The Adairsville High School basketball teams will be looking to make their marks in Region 6-AAA of the Georgia High School Association again this season with the Lady Tigers tipping-off their season Monday, November 19 at the Armuchee Thanksgiving Tournament. The Tigers will start their regular season a bit later on Tuesday, November 27. The Lady Tigers, who were 3-22 last season and 1-11 in Region 6-AAA, will be seeking their first winning season since going 13-10 in 2013-14. The Tigers were 14-13 last year and finished in the middle of the pack in region play after qualifying for the Class AAA state tournament the season before. Both teams will face the stiff competition of Region 6-AAA with Coahulla Creek, Sonoraville, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, and Haralson County the four teams to qualify for the girls’ state tournament in 2017-18. Haralson County won two rounds before falling to Tattnall County in the state quarterfinals. On the boys’ side of Region 6-AAA, all four state qualifying teams last season — Sonoraville, Bremen, Ringgold, and Calhoun — were eliminated in opening round games. Two other schools, Murray County and North Murray, will also be included in Adairsville’s region that includes nine schools. In non-region action, the Lady Tigers will play Woodland Monday, November 19 in the opening round of the Armuchee Thanksgiving Tournament. Adairsville will also face Cartersville the following day at the Armuchee event in Rome. The Adairsville girls will play non-region games against Southeast Whitfield, at Cass, at Cartersville, and will play three games at home in the Ace Hardware Christmas Clash December 27-29. The Lady Tigers will open that tournament against North Cobb Christian. Outside of their region schedule, the Tigers will play Cass and Rockmart as well as three games in the Christmas Clash. Adairsville will open the tournament between Christmas and New Year’s Day against Excel Christian Academy. Adairsville High School Lady Tigers Head Coach: Michael Roberson Assistants: Melissa Winters, Lauren Zarefoss, Julia Roberson Returning Starters: Havyn Isaac, Coriana McDaniel, Nakiyah Washington, and Breeana Wilson Potential starters and top expected contributors: Competition within makes it wide-open. Others that will push last year's starters for a spot: Lori Cimino, Alexa Varner, Ji'Leyah Mitchell, Chezne McConnell, and Aaliyah Applin Remainder of varsity roster: Alexia Crisp, Kaitlynn Stiles, and Aubrei Atchley Coach Roberson on expectations for this year’s Lady Tigers: Each day we want to be better than yesterday. Our expectation and goal is to compete every day at practice or in a game. In the end, we want to be one of the top four teams in our very strong region. We have a good group of freshmen this year, 10 total, who will compete every day and will push the returning players. We believe this will help create a healthy competitive environment in practice each day. We didn't have that consistently last year. Adairsville High School Tigers Head Coach: Alex Disbrow Assistant: Tarvis Scott Returning Starters: Gaven Crunkleton, Mason Boswell New potential starters and top expected contributors: D'Narous Johnson, Savuan Henderson, Malachi Gardner, Derrick Simmons, Tyshawn Savage Coach Disbrow on expectations and goals for this year's team: To incrementally improve every drill and every day until winning games is a by-product of our process.

The 2018 region champion Cartersville Purple Hurricanes had 20 players honored this week by league football coaches with Tuesday’s release of the All-Region 5-AAAA team. Cartersville players on All-Region team rosters: FIRST TEAM ALL-REGION 5-AAAA QB - Tee Webb (Jr.) RB - Marcus Gary (Sr.) TE - Jackson Lowe (Sr.) OL - Matthew Surrett (Jr.) OL - Jonah Gambill (Jr.) DL - Bobby Harris (Sr.) DL - La’Kwayme Jupiter (Jr.) LB - Sunni Moorehead (Sr.) S - Marko Dudley (Jr.) SECOND TEAM ALL-REGION 5-AAAA WR - Kaleb Chatmon (Sr.) WR - Dadrian Dennis (Sr.) OL - Andrew Thompson (Sr.) DL - Isaiah Chaney (Sr.) LB - Harrison Allen (So.) DB - Marquail Coaxum (Jr.) HONORABLE MENTION LB - Amarai Orr (So.) LB - Tristan Carlton (Sr.) DB - Evan Slocum (So.) OL - Blake Woods (Jr.) WR / DB - Devonte Ross (So.) The Hurricanes open the Class AAAA state playoffs at home Friday night against Stephens County at Weinman Stadium.

The Woodland High School varsity basketball teams will open their 2018-19 campaigns on Friday, November 16 by hosting Gordon Central with both teams looking to improve their marks from one year ago. The Lady Cats finished 7-17 overall a year ago and were 4-12 in Region 7-AAAAA. The Wildcats were 7-19 overall and 4-12 in league play. In addition to the non-region opener with Gordon Central, the Woodland girls will play in the Armuchee Thanksgiving Tournament November 19-20 where they will open against Adairsville. The Woodland boys will play in the Paulding County Hoopsgiving Classic November 17-20 and both teams will participate in the Rome News-Tribune Holiday Tournament December 17-21. Additionally, the Woodland teams will play a non-region home-and-home series against Cartersville. The always challenging Region 7-AAAAA schedule will include home-and-home games with Carrollton, Cass, East Paulding, Hiram, Kell, Paulding County, Rome, and Villa Rica. Woodland High School Lady Cats Head Coach: Kyle Morgan Assistant Coaches: Steve Dunnington, Lexi Katt Returning Starters: Madgie Robinson, Lauren Morris, Morgan Cooper, Ansley Evans, Gracie Styles, Nickiah Metcalf all started games last year. Potential Starters / Expected Contributors: Riley Jaussi (currently injured), Morgan Bailey, Jordan Thompson, Callie Jones, Abigail Taylor could all push for time this season. Outlook from Coach Morgan: We expect to get better (individually and collectively) each practice and each game as the season progresses. Our goal is to play hard, smart, and together each time we step on the floor. Robinson, a four-year starter, is the only senior if Jaussi is not able to recover from the injury to play. We have several juniors and sophomores that gained valuable experience last year. We play in a very competitive region that is loaded with all-state players and we look forward to competing every night against good teams. We have a good group of young ladies and I’m confident their best basketball is still ahead of them. Woodland High School Wildcats Head Coach: Colman Roberts Assistant Coach: Erik Foss The Wildcats have five returning starters for the 2018-19 season after losing Connor Gallagher, Dustin Ivie, and Kenny Jinks to graduation off last season’s team. Coach Roberts expects contributions and starters from most of his returning roster including Peyton Roberts, Jaylen Ballard, Hunter Johnson, D.J. Robinson, Dawson Wilkins, Justice Carter, Nathan Gomez, DiAnthony Heathcock, and Kyjuan McClendon. Roberts also stated the team goal for 2018-19 is to qualify for the Class 5A State Playoffs.

Excel Christian Academy returns to varsity level boys basketball for the 2018-19 season under new head coach Shannon Boatfield. While the academic site for Excel has moved to a new location in Emerson, the basketball teams will continue to play home games at the former site on Old Mill Road in Cartersville. The Eagles will open the season at home on Saturday, November 17 against Gordon Central and will compete in GHSA Region 6-A that includes Bowdon, Christian Heritage, Darlington, Gordon Lee, Mt. Zion-Carroll, North Cobb Christian, and Trion. Non-region opponents on the schedule include: Savannah's Bethesda Academy, Georgia School for the Deaf, Class 7A Lassiter, and Class 4A Lafayette. The Eagles will also participate in Adairsville's Ace Hardware Christmas Tournament December 27-29. Excel Christian Academy Eagles Head coach and coaching staff: Shannon Boatfield (photo) with assistants Gary Boulier and Tyler Blackman Returning starters: Seniors Josiah Mosley and Evan Lee. Juniors Rayshawn Womack and Brendan Quillin. Sophomore Kalil Holley. Coach Boatfield’s analysis: Mosley is a quick, defensive-minded point guard who is our floor general. Great hands, tough to stay in front of him; gets to the rim with ease. Lee is our best deep threat and is our tallest player at 6-5. Plays like a European big man with finesse on the wing. Lee is best for us when at the high post position. We enjoy the ball in his hands. Good things happen. Womack can be an explosive scorer that can play inside and outside. He is a great athlete and leaper with long wingspan. Quillin is our best pure shooter even though he’s one of our biggest players. He has a very high IQ and is fundamentally sound. What he lacks in athleticism he overcomes with playing smart. Expected top contributors and Boatfield’s analysis: Robby Poston (Jr.) — hard-nosed, tough, undersized post player at 6-2. He is a high-energy player with double-double potential this year. Jacob Day (Jr.) — long, shooting guard with good size on the wing. He is a newer player developing three-point consistency. Remainder of the varsity roster: Jake Murray (Jr.) — shooting guard, undersized, spot up shooter. Trippe Anderson (So.) — energy guy off the bench, spot minutes, ability to knock down the open shot. Noah Welch (So.) — strong interior presence with good size, only lacking experience. Freshmen Tim Terry and Jun Hyuk Choi Boatfield on expectations and goals for this year’s team: It is really hard to say. We step back into varsity competition after a 12-win JV season last year. Playing in the ultra-competitive Region 6 in Private A ball is tough. I believe the pre-season top 10 features four teams from our region, so we’ve got our work cut out for us. I expect us to battle, play sound defense, be patient with the ball, and push it when the opportunity comes. We will surprise some people this year. It’s a new day for Excel basketball. There’s an excitement and buzz about our program, both on campus and in the community. Our vision is to Engage the Heart, Elevate the Spirit, and Empower the Body of every coach and player in our program. If it doesn’t accomplish one of those three things, we don’t want to do it. I am excited to add some quality depth to our coaching bench in bringing over Tyler Blackman. He’s an Excel grad who loves this place and is really sharp with the Xs and Os of the game. Our middle school program has added some strong depth too with some familiar faces in new places. If I’m the smartest guy in the room, we are in trouble, so I wanted to bring some of the best in Bartow County to our program to help us lead this program to what it can be.

An update of local athletes competing in professional and collegiate sports for the week ending Sunday, October 4. This past week, the Atlanta Falcons refused trade offers for Vic Beasley, more than two dozen locals contributed with their respective college football programs, and locals made marks in college cross country, tennis, wrestling, and basketball. NFL VIC BEASLEY — Atlanta Falcons (4th yr. pro; DE, Clemson University, Adairsville HS)… Beasley did not scratch the stat line Sunday in the Falcons road win at Washington, but he was a pressure factor a multiple plays. He also drew a holding penalty due to his pass rush. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported this weekend that prior to last Tuesday’s trade deadline the Falcons received trade offers for the Adairsville native. Atlanta decided, however, to not pull the trigger on any deal. Beasley has only one sack this season and just three quarterback hits. He had his fifth-year option for next season picked up by the Falcons and is set to make $12.8 million in 2019. COLLEGE FOOTBALL QUADRE ALLEN — Tusculum University (Sr., DB, Woodland HS)… made a first quarter tackle on punt team coverage in the Pioneers’ 20-11 non-conference loss Saturday at VMI. Tusculum (5-4, 4-2 South Atlantic Conference) plays at Wingate this Saturday afternoon. DeANDRE APPLIN — Georgia State University (Sr., DB, Adairsville HS)… had three tackles (2 solo) in the Panthers’ 40-31 loss to Texas State Saturday in Atlanta. GSU (2-7, 1-4 Sun Belt Conference) plays at Louisiana-Lafayette this Saturday. TERRY BERDIN — Reinhardt University (Fr., RB, Cartersville HS)… had two carries for 23 yards and one kick return for 12 yards as the NAIA 4th-ranked Eagles won at St. Andrews (NC) 54-30. Reinhardt (8-1, 5-0 Mid-South Conference, Appalachian Division) plays Saturday night at Union College (KY). CHRIS BLACKSTON — University of West Georgia (Jr., DB, Adairsville HS)… the Wolves’ starter at free safety had three tackles in a 29-17 win over Gulf South Conference foe Delta State Saturday in Carrollton. NCAA D-II 3rd-ranked UWG (10-0, 7-0) plays at 7th-ranked Valdosta State Saturday night in a battle of unbeatens. BRYCE BURGESS — Reinhardt University (Fr., RB, Adairsville HS)… returned the second half kickoff 28 yards into the plus-territory 46 yard line in the NAIA 4th-ranked Eagles 54-30 win at St. Andrews (NC). Reinhardt (8-1, 5-0 Mid-South Conference, Appalachian Division) plays at Union College (KY) this Saturday night. TREVOR CARLTON — Reinhardt University (Sr., LB, Cartersville HS)… had four tackles including 1.5 for a loss and a sack as the 4th-ranked Eagles topped St. Andrews (NC) on the road, 54-30. Reinhardt (8-1, 5-0 Mid-South Conference, Appalachian Division) travels to Union College (KY) this Saturday night. MARCUS CHILDERS — Northern Illinois University (R-So., QB, Adairsville HS)… was 21-for-28 passing for 188 yards and one touchdown in the Huskies’ 36-26 Mid-American Conference win last Thursday at Akron. Childers also finished with 9 net yards rushing on 13 attempts. NIU (6-3, 5-0 MAC) has now won five straight games and hosts Toledo Wednesday night. XAVIOR COAXUM — LaGrange College (So., DB, Cartersville HS)… had four tackles Saturday in the Panthers’ 48-38 home win over Methodist University. LaGrange (3-6, 2-4 USA South Athletic Conference) travels to Montgomery Saturday afternoon at face Huntingdon College. JONATHAN CRUZ — UNC-Charlotte (Fr., PK, Cartersville HS)… made a 20-yard field goal late in the first half in the 49ers’ 14-3 non-conference loss Saturday night at Tennessee. He also had two kickoffs for a 59 yard average with one kick going out of bounds. Charlotte (4-5, 3-2 Conference USA) returns to conference action Saturday afternoon at Marshall. DALEN CURTIS — Brevard College (So., FB, Cartersville HS)… started at fullback for the Tornados but did not have any touches in a 25-6 loss at Averett (VA). Brevard (2-6, 2-4 USA-South Athletic Conference) hosts Greensboro College this Saturday afternoon. JORDAN FERGUSON — Middle Tennessee State University (So., DL, Cartersville HS)… saw action in the Blue Raiders’ 29-10 home victory Friday night over Western Kentucky. MTSU (6-3, 5-1 Conference USA) travels to University of Texas-El Paso this Saturday. MILLER FORRISTALL — University of Alabama (R-So., TE, Cartersville HS)… saw playing time Saturday night in the Crimson Tide’s 29-0 win over LSU in Baton Rouge. Top-ranked Alabama (9-0, 6-0 SEC) clinched the SEC Western Division title with the win and will host Mississippi State this Saturday afternoon. RICO FRYE — Bowling Green University (Fr., RB, Cartersville HS)… carried 17 times last Tuesday for 36 yards in the Falcons’ 35-28 home loss to Kent State. He also caught four passes for eight yards. Bowling Green (1-8, 0-5 Mid-American Conference) plays at Central Michigan this Saturday afternoon. CAMERON GONYEA — Saint Anselm College (Fr., DB, Cass HS)… made a pair of tackles in the Hawks’ 49-21 loss at New Haven College this past Saturday. Saint Anselm (1-7, 1-7 Northeastern 10 Conference) hosts Pace University this Saturday to close out the 2018 season. GORDON GRAY — Kennesaw State University (Sr., WR, Cartersville HS)… got the start this past Saturday in the FCS 2nd-ranked Owls’ 49-0 blanking of Campbell. KSU (8-1, 4-0 Big South Conference) travels to New Jersey this Saturday afternoon to face Monmouth with the winner securing the conference championship and automatic bid into the FCS playoffs. GABRIEL GRIDLEY — Angelo State University (So., P, Cartersville HS)… punted twice Saturday for only a 25.5 yard average, but had one punt downed inside the 20 yard line as the Rams defeated visiting Eastern New Mexico 34-17. ASU (6-4, 4-3 Lone Star Conference) has won three in a row and travels to Texas A&M-Commerce this Saturday. ANTOINE JEFFERSON — Lindsey Wilson College (So., SL, Cartersville HS)… had one punt return for eight yards and had a fourth quarter pass attempt that fell incomplete in the NAIA 17th-ranked Blue Raiders’ 21-4 win at Campbellsville University (KY) Saturday afternoon. LWC (6-3, 3-2 Mid-South Conference Bluegrass Division) hosts Kentucky Christian this Saturday. BRADY JERNIGAN — Maryville College (TN) (Jr., DL, Woodland HS)… had two tackles Saturday in the Scots’ 42-7 win at Greensboro College. Maryville (6-2, 6-0 USA South Athletic Conference) entertains North Carolina Wesleyan this Saturday afternoon. LUCAS JOHNSON — Georgia State University (Sr., OL, Cass HS)… started at tight end Saturday for the Panthers in a 40-31 home loss to Texas State. GSU (2-7, 1-4 Sun Belt Conference) travels to Louisiana-Lafayette this Saturday evening. BRADLEY KIRK — Shorter University (Fr., DB, Cartersville HS)… had two tackles Saturday at North Alabama in the Hawks’ 41-14 loss. Shorter (0-10, 0-7 Gulf South Conference) wraps up the 2018 season this Saturday afternoon at Barron Stadium in Rome against Florida Tech. TREVOR LAWRENCE — Clemson University (Fr., QB, Cartersville HS)… was 8-for-12 passing for 59 yards and two touchdowns Saturday as the 2nd-ranked Tigers pummelled Louisville, 77-16. Lawrence tossed an 11-yard touchdown to Tee Higgins and a 3-yard scoring pass to Amari Rodgers in his abbreviated start. He also ran three times for 11 yards. Clemson (9-0, 6-0 ACC) plays at Boston College this Saturday night. DORIAN PITT — Southwestern Oklahoma State University (Jr., OL, Adairsville HS)… saw action in the Bulldogs’ 35-23 loss at Southern Nazarene University (OK). SWOSU (3-7, 3-7 Great American Conference) hosts Northwestern Oklahoma State University this Saturday night. MARK QUATTLEBAUM — UNC-Charlotte (Sr., SL, Cartersville HS)… had one reception for 18 yards and had two punt returns for 10 yards in the 49ers’ 14-3 loss at Tennessee Saturday. Charlotte (4-5, 3-2 C-USA) plays at Marshall this Saturday afternoon. SEVEN RICHARDS — Jacksonville University (Fr., OL, Cass HS)… started at left guard Saturday for the Dolphins in a 48-44 Pioneer Football League win over visiting Butler. The JU offense rolled up 505 total yards including 448 rushing yards. The Dolphins (2-6, 1-5 PFL) play at Valparaiso this Saturday afternoon. MACLAND SHAY — New Mexico Highlands University (Fr., DB, Cass HS)… had one tackle on kickoff coverage in the Cowboys’ 20-16 home victory over Western State Colorado University Saturday. NMHU (4-6, 4-5 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) hosts Colorado Mesa University this Saturday. GARRETT SHELTON — Alabama State University (Fr., LS, Cartersville HS)… saw action in the Hornets’ 30-21 win Saturday over Texas Southern in Montgomery. ASU (3-5, 2-2 SWAC) entertains Jackson State this Saturday afternoon. HIRAM VELEZ — University of West Florida (Sr., WR, Adairsville HS)… saw playing time in the Argonauts’ 48-21 home loss Saturday to 7th-ranked Valdosta State. UWF (6-4, 4-3 Gulf South Conference) travels to West Alabama this Saturday afternoon. BRANDON WADE -- Ellsworth CC (So., DL, Cartersville HS)... made five tackles in a 28-7 loss Saturday to Coffeyville CC. The Panthers are now 1-9 and play at Independence CC this Saturday night. JAKE WALKER — Furman University (So., TE, Cartersville, GA, Darlington HS)… the Paladins’ starter at tight end caught one pass for 11 yards and a first down Saturday in the first quarter. He was also targeted two more times in Furman’s 16-10 home win over Chattanooga. Furman (4-4, 4-2 Southern Conference) plays at VMI this Saturday afternoon in another SoCon matchup. CROSS COUNTRY JAISON MORNING — Valdosta State University (Sr., Cass HS)… placed 29th of 99 runners last Saturday at the Gulf South Conference Championships hosted by Mississippi College. Morning completed the 8K course in Jackson in 26:25 to lead all the Blazers’ harriers. VSU placed eighth of 11 teams. The GSC title was won by Lee University. SOCCER KATELYNN HARBEKE — Life University (Sr., MF, Cass HS)… played 42 minutes and took one shot in Life’s 6-1 conference quarterfinal loss at Campbellsville (KY). Life finished the year with a 6-12 record. KATIE LAWHORN — Life University (So., MF, Adairsville HS)… saw 17 minutes of playing time in the Runnin’ Eagles’ 6-1 loss last Thursday at Campbellsville (KY) in the quarterfinals of the Mid-South Conference Tournament. Life finished the season with a 6-12 mark. MARISSA MOWRY — Anderson University (Fr., MF, Cartersville HS)… played six minutes last Wednesday in the Trojans’ 1-0 home loss to Catawba College in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Anderson finished the season with a 7-8-1 record. TENNIS PEYTON GOLLHOFER — Ball State University (Sr., Cartersville, GA, Laurel Springs Academy)… defeated her opponent from Indiana University, Somer Henry, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 and paired with Victoria Sec to win matches against their Cleveland State and Indiana opponents this past weekend as Ball State closed out the Fall portion of their 2018-19 schedule at the Bronco Invitational hosted by Western Michigan. WRESTLING JAKE HUFFINE — UT-Chattanooga (Sr., 133-lb., Woodland HS)… went 3-2 Sunday at the Virginia Tech Hokie Open in Blacksburg, Virginia. Huffine defeated Patrick Washington of Appalachian State, his UTC teammate Colton Landers, and Austin Warner of Campbell Universitiy. His losses came to Garrett Pepple of Indiana and Zach Sherman of North Carolina. The Mocs will host North Carolina next Sunday afternoon. COLLEGE BASKETBALL MARK CHESTER — Georgia Northwestern Tech (Fr., G, Cass HS)… scored two points in the Bobcats’ 99-51 loss at Southern Crescent Tech in Griffin. Next for Georgia Northwestern is a road contest at Covenant College JV November 13. WHITNEY HARRIS — Toccoa Falls College (Fr., G, Excel Christian Acad.)… in three games last week, Harris averaged 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 30 minutes per game. The Screaming Eagles lost to Truett-McConnell University 55-33 and Milligan College 82-51, but defeated Trinity College 69-68. TFC (1-2) hosts Brevard College Thursday and Johnson & Wales University Friday. CARTER HEDDEN — Hocking CC (Fr., G, Cass HS)… saw action in the Hawks’ 80-44 home win last Thursday over Cincinnati Christian JV. Hocking lost a pair of games over the weekend at Potomac State of WVU, falling to Potomac State CC and Garrett CC. Stats not available. KIMORA McCLINIC — Middle Georgia State University (So., G, Cartersville HS)… saw action in both games for the Knights last Thursday and Friday. She played 14 minutes and scored four points with three rebounds. MGSU beat Regent University 79-41, but lost to Warner 66-58. The Lady Knights (1-1) host Thomas University (GA) Monday night, play at Kennesaw State Wednesday, and travel to Voorhees (SC) Friday. JONATHAN PRITCHETT — Vermont Tech CC (So., G, Woodland HS)… scored 13 points with eight rebounds and 13 assists in the Knights’ two wins over the weekend. Vermont Tech beat Maine-Augusta 88-73 and Central Maine CC 93-91 as Pritchett averaged 35 minutes. VTCC (2-0) hosts Northern Vermont-Johnson Thursday and travels to Northern Vermont-Lyndon Friday. DARRIUS THROWER — Truett-McConnell University (Jr., G, Excel Christian Acad.)… played 22 minutes off the bench and scored 14 points with two rebounds and one assist in a 96-76 win last Tuesday at Toccoa Falls College. The Bears (2-0) play at Union College (KY) Wednesday and host Columbia International University Saturday. HAKEEM WINTERS — Point University (Sr., F, Cartersville HS)… averaged 3.7 points with five rebounds, three blocks, three steals, and four assists in three of the Skyhawks’ first four games. Point (0-4) lost at Thomas University and fell to Voorhees College at home before dropping two games over the weekend at the Faulkner University Classic to Faulkner and Campbellsville. Point plays at Bryan College (TN) Wednesday and hosts Bluefield College (VA) this Saturday.

All four local high school cheerleading teams were successful Saturday in qualifying for the Georgia High School Association’s 2018 State Sectionals and Championships in Columbus next Friday and Saturday. Cass, Cartersville and Adairsville all competed Saturday in the West Metro qualifier at University of West Georgia. Click image to enlarge. L-R: Cartersville, Woodland, Cass Cartersville placed second in Region 5-AAAA to advance. Chapel Hill won the region championship with LaGrange, Central-Carroll, Troup, and Cedartown all qualifying for the state sectionals. In 6-AAA, Adairsville finished third to advance. The region was won by Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe with Ringgold, Sonoraville, Murray County, North Murray, and Coahulla Creek all qualifying for the state sectionals. Cass placed fourth among Region 7-AAAAA teams. That region was won by Carrollton with Kell, Paulding County, and Rome earning spots at the state sectionals. Woodland placed 12th in the all-classification Co-Ed Sectionals Saturday held at Peachtree Ridge High School and also advances to the state finals next weekend. Mill Creek placed first in co-ed with McIntosh, East Coweta, Peachtree Ridge, and Winder-Barrow rounding out the top five. The Friday schedule at the Columbus Civic Center will include Adairsville and Cartersville competing in the 9 a.m. segment. Cass will compete in an afternoon session slated to begin at 2 p.m. and the co-ed division finals with Woodland will be Friday night with a 7 p.m. start. The region champions and the top qualifying teams from Friday in each classification will advance to the state finals on Saturday. Class 2A, 3A, and 4A will conduct state championships at 9 a.m. Class 5A, 6A, and 7A will begin at 2 p.m.

The Cartersville boys finished sixth and the girls placed 14th at the GHSA Class 4A Cross Country State Championships Saturday afternoon in Carrollton. The Canes were sixth of 32 teams with the team title won by St. Pius X. Marist, Blessed Trinity, North Oconee, and White County rounded out the top five. Leif Andersen of Marist won the 222-runner race in 16:17. Bill Archer finished 34th in 17:58 and Alex Rios was 35th in 17:59 to lead the Hurricanes. They were followed by Harrison Banks (46th, 18:26), Max Florence (52nd, 18:35), Parker Breedlove (77th, 18:57), Levi Booth (86th, 19:03), and Jacob Busek (120th, 19:44). The Cartersville girls placed 14th of 29 teams where the state championship was captured by Marist. St. Pius X, Blessed Trinity, Oconee County, and White County rounded out the top five. Kathleen Maley of Marist was the individual girls winner in Class 4a in 19:22. There were 200 runners in the race. Alex Machado led the Lady Canes with a 49th place finish in 22:38. She was followed by teammates Vanna Beach (53rd, 22:40), Alice Terry (99th, 24:18), Trinity Atkins (109th, 24:41), Jocelyn Blanchette (119th, 25:01), Jaxiry Betancourt (132nd, 25:34), and Trista Kelly (134th, 25:45).

Cartersville won its seventh consecutive region championship and the Hurricanes’ completed a fourth straight undefeated regular season with a 43-10 victory over Troup Friday night at Weinman Stadium. Marcus Gary ran for 149 yards on 22 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns while quarterback Tee Webb threw for two touchdowns and ran for one as the Canes’ put the visiting Tigers away early. Gary (photo) went right up the middle and raced 77 yards on Cartersville’s first play from scrimmage to take a 7-0 lead. That was followed by a 45-yard interception return for touchdown by Amarai Orr that gave Cartersville a 14-0 lead in the second minute of the game. Troup cut the lead to 14-3 with a 36-yard field goal by Helsyn Martinez midway through the first quarter, but the Canes added two more touchdowns to take a 28-3 lead to the intermission. Webb tossed a 46-yard scoring strike to Devonte Ross with 1:49 remaining in the first quarter and then connected with Jackson Lowe early in the second quarter on a 20-yard touchdown pass. A long kickoff return to open the second half set up Troup’s only touchdown of the night. Tigers’ QB Kobe Hudson scored on a four-yard run to cut the Canes’ lead to 28-10. Cartersville answered with a five-yard touchdown run by Webb midway through the third quarter for a 34-10 lead, then added a safety and a 12-yard scoring run by Gary for a 43-10 lead before the end of the quarter. Webb finished 12-for-24 through the air for 185 yards and two touchdowns to go with his rushing touchdown. Jackson Lowe had three receptions for 59 yards and one score. Amarai Orr added a strip sack and a fumble recovery to his first quarter pick-six. Troup (9-1) will host Oconee County next week in the first round of the Class AAAA state playoffs. Cartersville (10-0) will host Stephens County at Weinman Stadium. COLONELS DROP 17-14 DECISION TO PATRIOTS Cass took a 14-10 lead over visiting Paulding County Friday night on the opening play of the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold on in a season-ending 17-14 loss. Paulding quarterback Hunter Jennings connected with Keishon Jackson on the ensuing Patriots’ drive for the go-ahead touchdown. The scoring play culminated a 73-yard, seven play drive. Tony Lauzurica returned the game’s opening kickoff 99 yards to give Paulding a quick 7-0 lead, but Cass tied the score later in the first quarter on a 69-yard touchdown scamper by Malik Grimes. Matthew Frey made a 25-yard field goal with 9:00 remaining in the second quarter to give Paulding a 10-7 lead at halftime. Following a scoreless third quarter, Cass’ Zay Jackson capped a 52-yard, 11-play drive for the Colonels on the first play of the fourth quarter. Jackson’s 8-yard touchdown run gave the Colonels their only lead of the night at 14-10. The win was the first of the season for the 1-9 Patriots who finished 1-7 in Region 7-AAAAA. Cass finished the year 1-9 overall and 0-8 in region action. CONLEY’S FIVE TDs LEADS KELL PAST WOODLAND Woodland won its first four games in 2018, but Friday night’s 41-18 loss at Kell was a sixth straight for the Wildcats who finished the season with a 4-6 mark. Kell quarterback Evan Conley had a 55-yard touchdown pass to Jaylon Brown, a five-yard touchdown pass to Sam Blancato, and a 19-yard touchdown run for the Longhorns in the first half. Xavier Parris added a two-yard touchdown run for Kell and Logan Flesher made three of four PATs as the Longhorns built a 27-3 first half lead. Following an early turnover, Ronny Ramirez booted a 31-yard field goal that gave Woodland a 3-0 lead and Jakob Foos completed a seven-yard touchdown pass to Titus Jones late in the second quarter. Conley added two more Kell touchdown passes in the second half. He connected with Ebony Jackson on a 21-yard score and found Parris on a 67-yard strike. Colby Kerns made both PATs. Justice Carter (photo), who rushed for 90 yards, added a late touchdown run for the Wildcats who also scored a two-point conversion. The performance put Carter over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Woodland's Demarcus Williams rushed for 68 yards on 22 attempts. Foss was 3-of-7 passing for 17 yards and a score. Kell (8-2) will host Carver, Atlanta next Friday as a 2-seed in the opening round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs.

For the second time in three seasons, the Woodland Lady Cats’ cross country team won the GHSA Class AAAAA state championship. This year's title was secured Friday in Carrollton with the Lady Cats edging defending state champion McIntosh by three points. Individual state champion, McKenna Trapheagen (photo), led the Lady Cats who had all five scoring runners in the top 20 of the 199-runner field. Woodland also had all seven runners finish inside the top 44 and finished with 56 team points. McIntosh had 59 team points with all five scoring runners in the top 18. Their seven runners all finished inside the top 38 runners, but the Lady Cats' totals narrowly edged the Lady Chiefs. Starr’s Mill placed third in Class 5A with Union Grove and Grady rounding out the top five. The classification included 29 girls teams. Trapheagen won the individual state championship by completing the typically slow 5K course in 19:07. She outdistanced runner-up Gabby Parsons of Union Grove and third-place Mackenzie Walls of Veterans by 40 seconds to capture the title. Trapheagan was followed by teammates Carli Clymer (10th, 20:18), Angela Cochran (11th, 20:24), Rylee Evans (14th, 20:34), Baylee Evans (20th, 20:52), Cheyenne Spinks (28th, 21:22), and Marlee Bowles (45th, 22:12). The Woodland boys finished 17th of 32 Class AAAAA teams in Friday's state finals. Starr’s Mill won the team championship by 15 points over McIntosh. Decatur placed third with South Effingham and Grady rounding out the top five in the classification. Dominic Macias (16:35) of Union Grove won the individual championship by two seconds over Zach Jaeger of McIntosh. Dylan Stermer led Woodland with a 46th place finish of 222 runners in 18:16. Wildcats John Shropshire (69th, 18:33), Kobe Cochran (89th, 18:53), John Forsyth (106th, 19:10), Patrick Bollwerk (115, 19:20), Reece Mitchell (141st, 19:41), and Gabe Shephard (142nd, 19:43).

Games reported for Thursday, October 29 by the Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department plus the release of the 8U and 10U GRPA all-star team rosters. October 29 8U at Dellinger Park CARTERSVILLE WHITE CANES 24, CARTERSVILLE PURPLE CANES 18 WHITE: Brody Jones tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Will Phillips. Phillips also caught three, two-point conversion passes. Solomon James scored on a 16-yard touchdown run and a 12-yard touchdown run. PURPLE: Braylen Clever ran for two touchdowns. Timothy Coe added a 43-yard touchdown. 10U at Dellinger Park CARTERSVILLE PURPLE CANES 12, CARTERSVILLE WHITE CANES 8 PURPLE: Zach Stiles had 50 rushing yards including a 20-yard touchdown run. Giovani Banks had 40 rushing yards and a 10-yard touchdown run. Dixon Lindsay had a pair of 15-yard passes to Clint Hosea and a 20-yarder to Cole Henson. The coaching staff recognized the entire team for the defensive effort as Purple bounced back from a 28-0 regular season loss to White. WHITE: Reed Ezell rushed for 40 yards including a 20-yard touchdown run. Trenton Harris had 30 yards rushing. Asa Mitcham added a two-point conversion kick. Ezell, Mitcham, Harris, Collier Jordan, Adam Reed, and Liam Lujans were defensive standouts. CARTERSVILLE 8U ALL-STAR ROSTER Drake Bailey, Rhett Baxter, Kayden Blackwell, Cameron Caldwell, Braylen Clever, Timothy Coe, Cayden Fotsch, Khamauri Glenn, Tristan Hall, Tyler Hickman, Prince Jacobs, Solomon James, Brody Jones, Braxton Mealer, Cooper Melvin, Kamden Smith, Jaiden Taylor Wright Upton, Nartayvious Wilkey, Nathan Woods. Cartersville 8U will play at Calhoun November 10 and will host Carrollton November 17. CARTERSVILLE 10U ALL-STAR ROSTER Jacob Ellis, Peyton Emery, Reed Ezell, Trenton Harris, Collier Jordan, Pierce Kincer, Dixon Lindsey, Hudson Lusk, Bear McWhorter, Asa Micham, Jackson Montgomery, Payton Paul, Adam Reed, Thomas Smith, Kamdyn Woods. Cartersville 10U will play at Calhoun November 10 and will host Carrollton November 17. Local youth football updates are sponsored on Bartow Sports Zone by McWhorter Capital Partners with all information provided by the Bartow County Parks and Recreation Department and the Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department.

The Cartersville volleyball team had its state tournament run come to an end Tuesday night at The Storm Center in a straight sets loss to St. Pius X, 25-16, 25-14, 25-5. Prior to Tuesday’s Final Four loss, Cartersville had state tournament wins over Madison County, LaFayette, and Richmond Academy, but perennial power St. Pius proved to be a much bigger task. The loss ends the Lady Canes’ season with a 26-12 record. Cartersville also won a third consecutive Region 5-AAAA championship and this was the program’s first-ever trip to the state’s Final Four. The Cartersville team will see the departure of eight seniors, including five lineup regulars. St. Pius X advances to face Marist in the GHSA Class AAA State Championship match Saturday at Marietta High School. Marist prevailed at Columbus in the other state semifinal match Tuesday night 25-19, 21-25, 25-20 and 25-23.

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 October 2018: Ashlin Borkowsky -- Cartersville HS Zoe Bryson -- Cass HS Titus Jones -- Woodland HS Harper Powell -- Adairsville HS The October Elite Athlete of the Month representing Cartersville High School is Ashlin Borkowsky. A senior on the varsity football and competition cheerleading squads, she also competes for the Lady Canes in track and field. “Ashlin is a dedicated team player who puts in 100% at every practice, game, and competition,” said coach Breanna McDonald. “She leads by example and always goes the extra mile.” The daughter of Jeff and Donna Borkowsky, Ashlin has cheered for four years on both varsity squads. “In all of my dealings with Ashlin, she has shown to be a young woman of character, intelligence, and talent,” McDonald continued. “ She always displays the leadership and work ethic that every coach hopes for from a team.” Borkowsky is a member of Beta Club, National Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta. She plans to attend a four-year college and major in business. She currently maintains a 4.1 GPA. Cass High School’s Elite Athlete of the Month for October is Zoe Bryson. A four-year cheerleading letterman, Bryson is a member of both the varsity competition and football squads. She has also been chosen as Most Valuable Cheerleader for the past two years at Cass and is a UCA All-American Cheerleader. Bryson demonstrates leadership in other ways as well. The senior has been involved in a wide variety of clubs and organization at CHS while academically maintaining a 4.0 GPA. The daughter of Phillip and Kelli Bryson, Zoe plans to cheer at The University of Georgia where she will be a Biology (Pre-Med) major. Titus Jones is the Elite Athlete of the Month for October from Woodland High School. A senior three-sport athlete, Jones has played quarterback, defensive back, and wide receiver for the Wildcats. He is also a member of the baseball team and participates in track and field. “Titus is the leader of our defense,” noted Woodland head football coach Tony Plott. “He’s on pace for over 100 tackles for a third consecutive season and sets the tone for us with his physical style of play. He makes plays from sideline to sideline.” The son of Stephen and Marilyn Jones, Titus plans to continue his education and play college football. He has also been a big contributor for the Wildcats’ offense and special teams. “Titus has made a huge impact on the offensive side of the ball while playing both quarterback and wide receiver. He also serves as our kickoff and punt returner,” Plott concluded. The Elite Athlete of the Month for October from Adairsville High School is Harper Powell. A sophomore on the Tigers’ swim team, Harper is the daughter of Shawn and Angela Powell. Powell competes in the 200 IM Relay, 200 Free Relay, 50 Freestyle, and 100 Backstroke and only started competing in swimming a year ago. “Harper is a coach’s dream,” said Adairsville swim coach Shawn Williams. “She enjoys hard work and is determined to do her best every time she enters the water. She is not satisfied being second best and pushes herself and her teammates to reach their potential.” A 4.0 GPA student taking all Honors and Advanced Placement classes, Powell remains undecided on a college to attend and a potential major. She does plan to become a dual enrollment student during her junior and senior years. “Harper applies her work ethic in the classroom and the pool,” coach Williams continued. “She is a fantastic teammate setting a high standard for our younger swimmers to follow.” 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.