The Colorado Rockies optioned left-handed pitcher Sam Howard back to Triple-A Albuquerque of the Pacific Coast League on Saturday. Howard, who represents valuable starting pitching depth for the Rockies, heads back to the minor leagues to make room on the 25-man roster for the acquisition of Seunghwan Oh. Oh, a right-handed reliever, was officially acquired Thursday by the Rockies from the Toronto Blue Jays in an attempt to bolster their bullpen. Howard did not make an appearance for Colorado in this second stint of the year with the major league Rockies. The 25-year-old made his first appearance in the big leagues this season tossing a scoreless inning June 10 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 14 starts with the Isotopes this year, Howard’s results in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League have come against hitters who are on average 1.6 years older. Over 68 innings in Albuquerque, the 6’3” southpaw has a 5.43 ERA (5.02 FIP) with a 1.59 WHIP, 7.3 K/9 rate and 3.4 BB/9 rate.

The 2018-19 school year is just around the corner for the middle school members of the Bartow-Gordon Middle School Athletic Association (BGMSAA). As a result, the league has released the 2018 Fall seasons for BGMSAA softball, football, and academic teams. Schedules for BGMSAA cross country and golf will be added at a later date. BartowSportsZone.com is once again the website host for BGMSAA schedules, results, and standings. From the home page, select "More" from the menu options and select the active season for BGMSAA sports and activities. 2018 BGMSAA SOFTBALL Thursday, August 16 Adairsville at Red Bud Cartersville at Woodland Calhoun at South Central Monday, August 20 Cass at South Central Calhoun at Woodland Wednesday, August 22 Red Bud at Cass South Central at Cartersville Adairsville at Calhoun Monday, August 27 Adairsville at Cartersville Woodland at South Central Wednesday, August 29 Calhoun at Cass Wednesday, September 5 Woodland at Adairsville Cass at Cartersville Thursday, September 6 Red Bud at Calhoun Monday, September 10 Red Bud at Woodlnad Tuesday, September 11 Cartersville at Calhoun Wednesday, September 12 Cass at Adairsville South Central at Red Bud Monday, September 17 Woodland at Cass Wednesday, September 19 Cartersville at Red Bud South Central at Adairsville September 25-30 BGMSAA Tournament at Woodland 2018 BGMSAA FOOTBALL Thursday, August 23 Red Bud at Adairsville Woodland at Cartersville South Central at Cass Thursday, August 30 South Central at Calhoun Cartersville at Red Bud Cass at Adairsville Thursday, September 6 Adairsville at Cartersville Calhoun at Cass Woodland at South Central Thursday, September 13 Cartersville at Calhoun Red Bud at Woodland Adairsville at South Central Thursday, September 20 Cass at Cartersville Calhoun at Red Bud Adairsville at Woodland Thursday, September 27 Calhoun at Adairsville South Central at Red Bud Cass at Woodland Thursday, October 4 Red Bud at Cass Cartersville at South Central Woodland at Calhoun Saturday, October 13 (All games at Woodland) 5th place vs. 6th place (Consolation Game) 1st place vs. 4th place (Playoff Semifinal) 2nd place vs. 3rd place (Playoff Semifinal) Thursday, October 18 (at highest seed) BGMSAA Championship Game 2018 BGMSAA ACADEMIC TEAM Tuesday, September 4 Cass at Cartersville Red Bud at South Central Adairsville at Woodland Tuesday, September 11 Calhoun at Cass Adairsville at Cartersville Woodland at Red Bud Tuesday, September 18 Woodland at Calhoun Red Bud at Cartersville Adairsville at South Central Tuesday, September 25 South Central at Cartersville Woodland at Cass Calhoun at Adairsville Tuesday, October 2 Cass at Red Bud Cartersville at Woodland Calhoun at South Central Thursday, October 18 Red Bud at Adairsville Cartersville at Calhoun Cass at South Central Tuesday, October 23 Cass at Adairsville South Central at Woodland Calhoun at Red Bud Saturday, October 27 BGMSAA Tournament at Woodland

Men's and women's SEBL action from Thursday, July 26. On the women's side, RAK Outfitters and Elite-77 remained unbeaten through five games, while Baseline-1 stayed undefeated in the Men's Metro Conference A-League. All SEBL games are played at the Summer Hill Complex - JH Morgan Gym located at 129 Aubrey Street in Cartersvile. WSEBL Women’s recaps for 7-26-2018: RAK 62 Summer Hill-3 38 RAK got balanced scoring with four players reaching double-figures, in a lopsided victory over Summer Hill-3. For Summer Hill-3, who remains winless at 0-5, Rachel Irby had 13 points, while Carlee Bragg got eight. For RAK, who improved to 5-0, Bethany Headrick had 20, while Chandler Sutton got 12. Tess Wright and Becca Cheeks each netted eleven. Flex Nation 45 Baseline-3 40 Flex led most of the way and got 14 from Aleigh Cass and six from Jaylah Carr, as they upset Baseline-3, to improve to 1-4 overall. For Baseline-3, who fell to 2-3, Ariel Anderson led the way with 19 points, as Sandy Almon got 12. Elite-77/Lady Dynasty 51 Lady Lions 46 (OT) The Lady Lions made a push late to force over-time at 42-all, but ran out of gas, as Elite-77 scored first, then capitalized on two key perimeter misses by the Lady Lions. The Lady Lions (2-3), were paced by Brooke Whitaker’s 15, as Lochlain Corliss and Taylor Delasbour each had 12. Taya Gibson led Elite-77 (5-0) with 21 points, while Tenisha Woodard and Ieshia Alexander contributed nine and seven, respectively. WSEBL Standings as of 7-27-2018: 5-0… RAK Outfitters 5-0… Elite-77/Lady Dynasty 2-3… Baseline-3 2-3… Lady Lions 1-4... Flex Nation 0-5... Summer Hill-3 SEBL Metro Conference A-League Recap for 7-26-2018: Baseline-1 99 Shaw Industries 64 In the lone SEBL A-League game on Thursday evening, Baseline-1 took advantage of a leg-weary Shaw Industries team, who was playing their third game in four days. After falling down 18-9 early, Shaw made a run on two treys and bucket by Malik Rush, followed by a fade-away from the baseline from Kevin Hammett, to take a 19-18 lead. It would be Shaw’s only lead of the game, as Baseline-1 kicked into gear to build a 41-26 lead by the intermission, fueled by Ryan Davis’ scoring antics. Baseline’s AJ Mosby, went on a roll in the second half, while Shaw was too drained to keep pace. Hammett led Shaw Industries (2-4) with 20 points, while Rush had 17 and Randy McClure 16. For Baseline-1, now 6-0, Davis had 39 and Mosby 30. Baseline-1 shot a combined 55.8% from the field on 38/68 shooting. Mosby downed 28 of this total point production in the second half alone. Baseline-1 connected on a combined 19 threes in the contest. SEBL Metro A-League Standings as of 7-27-2018: 6-0… Baseline-1 ‘05 4-1… Summer Hill-1 4-1… Wood Elite Training 3-2… Dream Chaserz 3-2… Brighter Days 3-3… Bartow Braves 2-3… Franklin Ford 2-4... Shaw Industries 0-5... Toyo-1 0-6... The OG’s

High school football is officially back this week with the start of the mandatory five-day acclimation period and preseason practices for 2018. Teams have hit practice fields all over the state of Georgia with season opening scrimmages just around the corner. For the four Bartow County teams, scrimmages kick off on Friday, August 10 with Adairsville scrimmaging at Woodland, Cartersville scrimmaging at Dalton, and Cass hosting a scrimmage with Pepperell. Other high school fall sports have started their official workouts as well. Softball, volleyball, boys and girls cross country teams and cheerleading can conduct their earliest practices Monday. Softball teams can play games as early Aug. 3. Volleyball and cross country teams can compete Aug. 6. The high school football regular season can kick off as early as Aug. 17. In recent years, the Georgia High School Association has implemented procedures created by the Inter-Association Tsk Force for Preseason Secondary School Athletics Participants. More details may be viewed in the paper, “Preseason Heat-Acclimatization Guidelines for Secondary School Athletes.” The current rules are designed with the intent of reducing heat-related injuries associated with high school football and injuries from excessive contract drills. The acclimation time rules started for GHSA-member schools back in 2012 and were put in place following a span of years (1994-2009, per University of Georgia study) in which the state suffered more heat-related deaths among high school and college football players than any other state. Currently, at least 17 states have similar guidelines and many more are considering them. Teams will not be allowed to begin padded practices until after their fifth practice. Players wear helmets and moutpieces in the first five days of two hour practices prior to August 1. Walk-through practices are permissable as long as there is at least a two-hour break between the two activities. Two-a-day practices are allowed starting August 1 in full pads with no single session lasting longer than three hours. If two practices are held, then the total time should not exceed five hours and there must be a three-hour rest time between the two practices. Two-a-day practices cannot be consecutive. All double-session days must be followed by a single-session day or a day off and walk-through sessions are not allowed on days when two practices are conducted. With players in pads, the weather can impact the practice schedule as well. Schools are equipped with wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) devices that take into account air temperature, relative humidity, wind speeds, cloud cover and sun angle to calculate heat stress. Schools are not allowed to practice if the WBGT reading is higher than 92 (comparable to a heat index of above 100). Usually, mornings don’t get too hot, but once school starts and football practice moves to the afternoon, the WBGT readings can soar and restrict practices. Georgia high school football practices are also required to limit full contact. For purposes of the restrictions, GHSA defines four levels of contact with six terms. AIR - Players run a drill unopposed without contact; BAGS - Players run a drill against a bag or another soft-contact surface; CONTROL -Players run a drill at assigned speed until the moment of contact and one player is pre-determined the “winner” by the coach. Contact remains above the waist and players stay on their feet; THUD - Players run a drill at competitive speed through the moment of contact with no pre-determined “winner.” Contact remains above the waist, players stay on their feet and a quick whistle ends the drill; LIVE ACTION - Players run a drill in game-like conditions and is the only time that players are taken to the ground; FULL CONTACT - Contact which meets the definition of Live Action or Thud. Pre-Season & Spring Practice and Summer Contact Camps: 1) Full contact shall be allowed in no more than 2 consecutive practice days per week; 2) Full contact during practice shall be limited to not more than 45 minutes per day; 3) Full contact during practice shall be limited to not more than 135 minutes per week; and 4) During any twice-daily practice, only one session per day shall include full contact. 5) In Summer Contact Camps, the only form of Full Contact allowed is Thud. 6) Schools will be limited to attending no more than three (3) Team Contact Camps per summer (no more than eight (8) days total). Regular and Post Season Practice: 1) Full contact during practice shall be allowed in no more than three practice days per week; 2) Full contact during practice shall not be allowed on more than two consecutive days; 3) Full contact during practice shall be limited to not more than 30 minutes per day; 4) Full contact during practice shall be limited to not more than 90 minutes per week. In addition, schools are required to produce a written practice plan prepared in advance by the head coach prior to every practice. As part of the GHSA by-law, the school must maintain these plans for a period of at least one year. Source: Georgia High School Association Constitution and By-Laws

The National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) has released its revisions, rationales, clarifications, editorial changes, and points of emphasis for officials for the Fall 2018 GHSA seasons in football, softball, volleyball, and cross country. The NFHS has been the national high school sports and activities governing body since 1920 with offices in Indianapolis, Indiana. The NFHS serves its 50 member state high school athletic/activity associations plus the District of Columbia and publishes playing rules in 16 sports for boys and girls competition. NFHS also administers fine arts programs in speech, theater, debate, and music. The NFHS serves over 11 million students each year. Rules revisions, rationales, clarifications, and points of emphasis: FOOTBALL 1-5-4, 1-5-5, 3-5-10e (NEW) 3-6-2, 9-9: Improperly equipped player shall be replaced for at least one down. Rationale: Prior to the game, the head coach is responsible for verifying that the players are legally equipped and will not use illegal equipment. The penalty for a player who is not properly equipped has changed from a distance penalty against the team to removal of that player for at least one down. The penalty provisions for any use of illegal equipment remain unchanged and result in an unsportsmanlike conduct foul charged to the head coach. 2-32-16a: Defenseless player provisions for passer clarified. Rationale: The committee clarified that defenseless player provisions do not apply to a passer until a legal forward pass is thrown. The passer continues to be a defenseless player until the pass ends or the passer moves to participate in the play. 6-1-3b PENALTY, 6-1-4 PENALTY: Signal change for free kick infractions. Rationale: The signal for free kick infractions, other than encroachment of the neutral zone, has been changed from signal 18 to signal 19. 6-1-9b (NEW), 6-1-9b PENALTY (NEW), 10-4-2 EXCEPTION (NEW), 10-5-1j (NEW): New penalty option adopted for fouls by kicking team. Rationale: In an effort to reduce re-kicks, further minimize risk and ensure that appropriate penalties are in place for all fouls, the committee has added an option for fouls committed by the kicking team during free and scrimmage kicks. The change would allow the receiving team all of the previous options as well as accepting the distance penalty at the end of the down. SIX-PLAYER FOOTBALL (RULE 3): Length of time between periods revised. Rationale: The timing rule between periods and intermission for six-player football has been standardized to match the current NFHS 8-, 9- and 11-player football rules. 2018 EDITORIAL CHANGES Field Diagrams, 1-3-7, Table 1-7 (9.), 3-4-2c, 3-5-2b, 3-5-5b, 3-6 PENALTY, 5-1-2a, 7-2-5b EXCEPTION (1), Table 7-5-4, 7-5-5, 9-4 PENALTY, 9-5-1h, 9-7-2 EXCEPTION, 9-8-1j, 10-4-7, Resolving Tied Games, Penalty Summary, NFHS Official Football Signals, Index. 2018 POINTS OF EMPHASIS Proper Wearing and Use of Required Equipment Blindside Blocks and Defenseless Player Application of Personal Fouls and Unsportsmanlike Conduct Time Management SOFTBALL 1-1-7, 2-22-4, Table 5-1, 5-1-1o: The media shall be prohibited from being in live-ball area. The home team or game management may designate an area for the media in dead ball territory. Rationale: Clarifies that game management may designate a media area in dead ball territory. 1-5-2a: The knob may be molded, lathed, welded or adjustable, but must be permanently fastened. Rationale: Clarifies that an adjustable knob is permissible, provided the knob is permanently fastened by the manufacturer. 1-8-4: Defensive players are permitted to wear a shield on their face/head protection in the field but it must be constructed of a molded, rigid material that is clear and permits 100 percent (no tint) allowable light transmission. Rationale: In an effort to promote risk minimization, tinted eye shields are prohibited for defensive face/head protection. 6-1-1 PENALTY, 6-1-2 Thru 4 PENALTY, 6-2-1 PENALTY, 6-2-7 PENALTY: in the case of an illegal pitch, the batter is awarded a ball. The penalty that permitted base runners to be awarded one base without liability to be put out is removed. Rationale: The new language creates more balance between offense and defense. The batter should receive the award rather than runners already on base. 2019 SOFTBALL MAJOR EDITORIAL CHANGES 2-65-2: Clarifies there can be no appeal of the play that occurred prior to the umpire awarding an intentional walk. 6-1-2a, b: Clarifies what motion constitutes the start of the pitch and when the step back of the non-pivot foot may be taken. APPENDIX H: An Appendix regarding DP/FLEX rules was added for quick reference. 2019 SOFTBALL EDITORIAL CHANGES 2-65-2, 3-5-1 NOTE, 5-1 Table, 5-1-1k, 6-2-5, 7-1-2 PENALTY 3, 8-2-4 PENALTY, 8-4-3, 10-1-1 VOLLEYBALL 2-4-1b: A referee shall stop play when any player gains an illegal advantage by contacting any team member while playing the ball. Rationale: Clarifies that no team member may assist a player during an attempt to play the ball. 5-5-3b(10) (NEW): The second referee has the responsibility to ensure that the head coach remains in the replacement zone no closer than 6 feet to the sideline, when standing during play. Rationale:Supports the second referee’s responsibilities as outlined in the Officials Manual. 5-5-3b(13), 5-5-3b(20), 5-8-3a NOTE (NEW): When multiple courts are in use, the second referee may end a time-out or interval between sets with a long whistle in place of the timer sounding an audio signal (horn). Rationale:Clarifies timer and second referee responsibilities during time-outs/intervals when multiple courts are in use. 9-8-2 EXCEPTION (NEW), 11-4-1b (NEW): When a replay is signaled due to an injury/illness and the injured/ill player cannot continue play, the head coach may request a substitute or complete a legal libero replacement for the injured/ill player or take a team time-out(s) if the team has remaining time-outs. Rationale: Clarifies the procedures for a replay due to an injured/ill player and adds the option of a legal libero replacement. 10-2 PENALTIES 2: After a team is charged with an unnecessary delay, the coach may request no further substitutions until the next completed rally. Rationale: Eliminates further delay of the set by removing the option to request additional substitutions after a team is charged with an unnecessary delay. 11-5-3 (NEW): Between sets, teams may warm up in their playing area, but may not hit volleyballs over the net into the opponents playing area. Rationale: Establishes parameters for warming up between sets that minimize the risk of injury. SIGNAL #21: To signal unnecessary delay, raise the hand on the side of the offending team beside head, palm facing shoulder, hold the appropriate card on the wrist of the raised hand. Rationale:Simplifies mechanics for unnecessary delay signal and clarifies side at fault. 2018-19 VOLLEYBALL MAJOR EDITORIAL CHANGES 1-5-2c (NEW), 1-7-2 thru 4: Provides consistency by listing all reasons why a match shall be declared a forfeit and clarifies that a forfeit is considered a termination of a match and not a suspension. 5-4-1c: Clarifies that the inspection of net antennas is a prematch responsibility of the first referee. 5-5-3b (13) & (20): Clarifies that the second referee shall use a double whistle to indicate the warning during a time-out and when an intermission is used. 6-4-5 NOTE (NEW): Clarifies that when a team is playing with fewer than six players, the vacant position remains open when rotating to the front row. 2018-2019 Volleyball Editorial Changes 2-1-4, 5-2-1b, 5-4-4d(1) & (4), 10-4-3c, 12-2 Procedures for Unsporting Conduct Violations 4 and 5, How to Use the Signals #20 2018-19 Volleyball Points of Emphasis Safety of Referee Stands Warm-Up Safety Treatment of Line Judges Net Fault Signal Mechanics CROSS COUNTRY 4-3-1: Eliminates redundant language and expands definition of foundation garments. Rationale: This change expands the current interpretation of foundation garment to include any item worn under the uniform top and/or bottom as well as eliminate duplicate language in same rule. 4-3-2: Clarifies uniform language for relay and cross country team members. Rationale: Slight differences in design of uniform do not negatively impact the identification of a relay or cross country team. The expectation of this rule is that all relay and cross country team members can be clearly identified as representing the same school. 8-1-1 thru 3: Clarifies legal course layout. Rationale: Clarification of course markings. 8-3-2 thru 5: Clarifies order of finish based on torso. Rationale: Clarifies that no matter the system used, the order of finish is based on when the torso crosses the finish line. 2019 Editorial Changes 6-2-20: Provides consistent language in the rules book, case book and officials manual. Rationale: Consistency with wording in the rules books. 2019 Editorial Changes 4-6-5 Notes, 5-1-3, 8-6-1 thru 3, 5-2-3, 5-3-6, 6-5-1, 6-9-1 2019 Points of Emphasis Uniforms Wearable Technology

Men's and women's SEBL action from July 19-23. All SEBL games are played at the Summer Hill Complex - JH Morgan Gym located at 129 Aubrey Street in Cartersvile. WSEBL Recaps for July 19 and July 22: July 19, 2018 Results RAK 42 Baseline-3 24 RAK gave Baseline-3 its first loss of the season, after building a 27-10 lead by half-time and coasting the rest of the way. Nakiya Washington and KeKe Swain managed five and four points, respectively for Baseline-3, who had trouble putting the ball in the basketball while slipping to 2-1. RAK, 3-0, got 17 from Bethany Headrick and 13 from Becca Cheeks. Lady Lions 36 Flex Nation 27 The Lady Lions held Flex to only seven first half points. Taylor Delasbour had 10 by herself, to lead the Lady Lions to a 14-point spread at the half. Airiel Anderson got hot for three treys in the second half, to help Flex make a run for it, but Flex held on. Anderson had 12 for Flex, who slipped to 0-3. Delasbour finished with 11, while Lochlain Corliss put up 10, as the Lady Lions pick up their first win of the season and now stand at 1-2. Elite77/Lady Dynasty 54 Summer Hill-3 28 Taya Gibson and Madison McKinney combined for 30 points, as Elite77 ran away with Summer Hill-3, who got 10 points from Aleigh Cass and six from Alexis Garnigan. Elite 77 remained unbeaten at 3-0, while SH3 is still winless at 0-3. July 22, 2018 Results Lady Lions 68 Summer Hill-3 18 The Lady Lions picked up their second straight win with an easy win over Summer Hill-3, who struggled to score the ball. Rachel Irby scored nine for the 0-4 Summer Hill-3 team. Brooke Whitaker nailed 5/6 treys, on her way to leading the now 2-2 Lady Lions with 19 points, while Taylor Delasbour scored 17. Elite77/Lady Dynasty 45 Baseline-3 31 Elite 77 broke open a 17-all tie at the half, with a 15-2 run to open the second half, behind Re’Tavia Floyd and Tanisha Woodard’s scoring. Baseline-3 bounced back behind a spree of scoring from KeKe Swain, trimming the deficit to six on several occasions, but Elite77 had an answer down the stretch. Swain took game-high honors with 19 for Baseline-3, who slipped to 2-2, while Alissa Winters made her WSEBL debut with a nice driving bucket in the first half. Floyd and Woodard paced the 4-0 Elite77 squad with 12 and 10, respectively. RAK 59 Flex Nation 44 Becca Cheeks and Tess Wright scored 14 and 13, respectively, to help RAK (4-0) fight off a pesky Flex Nation club, who saw Aleigh Cass down 16 in the game. Bethany Headrick also had nine and Ashton Sutton eight for RAK, while Ebony Johnson scored eight and Alexis Garnigan six for Flex, who slipped to 0-4. WSEBL Standings as of 7-23-2018: 4-0… RAK Outfitters 4-0… Elite-77/Lady Dynasty 2-2… Baseline-3 2-2… Lady Lions 0-4... Summer Hill-3 0-4... Flex Nation (click on images to enlarge) Photos from WSEBL and SEBL City Conference SEBL Metro Conference A-League Capsules for 7-21-2018: Baseline-1 114 Franklin Ford 93 Baseline-1 jumped out to a huge lead early, up by as many as 26 at about the 11-minute mark of the first half. Hakeem Winters and CJ Bennett were recipients of multiple transition passes from AJ Mosby, while Bennett and Ryan Davis also combine for five threes, as Baseline-1 built a 35-9 cushion. But, Franklin Ford did not quit and began battling back, as Baseline-1 seemed to become bored. That lethargic approach, fueled FF’s JR Davis and Talique Cochran. The duo triggered a run that saw Baseline’s lead shrink to 57-55 by the half. Franklin Ford actually had a shot at the buzzer to take the lead into the break. Just into the second half, Cochran hit a trey, putting Franklin Ford up for the first time at 62-60, completing a huge comeback. But, the feat was short-lived, as Baseline-1 woke up to go on a massive 26-2 run, led by 10 points from Mosby, two threes from Tory Smith and a driving dunk from Arthur Bennett. Baseline-1 cruised the rest of the way. Cochran paced Franklin Ford with 30 points, coming on 12-22 shooting from the floor, as Davis finished with 29, including a 7/16 effort from the 3-point line. Elijah Windom, who was traded from Toyo-1, helped Franklin Ford, who slipped to 2-3, with 21 of his own. For the still unbeaten Baseline-1 squad (5-0), Mosby led the way with 34 points and 11 assists, on a 17/21 night from the floor, while Ryan Davis dropped 12 of his 16 attempts en route to 31 points. Hakeem Winters and Bennett tallied 18 and 16, respectively. Dream Chaserz 102 The OG’s 86 The Dream Chaserz found gutted out a surprisingly difficult matchup against a much smaller OG roster, finding themselves down for most of the first half. After being down as much as 35-26 with at about the 8-minute mark, DC before re-grouped and mounted a 22-8 run to close the first half, going in with a 48-43 lead. In the run, Brannon Hopkins and Logan Shoffner combined to drop five three-pointers. Shaquilled Hopson had 16 in the first half to lead The OG’s. An 11-3 spurt to open the second half, saw the OG’s reclaim the lead at 54-51, but that would be their last lead, as DC’s Hopkins answered with consecutive treys to ignite another run. The OG’s would fall down by double-digits, but continued to fight the rest of the way, behind the hard-nosed play of Reggie King, who tallied 18 points in the second half. Hopson led The OG’s with 25, but it was King’s 21 point, 23 rebound outing that resonated. Chris Brown also had 18, while Tomar McClendon netted 15, as The OG’s fell to 0-5. For the Dream Chaserz, Hopkins finished with 30, as Shon Redding pounded in 24 on 11 of 16 from the floor. Chevelan Pearson also had 17, while Logan Shoffner scored 16 and Devonn Pierce 12, coming on a 4/5 effort from the 3-point line. Summer Hill-1 89 Bartow Braves 58 Summer Hill-1 opened up a nip and tuck affair midway through the first half, behind a surge of scoring from Davy Fisher, Cade Archer and Jacob Ali, to take a 41-27 lead into the break – lead the Braves would not be able to challenge. With both teams missing players for the day, this looked to be an interesting matchup. With the Braves missing sharp-shooting Tim Fortenberry, Summer Hill-1 got the better of the situation, as they picked up a couple of new players to fill the void, adding Archer, Latrel Jones and Korley Grier to the roster. In the second half, Fisher and JP Pritchett heated, combining to go 9/16 from beyond the arc. The Braves, despite 26 points and 13 rebounds from Josh Wilson, could not mount a run down the stretch. Josh Torres collected 13 points and Marquise Brown nine to help the Braves (2-3) effort. For SH-1, now 3-1, Fisher dropped 30, as Archer had 20, Pritchett 15, Ali 14 and Gier five. Wood Elite 104 Toyo-1 89 Wood Elite moved to 3-0, with a relatively easy 15-point win, in a game that was much more lopsided than the final score indicated. Toyo-1 was down as much at 30 at one point, before finally deciding to put up fight in the latter minutes of the game, trimming the score to look respectable. Josh Christian led Toyo-1 with 21, while Donlin Hinton had 20. LD Strickland also contributed 15 and Eddie Melvin 11, as Toyo slipped to 0-4 at their mid-way point of the summer schedule. Phill Carillo went 10/22 from the 3-point line on his way to 32 points, while Eli Mayberry had 25, Quinton Wood 22 and Chapin Rierson 20. SEBL Metro Conference A-League Capsules for 7-23-18: Wood Elite Training 88 Brighter Days 73 WET’s Quinton Wood downed 31 points on 11 of 17 shooting from the field, including six treys, to counter-act a monster performance from Brighter Days’ Elijah Hirsh, who pounded in 29 and swiped the glass for 17 boards. WET jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half, taking a 46-30 spread into the half, then fought off several Brighter Days runs in the second half. Kevin Hobbs chipped in with 13 and Cory Warn 10, for the Vic Beasley-coached Brighter Days club, who have now dropped two games in a row and slipped to 2-2 in the standings. Chapin Rierson also got 13, Jonathan Mason 11 and Phil Cirillo 10, for WET, who improved to 4-0. Wood Elite Training holds steady at 2nd place in the SEBL Metro Standings. Bartow Braves 79 The OG’s 68 Josh Wilson posted one of the most efficient games in recent memory, as he poured in 41 points, on 14/17 shooting from the field and netting 12/14 freethrows, as the Braves broke open a close game in the second half, pulling way for the 11-point win. The Braves, the defending SEBL Metro A-League champs, have suffered from inconsistent play as a whole, the last few games, picked up the much-needed win and hard-playing, pesky OG squad. Shaquille Hopson scored 22 to lead the OG’s (0-6), while Chris Brown had 17 and Brian Griffin and Dee Henderson each contributed 11. The Braves, who moved to 3-3, also got 13 from Josh Torres and nine from Richard Olson. The win moved the Braves into 5th place in the standings. Summer Hill-1 85 Wood Elite Training 83 (OT) Summer Hill-1 was down 19-7 early, but outlasted WET in what was one of the most exciting games of the summer, thus far. SH1 down by seven late in regulation, had to employ fullcourt pressure and fight to knot it up, then went up 78-75 on Davy Fisher trey with only about 15 seconds left. But, Phil Cirillo drilled a deep three with defenders all over him to re-tie it, sending the game to overtime. WET drew first blood in the OT, with a bucket in the lane from Eli Mayberry, but JP Pritchett answered with a three and then after a steal, split defenders to give SH1 the 83-80 lead with 30 seconds remaining. Cirillo, then used a good screen from Isaac Thomas to gain room to launch another trey, which he drained while drawing the foul, with 20 seconds on the clock. He missed the freethrow, and SH1’s Antonio Wade milked the clock down to six ticks, then drove the lane and drew a foul. He sank both freethrows with 2.1 seconds showing. WET could not answer on the desperation attempt at the buzzer. Thomas and Mayberry each had 17, Jonathan Mason 16, while Cirillo’s heroics left him with 15 on the game, as WET fell to 4-1. For SH1, who improved to 4-1, Fisher led all scorers with 29, Wade 17, Pritchett 15, Cade Archer 13 and Keith Ray 10. Shaw Industries 75 Toyo-1 62 Shaw Industries evened its record up at 2-2, after pulling out a hard-fought win over winless Toyo-1. Shaw took a 38-32 lead into the intermission, and built on that lead into the second half, behind the scoring of Randy McClure and Malik Rush. Coming off long misses by Toyo, McClure benefitted with several resounding slams in the second half. Bobby Smith motored his way to 32 points, but didn’t get a great deal of help from his teammates, as they struggled to find the mark, going a combined 7/34 from beyond the arc. LD Strickland and VJ Saxton each tallied eight, as Toyo-1 fell to 0-5 in the standings. For Shaw, Mclure was 10/12 from the floor en route to downing 30, while he was supported by Rush’s 18 and James Williams and Peek, who had 11 and 10, respectively. The win moved Shaw Industries into a tie for 6th place in the standings. SEBL Metro A-League Standings as of 7-24-2018: 5-0… Baseline-1 ‘05 4-1… Summer Hill-1 4-1… Wood Elite Training 3-2… Dream Chaserz 3-3… Bartow Braves 2-2… Brighter Days 2-2... Shaw Industries 2-3… Franklin Ford 0-5... Toyo-1 0-6... The OG’s SEBL City Conference B-League Summaries for 7-22-2018: SH-Baseline-2 69 BC Infinity 59 Infinity jumped out to a 17-7 mid-way through the first half, only to see SH-Baseline-2 right the ship and make a huge 26-9 run to close with a 33-26 lead at the break, a lead that seemed to break the Infinity fight. In the run SHB2, got balanced scoring from Jeremiah Shaw and Markel Williams. Latrel Jones was a bright spot throughout for Infinity, as he scored in multiple ways, as he finished with 27. JP Pritchett finished with 11 for Infinity, who dropped to 2-2. Shaw led SHB2, with 17, as Williams got 12 and Korley Grier 10. Antoine Wesley also reached double-figures with 10, as SHB2, moved to 3-1 after bouncing back from the loss against Toyo-2 last week. SH Warriors 77 Team Alumni 57 Missing several players, the Warriors had a battle on their hands with Team Alumni, who was very active defensively, with Talique Cochran causing fits with his full court pressure. The lead traded several times, with the Warriors taking a slim 32-31 lead into the break. In the second half, the Warriors were able to work out to a 10-point cushion, behind a 13-3 run, fueled by several key baskets from JR Davis. The spurt broke Team Alumni’s backs, as they could not generate enough offense to keep pace. Cochran led Team Alumni (0-4), with 16 points, while Glenn had 12. The SH-Warriors, now 4-0, were fueled by Davis’ 26, while Tory Smith had 13, Cody Henderson 12 and Walter Brown 10. Toyo-2 74 GSM Ballers 69 In a game of runs, Toyo-2 was finally able to outlast the three-point gunning GSM Ballers, in a game of contrasting styles. Pat Printup led the way for GSM, going 8/15 from beyond the arc, as his team collectively shot 15 of 45 from the 3-point line. More efficiently, Toyo-2 was 30/40 from inside the arc, as Eddie Melvin, Josh Christian and Donlin Hinton combined to connect on 23/28 2-point attempts, mostly layups off of GSM long-ball misses. Both teams had runs that saw them pull out to double-digit leads. But, in the end, Toyo-2 took advantage of the long misses by a hard-playing GSM team. Printup led all scorers with 30, while Bryan Owen had 17 and LD Strickland 16. Toyo-2, who has now won two straight to quickly climb into the hunt for a solid playoff seeding, got 20 from Melvin, who was 8/11 from the field overall, and 16 each from Christian and Hinton. Toyo-2 moved to 2-2 on the season, while GSM dropped to 0-4. SEBL City Conference B-League Standings as of 7-23-2018: 4-0… SH-Warriors 3-1… SH-Baseline-2 2-2… BC Infinity 2-2… Toyo-2 0-4... Team Alumni 0-4... GSM Ballers

Anthony Seigler hasn't officially played for the Gulf Coast League Yankees West team since July 4. A hamstring injury started the break for the Cartersville legend. And rain has kept the absence going. According to Tom Kosensky of The Bronx View, a Yankees minor league blog, Seigler finally cracked the starting lineup Saturday. The switch-hitting catcher singled in his first at bat before rained forced the game to be suspended. It means MiLB.com still shows his last action as July 4, when he finished 2-for-3 with a walk, giving him hits in six of his seven professional games. Elsewhere in professional baseball, Sam Howard continued his second call-up to the major leagues with Colorado and Connor Justus kept his hot streak going at the plate. SAM HOWARD — Colorado Rockies (5th-yr. pro; LHP; Georgia Southern University; Cartersville HS)… Entering Monday, Howard remained on the Rockies' 25-man roster. The 25-year-old was called up the weekend before the All-Star break and has remained with the big league club since then. However, his lone appearance came during his first call-up June 10. In that outing, he worked around a two-out hit to put up a scoreless inning against Arizona. Overall, Howard has a 3-6 mark, 5.43 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 14 starts, spanning 68 innings. The left-hander also has 55 strikeouts to 26 walks with Triple-A Albuquerque. CONNOR JUSTUS — Inland Empire 66ers (3rd-yr. pro; MIF; Advanced Class A California League; L.A. Angels organization; Georgia Tech; Cartersville HS)… Justus continues to rake with the High-A 66ers. In 28 games, the light-hitting middle infielder has six home runs and 23 runs driven in. He has 31 hits, 15 walks and 19 runs scored. After hitting to an anemic .186/.313/.239 line in 57 games this year with the Double-A Mobile Baybears, Justus has put together a triple-slash line of .298/.405/.548. Anthony Seigler — GCL Yankees West (1st-yr. pro; C; Rookie Gulf Coast League; N.Y. Yankees organization; Cartersville HS)… Seigler returned to the lineup for the Yankees' rookie level team Saturday. He singled in his only plate appearance before rain halted the game against Phillies West. Rain also washed out Yankees West's game scheduled for Monday, meaning Seigler's next chance to feature will be Tuesday at noon against the Pirates. To date, the 2018 first-round pick has slashed .381/.500/.476 with five walks, two doubles, two RBI and four runs scored. His hit from the first inning of Saturday's game will become official when the suspended game resumes July 31. GCL Yankees West (13-12) is currently in third place in the GCL’s Northwest Division, 4.5 games behind the GCL Tigers West. Yankees West has home games this week against Phillies East, Tigers East, Pirates and Tigers West with road games at the GCL Blue Jays and Tigers East.

Teaching, coaching, and school administration encompass three of the most difficult — yet potentially rewarding — jobs in the world. The words chosen, the actions taken, and the visions shared can have huge impact in the lives of students, athletes, and families. It was Dr. Billy Graham who once stated, "One coach will impact more young people in a year than the average person does in a lifetime." Teachers, coaches, and school administrators do not get to choose which words or actions carry lasting impressions. That’s left up to the recipients. The overwhelming majority in those professions, however, have the greatest of intentions, empathy, optimism, and integrity. In the midst of my career that included all three roles, I was given the opportunity by the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) to travel the country as a national faculty member to speak with and teach thousands of other athletic directors and coaches at national conferences. The blessings were immense and the sharing of experiences with coaches and athletic administrators from every state and Canada educated me even more than the certification courses I was there to share with others. In teaching, we often use examples and share influences. It is a nice way to personalize points of emphasis and draw in your audience. While my career was impacted by dozens of teachers, coaches, and administrators I admired, there aren’t many with a greater impact on the local, Bartow County community than the career of Kenn Baker. He taught, coached, and was an administrator at three of the five local high schools from 1990 into the current decade and his career spans an even greater period of time and geography. Although my own career didn’t start until the mid-1980s, Baker and I taught in the same department and coached football and basketball together for several years at Cass High School. At national conferences in the 1990s after becoming athletic director, I often shared the experiences Baker and I gained together with our athletes and I shared things I learned from observing his work with our students and athletes. Locally, we have watched Baker’s family blossom as they took root in Bartow County. His kids are all adults now and his influence — along with the influence of his wife Bea — has extended into the careers of his children. Two of which are now college coaches, so the Baker coaching impact continues to flourish across the nation. (Click on image to enlarge) Top left, clockwise: Baker as coach at ECA, 1990 Cass High School football staff; 1991 Cass boys basketball; 1992 Cass football coaching staff Kenn Baker’s teaching and coaching career began in nearby Calhoun. From 1977 to 1985, the young social studies teacher, football, basketball, and track coach worked at both Calhoun Junior High and Calhoun High School. From there, he took a position at Washington Wilkes High School in the late 1980s before arriving in Bartow County at Cass High School in 1990. Coach Baker continued to coach football throughout those years, but became the head boys basketball coach at Washington Wilkes and continued those same roles at Cass High until 1997. Next, Baker spent 1997 to 2007 as the athletic director at Woodland High School where he also served as an assistant and eventual Associate Principal. He continued his athletic coaching career during those years as well, working with middle school and high school sub-varsity basketball, track, and football. In 2007, he took on the role of school principal and left the Bartow County School System for a few years. Baker was principal at Martin Luther King High School until 2009 and was principal at Towers High School in Atlanta from 2009-2012 before returning to the Cartersville community at Excel Christian Academy. Baker spent 2013 to 2017 as an assistant principal, athletic director, and coach at ECA and now even in retirement continues to teach AP U.S. History part-time at Cornerstone Prep Academy in Acworth. The father of Kim, Treece, Kenny, Kelsey, and Kaylin, Baker has seen each child enjoy success. Two of the five are now college coaches themselves and he and his wife Bea enjoy traveling and even attending the games their children now coach. Baker's time in Bartow County has touched many lives. As you read his words below and the words of his own children, many of you that have enjoyed Coach Baker as a teacher, coach, and/or administrator will once again experience and take pleasure in many of the same words you have most likely heard from him before. The following excerpts come from interviews conducted with Coach Baker along with conversations with his daughter Kelsey (Huntingdon College softball assistant coach) and son Kenny (Mercer University defensive line coach). Kenn Baker Catch us up, what are you doing these days? I am currently teaching part-time at Cornerstone Prep Academy ,a University Model School located in Acworth, Georgia. I teach two classes of AP US History three days per week. Where are the kids these days? Kim; my oldest daughter is a Customer Service Supervisor for Banyan Air Service in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. My daughter Treece; is the Clinical Nurse Expert for the Piedmont Healthcare Critical Care System of Georgia. Her office is in Atlanta. Kenny is starting his fifth year as the defensive line coach at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Kelsey is beginning her third year as the assistant softball coach at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. Kaylin will graduate from Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia in December with a degree in communications. With two of your kids now following your footsteps and coaching at the college level, do you ever reflect on your influence in their lives? It has been very satisfying to see Kenny and Kelsey as coaches. It was a little strange at first, because both Kenny and Kelsey swore that they would never teach or coach. I guess having been around me and Bea and seeing all of the time and work that goes into teaching and coaching they decided that they did not want to be in education. On the other hand, because they had been involved in athletics and education all of their lives, they felt a natural gravitation to stay involved in athletics by choosing to coach. We enjoy attending their games and watching them coach. We go to Kenny’s football games at Mercer in the Fall and we attend Kelsey’s softball games in the Spring. One of the good points is that we love to travel and by attending their games we get to visit different parts of the country. I try not to be an armchair quarterback, but I do enjoy talking to them about their team’s performances and their coaching philosophies and strategies. What other aspects of your life have changed with semi-retirement? We’ve had the opportunity to travel more. We have visited several historical sites in different states and countries in the past couple of years. We have also become more active in our church as a part of the youth ministries and Sunday school. Like many of us in coaching, you ‘out-kicked your coverage’ with your wife Bea. How has she impacted your career? Bea has been a blessing in my life. In so many ways she has been the rock of the family. Particularly early in my coaching career when you spend so much time away from home. She has always been supportive in all of my endeavors and in a lot of cases been the voice of reason for our family. I cannot express enough how much she has meant to me and our family. She was an outstanding teacher in her own right, who had an impact on the lives of the students that she worked with. One of the things that is unique was that she was voted as the Teacher of the Year at Pine Log, and I was voted Teacher of the Year at Cass during our tenure in the Bartow County School System. What other influences have impacted your career? The biggest influence in my life was my mother. She was exceptional woman who overcame so much to become a very successful business woman. She graduated as the valedictorian of her college class at Paine College. She served as a Lieutenant in the Air Force during the Korean War. She opened the first African American Day Care in Palm Beach County and ran it for 37 years until she retired. She always demonstrated strength and perseverance and was a hard worker. She was not about excuses. She just found a way to get things done. She held me and my brother accountable and provided the groundwork for the work ethic and attitude that I have today. She was a great role model. When I was growing up I always wanted to be a teacher. I was blessed to have several outstanding teachers that had a tremendous influence in my life. My fourth grade teacher Mrs. McKay, my fifth grade teacher Mrs. Townsend, my high school math teacher Mr. Owens, and my high school history teacher Mr. Bryant were the teachers that had the biggest impact on me deciding to become a teacher. They all demanded that you perform at a high level, they made learning fun and interesting, they were very caring and giving, as well as imparting life lessons that helped you to become a better person. My high school, Atlantic High School, had a very successful athletic program. The coaching staff was extremely demanding and pushed you to perform at a high level. Those two things stayed with me in both coaching and teaching. Coach Norman Price, my high school basketball coach and Coach Cary Wilder my high school football coach, were early influences. What made you decide to coach? When I was hired for my first job at Calhoun Junior High School, Mrs. Baxter, the principal, told me that the position would require me to coach. Since we were a small school I coached all three sports offered at the school: football, basketball and track. So that’s how I started my coaching. I did not really think about coaching until the opportunity presented itself at Calhoun Junior High. I had played all three sports in high school, so I just used the experiences from participating in those sports to coach my first middle school teams. Who inspired you or served as role models in your coaching career? Probably the coaches that had the biggest influence on me once I first started coaching were Ray Tucker, Lynn Walters, and Jerry Smith in Calhoun, Butch Brooks and Curtis Williams at Washington Wilkes and Dwight Henderson at Rome High School. My observation of them helped foster my belief that being a coach does not stop on the court or playing field. You invest in your players, in the classroom, and in the community. You take an interest in their daily lives and in their growth and development as individuals. They were knowledgeable about their sport and worked hard to get the best out of their athletes. They held their players accountable by setting high standards for their programs and making the players understand that the team is more important than the individual. I always tried to take bits and pieces from all of the coaches that I worked with and interacted with during my coaching career. I always tried to work hard to improve as a coach and educator. Who were your influences as a school administrator? When I became an administrator I was blessed to be around several outstanding administrators that mentored me and shaped me as an administrator and prepared me to become a principal. Kay Baxter, Jimmy Gainey, Ken Prichard, Bill Kiser, Connie Olson, and Donnie Denson were all excellent role models. However, the person that had the biggest impact on shaping me as an administrator is Dr. Nettie Holt. I learned so much from working with her. She epitomized all the characteristics of a great leader. She was innovative, and a visionary in bringing the IB and Performing Arts Programs to Woodland High School. She held you to high standards while at the same time trusting you to do your job. She had an amazing way of motivating you to do your best. The characteristics that I took from those administrators that I used when I became a principal were; organizational skills, accountability, being innovative and visionary, and building relationships with both your faculty and students. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to work in education and interact with teachers, coaches, administrators and that have made a commitment to impact the lives of children. I think that teaching is the noblest of all professions because of the impact that you can have on a student’s life. I am glad that I have had the opportunity to be a part of it. KELSEY BAKER Kelsey Baker has been an assistant softball coach at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama since 2016. Before Huntingdon, Baker was a volunteer assistant softball coach at Georgia Highlands College and Excel Christian Academy and a student-assistant coach at Paine College where she played after graduating from Woodland High School. As a player, Baker was a team captain at Paine College. She was team MVP, won the Silver Slugger Award and was named to the conference All-Academic team. Before Paine College, she played softball for Cleveland State Community College, where she was a Distinguished Scholar-Athlete award winner. Baker earned a bachelor's degree in history from Paine College as a Summa Cum Laude graduate in 2014. She was a Merit Scholar Recipient, Outstanding Academic Achievement Award winner, Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society member and the female Student Marshall for her graduating class. As a student-athlete at Cleveland State, Baker was a recipient of the Dr. George L Mathis Scholastic Achievement Award, was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society and the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association Honor Roll. She was SIAC All-Academic Team in her senior season at Paine College where she pitched and played first base. Baker led Paine in slugging percentage (.560) and doubles while carrying a 3.75 GPA and graduating with a degree in History. What are your current coaching responsibilities? I am the Assistant Coach at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, AL. I primarily work with the pitchers and catchers, and assist with team defense. With our pitching staff I work on pitcher and pitch development, mental approach and game preparedness. With our catchers I work on building relationships with out staff and improving catching techniques. I share recruiting responsibilities with my Head Coach and we recruit the southeast, and are expanding our recruiting to the North and West. Other than your dad, who were/are your greatest influences in coaching? Greg Hight, he coached me in recreation sports and travel softball. Greg introduced me to softball and taught us how to play the game the correct way.He believed in us as people and as players. He treated all of us as if we were his and I thank his wife Cindy and daughter Hannah for sharing him with us for all those years. Next would be Colman Roberts, my coach at Woodland. He taught me how to play toughly and handle adversity. Coach Roberts taught us that "everything comes out in the wash," that sooner or later what you do will eventually tell on you, good, bad and everything in-between. How did growing up with your dad involved in coaching impact you as a young person and how has it influenced you today as a coach? It showed me that when a person does things for the right reasons, the rewards are bigger than any trophy or title. That when you challenge people to be the best version of themselves the rewards are lifelong. I firmly believe that because my father gets emails and letters from former athletes thanking him for how he impacted their lives. Coaching is about building relationships with your players as people and as athletes. That is something I do with my current players by learning them in all areas allows me to see them as the entire person and get the best out of them in all areas. What impact did your own collegiate playing experience have on your decision to enter the coaching profession? I knew that after I finished as a player, I was not done with softball. I was not sure how at the moment but I knew I was not finished with softball. There where some situations and things I experienced in college that were great and some that were not. I knew that I wanted to impact young women. I wanted to help them to face life's challenges with confidence while continuing to grow as a person myself. Coaching is allowing me to fulfill that. What are your career goals in collegiate coaching? My career goals are to always be a student of the game and by continuing to learn one day be a head coach. What are one or two of your fondest memories growing up in sports in Bartow County? Winning the championship and advancing to regionals in rec basketball. We got these cool shirts made and I still have it. Also, being able to play and try different sports. I was able to go through the rec department with a group of friends that I am still in contact with today. KENNY BAKER A graduate of Woodland High School, Kenny Baker is beginning his fifth season as an assistant football coach at Mercer University. Baker arrived at Mercer in 2014 after spending the 2013 season as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Berry College during the Vikings’ inaugural campaign. Prior to his time at Berry, he served as the defensive coordinator at Augusta’s Lakeside High School after spending a season as a student assistant at his alma mater, Gardner Webb. A four-year letter winner at Gardner Webb, Baker was a three-year starter on the defensive line. He was selected as a team captain in 2007, while also garnering the team’s defensive player of the year honors. An honor student with the Bulldogs, he was a regular member of the Dean’s List and the Big South Honor Roll. He graduated from GWU with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education in 2009 and currently resides in Warner Robins, Georgia. (Click images to enlarge) Kenny Baker, defensive line coach for the Mercer University Bears. What are your current coaching responsibilities? I am the defensive line coach and I also have recruiting responsibilities that include Fulton County, western Georgia along I-20 and across to Tuscaloosa through Birmingham in Alabama. Other than your dad, who were/are your greatest influences in coaching? Coach Eric Bishop: It was the spring of my senior year and we were playing in a Saturday morning baseball game in Ooltewah, Tennessee. There are two reasons I will never forget this day for as long as I live. One reason being, that Coach Bishop scheduled a baseball game on the same day of our senior prom and the second reason for the events that took place after the game. The outcome of the game didn’t turn out in our favor, we lost and I had a bad game. I had a bad day at the plate and made an error in the field. As we were packing up after the game and walking to the bus, myself and a fellow teammate were stopped by man in a red polo. The man in the red polo was a college baseball coach and he was there scouting the game. The encounter was brief, he shook our hands, took down our information and said “Tough one today. I know it wasn’t your best day at the plate and in the field, but I want to let you know you guys play the game the right way. I watched how you guys ran on and off the field and how you carried yourself and those are the type of players we want in our program. At this point Coach Bishop was standing there with us and as we shook hands one last time and went our separate ways, It was the six words that came from coach that I will never forget…”See, you never know who’s watching”. How you carry yourself, the importance of first impressions and taking ownership for all the areas of your life. Some of the greatest lessons I learned, were on the baseball field. It was the mandatory black cleats, shirts always tucked in, showing up early, taking pride in your dugout, neat haircut, trimmed facial hair, respect for the game and the daily pursuit of excellence. He made sure we understood the “little things” are what matter in baseball and in life. I can still hear him yelling “You better take the field running, you never know whose watching”. He taught me, “How you do one thing, is how you do everything.” Coach Jimmy Lindsey: “If you want to impress someone, tell them your accolades. But if you want to impact someone tell them your failures” He was my college defensive line coach for one season and has invested in me since day one. He’s one of the best football coaches I’ve been around and has taught me a lot of football over the years. The thing I am most thankful is our conversations about the things he has gotten wrong. In a time where, transparency and real is not the norm, that’s where Coach Lindsey always starts. He’s my guy. Coach Mike Doolittle: My first full time coaching job, was defensive coordinator at Lakeside High School in Augusta, Georgia. I had just finished playing, fresh out of college and truth be told, really had no idea how to be a defensive coordinator. Thankfully, at that same time Coach Doolittle was the offensive coordinator at Lincoln County High School in Lincolnton, Georgia about 30 minutes away from Augusta. So, for the next two years, my Saturday mornings consisted of driving to Lincolnton, grabbing a biscuit from Hardee’s on the way in and postponing his own film study and opponent scouting and him sitting down with me to review film, making corrections for the previous game and teaching me the game. Coach Doolittle was my college defensive line coach and to this day one of my biggest mentors in coaching. The thing I cherish the most about our Saturday morning ritual, was our talks about balance and growth, but personally and professionally. I just really enjoyed being around him. He believed in me and invested his time in me. I heard a coach once say “You can always see higher on the shoulders of Giants.” Man, am I thankful for the Giants in my life. How did growing up with your dad involved in coaching impact you as a young person and how has it influenced you today as a coach? From as early as I can remember, there was no other person I looked up to more and wanted to become more, than my dad. Simply, he was and still is my hero. To me he was dad, but to everyone else he was Coach Baker. Over the years, the definition of that five letter word in front of my dad’s last name has changed tremendously. From a young age, I wanted to be just like Coach Baker, because he had keys to everything. There wasn’t a gate, gym, field, equipment room that he couldn’t open, he always had practices and games, he got to drive the bus, travel all over and everyone seemed to like him, I wanted to be just like Coach Baker. As, I grew older, graduated from high and college and started my own career in coaching, that five letter word in front my dad’s names means so much more. These are some of the lessons I have learned from my dad: ✮ "It’s not about you." It was and has always been bigger than him. He always taught me to live my life serving others in all that you do. ✮ “They don’t care what you know, until they know you care.” My dad gave me this advice my first year coaching. In order for you to get the most out of your players and take them to where they never thought they could go, they have to know you care about them. He told me to make sure, it’s not always about football. ✮ “Do it right the first time.” Take pride in everything you do. ✮ “Raise your standard to that of greatness.” What I often thought was his sometimes unrealistic expectations for myself and his players, I see now was only his passion for seeing you become the best version of yourself. He would always tell me when I first started coaching was “Young people want discipline and want to be pushed and it’s our job as coaches to give them that” ✮ “Keep the main thing, the main thing.” Keep your faith, family and relationships first. ✮ “You don’t have to be perfect.” You will make mistakes, learn from them. Don’t be afraid to mess up…He believed in me. A story about my dad: I remember growing up, riding in my dad’s black Dodge Dakota trunk on the campus of Woodland High School. Either on his way in or way out, he would drive by pieces of trash and have me pick it up and we would do this all over campus and before we left we would stop by the garbage can and throw it all away. I never understood why I had to pick up others people’s trash, it wasn’t mine and it wasn’t my job. Even when I was away at college and would come home for the summer, we still drove around picking up trash. And it wasn’t until I got into coaching did he explain to me why we drove around picking up trash on campus, He said Kenny “You always want to leave it better than what you found it”…. I love him and I thank him, the coach I am today is because of him. He’s the REAL Coach Baker. I just want to make him proud. What impact did your own collegiate playing experience have on your decision to enter the coaching profession? Gardner-Webb University gave me the opportunity to further my academic and athletic career after high school and for that I forever grateful. My favorite quote of all time is from legendary Tennessee Vols Coach, Pat Summit “You win with people”. I have been extremely fortunate to be associated with so many successful people and coaches. People and coaches like Dr. Dee Hunt, Coach Jimmy Lindsey, Coach Mike Doolittle, Coach Travis Cunningham and Coach Chris Foster invested in me as a player but more importantly as a person. They were outstanding coaches, great teachers, passionate and demanded excellence on and off the field but more importantly they were great men, husbands and fathers. I always thought, I would come back and coach in high school. I was huge Florida State Seminoles fan growing up and always enjoyed watching college football but never thought I would become a college coach. My experience in college showed me two things: One, that good coaches travel, the level they coach at, is just the platform they’ve been given to impact and influence young people. Secondly, the same need to pour into the lives of young people is just as important at the college level, they need to be surrounded by the type of coaches I was surrounded by. My college playing experience and the impact Gardner-Webb had on me was the icing on the cake, I knew I could coach at any level. What are your career goals in collegiate coaching? Just to keep working at it and plugging away. That’s how I was raised and all I really know how to do. Letting my total body of work speak for itself, learn my mistakes, serve the players and coaching staff to the best of my ability and surrounding myself with people that can help me grow. One thing I’ve learned about life and coaching, is you can’t do it by yourself. I would love to move up the collegiate ranks, become a coordinator, a head coach and maybe even coach in the NFL. I love the challenge and I love the grind. But, at the end of the day the good Lord has a plan for me, I just have to stay out of his way. It’s bigger than me. What are one or two of your fondest memories growing up in sports in Bartow County? Growing up as a ball boy. It’s where it all started for me, it’s where I fell in love with football and sports. Fridays, was the best day of the week! My mom would drop me off at the field house after school, I would find my dad and then it was game time… Putting on that jersey, the smell of the concession stand, seeing the freshly lined and painted field and most importantly being around the players…I loved it all, I was at home. I’m glad my dad allowed me to be a part of it. Little League Baseball Growing up, there was nothing like the spring and summer for me… I played baseball ALL the time and I loved it. I remember it all, the games, the double headers, and the road trips, but the thing I remember the most was the guys I played with. I was playing a game I loved with guys I loved. It had nothing to do with me, I was with my guys and that’s all that mattered. Congratulations to Kenn and Bea Baker on a job well done. Your continuing impact has not diminished. It now flows well beyond the borders of Bartow County through the children you raised and the lives of students, athletes, and adults you continue to reach on a daily basis.

Bartow County Little League softball 10u came within one game of reaching the championship of the 2018 Southeast Regional Little League Tournament of State Champions, but a 7-1 loss to Winfield, West Virginia Sunday brought their post-season run to a close. Winfield 10u went on to win the TOSC title game in Clarksville, Tennessee with a 14-4 victory over Bridgewater Community, Virginia. The West Virginia team reached the finals by sweeping all three opponents in the same pool with Bartow County to complete the regional with a 4-0 record. Bartow finished 2-1 in the TOSC with wins over Irmo, South Carolina and Montgomery Central, Tennessee on Saturday. Winfield and Bartow battled scoreless into the third inning when West Virginia took a 4-0 lead. Winfield added three more runs in the fifth inning to take a 7-0 advantage before Bartow scored its only run in the sixth. Haley Collum and Cam Smith, who both tossed no-hitters in Bartow’s first two wins on Saturday, split the pitching duties and combined for ten striketouts. Collum allowed a hit and four walks. Smith yielded three hits and a pair of walks. Brie Patterson, Kiaya Banks, Harley Hannah, and Carley Aspenwall had one hit each for Bartow. Patterson scored Bartow’s run and stole one base. Savannah Viktora contributed an RBI. Collum reached base on a walk and stole one base. Bartow won the Georgia Little League state title with a 5-1 mark to complete the post-season with a 7-2 overall record. Results for Bartow County Little League and Cartersville Little League provided by the respective leagues and Georgia Little League Baseball and Softball. Bartow County Recreation Department and Cartersville Recreation Department baseball and softball teams participating in Georgia Recreation and Parks Association are reported to Bartow Sports Zone by the respective recreation departments and presented on Bartow Sports Zone by Play It Again Sports at 410 Cherokee Place in Cartersville.

The Cartersville Cobias summer swim team sent twenty-four competitors to the 2018 GRPA A State Championship Friday and Saturday at the Cumming Aquatic Center. Below are the results for the local competitors. Mixed 10U 100 Yard Medley Relay - Final 8th — Reign West, Kyle Hoeri, Tripp Chitwood, Emily Guin Boys 7-8 25 Yard Breast - Prelim 9th — Lukas Puckett Boys 7-8 100 Yard IM - Prelim 18th — Lukas Puckett Boys 9-10 100 Yard IM - Prelim 15th — Kyle Hoeri Boys 9-10 25 Yard Back - Prelim 14th — Kyle Hoeri Boys 9-10 25 Yard Fly - Prelim 16th — Kyle Hoeri Boys 7-8 100 Yard Free Relay - Prelim 15th — Andrew Harris, Logan Puckett, Noah Leffew, Lukas Puckett Mixed 10U 100 Yard Free Relay - Final 6th — Tripp Chitwood, Emily Guin, Reign West, Kyle Hoeri Boys 11-12 100 Yard Free - Prelim 10th — Joseph Hall Boys 13-14 100 Yard Free - Prelim 13th — Nathan Higgins Mixed 12U 200 Yard Medley Relay - Prelim 10th — Cooper Huskins, Ella Bailey, Natalie Guin, Joseph Hall Mixed 18U 200 Yard Medley Relay - Final 6th — Ethan Hoeri, Beth Svendsen, Elijah Wilhoit, Mallory Cook Boys 13-14 50 Yard Free - Prelim 12th — Nathan Higgins Girls 13-14 50 Yard Breast - Final 8th — Beth Svendsen Boys 11-12 100 Yard IM - Prelim 21st — Joseph Hall Boys 15-18 100 Yard IM - Prelim 18th — Elijah Wilhoit Boys 15-18 50 Yard Back - Prelim 8th — Ethan Hoeri Boys 15-18 50 Yard Fly - Final 6th — Ethan Hoeri Boys 15-18 50 Yard Fly - Prelim 16th — Elijah Wilhoit Mixed 12U 200 Yard Free Relay - Final 8th — Natalie Guin, Joseph Hall, Cooper Huskins, Ella Bailey Mixed 14U 200 Yard Free Relay - Final 8th — Nathan Higgins, Maggie Long, Ellie Johnson, Cooper Brown (6th in Prelims) Mixed 18U 200 Yard Free Relay - Final 6th — Mallory Cook, Elijah Wilhoit, Alexus Huskins, Tanner Campbell 7th — Beth Svendsen, Ethan Hoeri, Lanee Haley, Carson Teems Cobias qualified for the state meet: Carson Teems, Elijah Wilhoit, Joseph Hall, Nathan Higgins, Beth Svendsen, Maggie Long, Ellie Johnson, Lanee Haley, Alexus Huskins, Mallory Cook, Cooper Brown, Cooper Huskins, Natalie Guin, Emily Guin, Reign West, Ella Bailey, Kyle Hoerl, Tripp Chitwood, Lukas Puckett, Andrew Harris, Logan Puckett, Noah Leffew. Coaches: Jordan Baldwin, Kera Lawhon, and head coach Matt Siniard.

Bartow County Little League Softball 10u shutout both opening day opponents Saturday at the Little League Southeast Regional Tournament of State Champions in Clarksville, Tennessee. Bartow pitchers Haley Collum and Kam Smith tossed back-to-back no hitters in the two shutouts. Bartow stopped Irmo (South Carolina) and Montgomery Central (Tennessee) by identical 13-0 final scores and can clinch a berth in the TOSC championship with a victory Sunday morning over Winfield (West Virginia). Photo (L-R): Bartow pitcher Haley Collum, catcher Elizabeth (Bitsy) Hartsfield, and pitcher Kam Smith following Saturday's two no-hitter victories over South Carolina and Tennessee. Sunday's showdown with Winfield is scheduled for 12 noon EDT. Winfield defeated Montgomery Central 12-3 and blanked Irmo late Saturday, 16-0. The Bartow/Winfield winner will advance to the TOSC championship game at 4 p.m. EDT Sunday afternoon against the winner of the other three-team pool that includes teams from Virginia, Florida, and North Carolina. BARTOW 13, MONTGOMERY CENTRAL (TN) 0 Kam Smith hurled a four-inning no-hitter in Bartow’s second victory of the day. Smith faced a dozen batters and fanned eight. She retired two batters on groundouts and issued a pair of walks. Bartow, playing as the home team, raced to a 10-0 lead in the first inning, added two runs in the second, and one more in the third inning. Haley Collum led Bartow with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate that included a double, three RBI, and three runs scored. Alivia Joslin and Bitsy Hartsfield both finished 2-for-2. Joslin had a double, RBI, and scored a run. Hartsfield drove in a pair of runs, scored a run, and walked once. Kyndell Hembree contributed a hit, walk, and two runs. Brie Patterson added a double, two RBI, and scored a run. Smith also had a hit, stole a base, and scored twice. Lakiaya Banks walked twice and scored two runs. Savannah Viktora also scored a run. BARTOW 13, IRMO (SC) 0 Earlier in the day, Bartow blanked Irmo (SC) Little League 13-0 in the first TOSC game for both teams. Haley Collum fanned 12 of the 13 batters she faced in a game that was shortened to only four innings due to mercy, run-rule. Collum narrowly missed pitching a perfect game. She walked a batter in the second inning. Playing as the home team, Bartow posted seven runs in the first inning, one in the second, and five more in the third inning. Bitsy Hartsfield paced Bartow at the plate. She was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Brie Patterson finished with a hit, two walks, one RBI, and scored two runs. Lakiaya Banks and Collum both contributed a hit, walk, and two runs each. Kam Smith scored two runs. Harley Hannah, Alivia Joslin, and Harlee Thomason also scored one run apiece. Results for Bartow County Little League and Cartersville Little League provided by the respective leagues and Georgia Little League Baseball and Softball. Bartow County Recreation Department and Cartersville Recreation Department baseball and softball teams participating in Georgia Recreation and Parks Association are reported to Bartow Sports Zone by the respective recreation departments and presented on Bartow Sports Zone by Play It Again Sports at 410 Cherokee Place in Cartersville.

Bartow County Junior Little League (14u) survived four consecutive elimination games at the Georgia Junior Little League state tournament and forced a winner-take-all title game Thursday night in Athens, but came up short in the deciding game with Elbert County Junior Little League. Needing to win twice Thursday night, Bartow County won the championship round opener 2-1 but fell in the nightcap, 19-9. Elbert County raced out to a 6-0 lead in the first two innings of the second game, but Bartow scored six times in the top of the third to knot the score 6-6. From that point, however, Elbert outscored Bartow 13-3 to close out the win and capture the state title with a victory in five innings. Bartow pitching struggled in the nightcap, issuing 16 walks and hitting seven batters. Elbert needed only six hits to cash in 19 runs. Patrick Shelley, Harrison Benton, and Wade Dooley (RBI) had two hits each for Bartow. Colton Wilson (double, RBI) and Brice Craig (2 RBI) had the other Bartow base hits. Brandon Carroll, Charlie Ray, and Devin Pryor each added one RBI. BARTOW 2, ELBERT 1 Wade Dooley tossed a complete-game, two-hitter Thursday night in the opening game of the Georgia Junior Little League state tournament championship round to lead Bartow past Elbert 2-1. Dooley struck out two and walk three while keeping Elbert County off the scoreboard until the sixth inning. Bartow scored their two runs in the first inning. Shelley, Wilson, and Benton all had hits in the frame. Shelley added a seventh inning single for a two-hit game. Craig contributed a pair of hits and Pryor also had one hit. Bartow County Junior Little League finished 4-2 in the state tournament and Georgia runner-up. Elbert County advances to the Junior Little League Baseball Southeast Regional that begins August 2 in Fort Myers, FL. Georgia Junior Little League State Tournament schedule/results: Double-elimination at East Athens Little League Sat. July 14 — West Point 5, Bartow County 1 Sat. July 14 — Athens 16, Northern-Columbus 12 Sun. July 15 — Vine Ingle 12, West Point 6 Sun. July 15 — Elbert County 11, Athens 0 Mon. July 16 — Bartow County 10, Athens 4 (Athens eliminated) Mon. July 16 — West Point 17, Northern-Columbus 1 (Northern eliminated) Tue. July 17 — Elbert Co. 17, Vine Ingle 1 Tue. July 17 — Bartow County 7, West Point 4 (West Point eliminated) Wed. July 18 — Bartow County 11, Vine Ingle 2 (Vine Ingle eliminated) Thr. July 19 — Bartow County 2, Elbert Co. 1 (championship round) Thr. July 19 — Elbert County 19, Bartow County 9 (Elbert wins state championship) Results for Bartow County Little League and Cartersville Little League provided by the respective leagues and Georgia Little League Baseball and Softball. Bartow County Recreation Department and Cartersville Recreation Department baseball and softball teams participating in Georgia Recreation and Parks Association are reported to Bartow Sports Zone by the respective recreation departments and presented on Bartow Sports Zone by Play It Again Sports at 410 Cherokee Place in Cartersville