The Cass basketball teams swept to a pair of Region 7-AAAAA wins Saturday at Woodland. The Lady Colonels beat the Lady Cats 61-34 and the Colonels took the boys’ contest 49-46 over the Wildcats. The Cass girls led 16-8 after one period and extended their lead to 34-15 by halftime. The Lady Colonels led 50-21 after three periods on their way to a 27-point victory. Londaisha Smith and Payton Stoddard led Cass with 15 and 12 points, respectively. Claire Davis and Sharia Wade tossed in seven points each. Brianna Stephenson scored six. Alexis Ware posted five. Taryn Callahan had three points while Amber Brittian, Ariana Hames, and Abby Stoddard added two points apiece. The Lady Cats got 14 points from Morgan Cooper. Madgie Robinson followed with five points. Jordan Thompson and Gracie Styles scored four. Ansley Evans had three points. Nickiah Metcalf and Abigail Taylor each contributed two points. Woodland falls to 1-8 on the season and 1-4 in Region 7-AAAAA. The Lady Cats will play Rome in the opening round of the Rome Holiday Tournament Monday at 4 p.m. at Berry College. Cass (8-2, 4-2) snaps a two-game skid where they lost back-to-back road games to Top Ten-ranked teams Rome and Carrollton. The Lady Colonels host Adairsville Tuesday before taking a few days off prior to participating in the Adairsville Ace Hardware Christmas Tournament December 27-29. CASS BOYS 49, WOODLAND 46 The Colonels won a tightly contested region game at Woodland Saturday, 49-46. Cass led 23-19 at halftime and extended the lead to 36-26 heading into the final period. Woodland made a a valiant run at the Colonels, but came up three points short. Jacquez Fountain had a game-high 17 points to lead the Cass offense. Jordan Ford followed with 15 points for the Colonels. Ethan Carter tossed in six points. Justice Hayes had five. C.J. Pipkin, Jaylen Johnson, and Zaylan Chaney each added two points for Cass. Dawson Wilkins led Woodland scorer’s with 16 points. Hunter Johnson contributed 10. D.J. Robinson and Jaylen Ballard had six points each. Peyton Roberts and Justice Carter both added four points for the Wildcats. Woodland (3-7, 0-5) has now dropped four straight since edging Cartersville on December 1. The Wildcats open play in the Rome Holiday Tournament Monday night at 5:30 p.m. against Rome at Berry College. Cass (4-7, 2-4) hosts Adairsville Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. and will play in the Rockmart Christmas Tournament Thursday through Saturday.

The Cass High School wrestling team finished second Saturday at the Buford Takedown Sportswear Tournament hosted by Buford High School. The host Wolves won the 30-team event with 247.5 points. Cass was next with 172.5. West Laurens (171), Indian Land HS (SC) (160.5) and Rockdale County (154.5) rounded out the top five teams. Ben Mills (photo) won the 132-pound division for the Colonels. Bryce Kresho had a second place finish and Noah Hoffmeier added a third place for Cass in their respective weight classes. Other placers for Cass included: Nick Mills and Kendall Arnold fourth, Isaac Linley, Blake Carrington, and Reed Davis fifth. Hunter Rees added a sixth place finish. Clockwise from top left: Kendall Arnold, Noah Hoffmeier, Reed Davis, Blake Carrington, Nick Mills, Hunter Rees, Isaac Linley, Bryce Kresho.

The Excel Christian Academy boys basketball team lost at Gordon Central Saturday afternoon, 50-38, in non-region action. The host Warriors took a 16-13 lead after one period and led 23-15 at halftime on their way to an eventual 12-point win and a season split with Excel. The Eagles won the first meeting between the two teams 50-48 back on November 17. Dawon Lackey had a game-high 28 points for Gordon Central (1-10) who won for the first time this season. Evan Lee and Josiah Mosley paced the Eagles with nine points each. Rayshawn Womck scored seven. Kalil Holley tossed in six points. Brenden Quillin added five and Trippe Anderson had two points for ECA. Excel Christian (3-7) has a break in the schedule before playing at Adairsville December 27 in the opening round of the Ace Hardware Christmas Tournament at Adairsville High School. Tip for that game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.

All four local high school girls teams lost games Friday night. Cass lost its second straight after seven wins to start the year. Both Lady Colonels' losses this week have been to Top Ten teams in Class 5A. The Adairsville girls dropped a one-point game at Haralson County and Cartersville fell at Paulding County. CARROLLTON 56, CASS GIRLS 36 The Lady Colonels dropped another Region 7-AAAAA road contest Friday night to their second Top Ten opponent in a row. Carrollton (5-2, 3-1) topped Cass 56-36 Friday night after Cass lost at Top Ten-ranked Rome Wednesday night. The Lady Colonels trailed just 13-11 after one quarter and were behind 23-22 at the intermission, but Carrollton pushed its lead out to 35-28 after three quarters before pulling away in the final eight minutes. Payton Stoddard led the Colonels with 10 points; Claire Davis contributed nine; and Alexis Ware added eight. Cass (7-2, 3-2) heads to Woodland Saturday at 3 p.m HARALSON COUNTY 36, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 35 The Adairsville girls were outscored 16-4 in the fourth quarter Friday night as host Haralson County edged the Lady Tigers, 36-35. The win for the Lady Rebels was their first of the year. The Haralson County girls are now 1-6 on the season and 1-5 in region games. Indiya Smith led Haralson County with 20 points. Morgan Pope scored seven for the Rebels. Nakiya Washington had a game-high 25 points for Adairsville. Havyn Isaac scored six points. Coriana McDaniel and Alexa Varner added two points each. Adairsville (3-7, 1-6) plays Murray County Saturday afternoon at home at 3 p.m. KELL 36, WOODLAND GIRLS 33 The Lady Cats made a nice second half run at Kell Friday night, but came up short, 36-33. Kell led 11-5 after one quarter and 22-13 at halftime before Woodland got back in the game by winning the third period, 22-5. The Lady Cats trailed by only two points heading into the fourth quarter, but the host Longhorns escaped with a three-point win. Amaya Moss led Kell with 15 points. Kya Williams added eight for the Lady ‘Horns (4-5, 2-2). Morgan Cooper scored nine points for Woodland. She was followed by Gracie Styles with seven; Ansley Evans with six; Madgie Robinson with five; then Jordan Thompson, Nickiah Metcalf, and Lauren Morris with two points each. The Lady Cats (1-7, 1-3) host Cass Saturday at 3 p.m. PAULDING COUNTY 47, CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 41 A close contest throughout, the Lady Canes held a 9-7 lead after one quarter and took a 23-17 advantage to the intermission locker room. In the third quarter, the host Lady Patriots outscored Cartersville 17-6 to grab a 34-29 lead and held on over the final eight minutes. Haley Johnson paced Cartersville with 10 points, eight of which came in the final period. Three other Canes had six points apiece. The win for Paulding County was their first of the year to improve to 1-9 on the season. Cartersville (3-2) opens the Rome Holiday Tournament Monday at 4 p.m. at Georgia Highlands’ Rome campus against Coosa.

The Adairsville Tigers were the only boys local high school basketball team to pick up a victory Friday night. Excel Christian Academy, Cass, Woodland, and Cartersville all dropped contests. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 56, HARALSON COUNTY 23 The Tigers took care of visiting Haralson County Friday night, 56-23, in a Region 6-AAA tilt. Adairsville grabbed a 17-6 lead after one quarter and extended their lead to 33-10 by halftime. Deangelo McFarling led the Rebels (1-6) with nine points. Adairsville was led by Savaun Henderson’s 15 points. Connor Crunkelton scored eight. Courtney Slocum contributed seven points. Malachi Garder totaled five. TJ Pintup and Diego Perez scored four each. Danarous Johnson, Tucker Deems, and Hayden Poarch tossed in three apiece. Mason Boswell and Tyshawn Savage rounded out the scoring with two points each. Adairsville (4-4, 4-3) entertains region foe Murray County Saturday at 4:30 p.m. LASSITER 64, EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 42 Class 7A Lassiter beat the visiting Excel Christian Academy boys Friday night, 64-42 in a non-region matchup for both teams in Marietta. Lassiter led 15-10 after one quarter, 28-18 at halftime, and 47-29 after three quarters on their way to a 22-point win. Bradley Frye and Kyle Keener led the Trojans (3-8) with 18 and 13 points, respectively. Rayshawn Womack led Excel with 10 points. He was followed by Josiah Mosley with nine, Brenden Quillian with seven, Kalil Holley with four, Jacob Day and Evan Lee with three each, Trippe Anderson scored two points, and Robby Poston added one point. Excel (3-6, 0-4) plays at Gordon Central Saturday at 1 p.m. CARROLLTON 66, CASS BOYS 48 Marcellious Lockett had a game-high 17 points as Carrollton cruised past visiting Cass Friday night, 66-48. The host Trojans led 39-17 by halftime and pushed their lead to 51-30 through three quarters. Jordan Ford, Jacquez Fountain, and Justice Hayes scored nine points each for Cass. Ethan Carter scored seven. Zaylan Chaney posted five points. Braxton Benham scored four. Andrew Glaze and Jaylon Johnson added two each. Jaquan Heard added one point for the Colonels. Carrollton improved to 5-2 overall and 4-0 in Region 7-AAAAA. Cass (3-7, 1-4) plays at Woodland Saturday at 4:30 p.m. before hosting Adairsville Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. KELL 65, WOODLAND BOYS 48 Woodland trailed 31-20 at halftime and 50-33 after three quarters in their eventual 17-point loss Friday at Kell. Justin Perry and Scoota Henderson led the host Longhorns (6-3, 4-0) with 16 points apiece. Marvin Kambe and Isaiah Dubose added eight each. Dawson Wilkins led Woodland with 18 points. He was followed by Justice Carter and Hunter Johnson with eight points each. Jaylen Ballard scored six for the Wildcats. DJ Robinson added five and Peyton Roberts three points. Woodland (3-6, 0-4) hosts Cass Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PAULDING COUNTY 101, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 61 The short-handed Canes stayed close in the first half, but Class 5A Paulding County took control in the second half for a one-sided non-region victory Friday night in Dallas. The Canes trailed only 39-32 at halftime, but the host Patriots extended their lead to 65-48 in the third quarter before stretching it even more in the final stanza. Six Patriots (9-1) reached double-figures led by Jervon Morris with 22. Kevin Brown had 19 points. John Cook scored 15. Trell Evans and Keon Sedgwick posted 13 each, and Corleone Thomas added 11 for Paulding. Perignon Dyer led Cartersville with 24 points. Micah Tart tossed in 11. Tyriek Hammock score eight. Taywaun Johnson had six points. Robert Novak scored four. Raylin Royal and Jaylen Garnigan added three each. Cartersville (1-4) opens action in the Rome Holiday Tournament Monday at 5:30 at Georgia Highlands’ Rome campus. The Canes will face Coosa.

The Excel Christian Academy boys basketball team snapped a five-game skid Thursday night by running away with an 86-43 non-region win over visiting Georgia School for the Deaf. The Eagles led 16-9 after eight minutes and were up 34-21 at halftime before generating a 37-point outburst in the third quarter to build a 71-34 lead. Excel had five players reach double figures in scoring. Josiah Mosley led the way with 18 points. Rayshawn Womack followed with 14. Trippe Anderson, Jake Murray, and Kalil Holley all had 12 each for Excel. Robby Poston contributed nine points Jacob Day had six and Jun Choi scored three points. DeMarco Brown led Georgia School for the Deaf (1-8) with 28 points. Excel Christian (3-5, 0-4) plays at Class 7A Lassiter Friday at 7:30 p.m. and at Class AA Gordon Central Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

The Cass girls basketball team lost for the first time this season Wednesday night falling at 9th-ranked Rome, 64-54. Rome held a 15-9 lead after the opening eight minutes and 24-22 at halftime. The Lady Wolves then pushed their lead out to 47-38 by the end of the third period and held on for the Region 7-AAAAA victory. Tarrah Gibson led all scorers in the game with 16 points for Rome. Amberly Brown followed with 14 and TaEmmica Nation scored 11 for the Wolves. Londaisha Smith (photo) led Cass with 12 points. Payton Stoddard scored 11 and Claire Davis posted 10 points for the Lady Colonels. Sharia Wade contributed nine points. Amber Brittian and Alexis Ware totaled four points each. Taryn Callahan had three points and Brianna Stephenson added one. Rome improved to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in region play. Cass (7-1, 3-1) plays at Carrollton Friday night at 6 p.m. and at Woodland Saturday at 3 p.m. ROME 66, CASS BOYS 61 The Cass boys lost a narrow road decision Wednesday night at Rome, 66-61. The Colonels stayed close throughout the night and had the Wolves’ lead down to two points with only 0:40 remaining, but failed to complete the comeback. “That was a tough loss,” said Cass head coach Sean Glaze (photo). “We stayed in the game, but just had too many bad offensive possessions throughout the night.” Cass trailed 17-15 after one quarter, 35-24 at halftime, and 48-41 through three quarters before making their late run at the lead. Rome’s Caleb Byrd led all scorers with 30 points. Jaylen Nelson and Justyn Smith added 13 and 10 respectively for the Wolves (3-1, 2-1). Ethan Carter and Jacquez Fountain led the Colonels’ scoring with 19 and 15 points. C.J. Pipkin, Justice Hayes, and Zaylan Chaney scored seven each for Cass. Braxton Benham finished with six points. Cass (3-6, 1-3) plays at Carrollton Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and at Woodland Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Blessed Trinity successfully defended their GHSA Class 4A state championship by defeating Cartersville Wednesday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 23-9. Blessed Trinity who knocked off Cartersville in the second round in 2017, finished the 2018 season 15-0 for back-to-back championships. Cartersville, who finished this season 14-1, won the state title in 2015 and 2016 and the Canes' only two losses in four years have been to the Titans. The Hurricanes scored first on a 37-yard field goal by Oscar Hernandez, but the Titans took a 7-3 lead to the intermission following a nine yard, second quarter touchdown pass from Jake Smith to Ryan Dupont. Hernandez added a 21-yard field goal in the third quarter that cut the Blessed Trinity lead to 7-6, but the Canes would get no closer. A high snap on a punt attempt from its own end zone bounced out of play for a Titans’ safety to make the score 9-6 and then Smith connected with Ryan Davis for a 54-yard touchdown pass that built a 16-6 advantage for Blessed Trinity. On the Hurricanes’ next possession Tee Webb found Dadrian Dennis on a slant, but Davis stripped the ball and Blessed Trinity delivered the knockout blow when Smith would punch the ball in from one yard out giving the Titans a 23-6 lead. Hernandez kicked his third field goal of the game to make the score 23-9 with 2:41 remaining, but an onside kick attempt failed and the Titans ran out the clock. For Blessed Trinity, Steele Chambers rushed for 98 yards on 22 attempts. Quarterback Jake Smith was 10-for-18 for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Ryan Davis caught seven passes for 135 yards and one score. Dupont had the other touchdown reception on his nine-yarder. Quinton Reese, Alex Poma, Davis, and Chambers all had five tackles apiece for the Titans. Marcus Gary (photo) finished with 175 rushing yards on 26 attempts for the Purple Hurricanes. Tee Webb was 12-for-26 for 149 yards. He had two throws intercepted. Jackson Lowe hauled in four receptions for 29 yards. Devonte Ross caught two passes for 49 yards. Marquail Coaxum had two receptions for 40 yards and Dadrian Dennis had one catch for 18 yards. Bobby Harris, Harrison Allen, Sunni Moorehead, and Tristan Carlton had six tackles each. Cartersville ends its season with a 14-1 record. The Cartersville senior class closes their careers with a 55-2 record, two state titles, and four region championships.

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.