The Tennessee Titans announced Tuesday they will be releasing former Falcons edge rusher Vic Beasley on Wednesday. This can be considered a surprising move for the Titans, who signed him to a one-year deal worth $9.5 million in March. The Titans’ relationship with the former Adairsville High School and Clemson University star began with a rough start. Beasley initially did not report to training camp to begin his COVID-19 testing and he eventually missed 10 days leading to a $500,000 fine. Beasley’s production was down in his final seasons in Atlanta and it carried over to his time with the Titans. Beasley, 28, played in five games for the Titans with no starts, three tackles, and one forced fumble. He missed the first two games of the year. Expectations were much higher for the former eighth-overall pick after leading the NFL with 15.5 sacks in an All Pro 2016 season. Over the last three-plus seasons, however, Beasley’s sack total rests at 18. Beasley will become a midseason free agent.

As play begins for the Football Bowl Subdivision conferences that reversed course after originally canceling their seasons, a former Woodland standout is finally getting to compete his senior year. Manny Jones, who went by Emmanuel during his days with the Wildcats, got to start his season this past week for Colorado State. The Mountain West Conference actually returned to play the previous week, but as fate would have it, the Rams’ original season opener was canceled. Playing Thursday, Colorado State struggled to a 38-17 loss against Fresno State, but Jones picked up where he left off last year. The senior linebacker, who garnered all-MWC honorable-mention status in 2019, recorded three tackles, with one of them occurring behind the line of scrimmage. The Rams have six games remaining on their regular-season schedule. Next up, CSU will host Wyoming, and Jones will look to continue making the most out of his opportunity. Elsewhere, the biggest news concerning a former Bartow County athlete involves one who didn’t get to play this week. Trevor Lawrence, a Cartersville High star turned household name, tested positive for COVID-19 last Wednesday. Lawrence, who is looking to lead top-ranked Clemson to a yet another berth in the College Football Playoff, missed Saturday’s comeback win over Boston College. The junior will also be unavailable for this coming week’s massive showdown at No. 4 Notre Dame. The hope for the Tigers is that Lawrence will be able to return Nov. 21 at Florida State. (Clemson has an open date following the Notre Dame game.) Even if Clemson slips up in South Bend, a healthy Lawrence down the stretch likely would still be enough to get the Tigers into the playoffs, barring any other defeats along the way. PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL Vic Beasley Jr. (Tennessee Titans, Adairsville) — The former Atlanta Falcons edge rusher didn’t record any stats in Sunday’s 31-20 loss to Cincinnati. However, Beasley did see a season-high 38 snaps (52%), marking his first time over 50% this year. Beasley and the Titans will hope to see increased production in the box score this week, when Tennessee hosts Chicago. COLLEGE FOOTBALL Jonathan Cruz (Charlotte Jr., Cartersville) — Cruz and Co. didn’t particularly enjoy their matchup with ACC foe Duke, as the Blue Devils cruised to a 53-19 victory Saturday in Durham, North Carolina. Cruz missed his only field gaol try — a 45-yard attempt — but converted his lone extra point in the lopsided defeat. The 49ers (2-3, 2-1 Conference USA) will hope to rebound when they return to league action this Saturday at Middle Tennessee State. Miller Forristall (Alabama R-Sr., Cartersville) — Forristall recorded one reception for 14 yards, maintaining his per catch average, in a 41-0 romp past Mississippi State this week. For the season, Forristall has hauled in 10 passes for 141 yards. No. 2 Alabama (6-0) will take a week off before facing the defending national champs, LSU, Nov. 14 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. JaCorey Johns (Wake Forest R-So., Cartersville) — Johns made just one stop in Saturday’s game, but Wake Forest rolled to a 38-14 win against Syracuse on the road. The Demon Deacons (4-2, 3-2 ACC) are off this week. Wake will return to action against North Carolina Nov. 14 in Chapel Hill. Manny Jones (Colorado State Sr., Woodland) — Playing in the season opener for the Rams, Jones managed to post three tackles, including one for loss, Thursday at Fresno State. Colorado State, though, came up on the short end of a 38-17 final score. CSU will host Wyoming this Thursday in Fort Collins. Avery Showell (Georgia Tech R-Jr., Cartersville) — Showell finished with two solo tackles in Georgia Tech’s 31-13 home defeat Saturday to Notre Dame. The Yellow Jackets (2-5, 2-4 ACC) will have an open date ahead of a conference clash with Pittsburgh Nov. 14 in Atlanta. Report contributed by Nicholas Sullivan -- The Daily Tribune News

The top five showdown between ACC counterparts Clemson and Notre Dame next Saturday will not include the Tigers’ Trevor Lawrence. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said after the comeback win over Boston College Saturday that Lawrence would not play against Notre Dame November 7. Lawrence tested positive for COVID-19 last Wednesday and there was some speculation that the Atlantic Coast Conference’s protocol allowed a narrow window of opportunity for the star quarterback to return in time for the matchup with the Irish. Swinney put that thinking to rest Saturday night. Swinney said before the game that Lawrence was feeling well and in good spirits. The quarterback was able to speak to his teammates during the day via Zoom. True freshman D.J. Uiagalelei started in Lawrence’s place and will likely start against Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a member of the ACC for 2020’s pandemic-impacted season. Clemson is currently ranked No. 1 with Notre Dame ranked No. 5.

The Adairsville Tigers picked up an important Region 6-AAA road win Friday night at Sonoraville, 32-0, and strengthened their case for a state playoff berth. Meanwhile, both Cass and Woodland lost to their Region 7-AAAAA opponents and saw their playoff chances dwindle. ADAIRSVILLE 32, SONORAVILLE 0 The Adairsville offense had some struggles in the first half Friday night at Sonoraville, but managed to take an 11-0 lead into the locker room thanks to a special teams mistake by the Phoenix and some solid defensive work. The second half, however, saw the Tigers surge for three more touchdowns on their way to a convincing 32-0 Region 6-AAA road win. To begin the third quarter, Adairsville quarterback Conner Crunkelton connected on a quick pass to Courtney Slocum who sprinted 80 yards for a score. The extra point kick by Emanuel Lopez gave the Tigers an 18-0 lead. On Sonoraville’s next possession, Adairsville’s Chris Roper picked off Phoenix quarterback Brady Lackey and returned the interception to Sonoraville’s 24-yard line. One play later, Crunkelton connected with Evan Sanders for a 24-yard touchdown and a 25-0 lead with 11:22 remaining in the third quarter. From there, the Adairsville defense took over stopping the Phoenix on fourth down twice and forced a pair of three-and-out possessions. Adairsville freshman quarterback Jonathan Gough added a 13-yard touchdown run for the Tigers with 1:28 remaining to compete the scoring in the Tigers’ 32-0 win. In the first half, the Tigers took advantage of a Sonoraville fumble of a punt at the 13-yard line. Ja’Maury Johnson ran in for a 3-yard Adairsville touchdown two plays later. Following a penalty on the extra point, the Tigers opted for a two-point try and Crunkelton found the end zone for an 8-0 Adairsville lead. Late in the second quarter, Lopez nailed a 35-yard field goal to cap an eight-play, 37-yard drive putting the Tigers ahead 11-0. Crunkelton was 11-of-14 passing for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson finished with 53 yards on 10 attempts. Gough ran for 22 yards and Slocum added 20 yards rushing. Slocum added 95 yards on three receptions and one touchdown. Sanders caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Roper contributed a 34-yard catch. Charlie Ray had two receptions for 29 yards, and Dylan Matthews finished with two catches for 16 yards. The loss drops Sonoraville to 2-5 on the season and 0-5 in Region 6-AAA. Adairsville (5-2, 4-1) will host 7th-ranked Rockmart next Friday. HIRAM 38, CASS 14 The Cass Colonels struggled in the opening minutes of their loss Friday night at Hiram and never recovered in a 38-14 road loss to the Hornets. Following a three-and-out on their opening possession, senior punter Isai Romero had his put blocked and it bounced out of bounds at the Colonels’ seven-yard line. Hiram running back Jirah Douglas scored on the ensuing play and it marked the third consecutive week Cass had given up a score on its first defensive snap of the game. On the Colonels’ next possession, a bad punt snap was fielded by Romero and he got a shanked kick away under pressure. The bouncing kick was fielded on one hop at about the 25-yard line of Cass and returned again to the Cass 7-yard line. Three plays later, Hiram quarterback Qamar Grant scored on a four-yard keeper to make the score 14-0 only minutes into the game. With just under two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Douglas capped a 56-yard drive for Hiram with a 21-yard run to make the score 21-0. Four minutes into the second quarter, Hornets’ kicker Dalton Moyse made a 42-yard field goal that bounced across the cross bar for a 24-0 advantage and on the first Cass play after the ensuing kickoff, Hiram’s Cory McGarity picked off a Devin Henderson pass and returned it 25 yards for a 31-0 Hornets’ lead. Hiram (1-7, 1-2) went up 38-0 on another 7-yard Douglas run in the third quarter, but the Hornets’ running back would later leave the contest with an injury to his knee. The Colonels got on the scoreboard late in the third quarter when Henderson teamed up with fellow freshman Sacovie White for a 15-yard touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Henderson connected with David Gbadie for a 13-yard touchdown pass to end the game’s scoring. Cass (6-2, 1-2) will host Calhoun next Friday at Cochran Stadium. CALHOUN 35, WOODLAND 0 Visiting Calhoun scored on touchdown passes of 67- and 49-yards in the first half Friday night at Woodland, then added an interception return for a touchdown to take a 21-0 lead at halftime. The Yellow Jackets added a 53-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter and a 16-yard touchdown pass for a 35-0 advantage. Calhoun added a 22-yard field goal during a running clock fourth quarter. Asa James led the Woodland rushing attack with 77 yards on 22 attempts. Fifth-ranked Calhoun improved to 6-2 on the season and 2-1 in Region 7-AAAAA. The Yellow Jackets travel to Cass next Friday. Woodland (3-2, 0-2) will make the short trip to Cartersville to take on the 4th-ranked Hurricanes.

Former Cartersville High School quarterback and current Clemson signal-caller Trevor Lawrence received news Thursday that his COVID-19 test came back positive. As a result, one of the nation’s Heisman Trophy favorites will be sidelined Saturday at the top-ranked Tigers take on Boston College. Clemson is a 31-point favorite at home Saturday against the Eagles, so his absence does not raise too much concern -- as far as the Tigers' chances in the game. The bigger question being analyzed by the national media — will Lawrence be available for the Tigers’ November 7 showdown at 4th-ranked Notre Dame? According to coach Dabo Swinney, Clemson tests three times each week. Lawrence’s Wednesday test returned positive and was announced on Thursday. Lawrence said via Twitter Thursday that he has “relatively mild symptoms” and that he “can’t wait for the opportunity to rejoin the team.” The quarterback lives alone and said he will be watching his teammates from isolation. Although not announced by coach Swinney, true freshman quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei is considered the favorite to fill in Saturday against Boston College (4-2). On to the bigger question — Notre Dame? The ACC’s 10-day isolation rule for student-athletes who test positive for COVID-19 makes it tricky for a Lawrence return in time to play against the Irish. Factors will depend on the initial date he showed symptoms prior to testing positive. We don't know exactly when his 10-day clock starts, if his symptoms began prior to Thursday. If Lawrence recovers right away, and his symptoms started as early as this past Tuesday, he could possibly be available for the Notre Dame matchup. The Tigers and Irish square off exactly 10 days after Lawrence's positive test. That would squeeze his recovery time into the narrow window required by the conference. The game is in South Bend, Ind., though, so getting him there without breaking isolation protocol might prove difficult and tricky. The question also would be whether coach Swinney would play his star quarterback against the No. 4 team in the nation without even one practice rep in a 10 day recovery. Lawrence has gone 30-1 with a national title while at Clemson. He is assumed by many experts to be the overall No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

One of the most highly anticipated games in the state scheduled for this Friday at Weinman Stadium has been postponed and the game could be canceled entirely. Cartersville High School athletic director Darrell Demastus said in a tweet Wednesday the decision was made "due to the number of students quarantined for COVID-19." Canes fans unfortunately, the Hurricanes football game scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, is cancelled due to the number of students quarantined for COVID-19. The highest priority is the safety of our players and students. We will announce details of a make-up game at a later date — Darrell Demastus (@ddemastus) October 28, 2020 Blessed Trinity (3-0, 1-0) is currently ranked No. 2 in Class AAAAA by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution while Cartersville (6-1, 2-0) in ranked No. 4. According to Demastus, the two schools are working to make up the game but the options for a rescheduling appear to be limited. Blessed Trinity has been impacted by COVID cancellations multiple times already including their region game with Woodland. That game has already been rescheduled for a shared open date — November 20. The Titans picked up their first region win last Friday over Calhoun. Cartersville has region wins over Cass and Hiram. The region could opt to call the Cartersville-Blessed Trinity game a no-contest and break any ties in the standings by a league vote, or the teams could reschedule the game in between two already scheduled contests. Friday would have been the fourth meeting all-time between the two programs. Cartersville defeated the Titans 24-23 in the second round of the state playoffs in 2012, but Blessed Trinity won in the second round in 2017, 21-17, and in the state title game in 2018, 23-9.

The 2020 state playoff run by the Woodland Wildcats came to a close Wednesday afternoon with a 10-1, third-game loss to Jones County in the two teams’ best-of-3 quarterfinal series. Due to the wet weather, Game 3 of the series was moved from the Woodland campus to the sports turf field at Hamilton Crossing Park. Game 3 was necessary after the two teams split a doubleheader Tuesday. Jones County won the first game 5-0 and Woodland won Game 2, 8-6 in eight innings. In the rubber game Wednesday, Woodland opened the scoring on an RBI single by Michiah Hicks in the bottom of the third. From that point forward, however, all the scoring belonged to the visiting Greyhounds. Destin Howard hit a two-run home run in the top of the fourth for a 2-1 Jones County advantage. Shayla Pennington forced home two more runs in the fifth on a Woodland miscue and Howard followed with her second home run of the game to make the score 7-1. Jones County added three more insurance runs in the top of the seventh on with three hits and a sacrifice fly in the inning. Howard also took care of business in the pitching circle. She earned her second pitching win of the series with a complete game effort. Howard scattered three hits and three walks. She fanned two. Lainey Baker, who had one of Woodland’s three base hits, was the losing pitcher. She worked all seven innings, allowing five earned runs on ten hits and three walks. Baker struck out seven. Hannah Miller and Hicks had the other Wildcats' hits. Woodland coach Colman Roberts announced his retirement after the game, ending his 18-year run with the program. Roberts finishes with a 390-254 record. His teams made it to state 13 times, reached the Sweet 16 five times and advanced to the Elite 8 twice, including this year. Jones County (26-12) advances to the GHSA Class AAAAA Final Four in Columbus Friday and Saturday. Woodland concluded its deepest run in the state playoffs since 2004 with a 25-11 record.

Region standings for local high school football teams in Bartow County.

Woodland High School's Rylee Evans won the girls' individual championship Tuesday on her home course and led her team to a runner-up finish in the Region 7-AAAAA Championship. Meanwhile, Cartersville finished second in the boys championship race and added a third place finish in the girls race. The Woodland boys were also third. Complete region results are listed below (courtesy Georgia Mile Split). All four local teams will advance to the Class AAAAA State Championship Meet at 8 a.m. on the campus of Carrollton High School on Saturday, November 7.

The Woodland softball team found its back to the wall Tuesday night after losing the opening game in their best-of-3, Class AAAAA state quarterfinal series with visiting Jones County. The Greyhounds blanked the Wildcats in the first game, 5-0. In Game 2 Woodland responded, however, to win a back-and-forth battle 8-6 to force a deciding third game scheduled for Wednesday. Playing as the home team in Game 2, Jones County led 1-0 after one inning and 2-1 through four innings. The Wildcats took their first lead in the top of the fifth on a three-run home run by Michiah Hicks and added two more runs in the top of the seventh to lead 6-2. In the bottom of the seventh, Jones County tied the game to force an extra inning. An infield error, a single, and a fielder’s choice forced in one run before Stephanie Youngblood hit a game-tying, three-run home run over the centerfield fence. Ansley Evans started the Wildcats’ go-ahead rally in the eighth inning with a two-out single. Walks to Hicks and Hannah Miller loaded the bases and Kailey Baker singled to centerfield to drive in two runs for an 8-6 lead. Lainey Baker (4 IP, 4R, 0ER, 2H, 1BB, 3K) retired the side in the bottom of the eighth to secure the pitching win in relief. Cassie Jones (4 IP, 2R, 1ER, 3H, 2K) started in the circle for Woodland. Lainey Baker had two hits for the Wildcats including a solo home run in the top of the fourth that tied the score 1-1 at the time. Kailey Baker (2 RBIs) and Cassie Jones (RBI) also had two hits each. Hicks (3-run homer), Evans, and Cambrie Carrington added one hit apiece. Following the doubleheader split, Woodland (25-10) will host Jones County (25-12) in Game 3 Wednesday at 5 p.m. weather permitting. The series winner will advance to the Final Four in Columbus Friday and Saturday. GAME 1: JONES COUNTY 5, WOODLAND 0 Jones County pitcher Destin Howard scattered three hits and a walk in a complete-game win. She struck out ten Wildcats. The Greyhounds struck for two runs in the second inning on Taylor Trefelner home run. Jones County then added a single run in the third inning and two more in the fifth on a two-RBI single by Molly Keenum. Jones County out hit Woodland in the opener, ten to three. The Wildcats also committed a pair of errors. Three Jones County batters had two hits each — Stephanie Youngblood, Shayla Pennington, and Kimber Kent. Woodland’s three hits came off the bats of Jessica Ryan, Cambrie Carrington, and Lainey Baker with one hit each. Lainey Baker (7 IP, 5R, 3ER, 10H, 0BB, 4K) suffered the pitching loss in a complete-game effort.

An article in The Athletic released Monday notes the publication’s first Heisman Straw Poll of the year virtually mirrors the majority of preseason polls. Former Cartersville High and current Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is a clear frontrunner. In the straw poll, Lawrence received 33 of a possible 44 first-place votes and 115 total points. Those numbers placed him well ahead of Alabama quarterback Mac Jones who received eight first-place votes and 64 total points. Ohio State quarterback, Justin Fields, and Alabama running back Najee Harris received the other first-place votes. Fields was third overall, followed by BYU quarterback Zach Wilson and Harris. Visibility obviously matters — with some of the top vote-getters just beginning their seasons. The race, as always, will be interesting to follow as the college football season continues. The full article in The Athletic may be viewed here — https://theathletic.com/2161314/2020/10/26/heisman-trophy-favorites-trevor-lawrence/

Vic Beasley Jr. hasn't enjoyed the best start to his Tennessee Titans tenure, but perhaps, Sunday signified a turnaround of sorts. Following offseason drama that saw the former Adairsville star arrive late to training camp, Beasley missed Tennessee's opening two games due to injury. He made his debut for the team Week 3. However, he only managed one assisted tackle through his first three appearances. Sunday's narrow loss — the team's first of the season — saw Beasley finally make a sizable contribution. It wasn't a monster stat line. Even still, a pair of tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage, and a forced fumble represented a significant uptick in impact plays. With the Titans (5-1) looking to return to the playoffs after reaching the AFC Championship Game last season, Tennessee will be hoping to see Beasley continue to make noise along the defensive front. At the collegiate level, five of the six football players who participated in Saturday action helped their respective teams come out on top. Miller Forristall contributed in an SEC win for Alabama. Jonathan Cruz and Jordan Ferguson did their part to see their sides pick up victories in Conference USA. JaCorey Johns and Trevor Lawrence helped their ACC teams pick up conference wins. Speaking of Lawrence, the Heisman race opened back up a bit more Saturday, when he looked human and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields (a graduate of Harrison High in Kennesaw) did not in his highly anticipated season debut. Fields completed 20 of 21 passes in his team's opener. It will be fascinating to see how the shortened season from the Buckeyes impacts Fields’ Hesiman push, but it seems likely that Northwest Georgia will produce a couple of finalists for the prestigious award. PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL Vic Beasley Jr. (Tennessee Titans, Adairsville) — Beasley enjoyed his best game as a member of the Titans Sunday, although Tennessee did drop its first game of the season — 27-24 to Pittsburgh. The former Atlanta Falcons edge rusher recorded two tackles, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble in the game. Next up for Tennessee (5-1) is a trip this week to Cincinnati. COLLEGE FOOTBALL Jonathan Cruz (Charlotte Jr., Cartersville) — After having last week’s game postponed, Charlotte picked up its second win of the season with a 38-28 victory over Texas-El Paso. Cruz converted a 32-yard field goal and made all five of his point-after tries in the home win. Charlotte (2-2, 2-1 Conference USA) will face in-state foe Duke on Halloween. Jordan Ferguson (Middle Tennessee State R-Jr., Cartersville) — Ferguson set a career high with nine tackles, albeit just two solo, in a wild, 40-34 victory over Rice in double overtime. Following a bye week, MTSU (2-5, 2-3 Conference USA) is scheduled to host Charlotte Nov. 7 in Murfreesboro. Miller Forristall (Alabama R-Sr., Cartersville) — Forristall continues to make his opportunities in the passing game count, hauling in a 25-yard reception for his only catch in a 48-17 romp past Tennessee. Overall, Forristall has nine catches for 127 yards — an average of 14.1 yards per reception — this season. This week, second-ranked Alabama will welcome Mississippi State to Tuscaloosa. JaCorey Johns (Wake Forest R-So., Cartersville)  — Johns did his part in helping Wake Forest upset then-No. 19 Virginia Tech Saturday, when he totaled four tackles (three solo), one tackle for loss and one sack. Fresh off their 23-16 home victory, the Demon Deacons (3-2, 2-2 ACC) will look to extend their winning streak to four games this Saturday at Syracuse. Trevor Lawrence (Clemson Jr., Cartersville) — It wasn’t his cleanest performance, but Lawrence still managed to account for 300-plus yards and two touchdowns. A vast majority of that production came via his right arm, as the former Canes signal-caller went 27-for-43 passing for 289 yards and a pair of scores. Lawrence threw an interception for the second straight game — this one his first career pick-6 — after not having a turnover through the air in nearly a year. Even still, the presumptive top pick in the 2021 NFL draft wound up leading the Tigers to a four-score win. No. 1 Clemson (5-0, 4-0 ACC) hosts Boston College this week in its final tune-up before a potential top-five matchup Nov. 7 at Notre Dame. Avery Showell (Georgia Tech R-Jr., Cartersville) — Showell assisted on a tackle in a 48-27 road defeat against Boston College Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The Yellow Jackets (2-4, 2-3) are set to face No. 4 Notre Dame Saturday in Atlanta. CROSS COUNTRY Parker Breedlove (Reinhardt So., Cartersville) — Breedlove placed 14th in 27 minutes, 44.63 seconds during the NAIA Southern States Challenge Saturday in Bluffton, South Carolina. Reinhardt finished runner-up — just a single point behind Southeastern (Florida) — in the six-team event. The Eagles will host the Reinhardt Invitational Friday at Boling Park in Canton. -- Contribution by Nicholas Sullivan, The Daily Tribune News