February 12, 2026 The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes edged out the visiting Ringgold Tigers 1-0 in a hard-fought boys soccer matchup on Thursday night, securing a gritty shutout victory on their home pitch. The game remained scoreless through a tense first half, with both defenses holding firm and neither side creating clear-cut chances. The breakthrough came in the 63rd minute, when the Hurricanes were awarded a penalty kick after a foul in the penalty area. Junior Fily Duarte stepped up to take the spot kick, but his initial attempt was denied by the Ringgold goalkeeper. Undeterred, Duarte pounced on the rebound, calmly pushing the deflected ball into the back of the net to give Cartersville the 1-0 lead. The Tigers pushed forward in search of an equalizer, generating pressure as the clock ticked down. Ringgold's best opportunity came on a dangerous breakaway in the 70th minute, but Hurricanes goalkeeper Cash Priest made a crucial save to preserve the clean sheet and deny the visitors. Cartersville's back line stood tall the rest of the way, frustrating Ringgold's attacks and protecting the narrow advantage until the final whistle. The win improves the Purple Hurricanes to 2-1 on the young season, Ringgold drops to 1-1. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 7, RINGGOLD 1 Mallory Nicklas (5) finished with two goals and three assists against Ringgold on Feb. 12. Photo by JP Morrow Scott Barkley / CanesAthletics.com Mallory Nicklas and Mary Beth Hackney each scored twice, with Lexi Fennelly, Scout Hullander, and Allie Evans also finding the goal as the Lady Canes got their first win of the year, 7-1, over Ringgold in Weinman Stadium on Thursday night, Feb. 12. Nicklas also had three assists on the evening. Hackney added two assists, and Elizabeth Villela delivered one.  Hackney opened the scoring in the 7th minute, set up by a cross from Nicklas. Fennelly added another seven minutes later for the 2-0 score. Ringgold then took advantage of a free kick near midfield at 30’ to set up a run that drew the difference to 2-1. CHS would score three times in the final ten minutes of the half, though. It began at 32’ with Nicklas curving a straight-on shot over the keeper from 30 yards out for the 3-1 lead. Evans added another minutes later, before Nicklas struck again with a 20-yarder from the left, outside of the box and into the opposite corner, bringing the halftime lead to 5-1.  The Lady Canes kept the pressure after the break, scoring twice in the first four minutes with goals by Hullander and Hackney.  “It was an exciting night,” said head coach MaryBeth Popham. “We started a little slow, but momentum shifted, and they started playing up to their level. They worked together, communication improved, and scored goals.” The team is beginning without two key leaders and scorers from last season. Kylie McMichael left the team to pursue an opportunity for flag football at Emmanuel University. Annabelle “AB” Williams experienced a torn ACL during club play in the fall, then reinjured it during school and needed further surgery. She will be assisting from the sidelines this season. “They’re all still learning how to mesh together, trusting each other, but I can see that happening,” said Popham.  CHS moves its record to 1-2 after losses to Cherokee and Calhoun. They return to action on Feb. 17 at Heritage.

February 14, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Excel Christian Academy boys’ basketball team advanced to the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools (GAPPS) Final Four by defeating the Alleluia Community Angels on Friday night in Emerson, 87-75, in the state quarterfinals. The defending state champions and host Eagles led 27-23 after one quarter and 47-42 at halftime, before extending the advantage to 74-61 in the third quarter. Mason McKinney led four Eagles in double figures with 21 points. Mier Bell finished with 18. Damir McBride posted 17 points, and Aston Chappell added 11 in the win. Alleluia Community of Augusta was led by Evan Laddbush with 26 points, including eight made three-pointers. ECA advanced to the GAPPS Final Four on Tuesday at Gordon State College in Barnesville. The Eagles will square off with Sugar Hill Christian Academy of Gwinnett County at 4 p.m. The other state semifinal will feature Praise Academy of Powder Springs against Promise Prep Academy of Dawsonville at 1:30 p.m., also at Gordon State College. The two state semifinal winners will play for the GAPPS Class A state championship at Gordon State on Saturday, February 21, at 1:30 p.m.

February 13, 2026 The Woodland Wildcats edged out the Cherokee Warriors 2-1 in a tense penalty kick shootout on Friday night in Canton, improving to 2-0 on the young season. The non-region clash at Cherokee's home field went to penalties after a hard-fought 1-1 draw through regulation. Cherokee struck first in the first half when a Warriors player found the net in the 6th minute, putting the home side ahead. Woodland responded quickly, with Hunter Limbaugh equalizing in the 15th minute. Goalkeeper Seth Goodall made one key save to keep it level heading into halftime at 1-1. The second half was a defensive battle, with no goals scored.  Goodall stood tall in net for Woodland, turning away 7 saves to preserve the tie and force extra time and penalty kicks. In the shootout, Luis Sanchez, Saul Ortega, and Limbaugh converted for the Wildcats, while Goodall blocked one Cherokee shot. The Warriors had an opening attempt sail high, and another banged off the side post.  With the Warriors’ final miss, the Wildcats secured the dramatic victory. Goodall’s eight total saves across regulation and the shootout proved decisive, anchoring a Woodland defense that bent but never broke in the second half. The loss dropped Cherokee to 1-2 on the season. Woodland (2-0) will host North Cobb on Tuesday at 5 p.m., looking to keep their perfect start rolling. CHEROKEE 8, WOODLAND GIRLS 0 The Cherokee Lady Warriors blanked the visiting Woodland Lady Cats on Friday night, 8-0. Cherokee improved to 3-0 in the young season. Woodland dropped to 0-2. Woodland will host North Cobb at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

February 12, 2026 The Cass Lady Colonels battled hard but fell just short in a 2-1 heartbreaker against the East Paulding Lady Raiders on Thursday evening. The host Lady Raiders struck early to seize control. They converted a penalty kick in the opening minutes, followed by a well-executed corner kick goal, leaving Cass trailing 2-0 at halftime. But the Lady Colonels showed resilience after the break. Freshman Chloe Hunt ignited the comeback hopes, netting a goal early in the second half to make it 2-1. From there, Cass found new energy, but failed to score an equalizer.  The team dominated possession and dictated the tempo for much of the second half, with junior captain Zoe Bailey and senior Amy Villanueva spearheading an attack that challenged East Paulding. In the midfield, freshman Jillian Silva, junior Ryland Piatt, and senior Gracey Nash were solid, winning balls, forcing turnovers, and maintaining control to fuel the offensive pressure. The back line—anchored by senior captain Hayleigh McGeehan, junior Shania Hernandez, and junior Fatima Lopez—stood firm, while senior goalkeeper Layla Allgood delivered multiple clutch saves to keep her team within striking distance. East Paulding improved to 1-1 on the young season with the win. Cass, now 0-1, will look to bounce back when they host Darlington on February 24. "I'm proud of the fight in our girls," said Cass coach Kyle Calandra. "This is only the beginning for this group."

February 13, 2026 The Cass Colonels boys soccer team kicked off their 2026 season with a hard-fought 2-1 road victory over the East Paulding Raiders on Thursday night. The Colonels struck early and held on for the non-region win, improving their young season record while handing the Raiders (1-1) their first loss. David Pedro Hernandez opened the scoring in the 18th minute, finishing off a crisp assist from Giovanni Pineda to give Cass a 1-0 lead. The Colonels added to their advantage just before halftime when Karter Berdnik netted his goal in the 32nd minute, set up by Mason Madrid's playmaking pass. The 2-1 halftime lead proved decisive, as the Colonels' defense and smart possession kept the second half scoreless. Cass (1-0) will host Darlington on Monday, February 24th, at 7:30 p.m.

February 12, 2026 Adairsville wrestlers David Coon and Jarett Chriswell competed on Wednesday and Thursday at the Georgia High School Association Class AAA Traditional State Tournament in Morrow. Coon went 2-2 in bouts at 175 pounds and was eliminated in the third round of consolations. Chriswell finished 0-2 in his 157-pound bouts. Coon earned 4-½ team points for the Tigers, giving the team a 41st-place finish in Class AAA. Jefferson won the state title, followed by Troup, North Hall, Gilmer, and White County.

February 12, 2026 The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes opened the 2026 baseball season on Thursday evening at Rockmart and escaped with a nail-biting 1-0 win in eight innings. After seven scoreless innings in a pitcher’s duel, the Canes coaxed four walks in the top of the eighth for the game’s only run. Cartersville reliever Brayden Logan walked a batter in the bottom of the eighth, but a pickoff, a groundout, and a strikeout retired the side and preserved the combined shutout victory. Nate Russell, who has signed with Georgia Southern, started as the pitcher for the Hurricanes and recorded four strikeouts over three scoreless innings. Coleman Stubblefield pitched the next four innings, giving up no runs, just one hit, and three walks, while striking out five batters. Stubblefield earned the win, and Logan secured a save. Rockmart's left-handed starting pitcher, Trey Luke, struck out 13 batters in the first five innings, preventing the Canes from scoring, although he walked five. In the final three innings, Gage Campbell pitched for the Yellow Jackets without allowing a hit, but he also gave up five walks and was credited with the loss. Logan had the only two hits for Cartersville. Colby Fuqua had Rockmart’s only base hit. The loss dropped Rockmart to 0-2 on the season. Cartersville (1-0) hosts Harrison on Saturday at 1 p.m. DARLINGTON 3, ADAIRSVILLE 2 Darlington scored its go-ahead run in the top of the sixth and held on to win at Adairsville on Thursday, 3-2. Both teams posted a first-inning run, and Darlington took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third. Adairsville tied the score at 2-2 in the fifth, before the visiting Tigers in purple took the lead for good. Kaden Coker made the pitching start for Adairsville and fanned six in the first five innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk. Tyler Parker yielded one run on three hits in the sixth and was saddled with the pitching loss. Westin Barfield walked one and struck out one in a shutout seventh inning. Harrison Cole and Barfield had two hits for Adairsville. Hudson Parr added one hit, and Coker contributed one RBI. Darlington improved to 2-0. Adairsville (2-1) hosts Woodland-Stockbridge on Monday at 5:30 p.m.

February 11, 2026 The Woodland boys and the Adairsville girls added soccer wins on Wednesday night. WOODLAND BOYS 2, COAHULLA CREEK 1 The Woodland Wildcats posted a goal in each half to build a 2-0 lead on Wednesday night and defeated the Coahulla Creek Colts 2-1 in their 2026 season opener. In the 19th minute, Hunter Limbaugh scored from a corner kick delivered by Danny Chavez, putting the Wildcats ahead 1-0 at halftime. Five minutes into the second half, Marvin Morales, assisted by Aiden Carrillo, scored another goal for Woodland, extending the Wildcats' lead to 2-0. The Colts (0-2) avoided a shutout with a goal in the 59th minute. Woodland goalkeeper Seth Goodall had one save in each half for the Wildcats. The Wildcats (1-0) return to the pitch on Friday at Cherokee for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 7, ARMUCHEE 2 The Adairsville Lady Tigers built a 6-2 lead in the first half and won at Armuchee on Wednesday evening, 7-2. Alexa Damer scored four goals, including three in the first half, to lead the Tigers. Braylynn Martin scored two goals and had one assist, and Ella Edwards contributed one goal and one assist in the win. Carly Edwards assisted on two Adairsville goals, and Addi Jerauld, Leyla Gomez-Perez, and Piper Tordrup each added one assist. Adairsville (2-0) hosts Central-Carroll on February 24. COAHULLA CREEK GIRLS 3, WOODLAND 0 The Lady Cats lost their season opener on Wednesday evening to Coahulla Creek, 3-0. Woodland (0-1) visits Cherokee on Friday in a 5:30 p.m. start.

February 11, 2026 McCayden Hufstetler and Westin Barfield teamed up on the mound to achieve a shutout, while the Adairsville Tigers scored four runs in the fourth inning and six more in the sixth, securing a 10-0 victory at Cass on Wednesday evening. The win was also the 300th career coaching victory for Adairsville's Billy Roper. Hufstetler struck out nine and allowed just three hits and one walk in five innings. Barfield gave up one hit and struck out one in relief. Adairsville baseball coach, Billy Roper (center), collected his 300th career victory. Photo: Adairsville Athletics on X. Tyler Parker (double, five RBI) and Barfield (RBI) had two hits for the Tigers. Harrison Cole (double, two RBI) and Hudson Parr added one hit in Adairsville’s win. Cass utilized four pitchers with starter Dustin Wallin (3.1 IP, 4ER, 3H, 1BB, 8K) tagged with the loss. Easton Lee (1.2 IP, 0R, 0BB, 3K), Darren Cole (0.1 IP, 5ER, 1H, 3BB), and Landon Lamb (0.2 IP, 1ER, 2H) pitched in relief for the Colonels. Wallin had two hits, including a double. Zach Stiles (double) and Kasey Jacobs had the other Cass base hits. Adairsville (2-0) hosts Darlington on Thursday at 5 p.m. and Woodland on Monday at 5:30 p.m. Cass (0-1) has home games on Saturday with East Paulding at 11 a.m. and Sonoraville at 4 p.m.  The Colonels will also host Model on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

February 11, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Woodland trailed 5-1 in the middle of the fifth inning on Wednesday evening, but flipped the game in the bottom of the frame by scoring seven runs. The Wildcats added three more runs in the sixth and secured an 11-6 home win over the North Cobb Warriors. Cameron O’Shields (1 IP, 1ER, 1H, 1BB, 1K) picked up the pitching win by working relief in the fifth inning. Clayton Wilkes (3.2 IP, 2R, 1ER, 3H, 2BB, 2K) made the pitching start for Woodland. Levi Wheeler (0.1 IP, 2ER, 1H, 1BB) finished off the fourth inning on the mound, and Zaylen Cochran (2 IP, 1R, 0ER, 2H, 5K) closed out the final two frames. Tommy Risner (two RBI) and Steven Tumlin (RBI) had two hits for the Wildcats. Sammy Ray and Alfredo Romo each added one hit. The Wildcats also took advantage of seven walks, five stolen bases, and three errors by the Warriors. North Cobb slipped to 1-1 on the season. Woodland (2-0) visits Kennesaw Mountain on Saturday for a 1 p.m. start.

February 11, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Georgia Highlands Chargers split a baseball doubleheader at Cleveland State CC on Tuesday, dropping the opener 14-7 and winning the second game 6-2. GHC scored four runs in the top of the first in Game 1, but gave up nine in the first two frames, leading to the loss. A three-run sixth inning and an insurance run in the seventh lifted the Chargers in their Game 2 win. Aidan Larkin finished the doubleheader with five hits, including four doubles and two RBI. Mason Moore (home run, sac fly, three RBI) and Kenton Collier (sac fly, two RBI) followed with three hits each. Andrew Bishop homered twice and had four RBI. Wyatt Gatlin also had two hits, including a solo home run. Emilliano Dominguez contributed a solo home run and a double. Carson Page, Caiden Marcos, and TJ Sunderhaus each added one hit for the day. Starting pitcher Nick Kane (0.1 IP, 7R, 5ER, 4H, 2BB, 1K) only retired one out in the opening game loss. Jowsell Seda (1.2 IP, 2ER, 2H, 2K), Calvin Koo (2 IP, 2ER, 4H, 1BB, 2K), and Evan Doss (2 IP, 3R, 1ER, 3H, 2BB) pitched in relief for the Chargers. Braxton Wade (4 IP, 1ER, 4H, 2BB, 4K) made the pitching start in Game 2 and was credited with the win on the mound. Jackson Scali (2 IP, 0R, 1H, 3K), Jack Burns (0.2 IP, 1ER, 2H, 1K), and Gatlin (0.1 IP, 0R, 1BB) covered the final three innings on the bump. The Chargers (8-4) welcome Lincoln Trail College (IL) for doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday at 1 p.m. and 12 noon, respectively.

February 11, 2026 from Georgia Highlands College Athletics The Georgia Highlands College softball team kicked off its 2026 home slate with authority on Tuesday afternoon, sweeping Snead State Community College (AL) by scores of 3-1 and 6-1 at Carol Brown Field in Cartersville. The victories moved the Chargers to an even 2-2 mark early in the season. In the first game, scoring stayed quiet until the bottom of the fourth inning. Ahmani Green (Worth Co. HS) started things with an infield single and promptly stole second base. Mary Cat Kimball (Haralson Co. HS) then drove her in with a sharp double to the left-center gap, giving GHC a 1-0 edge. Snead State tied it up with a run in the fifth, but the Chargers responded decisively in the sixth. Emma Darrow (South Effingham HS) reached on an error, paving the way for Green to unleash an inside-the-park home run that restored the lead for good and sealed the 3-1 win. Game two saw the Chargers jump ahead quickly. In the first inning, Darrow singled, took third on a left-field error, and came home on a fielder’s choice from Ansley Logan (Loganville). Logan kept the momentum rolling in the third, drawing a leadoff walk, stealing second, and scoring on another double from Green. Haley Curtis (Dalton) then took command in the circle, delivering a complete-game masterpiece. The right-hander surrendered only one unearned run on five hits, issuing one walk while fanning six batters across seven strong innings to secure the 6-1 victory. Georgia Highlands now heads out on the road for a busy weekend, taking part in the Northeast Alabama Classic on Friday and the Gadsden State Classic on Saturday. The Chargers return home the following Tuesday, February 17, to host Cleveland State.