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May 2, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Georgia Highlands College softball team concluded regular-season play on Friday and Saturday with a successful three-game sweep of the visiting Andrew College Tigers. The Chargers won both games of a doubleheader on Friday, 13-5 and 11-3, then finished the sweep with a 10-2 victory on Saturday at Carol Brown Field. Emily Ferro (3 IP, 5R, 3ER, 3H, 2BB, 4K) and Athens Hudson (2 IP, 0R, 2H, 2K) shared the pitching duties in the first game on Friday. Haley Curtis (6 IP, 3ER, 5H, 5BB, 2K) tossed a complete game in Game 2 of the series, and Athens Hudson (6 IP, 2R, 1ER, 5H, 1BB, 7K) took care of the work in the circle on Saturday. The Chargers took control of the first game by scoring nine runs in the second inning. In Game 2, GHC went scoreless in the first inning but plated runs in each of the next five innings to win in six. Saturday’s win included a six-run fifth inning for the Chargers. Georgia Highlands had 44 hits in the three-game series, including 15 extra-base hits. Ahmani Green led the offense in the series with seven hits that included two triples, one double, and five RBI. CeCe Williams (two triples, six RBI), Emmalee Freeman (double, four RBI), and Ferro (two triples, one double, five RBI) had six hits. Anslee Logan (double, two RBI) contributed five hits in the series. Gracie Azpeitia (double, four RBI), Emma Darrow (two doubles, two RBI), and Mary Catherine Kimball (double, three RBI) each had four hits. Linley Haynes (triple, two RBI) and Hudson each added one hit. Georgia Highlands (29-15, 18-6 Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association) finished second in the regular season conference standings, finishing 3-1/2 games behind Georgia Military College The Chargers will host the double-elimination GCAA Softball Championship Tournament on Thursday through Saturday. GHC will play the Gordon State/Andrew first-round winner at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com In conjunction with WBHF and Bartow Sports Zone, Elite Stone Supply presents the ELITE ATHLETES OF THE MONTH. Each month, local high schools select an Elite Athlete of the Month from their varsity programs and share the information about their honoree through Bartow Sports Zone and on 100.3 FM and AM 1450, WBHF in Cartersville. Adler Chance is the April 2026 Elite Athlete of the Month representing Woodland High School. The daughter of Adam and Pam Chance, Adler is a senior cheerleader and has been captain of the Lady Cats’ golf team for the past two seasons. “She is an absolute pleasure to coach, and a valuable member of our girls’ golf team,” said Woodland coach Abby Hennington. “She consistently shows a willingness to help her teammates and always offers encouragement and support. Her positive attitude, strong work ethic, and team-first mindset make a lasting impact on those around her.” Also excelling academically, Chance is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Woodland High School Magnet Program, and a recipient of the University of Georgia Merit Scholarship. She will attend Mississippi State University to major in nursing. Adrian Dye is the Cass High School Elite Athlete of the Month for April 2026. The son of Adrian Dye and Konesia Pelts, he is a senior multi-sport athlete. Dye played football for the Colonels and currently throws the discus and shot put for the Cass track and field team. This season, Dye has thrown the discus 165 feet, 8 inches, and the shot put 53 feet, 3-1/2 inches. He has qualified for the State Sectional meet in Class AAAA. Dye is known as a hardworking and respectful young man who excels not only in athletics but also in the classroom. He is in the top one-third of his class in terms of GPA. He will continue his athletic and educational career at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio to play football and throw for the Student Prince track and field team. The April 2026 Elite Athlete of the Month for Cartersville High School is Nolan Elrod. A senior outfielder and pitcher for the Purple Hurricanes’ baseball team, he is the son of Shane and Jill Elrod.“Nolan has had an unbelievable senior season,” said Canes’ baseball coach Kyle Tucker. “He is a hard worker and competes at the highest level every game. He cares a lot about Cartersville baseball, and it shows.” Elrod had a .500 batting average in 21 region games this season across 56 official at-bats. He had five homers and three doubles, driving in 31 runs in region games. On the mound, his region record was 7-0 with a 0.88 earned run average across 31-2/3 innings. Region opponents batted a mere .099 against him. In the state playoffs, he threw a complete-game shutout in Game 2 of the series against Ware County, as the Canes went on to advance to the quarterfinals. Elrod is on the All A and B Honor Roll at Cartersville and will be continuing his education at Georgia Southern University. Torron Hale is the April 2026 Elite Athlete of the Month for Adairsville High School. A sophomore sprinter on the Tigers’ track and field team, he is the son of Torrey and Yashica Hale. Hale competes in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter dashes and has advanced from Region 7-AAA to the State Sectional Meet in each event. “Torron has worked hard,” said Adairsville coach Terry Gough. “He’s qualified in three events and has had a strong season.” Hale would like to go to college, continue his athletic career, and earn a degree. Editor's Note: The respective schools and athletic departments supply Bartow Sports Zone and WBHF with photos and bios. Elite Stone Supply Co., LLC is the monthly sponsor. Athletes receive a plaque and recognition during a WBHF radio feature. #EliteAthletesoftheMonth #Cass #Cartersville #Woodland #Adairsville #highschool

April 30, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Georgia Highlands College baseball team wrapped up regular season play on Thursday at Gordon State College with an 18-8 win in Barnesville. The Chargers received home runs from Aidan Larkin, Wyatt Gatlin, and Ian Fullerton, and finished with twelve hits, but were aided by 19 walks issued by Gordon State pitchers. GHC led 8-3 after three innings, and the host Highlanders narrowed the margin to 9-6 through five, before a six-run sixth inning by the Chargers put the game in their control. Starting pitcher Noah McMahon was the first of nine pitchers used by Georgia Highlands in the regular season finale. He was credited with the win and improved to 8-2. Marshall Flowers, Ian Mihalopolous, Evan Doss, and Ty Jones each worked scoreless stints. Larkin went 3-for-5, including a double, a homer, and six RBI to lead the offense. Mason Moore had two hits, including a double and two RBI. Seven other Chargers added one hit apiece. Georgia Highlands completed the regular season with a 43-12 record. The Chargers were 23-5 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association and finished nine games ahead of runner-up South Georgia State. GHC now turns its attention to the postseason, where the Chargers will be the top seed at the GCAA Championship Tournament on Tuesday through Thursday. It will be played at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton. The conference tournament winner will host the Tennessee champion in a best-of-three series on May 12-14 for a berth in the NJCAA World Series. CHARGERS SPLIT DH AT SOUTH GEORGIA STATE On Tuesday, April 28, Georgia Highlands split a doubleheader at South Georgia State, dropping the opener 8-7 and winning the second game 13-2. The host Hawks trailed 6-1 in the middle innings of the first game, but rallied for seven runs in the fifth through seventh innings and hit a walk-off home run to win. The Chargers took control early in Tuesday’s second game, scoring eight runs in the first two innings. Matthew Perkins made the pitching start and went 4-1/3 innings for the win. He allowed just one earned run on six hits and one walk while striking out four. Reed Thursby struck out three, closing out 2-2/3 scoreless frames. Mason Moore (home run, triple, seven RBI), Andrew Bishop (double, four RBI), and Aidan Larkin (triple, RBI) were the offensive leaders for the Chargers in the twinbill with four hits each.

April 30, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Adairsville Tigers had their 2026 baseball playoff run come to an end Thursday after being swept in a second-round doubleheader at Pickens. A.J. Rice pitched a complete game, one-hitter to shut out the Tigers in Game 1, 8-0. Everett Grubbs delivered a complete game in Game 2, blanking Adairsville 4-0 on three hits. He struck out six. In the opener, Pickens broke open a scoreless game with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Game 2 was similar, with the Dragons up 1-0 through five innings before adding one run in the sixth and finishing with two in the seventh. Adairsville starting pitcher Kaden Coker (4.2 IP, 7R, 0 ER, 3 H, 5 BB, 2 K) was charged with the Game 1 loss. Tyler Parker (0.1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 K) and Evan Hardin (1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB) pitched in relief. Hudson Parr (7 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 7 K) pitched all seven innings of Game 2 for the Tigers and struck out seven. Brody Varner had the only Tigers’ base hit in the opening game and added one hit in Game 2. Westin Barfield and Hayden Miller also contributed one hit in the final game. With their series victory, the Dragons (31-3) advanced to the Class AAA quarterfinals and will host West Laurens (22-9). The Raiders eliminated Northwest Whitfield 3-2 and 12-2 on Thursday. The season ends for Adairsville with a 20-13 record.

April 30, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Cole Crawford blasted a pair of homers and drove in all three runs, lifting the Canes to a 3-2 series-clinching win over Ware County. PHOTO: RANDY PARKER / THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS Cole Crawford hit a two-out, walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning Thursday evening to lift the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes to a 3-2 win and a second-round state playoff series victory over visiting Ware County. It was Crawford’s second homer of the game and his third in the series. The Canes and Gators split a doubleheader on Wednesday, sending the best-of-three series to a rubber game on Thursday at Richard Bell Field. Crawford’s first home run in the bottom of the first inning sailed over the centerfield wall, giving Cartersville an early 2-0 lead. Walker Hudson hit a solo home run for Ware County in the top of the fifth, and the Gators tied the game in the sixth inning on Landon Smallwood’s sacrifice fly to right field. The game remained tied 2-2 for the next two innings until Crawford’s game-winning shot. His two home runs were the only hits the Canes managed in the game. Logan Buchanan started on the mound for the Hurricanes and pitched the first five innings. He gave up two earned runs on four hits and two walks, striking out five. Crawford threw a scoreless sixth inning, and Nate Russell retired the next five batters in the seventh and eighth innings. Brayden Logan then came in with two outs in the eighth and induced a groundout to keep the Gators off the scoreboard, earning the win. Ryder Kinnon (1 IP, 2 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K) started for the Gators on the mound. Slade Sweat (6.2 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 6 K) pitched the rest of the game, beginning in the second inning. Ware County's season ended with a 21-14 record. Canes' coach Kyle Tucker expressed his excitement following the dramatic win. "We’re all very proud of how our young men fought back after a defeat in Game 1 of the series. Ware County is a great team with great pitching, and we knew it would be very difficult to win two in a row. But our guys responded in an uncommon way, won last night and again today, and kept our season alive." Cartersville (27-8) will host St. Pius X in a state quarterfinal best-of-three series that will begin on Wednesday, May 6, with a doubleheader. The Golden Lions (21-13) swept Central-Carroll in the opening round and Blessed Trinity in the second round to reach the quarterfinals.

April 30, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Nolan Elrod tossed a complete-game, three-hit shutout Wednesday night, sending the Purple Hurricanes to a deciding third game in their series with Ware County. PHOTO: Russell Andrews, Sports Furnace Photography. The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes split their best-of-three home Sweet Sixteen series against Ware County on Wednesday night at Richard Bell Field. Ware County took the first game 19-6, but the Canes tied the series with a 6-0 victory in the second game, led by Nolan Elrod’s three-hit shutout. Elrod went the distance in Game 2 and struck out ten. He scattered three hits and two walks in his complete-game performance. Ware County got two-out triples by Walker Hudson in the second inning and Seth Suess in the third, but Elrod stranded both. “Nolan Elrod is a great competitor who is having a great season, said Canes’ coach Kyle Tucker on Thursday morning. “With our season on the line, he threw a complete game shutout to give us a chance in Game 3. He’s been the MVP of the 2026 Hurricanes, and we hope his season continues past today.” On offense for the Hurricanes, Cole Crawford hit a three-run homer in the top of the first inning (Cartersville batted first in Game 2), and Brayden Logan made it 5-0 in the second inning with his two-run blast. Harris Turner singled and scored an insurance run in the sixth inning on an infield hit by Gianni Gandy. The opening game of the series featured a late offensive surge by the Gators, though the lead changed hands four times. The Canes’ loss snapped a 23-game win streak and was Cartersville’s first loss since February. The Canes led early on a three-run homer by Cooper Reynolds, but Ware County responded with four runs in the third — including a three-run home run by Isaiah White. Cartersville regained the lead, 6-5, in the fourth inning on a walk, hits by Logan, David Vargas, and Elrod, and a sac fly off the bat of Crawford. The Gators changed the course of the game, however, posting seven runs in the fifth and sixth frames for a 19-6 final score. Ware County piled 15 hits in the opener, and all nine batters in the order had at least one hit. The Gators also took advantage of two Cartersville miscues that led to eight, unearned runs. White (four RBI) and Landon Smallwood (RBI) finished Game 1 with three hits, while Slade Sweat doubled, homered, and drove in five runs. Seth Suess (4 IP, 6ER, 6H, 3BB, 3K) collected the Game 1 pitching win for the Gators, but it was relievers Sweat (1 IP, 2K) and Ashton Suess (1 IP) who shut out the Canes in the fifth and sixth innings to secure the win. Logan (0.1 IP, 4ER, 2H, 2BB, 1K) was the pitcher of record for the Hurricanes in relief of starter Nate Russell (4 IP, 5ER, 3H, 6BB, 4K). Wyatt Earwood (1.1 IP, 9R, 2ER, 8H, 1K) and J.B. Nichols (0.1 IP, 1ER, 2H) also pitched for Cartersville. Reynolds (home run, three RBI) and Logan (home run, double, two RBI) led the Canes’ bats in the doubleheader with three hits each. Vargas (double, RBI) had two hits. Crawford (homer, sac fly, four RBI), Elrod (RBI), Gandy (RBI), and Turner each contributed one hit. Ware County (21-13) and Cartersville (26-8) will play the deciding game in their series on Thursday at Richard Bell Field at 5 p.m. The winner will advance to face St. Pius X in the Class AAAA quarterfinals. The Golden Lions eliminated Blessed Trinity on Wednesday, winning 3-0 and 7-2.

April 28, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Georgia Highlands College softball swept a three-game series at South Georgia State last Friday and Saturday to take a firm hold on the second-place position in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association standings. The Chargers won 5-2 and 10-4 last Friday and edged the Hawks 10-9 in nine innings on Saturday. Emily Ferro picked up two of the pitching wins. She tossed all seven innings in Friday’s first game, allowing two earned runs on five hits and four walks. On Saturday, Ferro collected the win in relief, going 5-1/3 innings. She allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks. She totaled nine strikeouts in the two pitching appearances. Athens Hudson was the Game 2 winning pitcher on Friday, working 6-2/3 innings in the circle. Hudson allowed two earned runs on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts. Haley Curtis (5 ER, 10H, 2BB, 3K) pitched four innings in the series. CeCe Williams (three doubles, four RBI), Emma Darrow (four RBI), and Mary Catherine Kimball (three RBI) led the Chargers’ bats in the series with five hits. Emmalee Freeman (double, sac fly, three RBI) and Ferro (solo home run, double) contributed four hits. Gracie Azpeitia (sac fly, two RBI) totaled three hits in the series. Georgia Highlands (27-15, 16-6) hosts Andrew College for a doubleheader at 2 p.m. on Friday and a single game on Saturday at 1 p.m. to wrap up regular season play. The Chargers will host the conference tournament on May 7-9.

April 29, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Adairsville High School girls' soccer team experienced a heartbreaking conclusion to their remarkable season on Tuesday night at home in the Sweet Sixteen round of the state playoffs. The Johnson-Gainesville Lady Knights defeated the Lady Tigers in a penalty kick shootout after a fiercely contested 1-1 draw through regulation and two overtime periods. Adairsville controlled possession and dictated the pace for much of the first half. The Lady Tigers broke through in the 35th minute off a set piece when Sam Gough sent home a corner kick from Alexa Damer, giving Adairsville a 1-0 lead heading into halftime. Johnson-Gainesville found the equalizer early in the second half, scoring in the 45th minute to make it 1-1. The Lady Knights carried more of the momentum in the second half, but neither team could find the back of the net as the game remained tied after 80 minutes. With the score still level, the match moved into two 10-minute overtime periods. Both teams battled intensely, yet no goals were scored, forcing the outcome to be decided from the penalty spot. In the shootout, Johnson-Gainesville outscored Adairsville to advance to the Class AAA state quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory. The Lady Knights, now 13-5, will host Heritage-Catoosa on Monday, May 4. Heritage advanced with a 2-1 win at West Laurens on Tuesday night. For Adairsville, the loss marked the end of a stellar campaign that included a Region 7-AAA championship and a final record of 16-3.

April 27, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Cartersville Country Club member Tevis Upton carded an even-par 72 and tied for sixth place on Monday to advance to the Final Stage of qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open. Upton was one of 22 amateur and professional players in a starting field of 130 players to advance. The qualifier for players 50-and-over was hosted by Cartersville Country Club and competed at 6,833 yards. Chad Branton of Cartersville was exempted from the Local Qualifying Stage by the U.S.G.A. due to his Senior Amateur Golf Ranking. He is currently ranked sixth with five Top Five finishes and two other Top Twenty finishes in WAGR events in 2026. Professional John Rollins (Argyle, TX) was the medalist, firing a five-under par 67. Amateurs Michael Pearson (Atlanta) and Harald Wyatt (Atlanta) tied for second place with two-under par 70s. Pro Todd Ormsby (Newnan) and amateur David Noll (Dalton) were the only other players under par at 71. Professionals Derek Sanders (Whispering Pines, NC), Franklin Langham (Peachtree City), Don Carpenter, III (Athens), Vaughn Taylor (Augusta), and Hyeong Kim (Jonesboro) joined Upton and fellow amateurs Brian Quackenbush (Aiken, SC), and Chip Brooke (Altamonte Springs, FL) at even par. The remaining qualifiers included professionals John Smoltz (Alpharetta), Jay Jurecic (Caspian, MI), and amateurs Jason Lina (Alpharetta), Brian Davidson (Baldwin), Brian Armstrong (Tampa, FL), Eddie Bannister (Loganville), G. Davis Boland (Louisville, KY), Robbie Cotten (Brewton, AL), and Cres Dodd (Calhoun). Final Stage qualifying will take place at various sites between May 18 and June 15. The 2026 U.S. Senior Open Championship will be played at Scioto Country Club in Columbus on July 2-5.

April 27, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Canes L-R: Blake Lutjens, Reid Henson, James Buessing, Ramsey Dunn, Carsen Stanfield, Carter Rice, Bodie Brumlow, and River Gunn. The Lady Canes: Mia Miller, Addie Feuerbach, Reese Hertel, Ana Jo Culverhouse, Mary Harris Gambill, Coach Alicia Murray, Not pictured: Macie Mosteller. Right photo: Medalist, Bodie Brumlow. The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes boys’ golf team captured the Area 3 AAAA championship on Monday at The Governor’s Club, firing a team score of 1-over-par 289 to claim the title and punch their ticket to the state championship. Led by standout performances from Bodie Brumlow and Reid Henson, the Canes dominated the field. Brumlow carded a spectacular 5-under-par round to earn low medalist honors and the individual Area title. Henson contributed a strong 3-under performance, while five of Cartersville’s six players finished inside the top 10 individually. The boys’ victory automatically qualifies them for the GHSA State Championship, scheduled for later in May at the Savannah Golf Club. On the girls’ side, the Purple Hurricanes battled to a third-place finish with a team total of 303. The squad was paced by Addie Feuerbach (100), Ana Jo Culverhouse (101), and Reese Hertel (102). Their third-place showing earned them a berth in the State Sectionals next week at Georgia National Golf Course in Alpharetta.

April 27, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Four local amateur golfers made the 36-hole cut and earned top positions this past Friday through Sunday (April 24-26) at the 54th Georgia State Golf Association Four-Ball Championship. Brooks Colquitt (Atlanta) and Cole Isban (Marietta) won the 2026 title with rounds of 63-66-64—193 (23-under par). Brody McQueen (Marietta) and Nicholas Canitano (Milton) finished runner-up (66-62-68—196; 20-under par). R.B. Clyburn (Cartersville) and partner Ryan Morley-Stockton (Woodstock) carded rounds of 66-67-68—201 (15-under par) and tied for 10th place. Laine Frazier (Adairsville) and Adam Yarbrough (Kingston) shot 68-67-67—202 (14-under par) to tie for 15th, and Andrew Lutjens (Cartersville) and Georgia College teammate Jacob Speece (Hahira) shot 67-67-69—203 (13-under par) to tie for 20th place. Eighty teams qualified to compete in the Four-Ball Championship, which was played at the par-72, 6,843-yard Harbor Club on Lake Oconee in Greensboro. Thirty-four teams made the 36-hole cut at 7-under par.

April 27, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Photo: CanesAthletics.com Scott Barkley / CanesAthletics.com Zoe McCurry and Emily Odom dominated their singles matches while the doubles team of Taryn Bradley and Raegan Rhodes secured a 3-0 Lady Canes win over Maynard Jackson High on April 23 to move on to the second round of the state playoffs. Cartersville travels to Ware County on Wednesday, April 29, to compete in the Sweet 16.