Senior Perignon Dyer (photo) exploded for 34 points, including six threes, to help lead Cartersville to a 73-63 home win Saturday afternoon over Class AA 10th-ranked Chattooga at The Storm Center. The Hurricanes and Indians were tied after one quarter at 18. Cartersville led 38-37 at the intermission, and the game was knotted again at 53 heading into the final period. Cartersville outscored Chattooga 20-10 in the final eight minutes. Kolbe Benham followed Dyer scoring 14 for the Canes. Marquail Coaxum had six points. Amarai Orr tossed in five. Devonte Ross, Manny Hayes, and Austin Cauffman added two each. Chattooga (6-6) countered with a balanced scoring attack, placing five players in double figures. Jundraius Adams led the Indians with 13 points. Devin Prize scored 11. Malachi Mack, Tre Flowers, and Clayton Johnson each finished with 10 points. Cartersville (5-6) is scheduled to play host White County January 2 at 5 p.m. at the White County Classic in Cleveland, GA. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 52, CHATTOOGA 32 London Shaw scored 12 of her game-high 16 points in the first half Saturday afternoon to help lead the Lady Canes to a dominating 52-32 non-region win over visiting Chattooga. Shaw (photo) also collected 11 rebounds in her performance. Cartersville led 18-7 after one quarter and held a 31-17 advantage at the break. The Lady Canes pushed their lead to 47-22 after three quarters on their way to the 20-point win. Naija Evans scored 10 points for the Lady Canes. Jamiya Moore and Haley Johnson both scored six. Lehla Thomas finished with seven steals and five points. A’mya Davis dished six assists and scored four points. Ariana Cochran and Kiera Milline contributed two points apiece while Alexia Henderson added one point. No Chattooga player finished in double figures as the Lady Indians saw their season record slip to 6-5. Cartersville (7-4) returns to action Friday at 6 p.m. at Cedartown in a Region 5-AAAA tilt. The Canes wil host Central-Carroll Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

The Cass girls had five players reach double figures in scoring Friday afternoon at the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash on their way to a 77-62 semifinal win over Class 7A Peachtree Ridge. Payton Stoddard led the Lady Colonels with 17 points. She was followed by Alexis Ware with 15. Claire Davis (photo) and Amber Brittian totaled 13 each and Londaisha Smith scored 12. Sharia Wade and Brianna Stephenson rounded out the scoring with six and one points, respectively. Yewande Bello led Peachtree Ridge (2-8) with 20 points. Nayda McCowan added 12 for the Lions. Cass took a 24-12 lead after one period and held a 41-22 advantage at halftime. The Lady Colonels held a 58-45 lead at the end of the third quarter. Cass (12-2) will play in the tournament championship game Saturday night at 7 p.m. against Southside (AL) who beat Adairsville in the other Friday semifinal, 61-51. SOUTHSIDE (AL) 61, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 51 Southside (Gadsden, AL) topped Adairsville Friday night 61-51 in the semifinals of the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash. The Lady Panthers (8-2) got 18 points from Alexis Thompson, 14 from Sydney Yancey, and 10 more from Macie Williams to reach Saturday night’s championship game against Cass. Southside led 12-11 after one quarter, 27-18 at the intermission, and 44-33 through three periods on their way to a 10-point win. Havyn Isaac (photo) and Nakiyah Washington led the Lady Tigers with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Coriana McDaniel finished with eight points. Alexa Varner scored seven. Breeana Wilson totaled six points. Aaliyah Applin tossed in five and Lori Cimino added one point. Adairsville (3-11) will play Peachtree Ridge for third place Saturday at 5:30 p.m. BREMEN 83, EXCEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY BOYS 43 Bremen routed Excel Christian 83-43 Friday afternoon in a consolation matchup at the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash. The win moves Bremen (4-7) into Saturday’s consolation finals at 2:30 p.m. against Cornerstone Prep Academy (13-5). CPA beat Washington-Atlanta Friday afternoon, 61-53. Rayshawn Womack led the Eagles in scoring with 12 points. Excel (3-9) plays Washington-Atlanta Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in a consolation game. NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN 65, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 43 North Cobb Christian improved to 8-4 on the season and made it to the finals of the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash by taking down the host Tigers, 65-43. Connor Crunkelton led Adairsville in scoring with 12 points. Danarous Johnson added eight for the Tigers. The Eagles will face Lafayette in the tournament championship game Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. Adairsville (6-10) will play Boaz (AL) for third place at 4 p.m.

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 December 2018: Marcus Gary -- Cartersville HS Robby Poston -- Excel Christian Academy Madgie Robinson -- Woodland HS James Standridge -- Adairsville HS Eli Wilhoit -- Cass HS The December 2018 Elite Athlete of the Month representing Cartersville High School is Marcus Gary. The Class of 2019 senior is the starting running back for the Hurricanes 2018 Region 5-AAAA champion and state runner-up football team. The son of Marcus Gary Sr. rushed for 18 touchdowns and 1,600 yards in an outstanding senior season. “Marcus has been a great Hurricane for all four years of his high school career,” said Cartersville head football coach Joey King. “He worked really hard this past off-season and as a result had a tremendous senior year.” Robby Poston is the Excel Christian Academy Elite Athlete of the Month for December 2018. A junior forward on the Eagles’ basketball team, Poston had accumulated three double-doubles in his team’s first five games. “Robby continues to grow into a valuable leadership role for our young team,” said ECA head coach Shannon Boatfield. “His development on the court has been big for us and he will be an important contributor for us as we get deeper into region play this season.” Poston has a 3.71 GPA and plans to attend Lee University to study theology on his way to becoming a pastor. He is the son of Pete and Melanie Poston. The Woodland High School December 2018 Elite Athlete of the Month is Madgie Robinson. A senior guard on the Lady Cats’ basketball team, she is the daughter of Ralph and Carla Robinson. “Madgie is a four-year starter,” said Woodland head basketball coach Kyle Morgan. “It has been my pleasure to watch first-hand as she has matured into the fine young lady she has become both on and off the court.” Robinson also serves the Woodland girls team as team captain. “Madgie is a true student-athlete who gives her best effort both in the classroom and on the basketball court,” continued Morgan. “She possesses many qualities that are guaranteed to ensure success after she graduates high school: intelligence, great work ethic, selflessness, respect for others, and a competitive spirit.” Robinson, who plans to attend Georgia State University to major in journalism, is a member of the Beta Club, National Honor Society, and Spanish Honor Society. She is also a Woodland Scholar Athlete Award winner. “Madgie has given a ton to the Lady Cat basketball program. She will be greatly missed after this season,” Morgan concluded. The Elite Athlete of the Month for Adairsville High School is James “Squeaky” Standridge. A junior wrestler competiting in the 132-pound weight class, Standridge is the son of Karen Davenport and Eric Irish. “James has not only been one of our leading point scorers for the Tigers with a 31-8 record, he takes a personal interest in encouraging and supporting his teammates to accomplish their very best as well,” said Adairsville wrestling coach Ryan Torrence. Standridge — a leader with his team and in the school building — plans to serve our nation by joining the U.S. Coast Guard after his high school graduation. “James helps out with other teammates at practice and always stays after to assist coaches and make sure daily tasks are completed. He is respected not only for his accomplishments, but also for his commitment to his teammates and the program. He is on a mission to improve his skill and character level every day,” concluded Torrence. Elijah “Eli” Wilhoit is the Cass High School Elite Athlete of the Month for December 2018. The son of Jamie and Brandon Smith, Eli is a senior member of the Colonels’ swim team. The 2018-19 team captain competes in multiple events including the 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 100 Butterfly, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay, and 400 Free Relay. Wilhoit has worked his way to be the Cass boys top performer in at least three events. He won the 50 Free, 100 Free, and 100 Fly events this season at Rome, Calhoun, Darlington, and Cass meets. He is the Bartow County champion is the 100 Free and 200 Free Relay. He is also the Northwest Georgia Region and Atlanta Metro champion in the 100 Freestyle. “Eli has shown continual improvement over the past three seasons,” said Cass swim coach Danny Fairbanks. “His commitment, work habits, and leadership for our team is immeasurable. He works with our less talented swimmers, helps them improve and is extremely valuable in that respect. He also practices throughout the year with the Cobias Swim Club.” Wilhoit, who has a 3.4 GPA taking Honors and A.P. courses, plans to attend college but has not yet made a college decision. He plans to major in business and/or agriculture and plans to join a collegiate swim team. Editors Note: Photos and bios are supplied to Bartow Sports Zone and WBHF by the respective schools and their athletic departments. Elite Stone Supply, LLC is the monthly sponsor. Athletes receive a plaque along with recognition during a radio feature on WBHF.

The Adairsville basketball teams both captured first round wins Thursday night while hosting the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash. The Lady Tigers rolled to a 63-42 win over North Cobb Christian while the Tigers garnered a 59-48 win over Excel Christian. As a result, the Lady Tigers and Tigers will play in semifinal games Friday night. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 63, NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN 42 The Lady Tigers raced to a 19-6 first quarter lead and never trailed in a first round win at the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash Thursday night. Adairsville also held leads of 30-19 at halftime and 51-31 after three quarters on their way to a 19-point victory. Nakiyah Washington (photo) scored 15 of her game-high 19 points in the second half to lead the Lady Tigers. Aaliyah Applin followed with 16 points while Havyn Issac added 13 — including 11 in the opening quarter. Alexa Varner and Coriana McDaniel added four points each for Adairsville. Alexia Crisp scored three. Lori Cimino and Breeana Wilson tossed in two points apiece. North Cobb Christian was led by Jessica Hidden and Landry McCollum with 10 points each. Mary Claire Norman added seven points for the Lady Eagles. The loss drops North Cobb Christian to 1-7 on the season. The Lady Eagles will play Lafayette in a consolation game Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. Adairsville (4-10) advances to the tournament semifinals to face Southside (AL) Friday night at 7 p.m. Southside defeated Lafayette Thursday afternoon 41-29. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 59, EXCEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 48 In a first round battle of two local teams at the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash Thursday night, the host Tigers held off Excel Christian 59-48. Adairsville led 18-12 after eight minutes and held a 29-21 lead at the intermission. The Tigers extended their advantage to 44-31 after three quarters, then held on for an 11-point victory. Gaven Crunkelton had a game-high 21 points to pace Adairsville. Danarous Johnson followed with 16 points for the Tigers. Malachi Gardner posted eight points. Connor Crunkelton scored six. Savaun Henderson and Diego Perez contributed three points each. Derrick Simmons and Courtney Slocum added one point each in the win. Rayshawn Womack (photo) led Excel Christian with 17 points. Josiah Mosley followed with 11. Evan Lee contributed six points. Doyal Rashard had five. Kalil Holley scored four and Jake Murray added three points for the Eagles. With the opening round loss, Excel slips to 3-8 on the year and will play Bremen Friday at 2:30 p.m. in a consolation game. Adairsville (6-8) will face North Cobb Christian Friday night at 8:30 p.m. in the tournament semifinals. North Cobb Christian was a 76-50 winner over Bremen in Thursday’s opening round.

The Cartersville girls and boys basketball teams swept crosstown rival Woodland in a doubleheader Thursday night at The Storm Center. The Lady Canes took the opener 39-33 and the Hurricanes won the nightcap, 65-56. The girls game stayed close throughout. Cartersville led 7-6 after one quarter, but Woodland held a 17-16 edge at the half. The Lady Canes then limited the Lady Cats to only two points in the third quarter to take a 25-19 advantage and held on for a six-point win. Lehla Thomas led Cartersville with 13 points. Kierra Milline and A’mya Davis (photo) followed with seven points each for the Lady Canes. London Shaw scored four points. Haley Johnson and Ariana Cochran added two and one, respectively. Madgie Robinson scored 14 points to lead the Lady Cats. Ansley Evans followed with 10 points. Lauren Morris contributed five. Jordan Thompson and Morgan Cooper added two points each. The Lady Canes (6-4) host Chattooga Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in a final non-region tune-up. Woodland (1-11) returns to action January 4 when the Lady Cats entertain 7th-ranked Carrollton at 6 p.m. The Cartersville boys trailed Woodland into the third quarter, but outscored the Wildcats 24-8 in the period to take control on their way to a nine-point win. The Wildcats led 15-10 after eight minutes and held a 32-27 lead at halftime before the Hurricanes surged in the third period. Kolbe Benham led the Canes with a game-high 25 points while Perignon Dyer (photo) followed with 15 including a dozen in the second half. Amarai Orr scored 10 for Cartersville. Micah Tart tossed in seven points. Marquail Coaxum had six points and Devonte Ross added two. Dawson Wilkins paced Woodland with 18 points. Hunter Johnson and Justice Carter followed with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Jaylen Ballard contributed eight points. Chris Greene, D.J. Robinson, and Kyjuan McLendon added two apiece. Peyton Roberts had one point. Woodland (3-10) will host Carrollton in a Region 7-AAAAA tilt January 4 at 7:30 p.m. Cartersville (4-6) faces visiting Chattooga — ranked 10th in Class AA — Saturday at The Storm Center at 5:30 p.m.

The Cass girls basketball team dominated Washington of Atlanta 63-26 Thursday morning in the opening round of the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash being played at Adairsville High School. The Lady Colonels took a 24-8 lead after one quarter, led 37-13 at the intermission, and held a 55-19 advantage through three quarters as they cruised to a 37-point first round win. Freshman Claire Davis led Cass with 15 points and sophomore Londaisha Smith followed with 10. Eight other Cass players scored, including Payton Stoddard (photo) with nine, Taryn Callahan eight, Ariana Hames six, Amber Brittian five, Sharia Wade four, while Alexis Ware, Sylvia Wade, and Abby Stoddard scored two points apiece. Cass (11-2) advances to a 4 p.m. semifinal game Friday against the winner of Thursday’s first round game between Boaz (AL) and Peachtree Ridge. The loss dropped Washington to 4-10 on the season. The Lady Bulldogs will play a consolation game Friday against the Boaz/Peachtree Ridge loser.

The 2018 All-County High School Football Team was released Thursday by The Daily Tribune News with 33 of Bartow County's finest players recognized. PLAYER OF THE YEAR Titus Jones — Woodland (sr) RB, WR, DB, KR OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Marcus Gary — Cartersville (sr) RB ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Mason Boswell — Adairsville (sr) RB, QB, DB (L-R) Titus Jones, Marcus Gary, Mason Boswell ALL COUNTY OFFENSE Johnny Bootz — Cass (jr) OL Josh Brown — Adairsville (sr) OL Justice Carter — Woodland (sr) FB Jonah Gambill — Cartersville (jr) OL Malik Grimes — Cass (sr) SL Jalen Hudson — Woodland (sr) OL, DL Zay Jackson — Cass (soph) RB, DB Jackson Lowe — Cartersville (sr) TE Devonte Ross — Cartersville (soph) WR, DB Matthew Surrett — Cartersville (jr) OL Tee Webb — Cartersville (jr) QB ALL COUNTY DEFENSE Harrison Allen — Cartersville (soph) LB Blake Cash — Woodland (jr) LB Marquail Coaxum — Cartersville (jr) DB Marko Dudley — Cartersville (jr) DB Bobby Harris — Cartersville (sr) DL La’Kwayme Jupiter — Cartersville (jr) DL Sunni Moorehead — Cartersville (sr) LB Amarai Orr — Cartersville (soph) LB Rodney Richards — Cass (sr) LB Chandler Shankles — Adairsville (sr) LB Evan Slocum — Cartersville (soph) DB SPECIAL TEAMS Kaleb Speights — Cass (soph) PK HONORABLE MENTION Nick Bailey, Woodland sophomore; Tristan Carlton, Cartersville senior; Blake Carrington, Cass senior; Isaiah Chaney, Cartersville senior; Savaun Henderson, Adairsville junior; Seth Johnson, Woodland senior; Rett Moore, Cass senior. For the complete story, we invite you to visit — http://www.daily-tribune.com/stories/2018-dtn-all-county-football-team,20917?

The Adairsville Lady Tigers and Tigers basketball teams will be hosting the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash this Thursday through Saturday at Adairsville High School. Games will begin each morning at 10 a.m. and continue through an 8:30 p.m. scheduled start each evening. Local teams in the tournament include the Cass and Adairsville girls along with the Excel Christian and Adairsville boys. First round games will be played Thursday with consolation and semifinal games coming Friday. All teams will play a third game on Saturday with consolation games throughout the day followed by the tournament championship games at 7 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday night. 2018 Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Clash GIRLS TOURNAMENT Thursday, December 27 Game 1 — 10 am — Washington vs. Cass Game 2 — 1 pm — Boaz (AL) vs. Peachtree Ridge Game 3 — 4 pm — Southside (AL) vs. Lafayette Game 4 — 7 pm — North Cobb Christian vs. Adairsville Friday, December 28 Game 5 — 10 am — Washington/Cass loser vs. Boaz/Peachtree Ridge loser Game 6 — 1 pm — Southside/Lafayette loser vs. NCC/Adairsville loser Game 7 — 4 pm — Semifinals — Washington/Cass winner vs. Boaz/Peachtree Ridge winner Game 8 — 7 pm — Semifinals — Southside/Lafayette winner vs. NCC/Adairsville winner Saturday, December 29 Game 9 — 10 am — 7th Place Game Game 10 — 1 pm — 5th Place Game Game 11 — 4 pm — 3rd Place Game - Semifinal losers Game 12 — 7 pm — Championship Game BOYS TOURNAMENT Thursday, December 27 Game 1 — 11:30 am — Washington vs. Boaz (AL) Game 2 — 2:30 pm — Cornerstone Prep vs. Lafayette Game 3 — 5:30 pm — Bremen vs. North Cobb Christian Game 4 — 8:30 pm — Excel Christian Academy vs. Adairsville Friday, December 28 Game 5 — 11:30 am — Washington/Boaz loser vs. Cornerstone/Lafayette loser Game 6 — 2:30 pm — Bremen/NCC loser vs. ECA/Adairsville loser Game 7 — 5:30 pm — Semifinals — Washington/Boaz winner vs. Cornerstone/Lafayette winner Game 8 — 8:30 pm — Semifinals — Bremen/NCC winner vs. ECA/Adairsville winner Saturday, December 29 Game 9 — 11:30 am — 7th Place Game Game 10 — 2:30 pm — 5th Place Game Game 11 — 5:30 pm — 3rd Place Game - Semifinal losers Game 12 — 8:30 pm — Championship Game

from the Chattanooga Athletics web site -- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga junior and former Woodland High School wrestler Jake Huffine earned two Southern Conference weekly honors, the league office announced Wednesday. Huffine is both the SoCon Wrestler of the Week and the Student-Athlete of the Week for all competition from Dec. 19-25. The Cartersville, Georgia, native went 2-0 at 133 pounds. He defeated Edinboro's Richie Gomez by a pin at the 2:07 mark to give the Mocs a 17-15 lead in Tuesday's competition. The Mocs went on to win that match 23-15. On Thursday against Ohio, Huffine's 13-1 major decision over Trevor Giallombardo gave the Mocs a 16-13 lead after trailing 13-6. UTC could not hold on to that lead, falling 22-19. Huffine's two wins puts him at 13-4 on the year and a perfect 3-0 in duals. He currently leads the team with six pins. The wrestling honor is an on-the-mat award, while the student-athlete recognition goes to the top winter sports participant with at least a 3.3 GPA. Huffine carries a 4.0 as an Accounting major. It is Huffine's first career wrestling honor and the second for a Moc this season, after sophomore Fabian Gutierrez took the award on Nov. 7. Huffine is one of three in the league to win multiple student-athlete honors this season and joins football sophomore Bryce Nunnelly as the two from UTC to be recognized for their success in competition and in the classroom. The Mocs return to the mat on Jan. 1-2 when they host the Southern Scuffle.

Georgia High School Association region basketball standings per MaxPreps as of December 26, 2018. These are the region standings for leagues including the Cartersville and Bartow County schools.

The Cass boys won the third place game Saturday night at the Georgia Nylon and Thread Shootout at the Rock hosted by Rockmart High School. The Colonels took down the host Yellow Jackets in convincing fashion, 81-53, and the victory made Cass 2-1 in the tournament. Cass lost in Friday night's semifinals to Class 7A Cherokee who won the championship Saturday in a tight contest with Furtah Prep. The other Colonels' win was Thursday over Cedartown. Saturday, Cass started quickly by taking a 23-8 lead over the Jackets in the first quarter and held a 38-21 advantage at halftime. The Colonels' lead was 56-41 through three quarters and Cass cruised through the final period for a 28-point win. "It was a good team win tonight," said Cass head coach Sean Glaze following the victory. "We had 17 assists as a team and took three charges on defense. It was a good night going into the break." Jacquez Fountain paced Cass with 19 points. Justice Hayes (photo) followed with 14. Zaylan Chaney scored 12. Jordan Ford and Ethan Carter contributed 11 points each. Jaylon Johnson tossed in seven points. Andrew Glaze finished with four. Braxton Benham added three points and C.J. Pipkin had two points. Chandler Cooper led Rockmart (2-6) with 10 points. Nick Whatley added nine for the Jackets. Cass (7-8) will take the remainder of the holidays off to prepare for the rest of their region slate. The Colonels will host Hiram on Friday, January 4 at 7:30 p.m.

The Cartersville girls rallied in the fourth quarter Saturday to defeat visiting Adairsville, 49-35. Friday night, the Hurricanes knocked off visiting Calhoun in Cartersville's home opener for the 2018-19 season. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 49, ADAIRSVILLE 35 The Cartersville girls overcame a seven-point halftime deficit Saturday afternoon at The Storm Center to defeat visiting Adairsville, 49-35. A’mya Davis scored 12 points, London Shaw had 10, and Jamiya Moore scored nine to lead the Hurricanes. Adairsville held a 9-2 lead after one quarter and was up 22-15 at halftime before Cartersville cut the lead to 34-32 after three quarters. Nakiyah Washington score 14 points to lead Adairsville. Aaliyah Applin contributed nine points. Coriana McDaniel followed with seven for the Tigers. Adairsville drops to 3-10 on the season and will host North Cobb Christian Thursday night at 7 p.m. in the opening round of the Ace Hardware Christmas Clash. Cartersville (5-4) hosts Woodland next Thursday at 6 p.m. CARTERSVILLE BOYS 76, CALHOUN 73 The Hurricanes trailed by one at halftime 33-32, but controlled the third quarter to take a 54-42 lead and held on for a three-point, home-opening win Friday night at The Storm Center. Calhoun rallied to tie the game with about two minutes remaining, but the Canes pulled through down the stretch. Perignon Dyer led Cartersville with 26 points — including six three-pointers. Amarai Orr followed with 17. Xaxton Goodson scored 24 points to lead the Yellow Jackets (5-4) in the scoring column. Cartersville (3-6) will host Woodland on Thursday, December 27 and Chattooga on Saturday, December 29. CALHOUN 58, CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 35 Calhoun took a 13-7 lead after one quarter and led 29-15 at halftime on their way to a 58-35 win over the Cartersville girls Friday at The Storm Center. Naijah Evans led the Lady Canes with 10 points.