The Cass girls and boys basketball teams completed a season sweep of the visiting Hiram Lady Hornets and Hornets Wednesday night in Region 7-AAAAA action at Cass High School. The Cass girls trailed Hiram early Wednesday night at home, but utilized a strong third quarter and outscored Hiram 44-18 in the second half to ease away and earn a valuable Region 7-AAAAA win. The visiting Lady Hornets led 16-12 after one quarter before Cass tied the game at 23 heading to the intermission. The Lady Colonels took a 44-35 lead after three periods and surged ahead in the final eight minutes for a 16-point victory. Kyla Michienzi led Cass with 20 points. Payton Stoddard scored 13 and Lyric Curtis 10. Sharia Wade added nine, Chanel Clemmons and Alexis Ware four, Amber Brittian three, and Kyler Trouten and Aaliyah Curtis contributed two apiece. A.J. Judie led Hiram (9-14, 6-7) with 19 points. Deija Dennard scored 10 and Imani Smith added seven for the Lady Hornets. Cass (15-9, 8-7) secured no worse than a tie for fourth place in the final regular season region standings and can clinch the 4-seed with a home win over Kell Saturday at 4 p.m. CASS BOYS 63, HIRAM 51 The Colonels notched their second win in as many nights over top-contending teams in Region 7-AAAAA with a 63-51 victory over visiting Hiram. Heading into Wednesday night’s game, Hiram was holding down second place in the region standings with Cass in a tie for fourth with Carrollton — a team the Colonels topped at home Tuesday evening. In the win over Hiram, Cass led 14-12 after one, 31-28 at half, and 43-40 heading into the fourth quarter. Mark Chester led the Colonels with 22 points. Ashton Burley finished with 16 and Markeldrick Powell added 12 points. The loss dropped the Hornets to 15-8 overall and 9-4 in region play. It also locked up the top seed in the region tournament next week for Villa Rica. Hiram remains in second place, one-half game ahead of third place Kell. Cass (15-9, 8-7) moves one-half game ahead of Carrollton for fourth place in the region standings and likely locked up a rematch with the Trojans next Tuesday in the opening round of the Region 7-AAAAA tournament at Villa Rica. The Colonels close out regular season region play Saturday at home against Kell at 5:30 p.m.

Elite Stone Supply, in conjunction with WBHF and Bartow Sports Zone, presents the ELITE ATHLETES OF THE MONTH. Each month, local high schools are provided opportunity to name an Elite Athlete of the Month and present the information on their honoree through Bartow Sports Zone and on 100.3FM and AM1450, WBHF in Cartersville. Recipients for January 2018: Kyle Gollhofer -- Woodland HS Austin Jackson -- Adairsville HS Tyler Pilcher -- Cass HS Luke Schiltz -- Cartersville HS Kyle Gollhofer is the January Elite Athlete of the Month representing Woodland High School. The junior wrestler for the Wildcats is a two-time defending state champion in the 120-pound weight division and is ranked 10th in the nation with a 43-0 record. This season, he won the McCallie Invitational, Danny Bryon Invitational, Lassiter Invitational, and Buford Invitational. He has a 4.0 GPA and is being recruited by numerous NCAA Division I programs. He is the son of Robert and Christy Gollhofer. The January Elite Athlete of the Month from Adairsville High School is Austin Jackson. A junior wrestler for the Tigers in the 220-pound weight class, Jackson placed third last weekend at the Area 3-AAA Traditional Tournament to earn a berth in this weekend’s state sectionals. “Austin has made great strides as a young man and an athlete,” said Tigers’ wrestling coach Ryan Torrence. “He is a young man of integrity and looked up to by his teammates. His work ethic makes him successful.” A three-year member of the Adairsville wrestling team, Jackson has a 3.5 GPA. He is the son of Tiffany Jackson. Cass High School’s January Elite Athlete of the Month is Tyler Pilcher. The son of Donna and Chris Pilcher, Tyler is a senior, four-year wrestler for the Colonels. Pilcher was a major factor in the Colonels’ Region Traditional Championship this past weekend and won his first individual region title at the Area 7-AAAAA Championships. He has been a top performer for Cass each of his four seasons as a starter, helping the Colonels place at the GHSA State Duals Championship each year. His record this season is 32-10. Pilcher plans to go into the U.S. Navy after he graduates from Cass High School this May. Luke Schiltz is the Cartersville High School Elite Athlete of the Month. The junior forward has been an impact player this season for the Hurricanes who have been ranked in the Top Ten of Class AAAA for almost the entire season. The son of Jennifer and Craig Schiltz, Luke has multiple Division I offers as a baseball pitcher and will be a big part of the Canes’ baseball program this Spring. “Luke is a tireless worker on the basketball court,” said Cartersville head basketball coach Mike Tobin. “He is a great teammate and his putback at the buzzer in the Alexander game this week sent us to overtime and an eventual win. He is one of the most improved players in our program.” Schiltz is averaging more than four points and four rebounds per game for the Purple Hurricanes who have already clinched a berth in the state playoffs. Editors Note: Photos and bios are supplied to Bartow Sports Zone and WBHF by the respective schools and their athletic departments. Elite Stone Supply, LLC is the monthly sponsor. Athletes receive a plaque along with recognition during a radio feature on WBHF.

The Cartersville boys won an overtime thriller Tuesday night at the Storm Center and the Cass boys pulled out an important region win at home over Carrollton. Woodland’s girls and boys won region road games at East Paulding, while the Cass girls suffered a tough overtime loss to Carrollton and the Adairsville teams were swept at Sonoraville. Tuesday’s high school basketball roundup: CARTERSVILLE BOYS 71, ALEXANDER 70 (Overtime) The Class AAAA 7th-ranked Purple Hurricanes took advantage of a Perignon Dyer steal and score late in the game and a Luke Schiltz stick-back at the buzzer to send their game Tuesday night with visiting Alexander to overtime, where they held off the Cougars for a 71-70 non-region victory. The game was nip-and-tuck throughout with the two teams tied 14-14 after one quarter and 25-25 at halftime. Alexander took a 47-46 lead heading into the final eight minutes of regulation and the score was tied at the end of regulation, 62-62. Jaylon Pugh had a game-high 25 points to lead Cartersville. T.J. Horton followed with 18 points. Schiltz scored eight. Isaac Gridley added seven points and nine rebounds. JKobe Orr contributed six points, Perignon Dyer four, and Grant Harris three points. Chris’shaun Lunsford led Alexander with 23 points. Brady Spence scored 17 and Sidnie White added 14 for the Cougars (13-9). Cartersville (17-4, 9-2) hosts Troup County Friday night at the Storm Center at 7:30 p.m. and wraps up the regular season Saturday with a non-region game at Woodland at 4:30 p.m. CASS BOYS 64, CARROLLTON 56 Led by 19 points by Mark Chester, 18 by Carter Hedden, and 12 by Ashton Burley, the Colonels earned an important Region 7-AAAAA victory Tuesday night at home over Carrollton. The visiting Trojans slipped to 14-9 overall and 7-7 in region play. Cass (14-9, 7-7) hosts Hiram Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. and Kell Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in their final two region games. The Colonels and Carrollton are currently tied for the No. 4 seed with Villa Rica, Hiram, and Kell holding down the top three spots. CARROLLTON GIRLS 70, CASS 64 (Overtime) The Lady Colonels stood toe-to-toe most of the night with the 9th-ranked visiting Carrollton and took the game to overtime, but the Lady Trojans won the extra period 15-9 to take a 70-64 Region 7-AAAAA win. Cass trailed 18-11 after one period but narrowed the deficit to 30-28 by halftime. The Lady Colonels took a 42-41 advantage into the final period with regulation ending with a 55-55 score. Payton Stoddard led Cass with 21 points. Chanel Clemmons added 13 for the Lady Colonels. Carrollton improved to 18-5 overall and 12-2 in region play. Cass (14-9, 7-7) wraps up the regular season with home region games Wednesday with Hiram (6 p.m.) and Saturday against Kell (4 p.m.). WOODLAND GIRLS 51, EAST PAULDING 39 The Woodland girls started slowly and trailed 6-4 after one quarter Tuesday night at East Paulding, but the Lady Cats got the offense going to take a 22-12 advantage into the intermission on their way to a 51-39 Region 7-AAAAA road win. Whitney Harris led Woodland with 22 points. Madgie Robinson followed with 11. Lauren Morris scored six. Carli Clymer and morgan Cooper added four points apiece. Ansley Evans and Leah Stantz each had two points. Kimberlyn Black and Alex Boydstone scored 16 each for East Paulding (3-18, 0-14). Woodland (7-14, 4-11) plays at Hiram Friday night at 6 p.m. and hosts Cartersville Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. WOODLAND BOYS 81, EAST PAULDING 58 The Wildcats went on the road Tuesday night and picked up a region win at East Paulding, 81-58. Woodland led 21-15 after one, 44-29 at halftime, and 61-46 through three quarters. Connor Gallagher led four Wildcats in double figures with 23 points. Jaylen Ballard (14), Hunter Johnson (11), and Charles Norman (10) also reached double-digits. Peyton Roberts and Dustin Ivie contributed seven points each for Woodland. Justice Carter and Kenny Jinks added four apiece, and Dawson Wilkins scored one point. East Paulding (6-17, 2-13) was led by Azer Tidor with 19 points and Sean Rutledge with 12. Woodland (6-17, 4-11) travels to Hiram Friday for their final Region 7-AAAAA regular season game and hosts Cartersville Saturday afternoon in a non-region contest. SONORAVILLE BOYS 71, ADAIRSVILLE 54 Sonoraville took a 19-point lead in the first half Tuesday night and Wil Walraven scored 26 points to help lead the Phoenix to a 71-54 Region 6-AAA South victory over visiting Adairsville. The win by the Phoenix (22-3, 6-1) secured the top South seed in next week’s Region 6-AAA Tournament and avenged 55-54 loss to the Tigers back on January 12. Adairsville (12-12, 6-2) — who was led by Mason Boswell with 16 points and 14 points by Cody Henderson — will be the No. 2 seed from the South sub-region. The tournament will be held at Sonoraville and the Tigers will need two wins to secure a state playoffs berth. SONORAVILLE GIRLS 57, ADAIRSVILLE 28 The Sonoraville girls took an 11-4 lead after one period Tuesday night and led 25-19 at the intermission in a 57-28 Region 6-AAA South defeat of visiting Adairsville. Grace Darnell and Maliyah Parks led the Phoenix (16-7, 10-2) with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Josei Summerville led Adairsville with 14 points. Nakiyah Washington followed with 10 and Havyn Isaac added four. The Lady Tigers (3-20, 1-10) close out their regular season slate Friday night with a home game against Coahulla Creek.

The Cartersville boys basketball team continues to be the only local team ranked by any of the GHSA polls as we head into the final week of the regular season. The Hurricanes (16-4) are currently ranked 7th in Class AAAA by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and 10th by SandysSpiel.com. The Canes win Saturday over Chapel Hill also secured a state tournament berth for the seventh consecutive year. Cartersville can do no worse than a No. 2 seed in the Region 5-AAAA tournament next week and with a first round bye is already in the tournament semifinals. The top four teams from each region advance to the state tournament. Upson-Lee (22-0) currently holds down the top-ranked spot in Class AAAA, with Sandy Creek also in the Top Ten from Cartersville’s Region 5-AAAA at No. 4 (AJC and SandysSpiel.com). The only other boys team in the Top Ten rankings from a region including other local programs is Villa Rica. The Wildcats are the 10th-ranked team in Class AAAAA Other boys teams in the Top Ten of their classification from regions that include local programs are: Villa Rica (18-1, #10, Class AAAAA). Villa Rica currently leads Region 7-AAAAA that includes Cass and Woodland. In the girls polls, Villa Rica (17-1), Rome (19-2), and Carrollton (17-5) hold down spots 7, 8, and 10 in the AJC rankings for Class AAAAA. Those three teams are ranked 6th, 7th, and 8th by SandysSpiel.com and all three are in Region 7-AAAAA with Cass and Woodland. The girls teams from Haralson County (18-2) and North Murray (16-6) are currently 7th and 10th in Class AAA for the AJC. Haralson is ranked 8th by SandysSpiel.com. Both teams are in Region 6-AAA with Adairsville. The regular season concludes this weekend with region tournaments and the post-season beginning next week.

The college basketball, wrestling, and swim season is moving into February at full speed with several local Cartersville and Bartow County athletes contributing at a variety of programs across the country. Meanwhile, the indoor track and field schedule has hit stride along with some college tennis. BASKETBALL RYAN DAVIS — Francis Marion University (Jr., G, Cartersville HS)… scored six points with a pair of rebounds and one assist last Wednesday in the Patriots’ 90-83 home, conference win over UNC Pembroke. He added six points, two rebounds, three assists, and one steal in a 74-63 win Saturday at Georgia College. FMU (12-6, 7-6 Peach Belt Conference) entertains USC Aiken Wednesday and travels to Clayton State Saturday. KIMORA McCLINIC — Middle Georgia State University (Fr., G, Cartersville HS)… scored two points with four rebounds in 24 minutes of playing time Saturday during a 61-47 home loss to William Carey University. She also saw six minutes of playing time off the bench Thursday in a 64-55 loss at Blue Mountain College (MS). The Lady Knights host University of Mobile Thursday night and Loyola University (LA) Saturday. JANA MORNING — Berry College (Fr., G, Cass HS)… scored five points with one rebound, three assists, and three steals during a 61-43 home win Friday over Birmingham Southern College and in her fourth straight start, scored seven points with seven rebounds, five assists, and one steal in a 76-69 home loss Sunday to Millsaps College. Berry (8-10, 3-5 SAA) entertains Rhodes College (TN) Friday and Hendrix College (AR) Sunday. A.J. MOSBY — Alcorn State University (Sr., G, Cartersville HS)… scored 19 points with four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in an 81-64 home win last Monday over Alabama State. On Saturday, he scored six points with four rebounds in a 61-48 loss at Southern University. ASU (7-15, 3-6 Southwestern Athletic Conference) plays at Jackson State this Saturday afternoon. GREG MURPHY — Young Harris College (Jr., F, Woodland HS)… contributed three points and five rebounds last Wednesday in a 63-55 loss at Georgia College. He also scored three points and grabbed one rebound in Saturday’s 83-81 homecoming victory over USC-Aiken. Young Harris (6-13, 5-8) hosts Clayton State Wednesday and travels to Georgia Southwestern State Sunday in a pair of Peach Belt Conference duels. ELIJAH ROBINSON — Emmanuel College (Sr., F, Excel Christian Acad.)… scored 19 points Saturday in an 80-73 home win over Belmont Abbey. He also grabbed 14 rebounds with six assists, one steal, and one block in the victory. Last Tuesday, Robinson scored seven points with five rebounds and three assists in a 91-78 home win over Lees-McRae. Emmanuel (12-8, 6-4 Conference Carolinas) plays at North Greenville Wednesday night and hosts King (TN) Saturday. DARIUS THROWER — Truett McConnell University (Soph., G, Excel Christian Acad.)… scored five points with two rebounds and two assists last Wednesday in a 73-69 home loss to Tennessee Wesleyan College. He also scored four points and had one rebound Saturday at Union College (KY) in a 76-73 loss. TMU (14-10, 7-8 Appalachian Athletic Conference) entertains St. Andrews University (NC) Tuesday night and travels to Point University Thursday. COREY TOBIN — Reinhardt University (Sr., G, Cartersville HS)… the Eagles’ starting guard scored 12 points with six rebounds and one assist last Wednesday in a 99-78 loss at Allen University (SC). It was the only game last week for Reinhardt (12-10, 7-6 Appalachian Athletic Conference). The Eagles host conference foes Union College (KY) Tuesday and Bryan College (TN) Thursday before heading to Bluefield College (VA) on Saturday. CARROD WATSON — University of North Georgia (Soph., F, Woodland HS)… totaled five points with two rebounds in a pair of Peach Belt Conference losses this past week to Lander at home (110-106) and at Georgia Southwestern State Saturday (81-47). UNG (8-10, 6-6 PBC) plays at Clayton State Monday before hosting Columbus State Wednesday and USC-Aiken on Saturday. RUDY WINTERS — Columbus State University (Jr., G, Excel Christian Acad.)… scored 16 points with three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block last Wednesday in a 73-66 home Peach Belt Conference win over Flagler College. Winters also totaled 13 points with nine rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one blocked shot in a 95-76 loss Saturday at Clayton State University. CSU (6-10, 6-7 PBC) travels to University of North Georgia Wednesday night and hosts Augusta University Saturday in Peach Belt Conference action. SWIMMING ELISE HART — US Air Force Academy (Sr., Cartersville HS)… won the 50-yard butterfly (24.45); was part of the third place 200-yard medley relay team; and was 11th in the 50-yard freesyle Saturday, but Air Force lost at the University of Denver 242-80. She also swam the third leg for the second place 200-yard medley relay team (1:47.52); placed sixth (1:00.75) in the 100-yard backstroke; and was fifth in the 100-yard butterfly (1:00.76) in a 183-114 loss Friday at Colorado State. WRESTLING EVAN COLE — Cumberland University (Sr., Cartersville HS)… lost by fall to 149-pound, nationally 2nd-ranked Tres Leon of 4th-ranked University of the Cumberlands in a team 35-9 loss in Williamsburg, KY last Wednesday. The Phoenix host 9th-ranked Lindsey Wilson College (KY) Monday night before hosting 6th-ranked Life University and 12th-ranked Campbellsville (KY) on Saturday. ROBBY EARICK — Life University (Fr., Cartersville HS)… finished 2-2 in the 141-pound division with wins of 5-2 and a 10-5 tie-breaker Sunday at the Cumberland University Open in Lebanon, TN. The Eagles host University of the Cumberlands (KY) Wednesday and will face Campbellsville University (KY) and Cumberland University (TN) back in Lebanon on Saturday. TRACK AND FIELD ANNA HIGHTOWER — Georgia Tech (Jr., Cartersville HS)… pole vaulter cleared 3.85 meters (12’-7.5”) to place ninth at the Clemson University Bob Pollock Indoor Invitational this past weekend. Next for Georgia Tech is the Texas A&M Charlie Thomas Invitational this Friday and Saturday in College Station, TX. SAMANTHA PATTERSON — Jacksonville State University (Sr., Woodland HS)… pole vaulter failed to make a recorded hight at the JDL College Dual Madness Sunday in Winston-Salem, NC. She passed until the 3.15 meter height (10’-0.25”) but did not clear it successfully to finish outside the top four. The Gamecocks will compete at the Dunamis Super Meet February 8-11 at LakePoint in Emerson. BLAKE PERRY — Jacksonville State University (Sr., Cartersville HS)… was third in the triple jump (37'-06.75") and placed sixth (9.21) in the 60 meter hurdles at the JDL College Dual Madness Sunday in Winston-Salem, NC. Next for Jacksonville State is the Dunamis Super Meet at LakePoint in Emerson February 8-11. TENNIS PEYTON GOLLHOFER — Ball State University (Jr., Cartersville, GA, Laurel Springs Acad.)… in a doubleheader home match Sunday with Eastern Illinois, Gollhofer partnered with Lilya Hadab to win a Line 3 doubles 6-3 in a 4-3 team win. She then paired with Hadab for a 5-4 win at Line 2 doubles and had her Line 1 singles match end with no result as the Cardinals completed a sweep of Eastern Illinois 4-2. BSU (3-1) travels to Wright State Sunday.

The Cartersville Lady Canes snapped a brief losing streak with a win Saturday at Chapel Hill in Region 5-AAAA action. The Hurricanes also won an important region game and the Adairsville boys edged Coosa in an exciting non-region matchup. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 59, COOSA 58 Hunter Hice poured in 24 points and Cody Henderson added 11 as the Adairsville boys won a non-region game Saturday at Coosa, 59-58. The Tigers have now won six of their last seven and 12 of their last 15 games to improve to 13-10 overall. Mason Bowell added eight points for Adairsville. Ethan Belcher, Gaven Crunkelton, and Malachi Gardner scored five apiece. Jessie O’Kelley added one point. Kenon Dixson scored a game-high 22 for the Eagles. Kameron White added a dozen points as Coosa fell to 8-13 for the year. Adairsville plays at Sonoraville Tuesday and hosts Coahulla Creek Friday for their Senior Night recognitions. COOSA GIRLS 60, ADAIRSVILLE 54 The Lady Tigers rallied in the final period, but came up short in a 60-54 loss Saturday at Coosa in a non-region game. Adairsville led 14-13 after one quarter, but fell behind 33-21 at half and 47-32 going into the fourth quarter. Carah Arrant led the Lady Eagles with 23 points. Taylor Roberts scored 15 and Emma Reynolds had 12 for Coosa (9-12). Nakiyah Washington led Adairsville with 16 points. Coriana McDaniel followed with 12 and Josie Summerville finished with 10 points. Havyn Isaac posted nine, Breanna Wilson four, Jaleyiah Mitchell two, and Aaliyah Applin one. Adairsville (3-19, 1-9) closes out the regular season next week at Sonoraville Tuesday at 6 p.m. before hosting Coahulla Creek Friday at 7 p.m. CARTERSVILLE BOYS 75, CHAPEL HILL 48 The Canes picked up an important Region 5-AAAA win Saturday at Chapel Hill, 75-48. With the victory, Cartersville clinched a state playoff berth in Class AAAA. The Hurricanes' seed will be determined in tournament play next week. T.J. Horton led Cartersville’s attack Saturday with 20 points, followed by Perignon Dyer with 18 and Jaylon Pugh with 13 points. Cartersville and Chapel Hill were tied 9-9 after one quarter, but the Hurricanes outscored the Panthers 20-7 in the second quarter to take a 29-16 lead at the half. Cartersville extended their lead to 52-33 through three periods. Chapel Hill — led by T Rea with 12 and Markell Clonts with 10 points — slipped to 4-15 overall and 1-8 in region play. Cartersville (17-4, 10-2) hosts Alexander in a non-region game Tuesday before entertaining Troup County Friday in their final regular season region game. The Canes close out the regular season at Woodland on Saturday. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 39, CHAPEL HILL 30 The Lady Canes snapped a five-game skid Saturday with their second win of the season over Chapel Hill in Douglasville. Cartersville won the first meeting between the two teams 36-25 earlier in the month. The Lady Panthers led 9-7 after one quarter, but the Lady Canes carried a 19-16 advantage to the intermission and led 30-25 after three quarters. Cio Siegler scored 11 and Kallie Scheff 10 to help lead Cartersville. London Shaw posted seven, Naija Evans six, Ariana Cochran and Addie Smith two, and Amya Davis added one point. Evans also totaled a game-high 14 rebounds. Madison Jackson led Chapel Hill (1-19, 0-8) with nine points. Cartersville (7-14, 2-9) hosts Troup County next Friday in their final regular season region game at the Storm Center at 6 p.m. The Lady Canes then travel to Woodland on Saturday at 3 p.m. for a non-region game. KELL GIRLS 56, CASS 50 The Lady Colonels lost Saturday at Kell, 56-50. The host Lady Longhorns led 19-15 after one quarter, 32-30 at half, and 42-41 after the third quarter in the tight battle. Kya Williams and Ashley Sparrow led Kell (9-13, 6-7) with 18 and 16 points. Payton Stoddard scored 15 points to lead the Lady Colonels. She was followed by Kyla Michienzi with 10, Sharia Wade and Amber Brittian with eight, Aaliyah Curtis totaled five, Chanel Clemmons three, and Alexis Ware added one point. Cass (14-8, 7-6) hosts Carrollton Tuesday at 6 p.m., Hiram Wednesday at 6 p.m., and entertains Kell in a quick rematch next Saturday with a 4 p.m. tip. KELL BOYS 54, CASS 47 The Colonels lost at Kell Saturday to slip under .500 in region play. Mark Chester led Cass with 18 points. Ashton Burley and Markeldrick Powell followed with 11 and 8 points, respectively. Kell improved to 13-9 overall and 10-3 in Region 7-AAAAA. Cass (13-9, 6-7) closes out the regular season slate next week at home against Carrollton Tuesday, Hiram Wednesday, and Kell on Saturday. VILLA RICA GIRLS 57, WOODLAND 27 Kyndal Coleman (19 points), Emmy Parham (14), and Jaila Orozco (11) led 4th-ranked Villa Rica to a 57-27 Region 7-AAAAA win Saturday over visiting Woodland. Villa Rica (17-1, 12-1) led 10-5 after one quarter, then extended their lead to 30-12 at halftime and 49-17 through three quarters. Whitney Harris led the Lady Cats with 10 points. Morgan Bailey, Leah Stantz, and Carli Clymer scored four points each. Morgan Cooper and Gracie Styles added two points apiece. Lauren Morris contributed one. Woodland (6-14, 3-11) plays road region games Tuesday at East Paulding and Friday at Hiram in 6 p.m. starts. The Lady Cats will then close out the regular season with a home game against Cartersville at 3 p.m. VILLA RICA BOYS 48, WOODLAND 39 Woodland led 13-7 after eight minutes and 24-22 at halftime, but the 7th-ranked Villa Rica boys outscored the visiting Wildcats 20-6 in the third quarter to carry a 42-30 advantage into the final quarter on their way to a nine-point Region 7-AAAAA win. Latrell Swanigan led Villa Rica with 17 points. Woodland’s Jaylen Ballard matched him with 17 points. Javonte Hart and Elijah Fluker added eight each for Villa Rica (18-1, 11-1). Woodland got seven points each from Charles Norman and Connor Gallagher. Hunter Johnson and Peyton Roberts added three points and Dawson Wilkins two. Woodland (5-17, 3-11) plays at East Paulding Tuesday, at Hiram Friday, and hosts Cartersville Saturday.

The Cass High School wrestling team hosted and won the 2018 Area 7-AAAAA Traditional Championship Tournament Saturday. The Colonels finished with 205 team points, followed by Woodland (188.5), Carrollton (164), Hiram (148), Kell (111), Rome (60), Villa Rica (49), East Paulding (39), and Paulding County (32). Cass wrestlers won six of the 14 weight divisions with Woodland wrestlers taking area individual titles in three weight classes. Cass had ten wrestlers advance to the state sectionals. Woodland will have a dozen to advance. Ben Mills (126), Tyler Pilcher (132), Kameron Depasquale (138), Kendall Arnold (145), Tripp Breeden (220), and Seven Richards (285) were weight class winners for the Colonels. Wildcats wrestlers Caden McCrary (113), Kyle Gollhofer (120), and Cody Cochran (160) won region/area titles. Also advancing to the state sectionals from Cass are Derrick Smith (113, 2nd place), Rett Moore (170, 2nd), Hunter Rees (106, 3rd), Thomas Gilliam (195, 3rd), In addition to the area winners, advancing to the state sectionals from Woodland are Caleb Jones (126, 2nd), Tommy Duke (152, 2nd), Easton Bishop (132, 3rd), Demarcus Williams (182, 3rd), Hayden Stepp (106, 4th), Bryce Collum (138, 4th), Bryce Shedd (170, 4th), Jalen Hudson (195, 4th), Diego Gonzales (285, 4th). Beau Smith (182, 5th), Nick Mills (120, 6th), Alex Depasquale (152, 6th), and Noah Hoffmeier (160, 6th) placed for Cass. Blake Cash (145, 5th) and Kevin Jackson (220, 6th) placed for Woodland. Wrestlers from Cass and Woodland finishing in the top four of their respective weight classes advance to the State Sectionals next weekend at Buford High School. ADAIRSVILLE FOURTH AT AREA 3-AAA TOURNAMENT The Tigers qualified six wrestlers to the state sectionals Saturday at their Area Traditional Tournament held at Bremen High School. As a team, Adairsville placed fourth in the 13-team tournament. Angel Banda (106, 2nd place) and Nic Jackson (170, 2nd) led the Tigers with runner-up finishes. Dallas Milton (160, 3rd), Bryce Burgess (182, 3rd), and Austin Jackson (220, 3rd) placed third. Joseph Pacheco (126, 4th) also advanced to the state sectionals. Doss Dudley (113, 6th) was an area placer for Adairsville. The state sectionals for Adairsville are next weekend at Bremen High School. CARTERSVILLE ADVANCES EIGHT TO SECTIONALS The Cartersville wrestling team advanced eight individuals to next weekend’s Class AAAA Sectionals with top finishes Saturday at the Area 5-AAAA Tournament in LaGrange. Senior Jonathan De La Cruz won the 182-pound weight class to claim Cartersville’s only individual title. Jabril Williams (160) finished area runner-up. Advancing with third place finishes were Garrett Geros (170) and Collin Buffaloe (220). Conner Adams (120), Eoin Neal (132), Devin Winters (195), and Jonathan Sanders (285) advanced to state sectionals with fourth place finishes. "I am very proud of our effort today," said Cartersville head coach Garvin Edwards. "We qualified eight guys for the state sectionals and had two others to earn alternate spots." Cartersville placed fifth as a team in the tournament. Troup won the team championship, followed by Central-Carroll, LaGrange, and Cedartown. The state sectionals for Cartersville are next weekend at Woodward Academy.

The Woodland boys knocked off visiting Cass in a low-scoring struggle. The Cass girls cruised past the Lady Cats, and the Adairsville boys picked up a one-sided sub-region win over visiting Haralson County Friday night in local high school basketball action. Both Cartersville teams lost region games at Sandy Creek, and the Adairsville girls lost at home to state-ranked Haralson County. WOODLAND BOYS 26, CASS 25 The Woodland boys basketball team edged Cass 26-25 Friday night in a deliberate, slow-paced game that saw the Colonels lead for most of the night. Cass had leads of 5-0 at the end of the first quarter, 15-9 at halftime, and 25-20 after three quarters. Hunter Johnson finished with nine points to lead Woodland (5-16, 3-10). Ashton Burley, who went over 1,000 points for his career, and Justice Hayes had eight points each for Cass (13-8, 6-6). Woodland plays at Villa Rica Saturday. Cass travels to Kell. CASS GIRLS 55, WOODLAND 16 The Lady Colonels burst to a 27-8 lead by halftime and led 38-10 after three quarters on their way to a 55-16 win Friday at Woodland. Sharia Wade and Aaliyah Curtis led Cass with nine points each. Ansley Evans scored four points for Woodland. The Lady Cats (6-13, 3-10) play at Villa Rica Saturday. Cass (14-7, 7-5) travels to Kell. SANDY CREEK BOYS 78, CARTERSVILLE 52 Sandy Creek outscored Cartersville 24-9 in the second quarter to take a 38-27 lead at halftime and pulled away in the second half for a 26-point Region 5-AAAA win over the visiting Canes. T.J. Horton and Jaylon Pugh scored 22 and 14 points, respectively to lead Cartersville. Sandy Creek’s T.J. Bickerstaff led all scorers in contest with 25 points. The Patriots improved to 16-5 overall and 7-2 in region play. Cartersville (15-4, 8-2) travels to Chapel Hill Saturday. SANDY CREEK GIRLS 60, CARTERSVILLE 27 Four Lady Patriots finished with double digit scoring as Sandy Creek improved to 13-8 overall and 7-2 in Region 5-AAAA. Cio Seigler led Cartersville (6-14, 1-9) with seven points. The Lady Canes play at Chapel Hill on Saturday. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 63, HARALSON COUNTY 34 Hunter Hice led the Tigers with 16 points. Cody Henderson and Mason Boswell followed with 12 and 10 points, respectively, as Adairsville cruised to an easy Region 6-AAA-South win at home Friday night. Haralson County fell to 3-16 overall and 0-10 in region play. Adairsville (12-10, 7-4) plays a non-region game at Coosa Saturday afternoon. HARALSON COUNTY GIRLS 58, ADAIRSVILLE 22 The Class AAA 6th-ranked Haralson County girls took care of business Friday night at Adairsville in a 58-22 win over the Lady Tigers. The Lady Rebels led 15-4 after one quarter and extended their lead to 31-13 by the intermission. Nakiyah Washington scored 10 points and Josie Summerville five for the Lady Tigers. Haralson County moved to 17-2 overall and 7-2 in Region 6-AAA. Adairsville (3-18, 1-9) travels to Coosa for a non-region game Saturday at 4 p.m.

The Woodland High School basketball teams playing for the third consecutive night completed a home sweep of visiting Paulding County Wednesday night. The Lady Cats defeated Paulding 37-29 and the Wildcats earned a 63-60 Region 7-AAAAA victory. The two teams were squaring off for the second time in three nights. Woodland played in Dallas this past Monday night. WOODLAND GIRLS 37, PAULDING COUNTY 29 Carli Clymer poured in 17 points and Whitney Harris added 11 as the Lady Cats defeated the Lady Patriots for the second time in three days, 37-29. Lauren Morris tossed in four points for Woodland. Madgie Robinson and Morgan Cooper added three and two points, respectively. The Lady Cats led 12-5 after one quarter and 21-12 at the intermission, but Paulding drew within one point of the lead at 26-25 heading into the final period. Woodland limited the visiting Patriots (2-19, 2-10) to only four points in the fourth quarter. Kemani Watson scored 10 of her 14 points in the third quarter to draw Paulding back into the game. Melina Rowe added seven points for the Lady Pats. Woodland (5-12, 2-9) hosts Cass Friday at 7 p.m. and travels to 4th-ranked Villa Rica Saturday at 6 p.m. WOODLAND BOYS 63, PAULDING COUNTY 60 Paulding County pulled away in the second half of Monday’s game with Woodland in Dallas for a 21-point victory, but the Wildcats turned the tables in the rematch Wednesday night to escape with a 63-60 Region 7-AAAAA win. Connor Gallagher started hot and poured in a dozen of his game-high 27 points in the first quarter to lead the Wildcats to a 22-13 advantage after eight minutes. Woodland maintained a 35-28 at halftime and 47-39 through three periods before holding off a late rally by the Patriots for the 3-point win. Jaylen Ballard also reached double figures for the Wildcats with 15 points. He was followed by Charles Norman with nine, Hunter Johnson four, D.J. Robinson three, Justice Carter two, and one each by Dawson Wilkins, Peyton Roberts, and Kenny Jinks. Vance Anderson led Paulding County (12-10, 6-7) with nine points. Mike Seymour added eight. Jermiah Reed and Tyron Sumerour contributed seven points each. Woodland (4-16, 2-10) hosts Cass Friday night and travels to region-leader and 7th-ranked Villa Rica on Saturday.

The Lady Colonels wasted little time putting visiting East Paulding away Wednesday night in Region 7-AAAAA action at Cass, 74-29. Cass led 22-8 after the initial eight minutes and extended that lead to 45-14 by halftime. The Lady Colonels led 58-23 after three quarters and did not allow double digit scoring by East Paulding (3-15, 0-12) in any of the four quarters. Sharia Wade led four Cass players in double figures with 16 points. Payton Stoddard followed with 13, Kyler Trouten 11, and Kyla Michienzi with 10 points. Rounding out the scoring for Cass were Lyric Curtis and Damia Simpson with five each; Aaliyah Curtis and Alexis Ware with four apiece; and three points each by Ariana Hames and Londaisha Smith. Cass (13-7, 6-5) plays at Woodland Friday night at 7 p.m. and travels to Kell Saturday for a 4 p.m. tip. CASS BOYS 91, EAST PAULDING 64 Although the East Paulding boys are at the bottom of the Region 7-AAAAA standings, the Raiders continue to push the action with an uptempo style. Wednesday night Cass chimed in at home and ran away with one-sided 91-64 win. Normally more methodical on offense, Cass raced to a 23-13 lead after one quarter and never looked back. The Colonels led 56-34 at halftime and 77-48 after three stanzas. Justice Hays led four Cass players to hit double-digit scoring with 17 points. Ethan Carter, Ashton Burley, and Carter Hedden each finished with 14 points. Macland Shay and Mark Chester contributed eight points each. Steven Spell added seven, Braxton Benham four, and Markeldrick Powell three. Azer Tidoe and Silas Johnson led the Raiders (4-15, 0-12) with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Cass (13-7, 6-5) plays at Woodland Friday night and travels to Kell on Saturday.

The Cass girls and boys earned Region 7-AAAAA road wins Tuesday night at Hiram and the Cartersville boys bounced back from their first region loss of the year with a home, region victory over LaGrange. CASS BOYS 43, HIRAM 40 The Colonels held on Tuesday night at Hiram for an important Region 7-AAAAA victory, 43-40. The Hornets led 12-7 after one period, 20-18 at halftime, and 28-27 through three quarters in the tightly contested battle. Carter Hedden led the Colonels with 13 points. Ashton Burley followed with 10. Justice Hayes scored eight, Mark Chester seven, Ethan Carter three, and Steven Spell two. Hiram, led by 13 points from Darius Johnson, falls to 11-7 overall and 5-3 in the region. Cass (12-7, 5-5) hosts East Paulding Wednesday night. CASS GIRLS 58, HIRAM 44 The Lady Colonels took a 12-3 lead in the opening eight minutes and never left the outcome in doubt in a 58-44 Region 7-AAAAA Tuesday night at Hiram. Cass led 29-11 at the intermission and 47-23 after three quarters. Amber Brittian led the Lady Colonels with 15 points. Lyric Curtis and Payton Stoddard followed with 11 and 10 points. Sharia Wade scored six, Alexis Ware five, Chanel Clemmons four, Aaliyah Curtis three, and Kyla Michienzi and Kyler Trouten added two points apiece. Karrington Powell led Hiram with 11 points. The Lady Hornets slipped to 8-10 overall and 5-3 in region play. Cass (12-7, 5-5) hosts East Paulding Wednesday at 6 p.m. CARTERSVILLE BOYS 70, LaGRANGE 66 The Canes bounced back from Monday night’s road loss at Troup County to hand the visiting Grangers a 70-66 Region 5-AAAA loss Tuesday night at the Storm Center. T.J. Horton poured in 33 points for the Hurricanes and Isaac Gridley added 19 points in the victory. Cartersville led 48-37 after three quarters, but the Grangers threatened in the fourth quarter. Bo Russell scored a game-high 38 points for LaGrange, including 16 in the final eight minutes as the Grangers kept the game close. Daz Williams added 16 points. The loss dropped LaGrange to 15-7 overall and 5-3 in region play. Cartersville (15-3, 8-1) travels to Sandy Creek Friday. LaGRANGE GIRLS 45, CARTERSVILLE 24 The Lady Canes struggled to take care of the basketball Tuesday night in a 45-24 home, region loss to LaGrange. The Lady Grangers led 17-11 after one period and built on their advantage each period taking a 26-point lead into the fourth quarter. LaGrange (12-9, 8-0) was led by Aryan Dozier and Mo Strozier with 16 and 14 points, respectively. Cartersville (6-13, 1-8) travel to Sandy Creek for another region game Friday. ROME GIRLS 57, WOODLAND 27 The Lady Wolves led visiting Woodland 35-18 Tuesday night at halftime on their way to a 57-27 region win. Tarrah Gibson and Taya Gibson scored 10 points each to lead Rome. Whitney Harris led Woodland with eight points. Lauren Morris scored six and Madgie Robinson added four points for the Lady Cats. Nickiah Metcalf totaled three points. Morgan Cooper, Carli Clymer, and Gracie Styles added two points each. Rome improved to 16-2 overall and 8-1 in Region 7-AAAAA. Woodland (4-13, 1-10) hosts Paulding County in another region game Wednesday at 6 p.m. ROME BOYS 46, WOODLAND 42 The Woodland boys outscored Rome 20-9 in the final quarter, but came up four points short in a 46-42 Region 7-AAAAA road loss to the Wolves. Rome led 16-4 after one quarter, 28-9 at halftime, and 37-22 heading into the final eight minutes. Caleb Byrd led the Wolves with 15 points. Adam Anderson scored eight. D.J. Robinson and Charles Norman scored 10 points each for Woodland. Jaylen Ballard added nine points. Hunter Johnson scored seven points. Justice Carter, Dawson Wilkins, and Connor Gallagher added two points apiece for the Wildcats. The win evened Rome’s record at 7-7 overall and 4-4 in Region 7-AAAAA. Woodland (3-16, 1-10) hosts Paulding County Wednesday. CALHOUN GIRLS 63, ADAIRSVILLE 61 (Overtime) The Lady Tigers started strong and led at Calhoun Tuesday night at halftime, 34-19, but the Lady Jackets stormed back in the second half to send the game into overtime before edging Adairsville, 63-61. Nakiyah Washington led Adairsville with 21 points. Josie Summerville followed with 17 and Havyn Isaac added nine. Coriana McDaniel scored eight, Breeana Wilson four, and Lori Cimino two points. Erin Davis led Calhoun (9-8, 5-2) with 17 points. Ashlyn Brzozoski scored 16 and Anna George added 12. Adairsville (3-17, 1-8) entertains Haralson County Friday at 6 p.m. CALHOUN BOYS 60, ADAIRSVILLE 47 Davis Allen scored 18, Tononcito Martha 14, and Xaxton Godson 12 as Calhoun defeated visiting Adairsville Tuesday 60-47. Cody Henderson led Adairsville with 14 points. Hunter Hice and Mason Boswell followed with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Ethan Belcher totaled seven points. Gaven Crunkelton and Savaun Henderson added two points each. Calhoun improved to 5-12 overall and 5-3 in Region 6-AAA. Adairsville (11-10, 6-4) hosts Haralson County Friday.

The Class 4A, 4th-ranked Cartersville boys basketball team suffered its first Region 5-AAAA loss of the year Monday night at Troup County, falling to the Tigers 65-62. Troup led at each quarter stop. The Tigers held a 16-12 after one quarter, 35-27 at halftime, and 52-41 through three quarters. Troup’s Jay Jefferson scored a game-high 31 points -- including six three-pointers -- followed by teammates Tristian Ware and Lenntavis Harper with 8 points each. Trey Williams added seven assists for the Tigers. T.J. Horton and Jaylon Pugh reached double digit scoring for the Canes with 22 and 16 points, respectively. Horton added four assists and 11 of Pugh's points came in the fourth quarter. Pugh also grabbed nine rebounds and had four assists. Isaac Gridley contributed nine points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots. Perignon Dyer scored six points, Luke Schiltz five, and JKobe Orr tossed in four points. Troup improved to 9-8 overall and 4-3 in region play. Cartersville (14-3, 7-1) hosts LaGrange at the Storm Center Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. in another important region contest. TROUP GIRLS 39, CARTERSVILLE 25 Jedda Madden scored a game-high 17 points to help lead Troup County past the visiting Lady Canes Monday night in LaGrange, 39-25. The Lady Tigers led 17-14 at halftime and extended their lead to 28-18 in the third quarter by limiting Cartersville to only four points. Cio Seigler scored eight points for the Lady Canes. Kallie Scheff added five. Jada Cunningham and Addie Smith posted four points each. Amya Davis and Arianna Cochran rounded out the scoring with two apiece. Troup improved to 9-6 overall and 4-3 in Region 5-AAAA. Cartersville (6-12, 1-7) hosts LaGrange Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at the Storm Center.