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February 14, 2025 Friday’s tournament action for local high school teams: GAPPS Class A State Quarterfinals EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 91, PRAISE ACADEMY 65 The Eagles cruised to an easy 91-65 win over Praise Academy Friday night and advanced to the GAPPS Class A Final Four. Evan Chappell, Kaiyu Huffman, and Carter May scored 18 points to lead Excel Christian. The Eagles led 22-14 after one quarter, 55-26 at halftime, and 80-50 at the end of the third quarter. Hunter Ivey led the Lions in the scoring column with 24 points. Daniel Foote and Josh Ridge added 13 for Praise Academy (12-14). Excel Christian (18-8) will play Trinity Prep (14-10) of Loganville in the state semifinals on Tuesday at Gordon College in Barnesville. Region 7-AAA Semifinals ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 62, NORTHWEST WHITFIELD 50 The Adairsville Tigers advanced to a region championship game for the fourth straight year with a 62-50 win over the Northwest Whitfield Bruins at Calhoun High School. The Tigers led 22-11 after one period and 29-21 at halftime. Adairsville extended that lead to 50-35 by the end of the third quarter and held on for a 12-point victory. Xavious Nalls poured in 30 points for the Tigers. Ben Abernathy followed with 13 points, and Tre Winters scored eight points. Akendris Douglas led the Bruins with 16 points. Caden Ramsey scored 10 for Northwest Whitfield (18-7). On Saturday, Adairsville (17-9) will play Calhoun for the Region 7-AAA championship. The host Yellow Jackets (18-3) beat LaFayette on Friday night 57-27 in the other region semifinal. Region 7-AAAA Championship Game DALTON 54, CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 32 The seventh-ranked Dalton Lady Catamounts split regular season games with the Lady Canes but won the region tournament championship game Friday night at Allatoona 54-32. Aubriyana Camp led Dalton with 21 points. Jolie Wingfield contributed 12, and Wisdom Kent added eight for the Lady Catamounts. Dalton led 16-8 after one quarter, 25-15 at the intermission, and 41-23 at the end of the third period. Senai Camper scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds for Cartersville. KK Arnold finished with eight points, five boards, and four assists. Jayda Cothran contributed six points and four rebounds. Zoe McCurry and Trinity Montgomery added four points each. Both teams will host Class AAAA State Tournament first-round games on Tuesday.  Dalton (24-3) will host Westminster (13-12). Cartersville (17-9) will entertain Cambridge (9-16). Region 7-AAAA Third Place Game CARTERSVILLE BOYS 66, CEDARTOWN 59 The Purple Hurricanes held off a pesky Cedartown Bulldogs team Friday at Allatoona High School in the third-place game of the Region 7-AAAA tournament for a 66-59 win. Nas Bennett led four Canes in double figures with 20 points. He also had seven rebounds and four assists. Wyatt Thomason contributed a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Kaden Baldwin scored 12 points with five steals, and Will Bishop scored 11 for Cartersville. Cedartown (15-14) will be a 4-seed on Wednesday and play a first-round state tournament game at Westminster (17-6). Cartersville (17-11) advances as a 3-seed and will visit Kell (20-7) on Wednesday. Region 7-AAAA Third Place Game CASS GIRLS 56, HIRAM 44 The Lady Colonels avenged two regular-season losses to the Hiram Lady Hornets by winning the Region 7-AAAA tournament third-place game on Friday afternoon, 56-44, at Allatoona High School. Cass traded buckets with the Hornets for most of the first three quarters. The Lady Colonels led 14-5 after one period but trailed 24-20 at halftime. Cass regained the lead 38-35 by the end of the third quarter and outscored Hiram 18-9 in the fourth quarter for a 12-point win. T'nasia Nance and Taylor Crawford led Hiram with 14 and 13 points, respectively. KK Evans scored 16 points for the Lady Colonels. Darianna Sosa followed with 15. Anizah Taylor contributed 10 points, and Cadie Paez added eight. Cass (13-14) will open the Class AAAA State Tournament on Tuesday at Blessed Trinity (9-15). Hiram (12-15) travels to Kell (21-5) on Tuesday to open the state tournament.

February 16, 2025 The Georgia Highlands Chargers completed a four-game series sweep of visiting Lincoln Trail College on Saturday by winning both games of a doubleheader at Bentley Field. The Chargers won 11-9 and 10-0, outscoring the Statesmen 29-12 in the four-game set. Georgia Highlands trailed 7-2 in the middle of the fifth inning of Game 1 but plated eight runs in the bottom of the inning to pull out a two-run victory. William Homan (0.2 IP, 0R, 0H) retired two outs in the sixth inning to collect the pitching win. Jackson Greer struck out the side in the top of the seventh to earn a save. Grayson Godbee produced three hits in the opener, including a solo home run and three RBI. Andrew Bishop also had three hits with three RBI. Kensky Thomas (RBI) and Ryan Martin (RBI) added one hit. Tyler Phillips and Caden Marcos (sac fly) contributed one RBI. In Saturday's second game, GHC pitchers Brodie Chestnutt (5 IP, 0R, 3H, 2BB, 6K) and Reece Robertson (1 IP, 0R, 1K) blanked the Statesmen. Thomas had two hits and two RBI, along with two walks. Ian Fullerton hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning, and Thomas smacked a solo shot in the fifth to finish with two RBIs. Ali Banks (triple, RBI), Heath Whitlock (triple, two RBI), Emiliano Dominguez (two RBI), and Bishop added one hit. The Chargers (10-1) host USC Salkehatchie for two games on Tuesday starting at noon and will host Macomb CC and Wabash Valley College on Saturday and Sunday.

February 16, 2025 Georgia Highlands softball completed a series sweep of USC Sumter on Saturday by winning both games of a doubleheader at Carol Brown Field, 13-0 and 10-8. Maci Andrews pitched a complete game, allowing only one hit in a shutout during the first game. She issued two walks and recorded five strikeouts.  Ahmani Green drove in four runs on a second-inning home run and a fourth-inning double. Cayden Warren also had two hits, including a double and one RBI in Saturday’s opener. Cass product Haylee Dishmon (triple, two RBI), Athens Hudson (double, RBI), and Abbey Yates (RBI) added one hit. Emma Darrow produced three hits, including two singles, an inside-the-park home run, and three RBI in the Chargers’ second win of the day. Dishmon, Emmalee Freeman (RBI), Ally Graden (RBI), Abbi Hall, and Yates collected two hits. Mary Catherine Kimball and Green (RBI) added one hit. Hannah Mounce (2 IP, 3R, 0ER, 3H, 1BB, 1K) picked up the pitching win in Game 2 in relief of starter Hayden Joyner (2 IP, 5ER, 6H). Hudson (3 IP, 0R, 2H, 1BB, 2K) closed out the final three innings in the circle. The Chargers (11-1) extended their current win streak to seven games. They host Cleveland State CC for a doubleheader on Tuesday at 1 p.m. and will host USC Union for four games on Friday and Saturday.

February 16, 2025 Cartersville golfer R.B. Clyburn finished tied for ninth this past Thursday through Saturday at the 70th annual Gasparilla Invitational. The tournament is an elite mid-amateur event hosted by Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club in Tampa, Florida on its 6,300-yard, par 70 layout. Mid-amateur events are for players 25 years or older. Scott Turner of Stuart, Florida, won the Gasparilla title with a 4-under-par total of 206. He carded rounds of 68-69-69 and finished one shot ahead of Californian Steele Dewald and William Davenport, the 2024 Florida Mid-Am Player of the Year. Clyburn fired rounds of 69-73-69 for a 1-over-par 211 total. “It’s the middle of my basketball refereeing season,” said Clyburn on Saturday. “I haven’t played very much golf, so I am pretty pleased with my results. I thought the course played tough.” Clyburn, 35, is a Division I men’s basketball official who also referees other NCAA, NAIA, and occasionally high school levels. He is a member of Cartersville Country Club.

February 16, 2025 Cartersville Hurricanes baseball dropped its 2025 opener on Saturday to Rabun Gap-Nacoochee at Pickens High School in Jasper, 4-1. Three Eagles’ pitchers combined to limit the Canes to just three hits and kept Cartersville off the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth when David Vargas coaxed a bases loaded walk to force in a run. Aiden Kitchings (5 IP, 0R, 2H, 6BB, 7K) made the pitching start for Rabun Gap. Malcolm Lingler (1 IP, 1ER, 1H, 1BB, 2K) and Max Doninger (1 IP, 1K) also pitched for the Eagles. The Eagles took advantage of a walk and three consecutive singles to score two runs in the fourth inning. A hit batsman, a walk, and an error led to two runs for Rabun Gap in the fifth. Julez Pratt had two hits for Cartersville. Tristan McKibben had the only other Canes’ hit and reached base two other times on walks. Cartersville utilized four pitchers in the contest. Starter Avery Shiflett (2 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB, 5K) fanned five of nine batters faced. Nate Russell (1.1 IP, 2ER, 4H, 1BB, 3K), Logan Shrewsbury (2.2 IP, 2R, 0ER, 0H, 1BB, 3K), and Maddox Frazier (1 IP, 0R, 3H, 1K) also pitched. The Canes will look to bounce back Tuesday at home against Alexander at 1 p.m.

February 16, 2025 The Cass Colonels won the GHSA Class AAAA State Traditional Wrestling Championship after winning the State Dual Championship in January. Cass has seven state titles in wrestling since 2006. The Cass Colonels’ wrestling team backed up its State Duals Championship in January with a 2025 Class AAAA State Traditional Tournament Championship this past weekend at the Macon Centreplex. Cass had competitors reach the State Finals Tournament in twelve of the fourteen weight classes, and nine of those qualifiers reached the podium. Cass senior Hunter Barrett won an individual state title in the 120-pound weight class and senior teammate Aiden Piatt captured the 144-pound division. Both Colonels won four bouts to claim championships in the 16-man State Finals brackets. The Colonels completed the tournament with 186 points. They were 26.5 points ahead of runner-up Central-Carroll and 43 points ahead of third place Woodland. Ola and Eastside rounded out the top five teams in Class AAAA. Cartersville finished 20th with 37.5 points. Three Cass grapplers earned state runner-up finishes with narrow losses in their state championship bouts. They were each 3-1 in their respective weight divisions. Freshman Hayden Trimm (106 pounds) lost 10-8 in his state title bout. Junior Mason Tompkins (175) dropped a 4-1 decision, and senior Kirecg Roe (190) was edged 7-6 in the finals. Other Colonels reaching the podium included Luka Jensen (third at 132, 4-1), David Jewell (fourth at 150, 3-2), Ethan Harrington (fifth at 157, 4-2), and John Abernathy (sixth at 285, 3-3). Codey Dean (215, 2-2), Gavin Walker (113, 1-2), and Rowdy Duck (138, 1-2) added Cass team points in the tournament. With this title, Cass has state traditional championships in 2006, 2022, and 2025 and state dual championships in 2008, 2022, 2024, and 2025. Zachary Wallace captured the 165-pound individual title for Woodland, while Wildcats Paul Lanier (157, 3-1) and John Gill (215, 3-1) finished state runner-up. Other Wildcat wrestlers reaching the podium included Adrian Zapata (126, 5-1, third place), Nick Weathersbee (106, 4-2, fourth place), Dylan Couey (138, 3-2, fifth place), Owen Jones (190, 4-2, fifth place), and Nathan Cates (132, 3-3, sixth place). Cartersville senior Talan Nix (150) went 4-1 and placed third in his weight class. In Class AAA, Adairsville’s Jett Johnson finished as state runner-up in the 285-pound division. Johnson won three straight bouts before falling in the finals. He scored 22 bracket points and single-handedly had the Tigers 25th in the AAA state tournament. In the GHSA Girls State Championships, Adairsville sophomore Jaylee Long was state runner-up in the 100-pound division. She won two bouts by pin and one by 5-0 decision to reach the title bout.

February 15, 2025 Xavious Nalls scored 19 points Saturday in the Region 7-AAA Championship game. The Adairsville Tigers battled with the Calhoun Yellow Jackets Saturday night for the Region 7-AAA tournament championship but came up short 61-48. The two teams had split games during the regular season, with each team winning on the road. Calhoun won the rubber game Saturday night at home for the region title, and both teams are expected to host first-round games in the Class AAA State Tournament, which begins on Wednesday. Calhoun led 14-9 after one period Saturday and pushed their lead to eight in the second quarter. Adairsville narrowed that margin late in the second period, and a Tre Winters dunk at the buzzer sent the Tigers to the intermission trailing 27-25. Tre Winters scored 12 points Saturday in the region title game. In the second half, the Yellow Jackets surged again and maintained a six to ten-point lead throughout most of the final two quarters. Calhoun led 43-36 at the end of the third period en route to a 13-point win. Trace Hawkins and Blake Hammett scored 16 points each to lead Calhoun. Trey Perkins tossed in 10 points, and Jaxon Moore added nine for the Jackets. Xavious Nalls led Adairsville with 19 points. Tre Winters followed with 12. Jamarian Pullum scored eight points. Tyrek Hames contributed six points, and Ben Abernathy scored three for the Tigers. Adairsville (17-10) and Calhoun (19-3) await their first-round opponents when the GHSA Post-Season Rankings for the Class AAA public schools are released on Sunday.

February 15, 2025 The Cartersville High School riflery team recently placed third in the Area 10 Championship Meet and earned the right to host a GHSA first-round playoff match on February 24. The Cartersville Rifles finished the regular season with an 11-3 record in head-to-head matches. Lucy Evans and Maggie Sheffield were both named to the All-Area Team. Evans was the top shooter in all three positions in Area 10. She has also qualified as an individual for the State Championship Meet.

February 15, 2025 Georgia Highlands College baseball won both games of a Friday doubleheader with Lincoln Trail College at Robert Bentley Field in Cartersville but in very different fashions. The Chargers built an early 5-0 lead in Game 1 and held on to win 7-3, but battled the Statesmen for seven innings and managed only two hits to escape with a 1-0 victory in the nightcap. Ryan Martin doubled and homered with two RBI in Game 1 to pace the GHC attack.  Andrew Arnold (5 IP, 3ER, 4H, 1BB, 5K) made the pitching start and collected the win on the mound. Jackson Greer (1 IP, 1K) and William Homan (1 IP, 2K, Save) worked scoreless frames to close the game. Kenton Collier, Anthony Miller, Kenskey Thomas, Heath Whitlock, Grayson Godbee (RBI), and Andrew Bishop (two RBI) added one hit. In the Chargers’ Game 2 win, Max Eichenberger scattered five hits with eight strikeouts across the first five innings while keeping Lincoln Trail off the scoreboard. Gavin Webster (1 IP, 0R, 0H), and Hunter Ward (1 IP, 0R, 1H, 1BB, 1K, Save) kept the Statesmen off the board in the final two innings. Joe Johnson coaxed a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth inning and later scored the game’s only run on an infield error off the bat of Ali Banks. Emiliano Dominguez had the only two GHC base hits in the game. Georgia Highlands (8-1) and Lincoln Trail (1-5) continue their series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon.

February 14, 2025 On Wednesday night, the Georgia Highlands College men's basketball team got back into the win column with a 91-58 victory over the Gordon State College Highlanders 91-58 in Rome. The GHC win snapped a three-game skid. The Chargers led 40-25 at the intermission and outscored Gordon 51-33 in the second half. They also shot 50 percent from the field and 34 percent from beyond the arc. Marquin Thompson (South Gwinnett HS) led the Chargers with 26 points. Cameron Baldwin (Allatoona HS) contributed five blocked shots. Georgia Highlands (13-8, 5-4 GCAA) has conference road games Saturday at Andrew College and Sunday at Albany Tech.

February 15, 2025 Georgia Highlands softball made it nine wins in the first ten games of the 2025 campaign Friday with a doubleheader sweep of visiting USC Sumter. The Chargers won 10-2 and 8-2 to make the current streak of wins five straight. In Game 1, GHC scored three times in the bottom of the first inning. After the Fire Ants narrowed the margin to 3-2, the Chargers posted seven runs over the subsequent two frames to put the game away in five innings. Grace Kendrick and Hayden Joyner shared the pitching duties in the first game and combined to scatter seven hits and one walk. The duo allowed just one earned run, and Kendrick had three strikeouts. Georgia Highlands started quickly again in Game 2, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. USC Sumter scored two runs in the top of the fifth to cut the Chargers’ lead to 5-2 but would get no closer.  Maci Andrews and Ahmani Green shared time in the pitching circle in Game 2. The Chargers’ hurlers allowed five hits and six walks but no earned runs with six strikeouts. Emma Darrow had four hits and one RBI in the Friday doubleheader for the Chargers. Cayden Warren (two RBI) and Haylee Dishmon (triple, RBI) finished with three hits. Athens Hudson hit a pair of two-run homers, and Green totaled two hits, including a triple and one RBI. Mary Catherine Kimball (RBI), Faith Gauthier (RBI), Abbey Yates (RBI), Abbi Hall, and Andrews added one hit. Georgia Highlands (9-1) and USC Sumter (0-5) complete their series with a Saturday doubleheader at Carol Brown Field scheduled for 1 p.m.

February 15, 2025 The Adairsville Tigers hit two late-inning home runs Friday evening to take the lead and, later, put away the Cass Colonels 9-3. Braxton Ryan hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning, which put the Tigers ahead 4-3. In the next frame, Jarrett Scott hit a grand slam to build the Tigers a 9-3 final advantage. Cass led 3-1 through three innings and held a 3-2 margin heading into the bottom of the fifth off Tigers’ starting pitcher Jack Nelson (4 IP, 3R, 2ER, 2H, 3BB, 5K). Adairsville relievers Kaiden Coker (2 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB, 3K) and Scott (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 2BB, 2K), however, did not allow another Cass run, and Coker collected the pitching win. Scott paced the Adairsville offense with two hits and four RBI. Seven other Tigers contributed one hit, including Ryan (two RBI), Nelson (two RBI), Brody Varner, Isaac Burnett, Harrison Cole, Peyton Bowen (double), and Ethan Long. Long also reached base in each plate appearance with three walks. Hunter Lovett (double) and Zach Stiles had the only Cass hits. Landon Lamb and Nic Wright were credited with one RBI. The Colonels utilized five pitchers in the contest. Jacob Johnson (3 IP, 1ER, 4H, 2BB, 3K) made a start on the mound for Cass. Dustin Wallin (1 IP, 1R, 0ER, 0H, 2BB), Trenton Elario (1 IP, 2ER, 2H), Chase Tatum (0.1 IP, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 1K), and Wright (0.2 IP, 2ER, 2H, 1BB, 1K) all toed the rubber for the Colonels. Adairsville (1-1) plays at Cartersville on Wednesday at 4 p.m. and has a doubleheader at Darlington on Saturday afternoon. Cass (1-1) will face Bremen, Cambridge, and Osborne on Friday night and Saturday afternoon at LakePoint in the Georgia Dugout Challenge.