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June 26, 2025 The Bartow County 8U Coach Pitch Softball team is the 2025 GRPA State Runner-Up. Front row (L-R): Josie Bennett, Lollie Jarrett, Erin Miller, Brooklyn Akins, Kaylani Watkins, Zeplyn Mulkey. Second row (L-R): Annabelle Prouty, Sophia Amyx, Cora Kaylor, Ara Bohannon, Coco Minnick. Coaches (L-R): Joe Bennett, Matthew Kaylor, Holly Kaylor, and Derrick Mulkey. The Bartow County 8U Coach Pitch Softball team finished as state runner-up on Thursday at the 2025 Georgia Recreation and Parks Association Class A/B Tournament at Westside Park in Whitfield County. Bartow 8U qualified for the state tournament as the District 5 runner-up to Summerville, and fell to the same opponent in the state championship round. Bartow went 4-2 at the state tournament and had wins over Jackson County (19-11), Carroll County (15-3), Jackson County (25-13), and Whitfield County (12-11) en route to the finals.  The two Bartow losses were to Whitfield County (9-7) in the second round and Summerville (26-0) in the championship game.

June 26, 2025 Bartow County 10U Softball placed fourth at the GRPA State Tournament. Team members include: Olivia Caverly, Amberly Cowart, Cambell Davis, Leah Eubank, Everleigh Gulledge, Charley Hicks, Brinleigh Howerton, Elliana Lonberg, Armauni Palacios, Rylei Pittman, Adalynn Reynolds, and Jenna Rose. Head Coach: Austin Pittman. Assistant coaches: Chris Davis and Rob White. The Bartow County 10U Live Arm Softball team finished fourth at the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association state tournament. The Bartow team went 2-2 in four games in the state tournament played at West Jackson Park in Hoschton. Bartow 10U defeated host and District 7 champion Jackson County 10-5 in the opening round, but was sent to the elimination bracket in the second round after an 11-6 loss to Effingham County. The local team won its first elimination over Bremen 13-9, but lost a rematch with Jackson County on Wednesday night, 13-6. Everleigh Gulledge was Bartow’s top pitcher and tossed a six-inning complete game with 15 strikeouts in the first game against Jackson County. Across the four games of the tournament, Gulledge worked 18 innings in the circle and recorded 29 strikeouts. Elliana Lonberg struck out three in two innings in the circle. Campbell Davis was 3-for-3 in Bartow’s first-round victory. Charley Jo Hicks, Leah Eubank (double), and Adalynn Reynolds added two hits. Hicks finished with two of her team’s four hits in the loss to Effingham County. Against Bremen, Reynolds was 2-for-3 with four RBI, while Davis went 2-for-2. Armauni Palacios added one hit with two RBI in the win. Reynolds, Eubank (RBI), and Davis finished with two hits in Bartow’s loss to Jackson County. Lonberg (RBI), Jenna Rose (two RBI), and Hicks added one hit. Amberly Cowart drove in one run.

June 25, 2025 Excel Christian Academy Head of School, Rodney Stewart, announced this past weekend that the school will delay their start for fielding a high school football program until the 2026-27 school year. ECA had initially planned to start playing nine-man football in August as part of the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools (GAPPS); however, the challenges of launching a completely new program forced school officials to reconsider. “It is mostly a question of logistics,” stated Stewart. “Getting everything together in such a short amount of time was more challenging than we expected. We decided to start with more planning and organization.” Veteran head coach Marty Durden was hired in the Spring to lead the Eagles and will remain on staff with Excel as the preparations continue. “Coach Durden is in this with us for the long haul,” added Stewart. “He recently moved into the community and will continue teaching at Shorter University. His schedule is flexible enough to devote the right energy to the development of our program. We’re a little disappointed that we couldn’t get things going this year, but this plan will be better overall in the long run.” “Our overall enrollment numbers are up for the first time since Covid, so we believe this is a great time to enhance our athletic offerings,” he added. Durden noted the additional planning time was a necessity. “We are starting from scratch. That means building an inventory of equipment, a weight room, and having a proper practice facility are essential. We will get all that organized better with this additional time. We have good athletes and excellent support, so we want to get this right.  The new head coach also indicated they will begin team development this Fall. “We will be touching base with the athletes and organizing some practices. We must begin building a trust relationship, and the kids get to know me. I’m thrilled to be involved with Excel and looking forward to what we can accomplish.”

June 24, 2025 Cartersville 12U will represent District 1 in the 2025 Georgia Little League State Tournament. Team members include: Hayes Burris, Messiah Carter, Grayson Dean, Sawyer Ezell, Gavin Hamm, Carter Harris, Emory Harris, Micah Mitcham, Connor Murphy, Harris Pressley, Hayden Stewart, and Sawyer White. Cartersville Little League 12U won the 2025 Georgia District 1 championship Tuesday night with an 8-2 win over Bartow County Little League 12U on Rudy York Field at Hicks Park. Cartersville went 3-0 in the double-elimination tournament that began last Saturday and handed Bartow its losses. In Tuesday’s championship game, Cartersville broke open a one-run game by scoring six times in the top of the fourth inning. Bartow answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, but got no closer. Harris Pressley pitched all six innings for Cartersville in the finals, scattering three hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. Cartersville received top pitching performances from Messiah Carter and Hayden Stewart in their first two district tournament wins.   Carter closed out a 5-4 Sunday victory over Bartow by retiring the final seven outs. He did not allow a hit and fanned four. Stewart struck out all four batters he faced last Saturday in a 15-0 blanking of Cedartown. Pressley started the Cedartown game on the bump and struck out five as the two combined for a three-inning no-hitter.  Grayson Dean and Emory Harris homered for Cartersville in Tuesday’s championship game. The duo drove in six of their team’s eight runs. Pressley (home run, five RBI), Harris (home run, double, four RBI), and Sawyer Ezell (double, two RBI) led the Cartersville offensive attack during the tournament with four hits each. Dean (home run, double, five RBI) and Hayes Burris (double, RBI) finished the tournament with three hits. Micah Mitcham (double, RBI), Gavin Hamm, Connor Murphy, and Carter (double) contributed two hits. Sawyer White (RBI) had one hit and Stewart added two RBI. Bartow County 12U finished the tournament with a 2-2 record and was the District 1 runner-up. Brantley Collum earned a three-inning pitching win over Rockmart in a 17-2 opening round victory. He recorded five strikeouts. Four Bartow pitchers — Aerion Stein, Mason Benitez, Isaiah Flores, and Noah Rutland — combined for five strikeouts Monday in a 15-3 elimination game win over Rockmart. Bartow’s Kellen Rogers and Greyson Akins pitched one scoreless inning each last Sunday in a 5-4 loss to Cartersville, while Stein yielded only one hit and no runs in 2-⅓ innings of his team’s loss in the finals. In their four-game tournament run, Stein (three home runs, five RBI), Benitez (home run, four RBI), and Christian Boatfield (three doubles, six RBI) paced the Bartow offense with four hits each. Flores finished with three hits and four RBI. Breylan Combs (two home runs, four RBI), Tallan Bradley (two RBI), Greyson Akins (home run, two RBI), Maddox Cole (double, two RBI), and Rutland (double, three RBI) contributed two hits each. Ryder Myers (RBI) and Collum (RBI) added one hit. As District 1 champion, Cartersville 12U advances to the 2025 Georgia Little League State Tournament, which begins July 12 at Vine Ingle Little League in Macon. Bartow County Little League 12U finished as runner-up in Georgia District 1. Team members include: Greyson Akins, Mason Benitez, Christian Boatfield, Tallan Bradley, Maddox Cole, Brantley Collum, Breylan Combs, Isaiah Flores, Jon Ryder Myers, Kellen Rogers, Noah Rutland, and Aerion Stein. Manager: Scott Brady. Coaches: John Myers, Thomas Akins, and Curtis Stein.

June 23, 2025 The Bartow County Little League 12U tournament team eliminated Rockmart Little League on Monday night at Rudy York Field with a 15-3 win. The win by Bartow moves them into the championship round of the double-elimination District 1 tournament against unbeaten Cartersville Little League 12U. Cartersville 12U defeated Cedartown in the first round on Saturday and sent Bartow to the loser’s bracket on Sunday with a 5-4 win. Bartow has two tournament wins over Rockmart. Bartow needs two wins on Tuesday to claim the district championship. Cartersville only needs one win. The first game is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Rudy York Field at Hicks Park. The District 1 champion advances to the Georgia Little League state tournament that begins July 12 at Vine Ingle Little League in Macon.

June 23, 2025 Former Cartersville High Purple Hurricanes Mason Barnett and Logan Martin earned pitching victories in starts last week for their teams. At the same time, fellow Cartersville grad Anthony Seigler celebrated a birthday and reached base safely in four of the five games he played. Mason Barnett MASON BARNETT — Las Vegas Aviators (Oakland A’s Triple-A affiliate; 4th-year pro; Auburn; Cartersville HS) … made a five-inning start and earned his fifth pitching victory of the season last Friday in a 4-1 win at the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Barnett, 24, allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks. He fanned three, facing 22 batters. His season record improved to 5-1 in 15 starts. The Aviators were 5-2 last week at Sugar Land and host the Albuquerque Isotopes in a six-game series this week. Las Vegas began the week with a 49-26 record and has an 11-game lead over the Tacoma Rainiers in the Pacific Coast League West. Logan Martin LOGAN MARTIN — Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals High-Class A affiliate; 3rd-year pro; Kentucky; Cartersville HS) … collected his sixth pitching win of the season last Friday with a five-inning start in an eventual 8-2 home victory over the Lansing Lugnuts. Martin, 23, allowed one earned run on two hits with no walks. He hit two batters with a pitch and struck out three. In just over 58 innings pitched this season, the former 12th-round pick is now 6-3 in 13 starts and has 48 strikeouts. Quad Cities was 3-3 last week against Lansing and finished second (39-27) in the Midwest League West Division first-half standings. The River Bandits missed a postseason playoff berth by one game in the first half. Quad Cities (2-1 second-half) has a six-game series at the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers this week. Anthony Seigler ANTHONY SEIGLER — Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers Triple-A affiliate; 8th-year pro; Cartersville HS) … appeared in five home games last week against the Iowa Cubs and was 3-for-18 at the plate, including three walks, one sacrifice fly, four runs scored, and four RBI. Seigler, who just turned 26, also stole two bases. The Sounds went 4-2 last week against Iowa and remain in first place in the International League West. Entering this week, Nashville (44-29) held a 2-½ game lead in the division over the Indianapolis Indians. The Sounds have a six-game series this week at overall league-leading Jacksonville.

June 22, 2025 The Cartersville Little League 12U baseball tournament team hosted and won its first two games of the Georgia District 1 tournament on Saturday and Sunday. Cartersville routed Cedartown Little League on Saturday afternoon, 15-0, in three innings and outlasted Bartow County Little League on Sunday for a 5-4 victory.  The two wins put Cartersville 12U in the championship round on Tuesday night at Rudy York Field in Hicks Park. Cartersville needs one win in two potential games on Tuesday to capture the title. Bartow County 12U cruised to a 17-2 opening round win in three innings on Saturday morning over Rockmart, before dropping Sunday’s one-run decision. Bartow will play Rockmart again on Monday night in an elimination game at Rudy York Field. Rockmart won an elimination game with Cedartown on Sunday afternoon, 16-4. The Bartow/Rockmart survivor will need two wins Tuesday evening over Cartersville to claim the district title in the double-elimination format. The District 1 champion will advance to the Georgia Little League state tournament that begins July 12 at Vine Ingle Little League in Macon.

June 19, 2025 Cartersville Little League's 11U tournament team won the Georgia District 1 championship by sweeping Bartow County in a best-of-three series. Front row (L-R): Raden Sullins, Nolan Murphy, Evan Blankenberger, Carson Gossett. Middle row: Jaxon Tardy, Gray Womack, Everett Sutton, Josh Villarreal, Hollis Nelson, James Williams. Back row: Sam Evans and Hudson Bonner. Coaches: Stephen Womack, Patrick Murphy, Eric Blankenberger. The Cartersville Little League 9-11 year old tournament team recently captured the 2025 Georgia Little League District 1 championship by defeating Bartow County Little League 9-11 in a best-of-three series. Cartersville won two straight games by 2-0 and 7-5 scores. They advance to the Georgia Little League 9-11 State Tournament, which begins on July 5 at American Little League in Columbus.

June 18, 2025 The Bartow County Junior Little League tournament team captured the 2025 District 1 crown on Wednesday night at Perry Park. Holding banner (L-R): Colby Hoover, Isaac Elrod, Jaxon Stanfield, Triston Brawner, and Oliver Yarbrough. Second row players: Ayden Lathem, AJ Ecker, Sam Wallin, Braylen Stanley, Ben Nida, and Bowen Hardy. Head coach: Robby Lathem. Assistant coaches: Harold Brawner and Zack Hardy. The Bartow County Junior Little League (13-14 year olds) tournament team won the Georgia Little League District 1 championship Wednesday night at Perry Park by completing a two-game sweep of Cartersville Junior Little League. Bartow won the best-of-three series opener 18-9 and closed out the district series on Wednesday with a 5-4 victory. Bartow County Junior Little League advances to the Georgia Little League State Tournament, which begins July 5 at Apalachee High School in Winder.

June 18, 2025 Fresh off a T12 at the GSGA Men's Championship, Bodie Brumlow won the 2025 Georgia PGA Junior Championship hosted by Cartersville Country Club. Cartersville High School golfer, Bodie Brumlow, carded rounds of 69-68-67 (12-under par) Monday through Wednesday at Cartersville Country Club to win the 2025 Georgia PGA Junior Championship by one shot over Brooks Urquhart of Columbus.  The two rising high school juniors battled near the top of the leaderboard throughout the tournament, with Brumlow coming from behind in the final round. Urquhart carded rounds of 70-65-70 (11-under par) to finish as runner-up. The boys' 54-hole event for 14-18 year olds was played at 6,900 yards, par-72.  Jack Callahan of Alpharetta was third at 8-under par (73-66-69), and Valdosta’s Mason Pate finished fourth at 7-under par (72-67-70). Lee Smith of Marietta and Charles Beeson of Roswell tied for fifth at 6-under par. Andrew Lutjens of Cartersville tied for ninth (71-73-68, 4-under par). Carsen Stanfield of Cartersville (76-72-78, 10-over par) tied for 37th with White’s Tanner Toups (75-75-76). Other locals, Carter Rice (83-75) and Blake Lutjens (84-82) missed the 36-hole cut in the 16-18 year old division. Reid Henson of Rydal (75-70-76 (5-over par), a rising sophomore at Cartersville High, tied for sixth place in the 14-15 year old division. Brumlow’s tournament title comes on the heels of a 12th-place finish over the weekend at the GSGA Men’s Amateur Championship at Atlanta Country Club.

June 18, 2025 Front row holding banner (L-R): Hudson Russell, Anders Dial, Braden Taylor, Wheeler Arthur, Tripp Walker, Will Moore. Second row: Cas McFarland, Finley Rogan, Jaxon Martin, Will Porter, Camaro Geldhauser, Caleb Cox. Coaches: Derek Geldhauser, Blake Arthur, Chad Walker The Cartersville Little League 8-10 year old tournament team hosted and won the Georgia Little League District 1 championship this past Saturday through Wednesday at Hicks Park. Cartersville 8-10 went 3-0 to take the title, defeating Bartow County 10-2, Dalton 16-3, and Bartow County 10-0 in the championship round. Bartow 8-10 defeated Cedartown 14-3 in the first round, but was sent to the elimination bracket with their first loss to Cartersville.  Bartow won elimination games over Cedartown 15-6 and Dalton 14-4 before finishing runner-up to Cartersville in the finals. Cartersville 8-10 advances to the Georgia Little League State Tournament in Smyrna that begins on July 5. The Bartow County Little League 8-10 tournament team finished as Georgia District 1 runner-up. Front row (L-R): McCoy Faulkenberry, Emmett Tatum, McClain Cook, Liam Simpson, Maddox Jones, Everett Neighbors. Back row: Logan Varvel, Max Cochran, Cooper Johnson, Mason Brookshire, and Landry Elrod.

June 16, 2025 Three former Cartersville High stars, now playing on Minor League Baseball teams, had successful weeks. L-R: Mason Barnett, Logan Martin, and Anthony Seigler MASON BARNETT — Las Vegas Aviators (Oakland A’s Triple-A affiliate; 4th-year pro; Auburn; Cartersville HS) … improved his season record to 4-1 as a starting pitcher last Saturday as the Aviators beat the visiting Salt Lake Bees 9-3. The 24-year-old right-hander went six innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits and one walk, lowering his season ERA to 5.79. He fanned nine. Las Vegas (24-44) swept a six-game series last week at home against Salt Lake and has won seven straight entering the week. They lead Reno and Sacramento by 11-½ games in the Pacific Coast League West Division. The Aviators visit the Sugar Land Space Cowboys this week for a six-game series. LOGAN MARTIN — Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals High-Class A affiliate; 3rd-year pro; Kentucky; Cartersville HS) … the 23-year-old collected his fifth pitching win of the season and improved to 5-3 this past Saturday in a five-inning home start that was an eventual 12-1 victory over the Beloit Sky Carp. He allowed one earned run on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Quad Cities (38-25) has won five straight entering the week and holds a one-game lead over Cedar Rapids. The River Bandits host a six-game series this week with the Lansing Lugnuts. ANTHONY SEIGLER — Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers Triple-A affiliate; 8th-year pro; Cartersville HS) … made four starts last week in a six-game series at the Norfolk Tides. He was 3-for-17, including one home run, one double, three runs scored, and three RBI. He walked four times in his four starts. The 25-year-old’s hot bat has continued through mid-June. He has hit safely in 27 of his 29 games dating back to May 2 and currently has a .299 batting average, including seven homers, 28 RBI, and has stolen 17 bases. Nashville (40-27) entered the week with a ½-game lead over the Indianapolis Indians in the International League West. The Sounds play a six-game series this week at the Memphis Redbirds.