The Excel Christian Academy Boys defeated visiting Lyndon Academy 79-48 Tuesday night to keep their region record undefeated in GAPPS Region 1, I-AA. The Eagles grabbed a narrow 20-19 lead after one quarter and extended their advantage to 37-24 by halftime. Excel then outscored the Terriers 32-14 in the third quarter to take command and cruised to a 31-point win. Jakaden Barkley scored a game-high 21 points to lead four Eagles in double figures. Comari Nettles followed with 17 points. Jacob Taylor contributed 16 and Kyron McClendon added 15 points in the win. Ethan Hughes and Gavin Beatty led Lyndon Academy (8-4, 1-2) with 20 and 14 points, respectively. Excel (7-8, 3-0) plays at Unity Christian in Rome Thursday night in a 7:30 p.m. tip following the Lady Eagles game against the Lady Lions.

The Cass High basketball teams were swept by visiting Calhoun Tuesday night in both teams’ Region 7-5A openers. The Lady Colonels dropped a 67-55 decision to the Lady Jackets and the Cass boys lost 62-56. CALHOUN 67, CASS GIRLS 55 The visiting Lady Jackets led 32-27 at the intermission and were up 48-44 after three quarters Tuesday night at Cass before holding on for a 67-55 win to open Region 7-5A play. The Lady Jackets (12-3, 1-0) were led by Brityia Curtis with 24 points, Lauren Watson with 15, and Kat Atha with 13. Olivia Woods led Cass in scoring with 12 points. KK Evans finished with 10. Kiana McDaniel scored nine points with 11 rebounds and five assists. Darianna Sosa totaled eight. Mikaela Jackson contributed six points. Kaitlyn Godwin had four while Reese Howard and Nevaeh Woods added three points each. The Lady Colonels (12-3, 0-1) will look to bounce back Friday night at Cartersville in a 6 p.m. tip-off. CALHOUN 62, CASS 56 Calhoun’s preseason all-state forward Dylan Faulkner scored 31 points and gave the Colonels trouble down the stretch in a 62-56 Region 7-5A win Tuesday night at Cass. “That’s a good team,” said Cass coach Kevin Cunningham. “We struggled to keep Faulkner off the glass and most of his points came from rebounds and putbacks. We tried to make him work but he played really well. We will get back to the drawing board and get ready for Cartersville on Friday.” Cass and Calhoun were knotted at 14 each after the first quarter Tuesday with the Colonels taking a 25-23 at the intermission. The Yellow Jackets outscored Cass 17-15 in the third quarter to send the game into the fourth quarter tied at 40-40. In addition to Faulkner’s performance, Calhoun got 12 points from Jace Johns and 10 more by Landon Chattam. KJ Rogers led Cass with 16 points. Sacovie White followed with 11 and Devin Henderson added 10 for the Colonels. Calhoun improved to 8-6 overall and 1-0 in Region 7-5A. Cass (6-8, 0-1) plays at Cartersville Friday night.

The Woodland girls' and boys' basketball teams opened their Region 7-5A slates Tuesday night at home with losses to the girls' and boys' teams from Hiram. The Hornets beat the Wildcats 75-23 and the Lady Cats fell to the Lady Hornets 68-16. HIRAM 75, WOODLAND BOYS 23 The Class 5A 3rd-ranked Hiram Hornets raced to a 27-2 lead by the end of the first quarter and led 46-5 at halftime as they cruised past Woodland Tuesday night. Hiram led by 47 by the end of the third quarter and had four players reach double-digit scoring. Sekai Lockmart led Hiram with 16 points. Calvin Johnson finished with 13. Chase Tyler scored 12 and Walt Matthews added 11 for the Hornets (12-2, 1-0). Zyon Heath scored nine points for the Wildcats. Brelace Williams added eight. HIRAM 68, WOODLAND GIRLS 16 The Hiram Lady Hornets ranked No. 5 in Class 5A, built a big lead early, and were not threatened in a 68-16 Region 7-5A win Tuesday night at Woodland. Hiram led 33-9 by halftime and was up 56-11 by the end of the third period. Four Lady Hornets scored in double figures led by Hadiya Kennelly’s 18 points. Makiala Bullock scored 12 while Damariah Windman and Janaya Evans added 10 apiece for Hiram (13-2, 1-0) Reagan Weightman led the Woodland with eight points. Morgan Echols scored three points. The Lady Cats (2-13, 0-1) and the Wildcats return to action Friday at Calhoun. The girls' game is scheduled to tip at 6 p.m.

Former Cartersville High School quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, will help lead Jacksonville in their first NFL playoff game since 2017 following the Jaguars’ 20-16 win this past Saturday over the Tennessee Titans. It will be just the third playoff game for the Jags since 2008. This week’s report on college and pro athletes from Bartow County also includes action from the NBA G-League, the National Basketball League of Canada, college wrestling, and college basketball. NFL TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (2nd yr. pro; Clemson; Cartersville HS) … was 20-for-32 passing last Saturday night for 212 yards and one touchdown as Jacksonville upended visiting Tennessee 20-16. The Jaguars’ victory secured the AFC South Division title and a No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs. Jacksonville’s first score was a 25-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to Christian Kirk with 2:36 remaining in the second quarter narrowing the Titans’ early lead to 10-7. Jacksonville’s other true scoring drive was 64 yards on 12 plays early in the third quarter that settled for a Riley Patterson 26-yard field goal. The Jags’ fourth quarter scores were created by their defense. Tyson Campbell returned an interception to the Tennessee 25-yard line and Jacksonville failed to pick up a first down. They settled for another Patterson field goal to narrow their deficit to 16-13 just 11 seconds into the final period. The go-ahead touchdown for Jacksonville was a Josh Allen 37-yard fumble return for a touchdown with 2:51 left in the game. Jacksonville (9-8) will host the Los Angeles Chargers Saturday night in the Jags’ first playoff game since 2017 and just the third playoff appearance since 2008. MANNY JONES — Arizona Cardinals (Rookie; Colorado State; Woodland HS) … made three tackles Sunday in the Cardinals’ season-ending 38-13 loss at the San Francisco 49ers. The 23-year-old defensive tackle appeared in four games during the year and finished his rookie season with five total tackles. Arizona finished with a 4-13 mark. PRO BASKETBALL ASHTON HAGANS — Greensboro Swarm (3rd yr. pro; NBA G-League; Cartersville native; Kentucky; Newton HS) … totaled nine points, four assists, one rebound, and two steals in games last Friday and Sunday at the Delaware Blue Coats. Greensboro won 118-113 Friday night but lost 121-117 Sunday. The Swarm plays at the Westchester Knicks Tuesday night and at the Lakeland Magic Friday and Saturday nights. A.J. MOSBY — Sudbury Five (6th-year pro; NBL-Canada; Alcorn State; Cartersville HS) … started the first two games of the 2023 season for the Five last Saturday and Sunday as Sudbury swept two home games over the Oakland County Pharoahs. Mosby scored 16 points with six assists and one rebound in Saturday’s 122-96 win. He then scored 15 points with four rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals in a 125-119 victory Sunday. Sudbury (2-0) hosts Windsor Express this Saturday night in their next game. COLLEGE WRESTLING BANDA, ANGEL — Reinhardt University (Jr., Adairsville HS) … went 4-1 in his bouts as the Eagles’ finished 3-2 and placed seventh at the NAIA NWCA National Duals this past weekend. Banda had a pinfall win over his opponent from Indiana Tech although the Eagles lost the dual. He had a technical fall win in a team win over Ottawa University, a major decision win in the seventh-place match, and a win in the opening round over his Lindsey Wilson College opponent. His loss was by pin as the Eagles were blanked by Grand View (Iowa) University. KYLE GOLLHOFER — University of Northern Iowa (R-So., Woodland HS) … won his bout 6-3 as UNI defeated Wyoming 33-3 last Thursday night at home. Sunday in a 24-12 loss to 10th-ranked Missouri, Gollhofer lost his bout by technical fall to Nick Surtin who is ranked 13th nationally in the 125-pound division. Northern Iowa travels to Orem this Friday to wrestle at Utah Valley University. CALEB HENSON — Virginia Tech (Fr., Woodland HS) … Henson, the 11th-ranked individual in the NCAA’s 149-pound division lost a 6-2 decision last Friday night to nationally top-ranked Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell in the 8th-ranked Hokies’ 22-12 home loss to the 12th-ranked Big Red. He bounced back Sunday with a pinfall win as Virginia Tech beat George Mason 34-3. The Hokies also defeated American University Sunday evening, 35-9. Next for Virginia Tech is a match at Appalachian State this Friday. BRYCE KRESHO — Franklin & Morris College (Fr., Cass HS) … finished 2-2 in his 149-pound bouts last Friday as the Diplomats hosted the F&M Lehman Open. He beat opponents from Millersville and American University. His losses came to an opponent from Princeton and Matt Laurie of Sacred Heart who is ranked 11th nationally. Next for Franklin & Morris is a home match with Drexel on Saturday. JABRIL WILLIAMS — Midway University (So., Cartersville HS) … lost his 165-pound bout but the Eagles defeated St. Andrews University 45-12 last Saturday. Midway also had a 23-22 loss at Montreat University Saturday. The Eagles return to action this Saturday at the Central Baptist College (Arkansas) Invitational. COLLEGE BASKETBALL CLAIRE DAVIS — Palm Beach Atlantic University (Fr., Cass HS) … made her first collegiate start in a home game Saturday against Florida Tech and led the Sailfish in scoring with 18 points. Davis also had four rebounds, two blocked shots, one assist, and one steal in a 70-65 win. Last Wednesday, she scored five points with two boards and one blocked shot during a 73-53 loss at Lynn University. Palm Beach Atlantic (8-6, 4-4 Sunshine State Conference) hosts Embry-Riddle Saturday afternoon. JUSTICE HAYES — Point University (So., Cass HS) … a starting guard for the Skyhawks, Hayes scored 10 points, grabbed three rebounds, and had one assist last Tuesday in a 69-59 win at Bluefield (Virginia) University. He then posted five points with four assists and three rebounds Saturday in an 81-69 home victory over Milligan (Tennessee) University. Point (10-7, 10-4 Appalachian Athletic Conference) plays an exhibition at NCAA D-II West Georgia Wednesday night and returns to conference play Saturday at Montreat (North Carolina) University. DiANTHONY HEATHCOCK — Columbia International University (Jr., Woodland HS) … the Rams’ starting forward averaged 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one blocked shot in three wins last week over Truett-McConnell (109-74), at Kentucky Christian (90-85), and at home over Montreat (89-88). CIU (8-7, 7-5 Appalachian Athletic Conference) travels to Dayton, Tennessee Saturday to play at Bryan College. T.J. HORTON — Georgia Highlands CC (So., Cartersville HS) … finished with eight points, three steals, and one rebound last Tuesday in the Chargers’ 114-42 home win over Action Sports Academy. Georgia Highlands (6-8) starts GCAA conference play Thursday night at Central Georgia Tech CC in Macon. HALEY JOHNSON — Central Georgia Tech CC (Fr., Cass HS) … scored two points with three rebounds, three steals, and one assist in a Titans’ 78-64 loss to Middle Georgia Prep last Thursday at home. CGTCC (5-12, 1-5 GCAA) hosts Brenau University JV this Thursday evening. KEARA McDANIEL — Toccoa Falls College (Fr., Cass HS) … did not score but had three assists in limited playing time as the Screaming Eagles won at Mississippi University for Women last Saturday afternoon, 75-39. Toccoa Falls (9-4) hosts Mississippi University for Women Saturday evening. JAYLON PUGH — Lander University (Grad student, Cartersville HS) … did not score but had one rebound last Thursday in an 83-70 home loss to USC-Aiken. Then in a 76-75 home win Saturday over the 22nd-ranked University of North Georgia, he added three more rebounds. The Bearcats (10-3, 2-1 Peach Belt Conference) play at Augusta University Wednesday night and at Clayton State Saturday afternoon. ABIGAIL TAYLOR — Centre College (Fr., Woodland HS) … scored two points off the Lady Colonels’ bench Sunday in a 77-48 home win over Hendrix College. Centre also had a 70-62 home victory during the week over Rhodes College. The Colonels (9-5, 3-0 Southern Athletic Association) play at Oglethorpe University Friday night and at Berry College Sunday afternoon in a trip to Georgia. LONDAISHA SMITH — Alderson Broaddus University (So., Cass HS) … scored eight points with three rebounds, two steals, and one blocked shot last Wednesday in an 84-72 loss at Fairmont State. She then scored seven points, grabbed five rebounds, and had two steals and two blocked shots in a 94-81 home loss Saturday to Frostburg State. The Battlers (4-9, 3-5 Mountain East Conference) host the University of Charleston (West Virginia) Wednesday night and travel to West Virginia State Saturday. NAKIYAH WASHINGTON — Piedmont University (Sr., Adairsville HS) … led the Lions last Friday with 24 points, 13 rebounds, three steals, and a pair of assists in a 68-59 win at Huntingdon College. Last Saturday Washington scored 11 points, grabbed seven boards, and added two steals in a 76-40 victory at Agnes Scott College. Piedmont (7-5, 3-0 Collegiate Conference of the South) plays conference games this Saturday at Maryville (Tennessee) College and Sunday at Berea College (Kentucky).

The Cass Colonels’ wrestling team defeated Calhoun 47-3 and Woodland 52-23 Saturday at Cartersville High School to wrap up the 2022-23 Region 7-5A Duals Championship. The region title means the Colonels will host a GHSA State Sectional Dual next Saturday. As a No. 1 seed, Cass will face Northgate, the No. 4 seed from Region 3 in the first round. The other first-round match will be Kell against Ware County. Kell is the No. 3 seed from Region 6-5A. Ware County is the No. 2 seed from Region 1-5A. Those two first round winners will then square off with the winner advancing to the Class 5A Elite Eight at Jones County High School on January 21. In Saturday’s region semifinal win over Calhoun, the Colonels lost only one bout and limited it to a minor decision. Meanwhile, Lee Camp (106), Rowdy Duck (132), Eli Doolittle (150), and Kriecg Roe (157) all won by pin falls and Tanner Toups (138) won by technical fall. All of the other scoring bouts were Calhoun forfeits to Cass at 113, 126, and 144-pounds. Since Cass had locked up the victory at that point, the 165-pound weight class through the 285-pound division bouts were double forfeits and not completed. In the region championship match against Woodland, Cass opened with four straight wins and then won six of the last ten bouts to secure a 52-23 victory. Weight Cass 52 Woodland 23 113 Hunter Barrett tech fall win over Aiden Buchanan 120 Ethan Harrington by pinfall over Noah Cates 126 Jake Crapps by pin over Nathan Cates 132 Rowdy Duck minor decision win over Paul Lanier 138 Tanner Toups lost by tech fall to Hayden Santora 144 Tyler McKnight by pin over Zachary Wallace 150 Eli Doolittle by tech fall over Christian Cothran 157 Kriecg Roe by tech fall over Jovante Luke 165 Zach McKnight by tech fall over Heath Tatum 175 Michael Cameron lost by pinfall to Melvin Ramos 190 Parker Dunn by tech fall over Owen Jones 215 Kevin Henderson lost by pinfall to Champ Higdon 285 Cass forfeited to Kwadrus Wilson 106 Lee Camp by pinfall over Amari Kinnamore As the Region 7-5A runner-up, Woodland will travel to Greenbrier next week to face the Northside-Columbus. Greenbrier will square off with Centennial in the other first-round match at that location. Winners from each of the eight preliminary sites (first/second rounds) will advance to the Class AAAAA Elite Eight at Jones County High School on January 21. CARTERSVILLE ADVANCES The Cartersville wrestling team also advanced as one of the top four teams from Saturday’s Area 7-5A Duals Championship placing fourth. The Canes defeated Hiram 54-24 but lost to eventual runner-up Woodland in the semifinals, 65-14. In the consolation round, Cartersville beat Dalton 43-22 and lost to Calhoun 39-37 in the match for third place. Montgomery Tompkins (144), Grant Adams (120), and Eaiden Neal (126) both finished 3-0 for the day in their respective bouts. Talan Nix (138) and Jackson Latimer (150) were both 3-1. Malachi Dewberry (113) won two of three bouts. Julian Cline (106, 1-2), Grey Williams (132, 1-3), and Delroy Hurst (285, 1-3) added one win each for the Purple Hurricanes. As the No. 4 seed from Region 7-5A, Cartersville will travel to Harris County Saturday to take on the host school in the first round of the state sectionals. The other first-round match at that location will be Coffee against Chattahoochee. The winning team from the Harris County first/second round site will advance to the Class AAAAA Elite Eight at Jones County High School on January 21. ADAIRSVILLE EARNS RUNNER-UP FINISH AT AREA 5-AAA At the Area 5-3A Duals Championship at Bremen High School, the Adairsville Tigers finished runner-up to the host Blue Devils. Douglas-Atlanta placed third. Adairsville coach Spencer Jones credited Hayden Blalock and Jamari Speights with top performances for the Tigers. Adairsville advances to a state sectional first-round match against Dougherty at Pike County next Saturday. Pike, the Area 2 champions will square off in the first round with White County. The winners of those two first-round matches will square off with the survivor advancing to the Class AAA Elite Eight State Championship on January 21 at Stephens County High School.

The Adairsville High School swim team won the 2022-23 Bartow County Swim Championship Saturday at the Adairsville High School pool. Adairsville finished with 337 points followed by Woodland (256), Cass (173), and Cartersville (136) in the final standings. Complete results by event:

The Cartersville girls and boys basketball teams earned road wins Saturday evening and kept both Cedartown teams winless on the season. The Lady Canes eased to a 77-24 win in the opener and the Hurricanes evened their season mark for the year with a 64-46 victory over the Bulldogs. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 77, CEDARTOWN 24 Four Lady Canes reached double-figure scoring Saturday as the Lady Canes won at Cedartown 77-24 in a final tune-up heading into region play next week. Cartersville led 27-4 by the end of the first quarter and was never threatened. The Lady Canes were up 43-17 at the intermission and 70-23 by the end of the third quarter. Ansley Griffin led the way with 19 points. Jakayah Draughn followed with 17. Senai Camper finished with 12 points and KK Arnold tossed in 11 for Cartersville. Miley Joe Williams and Campbell Rogers scored four points each for the Lady Canes. Layne Callan pitched in with three. Jakya Garnigan, Kyjah Miller, and Nayel Campbell contributed two points each and Taff Bradley added one for Cartersville. Maryn Barrow led the Lady Bulldogs (0-10) with 14 points. The Lady Canes improved to 8-3 and will host Dalton in their Region 7-5A opener Tuesday night at the Storm Center at 6 p.m. CARTERSVILLE BOYS 64, CEDARTOWN 46 The Purple Hurricanes clamped down on defense and limited host Cedartown to only three points in the second quarter Saturday evening on their way to a 64-46 non-region win. The victory evened the Hurricanes’ season record at 6-6 as they move into Region 7-5A play next week. The Canes led the Bulldogs 16-10 after one quarter before building a 35-13 lead heading into the halftime intermission. The Canes led 46-29 through three quarters. Kaden Baldwin led Cartersville with 14 points. Sam Wiedetz and Romo Pace followed with nine apiece. Monte Tolbert scored eight. DJ Cain contributed seven. Jaylen Scott, Jamauri Brice, and Parnel Gamble finished with four points each. Collin Fletcher and Tyron Milner added three and two points, respectively. DJ Whatley led Cedartown with 13 points. Chris Shooks scored 12 for the Bulldogs (0-10). Cartersville (6-6) entertains Dalton Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Storm Center.

The Woodland girls and boys basketball teams both lost at home Saturday afternoon in their final tune-up games prior to the beginning of Region 7-5A play next week. In matchups with East Paulding, the Woodland boys lost 68-38 and the Lady Cats fell 51-21. EAST PAULDING 68, WOODLAND BOYS 38 The Woodland boys fell behind early and never caught up in a 68-38 home loss Saturday to the East Paulding Raiders. East Paulding led 15-3 after one quarter; 36-11 at halftime; and 49-20 through three quarters in their 30-point non-region win. Carter Pengelly scored 17 points in the Raiders’ victory as they improved to 9-4. For the Woodland boys, it was their sixth loss in a row and their twelfth loss in their last thirteen outings. Isaiah Livsey led the Wildcats’ scoring with 19 points. Bryson Van Tonder scored six. Evan Womack pitched in five points. Zyon Heath and David Byars finished with three each. Amir Heath added two points for Woodland. The Wildcats (2-13) begin Region 7-5A action Tuesday at home against 4th-ranked Hiram. EAST PAULDING 51, WOODLAND GIRLS 21 The Woodland girls managed only two points in the first half Saturday and trailed 28-2 at the intermission in a 51-21 home loss to East Paulding. McKayla Mann led the visiting Lady Raiders with 13 points. Bailee Motes led Woodland with six points. Morgan Echols scored five. Libby Morgan and Megan Schultz finished with four points apiece. Abby George added two for the Lady Cats. East Paulding improved to 5-9. The loss for the Woodland girls was their sixth straight and they have fallen in 10 of their last 11 heading into Region 7-5A play. The Lady Cats (2-12) will host 5th-ranked Hiram Tuesday in a 6 p.m. tip.

With just over three minutes remaining Friday night at Christian Heritage, the Excel Christian Academy boys were within four points of the Lions at 69-65. Over those final three minutes, however, Christian Heritage outscored ECA 10-1 for an eventual 13-point win. Excel stayed close most of the night. The Eagles led much of the first quarter before the Lions tied the score at 17-17 by the end of the opening eight minutes. Christian Heritage led 35-25 at halftime and held a 57-49 advantage after three quarters. The Eagles made a nice charge in the first five minutes of the final period before the unbeaten Lions pulled away down the stretch. Jax Abernathy led Christian Heritage with 45 points. Cash Hare added 13 for the Lions (12-0). Kyron McClendon led Excel with 22 points. Jacob Taylor followed with 20. Jakaden Barkley scored 15 points, David Jinks and Comari Nettles added five and four points, respectively. Excel Christian (6-8) hosts Lyndon Academy of Woodstock Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.

The Adairsville Tigers and Lady Tigers battled through a pair of close contests Friday night at Region 6-AAA foe LaFayette with the Adairsville boys winning 63-60 and the Adairsville girls falling in overtime, 56-54. The Tigers led 32-30 at halftime and came through down the stretch to hold off the Ramblers. Xavious Nalls led the Tigers with 19 points. Zach Postell scored 15. Ben Abernathy chipped in with 11 as the Tigers placed three players in double-figures. Jamarian Pullum and Tay Jackson scored seven each. Tamarius Wilkey and Zach Weaver chipped in with two each. Jaden Morris led LaFayette with 21 points. Zach Barrett scored 14 for the Ramblers. The Adairsville boys improved to 10-6 overall and 5-0 in Region 6-AAA. LaFayette dropped to 6-5 overall and 3-2 in the region. In the Lady Tigers’ loss, both teams went to the extra four-minute session tied at 48-all before the Lady Ramblers won by two points. Adairsville had three players reach double figures. Naxyria Roberts led with 15 points. Darby Adams and Analee Morris followed with 14 points each. Addie Pearson contributed four points. Alissa Winters finished with three. Megan Gregory and Aliya McBryde added two points each. The Lady Ramblers evened their season mark at 5-5 and are 2-3 in Region 6-AAA. The Adairsville girls slipped to 8-6 overall and 4-1 in region play. The Adairsville teams host Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe Tuesday with the girls’ tip-off at 6 p.m.

In non-region games rescheduled after Tuesday evening's tornado watch, the Adairsville girls' and boys' basketball teams lost Wednesday night at Sonoraville. The Lady Tigers (8-5) lost 56-17 to the Lady Phoenix while the Adairsville boys (9-6) dropped a 69-64 decision. No game details were reported. The Adairsville squads return to action at LaFayette Friday with the girls' game scheduled to tip at 7 p.m.

The holidays slowed down much of the schedule this past week for our college and pro athletes from Bartow County, but we still have updates on four professional athletes and seven at the collegiate level as we move into 2023. NFL TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (2nd yr. pro; Clemson; Cartersville HS) … finished 17-for-21 passing for 152 yards but no touchdowns in an easy 31-3 win for the Jaguars last Sunday at the Houston Texans. Jacksonville led 28-0 early in the third quarter and was never really threatened. Now the 23-year-old quarterback leads the Jaguars into a Week 18 showdown with the Tennessee Titans (7-9) for the AFC South division title. The loser will miss the playoffs while the winner will secure the division championship and a No. 4 seed in the AFC playoff bracket. Jacksonville (8-8) hosts the Titans Saturday night at 8:15 p.m. MANNY JONES — (Rookie; Colorado State; Woodland HS) … saw action on the Cardinals’ defensive line last Sunday in a 20-19 loss at the Atlanta Falcons. Two weeks prior at Denver, he had a pair of assisted tackles in a 24-15 loss. Arizona (4-12) has lost six straight and completes the regular season Sunday at the San Francisco 49ers. XFL VIC BEASLEY — Vegas Vipers (XFL, 8th-year pro; Clemson; Adairsville HS) … the 30-year-old was selected in the first round of Phase 4 of the XFL Draft by the Vipers back in mid-November. The Spring, eight-team league divided its draft into phases by position. Phase 4 included linebackers, edge rushers, defensive ends, and defensive tackles. Beasley is one of 285 players selected who have been previously signed to an active NFL roster. The league launched in 2020 but was shut down after five weeks due to the Covid pandemic. The professional league returns in February 2023 with games broadcast by ESPN, ABC, and FX. 17-year NFL veteran player and 11-time Pro Bowl selection, Rod Woodson, is the head coach of the Vipers. Training camps begin January 8. The season opens on February 15. Beasley was selected with the No. 8 overall pick in 2015 and led the NFL in sacks in 2016. PRO BASKETBALL ASHTON HAGANS — Greensboro Swarm ((NBA G-League; 3rd-year pro; Cartersville native; Kentucky; Newton HS) … totaled 23 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, four steals, and one blocked shot in three losses last week. The Swarm fell twice in Uniondale, NY to the Long Island Nets and lost at home Saturday to the Capital City Go-Go. With the Showcase portion of the schedule completed, Greensboro starts the regular season 0-3 and will try to bounce back this Friday and Sunday in Wilmington against the Delaware Blue Coats. A.J. MOSBY — Sudbury Five (National Basketball League of Canada; 6th-year pro; Alcorn State; Cartersville HS) … Mosby, who was GCAA Freshman of the Year at Chattahoochee Tech, played professionally in the Republic of Georgia, played for the North Arizona Sun Kings and Erie Bay Hawks of the NBA G League, and last year played for the Albany Patroons of The Basketball League, will continue his well-traveled career in the NBL-Canada. The Five open the 2023 schedule Saturday night at home against the Oakland County Pharaohs. COLLEGE FOOTBALL JONATHAN CRUZ — University of Mississippi (R-Sr., Cartersville HS) … kicked off five times with one kick for a touchback and made one of two PAT attempts last Wednesday in a 42-25 loss to Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl. Cruz, who has declared eligibility for the NFL Draft, was 15-for-17 on field goals in 2022 including a long kick of 53 yards. He also made 48-of-49 PAT kicks this season as the Rebels finished 8-5. Cruz kicked previously at Charlotte where he is the school-record holder in career field goals and made five kicks of 50+ yards including three 56-yarders. JONAH GAMBILL — University of Memphis (R-So., Cartersville HS) … was a starter on the Tigers’ offensive line that helped produce 430 total yards (284 passing/146 rushing) in a 38-10 win over Utah State in the Dallas, Texas First Responder Bowl. Gambill appeared in 11 games this season on the Tigers’ offensive line. Memphis finished the season with a 7-6 record. COLLEGE BASKETBALL CLAIRE DAVIS — Palm Beach Atlantic University (Fr., Cass HS) … scored 10 points and had five rebounds, three blocked shots, one steal, and one assist in an 81-57 Sailfish loss at home New Year’s Day to conference-foe Eckerd College. PBA also picked up a 79-76 overtime win over 6th-ranked Tampa last Thursday, but Davis did not participate. The Sailfish (7-5, 3-3 Sunshine State Conference) have a road conference game Wednesday at Lynn University and host Florida Tech Saturday afternoon. JUSTICE HAYES — Point University (So., Cass HS) … a starter for the Skyhawks, Hayes scored nine points with one rebound and one assist in Point’s 96-71 loss last Friday at Freed-Hardeman University. Hayes has started 10 and played in 15 games this season averaging 8 points, one rebound, one steal, and one assist. The Skyhawks (8-7, 8-4 Appalachian Athletic Conference) play at Bluefield State (Virginia) Tuesday and host Milligan University Saturday. T.J. HORTON — Georgia Highlands CC (So., Cartersville HS) … scored 11 points with seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals last Friday in a 79-74 Chargers win at Gulf Coast State CC. Saturday he scored eight points with four boards, four assists, and two steals in a 91-81 loss to Northwest Florida State CC. That game was also played at Gulf Coast. GHC (5-8) plays Action Sports Academy Tuesday night before opening conference play on January 12 at Central Georgia Tech CC. JAYLON PUGH — Lander University (Grad student, Cartersville HS) … came off the Bearcats’ bench last Saturday to score nine points in just 14 minutes of playing time. He also had one steal and one assist as Lander won at Carson-Newman, 94-85. Lander (9-2, 1-0 Peach Belt Conference) hosts conference games Wednesday against USC-Aiken and Saturday against the University of North Georgia. ABIGAIL TAYLOR — Centre College (Fr., Woodland HS) … in a pair of losses last Thursday and Friday in Lexington, Kentucky at the Transy Classic, Taylor saw limited minutes and failed to score but did grab a pair of rebounds Thursday in a loss to Berea College. The Colonels also fell to Wisconsin Lutheran College on Friday. Centre (7-5) hosts Rhodes College this Friday and Hendrix College Sunday. NAKIYAH WASHINGTON — Piedmont University (Sr., Adairsville HS) … playing last Thursday and Friday at the Mary Hardin-Baylor Classic in Belton, Texas, Washington totaled 39 points, 13 rebounds, two steals, two assists, and one blocked shot in a pair of losses. The Lions fell to host Mary Hardin-Baylor 83-45 and East Texas Baptist University 76-62. Piedmont (5-5, 1-0 Collegiate Conference of the South) plays at Huntingdon College Friday and Agnes Scott College in Decatur Saturday afternoon.