The Cartersville swim teams defeated Cass Tuesday night at the Adairsville High School swim center, 187-68. The meet was originally scheduled to also include Coahulla Creek, but school was cancelled for the Whitfield County school and the Colts did not attend. The Cartersville girls outscored Cass 106-32 and the Cartersville boys topped Cass, 81-36. VIEW FULL MEET RESULTS HERE

The Adairsville boys ran out to an 11 point lead by halftime and pulled away in the second half for a 66-36 win at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe. The Tigers led 36-25 at the intermission and 57-30 after three quarters. Mason Boswell (photo) led Adairsville with 15 points. Denarous Johnson and Savaun Henderson followed with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Courtney Slocum tossed in eight. Malachi Gardner had six. Connor Crunkelton posted four points. Derrick Simmons and Gaven Crunkelton scored three each. Tyshawn Savage added two points for the Tigers. Rudy Ware led LFO (4-5, 3-3) with 12 points. Adairsville (3-4, 3-3) hosts Haralson County Friday night at 8:30 p.m. and Murray County Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. LAKEVIEW-FT. OGLETHORPE 63, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 41 The Lady Tigers lost a Region 6-AAA matchup at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe Tuesday night 63-41. LFO led 14-13 after one quarter before leading 34-24 at the intermission. The Warriors continued to extend their lead in the second half, taking a 48-33 advantage into the final period. Milijah Williams and Macey Gregg led LFO with 21 and 14 points, respectively. Adairsville was led by Nakiyah Washington’s 14 points (photo). Aaliyah Applin followed with seven points. Coriana McDaniel scored six. Havyn Isaac had five. Alexa Varner contributed four points. Breanna Wilaond and Ji’Leyah Mitchell scored two points apiece. Aubrei Atchley added one. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe improved to 3-6 overall and is now 2-4 in Region 6-AAA. Adairsville (3-6, 1-5) entertains Haralson County Friday at 7 p.m. and Murray County Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. BOWDON 65, EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 49 The Excel Christian Academy Eagles lost their fifth straight game Tuesday night at Bowdon, 65-49. The host Red Devils raced to a 22-5 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Bowdon led 34-17 at halftime and 50-35 after three quarters. Chris Parker scored 32 points to lead Bowdon in the scoring column. Cam Buchanan added 12 points for the Red Devils. Robby Poston and Josiah Mosley had 13 points each for ECA. Rayshawn Womack followed with 12. Jacob Day added six and Kalil Holley had five points. With their win, Bowdon improved to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in Region 6-A. Excel Christian (2-5, 0-4) hosts Georgia School for the Deaf Thursday night at 7 p.m., travels to Lassiter Friday night at 7:30 p.m., and plays at Gordon Central Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

Cartersville (2015 and 2016) and Blessed Trinity (2017) have combined to win the last three Georgia High School Association Class AAAA state championships and the two programs will clash again Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. for the 2018 title at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Cartersville is 55-1 over the past four seasons and the Hurricanes’ only loss in that stretch was 21-17 to Blessed Trinity in the second round of the state playoffs last year. The loss to the Titans ended a Canes’ 41-game winning streak. The Cartersville four-year mark is the best in GHSA history since West Rome’s 59-1 run in 1982 through 1985. The Canes (14-0) have advanced to their third state final in four seasons and this time it is without five-star recruit and now starting quarterback for Clemson — Trevor Lawrence. The team also lost 17 other seniors from a year ago including special teams weapon and placekicker Jonathan Cruz. Cartersville also replaced four assistant coaches but the Hurricanes have navigated the 2018 campaign without a blemish. "We heard it a lot in the preseason," said Canes' head coach Joey King (photo). "Everybody wanted to know how good we would be without Trevor. They called it a rebuilding year. These kids refused to listen to that, however, and the standard here remained the same. The coaches and players refuse to set limits on what they can achieve. They embrace that attitude every day." The arrival to this year’s finals was not without drama, however. There were a handful of close games including a one-point win at Cedartown and a 7-0 win over Sandy Creek prior to the come-from-behind win over Marist. Cartersville trailed 14-10 to Marist in the semifinals’ fourth quarter when quarterback Tee Webb connected with Devonte Ross with 7:51 remaining to take the lead for good. The defense then made another crucial stop to preserve the victory as the Hurricanes overcame four turnovers in the contest. Following the comeback win, head coach Joey King said it was nothing new for this team. "A reporter asked me what I learned about my players from that [Marist] game,” King told Georgia High School Football Daily. “It is not that the win was emotional, but rather the fact that I did not learn anything that I did not already know about this team. I have been extremely proud of how these young men have fought and how they have really come together as a team throughout the year.” Defending state champs Blessed Trinity (14-0) got 240 rushing yards and three touchdowns from running back Steele Chambers to hold off Troup in the semifinals, 51-35. Chambers also threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Davis. The Titans’ Jake Smith threw touchdown passes of 95 and 36 yards to James Bryant and ran 9 yards for a score in the victory. Blessed Trinity led 32-6 late in the first half but Troup eventually cut the lead to 37-27 in the third quarter. The Tigers got no closer, however, at Blessed Trinity reached the state finals for the third time in four years. Wednesday’s AAAA championship game also features two of the top coaches in Georgia. Cartersville’s coach Joey King has compiled a 67-3 (.957) mark in his first six seasons as the Canes’ top man. The record is the best of any Georgia coach since World War II. King, who coordinated a run-based Wing-T offense at Carrollton before arriving in Cartersville, became the fastest Georgia head coach to 50 victories utilizing a high-tech passing game featuring Lawrence. Blessed Trinity head coach Tim McFarlin was a quarterback and defensive back at Milton. He was also a 16-year assistant at Roswell before becoming the Hornets' head coach. He is now one of 15 head coaches in GHSA history to win state titles at two schools. His Roswell team won the 2006 Class 5A title and his current defending state champion Titans are 88-19-1 in eight seasons. King knows the challenges of facing Blessed Trinity. "They are extremely talented, well-coached, and they play hard,” King told Georgia High School Football Daily. “Tim [McFarlin] and his staff do a great job and get their players to execute really well. Coaching is not always about what you know, but what you can get your players to know. Having talented players that are well-coached is a dangerous combination.” Smith has thrown for 1,777 yards this season and Ryan Davis has 840 receiving yards. Chambers — an Ohio State commit — has rushed for over 1,500 yards and 25 touchdowns. He is also the Titans' second-leading tackler with 46. Webb, a junior, has thrown for 2,726 yards and 35 touchdowns this season for Cartersville. Senior running back Marcus Gary has 1,456 yards and 18 touchdowns. Ross, who scored both Canes' touchdowns against Marist, has emerged as a leading target to go with Tennessee-commit and tight end, Jackson Lowe. The Canes also sport the top scoring defense in Class AAAA, allowing just 7.21 points per game. Linebackers Harrison Allen and Sunni Moorehead along with defensive lineman Bobby Harris have been impressive and the corp of young defensive backs has developed at a rapid pace. The Maxwell ratings projection has Blessed Trinity as a three-point favorite. The CalPreps projection has the Titans as a one-point favorite.

This week's update for Bartow County college and pro athletes includes pro football and basketball news, along with action from college football, basketball, and wrestling. In pro football, Vic Beasley of Adairsville picked up another sack on Sunday with the Atlanta Falcons and former Cass football standout Tarris Batiste signed with the Atlanta Legends of the newly formed Alliance of American Football professional league. Several local college football players have upcoming bowl games and/or collected post-season honors while the college basketball season has now hit full stride. PHOTO: Former Cartersville High School quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, helps lead Clemson as they prepare to play Notre Dame in the College Football Playoffs. PRO FOOTBALL TARRIS BATISTE — Atlanta Legends (1st yr. pro; DB; Georgia State; Cass High School)… signed this past week by the Atlanta franchise of the newly formed Alliance of American Football (AAF). Batiste starred as a receiver and defensive back for Cass and signed out of high school with Indiana State. He transferred and completed his college career at Georgia State. In addition to the Legends who will play home games at GSU, the new professional football league features franchises in Birmingham, Orlando, Memphis, Salt Lake, San Antonio, San Diego, and Tempe, Arizona. VIC BEASLEY — Atlanta Falcons (4th yr. pro; DE; Clemson; Adairsville High School)… had one tackle and one assist including a quarterback sack in the Falcons’ 34-20 loss Sunday at Green Bay. Beasley has 15 tackles and four sacks this season. Atlanta (4-9) hosts the Arizona Cardinals Sunday at 1 p.m. COLLEGE SOCCER RUSSELL SHEALY -- University of Maryland (Fr., GK, Cartersville resident, Darlington HS)... was a member of the NCAA Division-I men's soccer championship team that took the title over the weekend. The Terrapins defeated Akron, 1-0, in Sunday's championship game to win the program's fourth national championship. Shealy did not see any action this year behind a goalie who played every single minute of the season, but he will still have a championship ring to show for it. COLLEGE FOOTBALL MARCUS CHILDERS — Northern Illinois (R-So.; QB; Adairsville HS)… after winning the Mid-American Conference championship, Childers and the Huskies (8-5) will face UAB in the Boca Raton Bowl Tuesday night, December 18. For the season, Childers has 1,996 yards passing and 496 rushing yards. JONATHAN CRUZ — Charlotte (Fr., PK, Cartersville HS)… was named Second Team All-C-USA and was the league’s only three-time Special Teams Player of the Week. He was also named to the Conference-USA All-Freshman Team. Cruz had the two longest kicks in C-USA action and set schol records with eight made field goals of 40 or more yards and three makes of 50 or more yards. He was a perfect 27-of-27 on PATs. MILLER FORRISTALL — Alabama (R-So.; TE; Cartersville HS)… primarily a contributor this season on the Tide’s kickoff return team, Forristall and Alabama are preparing to face Oklahoma in the College Football Playoffs at the Orange Bowl December 29. GORDON GRAY — Kennesaw State (Sr., WR, Cartersville HS)… one of 22 seniors on the 2018 Owls that fell Saturday in the FCS playoffs to South Dakota State. He appeared in six games with one start this season and appeared in 26 games in his KSU career. TREVOR LAWRENCE — Clemson (Fr., QB, Cartersville HS)… a recipient of multiple awards — including Manning Award finalist, Second Team All-ACC, and ACC Rookie of the Year — Lawrence and the Tigers are preparing for their College Football Playoff matchup with Notre Dame December 29 at the Cotton Bowl. Lawrence has accumulated 2,606 yards passing for 24 touchdowns this season to go with 144 rushing yards and one touchdown. WRESTLING ROBBY EARICK — Life University (So., Cartersville HS)… lost a major decision, 11-2, to his Brewton-Parker opponent Friday, but the Running Eagles defeated the Barons 27-18. Life is scheduled to compete Sunday at the Pigeon Forge Duals. COLLEGE BASKETBALL MARK CHESTER — Georgia Northwestern Tech CC (Fr., G, Cass HS)… scored seven points in the Bobcats 74-63 loss to the Covenant JV team last Thursday. Georgia Northwestern also dropped a 76-68 decision Saturday to visiting Southeastern Baptist College. GNTCC (2-6) hosts West Georgia Tech CC Saturday afternoon. RYAN DAVIS — Francis Marion University (Sr., G, Cartersville HS)… scored nine points with 10 rebounds, four assists, and a steal in the Patriots’ 86-78 home win last Wednesday over Mount Olive. FMU (5-1, 1-0 Peach Belt Conference) plays at Georgia Southwestern Monday and at Columbus State Wednesday. WHITNEY HARRIS — Toccoa Falls College (Fr., G, Woodland HS)… scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds with one steal in the Screaming Eagles’ 65-45 home loss to Bob Jones University last Tuesday. Toccoa Falls (1-10) plays at Trinity (FL) College Friday and at Johnson University (FL) Saturday. KIMORA McCLINIC — Middle Georgia State University (So., G, Cartersville HS)… scored two points on 1-for-4 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds, and had one assist in the Knights’ 94-52 home win over Carver Bible College last Tuesday. MGSU (5-4, 1-1 Southern State Athletic Conference) travels to Hattiesburg, MS to play William Carey University Friday and then to New Orleans to face Loyola (LA) Sunday. JANA MORNING — Berry College (So., G, Cass HS)… had two points, collected five rebounds, and had two assists in a 52-39 home conference loss to Oglethorpe University Friday night. Berry (2-5, 0-1 Southern Athletic Association) plays at Mississippi University for Women Monday night before hosting LaGrange College Friday evening. JONATHAN PRITCHETT — Vermont Tech CC (So., G, Woodland HS)… scored five points with three assists and two steals in a 97-80 loss to Maine-Fort Kent Sunday. He also had three rebounds, two assists, and a steal Saturday in a 96-85 loss at Southern Maine CC. Last Wednesday, the Knights beat College of St. Joseph 127-102. Pritchett scored seven points with four assists and four rebounds. VTCC (9-5, 5-2 Yankee Small College Conference) plays at Green Mountain College Saturday. JAYLON PUGH — Furman University (Fr., G, Cartersville HS)… scored nine points, collected three rebounds, and added two assists last Tuesday in a 98-77 win at Elon. He also saw four minutes of floor time in the Paladins’ 74-60 win Saturday over USC-Upstate. Last week, Furman (10-0) made school history by entering the Associated Press Top 25 Poll for the first time at No. 25. The ‘Dins host Charleston Southern Tuesday and UNC-Wilmington Saturday. JOSIE SUMMERVILLE — North Park University (Fr., F, Adairsville HS)… in limited minutes, she totaled four points, five rebounds, and a steal as Vikings defeated Milikin University 79-66 at home last Wednesday and won at North Central College Saturday night, 83-82. NPU (5-4, 2-1 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) travels to Elmhurst College Saturday afternoon. DARIUS THROWER — Truett McConnell University (Jr., G, Excel Christian Academy)… scored 12 points and had one rebound Saturday during a 67-66 loss at St. Andrews (NC). He also scored three points and had one steal in a 77-54 loss last Wednesday at Point University. TMU (5-5, 2-5 Appalachian Athletic Conference) makes a Virginia trip Friday and Saturday to play at Stratford University and Regent University. CARROD WATSON — University of North Georgia (R-Jr, F, Woodland HS)… was 0-for-2 from the floor in two minutes of playing time last Tuesday during a 79-71 win at Emmanuel College. UNG (5-2, 0-1 Peach Belt Conference) hosts PBC opponents Flagler College and Augusta University December 17 and 19. PRO BASKETBALL ELIJAH ROBINSON — Club Atletico Villa San Martin (1st yr. pro; La Liga Argentina; Emmanuel College; Excel Christian Academy)… scored 13 points with seven rebounds and one assist in last Friday’s 78-74 win at Obera Tennis Club. Villa San Martin (7-5) is currently tied for second in the North Division and hosts Salta Basketball Wednesday.

Challenging some of the best talent in the Southeast at the highly competitive Danny Byron Invitational Tournament in Kissimmee, FL this weekend, the Woodland wrestling team had several individuals come away with weight class wins and the Wildcats finished second as a team behind Camden County, GA. Fleming Island (FL) and West Forsyth (GA) were third and fourth, respectively. Host Osceola (FL) placed fifth. Gold Bracket results for Woodland: 106 2nd - Carson Bailey 3rd - Junior Rosati 113 1st - Gavin Nix 120 1st - Kyle Gollhofer 126 1st - Caleb Henson 132 1st - Caden McCrary 4th - Easton Bishop 138 1st - Cole Cochran 145 1st - Jaxon Smith 152 4th - Caleb Jones 182 4th - Bryce Shedd 195 3rd - Demarcus Williams Jaymie Jacobo placed second in the 285 Blue division. Blake Cash placed second in the 170 Blue division NOTE: Results from trackwrestling.com. In other action on the mats Saturday, Adairsville placed third at the Dalton Carpet Classic and Cass had six varsity wrestlers to compete at a tournament in Cleveland, TN. Angel Banda, Jody Sutton and Austin Jackson all placed third in their weight classes for Adairsville during the traditional tournament in Dalton. Doss Dudley, Brendan Luginbuhl and Cody Shook finished in fourth. Bryce Kresho and Kendall Arnold each went undefeated for Cass at their tournament in Tennessee. Isaac Linley, Noah Hoffmeier and Hunter Rees also were noted for strong tournament performances for the Colonels.

The Cass girls remained unbeaten Saturday with a one-sided win over East Paulding while the Adairsville girls kept Calhoun winless on the season. The Cass boys also came out on top with East Paulding. It was the Colonels' first region win of the young season. CASS GIRLS 93, EAST PAULDING 57 Payton Stoddard led the Lady Colonels with 24 points Saturday as the Lady Colonels stayed unbeaten with a 93-57 Region 7-AAAAA victory. The game was still in question at halftime with Cass leading 49-40, but the Lady Colonels extended their lead to 75-50 in the third quarter and were not challenged from there. Freshman Claire Davis finished with 20 points for the Lady Colonels. Londaisha Smith scored 17, Sharia Wade 10, and Amber Brittian eight for Cass. Ariana Hames scored five points, Alexis Ware four points, Brianna Stephenson and Justice Bennett added two points each while Taryn Callahan chipped in one for the Lady Colonels. The loss dropped the Lady Raiders to 0-8 overall and 0-3 in region play. Cass (7-0, 3-0) will host 10th-ranked Rome Tuesday night at 6 p.m. and hit the road for the weekend at Carrollton Friday and at Woodland Saturday. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 69, CALHOUN 58 The Lady Tigers used a strong third quarter surge and 36 points and 15 rebounds from Nikiyah Washington (photo) to defeat Calhoun Saturday, 69-58. Adairsville led 13-11 after one quarter and 29-28 at halftime before racing out to a 50-39 advantage after three periods. Havyn Isaac added 12 points for Adairsville on four three-point baskets. Aaliyah Applin contributed eight. Breanna Wilson scored five. Coriana McDaniel had four points while Alexa Varner and Lori Cimino added two points each. Ashlyn Brzozoski led Calhoun (0-6, 0-4) with 27 points. Adairsville improved to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in Region 6-AAA. The Lady Tigers travel to Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe Tuesday, host Haralson County Friday and Murray County Saturday. Following Saturday’s Adairsville win, the Lady Tigers honored Washington as the fifth Adairsville Lady Tiger basketball player to reach the 1,000-point plateau in her career. Washington scored 314 points in 29 games as a freshman. She added 294 points in 22 games as a sophomore, and scored 308 points in her junior season. In her first six games this season Washington eclipsed the 1,000 point threshold in a game at Sonoraville. Washington — a four-year starter — has averaged over 12 points per game during her career. CASS BOYS 78, EAST PAULDING 57 The Colonels picked up their first Region 7-AAAAA win Saturday at East Paulding, 78-57. East Paulding led 21-16 after the first eight minutes, but Cass knotted the score at 33 by halftime. The Colonels then outscored the Raiders 23-10 in the third quarter to gain contraol. Jacquez Fountain (photo) led the Colonels’ scoring attack with 26 points. Justice Hayes followed with 14 and Ethan Carter added 10 for Cass. Jordan Ford scored nine. Brandon Benham and Zaylan Chaney totaled six points each. C.J. Pipken had four and Jaylon Johnson chipped in with three points Silas Johnson led East Paulding (4-4, 1-2) with 18 points. Azer Tidor added 13 for the Raiders. Cass (3-5, 1-2) host Rome Tuesday before traveling to Carrollton Friday and across town to Woodland on Saturday afternoon. CALHOUN 67, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 61 The Tigers trailed early and were behind 38-28 at halftime before threatening a comeback late. Calhoun (3-2, 3-2) held on Saturday, however, for a 67-61 Region 6-AAA win. Adding to Adairsville’s frustration on the night, the Tigers missed 15 free throws on 27 attempts in the game. Mason Boswell led the Adairsville scoring with 20 points. Savaun Henderson finished with 12 points. Gaven Crunkelton had 10. Adairsville (2-4, 2-3) travels to Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe Tuesday night, hosts Haralson County Friday and Murray County Saturday. DARLINGTON 54, EXCEL CHRISTIAN 40 Darlington grabbed a 29-21 lead by halftime and extended that lead in the second half for a 54-40 win Saturday at Excel Christian Academy. Barrick Wade hit six three-pointers and finished with 22 points to lead the visiting Tigers. JD Hull and Andrew Land had 16 and 14 points, respectively for Darlington. Rayshawn Womack paced Excel with 19 points. Jacob Day finished with eight for the Eagles. The loss was a fourth-straight for Excel who is now 2-4 overall and 0-3 in Region 6-A. The win for Darlington (1-3, 1-2) was their first of the year. Excel plays at Bowdon Tuesday, hosts Georgia School for the Deaf Friday, and the Eagles travel to Lassiter Saturday night.

The Cartersville swim team placed third and Cass was fifth Thursday in a five-team meet at the Calhoun Aquatic Center. Calhoun won the meet with combined scores of 607. River Ridge placed second with 524 points. Cartersville (306) was third, Northwest Whitfield (269) was fourth, and Cass (110) was fifth. Top three performances for locals: Note: GSQT = state qualifying Girls 200 Medley Relay Cartersville, 2nd - 2:06.26 - Grayson Breedlove, Rachel Long, Gracie Siniard, Giulia Vidoli - GSQT Girls 200 IM Grayson Breedlove - Cartersville, 2nd - 2:34.47 Boys 100 Butterfly Bryson Rogers - Cartersville, 3rd - 1:01.55 Girls 100 Butterfly Gracie Siniard - Cartersville, 2nd - 1:09.18 Girls 100 Freestyle Giulia Vidoli - Cartersville, 1st - 58.24 - GSQT Girls 100 Backstroke Grayson Breedlove - Cartersville, 2nd - 1:05.19 - GSQT Giulia Vidoli - Cartersville, 3rd - 1:05.23 - GSQT Girls 100 Breaststroke Rachel Long - Cartersville, 3rd - 1:25.97 On Tuesday, the Cass girls edged Dawson County and Southeast Whitfield in a tri-meet at the Adairsville High School pool. Southeast Whitfield won the combined scores with 167. Dawson County was second at 154.5, and Cass was third with 129.5 points. In the girls’ portion of the meet, Cass was first with 79.5 points. Dawson County had 70.5 points. Southeast Whitfield finished with 68. The Southeast boys (99) finished ahead of Dawson County (84) and Cass (50). Top performances: Girls 200 Medley Relay 1st - Cass - Kayleigh Posey, Aislinn Leckwald, Breanna Fairchild, Anna Padgett (2:50.44) Boys 100 Butterfly 1st - Cass - Eli Wilhoit (1:07.45) Boys 100 Free 2nd - Cass - Solon Harris (1:11.89) Girls 100 Free 1st - Cass - Charlotte Sturgeon (1:18.21) Boys 200 Free Relay 2nd - Cass - Jackson Jones, Caleb Doolittle, Solon Harris, Eli Wilhoit (1:58.48) Girls 200 Free Relay 2nd - Cass - Hollie Green, Anna Padgett, Destiny Goss, Breanna Fairchild (2:21.42) Girls 400 Free Relay 1st - Cass - Charlotte Sturgeon, Destiny Goss, Anna Padgett, Breanna Fairchild (5:31.89) Boys 50 Free 2nd - Cass - Eli Wilhoit (25.66) Girls 50 Free 2nd - Cass - Breanna Fairchild (32.31) Girls 100 Back 2nd - Kayleigh Posey (1:52.10)

It was a difficult night for the five local high school boys basketball teams in Bartow County. All five local teams lost. Adairsville lost a Region 6-AAA game in overtime at Coahulla Creek. Woodland dropped a road region game while Cass lost at home to unbeaten Paulding County. Excel lost to perennial region power North Cobb Christian at home and Cartersville dropped a non-region game at North Paulding. NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN 74, EXCEL CHRISTIAN 34 Kamran Hall scored 16 points while Kami Young and Tre Chatman added 14 and 13 points, respectively, as visiting North Cobb Christian won at Excel Christian 74-34. Excel trailed 30-13 at the intermission and was down 59-23 after three quarters. Robbie Poston scored 10 points for the Eagles. Rayshawn Womack and Josiah Mosley finished with nine points each. Jacob Day and Evan Lee contributed three points each. North Cobb Christian evened its season mark at 3-3 and improved to 2-0 in region action. Excel (2-3, 0-2) entertains Darlington Saturday night at 7 p.m. ROME 70, WOODLAND BOYS 58 Woodland’s Dawson Wilkins scored 20 points while Hunter Johnson had 16 and Justice Carter 11, but the Wildcats lost at Rome Friday night 70-58. Caleb Byrd led Rome (2-1, 1-1) with 37 points. Peyton Roberts added five points for Woodland. DiAnthony Hethcock contributed four. Johnathan Thomas and Kijuan McLendon added one point each for the Wildcats. Woodland (3-5, 0-3 Region 7-AAAAA) plays at Kell next Friday night at 7:30 p.m. NORTH PAULDING 75, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 64 The Canes fell way behind in the first half, but surged in the third quarter to get back in the contest and had the deficit to 10 points with about four minutes remaining. Unfortunately Cartersville came up short at North Paulding Friday night, 75-64. Cameron Cherry led four Wolfpack players in double figures with 21 points. Garrett Goff had 16, Kevin Wirth 15, and Jacob Harris 14 for North Paulding (8-1). Isaac Gridley paced the Purple Hurricanes with 19 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and three block shots. Perignon Dyer finished with 14 points. Taywuan Johnson posted 10 points. Micah Tart followed with seven. Austin Cauffman contributed six points. Jaylen Garnigan had five and Raylin Royal added three points. Cartersville (1-3) looks to bounce back next Friday at Paulding County. PAULDING COUNTY 89, CASS BOYS 55 Paulding County led 29-11 after the first eight minutes and never looked back in an 89-55 Region 7-AAAAA win at Cass Friday night in White. Keon Sedgwick and John Cook paced the Patriots with 16 points apiece. Jacquez Fountain led Cass with 19 points. Justice Hayes and Ethan Carter added 10 each. The Patriots stayed unbeaten with a 7-0 overall record and improved to 2-0 in region action. Cass (2-5, 0-2) plays at East Paulding Saturday at 4:30 p.m. COAHULLA CREEK 47, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 37 (OT) The host Colts outscored Adairsville 13-3 in overtime for a 10-point Region 6-AAA decision Friday night in Dalton, 47-37. The game went to overtime tied 34-all. The Colts led 18-12 at halftime and 27-20 after three quarters, but the Tigers forced the extra session by outscoring Coahulla Creek 14-7 in the fourth quarter. Gage Seibenhenor led the Colts (5-3, 2-2) and all scorers in the game with 19 points. Mason Boswell had 11 for Adairsville. Savaun Henderson finished with eight points and Malachi Gardner totaled seven. Gaven and Connor Crunkelton had four each for the Tigers. Tyshawn Savage added two points. Adairsville (2-3, 2-2) entertains Calhoun Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.

The Cass girls took care of business with Paulding County Friday night to remain a perfect 6-0 on the season while the Cartersville girls suffered their first loss of the year at Class 7A North Paulding. Woodland and Adairsville also suffered region losses Friday night. CASS GIRLS 72, PAULDING COUNTY 38 The Lady Colonels had little trouble in improving to 6-0 on the season Friday night with a home victory over Paulding County. Cass led 20-10 after one quarter, 34-22 at halftime, and 53-30 after three periods on their way to a 72-38 victory. Claire Davis led Cass with 22 points. Londaisha Smith scored 11. Sharia Wade and Payton Stoddard posted nine each. Amber Brittian and Alexis Ware had eight points apiece. Ariana Hames totaled four and Brianna Stephenson added one point for the Lady Colonels. Branae Madisett led Paulding County (0-7, 0-2) with 15 points. Cass (6-0, 2-0) plays at East Paulding Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. NORTH PAULDING 56, CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 38 The Lady Canes suffered their first loss of the season Friday night — a 56-38 decision at North Paulding. The host Wolfpack led at all quarter stops. North Paulding led 15-12 after one quarter, 27-19 at the break, and 41-27 after three quarters. Ali Foxx Rome scored 14 points to lead North Paulding. Taylor Cullinan followed with seven for the Wolfpack. Haley Johnson led Cartersville with 15 points. Ariana Cochran followed with 10. Alexia Henderson scored five points. London Shaw and Naijah Evans contributed four each. A’mya Davis added one point. North Paulding improved to 6-3 with their win. Cartersville (3-1) plays at Paulding County in another non-region contest next Friday at 6 p.m. COAHULLA CREEK 60, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 44 Lily Snyder scored 17 points and Katelyn Richards had 14 as Coahulla Creek topped Adairsville 60-44 in a Region 6-AAA tilt Friday night in Whitfield County. The host Lady Colts led 17-10 after one period and extended that lead to 37-17 by halftime. Coahulla Creek led 46-30 after three quarters. Nakiyah Washington scored 17 points for the Lady Tigers. Havyn Isaac finished with seven. Aaliyah Applin scored six. Coriana McDaniel had five points. Alexa Varner scored three. Breanna Wilson, Alexia Crisp, and Ji’Leyah Mitchell added two points each. With their home region win, Coahulla Creek improved to 7-2 overall and 4-0 in 6-AAA. Adairsville (2-5, 0-4) hosts Calhoun Saturday night at 6 p.m. ROME 60, WOODLAND GIRLS 18 The host Lady Wolves built a 15-point lead in the first half and then outscored Woodland 33-6 in the second half to remain unbeaten this season. Trenishia Adams led Rome with 15 points. Tarrah Gibson and Amberly Brown each scored 10 for the Wolves (4-0, 2-0). Lauren Morris led Woodland with six points. Six other Lady Cats added two points each. Woodland (1-6, 1-2 Region 7-AAAAA) plays at Kell next Friday at 6 p.m. and hosts Cass Saturday at 3 p.m.

Woodland High School girls cross country coach Matthew Landolt has been selected by the Georgia Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as the Girls Class 5A Cross Country Coach of the Year. The recognition for Landolt comes following the Lady Cats’ second state title in the past three seasons. In early November, the Woodland girls captured the GHSA Class 5A championship by edging McIntosh. The Lady Cats had all five scoring runners finish inside the top 20 of the 199-runner field and all seven runners in the top 44. The 2018 state championship team was led by McKenna Trapheagen who won the individual state championship. The other top runners for the Lady Cats were Carli Clymer, Angela Cochran, Rylee Evans, Baylee Evans, Cheyenne Spinks, and Marlee Bowles. "This award is far more about the hard work and dedication of our student athletes than anything I've done personally," said Landolt. "It has been a privilege to be part of the journey for so many of these runners."

With the departure of Perfect Game from LakePoint Sporting Community, the baseball void in Emerson has been filled with another national organization — Prep Baseball Report. The following excerpt is from the Prep Baseball Report release on its partnership with LakePoint: — Prep Baseball Report is thrilled to announce its long-term partnership to operate the nation's preeminent baseball facility at LakePoint in Emerson, GA. LakePoint's premier eight all-turf fields will continue to elevate Prep Baseball Report's status as the most respected independent scouting service in the country. "Since our inception, we've always maintained a singular focus of providing players, teams, parents, college coaches and pro scouts a high-level, first-class baseball experience, which in turn creates greater opportunities for athletes to advance to the next level," said Prep Baseball Report President Sean Duncan. "LakePoint's amenity-rich baseball complex mirrors our standards of high-level, first-class baseball experiences." The partnership also aligns Prep Baseball Report and Rimrock Capital Management. As a result of the expertise and significant capital brought together by the two parties, Prep Baseball Report will further enhance its national position in amateur baseball while LakePoint cements its spot as the preeminent destination for amateur sports. — For more on this story, please see the Prep Baseball Report release at this link: https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/news/PBR/Prep-Baseball-Report-and-Rimrock-Announce-Long-Term-Partnership-At-LakePoint-6153789402

The Cass and Woodland girls along with the Adairsville boys each won important region basketball games Tuesday night. CASS GIRLS 78, KELL 47 The Lady Colonels had five players reach double figures Tuesday night as they overwhelmed visiting Kell, 78-47, in a Region 7-AAAAA contest. Claire Davis (photo) led Cass with 13 points while Londaisha Smith, Sharia Wade, Payton Stoddard, and Ariana Hanes all posted 12 points each. The Lady Colonels led 24-7 after the opening eight minutes and bolted to a 41-16 lead by halftime. Cass maintained a 55-31 lead heading into the final period. Kya Williams scored 17 points for the visiting Longhorns. Grace Elkins added 15 and Makenzie Franklin scored 12 for Kell (3-2). In addition to the five players in double figures, Alexis Ware added nine point for Cass. Amber Brittian and Abby Stoddard scored three and Taryn Callahan added two points. Cass (5-0, 1-0) plays at Paulding County Friday night and at East Paulding on Saturday. WOODLAND GIRLS 50, EAST PAULDING 40 The Lady Cats picked up their first win of the year Tuesday night at home with a 50-40 victory over Region 7-AAAAA foe East Paulding. Woodland led 20-15 at the intermission and held a 35-32 lead going into the final eight minutes before pulling away for a ten-point win. Ansley Evans and Madgie Robinson led the Lady Cats with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Jordan Thompson followed with nine. Nickiah Metcalf scored eight points. Lauren Morris contributed four, Gracie Syles three, Morgan Cooper two, and Abigail Taylor one point. Kimberlyn Black led the visiting Lady Raiders with 14 points. Lucy Steward added seven. With the loss, East Paulding is now 0-6 overall and 0-2 in region play. Woodland (1-5, 1-1) plays another region contest at Rome Friday at 6:30 p.m. SONORAVILLE 79, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 49 The Adairsville girls dropped a 30-point Region 6-AAA decision Tuesday night at Sonoraville, falling 79-49. The Lady Tigers trailed by only five points at halftime, 31-26, but the Lady Phoenix outscored Adairsville 26-13 in the third quarter and 20-10 in the final period to pull away. “We played well in spots,” said Adairsville coach Michael Roberson. “We just didn’t put a full 32-minutes together.” Sonoraville (4-2, 2-1) had four players reach double figures in scoring. Abby Chambers led the way with 22 points. Maliyah Parks had 15, Avery Hamilton 11, and Alexa Geary added 10 points for the Phoenix. Nakiyah Washington scored 18 points for Adairsville. She was followed by Aaliyah Applin with seven, Lori Cimino and Ji’Leyah Mitchell with five, Havyn Isaac four, Breanna Wilson, Alexia Crisp, and Coriana McDaniel three points, and Alexa Varner added one point. Adairsville (2-4, 0-3) plays at Coahulla Creek Friday night at 7 p.m. and will host Calhoun Saturday night at 6 p.m. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 58, SONORAVILLE 43 The Tigers trailed at halftime Tuesday night at Sonoraville, but surged ahead in the third quarter and never looked back with a 58-43 road region win in 6-AAA. Mason Boswell (photo) led Adairsville with 24 points. He was followed by Connor Crunkelton and Gaven Crunkelton with eight and seven points, respectively. Savaun Henderson contributed seven points. Danarous Johnson added four, Malachi Gardner three, and Derrick Simmons had two points for the Tigers. Chris Rush led the host Phoenix (2-3, 2-1) with 14 points. Orry Darnell tossed in nine. Adairsville (2-2, 2-1) travels to Coahulla Creek Friday night for an 8:30 p.m. tip before hosting rival Calhoun Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. KELL 89, CASS BOYS 54 Kell bolted out of the gates Tuesday night at Cass to take a 19-7 lead after one quarter, but the Colonels battled back to narrow the margin to 39-32 at halftime. In the second half, however, a 19-point third quarter and a 30-point fourth quarter by Kell proved to be too much for the host Colonels in an 89-54 Region 7-AAAAA loss. The visiting Longhorns (4-1, 2-0) had five players finish in double figures, led by Rakim Thompson with 24 points. Najhoe Colon, Justin Perry, and Isaiah Dubose all scored 12 points while Scoota Henderson added 11 for Kell. Jacquez Fountain led Cass in the scoring column with 15 points. Ethan Carter scored nine. C.J. Pipkin, Jaylon Johnson, and Zaylon Chaney each had six points. Justice Hayes and Jordan Ford posted four points. Bryson Benham and Zay Jackson added two points each. Cass (2-4, 0-1) travels to Paulding County Friday night for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. The Colonels also play Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. at East Paulding. EAST PAULDING 63, WOODLAND BOYS 62 The Wildcats dropped a back-and-forth battle Tuesday night 63-62 to visiting East Paulding. The visiting Raiders led 16-12 after one quarter, but Woodland held a 35-31 advantage at halftime. East Paulding regained the lead after three quarters, 50-47, and held on in the final eight minutes for a one-point Region 7-AAAAA win. Azer Tidor scored 21 points and Ravon Melon had 10 for the Raiders. Dawson Wilkins (photo) led Woodland with 22 points. Hunter Johnson scored 18 and D.J. Robinson 10 for the Wildcats. Justice Carter and Kyjuan McLendon rounded out the Woodland scoring with six points apiece. East Paulding improved to 3-3 overall and evened their region mark at 1-1. Woodland (3-5, 0-2) returns to the hardwoods Friday night at 7:30 p.m. for another region game at Rome. TRION 68, EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 52 The Excel Christian Academy Eagles dropped a Region 6-A game Tuesday night at Trion, 68-52. The host Bulldogs grabbed a 24-15 lead in the first quarter and led 45-29 at halftime. Trion pushed their advantage to 58-38 after three quarters. Austin Mason made eight three-pointers in the first half on his way to a game-high 26 points to lead Trion. Brier Ingle added 25 points for the Bulldogs who improved to 2-2 on the year. Josiah Mosley led Excel with 21 points. Brendan Quillian scored nine. Rayshawn Womack posted eight points, Kalil Holley six, Jacob Day five, and Evan Lee added three points. Excel (2-2, 0-1) hosts North Cobb Christian Friday night at 7 p.m. and Darlington Saturday night at 7 p.m.