Elite Stone Supply, in conjunction with WBHF and Bartow Sports Zone, presents the ELITE ATHLETES OF THE MONTH. Each month, local high schools are provided opportunity to name an Elite Athlete of the Month from their varsity programs and present the information on their honoree through Bartow Sports Zone and on 100.3FM and AM1450, WBHF in Cartersville. Recipients for September 2019: Lainey Baker -- Woodland HS Sarah Jolly -- Adairsville HS Halle Matthews -- Cartersville HS Logan Nelson -- Cass HS Woodland High School’s Elite Athlete of the Month for September is Lainey Baker. The daughter of Bradley and Beth Baker, she is a sophomore pitcher for the Lady Cats softball team. Baker is 12-5 this season with 174 strikeouts. That works out to better than 10 strikeouts per game. In two of her starts, she has fanned 17 opposing batters. Baker is undecided about her collegiate plans, but hopes to continue playing softball at the next level. Sarah Jolly is the September Elite Athlete of the Month representing Adairsville High School. A sophomore flyer for the Tigers’ cheer squad, Jolly is the daughter of Corey and Lisa Evans. “Sarah is a true team player,” commented Adairsville coach Kaylie Noe. “She works hard and pushes herself for the greater good of the team. She is a constant source of positivity and encouragement for her teammates.” The Cartersville High School September Elite Athlete of the Month is Halle Matthews. A senior member of the Canes volleyball and cheer teams, she is the daughter of Mark and Kelly Matthews. A team captain of the Hurricanes volleyball team, the middle blocker leads the team in blocks this season. “Halle has been an excellent leader for our team for the past two seasons,” said Cartersville volleyball coach Dutch Cothran. “She is a dream to coach. Her attitude and leadership are great. Couple those attributes with focus, hard work, and athleticism, and you have a great player, teammate, and person. She will do great things in the future.” A National Honor Society member, Matthews plans to major in nursing but is currently undecided on which college or university she will attend. Logan Nelson represents Cass High School as the September Elite Athlete of the Month. Nelson, a senior quarterback on the Colonels football team, has exhibited leadership and performed well to help guide Cass to a 3-2 start. The son of Michael and Staci Nelson, Logan has completed almost 60 percent of his passes this season and is averaging right at 100 passing yards per game. Editors Note: Photos and bios are supplied to Bartow Sports Zone and WBHF by the respective schools and their athletic departments. Elite Stone Supply Co., LLC is the monthly sponsor. Athletes receive a plaque along with recognition during a radio feature on WBHF.

Recent youth football games reported by the Bartow County Parks and Recreation Department plus an update on the Bartow County Panthers youth football teams. 9U BARTOW COUNTY PANTHERS 38, BILL ARP FALCONS 0 The youth D1 Nation Georgia sixth-ranked 9U Bartow County Panthers rushed for over 300 yards and cruised to a 38-0 win at the Bill Arp Falcons in Douglasville Saturday morning. With the win, the Panthers improved to 4-0 in the Northwest Georgia Youth Football League standings. Cooper Melvin rushed for 135 yards had scoring runs of 50 and 47 yards. Lance Tippett caught a pair of touchdown passes — one from Melvin on a double-pass play and the other from quarterback Trace Hawkins. The double-pass play went for 40 yards and the catch and run from Hawkins covered 12 yards. Hawkins, who was 4-for-8 passing for 60 yards in the game, added a 30 yard touchdown run as time expired in the first half for a Bartow 31-0 lead. Hawkins finished the contest with 81 yards rushing. Kaiden Kent, who totaled 103 yards rushing in the game, raced for a 70 yard touchdown run on the opening play of the third quarter to close out the 9U Panthers’ scoring. Tippett finished with 76 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Kayden Blackwell had the other reception for 20 yards. Will Thomas was credited by the coaching staff for his outstanding offensive line play. Raymond Woodard had four tackles and a fumble recovery for the Bartow defense. Chris McClendon also collected four tackles. Hawkins made three stops and recovered a fumble. Jhari Whatley also made three stops. Kent recovered two fumbles and had two tackles. Nathan Woods had two tackles and a fumble recovery. Tippett, Melvin, and J’Tayvious Whatley added two stops apiece. The 9U Bartow Panthers next NWGYFL game is a home contest October 12 against the Smyrna Seahawks. The site has not yet been set. The 9U Panthers will also play non-league games October 13 and October 20. Bartow will take on the 3rd-ranked East Metro Steelers October 13 at Georgia State University Stadium in Atlanta and will play the 4th-ranked Central DeKalb Jaguars October 20 at Acworth Holbrooks Field. 10U BARTOW COUNTY PANTHERS 31, DOUGLASVILLE TIGERCUBS 0 In a game that was stopped in the third quarter due to lightning in the area, the 10U Panthers blanked the Douglasville TigerCubs 31-0. Grayson Womack had touchdown runs of 60, 55, 40, and 30 yards for Bartow County. Clay Hilburn added a 15 yard touchdown run with Lawson Weeks scoring the extra point run. With the league win, the 10U Bartow County Panthers improved to 4-0 in the NWGYFL D2 standings. Their next league game is October 12 at the North Georgia Cowboys in Covington. BARTOW PANTHERS 8U AND 12U GAMES CANCELLED The Bartow Panthers 8U and 12U teams were scheduled to play at the Chattanooga Ravens Saturday night, but those games were cancelled and will not be made up. The 12U Panthers will be playing Saturday in Chattanooga in the Craddock/Mason Youth Football Classic. RECREATION DEPARTMENT YOUTH FOOTBALL September 23 12U at Calhoun Rec Department CARTERSVILLE HURRICANES (Ezell) 24, CALHOUN HURRICANES 0 Maddox Frazier rushed for 63 yards on six attempts, scored a pair of touchdowns, and was 3-for-3 on extra point kicks. Reed Ezell rushed for 102 yards on eight carries with a touchdown. Ezell was also 1-for-3 passing for 13 yards. Preston Sorrells had five tackles for Cartersville (Ezell) including two for loss. September 26 8U at Hamilton Crossing Park CASS GOLD 20, ADAIRSVILLE TIGERS 6 Rob Castel rushed for 100 yards including touchdown runs of 24 and 14 yards for Cass Gold. Ezra Banks added 48 yards rushing including a 23 yard touchdown scamper. Walker Harris finished with 50 rushing yards and a pair of PAT runs. Adairsville scored on a 54 yard jaunt by Justin Smith who finished with 76 rushing yards. On defense, Bently Lauro had four tackles and a fumble recovery while Rob Castle and Zane Waits added five and four tackles, respectively for Cass Gold. Aiden White and Caleb Carter contributed six tackles each for Adairsville. Knox McStay was credited with five stops. CARTERSVILLE HURRICANES (Canty) 32, CASS BLUE 16 Brenden Knott rushed for 109 yards including a 54 yard touchdown run for Hurricanes (Canty). Luke Gaines finished with touchdown runs of 22 and 12 yards and 43 yards total. Jeremy McDaniel had a 68 yard scoring run and an extra point run. Alex Higgins scored on a six yard run and Gabriel Merritt added a PAT run. Gaines had five tackles on defense while Isaac Watters and Cortney Buffington added three stops apiece for Hurricanes (Canty). Cass Blue got 132 rushing yards from William Nachtsheim that included touchdown runs of 48 and 43 yards. He added two PAT runs and nine tackles on defense. Houston Walden and Caden Ramierz were credited with six stops each. September 28 12U at Old Cass HS (Grassdale) CASS COLONELS 28, PEPPERELL DRAGONS 15 Kyron McClendon rushed for 115 yards including touchdown runs of 26 and 24 yards. Cayden Aleman scored on a 67 yard scamper. Paul Lanier finished with 131 yards rushing including a 40 yard touchdown run. Three Cass players — Jacob Jones, Shawn Wiseman, and William Hayes — led the defense with four tackles each. McClendon had three tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown. GORDON STORM 39, ADAIRSVILLE TIGERS 0 J’Vian Ledbetter and Brad Barton finished with 23 and 22 yards rushing, respectively, for the Tigers. Carl Clark, Malachi Linley, and Kaden Buttram had three tackles each for Adairsville. Information for the youth football updates provided by the Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department, the Bartow County Parks and Recreation Department, and the Bartow County Panthers youth football program. The updates are sponsored on Bartow Sports Zone by Cici's - Beyond Pizza in the Cherokee Place Shopping Center in Cartersville.

Colorado Rockies pitcher and Cartersville native Sam Howard picked up his second Major League win this past week to highlight this week’s edition of ‘Athletes Beyond Bartow.’ The win came following a two-inning scoreless appearance against the San Francisco Giants in the season's final week. This edition also includes updates from the NFL, college football, cross country, volleyball, golf, and soccer. Updates for professional and collegiate athletes across the nation with connections to Bartow County. MLB SAM HOWARD — Colorado Rockies (6th yr. pro; LHP; Georgia Southern; Cartersville HS)… picked up his second Major League win last Tuesday as the Rockies won at San Francisco, 8-5. Howard worked the fourteenth and fifteenth innings of a 4-4 game and did not allow a run or a hit while striking out two of the six batters he faced. Colorado eventually pulled out the win with three runs in the 16th inning. Howard pitched again Thursday at San Francisco where he struck out two, but gave up a solo home run to Giants’ shortstop Mauricio Dubón. Sunday, he worked the sixth inning against the Brewers and gave up a leadoff home run to Hernan Perez, a double, and hit a batter but struck out two and did not allow another run in a no-decision outing. Howard finished the 2019 MLB season with a 2-0 record in 20 appearances and 19 innings pitched. He struck out 23, had a 6.63 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and opponents hit .276 against him. He was also the organization’s Triple-A Pitcher of the Year with the Albuquerque Isotopes. Howard was 4-1 with a 3.91 ERA in 42 relief appearances in the Pacific Coast League. The southpaw worked just over 50 innings with a 1.44 WHIP, 62 strikeouts, and a .262 BAA with Albuquerque. NFL VIC BEASLEY — Atlanta Falcons (5th yr. pro; OLB; Clemson; Adairsville HS)… had three tackles (one solo) in a 24-10 loss Sunday to the Tennessee Titans. Atlanta (1-3) plays at the Houston Texans next Sunday. COLLEGE FOOTBALL TERRY BERDIN — Reinhardt University (So., RB, Cartersville HS)… was targeted once on an incomplete pass and had only one carry Saturday for a two-yard loss in the NAIA 14th-ranked Eagles’ 31-7 loss at FCS 4th-ranked Kennesaw State. Next for Reinhardt (3-2) is their Mid-South Conference opener this Saturday at Kentucky Christian University. CHRIS BLACKSTON — University of West Georgia (Sr., DB, Adairsville HS)… led the 22nd-ranked Wolves in tackles Saturday with eight, including six solo with 1.5 for loss, but West Georgia fell at Florida Tech 44-10 in their Gulf South Conference opener. UWG (2-2, 0-1) will look to bounce back this Saturday at home when the Wolves host Shorter. TREY CREAMER -- Fort Scott CC (So., RB, Cartersville HS)... participated in the Greyhounds' 42-16 loss Saturday at Garden City CC. Fort Scott (3-2, 3-2 Kansas Junior College Conference) has a bye week before hosting Ellsworth CC October 12. JONATHAN CRUZ — UNC-Charlotte (So., PK, Cartersville HS)… converted three of four PAT attempts and kicked off one time for a touchback in the 49ers’ 45-27 Homecoming loss to Florida Atlantic. Charlotte (2-3, 0-1 C-USA) travel to Miami October 12 to face Florida International. DALEN CURTIS — Brevard College (Jr., FB/TE, Cartersville HS)… had a second quarter carry for two yards to the one-yard line setting up the Tornadoes second touchdown in a 40-9 rout at Allen University. Brevard (2-0) hosts Maryville College (Tenn.) for Homecoming this Saturday afternoon. MILLER FORRISTALL — University of Alabama (R-Jr., TE, Cartersville HS)… had a pair of receptions for 40 yards Saturday including a fourth quarter, 19-yard touchdown catch as the 2nd-ranked Crimson Tide rolled over Ole Miss 59-31. Forristall, who was targeted four times, made his other reception in the third quarter on a quick slant for 21 yards and a first down to the Rebels’ 16-yard line. That drive resulted in a missed field goal. Alabama (5-0) has a bye week before traveling to Texas A&M October 12. HUNTER HARDIN — Point University (Jr., OL, Woodland HS)… the Skyhawks starter at left guard was part of an offense that accumulated 333 yards of total offense but lost at home Saturday to NAIA 17th-ranked Bethel University (Tenn.) 48-21. Point (1-4) has a bye week before traveling October 12 to Willie Stargell Stadium to play Cincinnati Christian University. GRANT HARRIS — Victor Valley CC (So., LB, Cartersville HS)… shared a tackle for a one-yard loss Saturday in the Rams’ 49-17 home win over Santa Ana CC. Victor Valley (2-2) travels to Santa Monica CC this Saturday night. JACOREY JOHNS — Wake Forest University (R-Fr., LB, Cartersville HS)… finished with three tackles including a pair of solo stops as the Demon Deacons won their fifth straight to start the 2019 season. The 27-24 win at Boston College leads into a bye week before Wake Forest hosts Louisville October 12. EMMANUEL JONES — Colorado State University (Jr., DE, Woodland HS)… led the Rams in tackles Saturday with 12 total (8 solo) including a forced fumble and one tackle for loss but CSU fell at Utah State, 34-24. Colorado State (1-4, 0-1 Mountain West Conference) entertains San Diego State this Saturday night for Homecoming. BRADLEY KIRK — Shorter University (So., S, Cartersville HS)… totaled seven tackles including five solo in the Hawks’ 44-7 home loss to top-ranked Valdosta State Saturday. TREVOR LAWRENCE — Clemson University (So., QB, Cartersville HS)… connected with Tee Higgins on a 38-yard touchdown with nine minutes remaining Saturday to give the No. 1-ranked Tigers their first lead of the game as Clemson held on to edge North Carolina 21-20 in Chapel Hill. UNC pulled within a point with less than two minutes remaining, but Clemson stopped a two-point conversion attempt to hold off the Tar Heels. Lawrence was 18-for-30 passing for 206 yards and had a career best 45 rushing yards including a second quarter, three-yard touchdown run that tied the game 14-14 and a long run of 16 yards in the second period. Clemson (5-0, 3-0 ACC) has a bye week before hosting Florida State October 12. JACOB POTTER — Kennesaw State University (So., LS, Adairsville HS)… the Owls’ starting long snapper contributed on four PAT snaps, a field goal, and a pair of punts during a 31-7 win over NAIA Reinhardt University Saturday at Fifth Third Stadium. Next for FCS 4th-ranked KSU (4-1) is the Big South Conference opener October 12 at home against Charleston Southern. NICK ROOT — Carson-Newman University (R-Fr., OL, Cartersville HS)… saw action in the Eagles’ 42-7 home win Saturday over Virginia-Wise. CNU (2-1) hosts UNC-Pembroke this Saturday. AVERY SHOWELL — Georgia Tech (R-So., DB, Cartersville HS)… participated in Georgia Tech’s 24-2 loss Saturday at Temple. The Yellow Jackets (1-3, 0-1 ACC) host North Carolina Saturday. JAKE WALKER — Furman University (Jr., TE, Cartersville, GA, Darlington HS)… saw action for the 15th-ranked Paladins in their 17-10 home win Saturday over East Tennessee State. Furman (3-2, 2-0 Southern Conference) travel to Birmingham this Saturday afternoon to play at Samford. CROSS COUNTRY CHEYENNE SPINKS — University of North Georgia (Fr., Woodland HS)… ran to a 77th place individual finish out of 317 competitors Saturday as the Nighthawks finished fifth of 39 teams at the Queen City Invitational in Charlotte. Spinks ran eighth for her team but did not score with a time of 19:54. The next event for UNG is this Saturday in Milledgeville at the Georgia College Bobcat Invitational. VOLLEYBALL NEDU EVANS — Augusta University (Fr., MH, Cartersville HS)… started in a home match last Tuesday against Limestone and saw action off the bench at Shorter Saturday in a pair of the Jaguars wins. Evans had four kills and five blocks in a three set sweep of Limestone and had five kills, two assists, and a block in a five-set win at Shorter. Augusta (11-2) has won nine straight matches and travels to West Georgia Tuesday night and Flagler College for a Friday night contest. GRACE HUNTER — Brewton-Parker College (Fr., S/RS, Cartersville HS)… contributed four kills, three service aces, and a pair of digs last Tuesday as the Barons beat visiting Agnes Scott College in three straight sets. Friday, Hunter had six kills, a dig, and a pair of block assists in a loss at University of Mobile. She added two kills in a straight sets loss at Loyola University (Louisiana) Saturday afternoon. BPC (3-15, 1-3 Southern States Athletic Conference) plays at William Carey University (Miss.) Friday night. GOLF LINDSEY BONNER — York College (Pa.) (So., Cartersville HS)… shot rounds of 81-82 last Monday and Tuesday as the Lady Spartans won the eight-team Bridgewater Invitational at Par-72, 5,805-yard Lakeview Golf Club in Harrisburg, Virginia. York finished with a 36-hole total of 627 to finish 19 shots ahead of host Bridgewater College. Bonner participated in the tournament as an individual and was not part of the team scoring. Next on the fall schedule for York is the Tartan Invitational in Ligonier, Pennsylvania October 7-8 hosted by Carnegie Mellon University. SOCCER EMILY COLLUM — Georgia Southwestern State (So., F, Adairsville HS)… played all 45 minutes of the second half and took one shot on goal in the Hurricanes’ 5-0 shutout of visiting Talladega College last Wednesday. Entered in the 33rd minute Saturday, took one shot that was off mark, and played 36 minutes in a 2-0 loss at Albany State. Georgia Southwestern (3-3-1, 0-1 Peach Belt Conference) hosts Clayton State Wednesday night and Georgia College Saturday. KURT MOORE — Birmingham Southern College (Sr., GK, Euharlee, GA, Darlington HS)… made two saves last Tuesday in a 2-1 win at Mississippi University for Women and added one save in a 2-0 victory Saturday at Hendrix College (Ark.). BSC (5-3-1, 1-0 Southern Athletic Association) hosts Rhodes College this Saturday afternoon. MARISSA MOWRY — Anderson University (So., MF, Cartersville HS)… has started every match this season for the Trojans and played all 90 minutes in both matches this past week — a 1-0 home win over Lander University Tuesday and a 1-0 home loss to Carson-Newman University Saturday. MADISON PUTZER — Young Harris College (Jr., MF, Cartersville HS)… entered as a reserve and played 25 minutes in the Mountain Lions’ 5-1 Peach Belt Conference loss Saturday at Flagler College in St. Augustine. YHC (1-5, 0-1) hosts Albany State Wednesday night and Francis Marion University Saturday afternoon. PAYTON PUTZER — Young Harris College (Jr., MF, Cartersville HS)… was a starter and saw 55 minutes of action in Saturday’s loss at Flagler College. The Mountain Lions are 1-5 overall and 0-1 in the Peach Belt Conference. They host a pair of conference matches this week against Albany State Wednesday and Francis Marion Saturday. LOGAN VERMAAS — University of North Georgia (Fr., D, Cass HS)… was inserted for the final five minutes of Saturday’s 3-0 Peach Belt Conference win at home over Francis Marion University. The 20th-ranked Nighthawks also had a 2-0 loss on the road Wednesday at 16th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University. UNG (5-1, 2-0 PBC) continues conference action this week at Georgia College Wednesday night and at home Saturday afternoon against UNC-Pembroke.

The Adairsville softball team lost its opening round game in the Region 6-AAA double-elimination tournament Saturday to Haralson County, 10-0. The tournament is being played at the Calhoun Recreation Department. Haralson County scored seven runs in the top of the fifth to break open an otherwise close game. The fifth inning outburst ended the game in five innings after Haralson County pitcher, Morgan Martin, retired Adairsville in order in the bottom of the frame. The Rebels scored two runs in the first inning and one in the third inning to hold a 3-0 lead heading into the fifth. Martin, who also homered twice for the Rebels, limited the Lady Tigers to only three hits. She struck out two. Adairsville starting pitcher Victoria O’Neal (4.2 IP, 4R, 3ER, 6H, 3BB, 4K) was tagged with the loss. Taylor Rhoades (0.1 IP, 6ER, 6H) retired the final out in the fifth inning. Alexa Varner, Chloe Souders, and Megan Gregory had the three Adairsville base hits. Haralson County lost to Sonoraville 6-0 in the second round later Saturday to fall into Monday’s elimination round. Adairsville (6-15) will also play in the elimination round Monday at 4 p.m. at the Calhoun Recreation Department.

The top-ranked Canes started slowly and grabbed a 10-2 lead just before the intermission on their way to a 24-2 Region 5-AAAA victory over visiting Cedartown Friday night at Weinman Stadium. Cartersville (5-0, 1-0) took a first quarter lead on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Tee Webb (photo) to Sam Phillips and added a 30-yard field goal by Oscar Hernandez in the final minute of the first half for their halftime lead. Cedartown (1-4, 0-1) got on the scoreboard for their only points of the night late in the first quarter on a safety. A muffed return of a Bulldogs’ punt forced Cartersville to begin a drive from their own one yard line leading to the safety. In the second half, Cartersville running back Jake Brasfield scored with a one yard run late in the third quarter and added a 10-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Hernandez converted both PATs and the Hurricanes defense did the rest. Cedartown hosts LaGrange Friday. Cartersville plays at Central-Carroll next Friday. ROME 49, CASS 10 Running backs E.J. Burks and Ahijah Blackwell combined for five touchdowns Friday night at Cochran Stadium as the Class AAAAA 8th-ranked Rome Wolves defeated Cass, 49-10. The Wolves led 42-3 at halftime. The only Cass points in the first half came on the Colonels' second offensive series. Following a failed onside kick attempt by Rome, Cass drove downfield for a Kaleb Speights 29-yard field goal that narrowed the Rome lead to 7-3 at the time. The loss snapped a three-game streak for the Colonels (3-2, 2-1) as Cass suffered its first Region 7-AAAAA loss of the season. The lone Cass touchdown came with less than three minutes remaining in the game. Triston Mize threw a 7-yard touchdown to Brandon Martin. Rome improved to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in region action. The Wolves host Woodland next Friday. It gets no easier for the Colonels. Cass travels to Class AAAAA 3rd-ranked Carrollton Friday. HIRAM 30, WOODLAND 0 Hiram’s Jalen Townser scored four touchdowns on runs of 23, 3, 80, and 4 yards Friday night as the visiting Hornets blanked Woodland in a Region 7-AAAAA matchup. The first touchdown was set up by a blocked punt by Joshua Martin in the first quarter. The next touchdown was on the Hornets’ next possession and was set up by a 52-yard pass play. Woodland then benefited from two consecutive personal foul penalties on Hiram to start deep in Hornets’ territory. The Wildcats, down 14-0 at the time, had two separate plays at the Hornets’ one-yard line, but committed illegal procedure penalties to set them back. The drive failed when Johnathan Thomas was picked off in the end zone by Mahki Touray for a touchback. On the next play, Townser scored on an 80-yard jaunt that gave the Hornets a 21-0 lead with 3:04 left in the first half. A short kickoff return and a penalty forced the Woodland offense to start inside their own five yard line early in the third quarter. The possession ended in a safety when Wildcats’ running back Asa James was tackled by Martin in the end zone for a Hiram 23-0 lead. Following the ensuing free kick, Hiram drove 32 yards on five plays with Townser finishing the drive with a four-yard run. Kicker Dalton Moyse made all four PATs. Hiram (2-2, 2-0) hosts East Paulding next Friday. Woodland (1-4, 0-3) lost its fourth straight and must travel to 8th-ranked Rome next week before making the trip to 3rd-ranked Carrollton October 11. NORTH MURRAY 28, ADAIRSVILLE 0 In a game that suffered through multiple lightning delays, North Murray defeated Adairsville in Chatsworth 28-0. The game was halted and declared a final score in the second quarter following additional lightning in the area. Garrison Cochran gave the Mountaineers a 7-0 lead with a 29-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Ethan Dempsey set up his own nine-yard touchdown run with a big 58-yard run and Hayden Hulett had a 15-yard touchdown reception as North Murray built a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. Noah Lunsford scored on an eight-yard run for North Murray's final score. The Mountaineers improved to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in Region 6-AAA. North Murray plays at Murray County Friday night. Adairsville (2-3, 1-2) hosts Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe next Friday.

Allyssa Motes drove in the game-winning run with an infield hit in the top of the sixth inning to lift visiting Woodland past Lassiter Friday night 2-1 in a non-region game in Marietta. Morgan Bailey walked, then Ansley Evans and Morgan Cooper followed with singles to load the bases and set up Motes’ go-ahead RBI in the sixth. Woodland took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI single by Bella Carnes, but Lassiter tied the score with a run in the fourth inning. Lady Cats’ pitcher Lainey Baker struck out eight and scattered four hits and two walks to limit the host Trojans to only one, unearned run. Woodland totaled eight hits from eight different players. The only extra base hit was a double by Brianna Hill. Carnes, Bailey, Evans, Cooper, Motes (photo), Kailey Baker, and Hannah Miller added one hit apiece. The loss leaves Lassiter with a 16-7 season mark. Woodland finished the regular season with a 16-10 record and the Lady Cats enter the Region 7-AAAAA tournament with a 12-4 region mark. As the No. 3-seed, Woodland will host the double-elimination tournament that begins Tuesday. While Carrollton and East Paulding will play a best-of-three series to determine the region champion and runner-up, the remaining teams will be at Woodland to vie for the No.3 and No. 4 seeds heading into the state tournament.

Woodland pitcher Lainey Baker tossed a one-hitter Thursday night and struck out a dozen Patriots as the Lady Cats blanked visiting Paulding County 8-0. Baker needed only 64 pitches in five innings of work, did not walk a batter, and was in the strike zone over 76 percent of the time. On the offensive side of the ledger, Woodland scored two runs in the first inning, added four in the second, and their final two runs in the third inning. Bella Carnes, Ansley Evans (RBI), and Hannah Miller (double) finished with two hits each. Kendyl Hardin doubled and drove in two runs. Allyssa Motes (sac fly, 2 RBI), Morgan Bailey, and Morgan Cooper added one hit each. With the loss, Paulding County falls to 6-17 overall and finished 4-12 in region play. Woodland (15-10, 12-4) closes out the regular season Friday at Lassiter at 5:30 p.m. CARROLLTON 9, CASS 0 Cass softball was shutout Thursday night at Class AAAAA 4th-ranked Carrollton 9-0. Trojans’ pitchers Olivia Fannin (4 IP, 0R, 3H, 2BB, 6K) and Jaycie Hand (1 IP, 0R, 0H) combined on a three-hitter. Kylee Hembree (4 IP, 9R, 7ER, 13H, 1B, 1K) suffered the pitching loss for Cass. Zahria Dunson, Maddie Mashburn, Scout Jennings, and Kate Albertus combined for nine hits and seven RBI for Carrollton. Alexis Woods, Ansley Hight, and Hembree had the three Cass base hits. Carrollton finished the region season 22-2 overall and 15-1 in Region 7-AAAAA. Cass is 11-15 overall and 6-10 in region play.

The region standings and this week's games for the three leagues that include local teams.

The Lady Canes scored five runs in the top of the first and pounded out 13 hits on their way to a 10-5 win at Adairsville Wednesday night. Cartersville led 5-0 heading into the third inning and the Hurricanes were up 7-2 after four innings. The Lady Tigers narrowed the margin to 7-4 in the fifth, but the Lady Canes added a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to put the game away. Ava Perkins (7 IP, 5R, 3ER, 7H, 3BB, 6K) was the winning pitcher for Cartersville with a complete game effort. Victoria O’Neal (3.1 IP, 7R, 3ER, 6H, 5BB, 2K) and Taylor Rhoades (3.2 IP, 3R, 2ER, 7H, 2K) split the pitching duties for Adairsville. Chloe Souders, O’Neal (RBI), and Rhoades had two hits apiece for the Lady Tigers. Alexa Varner added a hit and one RBI. PHOTO: Randy Parker, The Daily Tribune News Lauren McElhaney finished with three hits including a triple and two RBI for the Canes. Elizabeth Nelson also had three hits. AnnaKate McElhaney finished with two hits and two RBI. Perkins also had two hits with one RBI. Cio Siegler (photo) contributed a hit and two RBI. Campbell Rogers added a double. The loss drops Adairsville to 6-15 overall. The Lady Tigers will open the Region 6-AAA tournament Saturday at the Calhoun Recreation Department with an 11 a.m. game against Haralson County. Cartersville improves to 14-11 for the season. The Lady Canes finished Region 5-AAAA play as the No. 4-seed and will host 5th-seeded Chapel Hill in a best-of-three series in the opening round of the region playoffs. Cartersville and Chapel Hill will play a doubleheader Monday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. If a third game is necessary, it will be played Tuesday at 5:55 p.m. The series winner and the winner of a similar best-of-three between Cedartown and Troup will play a single game next Thursday for the No. 3-seed and No. 4 seed in the state playoffs from the region. Central-Carroll and LaGrange will square off next week in a best-of-three for the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds from Region 5-AAAA.

The top ten Bartow County cross country performances of the 2019 season at the high school and middle school level. Girls best of all-time: McKenna Trapheagen (WHS), 17:49.61 Boys best of all-time: Joseph Stegall (Cartersville), 15:41 Updated September 25, 2019 2019 TOP TEN TIMES

Lainey Baker tossed a complete game shutout and struck out 15 as Woodland softball blanked Hiram Tuesday night in Paulding County, 6-0. Baker (photo) scattered only four hits and did not walk a batter. The Lady Cats scored single runs in the first and third innings to grab a 2-0 lead through four innings. Kendyl Hardin smacked a three-run home run in the fifth inning for a 5-0 lead and Woodland added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Hardin had a sacrifice fly in the first inning to give the Lady Cats an early lead. Bella Carnes reached on an error, stole a base, and later scored on another Hornets miscue in the third. Cassie Jones added an RBI single in the seventh. Morgan Bailey, Ansley Evans, and Morgan Cooper (double) had two hits each for Woodland. Hardin finished with four RBI. Jones (RBI) and Kailey Baker had the other Lady Cats base hits. The loss dropped Hiram to 7-14 overall and 7-8 in Region 7-AAAAA. Woodland (14-10, 11-4) hosts Paulding County Thursday at 5:55 p.m. and closes out the regular season Friday at Lassiter. EAST PAULDING 12, CASS 4 The host Lady Raiders scored six runs in the first inning and raced to a 10-4 lead through three innings on their way to a 12-4 win over Cass in five innings. The Lady Colonels managed only two hits off East Paulding pitchers Maggie O’Kelley (2.1 IP, 4ER, 2H, 5BB) and Carson Brown (2.2 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB, 3K). Kylee Hembree (1 IP, 7R, 6ER, 7H, 2BB, 1K) started in the circle for Cass and suffered the pitching loss. Macenzie Dougharty (3.1 IP, 5ER, 5H, 2BB) worked into the fifth inning when the game was stopped for the GHSA run-rule. Kylie Manning had three hits including a double, home run, and three RBI. O’Kelley finished with three hits including a home run and five RBI. Ansley Hight (2 RBI) and Eryn Lee had the only Cass hits. Kelly Young and Haley Smith added RBIs. East Paulding improved to 16-9 overall and 13-3 in Region 7-AAAAA. Cass (11-14, 6-9) wraps up the regular season Thursday with their Senior Night game against region-leading Carrollton. COAHULLA CREEK 6, ADAIRSVILLE 1 The host Colts broke open a 1-1 game with a five-run sixth inning to defeat Adairsville Tuesday night, 6-1. Adairsville took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Sadye Johnson doubled and came around to score on a Coahulla Creek error. The Colts tied the game in the third by taking advantage of a pair of walks, a sacrifice bunt, and a base hit by MiKayla Teems. In the fateful sixth, Coahulla Creek (12-6, 4-4) scored five runs on a double, three Lady Tigers errors, and a three-run home run by R.J. Janke. In addition to Johnson’s first inning hit, Alexa Varner doubled and Alyssa Jarrett added a base hit for the Tigers. Adairsville (6-13, 3-5) completes the regular season Wednesday with a home game against Cartersville.

Week Five of the local schedule for high school football arrives featuring a full slate of games with three of the four Bartow County schools hosting region games. Cartersville, Woodland, and Cass each host this Friday night with 7:30 p.m. kickoffs while Adairsville goes on the road to face a new Region 6-AAA favorite. CEDARTOWN BULLDOGS (1-3) at CARTERSVILLE HURRICANES (4-0) The Purple Hurricanes are ranked No. 1 in Georgia and have now been in the Top Ten of the state polls for 71 consecutive weeks. Only Grayson has a longer streak at 73 weeks. With their 28-7 win last week over then-unbeaten Cherokee, the Canes have now outscored opponents 140-20 in the first four games. The Bulldogs cracked into the winning side of the ledger last week with a 57-14 win at Southeast Whitfield. Prior to last week’s victory, Coach O. Doyle Kelly’s Cedartown team had losses at Bremen, at Alexander, and at home against rival Rockmart. This is Kelly’s third season at the Bulldogs’ helm. He has a 16-11 record as head coach and guided Cedartown to the state playoffs in each of his first two seasons. Friday will mark the 50th meeting between the Bulldogs and Hurricanes in a series that dates back to 1912. Cartersville has won five of the last six including last year’s surprisingly close 21-20 victory at Cedartown. The Bulldogs’ last win in the series was an 18-10 score in Polk County in 2011. Cedartown leads the all-time series 25-21-3. Cartersville won five of the first six games between 1912 and 1918, but Cedartown was 14-2-2 between 1925 and 1971 as the two schools met sporadically. The series of occasional meetings continued in 1992 with Cartersville holding a 10-7 edge. The two teams meet again this week as Region 5-AAAA rivals. Projections: CalPreps — Cartersville by 35 Massey — Cartersville by 28 Maxwell — Cartersville by 38 Broadcast: WBHF-Cartersville (100.3FM / AM1450) Pregame coverage begins at 6:00 p.m. HIRAM HORNETS (1-2, 1-0) at WOODLAND WILDCATS (1-3, 0-2) The Wildcats have dropped three straight following an opening night win at home over Southeast Whitfield. Woodland romped past the Raiders 35-7, but then lost on the road at East Hall, fell to Cass at home, and lost at Paulding County last week. Hiram has started slowly as well and comes into this game off a bye week. The Hornets opened with a 35-7 loss to Harrison and followed with a 28-22 loss at South Paulding before beating Paulding County two weeks ago, 28-15. Hornets head coach Pete Fominaya is in his second season as the top man at Hiram where he is 5-8. This is is first head coaching position. Woodland head coach Tony Plott, now in his fifth season at the helm, is 9-35 in his first head coaching job. Hiram leads the all-time series 5-4, but it may be the Wildcats’ turn to win. The series dates back to 2002, but due to some breaks and region assignments over the years this will be only the tenth meeting. In the first nine matchups, the home team has won each time. Hiram won last year 35-15. Woodland won in 2017, 21-10. Projections: CalPreps — Hiram by 28 Massey — Hiram by 14 Maxwell — Hiram by 24 Broadcast: This is the Johnny's NY Style Pizza Bartow County Game of the Week via BartowSportsZone.com. Pregame coverage begins at 6 p.m. with a shared feed with WBHF-Cartersville. Click on the green, 'Listen Live' button on the header of this website. Charles Wilson and Brad Stephens will have the call. Listeners may also use this link --> https://www.meridix.com/channel/?liveid=bartowsportszone#/schedule/156135 ADAIRSVILLE TIGERS (2-2, 1-1) at NORTH MURRAY MOUNTAINEERS (3-1, 2-0) The Mountaineers snapped a long, 139-game region winning streak by Calhoun last Friday by winning at Hal Lamb Field and Phil Reeve Stadium. On the scoreboard, North Murray hammered the Yellow Jackets, 31-7, but the lead was only 17-7 heading into the final three minutes. The Mountaineers scored a pair of touchdowns in that late game stretch. It was Calhoun’s first region game loss since 2001. North Murray started the season with a 38-17 loss at Rabun County, but has now reeled off three consecutive wins over Model (24-7) and Ringgold (45-17) at home prior to last week’s victory at Calhoun. Mountaineers’ head coach Preston Poag was a former quarterback at Dalton High School and N.C. State. He is now 48-34 overall in eight GHSA seasons. After serving as a Dalton assistant, he spent four years as head coach at Christian Heritage in Dalton where his teams made the state playoffs his final three seasons. The Lions were 24-20 between 2012 and 2015. Poag enters his fourth season guiding the Mountaineers and is 24-14 and has made the state playoffs each season. They appear to be well on their way to a fourth consecutive appearance. Adairsville dropped its opener at Chattooga 20-0, but bounce back with consecutive wins over Cass (14-7) and Coahulla Creek (35-0). Last week the Tigers were edged by Haralson County at home, 13-12. Adairsville head coach Eric Bishop is in the midst of his seventh season as the leader of the Tigers. His teams are 43-28 in that stretch and made the state playoffs in 2013-2015 and again in 2017. Friday will mark the seventh meeting between the Tigers and Mountaineers since 2012. Adairsville leads the all-time series 4-2, but North Murray has won each of the last two matchups. Adairsville’s last win in the series was a 47-14 win in Chatsworth in 2015 when the Tigers advanced all the way to the Class AAA quarterfinals and finished 11-2. Projections: CalPreps — North Murray by 18 Massey — North Murray by 21 Maxwell — North Murray by 21 ROME WOLVES (2-2, 1-1) at CASS COLONELS (3-1, 2-0) The Wolves started the year ranked either first or second in Class AAAAA depending on your poll of reference, but have now slipped down the rankings following losses to Marietta and Carrollton. The opening loss to the Blue Devils in the Corky Kell Classic was only surprising by the scoring put up by Marietta. Last week’s 24-20 loss at Carrollton likely means the Region 7-AAAAA race will look a little different this November. Between those two losses, Rome won twice at Barron Stadium. The Wolves overwhelmed North Clayton 63-6 and edged perrenial region contender Kell, 21-10. Meanwhile, Cass struggled to an opening night loss at Adairsville before reeling off three straight wins. The Colonels held off Class 7A Forsyth Central 15-7, beat Woodland 36-7, and topped Villa Rica last week 17-14. The Cass defense has been nothing short of solid through the first four games, but that unit will be severely challenged over the next two weeks as the Colonels host Rome and travel to Carrollton. The offense has improved in the past two outings posting 36 points at Woodland and found a productive rushing attack against Villa Rica. Rome head coach John Reid is in his fifth season with the Wolves after stints at East Paulding, Alcoa, Tennessee and William Blount, Tennessee. He is 51-9 at Rome with three region championships and two state titles. Overall, Reid is 125-41 in 14 seasons. Bobby Hughes is 65-78 in his 14th season as a head coach. This is his sixth season at the helm of the Colonels where he is 18-36 since 2014. He was previously a head coach at Howard in Bibb County and Macon County where his teams won a pair of region titles and made the state playoffs five straight seasons. Friday will be the tenth meeting in the all-time series led by Rome 9-1. The lone Cass win in the series that goes back to the 2008 season was a 24-21 home win in 2014 — Hughes’ first season as head coach at Cass. Last year, the Wolves — who reached the state semifinals — won 49-14 at Barron Stadium. Projections: CalPreps — Rome by 17 Massey — Rome by 33 Maxwell — Rome by 31 -- series data from GHSFH