Former Cartersville High and University of Alabama standout Miller Forristall has reportedly signed as an undrafted free agent with the National Football League Tennessee Titans. The news was first reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The former Hurricane finished his senior collegiate season with the Crimson Tide as the team’s primary tight end. He had 10 starts at tight end in 2020 and saw action in 12 of 13 games. Forristall, a former 3-star recruit, finished the 2020 Alabama campaign with 23 receptions for 253 yards and one touchdown. For his career, the one-time Cartersville High starting quarterback, played in 54 games in a Crimson Tide uniform and caught 44 passes. He turned them into 505 yards and five touchdowns as he played in at least three games in each of the last five years. After a college career that featured several injuries, both minor and severe, Forristall hired an agent and chose to test the NFL waters. “What great competitive character this guy has,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said of Forristall last season as reported by FanNation. “We have a tremendous amount of respect for him. It’s guys like that that really make your team what it is. You always have some great players that can make big plays, but this guy is one of those guys that’s just a blue-collar worker that does everything he’s asked to do and when he has an opportunity to make a play, he’s made one every time we’ve asked him to.”

Cartersville Little League Baseball (Majors) results from games played April 29 plus Bartow County Little League Baseball (Majors) results for April 26-29. Cartersville Little League STANDINGS Colts . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2 Tigers . . . . . . . . . . 12-2 Crackers . . . . . . . . 11-3 Braves . . . . . . . . . . 7-7 Cleveland . . . . . . . . 6-8 Phillies . . . . . . . . . . 5-9 Dodgers . . . . . . . . . 2-12 Padres . . . . . . . . . . 1-13 Bartow County Little League STANDINGS Giants . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-0 Braves . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2-1 Tigers . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2-1 Orioles . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5 Rangers . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5 Cardinals . . . . . . . . . . 1-5 Twins . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-8 Bartow County Little League Monday, April 26 GIANTS 13, TIGERS 1 GIANTS: Raiden Sexton three hits including one double; Landon Pasley two hits including one double; Rush Fauld two hits. Pitching: Hayden Miller complete game with 7 strikeouts. TIGERS: Tyler Parker and Isiah Craig one hit each. BRAVES 9, TWINS 1 BRAVES: Matt Zander two hits including one home run; Zaylen Cochran and Preston Hazelwood one hit each. Pitching: Maddox Raughton complete game with 14 strikeouts. TWINS: Houston Walden and Jasper Pruitt one hit each Tuesday, April 27 GIANTS 12, TWINS 3 GIANTS: Drake Pasley two hits including one triple; Drew Nida two hits including one double; Rush Fauld one triple. Pitching: Ben Nida two innings with three strikeouts. TWINS: Houston Walden, Gavin Mason, and Christen McClendon one hit each. BRAVES 10, ORIOLES 0 BRAVES: Matt Zander two hits; Gatlin Fair and Julian Ramirez one hit each. Pitching: Preston Hazelwood complete game with 10 strikeouts. ORIOLES: Taylor Hicks one hit. Thursday, April 29 BRAVES 4, ORIOLES 3 BRAVES: Maddox Raughton, Preston Hazelwood, and Zaylen Cochran one hit each. Pitching: Matt Zander five innings with 12 strikeouts. ORIOLES: Taylor Hick one double; Dawson Warner and Weston Barfield one hit each. Pitching: Weston Barfield five innings with 8 strikeouts. Cartersville Little League Thursday, April 29 COLTS 9, CRACKERS 5 COLTS: Brant Rutledge two hits including one home run, five RBIs; Garrett Hewlett two hits, two RBIs; Clint Hosea one double; Payton Paul and Jameson DeMarco one hit each; Andy Holstein one RBI. Pitching: Noah Cagle (4 IP, 3R, 2ER, 2H, 3BB, 4K); Clint Hosea (1.2 IP, 2R, 0ER, 1H, 1BB, 3K). CRACKERS: Carter Callan two hits including one double, three RBIs; Jermaine Foster one triple, one RBI. Pitching: Dallen Fuqua (4 IP, 5R, 2ER, 4H, 2BB, 4K); Bowen Hardy (1 IP, 4ER, 3H, 1BB, 1K). PHILLIES 4, DODGERS 3 PHILLIES: Luke Thompson three hits, two RBIs; Declan Asay two hits including one double; Matthew Cook one hit, one RBI; Cash Priest one double. Pitching: Luke Thompson (7 IP, 1R, 0ER, 2H, 9K); Colt Priest (1 IP, 0R, 2H, 3BB); Noah Leffew (2 IP, 2R, 0ER, 1H, 1BB, 3K). Little League softball and baseball game results for Cartersville Little League and Bartow County Little League are provided by the respective leagues and are presented by CiCi's -- Beyond Pizza in Cherokee Place, Cartersville.

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. Emily Surcey is the April 2021 Elite Athlete of the Month representing Cass High School. The senior and Arkansas State signee played Line 1 singles for the Lady Colonels and led the team to a GHSA state tournament appearance. She was undefeated this season including her match in the state playoffs. The daughter of Mike and Andrea Surcey, Emily has been playing tennis for nine years and has been ranked as high as No. 25 in the South. Surcey has a 4.0 grade point average and is involved in many school clubs and organizations. She also coaches young kids tennis in her free time. “Emily is a great leader and will be missed,” said Cass athletic director Dr. Nicky Moore. The Cartersville High School Elite Athlete of the Month is Eric Toviave. He is a wide receiver for the Cartersville football team and competes in the 110M Hurdles, 300M Hurdles, 4x100M Relay, and 4x400M Relay in track. Toviave, a junior, has led GHSA Class AAAAA the entire 2021 track and field season with a state leading time (14.43) in the 110M Hurdles. He has advanced to the State Sectionals as Region 7-AAAAA champion in the event and is the current favorite to win state. “Eric is undefeated over his past 14 races,” noted Canes’ assistant track and field coach Matt Terry. “He has led the state 110M hurdle rankings most of the year and had a blistering 14.43 time while winning the region title. He is hands down the favorite to win state in the event May 15. Eric is also a key member of our 4x400M and 4x100M relay teams that won region. The 4x100M team set a new school record with a time of 42.8 seconds.” Toviave has recently become the interest of several Division I track and field programs. “Once he broke the 15 second barrier, the D-I schools took notice and the phone started to ring,” said Terry. “Eric is a team leader and is destined for great things on the track in college. He’s a bonafide D-I track athlete.” Woodland High School’s Elite Athlete of the Month for April 2021 is Cooper Varga. A sophomore soccer player for the Wildcats, Varga played multiple positions during the 2021 season and competes for both Woodland High School and his club team. “We switch him all over the field,” said Wildcats’ head coach Ed Guse. “His original position is midfielder, but we’ve utilized Cooper in the front, middle, and back as needed this season. He is very versatile and a team player. He also has the ability to read the game well so we’ve played him as a sweeper. He’s extremely valuable to the team.” Varga, the son of Tim Varga and Debra Cantrell, plans to study business and continue his soccer career at the collegiate level. Jack Whitley is the April 2021 Elite Athlete of the Month representing Adairsville High School. The son of Elizabeth Manson and John Whitley, he is a sophomore member of both the Tigers’ football and baseball teams. A pitcher, Whitley earned his way into the Adairsville starting rotation this season and became a valuable contributor on the mound. “When Jack is on the mound we feel like we have a chance to win the ball game,” said Tigers’ head coach Billy Roper. “He is a tremendous competitor and hates to lose.” Whitley has also proven himself in the classroom at Adairsville. He has a 4.0 grade point average taking Honors level and Advanced Placement courses. 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 boys finished fourth and the Lady Tigers were fifth in the Region 6-AAA Track and Field Championship held at Rockmart this week. Rockmart won the girls and boys team titles. The Yellow Jackets’ girls finished with 168.5 points to take the title ahead of Sonoraville (116), Coahulla Creek (95.5), Lafayette (84) and Adairsville (66) rounding out the top five in the nine team competition. The Rockmart boys totaled 162.5 to finish ahead of Coahulla Creek (129), Sonoraville (118), Adairsville (92.5), and Ringgold (48) in the top five. The top four competitors in each event qualified for the State Sectionals May 8 at Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta. Monday, Adairsville had five athletes qualify for the sectionals in field events. Kayli Hilburn and Skylar Caudill qualified in shot put. Tre Mitchell and T.J. Printup secured a sectional spot in high jump and Dylan Matthews earned a berth in long jump. In Wednesday’s running events finals, Tre Mitchell qualified for the state sectionals in both the 200M (2nd) and 400M (1st). Aliya McBryde won the 100M Hurdles. Kayli Hilburn was the region champ in the 300M Hurdles, and Christian Gough won the 800M run. Other qualifiers included: Tokyo Gordon (110M Hurdles, 2nd), Callie Viktora (800M, 3rd), and Amya Arnold (200M, 4th).

The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft is now in the books with Cartersville’s Trevor Lawrence taken as the overall No. 1 selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars. When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called Lawrence’s name, a sold out draft party of 8,000 began to celebrate inside TIAA Bank Field. It was a celebration that carried well into the night. Lawrence, who chose not to attend the NFL Draft Day in Cleveland, celebrated his selection at home with family and friends. The guests included Clemson coach Dabo Swinney along with adamant South Carolina Gamecocks fan and musician Darius Rucker with the latter raising eyebrows among Clemson fans on social media. The country music star is a partner in the MGC sports marketing agency that recently signed Lawrence. So Rucker was there to celebrate with his most high-profile client. At 6'6", 215, Lawrence -- who won a pair of state titles with Cartersville High School -- becomes Bartow County’s third top-10 pick since 2005. Ronnie Brown and Vic Beasley Jr. were also top selections. Lawrence becomes the fourth quarterback drafted by Jacksonville in the first round during the Jaguars’ 27 year history. The Jags also selected Byron Leftwich in 2003, Blaine Gabbert in 2011, and Blake Bortles in 2014. Since Lawrence is expected to be the starter from Day 1 moving forward, he will join a list of Jags starters that have included the other three first rounders, Gardner Minshew, Mike Glennon, Nick Foles, Chad Henne, Luke McCown, David Garrard, Mark Brunell, Rob Johnson, and Steve Beuerlein among others as Jacksonville starting quarterbacks. The former Purple Hurricane had an impressive collegiate career at Clemson. He was 34-2 as the starter, winning three Atlantic Coast Conference championships and the 2018 national title. He passed for over 10,000 yards and 90 touchdowns and ran for 18 scores. Lawrence joins new Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer, who just bought a new home on the same street as his former Florida Gators quarterback, Tim Tebow. Meyer, who is leaving the more comfortable setting of the broadcast booth, will try to bring his success as a college coach to the professional level. The selection of Lawrence was highly anticipated and expected, but there were a few surprises in the first round. After two more quarterbacks — Zach Wilson of Brigham Young and Trey Lance on North Dakota State — went to the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers as expected, the Atlanta Falcons chose Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. Pitts — at No. 4 overall — became the highest-selected tight end in NFL draft history. Surprises continued as three trades took place during the first day of the draft. Quarterback Justin Fields fell out of the top ten, but the Chicago Bears traded two picks to move up and take the Marietta, Ga. native 11th overall. The Cowboys traded with division rival Philadelphia enabling the Eagles to select Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith as the 10th overall choice. The Cowboys landed linebacker Micah Parsons (Penn State) with the 12th overall pick. The New England Patriots picked up Alabama quarterback Mac Jones in the first round and the Jaguars added standout running back Travis Etienne — a Lawrence teammate at Clemson — with the 25th overall pick in the first round. Thursday night also tied the 1999 mark for the most offensive skill players taken in the first round with thirteen. In 1999, the draft also started with three straight quarterback selections — Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, and Akili Smith. Here’s a complete listing of first round selections: 1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB 2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB 3. San Francisco 49ers: Trey Lance, QB 4. Atlanta Falcons, Kyle Pitts, TE 5. Cincinnati Bengals: Ja’Marr Chase, WR 6. Miami Dolphins: Jaylen Waddle, WR 7. Detroit Lions, Penei Sewell, OL 8. Carolina Panthers: Jaycee Horn, CB 9. Denver Broncos: Patrick Surtain II, CB 10. Philadelphia Eagles: DeVonta Smith, WR 11. Chicago Bears: Justin Fields, QB 12. Dallas Cowboys: Micah Parsons, LB 13. Los Angeles Chargers: Rashawn Slater, OT 14. New York Jets: Alijah Vera-Tucker, G 15. New England Patriots: Mac Jones, QB 16. Arizona Cardinals: Zaven Collins, LB 17. Las Vegas Raiders: Alex Leatherwood, OT 18. Miami Dolphins, Jaelan Phillips, DL 19. Washington Football Team: Jamin Davis, LB 20. New York Giants: Kadarius Toney, WR 21. Indianapolis Colts, Kwity Paye, DL 22. Tennessee Titans: Caleb Farley, CB 23. Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw, OT 24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Najee Harris, RB 25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Etienne, RB 26. Cleveland Browns: Greg Newsome II, CB 27. Baltimore Ravens: Rashod Bateman, WR 28. New Orleans Saints: Payton Turner, DE 29. Green Bay Packers: Eric Stokes, CB 30. Buffalo Bills: Gregory Rousseau, DL 31. Baltimore Ravens: Jayson Oweh, DL 32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Joe Tryon, DL Rounds 2 and 3 will be Friday night starting at 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7 begin at 12 noon Saturday.

Cartersville Little League Baseball (Majors) results from games played April 26-28. STANDINGS (through April 28) Tigers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2 Colts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2 Crackers . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2 Braves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7 Cleveland . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8 Phillies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9 Dodgers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11 Padres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13 Monday, April 26 CLEVELAND 11, PADRES 0 CLEVELAND: Tyler Hickman three doubles; William Groce two hits including one triple, one RBI; Ramsey Dunn two hits; Cayden Bagley and Dawson Ray one hit, one RBI each; Blake Lutjens one hit; Brooks Fulton and Aaden Agueru one RBI each. Pitching: Ramsey Dunn (2 IP, 0H, 0BB, 2K); Brooks Fulton (2 IP, 0R, 1H, 1BB, 3K). PADRES: Connor Moore one hit. Pitching: Max O’Bryant (2.1 IP, 5R, 3ER, 4H, 1BB, 2K); Joy Ryan (0.2 IP, 5R, 0ER, 5H, 1K); Jackson Vaughn (1 IP, 1ER, 1H, 1BB). TIGERS 13, BRAVES 0 Game data was not made available. CRACKERS 13, DODGERS 9 (completion of an earlier start date) CRACKERS: Dallen Fuqua three hits including one double, one triple, two RBIs; Peyton Duren three hits including one double, one triple, one RBI; Bryce Barkley two hits including one triple, three RBIs; Jermaine Foster one home run, one double, two RBIs; Cole Henson two hits including one double; Mason Davis one hit, one RBI. Pitching: Bowen Hardy (3 IP, 3R, 2ER, 4H, 1BB, 5K); Mason Davis (1 IP, 3R, 2ER, 2H, 1BB, 2K); Dallen Fuqua (3 IP, 3ER, 4H, 1BB, 8K). DODGERS: Braden Slocumb two hits including one triple, two RBIs; Blake Genrich two hits, one RBI; Alex Gochee two hits; Brody Jones one double, one RBI; Camden Jones and Jace Radford one hit, one RBI each; Noah Kearney one triple; Maddox Wilson one RBI. Pitching: Noah Kearney (4.1 IP, 5ER, 8H, 2BB, 5K); Camden Jones (0.2 IP, 2ER, 2H, 1BB); Alex Gochee (1 IP, 4R, 3ER, 2H, 1BB); Blake Genrich (1 IP, 0R, 0H). Tuesday, April 27 CRACKERS 8, COLTS 7 CRACKERS: Cole Henson three hits, one RBI; Carter Callan two hits, two RBIs; Bowen Hardy one hit, two RBIs; Jermaine Foster one double, one RBI; Bryce Barkley and Dallen Fuqua one hit, one RBI each. Pitching: Cole Henson (4 IP, 6R, 5ER, 6H, 2BB, 4K); Mason Davis (2 IP, 1ER, 1H, 1B, 2K). COLTS: Garrett Hewlett two doubles, one RBI; Noah Cagle home run, three RBIs; Brant Rutledge one double, one RBI; Clint Hosea one double; Payton Paul and Andy Holstein one hit each. Pitching: Clint Hosea (1.2 IP, 4R, 2ER, 5H, 1BB, 3K); Garrett Hewlett (3.1 IP, 4R, 0ER, 4H, 2BB, 5K). PHILLIES 8, DODGERS 7 PHILLIES: Colt Priest three hits, one RBI; Blake Forstie two hits including one double, one RBI; Cash Priest two hits; Max Stepp one double, one RBI; Matthew Cook one hit, one RBI; Declan Asay, Luke Thompson, and Cade McFarland one hit each. Pitching: Cash Priest (5.1 IP, 7R, 2ER, 8H, 2BB, 8K); Luke Thompson (0.2 IP, 0R, 1H, 1BB). DODGERS: Brody Jones and Noah Kearney two hits, one RBI each; Braden Slocumb two hits; Maddox Wilson one triple, three RBIs; Camden Jones and Blake Genrich one hit each. Pitching: Noah Kearney (4 IP, 5R, 3ER, 7H, 2BB, 2K); Jace Radford (1 IP, 2ER, 3H, 2BB, 2K); Braden Slocumb (0.1 IP, 1R, 0ER, 2H, 2K). Wednesday, April 28 TIGERS 8, BRAVES 4 TIGERS: Dixon Lindsey three hits including two triples, three RBIs; Cam Kachinsky three hits; Zachary Stiles one home run, one triple, two RBIs; Cooper Reynolds two hits including one double, one RBI; Aiden Turner one hit, one RBI; Steven Tumlin one hit; Kolston Privett one RBI. Pitching: Cooper Reynolds (4.2 IP, 4ER, 4H, 4BB, 5K); Cam Kachinsky (0.1 IP, 0R, 0H). BRAVES: Drake Bailey two hits, three RBIs; Zack Parker and Devon Beavers one hit each. Pitching: Avery Slye (1.1 IP, 5R, 4ER, 7H, 0BB, 2K); Devon Beavers (2.2 IP, 3R, 2ER, 5H, 2BB, 4K). CLEVELAND 6, PADRES 1 CLEVELAND: Tyler Hickman two hits; Deion Winters solo home run; Emory Weaver one hit, one RBI; Dawson Ray one double; Blake Lutjens and Ramsey Dunn one hit each. Pitching: Ramsey Dunn (6 IP, 1ER, 5H, 1BB, 8K). PADRES: Joy Ryan two hits, one RBI; Parker Huth, Corbin Mullinax, and Luke Hamrick one hit each. Pitching: Max O’Bryant (2 IP, 1ER, 2H, 2BB, 4K); David Vargas (1 IP, 5R, 3ER, 4H, 0BB, 3K); Corbin Mullinax (2 IP, 0R, 1H, 1BB, 1K). Little League softball and baseball game results for Cartersville Little League and Bartow County Little League are provided by the respective leagues and are presented by CiCi's -- Beyond Pizza in Cherokee Place, Cartersville.

The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes broke open the first game of their opening round playoff series with Chapel Hill late, but had little trouble in Game 2 as they completed a sweep in the best-of-three Class 5A state playoffs. Cartersville, ranked No. 4 in Class AAAAA, will now hit the road for the second round and will travel to 2nd-ranked Decatur. The Bulldogs (28-4) swept Walnut Grove 11-1 and 10-5 Wednesday night. The second game win by Decatur was in extra innings. GAME 1: CARTERSVILLE 4, CHAPEL HILL 1 The Canes won the first game of the series 4-1 on the benefit of a three-run sixth inning that broke open a 1-1 game. Each team posted a single run early. Cartersville took a 1-0 lead in the second inning and Chapel Hill tied the score 1-1 in the top of the third. The two starting pitchers kept the game close until the successful Cartersville sixth inning. Micah Earwood, who won his eighth straight start and improved to 8-1 on the season, tossed a complete game three-hitter for the Canes. The Panthers’ lone run was unearned. Earwood walked two and struck out ten. Chapel Hill starting pitcher Jamie Lawrence was almost as good. Lawrence scattered seven hits and three walks working 5 and 2/3 innings. He allowed four earned runs and struck out seven. Phillip Barnhill retired the final out on the mound in the sixth inning. Andrew Ferguson had a double and walked twice for the Chapel Hill offense. Scott Hrobowski and Lawrence added one hit apiece. Harrison Childers had two hits including the go-ahead RBI single in the Canes’ sixth inning. Blake Sutton also had two hits, including a double. Drew Rothschild had a pinch hit, two RBI single in the sixth. Elliott Eastin and Parker McPherson had the other Cartersville base hits. GAME 2: CARTERSVILLE 11, CHAPEL HILL 2 After trailing 2-1 early, Cartersville scored ten unanswered runs beginning in the third inning and pulled away for an 11-2 win in Game 2. The win completed an opening round sweep and secured the Canes spot in the second round of the 2021 Class 5A state playoffs. The Canes utilized a quartet of pitchers in the win. Colt McKibben (2 IP, 2R, 1ER, 4H, 1BB, 3K) made an abbreviated start with Phillip Schiltz (3 IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB, 4K) picking up the pitching victory in relief. Gunner Millsap (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB, 3K), and Davis Williams (1 IP, 1K) combined with Schiltz for five scoreless innings to close out the win. Six different Canes finished with two hits each in the series clincher as the Hurricanes belted out 14 hits. Hank Smith had a double and a triple with two RBIs. Parker McPherson and Harrison Childers finished with two hits including a double and two RBIs each. Blake Sutton and Jake Brasfield had two hits and one RBI each. Curt Bonner supplied two hits. Drew Rothschild smacked a two-run home run and Paul Gamble added a base hit. With the playoff losses, the Panthers season ends with a 12-18 mark. Cartersville (24-8) travels to Decatur for a Sweet Sixteen showdown beginning with a doubleheader Monday. If needed, a third game in the best-of-three series would be Tuesday — also at Decatur.

The Region 6-AAAAA champion North Springs Spartans completed an opening round sweep of the Cass Colonels Wednesday evening in Atlanta, 10-2 and 13-1. North Springs advances to the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs and the Colonels’ season comes to a close. NORTH SPRINGS 10, CASS 2 The Cass Colonels took an early 2-0 lead at North Springs Wednesday and still led 2-1 into the bottom of the third before the North Springs offense responded with 10 unanswered runs. The host Spartans went on to win Game 1 of the Class 5A state playoff series in Atlanta, 10-2. North Springs pitcher Daniel Jackson hurled a complete game in the Spartans’ win. He scattered five hits, did not walk a batter, and fanned six yielding a pair of earned runs. Cass starter Jayden Smith (4 IP, 7R, 6ER, 10H, 3BB, 2K) suffered the Game 1 pitching loss. Aidan Cottingim (1 IP, 1ER, 2H, 2K) and Matt Shook (1 IP, 2ER, 2H, 1BB) each pitching an inning of relief. Tyler Jackson had four hits including a double for North Springs. Dylan Reid, Ross Reynolds, and Buck Olson had two hits each for the Spartans. Shook and Aidan Larkin both had doubles for the Cass offense. Bentley Markley contributed a base hit and two RBIs. Kyle Miller and Matt Ballas each added a hit for the Colonels. NORTH SPRINGS 13, CASS 1 North Springs starting pitcher Dylan Reid took a potential no hitter into the sixth inning in Game 2 of the Spartans’ playoff doubleheader with Cass. Cass’ Aidan Larkin, who finished with a pair of hits, broke up the no-no with the first of his hits in the sixth. Reid struck out six and walked one in the win. Andrew Frank closed out the seventh inning on the mound for the Spartans. Jordan Gani (6 IP, 9ER, 9H, 12BB, 2K) took the pitching loss. Aidan Cottingim (1 IP, 4ER, 5H, 3K) also pitched for the Colonels. North Springs (24-8) will host the Chamblee/Loganville winner in the second round starting Monday. The Colonels season comes to a close with a 6-23 mark.

The Cartersville boys tennis team lost 3-1 to visiting Coffee County Wednesday afternoon and was eliminated in the Class 5A state quarterfinals. Coffee won at Line 1 and Line 3 singles plus Line 2 doubles. The lone Cartersville win was at Line 1 doubles by Nate McDonald and Robert Novak. Coffee advances to the state semifinals where the Region 1-AAAAA champions will travel to Region 6-AAAAA champion Grady in Atlanta.

ATHLETES BEYOND BARTOW Another week and another three scoreless appearances from Sam Howard. The former Cartersville High hurler is becoming an extremely dependable left-handed reliever out of the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen. Over the past seven days, Howard earned his second win and fourth hold in just nine outings. Elsewhere, Canes volleyball standout Nedu Evans helped Augusta win a third consecutive Peach Belt Conference tournament championship. The sophomore racked up 19 total kills across the semifinals and finals. PRO BASEBALL Sam Howard (Pittsburgh Pirates; Cartersville HS) — Howard picked up his second win and fourth hold of the season across three appearances last week. He was inserted in the seventh inning of a 2-2 game Thursday at Detroit and retired both batters he faced. The Pirates scored twice in the top of the eighth with Howard as the pitcher of record in an eventual 4-2 victory. Friday at Minnesota, the southpaw worked the eighth inning in a no-decision appearance, striking out all three Twins faced during a 2-0 Pirates loss. On Sunday with Pittsburgh leading 2-1, the 28-year-old entered with one out in the sixth inning and induced a groundout before striking out Jorge Polanco to end the frame. The Pirates went on to win 6-2. Howard has now appeared in relief in a dozen games this season. In nine total innings of work, he is 2-1 with 13 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA. Opponents have a mere .103 batting average against him and his WHIP is at 0.89. COLLEGE BASEBALL Levi Ayers (Young Harris Jr., Cartersville HS) — Ayers made a one-inning appearance in a loss to sixth-ranked Lee University last Wednesday at home. He allowed a pair of earned runs on two hits and one walk. He struck out two. Monday at Columbus State, Ayers entered in the third inning and faced 10 batters, retiring four. He gave up five earned runs on five hits and one walk, while fanning two in an eventual 16-11 loss. With only four teams qualifying for the postseason this year in the Peach Belt Conference, the Mountain Lions (19-16, 17-13) find themselves in a battle with Columbus State, USC-Aiken and Georgia College for the final two conference playoff spots. Mason Barnett (Auburn So., Cartersville HS) — Barnett started on the mound Wednesday at home against Jacksonville State and pitched only the first inning during a game in which the Tigers utilized seven different pitchers. The right hander retired all three batters he faced and recorded one strikeout in a game the Tigers won 8-7 in 10 innings. Sunday, he worked the middle three innings and was tabbed with a loss despite allowing only one, unearned run to 10th-ranked Florida. Barnett yielded just two hits and struck out four of the 11 batters he faced in the fourth through sixth innings in a 6-4 Gators win. In 12 appearances this season, he is 2-3 with one save and has a 3.75 ERA. Auburn (17-20, 3-15) has a three-game SEC series Thursday through Saturday at Georgia. Clifton Dempsey (Toccoa Falls Sr., Cartersville HS) — While his team went 0-4 for the week with one loss at Truett McConnell, two at Georgia Gwinnett and one at Johnson University in Knoxville, Dempsey was 2-for-12 at the plate with four walks, two runs scored and one RBI. The Screaming Eagles (12-21) were scheduled for a doubleheader Tuesday at Reinhardt and slated Saturday to host Alice Lloyd College. Jake Gooch (Central Alabama CC So., Cartersville HS) — Gooch went 7-for-12 including two doubles and seven RBIs last week in a four-game series with Lawson State CC. Gooch raised his season batting average to .329 with 45 RBIs across 48 games played and 155 at bats. The Trojans (23-29, 11-17 Alabama Community College Conference) wrap up the regular season Thursday and Saturday with home-and-home doubleheaders against Wallace State-Hanceville. Lane Griffith (West Georgia Sr., Adairsville HS) — Griffith went 1-for-6 at the plate and was hit by a pitch twice in Sunday’s doubleheader split at home against ninth-ranked West Florida. He then finished 0-for-4 in Monday’s Game 3 against the Argonauts. West Georgia (15-21, 14-19 Gulf South Conference) finishes the regular season this weekend with a three-game series against Christian Brothers. Brycen Jones (Central Alabama CC Fr., Cartersville HS) — Jones pitched the fourth and fifth innings during an 8-7 loss last Friday at Lawson State CC. Jones faced 11 batters, allowing one earned run on three hits and three walks. He struck out two. Logan Nelson (Truett McConnell Fr., Cass HS) — Nelson was inserted defensively last Tuesday but did not have a plate appearance in a 10-7 win over Toccoa Falls College. The Bears also won one of three games with Columbia International for a 2-2 week. TMU (25-18, 13-13 Appalachian Athletic Conference) were set to host eighth-ranked Georgia Gwinnett Tuesday and entertain 23rd-ranked Reinhardt Thursday and Friday in a conference three-game set. Harrison Osborn (Point Jr., Cartersville HS) — Osborn retired all three batters he faced in the seventh inning of a 10-2 home loss Friday to No. 1-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan. Point (21-19, 14-12 Appalachian Athletic Conference) was scheduled to travel Tuesday to fifth-ranked Faulkner before hosting 14th-ranked Bryan College for three games Friday and Saturday. Preston Welchel (Coastal Alabama-Bay Minette Fr., Cartersville HS) — While the Sun Chiefs swept a four game series over Wallace State-Selma, Welchel contributed with a 5-for-10 series that included two doubles, four walks, six runs scored and five RBIs. The outfielder now has a .310 batting average in 47 games and 126 at bats. He has three home runs and 31 RBIs. Central Alabama-Bay Minette (21-30, 13-15) hosts Lurleen B. Wallace CC Thursday and travels to LBWCC Saturday. Cohen Wilbanks (Cleveland State CC Fr., Cartersville HS) — Wilbanks coaxed a walk and scored one run in four plate appearances last Wednesday during a 15-4 win at Maryville College. The Cougars finished the regular season with a 19-21 record and were 11-15 in the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association’s East Division. CSCC plays Roane State CC Tuesday in a conference tournament play-in game. Jordan Wilkie (Augusta Fr., Cartersville HS) — Wilkie drew a start at second base and went 1-for-5 with a run scored in a 14-11 loss Sunday at Georgia College. Augusta (8-25, 4-24 Peach Belt Conference) will conclude the season with three games Friday and Saturday at Young Harris. Zach Wilson (Penn State-Greater Allegheny Fr., Woodland HS) — Wilson entered defensively but did not have a plate appearance in a 16-11 home loss Friday to Penn State-Mont Alto. He then made a start and was 0-for-3 in a 3-2 loss Saturday at PSU-Mont Alto Saturday. In a 14-7 victory over Penn State-Fayette, Wilson finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs Monday at home. PRO BASKETBALL A.J. Mosby (Shreveport Mavericks; Cartersville HS) — Mosby led the Mavs to their fifth straight win, scoring a game-high 33 points, in a 105-99 triumph against Little Rock Sunday at home. The day prior, the former NBA G Leaguer finished with 11 points in a 113-97 victory in Lewisville, Texas. FOOTBALL Terry Berdin (Reinhardt Jr., Cartersville HS) — Berdin didn’t receive any touches but did see time on the field in Reinhardt’s season-ending 42-14 loss Saturday at Keiser. Bryce Wilkins (Reinhardt Jr., Cartersville HS) — A starting guard, Wilkins and Co. paved the way for the Eagles to post 321 offensive yards in their NAIA quarterfinal defeat. SOFTBALL Bella Carnes (Georgia College Fr., Woodland HS) — Carnes scored a run as a pinch runner in the second game win of Sunday’s home doubleheader with USC-Aiken. The Bobcats split the two games and moved to 10-24 for the year and 4-14 in the Peach Belt Conference. Georgia College, which will not qualify for the conference tournament this year, will travel to take on Flagler College in a season-ending doubleheader Saturday in St. Augustine, Florida. Presly Edwards (Wesleyan Fr., Cartersville HS) — Edwards made a pinch-hitting appearance but did not reach base in a 1-0 home loss Friday versus Piedmont. Wesleyan finished the season with a 14-16 record overall and 8-6 mark in the USA South Athletic Conference. Sarah Fox (Agnes Scott Jr., Cass HS) — Fox did not have a hit, but she drew a walk, had one RBI and stole a base in a home 6-5 win Wednesday over Brevard College. Fox then went 0-for-2 in Sunday’s season-ending loss at conference-leading Piedmont. Agnes Scott finished the season with a 5-11 record. Brianna Hill (Covenant Fr., Woodland HS) — Hill went 2-for-2 in an 8-0 loss Monday at Wesleyan College. The Scots (16-18, 5-7) were slated to host LaGrange in a doubleheader Tuesday. Hannah Todd (Kansas Sr., Cartersville HS) — Todd entered in relief and retired the final five outs for the Jayhawks in a 10-1 loss Saturday at Texas. Todd gave up a hit and one unearned run but allowed both inherited runners to score. She recorded one strikeout, facing eight batters. Kansas won a midweek game with Wichita State but were swept over the weekend by the Longhorns. The Jayhawks (22-20, 2-10 Big 12 Conference) have a three-game series Friday through Sunday at Baylor. TENNIS Houston Medlock (Piedmont Jr., Adairsville HS) — Piedmont’s season came to a close with a 5-4 loss in the USA South West Division championship Friday at Covenant. Medlock dropped his Line 1 singles match with a pair of 6-3 losses. He and his Line 2 doubles partner fell 8-3. Bryce VanOrder (Piedmont Fr., Woodland HS) — VanOrder came up short in a 6-3, 6-2 decision on Line 2 singles in Piedmont’s season-ending defeat. TRACK AND FIELD Parker Breedlove (Reinhardt So., Cartersville HS) — Competing in the 5000-meter race, Breedlove placed 16th during the Appalachian Athletic Conference outdoor championship last week at Columbia International. VOLLEYBALL Nedu Evans (Augusta So., Cartersville HS) — Evans helped Augusta claim its third consecutive Peach Belt Conference tournament title. She produced eight kills, four block assists and three digs in a 3-1 victory over USC-Aiken in the semifinals. Evans followed that up with 11 kills during a 3-2 triumph against Flagler in the championship match. — Nicholas Sullivan of The Daily Tribune News contributed to this report.

The Cartersville boys soccer team scored a pair of unanswered goals in the second half Tuesday night to defeat Loganville in the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs, 3-1, at Weinman Stadium. The Canes and Red Devils were tied 1-1 at halftime. Cartersville took a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute. Joel Zazueta scored from close range following a free kick by Marvel Velasquez. Loganville tied the game in th 39th minute sending both teams to the intermission with one goal apiece. Zazueta gave Cartersville the lead for good in the 64th minute. His 50-yard, high-arcing shot beat the Red Devils keeper for a 2-1 lead. Alex Rios added the Canes’ final goal with a one-on-one move in extra time. Loganville’s season ends with an 8-9-1 record. Cartersville (10-5-1) advances to the state quarterfinals where the Canes will travel to 6th-ranked Woodward Academy (15-2-1). No. 3 JOHNSON-GAINESVILLE 5, CASS BOYS 1 The Cass boys soccer team took 3rd-ranked Johnson-Gainesville to halftime tied 1-1, but the Knights took control of the Class 5A Sweet Sixteen playoff game early in the second half with three goals in a seven-minute span. The Colonels first half goal was scored by Alex Cabanas off an assist from Kaleb Speights. Johnson improved to 14-4-1 with their second round victory. The Knights will travel to No. 1-ranked Starr's Mill (18-0-1) for the quarterfinal round. The Colonels' season ends with a 12-7 mark.

Georgia Highlands baseball split a conference doubleheader Tuesday winning the first game 12-6 before dropping the second game, 8-4. The Chargers used an eight run second inning in Tuesday afternoon’s first game en route to a 12-6 win over Gordon College. Georgia Highlands pounded out 17 hits in the victory including a pair of home runs. Seven Chargers had at least two hits in the game. Joe Sutton had three hits including one of the homers and three RBIs. Max Kops also had three hits and two RBIs. David Smith had two hits including the other home run and three RBIs. Ben Olson contributed a pair of hits and one RBI. Trenton Parker finished with two hits including one double. Trace Twardoski also had two hits. Connor Todaro doubled and drove in three runs. Starter Conner Perry earned the pitching win with five and two-thirds innings of work. He gave up five earned runs on seven hits and two walk with six strikeouts. Ryan Suppa wrapped up the win with three and one-third innings on the mound. He yielded one earned run on three hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Gordon State bounced back in Game 2 to win 8-4. The Highlanders took a 6-0 lead in the third inning and never trailed. The Chargers scored twice in the fourth inning to narrow the lead to 7-2 and added two more runs in the fifth inning to make it 7-4. That was as close as Georgia Highlands would get. The Chargers utilized five pitchers in the loss. Chase Townsend (2 IP, 6ER, 7H, 2BB, 3K) started on the mound was tagged with the loss. Caleb Garner (2 IP, 1ER, 2H, 1BB, 4K), Zack Valentine (1 IP, 0R, 1H), Matthew Silka (1 IP, 1ER, 1H), and Chandler Wood (1 IP, 1K) also pitched. Ben Olson had two hits including a homer and two RBIs. Gavin Harmon also had two hits. Palmer Sapp, Trenton Parker, and Connor Todaro contributed one hit each. Trace Twardoski and Zayd Brannigan each drove in a run for the Chargers. With the doubleheader split, Gordon is now 28-19 for the year and 17-11 in conference play. Georgia Highlands (39-11, 18-8) travels to Gordon State for a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.