August 22, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Torron Hale scored on a 20-yard touchdown reception from Braxton Elrod on Friday night as the Tigers won at Sonoraville, 13-0. Photo: Randy Parker / The Daily Tribune News The Adairsville Tigers opened the regular season in impressive fashion Friday night, shutting out the Sonoraville Phoenix 13-0 at The Furnace on the Sonoraville High School campus. It was the regular-season opener for both teams. Adairsville entered the season after going 4-6 in 2025 and missing the state playoffs, while Sonoraville finished 5-6 last season and lost at Burke County in the first round of the state playoffs. The Tigers got on the scoreboard with 6:10 remaining in the first quarter following a 10-play, 80-yard drive. Braxton Elrod capped the possession with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Torron Hale. Alex Ochoa's PAT attempt was blocked, leaving Adairsville with a 6-0 lead. Adairsville extended its advantage with 4:06 remaining in the second quarter after Jake Barszcz delivered a strip sack and recovered the fumble at the Sonoraville 11-yard line. Two plays later, Ezekiel Carter scored on a 2-yard touchdown run. Ochoa converted the PAT, giving the Tigers a 13-0 lead. The Adairsville defense kept the Phoenix off the scoreboard the rest of the way and maintained the shutout.“We’re glad to come out with the victory,” said Adairsville head coach Jon Cudd on Saturday morning. “We felt like the defense played well as a unit. Our linebackers really made a lot of plays, especially Gatlin Fair and Jake Barszcz. We forced a couple of turnovers that were really key.” Barszcz finished with nine tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles, while Fair recorded 12 tackles and three sacks for the Tigers. “On offense, Torron Hale had a nice touchdown catch, and I thought Zeke Carter, Braxton Elrod, and Jayvian Carson all ran the ball hard,” Cudd continued. “We definitely have some areas to improve, and we feel like we can play better. We’ll get back to work and get ready for a good-looking Woodland team on the road again on Friday.” Adairsville improved to 1-0 with the victory and will travel to Woodland on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Sonoraville dropped to 0-1 and will play at Northwest Whitfield on Sept. 4. -- Larry Gardner contributed to this report.

August 22, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Woodland Wildcats opened the 2026 football season in winning fashion Friday night, pulling away for a 28-10 victory over the Pope Greyhounds at Matt Hobby Field at Greyhound Stadium in Marietta. Both teams entered the season opener looking to improve on their 2025 campaigns, in which Pope finished 1-9, and Woodland went 2-8. Neither team scored in the opening quarter, but the Greyhounds broke the scoreless tie when Brayden Slorahn connected on a 36-yard field goal with 10:23 remaining in the second quarter to give Pope a 3-0 lead. Woodland answered with 7:01 left in the half. Mitchel Sheppard scored on a 17-yard touchdown run, and Chad Waller added the PAT kick to put the Wildcats ahead 7-3. The Wildcats extended their advantage just before halftime when Solomon James scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with 53 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Woodland carried a 14-3 lead into halftime. The third quarter was scoreless, but the Wildcats added to their lead early in the fourth. James broke loose for a 79-yard touchdown run with 8:17 remaining, giving Woodland a 21-3 advantage. The Wildcats extended their lead with 2:34 remaining. Hayden Collins punched in a 4-yard touchdown run, making the score 28-3. Pope scored with 35 seconds remaining when Wyatt Schuck connected with Luc McClendon on a 21-yard touchdown pass, but the Wildcats held on for the 21-10 victory. The Wildcats' offense produced just over 300 yards on the ground, with James accounting for 224 yards. "I couldn't be more excited for our kids," said Woodland head coach Andy Scott on Saturday morning. "It was rewarding to see their hard work pay off. I'm extremely proud of our defense. That group made four goal-line stands and forced four turnovers." Coach Scott praised the individual play of his quarterback, Sammy Ray, and of Jonathan Hart on defense. "I'm excited about our quarterback's play. I thought he played well and added to our rushing total. Hart had a big interception to close out the first half, and he played well all night." The win moves Woodland to 1-0 on the season. The Wildcats will return home Friday night to host county rival Adairsville at 7:30 p.m. Pope falls to 0-1 and will host Forsyth Central on Friday. "Going forward, we need to continue improving and have a great week of practice in preparation for a really good Adairsville squad," Scott concluded. -- Stuart Morse contributed to this report.

August 20, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com All four local high school softball teams were in action Thursday night, and each team played a region opponent. CARTERSVILLE 2, CASS 1 Lady Canes’ pitcher Presley Crabbe tossed a seven-inning, complete-game four-hitter Thursday night to win at Cass, 2-1. Crabbe scattered four hits and one walk while striking out eight. Cass hurler Kylie Gentry was solid in the circle also. She allowed just two unearned runs in seven innings on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. Taryn Bradley had two hits for Cartersville. Sam Porter, Izzy Tummins, Kennedy Crenshaw, and Zoie Shiflett each added one hit for the Hurricanes. Gentry had two hits for Cass. Natalie Hughes and Abagail Nalls each added one hit for the Colonels. Cartersville (9-1, 5-0 Region 7-5A) hosts Lambert on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Dellinger Park. The Lady Canes will play Pace Academy and Northwest Whitfield on Saturday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. Cass (4-4, 3-2) hosts Villa Rica on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ADAIRSVILLE 9, NORTHWEST WHITFIELD 1 The Lady Tigers scored five runs in the top of the fifth inning to seal a 9-1 victory on Thursday evening at Northwest Whitfield. Adairsville led 4-0 in the middle of the fourth inning, but the big fifth inning put the game away. Paislee Rooks (3 IP, 0R, 1H, 2BB, 2K) and Chloe Hill (2 IP, 1ER, 2H, 0BB, 1K) split the pitching duties for the Tigers. Ansley Powell paced the Adairsville offense with two hits, including a double. Hill (three RBI), Madison Brookshire (sac fly, three RBI), Lily Brookshire, and Ashlynn Durden each contributed one hit. Cadey Evans (sac fly), Ellie Smith, and Khloe Shinall each added one RBI. The loss dropped the Lady Bruins to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in Region 7-4A. The Lady Tigers (6-2) improved to 4-0 in Region 7-4A and will play Banks County and East Hall on Saturday in Homer. VILLA RICA 11, WOODLAND 1 Villa Rica scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning and posted runs in each of their offensive frames Thursday night to defeat visiting Woodland, 11-1, in five innings. Two Villa Rica pitchers combined for eight strikeouts and limited Woodland to only one hit — a solo home run by Bailey Ryan. Evelyne Tucker (3 IP, 10R, 7ER, 8H, 1BB, 2K) was saddled with the pitching loss for the Lady Cats. Rilynn DeBoard (1 IP, 1R, 0ER, 1H, 1BB) also pitched for Woodland. Villa Rica improved to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in Region 7-5A. Woodland (2-6, 1-4) plays Mount Paran Christian and Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe on Saturday at 12 noon and 4 p.m. at Dellinger Park.

August 20, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Cartersville volleyball defeated Pepperell in straight sets and beat region-rival Dalton in four sets Tuesday night at Dalton High School. The Lady Canes topped Pepperell 25-11 and 25-5. Cartersville lost the opening set to Dalton 21-25, but bounced back in the next three sets, winning 25-21, 25-9, and 25-20. Amara Ejieke totaled 26 kills and three blocks across the six sets. Adelyn England had 15 kills. Blakely Morris contributed 15 kills and three blocks. Kinsey Wiggins and Holly Dufrene had three blocks and five blocks, respectively, against Dalton. Brooke Belarmino produced 40 assists across the two matches. Emma Wall had 22 assists versus Dalton. Lily Collier had four service aces against Pepperell. Mckenzie Wilkie totaled 23 digs on the night. Cartersville (8-1, 1-0) visits North Paulding on Thursday and will also face Newnan starting at 5:30 p.m.

August 19, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Adairsville Lady Tigers scored three runs in the second inning and added five more in the seventh Wednesday night to win at Calhoun, 8-3. The Tigers outhit Calhoun 12 to 4, and the Adairsville defense made no errors. Adairsville pitchers Chloe Hill (3 IP, 3ER, 2H, 2BB, 2K) and Paislee Rooks (4 IP, 0R, 2H, 0BB, 2K) combined for four strikeouts, with Hill collecting the win and Rooks closing out the final 13 batters. Madison Brookshire had three hits to lead the Adairsville offense, including one double and two RBI. Ansley Powell (RBI) and Hill (RBI) each had two hits. Rooks (home run, three RBI), Ashlynn Durden (RBI), Hynleigh Statham, Lily Brookshire, and Sydney Satterfield each added one hit. The loss dropped Calhoun to a 1-6 record. Adairsville (5-1) travels to Tunnel Hill on Thursday to visit Northwest Whitfield at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Tigers will play East Hall and Banks County on Saturday in Homer.

August 19, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Woodland volleyball dropped a 1-3 home decision on Tuesday to Darlington (15-25, 20-25, 25-17, 16-25). Ava Lawler had 17 assists, 10 digs, and two aces across the four sets. Dayana Jaimes totaled 20 digs and two aces. Aby Childs finished with 10 digs, three kills, and two aces. Emily Guin produced 10 digs, six kills, and two aces. Bella King supplied four blocks, three digs, and five kills, and Reese Martinak contributed 10 digs. Woodland (1-6) plays at Model on Thursday and will also face Gordon Central starting at 5 p.m. Cass volleyball lost to Rockmart (14-25, 5-25) and Cedartown (8-25, 4-25, 11-25) on Tuesday at Cedartown High School. Natalie Brown had seven kills for the Lady Colonels. Alicia Nalls finished with three kills and two blocks. Yana Reid had three kills and two blocks. Nakitta Jett contributed two aces and one block, and Briley Lauro added three kills and one ace. Cass (0-6) travels to Pepperell on Thursday and will also play Rome. Adairsville volleyball lost two matches at LaFayette on Tuesday, falling to the host Lady Ramblers (9-25, 9-25) and Gordon Lee (13-25, 15-25). The Lady Tigers (2-8) visit Ridgeland on Tuesday and will also play Dade County starting at 5 p.m.

August 18, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Lady Canes pounded out 14 hits and produced 13 runs in just four offensive frames Tuesday at Dellinger Park to defeat Woodland 13-0. Zoie Shiflett tossed a four-inning shutout for Cartersville, yielding just two hits and one walk while fanning eleven. LaKiaya Banks homered twice for the Lady Canes. Allana Williams and Shiflett also hit home runs. Banks totaled three hits and three RBI. Williams added a double and two RBI. Shiflett finished with two hits and two RBI. Kennedy Crenshaw also contributed two hits, including one double and one RBI. Carder Brock produced two hits, including one double and two RBI, and Sophia Harper had two hits with one RBI. Taryn Bradley had one double and one RBI, and Emilee Brinson added one RBI. Evelyne Tucker (3.2 IP, 13R, 9ER, 14H, 2BB, 2K) suffered the pitching loss for the Lady Cats. Kylee Poston and Lillian Hollis each had one hit for Woodland. Cartersville (8-1) visits Cass on Thursday at 5:55 p.m. Woodland (2-5) plays at Villa Rica on Thursday at 5:55 p.m. ADAIRSVILLE 7, RIDGELAND 6 The Lady Tigers scored six runs in the first two innings at home Tuesday night and held off the Ridgeland Lady Panthers, 7-6. Ridgeland narrowed the margin to 6-4 in the fourth, but the Tigers added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth to gain a 7-4 advantage. The Panthers posted two more runs in the fifth, but that would be all. Chloe Hill pitched five innings for Adairsville and collected the pitching win. She allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and five walks with four strikeouts. Heidi Rickett tossed two scoreless innings, yielding two hits with one strikeout. Madison Brookshire led the Adairsville offense with three hits, including one double and one RBI. Sydney Satterfield (home run, double, two RBI) and Ashlynn Durden (double, two RBI) had two hits for the Lady Tigers. Paisley Rooks (RBI), Hill (RBI), and Hynleigh Statham added one hit each. Adairsville (4-1) visits Calhoun on Wednesday at 5 p.m. and Northwest Whitfield on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CASS 8, DALTON 0 Cass pitchers Kylie Gentry and Lily Powell combined from the circle Tuesday night to blank visiting Dalton, 8-0. Gentry worked five innings and struck out eight while giving up just two hits and one walk; Powell had one strikeout in her inning of work. Maci Walker and Gentry each had two hits for the Lady Colonels. Rilyn Caspari (RBI), MJ McFarlane (RBI), Lidsey Chubb, Kharmyn Collum, Addy Bauder (RBI), and Natalie Hughes each contributed one hit. Shyla Woods added one RBI with a sacrifice fly. Cass (4-3) hosts Cartersville on Thursday at 5:55 p.m.

August 17, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Sonoraville Lady Phoenix scored runs in each of their four frames Monday night to defeat the Woodland Lady Cats, 12-4. All four Woodland runs crossed in the third inning, narrowing the margin to 7-4 at the time. Bella Kuykendall (4 IP, 12R, 5ER, 9H, 3BB) pitched all four innings for the Lady Cats. Kylee Poston (double, two RBI), Gracie Korb (RBI), Lilian Hollis (RBI), and Bailey Ryan (double) each had one hit for the Wildcats. The Phoenix improved to 6-0. Woodland (2-4) plays at Cartersville on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and visits Villa Rica on Thursday at 5:55 p.m. ADAIRSVILLE GAME DELAYED AT TRION Adairsville and Trion were tied 4-4 in the top of the seventh on Monday night when inclement weather caused a delay. The game will be continued at a later date.

August 17, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com MLB / MiLB MASON BARNETT — MLB Athletics; 5th-year pro; Auburn; Cartersville HS) … made a four-inning start at home on August 11 and was saddled with the pitching loss as the Athletics fell 12-4 to the Tampa Bay Rays. Barnett was charged with six runs (five earned) on five hits and three walks. Three of the five hits against him were homers, and he left the game trailing 6-2. The 25-year-old right-hand pitcher has split time this season between the MLB A’s and the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators. He is now 1-3 with two saves this season in 17 appearances in the Majors, covering 38 innings. He has 36 strikeouts and a 6.16 ERA. The Athletics began the week with a 49-75 record and in fourth place in the American League West, trailing the Houston Astros by 14 games. The A’s visit the Kansas City Royals and the Astros this week. LOGAN MARTIN — Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants Double-A affiliate; 4th-year pro; Kentucky; Cartersville HS) … made a 2-1/3 innings relief appearance on August 12 with no decision in an eventual 7-6 victory at the Harrisburg Senators. Martin entered in the second inning and worked through the fourth inning, allowing one earned run on one hit and two walks. He struck out four of the 10 batters he faced. The 25-year-old right-hand pitcher is 5-1 with one save in 22 appearances this season, covering 52 innings. He has 62 strikeouts and a 3.46 ERA. Richmond is 23-21 in the Eastern League’s second half standings and 66-46 overall. The Flying Squirrels play six games this week at the Chesapeake Baysox. ANTHONY SEIGLER — Boston Red Sox (MLB; 9th-year pro; Cartersville HS) … appeared in three games last week and went 2-for-6 at the plate with one walk, one double, and one run scored. Boston went 2-5 last week in games at Toronto and Pittsburgh. Seigler, 27, has a .252 batting average with three homers and 12 RBIs in 139 official at-bats in the Majors this season. The Red Sox (66-58) trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 8-1/2 games in the American League East, but currently hold a 5-game advantage over the Baltimore Orioles for the second Wild Card playoff spot. They have a six-game homestand this week against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants.. PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS BOO WEEKLEY — 29-year pro; 52; Cartersville Country Club member; Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College; Jay, Florida resident — shot 74-70-67 (211, 5-under par) and tied for 19th this past weekend at the Boeing Classic in Snoqualmie, Washington. Stewart Cink won the tournament in a playoff over Miguel Angel Jimenez after the duo tied at 12-under par through 54 holes. Weekley remains in the top five of the Schwab Cup points list with seven PGA Tour Champions events remaining in the regular season. The Schwab Cup playoffs begin in late October. The next event is the Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta, this weekend (August 21-23).

August 16, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Lady Tigers hosted a tournament on Saturday and won their pool before falling to eventual tournament runner-up Sonoraville in the semifinals. Calhoun defeated Sonoraville in the championship. Other tournament participants included Gordon Central, Cedartown, and Southeast Whitfield. Adairsville topped Gordon Central 25-10, 25-12 in the first match of pool play, and beat Pickens 25-20, 27-25 to clinch their pool. Sonoraville outlasted the Lady Tigers in the semifinals 25-19, 20-25, 13-15. Adairsville (2-6) travels to LaFayette on Tuesday and will also face Gordon Lee.

August 15, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Woodland softball exploded for nine runs in the top of the third inning on Saturday at McEachern and rolled to a 14-5 win over the Indians in five innings. The Lady Cats outhit McEachern 9 to 3 and took advantage of seven errors by the Lady Indians. Three Woodland pitchers worked short stints in the circle. Evelyne Tucker struck out four and allowed only one hit in two scoreless innings to earn the win. Rilynn DeBoard had two strikeouts in two innings, and Bella Kuykendall fanned two of the four batters she faced. Bailey Ryan (two RBI), Lillian Hollis (double, two RBI), and Cat Sneed (two RBI) each had two hits for the Lady Wildcats. Kuykendall (double, two RBI), Kylee Poston, and Hayley Ledford each contributed one hit. Charlotte Petersen drove in one run with a sacrifice fly. The loss dropped McEachern to 0-3. Woodland (2-3) has road games this week at Sonoraville on Monday (5:55 p.m.), Cartersville on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.), and Villa Rica on Thursday (5:55 p.m.).

August 14, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Chloe Hill tossed a five-inning one-hitter Friday night, and the Lady Tigers scored nine runs on ten hits to blank visiting Whitefield Academy 9-0. Hill allowed just one single and four walks. She struck out seven. Lily Brookshire had two hits, including a solo home run. Hill also contributed two hits. Ansley Powell (double, three RBI), Sydney Satterfield (RBI), Madison Brookshire (RBI), Heidi Rickett (RBI), Paislee Rooks (double), and McKenzly Atkins each added one hit. Adairsville (3-1) enters a busy week. The Tigers travel to Trion on Monday, host Ridgeland on Tuesday, visit Calhoun on Wednesday, and visit Northwest Whitfield on Thursday. All four games start at 5:30 p.m.