Adult recreation basketball games played with the Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department December 23 and 30. ________ December 30 Adult Basketball at J.H. Morgan Gym TRILL ATHLETICS 46, BIG BALLERS 45 TRILL: Levon Johnson 10; Eric Chatmon 9 BALLERS: Talique Cochran and Kevane Washington 12 each TOYO ALL-STARS 75, LANETT PANTHERS 57 STARS: Josh Christian 22, Chris Brown 15, Eddie Melvin 14 PANTHERS: Corey Tobin 17, Kenny Pierson 15, Gordon Gray 10 CARTERSVILLE FIRST BAPTIST 62, THE HAWKS 56 CFBC: Adam Jones 21, Kyle Gonzalez 11 HAWKS: Rhett Kirby 18, Ben Bridges 16, Nick Whorton 12 December 23 Adult Basketball at J.H. Morgan Gym CTC TALONS 56, TRILL ATHLETICS 45 TALONS: Jeremiah Lynn 18, Stanley Hughes 9 TRILL: Byron Hall 18, Rodrick King 16 CTC ALUMS 86, BIG BALLERS 48 ALUMS: Ryan Davis 25, A.J. Mosby 19, Jeremiah Alstin 17, T.J. Horton 11 BALLERS: J.R. Davis and Chaz Phillips 12 each; D.J. Garnigan 10 KAWHI ME A RIVER 54, GLENDA MITCHELL LAW FIRM 52 RIVER: Chris Darden 19, Trez Harrell 17 MITCHELL: Justin Mackey 19, Drew McKay 11 THE HAWKS 55, KRACKERJAX 50 HAWKS: Rhett Kirby 19, Georgie Russell 13 KRACKERJAX: Mike Woodard 18, Austin Medford 12 Youth and adult recreation basketball results presented by Trophy Showroom. All information is provided by the Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department, the Bartow County Parks and Recreation Department, and the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association.

The Cass High wrestling team finished first and the Adairsville High wrestling team finished second at their respective tournaments Saturday. CASS WRESTLING TEAM WINS ROCKMART INVITATIONAL The Cass High wrestling team won the Rockmart Yellow Jackets Invitational Saturday, edging Northwest Whitfield by three points — 156.5 to 153.5. Oglethorpe County, Cartersville, and Model rounded out the top five finishing teams in the 18-team field. Cass had four weight division champions in the tournament and two other placers. Senior Reed Davis, Sophomore Bryce Kresho, and Freshmen Tyler McKnight and Zach McKnight won individual tournament titles. Senior Alex Depasquale had a runner-up finish and junior Adan Urizar placed fourth. Next for Cass will be a Senior Night match at home against East Paulding and Murray County January 8 prior to the Region 7-AAAAA Duals Championship January 11 at Paulding County. ADAIRSVILLE RUNNER-UP AT HEART OF DIXIE The Adairsville High wrestling team placed second this weekend in a field of 13 teams at the Heart of Dixie Classic in Birmingham, Alabama. The tournament was hosted by Vestavia Hills High School. Angel Banda and Brendan Luginbuhl won individual titles in their respective weight divisions. Banda was also selected as the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler. Isaac Linley, James Standridge, and Dalton Cornett each finished as weight division runners-up and the Tigers had 14 placers out of the 16 wrestlers at the event. In addition, Adairsville was selected for the team sportsmanship award. The Tigers will wrestle in the South Paulding Spartans Duals next Saturday and will host Pace Academy and Armuchee for Senior Night on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

The Cass Lady Colonels built a 14-point lead in the first half Saturday and eventually won by 15 as they defeated rival Cartersville in the semifinals of the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash at Adairsville High School. The Cass girls will face Trion Monday night at 7 p.m. for the tournament championship. The two other local teams in Saturday night’s semifinal action — the Adairsville girls and boys teams — both dropped their contests and will play for third place Monday. Londaisha Smith (photo) poured in 21 points and Claire Davis added 13 as the Cass Lady Colonels defeated Cartersville 63-48 in the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash championship semifinals Saturday night. Cass led 16-8 after the opening eight minutes and pushed their lead to 31-17 by halftime. The Lady Colonels led 43-32 after three quarters. Also adding to the Cass scoring were Ariana Hames with eight points; Taryn Callahan with seven; Haley Johnson six; Amaya Ford five; and Keara McDaniel three points. Lehla Thomas scored nine points with eight rebounds and two assists for the Lady Canes. Naijah Evans also finished with nine points. Jada Cunningham scored eight. Jimaya Moore followed with seven points. Campbell Rogers, Cio Seigler, and Jakayah Draughn had three points apiece. Alexia Henderson, Ariana Cochran, and Zoe Casey added two points each for Cartersville. Cartersville (6-5) will play in Monday’s third place game at 4 p.m. against Adairsville. Cass (11-4) advances to the tournament championship game to face Trion at 7 p.m. Monday night. TRION 63, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 54 Chloe Murdock scored 20 points and Shelby Carlock added 14 as Trion outlasted the Adairsville girls Saturday night in the championship semifinals of the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash. The visiting Lady Bulldogs led 16-5 after one quarter, 24-20 at halftime, and 46-37 after three quarters on their way to a nine-point win. Lexie Childers and Haley Stiles led Adairsville with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Makayla Wade scored nine for the Lady Tigers while Yatorrean Hale and Alexa Varner added six points each. Adairsville (4-9) will play Cartersville Monday at 4 p.m. for third place in the tournament. Trion (8-4) advances to the 7 p.m. tournament championship game Monday night against Cass. LAFAYETTE 57, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 45 The LaFayette boys extended a two-point halftime lead to nine in the third quarter and then held off host Adairsville down the stretch for a 57-45 championship semifinal win Saturday night in the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash. The Ramblers trailed the Tigers 14-13 after one quarter but took a 28-26 lead to the locker room at the intermission. In the third quarter, LaFayette outscored Adairsville 14-7 to carry a 42-33 lead into the game’s final eight minutes. LaFayette (14-0) had four players reach double figures in scoring led by Decameron Porter’s 16. Aidan Hadaway followed with 14 points. Asa Deal scored 11 and Junior Barber finished with 10 points for the Ramblers. Jaxon Welchel led Adairsville with a game-high 17 points. Savaun Henderson followed with seven for the Tigers. Gaven Crunkleton scored five. Conner Crunkleton and Johnathan Jarrett contributed four apiece. William Longmore and Malachi Gardner had three points and T.J. Printup added two. Adairsville (6-6) will play in the tournament’s third place game Monday at 5:30 p.m. against Cornerstone Prep Academy. LaFayette will meet Walker for the tournament championship Monday night at 8:30 p.m. WALKER BOYS 77, CORNERSTONE PREP ACADEMY 59 The Class A-Private third-ranked Walker Wolverines advanced to the championship game of the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash with Saturday night’s 77-59 win over Cornerstone Prep Academy. Omar Cooper led Walker with 18 points. Chris Newell and Chandler Baxter followed with 16 and 12, respectively for the Wolverines. Cornerstone Prep (15-3) was led by Joshua Greene with 17 points. Austin Redd added 12. The Eagles will play in the tournament’s third place game Monday at 5:30 p.m. against Adairsville. Walker advances to the tournament championship game Monday night at 8:30 p.m. against LaFayette.

The Cartersville and Cass girls basketball teams will square off Saturday at 4 p.m. in the semifinals of the Ace Hardware Christmas Clash at Adairsville High School. Cartersville beat North Cobb Christian Friday morning 61-44 to advance, while Cass topped LaFayette 66-52 in their first round game Friday afternoon. In other early tournament action Friday, the Cartersville boys lost to Walker at the Adairsville tournament 74-71, the Cass boys fell to Monsignor Farrell (NY) at the KSA Tournament in Orlando, and the Excel Christian Academy boys lost at Pickens County. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 61, NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN 44 The Lady Canes took a 21-4 lead after just one quarter and held on to defeat North Cobb Christian Friday morning at Adairsville, 61-44. Cartersville led 39-18 at the intermission and was up 49-32 heading into the final period. Cio Seigler led the Hurricanes with 18 points on six three-pointers and took a pair of charges on defense. She was followed by nine teammates in the scoring column. Naijah Evans scored eight; Jamiya Moore and Lehla Thomas seven each; Kiera Milline (photo by Randy Parker, The Daily Tribune News) scored six; Jada Cunningham and Alexia Henderson four each; Campbell Rogers three; Jakayah Draughn and Ariana Cochran (seven rebounds, four assists) added two points apiece. Brooke Moore and Mary Claire Norman led North Cobb Christian with 22 and 20 points, respectively. The loss dropped the Eagles to 9-3 on the season. North Cobb Christian will play Lafayette Saturday at 10 a.m. Cartersville (6-4) advances to play Cass at 4 p.m. in the tournament semifinals. CASS GIRLS 66, LAFAYETTE 52 Claire Davis scored 27 points and Londaisha Smith added 16 as the Lady Colonels beat LaFayette Friday afternoon 66-52 in first round action at the Ace Hardware Christmas Clash at Adairsville High School. Cass held a 15-9 lead after the first eight minutes and was ahead 33-22 at halftime. The Lady Colonels led 49-36 after three quarters and held on for a 14-point victory. Justice Bennett (photo by Randy Parker, The Daily Tribune News) posted seven points for Cass. Taryn Callahan had six. Keara McDaniel scored four points while Ariana Hames and Amaya Ford added three points each. Latoyah Barber led LaFayette with 21 points. She was followed by Mikeria Johnson with 13 and Marquella Howell with 11 points for the Lady Ramblers. LaFayette (7-6) will play North Cobb Christian in a consolation game Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Cass (10-4) advances to the tournament semifinals at 4 p.m. where they will play Cartersville. WALKER 74, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 71 The Class A-Private third-ranked Walker Wolverines held off a second half surge by the Cartersville boys for a three-point win in first round action at the Adairsville Christmas Clash. Walker led 24-12 after one quarter, 42-33 at halftime, and 62-52 after three quarters before Cartersville challenged late. The Wolverines (11-1) had four players in double figures with Chris Newell leading the way with 21 points. Chandler Baker followed with 20, Burke Chebuhar scored 15, and Omar Cooper tallied 12 points. Kolbe Benham led the Canes with 24 points, including 16 in the first half. Micah Tart had 12 points. Marquail Coaxum finished with 11 and Kyler Johnson scored all ten of his points in the second half. Kam Callahan posted eight points. Brynen Wilkens scored five. Robert Novak and Jynerieus Stanley added two points apiece. With their win, Walker advances to play Cornerstone Prep in the semifinals Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Cartersville (2-4) will face Trion Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in a consolation game. MONSIGNOR FARRELL (NY) 61, CASS BOYS 44 The Cass boys struggled with 25 turnovers and were only three-of-14 from behind the arc Friday as they suffered an opening round loss at the KSA Holiday Tournament in Orlando Florida. The Colonels fell to Monsignor Farrell of Staten Island New York 61-44. Cass led 16-14 after one quarter Friday, but fell behind 27-22 by the intermission and trailed 43-35 after three quarters. Justin Zieris scored 15 points and Jack Fitzgibbons added 13 in the Lions victory. Zaylan Chaney led Cass with 10 points. Jaquan Heard followed with nine. Cass (9-5) will play a consolation game Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Conrad Academy (Fla.) and will play a third game Monday at 10 a.m. against an opponent to be determined. PICKENS 68, EXCEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY BOYS 53 The Excel Christian Academy boys lost at Pickens Friday afternoon 68-53 participating in the Pickens Christmas Bash in Jasper. The host Dragons led 20-11 after one quarter, 33-24 at halftime, and 55-39 after three quarters on their way to a 15-point win. Pickens was led by 18 points from Noah Sutton; 17 by Tucker Lowe; and 14 by Owen Moss. Rashard Doyle, Rayshawn Womack, and Kalil Holley finished with double-figure scoring for the Eagles with 15, 14, and 11 points, respectively. Excel Christian (2-8) will play Lassiter Saturday at Pickens at 3:30 p.m. OTHER BOYS GAMES AT THE ADAIRSVILLE TOURNAMENT CORNERSTONE PREP 75, TRION 60 Joshua Greene scored 23 of his game-high 30 points in the first half as the Cougars beat Trion 75-60. Aamir Broadwater added 10 points for Cornerstone Prep (15-2). Rob Brown and Jaden Hardy posted 13 points each for the Bulldogs (4-6) in their loss. Trion plays Cartersville Saturday in a consolation game at 11:30 a.m. Cornerstone will play Walker in the semifinals at 4 p.m. LAFAYETTE 88, MADISON COUNTY (AL) 62 Aidan Hadaway scored 29 points, DeCameron Porter totaled 17, and Asa Deal finished with 14 points as the LaFayette Ramblers remained undefeated on the season and cruised past Madison County in the first round of the Adairsville Christmas Tournament, 88-62. Trevor Harris scored 21 points for Madison County (2-12). Madison County will play a consolation game Saturday at 2:30 p.m. against Friday night’s Woodland/Adairsville loser. LaFayette will play the Woodland/Adairsville winner in Saturday night’s semifinal game at 8:30 p.m. Editor’s Note: The Woodland and Adairsville results will be published in a separate report.

The Cartersville boys bounced back from a close loss on Friday morning with a 68-53 consolation semifinal win Saturday over Trion at the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash. The Canes trailed 16-14 at the end of the first quarter, but a pressing defense forced turnovers and led to a 30-point second quarter for Cartersville as they took a 44-24 lead to the break. Cartersville extended the lead to 58-33 through three quarters and held on for a 15-point win. Micah Tart led the way for Cartersville with 20 points. Kam Callahan followed with 14. Kyler Johnson scored 12 points and Robert Novak finished with 10 as the Hurricanes had four players in double figures. Brynen Wilkins, Marquail Coaxum, Kolbe Benham, and Kason McCleod added two points apiece. Trion was led by 15 points from Austin Mason and Andy Allen’s 11 points. Cartersville (3-4) will play for fifth place Monday at 2:30 p.m. against Madison County (Ala.). Trion (4-7) plays in Monday’s seventh place game at 11:30 a.m. against Woodland. WOODLAND GIRLS 42, WALKER 28 With a lock-down defensive effort in the second half, the Woodland Lady Cats won a consolation semifinal Saturday afternoon at the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash defeating Walker, 42-28. Woodland led 16-11 after one quarter and was up 23-20 at halftime, but it was the Lady Cats’ defense that held the Lady Wolverines to only one point in the third quarter that made the difference. Woodland extended its lead to 33-21 after three quarters on their way to a 14-point win. Ansley Evans and Jordan Thompson led Woodland’s offense with 16 and 12 points, respectively. Gracie Styles scores six for the Lady Cats. Morgan Cooper contributed four points. Abigail Cooper and Lauren Morris added two points each. Grace Koutouzis led Walker with 11 points. Sophie Hill had eight for the Wolverines. Walker (3-9) will play North Cobb Christian Monday at 10 a.m. for seventh place in the tournament. Woodland (3-9) will play LaFayette Monday at 1 p.m. for fifth place. CASS BOYS WIN CONSOLATION SEMIFINAL IN ORLANDO Playing in a consolation semifinal at the Orlando, Florida KSA Tournament, the Colonels raced out of the gate to a 24-4 lead in the first quarter and went on to defeat Conrad Academy of Orlando Saturday afternoon, 58-32. Cass led 36-11 at halftime and was ahead 54-20 heading into the final quarter. Zaylan Chaney and Alfred Washington paced the Cass boys with 15 and 12 points, respectively. Jaquan Heard and Andrew Glaze contributed eight points each for the Colonels. C.J. Pipkin and Zay Jackson followed with five points each. Braxton Benham scored four. Jamari Nathan led Conrad Academy in scoring with 13 points. Cass (10-5) will play Washington Township (New Jersey) for fifth place in the tournament Monday morning at 10 a.m. MADISON COUNTY (AL) 68, WOODLAND BOYS 63 The Woodland boys lost a consolation semifinal game to Madison County, 68-63, Saturday afternoon at the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash. The Wildcats led 13-7 after one period and were ahead 31-27 at halftime, but the Tigers outscored Woodland 22-7 in the third quarter to take the lead. Madison County then held on in the final stanza for a five-point win. Trevor Harris scored 23 and Xavier Pincheon added 13 to lead Madison County (4-15). DiAnthony Heathcock paced the Wildcats with 21 points. Jaden Johnson followed with 14. Madison County will play Cartersville Monday at 2:30 p.m. in the tournament’s fifth place game. Woodland (2-11) will play Trion at 11:30 a.m. Monday for seventh place. LASSITER 90, EXCEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY BOYS 48 Will Harty led five Lassiter Trojans in double figures with 16 points in a 90-48 defeat of the Excel Christian Academy boys Saturday afternoon at the Pickens Christmas Bash in Jasper. Lassiter (8-6) led 43-29 at the intermission and 77-40 after three quarters. Rayshawn Womack and Rashard Doyal led the Eagles with 19 and 14 points, respectively. Excel (2-9) plays again at Pickens High School Monday at 3:30 p.m. against Sonoraville. LAFAYETTE GIRLS 62, NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN 30 Marquila Howell scored 21 and LaToyah Barber added 16 points as the Lady Ramblers beat North Cobb Christian 62-30 in a consolation semifinal. LaFayette led 17-4 after one quarter, 37-16 at the intermission, and extended their advantage to 52-21 through three quarters. Brooke Moore led the Eagles in their loss with 11 points. Gracie Brasington scored six. LaFayette (8-6) plays Woodland Monday at 1 p.m. in the girls fifth place game. North Cobb Christian (9-3) plays Walker for seventh place Monday at 10 a.m.

The Adairsville girls and boys basketball teams both won opening round games Friday night as they host the Ace Hardware Christmas Clash. The Lady Tigers edged Walker 44-42 and the Tigers dismantled the Woodland boys, 72-39. The Woodland girls also dropped an opening round game to the Lady Bulldogs of Trion, 38-32. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 72, WOODLAND 39 The Adairsville Tigers started fast and did not relent Friday night in a 72-39 defeat of visiting Woodland in first round action of the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash. Adairsville head coach Alex Disbrow noted after the win he was most pleased with his squad's defensive effort. The Tigers led 22-8 after the opening eight minutes and extended their lead to 42-15 by halftime on their way to a 33-point win over the Wildcats. Adairsville led 59-28 at the end of the third quarter. Gaven Crunkleton had a game-high 24 points to pace Adairsville while eight more Tigers contributed in the scoring column. Malachi Gardner (photo) scored nine for Adairsville. Jaxon Welchel finished with eight points. Jonathan Jarrett and Conner Crunkleton scored seven points each. T.J. Printup, Tucker Deams, and William Longmore contributed five apiece while Savaun Henderson added two points. DiAnthony Heathcock led the Wildcats with 19 points. Conner McGuire followed with 11 for Woodland. Trey Poche and K.J. Rogers added six and two points, respectively. Woodland falls to 2-10 on the season with the loss. The Wildcats will play a consolation game Saturday at 2:30 p.m. against Madison County. Adairsville (7-5) will square off with LaFayette in one of Saturday night’s semifinals at 8:30 p.m. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 44, WALKER 42 The host Lady Tigers won a back-and-forth tussle with the Lady Wolverines of Walker Friday night and came away with a 44-42 opening round win in the Ace Hardware Christmas Clash. Adairsville led 12-9 after one quarter but trailed at halftime, 24-20. The Lady Tigers outscored Walker 17-9 in the third period to take a 37-33 lead and held on in the fourth quarter for a two-point victory. Sophomore Lexie Childers placed the Lady Tigers with 15 points. Autumn Henderson and Alexa Varner followed with six each. Yatorrean Hale scored five points while Makayla Wade, Alexia Crisp, Ji’Leyah Mitchell, and Kaitlynn Stiles added two points apiece. Grace Koutouzis scored 20 points for Walker and Sophie Hill added 11. Walker (3-8) will play Woodland in a consolation game Saturday at 1 p.m. Adairsville (4-8) will face Trion in one of Saturday’s semifinals at 7 p.m. TRION 38, WOODLAND GIRLS 32 The Lady Cats held a 15-11 advantage at halftime Friday afternoon but Trion rallied in the second half for a 38-32 win in opening round action of the Ace Hardware Christmas Clash at Adairsville High School. Shelby Carlock paced the Bulldogs with 12 points. Woodland got 17 points from Jordan Thompson and seven by Ansley Evans. Trion (7-4) advances to the tournament semifinals Saturday against Adairsville at 7 p.m. The Lady Cats (2-9) will play Walker in a consolation game at 1 p.m.

The four football teams in Bartow County finished a combined 22-22 in 2019. As has been the case in recent years, Cartersville led the way. The Canes produced half of the county's 20 regular-season wins. They also had the only playoff victories. However, the team bowed out in the Class 4A state quarterfinals after falling to Woodward Academy. Adairsville finished 5-5 in the regular season. The Tigers placed fifth in Region 6-AAA, but they earned the classification's at-large bid to the playoffs. Adairsville, though, fell to Jenkins in the opening round. Cass wound up 4-6 and finished sixth in Region 7-AAAAA. The Colonels bounced back after totaling just one win over the previous two seasons combined. After graduating one of the largest and most talented classes in school history, Woodland managed just one win this year. The Wildcats had a few other chances to get in the win column, but the team's youth showed up at inopportune times. All four teams will return talented players next season. Although, it's difficult to predict how it will translate into 2020 records, because reclassification and changing region alignments will alter upcoming schedules greatly. NOTE: For the complete story, please see: The Daily Tribune News Photos: (L-R) -- Tee Webb, Malachi Gardner, Devonte Ross Player of the Year: Tee Webb, Cartersville senior It can get a bit monotonous anointing the starting quarterback for Cartersville as Bartow County Player of the Year. But one year after ceding the award to Woodland's jack-of-all-trades Titus Jones, the honor returns to what has become a familiar place. Webb played well his junior year, leading the Canes to the Class 4A state title game and posting 2,875 yards and 35 touchdowns through the air. He had 40 more passing yards in two fewer games this year, usurping Brooks Barden for second all-time at CHS. Webb passed for 27 touchdowns, slightly below last year's pace, but cut his interceptions from 12 to three. Defensive Player of the Year: Malachi Gardner, Adairsville senior Arguably Gardner's biggest play (or at least his signature one) came on special teams, where he blocked a Cass punt to set up a key touchdown in a county win. (He even recovered a fumble on the scoring drive.) But Gardner's most significant contributions came on the defensive side of the ball in 2019. A solid basketball player, particularly adept on the boards, Gardner exceeded 100 tackles, finishing with 108 stops in 11 games. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Gardner dominated from his linebacker position, totaling 71 solo tackles, 17 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, two pass breakups and an interception. Athlete of the Year: Devonte Ross, Cartersville junior Ross had a legitimate case for POY honors, and he should be considered the way-too-early front-runner for the award next year. His ability to contribute in every facet of the game is what makes him so impressive. Offensively, Ross hauled in 53 passes for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns. The dozen scores and 20.3 yards per catch showcase his deep-ball ability. However, Ross was nearly as important on intermediary passes, as Webb's preferred target in any situation. On defense, he recorded 33 tackles (17 solo), four interceptions and two forced fumbles. He even returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Offense Johnny Bootz, Cass senior — Bootz has been among the best offensive linemen in North Georgia for the past three years. His senior season saw him earn one of Cass' two first-team all-Region 7-AAAAA selections. Playing in a region with an abundance of athletic, physical defensive linemen, Bootz always proved up to the challenge. Primarily a center throughout his Colonels career, Bootz was moved around a bit in 2019 to help his team find the right mix up front. Tanayce Calhoun, Cass sophomore —  Cass displayed several athletic offensive weapons in 2019. Calhoun put together the best statistical season of the bunch. Playing slotback, he carried the ball 94 times for 576 yards, while adding 20 receptions for 244 yards. Calhoun seemed to make something happen every time he touched the ball, averaging 6.1 yards per rush and twice as many yards per catch. He totaled eight touchdowns — five rushing, three receiving. Jonah Gambill, Cartersville senior — An absolute rock at right tackle for the Canes the past two seasons, Gambill will be sorely missed in 2020. A Memphis signee, Gambill will enroll early to compete this spring for playing time with the Tigers. Last year, Gambill was listed at 265 pounds. He was penciled in at 287 on the 2019 roster. His ability to not lose any of his athleticism with the added weight bodes well for his future success at the collegiate level. David Gbadie, Cass junior — To be frank, Gbadie would not have been considered for this list entering the final week of the regular season. He had put together a solid junior season up until that point. But he lacked the overall numbers or signature game to put himself over the top, well, that came in the form of an otherworldly display in the season finale. He had 171 of his 602 rushing yards and half of his six touchdowns in a victory over Paulding County. Quante Jennings, Cartersville junior — Jennings missed almost half of the regular season, but whenever he was fully healthy, he proved to be a fully capable lead back. Jennings still managed to rack up 637 yards and nine touchdowns on 93 carries, an average of 6.8 yards per carry. He also had just over 100 receiving yards. In the season opener, he had one of the plays of the season, breaking off a game-changing 98-yard touchdown run to help defeat Allatoona. Beau Jernigan, Woodland sophomore — Jernigan was one of five new starters up front for the Wildcats this season. Replacing an entire offensive line is never easy, but having to do so with a quintet of underclassmen is an impossible task. Jernigan and Co. did their best in one of Georgia's toughest regions, paving the way for an offense that rushed for 1,882 yards and 17 touchdowns. For his efforts, Jernigan landed honorable-mention recognition in the region. J.T. Jolly, Adairsville senior — With Dave Adams out with a broken collarbone early in the season, Jolly became the leader for the Tigers offensive front. Jolly stepped into the role and thrived in his Adairsville swan song. The O-line, as a whole, improved leaps and bounds throughout the year. The unit went from the team's Achilles heel to one of its strengths by the end of the campaign. While the return of Adams certainly helped, the improvement of Jolly was a major factor. Sam Phillips, Cartersville junior — Phillips had a bit of a strange junior campaign. He caught at least one pass in every game, although four times it really was just a single catch. That being said, he compiled some absolutely monster games along the way. His best came against Sandy Creek in a thrilling matchup, in which Phillips recorded 11 receptions, 178 yards and two touchdowns. For the season, he finished with 52 catches for 670 yards (12.9 avg.) and eight scores. Matthew Surrett, Cartersville senior — One of the most underrated players — let alone offensive linemen — in North Georgia, Surrett proved to be a key cog for the Canes at center again in 2019. An all-county selection as a junior, he helped open holes for an offense that produced more than 4,500 yards this season. Despite his 6-foot-1 frame likely turning off some college coaches, Surrett has been able to pick up offers from a handful of schools, including Division-I Presbyterian. Demarcus Williams, Woodland senior — Williams put together an impressive senior season at running back. Despite missing essentially three games, he piled up 675 yards on 137 carries for an average of nearly 5 yards per attempt. Even when healthy, Williams split carries with Asa James, who will be tasked with being the Woodland workhorse next season. Williams also accounted for more than half of the Wildcats' touchdowns, scoring nine times on the ground. Defense Blake Cash, Woodland senior — Cash was one of the biggest leaders on a Woodland team that lost plenty of veteran leadership with the departure of the Class of 2019. A first-team all-region linebacker, Cash had a steady senior season, compiling 70 tackles (42 solo), 11 tackles for loss, six quarterback pressures, three pass breakups and one sack. As one of the most respected players in the county, Cash will be arguably the toughest Wildcat to replace in 2020. Marquail Coaxum, Cartersville senior — One of four returning starters in the Canes secondary, Coaxum produced a good senior year, even though he missed a few games with a shoulder injury. Despite not having any interceptions, Coaxum broke up seven passes and forced one fumble, while also making 47 tackles (30 solo). His tackle numbers are particularly impressive considering he had 48 in 15 games last year. Coaxum recently committed to play for Kent State. Reed Davis, Cass senior —  There's always at least one Cass linebacker on the all-county team. Most years, there could be multiple ones. That's how good the unit always is for the Colonels. This season, the team had three all-region linebackers. Davis, though, had the best season of the bunch. He piled up 87 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Davis and inside linebacker mate Cameron Hill will be extremely tough for Cass to replace. Garrett Ellis, Adairsville senior — Ellis was nothing short of a beast along the defensive front. He has a nose for the football unlike many at his position, often running down a ballcarrier from behind on the perimeter. In total, Ellis racked up an absurd 127 tackles, of which 76 were solo. He also had a dozen tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. When Dakota King was healthy, he and Ellis comprised one of the best defensive line duos in Region 6-AAA. Savaun Henderson, Adairsville senior — There's not much flashy about Henderson's performances, but there are few players in the county caught out of position less than Adairsville's star safety. Opponents are more likely to see Bigfoot than an out-of-position Henderson. In his final season with the Tigers, he finished with 76 tackles (55 solo) and two fumble recoveries. He had only one tackle for loss, as he often served as Adairsville's last line of defense. Noah Hoffmeier, Cass junior — Hoffmeier faced double-teams almost every snap at nose guard. These weren't normal double-teams either. Facing some of the best offensive lines in Class 5A, Hoffmeier proved that his prowess on the wrestling mat can translate to the football field. A traditional state champion as a sophomore, Hoffmeier used his low center of gravity and impeccable leverage to manage 46 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, two sacks and two fumble recoveries. Zay Jackson, Cass junior — Considering he made this list as a slotback in 2018, Jackson is among the best all-around players in the county. While other offensive weapons stepped up this year to lessen Jackson's burden on that side of the ball, he really improved his play at cornerback. He finished with 37 tackles, two tackles for loss and five pass breakups. Jackson recorded three interceptions and showcased his skills with the ball in his hands, returning two for touchdowns. La’Kwayme Jupiter, Cartersville senior — As far as purely defensive players are concerned, Jupiter might be the single most impactful player in the county. Jupiter is a bully up front. Any underclassmen offensive linemen who have faced him will be more than happy to see him graduate. His stats were decent — 29 tackles (19 solo), nine tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery — but his performances went well beyond any statistic. Jadon Martin, Cartersville senior — There's a case to be made for Martin to be the most improved player in the county.  That's not a knock on how he performed as a junior. He began last season as a starter and still played significant snaps throughout. But this year, he took his play to another level. He finished with exactly 100 tackles. He had 56 solo stops, 10 tackles for loss and four sacks. His play of the season came on a scoop-and-score against Cherokee. Amarai Orr, Cartersville junior — Orr might be the most uniquely gifted athlete in the county. There might not be five players in Georgia who can play at all three levels of a defense as talented as Cartersville's. Orr could see extended time at safety in 2020, but he made his home, mostly, as a blitzing outside linebacker this season. Orr compiled 94 tackles (50 solo), nine tackles for loss, six sacks, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, a touchdown and a safety. J.P. Perry, Cass senior — Perry might be the best defensive player to come out of Cass in the past several years. That's saying something considering the athletes Bobby Hughes has produced on that side of the ball during his tenure. Perry  set up shop in opposing backfields across the region, finishing with 13.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Overall, Perry produced 58 tackles to go with three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Evan Slocum, Cartersville junior — Slocum will be playing on Saturday's for an FBS program someday. For now, Canes fans are thrilled to get to see him every Friday night during the fall. He's just a truly tremendous football player. He started every game at safety, compiling 80 tackles (42 solo), with three pass breakups, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. On offense, he managed 413 yards on just 44 touches, while scoring six touchdowns. Special Teams Emanuel Lopez, Adairsville junior — A preseason all-state punter, Lopez had an uneven season as a place-kicker, although he certainly had some signature moments. But he absolutely shined as a punter. On an Adairsville team with a solid defense, his ability to win the field-position battle was massive. Overall, he punted 40 times for 1,461 yards. He averaged 36.5 yards per attempt with a long of 57 yards and 13 punts winding up inside the opposing 20-yard line. Kaleb Speights, Cass junior — Speights continues to prove his worth with as reliable a leg as can be found at the high school level. A second-team all-region selection, Speights knocked home 8 of 9 field-goal tries, with his lone miss hitting the uprights. He connected from as far out as 48 yards. Almost as importantly, Speights was virtually automatic on extra-point attempts, finishing 19-for-20 in those instances. He's missed four total kicks over the past two seasons. HONORABLE MENTION Dave Adams, Adairsville junior; Harrison Allen, Cartersville junior; Garrett Gonyea, Cass sophomore; Tokyo Gordon, Adairsville sophomore; Cameron Hill, Cass senior; Asa James, Woodland sophomore; Santino Jones, Cass sophomore; Dakota King, Adairsville senior; Blake Woods, Cartersville senior.

The Adairsville High School swim team hosted its annual Whoville Meet December 21 at the Adairsville Swim facility. A total of 12 teams participated with the Adairsville girls placing fifth and the Adairsville boys sixth in their respective scoring columns. Complete event results are available at this LINK.

Seven of the nine Bartow County high school basketball teams will be playing in the Adairsville High School Christmas Clash this coming Friday, Saturday, and Monday -- December 27, 28, and 30. 2019 AHS Tiger Christmas Clash GIRLS TOURNAMENT Friday, December 27 10 a.m. — North Cobb Christian vs. Cartersville 1 p.m. — Lafayette vs. Cass 4 p.m. — Trion vs. Woodland 7 p.m. — Walker vs. Adairsville Saturday December 28 10 a.m. — NC Christian/Cartersville loser v. Lafayette/Cass loser 1 p.m. — Trion/Woodland loser v. Walker/Adairsville loser 4 p.m. — NC Christian/Cartersville winner v. Lafayette/Cass winner 7 p.m. — Trion/Woodland winner v. Walker/Adairsville winner Monday, December 30 10 a.m. — 7th place game 1 p.m. — 5th place game 4 p.m. — 3rd place game 7 p.m. — Championship game 2019 AHS Tiger Christmas Clash BOYS TOURNAMENT Friday, December 27 11:30 a.m. — Cartersville vs. Walker 2:30 p.m. — Trion vs. Cornerstone Prep 5:30 p.m. — Madison County vs. Lafayette 8:30 p.m. — Woodland vs. Adairsville Saturday December 28 11:30 a.m. — Cartersville/Walker loser v. Trion/Cornerstone loser 2:30 p.m. — Madison Co/Lafayette loser v. Woodland/Adairsville loser 5:30 p.m. — Cartersville/Walker winner v. Trion/Cornerstone winner 8:30 p.m. — Madison Co./Lafayette winner v. Woodland/Adairsville winner Monday, December 30 11:30 a.m. — 7th place game 2:30 p.m. — 5th place game 5:30 p.m. — 3rd place game 8:30 p.m. — Championship game

Bartow County resident Spencer Fields won the 43rd Rocket City Marathon December 14 in Huntsville, Alabama and took home the top prize of $1,000. Fields, 22, finished the race in 2 hours, 25 minutes and 9 seconds — 52 seconds ahead of runner-up Andrew Lesser, 29, of Eaton, Colorado. The field included over 1,000 runners. Fields, a Kingston native, attended Darlington High and Rhodes College. (Photo / Screenshot from a WAFF report)

The University of South Florida announced Monday the hiring of former Cartersville High School head coach Joey King as its new tight ends coach. King, who was the Hurricanes’ head coach will join the staff of Trevor Lawrence’s former co-offensive coordinator at Clemson — Jeff Scott. Scott, who will replaced former Bulls’ head coach Charlie Strong, was introduced as USF’s new head coach on December 11 and made the decision December 16 to not retain any of Strong’s assistants. “We are excited to have Joey join our staff,” Scott said. “I got to know him well during our recruitment of Trevor Lawrence at Clemson and he had great success coaching Trevor and leading Cartersville High School to a pair of state titles. He also brings great experience as former student-athlete and as an active member of the community off the field.” King went 67-4 in five seasons as Cartersville’s head coach, reaching four 4A state championship games and winning two. That success led him to Coastal Carolina, where he spent this season as the Chanticleers’ wide receivers coach. King is the fourth member of Scott’s first staff at South Florida, headlined by former Oklahoma State and Florida Atlantic defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer. A former South Atlantic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year award recipient and one of just two Division II student-athletes named to the AFCA Allstate Good Works Team while at Carson-Newman, King reached 50 wins faster than any coach in Georgia High School football history. During his five years at Cartersville, King was instrumental in the development of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who led Clemson to an undefeated record and College Football Playoff national championship in his true freshman season of 2018 and has them unbeaten and in the CFP again in 2019. King also served as the offensive coordinator in the 2019 edition of the annual US Army All-American Bowl. Prior to his tenure at Cartersville, King coached at Carrollton and Sonoraville high schools after beginning his coaching career at Jacksonville State University. A native of Cedartown, Ga., King earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Carson-Newman University in Tennessee in 2005 and a master's degree and education specialist degree from Jacksonville State. While at Carson-Newman, King played quarterback and was a member of three NCAA playoff teams and three South Atlantic Conference championship teams. King passed for 600 yards in his career with two touchdowns and tallied 424 yards and five career scores on the ground. He was a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll and Carson-Newman Dean's List. King and his wife, Ashley, have three children Jay, Ty, and Jesse.

Youth basketball results from Bartow County Recreation Department games played December 19-20 at Manning Mill Park. December 19 10U Boys at Manning Mill CLIPPERS 60, ROCKETS 5 CLIPPERS: Isaiah Moreno 24; Solomon James 18; Anthony Moreno 16; Trent Cullifer 2 ROCKETS: Hank Barfield, Lucas Poarch 2 each; Jackson Jarrett 1 HORNETS 34, CAVS 31 HORNETS: Jaylon Watkins 14; Tyrie Glunt 12; Kayden Blackwell 4; Baylin Collum, Kason Miller 2 each CAVS: Preston Hazelwood 14; McCayden Hufstetler 9; Cade Baxter 4; Braxton Elrod, Hunter McKenzie 2 each BUCKS 32, KNICKS 26 BUCKS: Kameron Hosey, Presley Young 11 each; Chandler Hilburn 8; Cray Dinning 2 KNICKS: Nigel Whitaker 8; Riley Morton, Hayden Pinyan, Braden Slocumb 4 each; Merrick Fowler 3; Nathaniel Jones 2; Kasey Jacobs 1 December 20 8U Boys at Manning Mill LAKERS 29, ROCKETS 22 LAKERS: Brayden Ford 21; Braxton Mealor 4; Landon Smith, Braxton Woods 2 each ROCKETS: La’Micah Harris 14; Garret Easley 8 BUCKS 23, THUNDER 18 BUCKS: Javon Harris 10; Jaxton Huskins, Aiden Victora 4 each; L.J. Nalls 3; Vann Woodall 2 THUNDER: Elijah Hovers 6; Jerrell Gibson, Brantlee Padgett 4 each; Brooks Archer 2; Joshua Oshiobugie 2 BULLS 25, CAVS 8 BULLS: Xavier Leonard 7; Jacob Brush, Abel Gentry 6 each; Corbin Dotson 4, Jace Reynolds 2 CAVS: Brady Young 8 Youth recreation basketball results presented by Trophy Showroom. All information is provided by the Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department, the Bartow County Parks and Recreation Department, and the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association.