander University (Grad Student, Cartersville HS) … in his second start of the season, Pugh scored 12 points with one rebound and two assists last Monday as the Bearcats won at Southern Wesleyan, 88-78. Lander (8-2, 1-0 Peach Belt Conference) plays at Carson-Newman Saturday afternoon.

The Cass wrestling team placed fourth and Woodland was 40th Wednesday and Thursday at the 62-team 2022 Knockout Christmas Classic in Kissimmee, Florida. The tournament featured 578 wrestlers in 14 weight divisions with teams representing ten different states including 13 teams from Georgia. The event at Silver Spurs Arena also included nine different defending state championship teams from 2021-22 in their respective states and classifications. South Dade (Florida), the defending 3A champ in Florida, won the tournament with 206 points. Lake Gibson (Florida) was runner-up with 156.5 points. Jensen Beach, Florida’s 1A defending champs, placed third with 145 points while Cass, the Georgia defending Class 5A champs, followed with 140.5 points. Mill Creek (Georgia), Buford (Georgia), Osceola (Florida), Jefferson (Georgia), Palmetto Ridge (Florida), and Summit (Tennessee) rounded out the top ten teams in the final standings. The Colonels’ Jake Crapps (126-pounds) went 5-0 and won his weight class. Tyler McKnight (145) was also a finalist but lost his title match to go 5-1 in the tournament. Lee Camp (106) placed third for Cass going 5-1 in his division. Other top performances for Cass included Rowdy Duck (132, 5-2 in the tournament), Elijah Doolittle (152, 4-2), Kriecg Roe (160, 4-2), Zach McKnight (170, 4-2), and Parker Dunn (195, 5-2). Woodland had four competitors to win at least two bouts. Champ Higdon (220, 3-2), Kwadrus Wilson (285, 2-2), Nathan Cates (126, 2-2), and Paul Lanier (132, 2-2). Cass will host the Guerrilla Warfare Duals on Friday, December 30 starting at 8 a.m. Next on the Woodland schedule is the Region 7-5A Duals at Cartersville High School on January 7.