February 27, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Cass girls and boys soccer teams both secured shutout wins on Friday night at McEachern in Powder Springs. The Lady Colonels defeated the Lady Indians 3-0, while the Colonels claimed a 2-0 victory. CASS GIRLS 3, McEACHERN 0 Zoe Bailey scored two goals and assisted on Chloe Hunt’s opening goal in the 15th minute as the Lady Colonels earned their first win of the season at McEachern on Friday night. Bailey scored goals in the 40th and 55th minutes, with assists from Bailey White and a corner by Ryland Piatt. Cass coach Kyle Calandra credited a strong defensive performance from Shania Hernandez, Willow White, Hayleigh McGeehan, and Fatima Lopez in the victory. He also noted that Gracey Nash, Amy Villanueva, Baiey White, Gisselle Sanabria, and Jillian Silva controlled the midfield. Lady Colonels’ goalkeepers Layla Allgood and Jordan Thigpin combined for a clean sheet as Cass improved to 1-3. The loss dropped McEachern to 2-3. Cass begins play in Region 7-AAAA on Tuesday at Southeast Whitfield in a 5:30 p.m. kickoff. CASS BOYS 2, McEACHERN 0 Anthony Diaz scored Cass goals in the 24th and 73rd minutes to lift the Colonels to a 2-0 win at McEachern on Friday night. Francisco Castaneda assisted on the first-half goal, and Tabo Mwandu made an assist on the second-half insurance goal. The loss dropped the host Indians to 1-3 on the young season. Cass (3-1) opens Region 7-AAAA action on Tuesday night at Southeast Whitfield.

February 27, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Kaytlin Arnold paced Cartersville with 22 points Friday night at Warner Robins. The Cartersville Lady Canes dominated the two middle quarters Friday night and held on to defeat the Warner Robins Lady Demons 48-40 on their home floor in the Sweet Sixteen round of the GHSA Class 4A state tournament. Cartersville trailed 15-10 at the end of the opening period, but outscored Warner Robins 13-6 in the second quarter and 17-5 in the third quarter to build a 14-point lead.  The Lady Canes then made 12 of 15 free throws in the second half, including 4 of 6 in the fourth quarter, to hold off a late charge by the Demons. The Cartersville victory snapped a 12-game winning streak by Warner Robins heading into the second-round game. "That was a tough environment to play in," said Lady Canes' coach Alvah Beasley following the victory. "The girls played hard and did a great job of executing our game plan." Kaytlin Arnold scored a game-high 22 points to pace the Lady Canes in the scoring column. Arnold added five rebounds and four assists.  Trinity Montgomery finished with nine points, six rebounds, and three assists. Zoe McCurry posted seven points, seven boards, and four assists. Blakely Morris chipped in with five points. Kaelyn Agee and Reese Gibson added three and two points, respectively. Laila Howard-Haney led Warner Robins with 16 points. Janelle Turner added 12 for the Demons, who had their season end with a 23-4 record. Cartersville (23-5) earns a home game in the state quarterfinals. The Lady Canes will host Northview on Tuesday night. The Lady Titans (18-12), a No. 4 seed from Region 5-AAAA, have knocked off higher seeds Harris County (55-45) and Blessed Trinity (42-29) in the first two rounds.

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com In conjunction with WBHF and Bartow Sports Zone, Elite Stone Supply presents the ELITE ATHLETES OF THE MONTH. Each month, local high schools select an Elite Athlete of the Month from their varsity programs and share the information about their honoree through Bartow Sports Zone and on 100.3 FM and AM 1450, WBHF in Cartersville. Harrison Cole is the February 2026 Elite Athlete of the Month representing Adairsville High School. Cole is a senior center fielder, shortstop, and right-hand pitcher for the Tigers. “Harrison is the heartbeat of our team,” said Tigers’ baseball coach Billy Roper. His passion and love for the game are second to none. He has worked extremely hard, and that work is paying off.” He is the son of Nick and Jessica Cole. Nakayla Evans is the February 2026 Elite Athlete of the Month for Cass High School. A senior and a multi-sport student athlete, Evans has lettered for the Lady Colonels’ basketball team all four years. Evans was the basketball team’s leading scorer at more than 11 points per game and played in all 27 games, leading Cass to the GHSA Class AAAA state tournament. She scored a season-high 25 points on December 18 in a game against Sonoraville. Jair Flores is the February 2026 Elite Athlete of the Month representing Cartersville High School. Flores is a junior wrestler and a member of the Cartersville High JROTC Raiders. He placed fourth in the GHSA Traditional State Championships in the 113-pound weight class. “Jair is a third-year wrestler who soaks up instruction like a sponge and absorbs it fast,” said Canes’ wrestling coach Sammy Rosario. He gives a 100% effort every single day and does all the extra work needed to be successful. He has grit, fight, determination, and buys into the process of our program. I am excited to see him continue to jump levels in wrestling and find his way to the top of the podium in 2027.” Flores plans to continue his education and wrestle in college. The Woodland High School Elite Athlete of the Month for February 2026 is Grant Tidwell. A junior pitcher and catcher on the Wildcats’ baseball team, Tidwell has started the season with a .478 batting average through the first seven games. He has one win and one save on the mound. “Grant has done a great job on the field and has exhibited leadership. He is also an excellent student,” said Woodland baseball coach Mark Collins. He is the son of Tommy Tidwell and Lacy Parker. Editor's Note: The respective schools and athletic departments supply Bartow Sports Zone and WBHF with photos and bios. Elite Stone Supply Co., LLC is the monthly sponsor. Athletes receive a plaque and recognition during a WBHF radio feature. #EliteAthletesoftheMonth #Cass #Cartersville #Woodland #Adairsville #highschool

February 26, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Adairsville Tigers rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning Wednesday evening to outlast the visiting Sonoraville Phoenix, 3-2. After four scoreless innings to start the game, Sonoraville used three hits and an Adairsville error to go up 2-0. The Tigers answered in the sixth to go ahead, taking advantage of a leadoff double by Hudson Parr, three walks in the frame, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Matthew Cook.  Tyler Parker (1.2 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB) picked up the Tigers’ pitching win in relief of starter McCayden Hufstetler (5 IP, 2ER, 5H, 2BB, 5K). Parr (0.1 IP, 0R, 0H, 1K) entered in the seventh inning to strikeout the final Phoenix batter. Westin Barfield, Kaden Coker, and Parr had the only Adairsville base hits. The loss dropped Sonoraville to 4-5 on the season. Adairsville (6-2) has a doubleheader at Murray County on Saturday at 1 p.m. before opening play in Region 7-AAA at Calhoun on Tuesday. PEPPERELL 16, CASS 2 The Pepperell Dragons scored a season-high in runs and roughed up Cass pitching with 13 hits in only four offensive frames in a 16-2 win over the Colonels on Wednesday. The Dragons scored 10 runs in the first inning and cruised to a five-inning victory. Maddox Koontz (RBI) and Kasey Jacobs had the only Cass hits. DJ Vigil contributed one RBI. Pepperell improved to 5-3 on the season. Cass (2-6) visits Sonoraville on Friday at 5:30 p.m. before beginning play in Region 7-AAAA at Dalton on Tuesday.

February 26, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Cartersville head coach Mike Tobin huddles with the Canes. The Cartersville boys basketball team narrowly fell to the Mays Raiders 69-66 on Wednesday night at Mays High School in Atlanta in the first round of the Georgia Class AAAA state tournament. Despite a valiant effort and a fiercely competitive game, the Hurricanes were unable to secure the victory and had their season come to an end. Cartersville built an early lead and held advantages at halftime and after three quarters, but the Raiders rallied in the fourth to pull out the three-point win on their home floor. The Canes led 46-35 at halftime and 54-48 at the end of the third quarter. The Raiders outscored the Canes 21-12 in the final eight minutes. Jack Sparks led Mays with a game-high 25 points, while Tiago Lee added 21 points. Juban Hall contributed 8 points to help the Raiders improve to 21-8 on the season. Cartersville, which finished the year at 21-7, was paced by Xavier Lowe's 25 points. Wyatt Thomason added 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists; Nas Bennett chipped in 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists; and Grayson Warmack posted 11 points and a team-high 11 rebounds with 2 assists. With the victory, Mays advances to the second round and will travel to face North Oconee on Saturday. The Titans defeated Benedictine 56-48 in their first-round matchup on Wednesday night.

February 25, 2026 The Adairsville Lady Tigers continued their strong start to the season, unleashing a barrage of goals to overwhelm the host Bowdon Red Devils 10-0 in high school girls soccer action on Wednesday. Adairsville wasted no time getting on the board, with Braylynn Martin scoring the game's first goal just 21 seconds in off an assist from Ella Edwards. Edwards then made it 2-0 in the 1st minute, following up her own shot that was deflected by the goalkeeper. She added another in the 2nd minute on a feed from Martin, and completed her hat trick in the 4th minute with an assist from Addi Jerauld. The onslaught continued as Carly Edwards scored in the 5th minute off an assist from Alivia Joslin, followed by Joslin finding the net in the 8th minute on a pass from AnnaBella King. Alyssa Lawson made it 7-0 in the 17th minute with help from Ryleigh Parker, and Parker scored her own goal in the 29th minute, assisted by Cadyn Hartline. Leyla Gomez-Perez converted a penalty kick in the 37th minute, and Aliyah Seritt capped the first-half scoring in the 39th minute to send the Lady Tigers into the break with a commanding 7-0 lead. Adairsville added three more goals in the second half to reach double digits. Eight different Adairsville players found the scoresheet, and seven different Lady Tigers recorded assists in the balanced offensive performance. The Lady Tigers improved to 4-0 on the season with the shutout victory. Adairsville will look to stay perfect when they host Model on Friday at 5:30 p.m. WOODSTOCK 2, CASS GIRLS 0 The Woodstock Lady Wolverines used a solid defensive effort and timely scoring to blank the Cass Lady Colonels 2-0 on Wednesday in high school girls soccer action. Woodstock struck first in the 35th minute of the opening half, taking a 1-0 lead into the break. The Wolverines then sealed the victory with an insurance goal in the 72nd minute of the second half to secure the clean-sheet win. The Lady Wolverines' back line and goalkeeper limited Cass to few clear chances, while Woodstock improved to 2-1 on the young season with the result. For Cass (0-3), goalkeeper Layla Allgood stood out in net, turning away six shots to keep the scoreline respectable despite the Colonels' offensive struggles. Cass looks to snap its winless start when it travels to face McEachern on Friday at 6 p.m. The Lady Colonels will then open Region 7-AAAA play on Tuesday at Southeast Whitfield. WOODSTOCK 2, CASS BOYS 2  (Woodstock wins on PKs) Gavin Misztak scored for the Colonels in the 24th minute off an assist from Louis Morales, and Anthony Diaz scored in the 67th minute for Cass. A key save on a penalty kick by Cass goalkeeper Easton Misztak during regulation kept the Colonels in contention, but Woodstock prevailed on penalty kicks. Morales and Karter Berdnik converted for Cass in the PK session, but the Wolverines made four to secure the win. Woodstock improved to 2-2. Cass (2-1) travels to McEachern on Friday at 8 p.m. and opens Region 7-AAAA play on Tuesday at Southeast Whitfield. MODEL 5, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 2 The Model Blue Devils exploded for three late goals after a red card shifted momentum, handing the visiting Cartersville Hurricanes a 5-2 defeat in high school boys soccer action Wednesday night. Model struck lightning-fast, netting in the first minute to grab an early 1-0 lead. The Hurricanes responded just before halftime with a breakaway goal in the 38th minute from Joy Toure, assisted by Jayden Neveraz, leveling the score at 1-1 heading into the break. Cartersville took its first lead in the second half when Josue Enriquez scored in the 50th minute, with Emmi Milan providing the assist to make it 2-1. Model equalized just a few minutes later to knot things up at 2-2. The game turned decisively when Cartersville's goalkeeper received a red card, leaving the Hurricanes a man down. Model capitalized on the advantage, scoring three more goals to pull away and secure the 5-2 victory. The Blue Devils improved to 5-1 with the result. Cartersville fell to 3-2 and will look to bounce back as it begins Region 7-AAAA play on Tuesday at Allatoona. MODEL 3, CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 0 The Model Lady Blue Devils jumped out to a commanding 3-0 lead by halftime and held off a determined second-half push from the Cartersville Lady Canes to earn a 3-0 victory in girls high school soccer action Wednesday night. Cartersville hit the road for the matchup at Model High School and found themselves trailing 3-0 after the opening 40 minutes. The Lady Canes regrouped at the break and came out with renewed energy in the second half, controlling large stretches of play, generating multiple scoring chances, and applying consistent pressure on Model’s defense. Despite the strong effort and territorial dominance after halftime, Cartersville was unable to find the back of the net, as Model’s back line and goalkeeper stood firm to preserve the clean-sheet shutout. Model improved to 4-2. The Lady Canes (2-3) will look to bounce back when they travel to face Allatoona High School next Tuesday for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff.

February 25, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Georgia Highlands College baseball swept a home doubleheader on Tuesday with Pellissippi State CC (TN), winning 11-6 and 13-11. The two teams traded leads in the opening game before the Chargers took control with a six-run fifth inning. In the second game, GHC built a 10-3 advantage through five innings and then held off the Panthers late. Braxton Wade (4.1 IP, 6R, 4ER, 7H, 0BB, 5K) collected the pitching win for GHC in the opener. Jackson Scali (0.2 IP, 0R, 1H, 1K) and Jack Burns (2 IP, 0R, 1H, 0BB, 4K) closed out the final 2-⅔ innings. The Chargers utilized six pitchers in the second game. Alex Karst (2 IP, 0R, 1BB, 4K), Reed Thursby (2 IP, 3R, 0ER, 4H, 0BB, 5K), Heath Whitlock (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB, 2K), Nick Kane (0.1 IP, 5ER, 4H, 0BB, 1K), Ian Mihalopolous (0.0 IP, 2ER, 1H), and Sam Clower (1.2 IP, 1ER, 1H, 2K) all took the mound in Game 2. The Chargers produced 25 hits in the doubleheader, including eight homers and 13 extra-base hits. Caden Marcos (two home runs, double, five RBI), Mason Moore (home run, triple, four RBI), and Carson Page (two home runs, double, three RBI) led the Chargers with four hits each. Kenton Collier (home run, double, four RBI), Aidan Larkin (home run, RBI), Andrew Bishop (home run, two RBI), Wyatt Gatlin (RBI), Harper Davenport (double, RBI), and Hayden Miller (RBI) each had two hits. Pellissippi State fell to 6-9 with the two losses. Georgia Highlands (18-6) welcomes Chattahoochee Valley CC (AL) for a three-game series on Friday and Saturday. Friday’s game starts at 3 p.m. Saturday’s doubleheader is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.  GHC begins Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association conference action on Tuesday, hosting South Georgia State College at 3 p.m.

February 25, 2026 The Adairsville Lady Tigers put on a commanding offensive display Tuesday night, cruising to an 8-0 non-region victory over the visiting Central-Carroll Lady Lions at Adairsville High School. Adairsville wasted no time getting on the board, with Alexa Damer scoring in the 3rd minute off an assist from Ella Edwards. Braylynn Martin followed with a hat trick in a dominant first half, netting goals in the 11th (assist: Edwards), 16th (assist: Damer), and 19th minutes (assist: Damer). Damer added her second of the night in the 33rd minute off a feed from Sam Gough, sending the Lady Tigers into halftime with a 5-0 lead. The second half brought more of the same, as Martin struck again in the 48th minute (assist: Addi Jerauld), followed by Gough scoring twice in quick succession—in the 50th minute off a deflection and in the 53rd minute on a strong individual carry. The Lady Tigers' passing game was on full display throughout the match, creating and exploiting successful, flowing passing lanes. They placed the ball accurately on the ground, executed triangular passes effectively, and maintained excellent communication on the field. Returning starters from basketball integrated seamlessly back into their roles and positions. Defensively, center backs Piper Tordrup and Emma Edwards anchored a stout unit that kept Central-Carroll at bay, while the Adairsville goalkeepers faced no serious challenges all night. With the shutout win, Adairsville improved to 3-0 to start the season. The Lady Tigers will look to keep their perfect record intact when they travel to face Bowdon on Wednesday. Adairsville hosts Model on Friday. Both matches are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. kickoffs. COLONELS WIN AT DARLINGTON The Cass boys' soccer team collected a 3-0 non-region win at Darlington on Tuesday, improving to 2-0 on the young season. The Colonels led 1-0 at halftime and added a pair of insurance goals in the second half. Anthony Diaz scored in the 22nd and 67th minutes for Cass. His second-half goal was assisted by Francisco Castaneda. Giovanni Pineda made the score 2-0 in the 63rd minute with an unassisted goal. The loss dropped the host Tigers to 1-2. Cass visits Woodstock on Wednesday evening for an 8 p.m. kickoff and will travel to McEachern on Friday night at 8 p.m. MUSTANGS SURGE EARLY, HOLD OFF WILDCATS The Kennesaw Mountain Mustangs wasted little time asserting dominance on Tuesday night, erupting for three first-half goals to secure a 3-1 non-region win over the visiting Woodland Wildcats at Kennesaw Mountain High School. The Mustangs struck quickly and often in the opening 26 minutes, finding the back of the net in the 11th, 20th, and 26th minutes. The third goal came via a well-executed free kick, giving Kennesaw Mountain a commanding 3-0 lead by halftime. Woodland's defense struggled to contain the Mustangs' attacking pressure early, but the Wildcats showed resilience after the break. In the 67th minute, Fernando Lopez pulled one back for Woodland off a crisp assist from Saul Ortega, slicing the deficit to 3-1 and giving the visitors a spark of hope. Despite the late tally, the Wildcats could not mount a serious comeback. Woodland goalkeeper Seth Goodall was kept busy throughout the match, making eight saves in a valiant effort to keep the scoreline respectable. Kennesaw Mountain improved to 2-2 on the young season with the victory, while Woodland dropped to 3-2 overall. The Wildcats will look to bounce back quickly as they turn to Region 7-AAAA play, hosting Cedartown on Tuesday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m. LADY CATS FALL TO KENNESAW MOUNTAIN'S BIG SECOND HALF The Lady Cats led 2-1 at halftime on Tuesday, but the host Mustangs scored five goals in the second half for a 6-2 victory. The Kennesaw Mountain girls improved to 5-1 with a fifth-straight win. Woodland slipped to 1-4. The Lady Cats will host Cedartown in their Region 7-AAAA opener on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. LADY COLONELS FALL AT DARLINGTON ON PENALTY KICKS The Cass Lady Colonels battled to a 1-1 draw through regulation Tuesday night but came up just short in a penalty-kick shootout, falling 4-3 to the host Darlington Lady Tigers in Rome. Freshman Ava Thigpin scored for Cass in the 12th minute, firing home the Lady Colonels' only regulation goal, Cass goalkeeper Layla Allgood was outstanding throughout the match, turning away more than 10 shots to keep her team in contention and give the Lady Colonels every chance to steal the result. With the loss, Cass dropped to 0-2 on the young season. Darlington improved to 2-3 overall. The Lady Colonels will look to snap their skid quickly with a pair of road matches this week. Cass travels to Woodstock on Wednesday night for a 6 p.m. kickoff before facing McEachern on Friday at 6 p.m. TIGERS BLANKED BY CENTRAL-CARROLL The visiting Central-Carroll Lions shutout the Adairsville boys on Tuesday night, 9-0. Central improved to 2-1 on the season. Adairsville fell to 0-3. The Tigers will look to bounce back on Friday when they host Model in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

February 24, 2026 Nakayla Evans takes a shot recently during the Region 7-AAAA tournament at Cartersville. PHOTO: Randy Parker, DTN The Lady Colonels had their 2025-26 season end on Tuesday night with a Class 4A first-round state playoff loss at Midtown High School in Atlanta, 56-29. The Lady Knights, a No. 2 seed out of Region 4-4A, improved to 19-10 on the season and advanced to play at North Oconee in the second round on Friday. North Oconee defeated Perry in the first round, 77-37. The Cass girls' season ends with a 12-14 record.

February 25, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Forsyth Central scored five runs in the top of the fourth and added four in the fifth en route to a 9-6 win at Cartersville on Tuesday. The Canes stayed close in the middle innings with five runs and matched the Bulldogs with eleven hits, but could not catch up. Nate Russell (3.1 IP, 5R, 2ER, 7H, 2BB, 7K) made the pitching start and took the loss. Defensive miscues by the Canes contributed to three unearned runs in the middle innings. Logan Buchanan (1.2 IP, 4R, 1ER, 3H, 1BB, 1K) relieved in the fourth. Wyatt Earwood (2 IP, 0R, 1H) worked two scoreless innings on the mound for the Hurricanes. Cooper Reynolds (two RBI) and David Vargas (triple) each had two hits for Cartersville. Nolan Elrod (two RBI), Brant Rutledge (double, RBI), J.B. Nichols, James Manring, Asa Mitcham, Tyler Hickman (double), and Cole Crawford each contributed one hit. Nathan Smith and Apollon Constatanides combined for five hits and two RBI at the top of the Bulldogs’ lineup. Forsyth Central (1-6) won for the first time this season. Cartersville (2-5) will look to snap a five-game skid on Saturday when the Canes play Hillgrove and Carrollton at Carrollton High School. The two-game set begins at 1 p.m.  Cartersville begins play in Region 7-AAAA next week in a three-game home-and-home series with Allatoona. SONORAVILLE 4, ADAIRSVILLE 3 The Tigers took advantage of three early walks to post a run in the top of the first inning on Tuesday, but fell behind 4-1 in the middle innings. Adairsville rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh, but left potential tying and go-ahead baserunners in scoring position in the final frame in a 4-3 loss at Sonoraville. The Phoenix outhit the Tigers seven to two. Kaiden Coker (3 IP, 2ER, 4H, 3BB, 2K) made the pitching start for Adairsville and was saddled with the loss. Tyler Parker (2 IP, 1ER, 3H, 0BB, 1K) and Westin Barfield (1 IP, 1R, 0ER, 0H, 2BB, 2K) pitched for the Tigers in relief. Brody Varner and Barfield (RBI) had the Tigers’ base hits. Harrison Cole drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Sonoraville evened its season mark at 4-4. Adairsville (5-2) hosts the Phoenix on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and plays a doubleheader at Murray County on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. EAST PAULDING 6, CASS 5 The Colonels carried a 5-3 lead to the middle of the seventh inning on Tuesday, but the host East Paulding Raiders tied the game in the bottom of the inning and took advantage of two Colonels errors to walk off with a win in the eighth. Cass outhit the Raiders nine to seven in the contest that was error-plagued. The Colonels committed four errors, and East Paulding had six. Cass starter Dustin Wallin (6 IP, 3R, 2ER, 4H, 2BB, 6K) tossed six strong innings, but received no decision. Easton Lee (1 IP, 3R, 2ER, 3H) suffered the pitching loss in relief. Zach Stiles had three hits for the Colonels, including a triple and two RBI. DJ Vigil contributed a double and two RBI. Wallin, Lee, Maddox Koontz, Kasey Jacobs, and Cooper Rampley each added one hit. Landon Lamb was credited with one RBI. East Paulding improved to 2-7 on the season. Cass (2-5) looks to rebound on Wednesday at Pepperell in a 5:45 p.m. first pitch. The Colonels will visit Sonoraville on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and will start Region 7-AAAA action next week in a three-game home-and-home series with Dalton.

February 24, 2026 By Scott Barkley / CanesAthletic.com Reese Gibson defends against Pace's Lawson Monroe on Tuesday, Feb. 24 in the first round of Cartersville's 60-55 win. Photo by Scott Barkley Barely ten seconds into the final quarter Tuesday night, things were not looking good for Cartersville to advance in the girls basketball 4A state playoffs.  A Pace Academy three-pointer had just extended the Knights’ advantage to 11. The Lady Canes had seemingly spent the majority of the game scrapping to keep the deficit single digits, though they were briefly ahead after halftime. Many a defensive stand, breakaway opportunity, and close shot at the goal hadn’t gone their way.  Then, Reese Gibson hit a three. Blakely Morris followed with her own. KK Arnold added another.  Zoe McCurry’s shot from beyond the arc capped a two-minute, 12-0 bombing that put the Lady Canes up, 46-45 with 5:42 to play. It would be one of several key moments in their 60-55 win to open the state tournament.  Cartersville (22-5) moves on to play at Warner Robins (23-3) on Friday. Pace ends its season at 13-11. “This kind of win shows our resiliency,” said head coach Alvah Beasley. “It also reveals that when you play tougher competition early in the season, it helps you build that mentality for moments like this. We’ve played in big games throughout the year, and it helps a lot.” Pace pulled back in front with some free throws after McCurry’s 3-pointer. But on Cartersville’s next possession, Morris was there after Arnold’s miss for the basket and foul. She sank the free throw for a 49-47 lead.  The Knights tied the game again. But two Trin Montgomery baskets gave the Lady Canes a two-possession advantage. The first came off a drive from the top of the key into the lane, the second off an assist from McCurry for a 53-49 lead with 2:35 left. Pace answered with a basket, but Morris responded with a jumper from near the free throw line to restore the four-point lead. Then, after the Knights hit a free throw but missed the second, McCurry brought the ball up the floor, spotted an opening to the left of her defender near the top of the key, and drove the lane for a layup that pushed the Lady Canes’ lead to 57-52. Another Pace basket made it a three-point game and set up a key sequence in the Lady Canes' victory.  With 48 seconds remaining, Arnold missed a three-point attempt and, as Pace players waited for the ball to continue out of bounds, McCurry zipped in and threw it off a Knight to retain possession. Then, just as the Lady Canes were going to be called for a time clock violation, a Pace foul put McCurry at the line.  The sophomore stepped forward and hit the second of two free throws for a 58-54 lead with 27.9 seconds showing on the clock. But even more importantly, it cost Pace two possessions. “That was huge,” said Beasley. “The chemistry on this team is good, and we’re not out of any games. Earlier this year, we were down by about 25 to Collins Hill in the third quarter and cut that to four a couple of times. So, we’re never out.” Arnold, who took a hard shot to the noggin by the ball on the sequence that ended with Morris’ 3-pointer and was still on the Storm Center floor as the shot fell, led her team with 16 points.  “It’s all about the fight and heart we have,” said Arnold on her team’s comeback. “No matter who we play, we can make a run and stay in the game. I feel like we did a good job demonstrating that tonight.” Pace came out and controlled things early, building a 2-8 lead. Montgomery got the Canes back in it after hitting two free throws and two baskets, the second a length-of-the-floor drive ending with a reverse lay-up.  Gibson’s three-pointer was the only Cartersville score in the final three minutes of the period, though, as Pace took an 11-20 lead.  Montgomery’s 14 points to follow Arnold puts her at 17 per outing in her last six contests. McCurry added 12, while Gibson had 10, and Morris finished with eight. Pace’s Lawson Monroe led her team with 25 points.  The Knights led by as many as 12 in the second period, but another Gibson basket and Arnold’s corner three in the final seconds pulled the Lady Canes to within 24-28 at the half.  A bank shot by Arnold to open the third quarter and a three-pointer by McCurry gave the Lady Canes their first lead at 29-28. Pace regained the lead briefly before another McCurry trey, this one from the corner in front of her team’s bench.  Pace would end the period with a 12-2 run, though, taking a 34-42 lead into the final quarter.

February 24, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Georgia Highlands College softball split a home doubleheader on Tuesday with the Chattanooga State CC Tigers. The Chargers won the first game 4-3, but dropped Game 2, 5-4. In the opening game, Emily Ferro (Villa Rica) tossed a complete game, Gracie Azpeitia (Chamblee)  homered, and the Chargers scored single runs in the second through the fifth innings on Tuesday for a 4-3 win over visiting Chattanooga State CC. Ferro allowed just two earned runs on seven hits and three walks. She struck out six. Azpeitia (solo home run, double) and Anslee Logan (double) each had two hits for the Chargers. Emma Darrow, Alivia Fannin, Athens Hudson, and Hailey Love (double) each contributed one hit. In Game 2, Chattanooga State led 4-0 in the middle of the fourth, but the Chargers rallied to tie with two runs in the fourth and single runs in the fifth and sixth.  The game extended into an eighth inning, but it was the Tigers who pulled out the win by pushing across a run in the tie-breaker with a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single. Athens Hudson (5 IP, 1R, 0ER, 3H, 4K) was saddled with the pitching loss for GHC in relief of starter Haley Curtis (3 IP, 4ER, 5H, 2BB, 2K). Despite the loss, Georgia Highlands outhit Chatt State thirteen to eight.  CeCe Williams (Covington) led the Chargers with three hits, including two doubles and one RBI. Linley Hayes, Ahmani Green (double), Emily Ferro (RBI), and Emma Darrow (RBI) each contributed two hits. Gracie Azpeitia (RBI) and Mary Catherine Kimball added one hit. The two-game split left Chattanooga State with a 13-5 record. Georgia Highlands (7-7) hosts a doubleheader with Georgia Military College, and will entertain Northeast Alabama CC next Wednesday.