Elite Stone Supply, in conjunction with WBHF and Bartow Sports Zone, presents the ELITE ATHLETES OF THE MONTH. Each month, all five 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 December 2016: Levi Blackwell -- Excel Christian Academy Trey Creamer -- Cartersville High School Trevor Knowles -- Woodland High School Jana Morning -- Cass High School James Sims -- Adairsville High School Levi Blackwell is the Elite Athlete of the Month from Excel Christian Academy. Blackwell, a sophomore who has attended Excel Christian Academy since kindergarten, is the son of Jenny and Chris Blackwell. A multi-sport athlete for the Eagles, Blackwell is a catcher and second baseman for the baseball team. He is also the starting point guard for the basketball team. Coach Collins and Coach Boulier of Excel nominated Blackwell because of his outstanding work ethic, his positive attitude, and the leadership qualities he displays on the basketball court and in the weight room. Blackwell is an excellent student performing at a high level in the classroom. He is one of the top students in his class. He attends the Faith Family Church, where his father is the minister. He is an active participant in the youth ministries. He has also participated in Splash Bartow for the last three years. Blackwell’s future plans include attending college to major in exercise science. The Elite Athlete of the Month from Cartersville High School is Trey Creamer. A senior running back and University of Minnesota commit, Creamer has been a valuable part of the Purple Hurricanes’ state championship football teams for the past two seasons. In this year’s state title game in the Georgia Dome, Creamer rushed for 107 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. He also caught two passes for 28 yards and a touchdown. Creamer ran for 818 yards and 20 touchdowns on 139 attempts this season. He also caught 39 passes for 566 yards and five touchdowns. He is the son of Cynthia Jordan. Trevor Knowles is the Elite Athlete of the Month representing Woodland High School. Knowles is a senior guard and starter on the basketball team. The son of Shawn and Loddie Knowles, he has been one of the top performers for Coach Colman Roberts and the Wildcats’ basketball team this season. Knowles is credited with 45 points, 32 rebounds, nine steals, and a block for the Wildcats. He is the son of Shawn and Loddie Knowles. Cass High School’s Elite Athlete of the Month for December is Jana Morning. A senior and four-year starter for the Lady Colonels’ basketball team, she also competes in cross country and track and field for Cass. Morning is currently averaging 16 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals per game and is the team captain. She is the vice-president of the senior class, maintains a 3.8 grade point average, and exhibits all the exemplary traits of an outstanding student-athlete. She is the daughter of James and Lupe’ Morning. Adairsville’s December Elite Athlete of the Month is James Sims. Sims is a junior, small forward on the Tigers’ basketball team. Sims has been a top rebounder for the Adairsville basketball team this season, averaging more than eight per game. In recent back-to-back games against North Murray and Murray County, Sims pulled down 14 rebounds and totaled four assists and a pair of steals. Sims has a 3.9 grade point average while taking Advanced Placement and Honors courses. He is the son of James and Elaine Sims. 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.

6U Canes-Woody 11, Canes-Vaughan 8 Woody: Kayden Blackwell 3, Nate Ford, Andy Holstein, Ana ClaIre Woody 2 each. Vaughan: Noah Owens 6, Jackson Vaughan 2 6U Canes-Davis 10, Canes-Moore 2 Davis: Caiden Cline 6, Chance Brown 4 Moore: Trevin Moore 2 8U Canes-Abernathy 27, Canes-Bishop 2 Abernathy: Bodie Brumlow 14, Jorian Bailey 7, Mason Aycock, Blake Lutjens 2 each. Bishop: Will Bishop 2 8U Canes-Taylor 14, Canes-Powell 7 Taylor: Justin Gooch 6, Jaylon Watkins 5, Waylon VanSant 2 Powell: Colby Craig 4, James Manring 2, Gavin Baxter 1 10U BOYS Canes-Gibson 26, Canes-McWhorter 10 Gibson: Tayshaun Jackson 15, Logan Buchanan 7, Jackson Barkley, Adam Reed 2 each. McWhorter: JaKeveon Porter 6, Aaron Duke, Bear McWhorter 2 each. 10U GIRLS Bartow Dream 16, Canes-Hinton 12 Hinton: Grace Smith 6, Nakayla Marshall, Chloe Warren 2 each. (Full names not provided for Bartow Dream) 10U BOYS Canes-Heath 19, Canes-Woodall 13 Heath: Charles Rothschild 10, Thomas Peters 4, Cainen Crowder 3 Woodall: Parnel Gamble 5, Blake Gochee 3, Kamdyn Woods, Lyle Woody 2 each; Griffin Woodall 1. 12U GIRLS Bartow Dream 16, Canes-Peters 9 Dream: Bridget Njorge 6, Kaitlyn Detscher 4, Adison Tatum, Lili Womack, Harley Owen 2 each. Peters: Jasmine Woods, Nevaeh Woods 4 each; Dejuan Turner 1. 12U BOYS Canes-Cooley 29, Canes-Wiedetz 28 (OT) Cooley: Brody Tidwell 21, Cedric McClinic 6, Noah Baer 2 Wiedetz: Dawson Gulasa 11, Kaden Smith 7; Christian Vital-Herne, Jeffery Wright 4 each; Lee Camp 2 12U BOYS Canes- Horn 30, Canes-Cooper 22 Horn: Kedrick Chatmon 11, Devin Goodson 6; Kace Adams 4, Drew Perry 4 each; Carson Horn, Robert Hudson 2 each. Cooper: Jonah Cooper 12; Vercenta Collins 4, Isaac Cunningham 4 each; Turner Abernathy 2. Youth basketball reports are provided on Bartow Sports Zone by the Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department and the Bartow County Parks and Recreation Department.

The Cass Lady Colonels and Colonels completed a road, region sweep at Hiram and the Excel Christian Academy girls added their fifth win of the year at home to highlight Tuesday night's local high school basketball roundup. CASS GIRLS 41, HIRAM 28 Jana Morning led Cass with 16 points and Kyla Michienzi scored ten in the Lady Colonels’ Region 7-AAAAA win. Cass led 14-7 after one period and 23-14 at halftime. The Lady Colonels then won the third quarter 14-6 to take a 37-20 lead before holding off the Lady Hornets in the final stanza. Aaliyah Towns and A.J. Judie led HIram with 12 and nine points, respectively. Payton Stoddard scored five points for Cass. Sharia Wade added four. Chanel Clemmons finished with three points, Lyric Curtis two, and Kyler Trouten one point. The Lady Colonels (5-3, 3-2) play a non-region game at Walton Friday. CASS BOYS 36, HIRAM 34 The Colonels edged the Hornets Tuesday night in Hiram by two points in a low-scoring region matchup. Cass had a seven point lead in the final two minutes and almost let it get away, but held on. Down two with the ball in the final seconds, Hiram committed a turnover in the final three seconds as the Colonels sealed a narrow win. C.J. Bennett led the scoring for Cass with 14 points. Jake Collum, Jacquez Milles, and Ian Whittington all had six points each for the Colonels. Hiram slipped to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in region play. Cass (6-2, 4-1 in Region 7-AAAAA) plays Dacula Friday in the West Hall High School Spartan Shootout. EXCEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY GIRLS 44, HEBRON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 16 The Lady Eagles took a 10-point lead after one quarter and expanded their advantage to 26-10 at halftime on their way to a 28-point win. Whitney Harris led Excel with 15 points. Kalli Beth Scheff followed with 13 points and five rebounds. Rylie Boston and Brighton McCollum totaled eight points each. Boston had 14 rebounds. Lindsey Mauldin added two points for ECA. McKenna Taylor led Hebron with five points. Alyssa Elliott and Bailey Fisher finished with three points each. Excel (5-2) play at North Cobb Christian Friday at 6pm HEBRON CHRISTIAN BOYS 69, EXCEL CHRISTIAN 44 Hebron led 32-17 at halftime in a game that included a third quarter fight and ejections on both teams. Jacob Wilkie led all scorers in the game with 20 points. Trace Still added five for the Eagles. Hebron improved to 5-4 with their win. Excel (0-6) plays at second-ranked North Cobb Christian Friday. LAKEVIEW-FO GIRLS 71, ADAIRSVILLE 57 The Lady Tigers fell behind 22-8 after one quarter and could not make up the difference in a loss a Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe Tuesday night. Jazzmyn Elston led LFO with 30 points. Emily Collum led Adairsville with 21 points. Adairsville (3-5, 1-3 Region 6-AAA) hits the road to take on Bremen Friday. LAKEVIEW-FO BOYS 52, ADAIRSVILLE 45 The Tigers led 22-15 at halftime and held a 32-28 advantage after three quarters, but the host Warriors scored 24 points in the fourth quarter to win by seven. The Warriors opened the fourth quarter with a 20-8 run to take a seven point lead and eventually held on. Adairsville’s Cole Hewatt hit the next bucket to narrow LFO’s lead to 47-42, but that would be as close as the Tigers would get. LFO improved to 3-7 overall and 2-2 in Region 6-AAA. Adairsville (4-4, 2-2) plays at Bremen Friday. ROME GIRLS 76, WOODLAND 26 Lexie Robinson led the Lady Cats with 12 points and Madgie Robinson scored nine in the road loss at Rome. The Lady Wolves remained unbeaten at 7-0 overall and 3-0 in Region 7-AAAAA. Woodland (0-6, 0-4) is scheduled to play Saturday at the Rome News Tribune Holiday Tournament.

The Adairsville Tigers placed a pair of first team selections on the 2016 All-Region 6-AAA Football Team and had twelve players selected overall as the region released its roster of top performers for the year. The All-Region Team was selected by the region coaches. Adairsville junior offensive lineman Maddox Teems was selected to the region’s First Team Offense and senior long snapper Jacob Potter was selected First Team Defense. Second team selections from Adairsville include junior wide receiver, Ethan Belcher; senior offensive lineman Jeb Simerly; sophomore slot Travon Branch; senior defensive linemen Denzel Pitt and Devon Isaac; and junior linebacker Dakota Hughes. Senior quarterback Roger Redd, sophomore defensive back Mason Boswell, senior receiver Chad Lowery, and junior defensive back Bryce Burgess were named Honorable Mention. Photos: (L-R) Maddox Teems and Jacob Potter 2016 ALL-REGION 6-AAA FOOTBALL Offensive player of the year: RB Kyle Bailey, Bremen, Sr. Defensive player of the year: LB Baylon Spector, Calhoun, Sr. First-team offense QB - Cole Kibler, Ringgold, So. RB - Tucker Gregg, Murray County, Jr. WR - Malik Lawrence, Calhoun, Sr. WR - Andre Tarver, Ringgold, So. WR - Luke Jones, Calhoun, Sr. WR - Mac Brower, Ringgold, Sr. TE - Braden Weaver, Murray County, Sr. OL - William Long, Calhoun, Sr. OL - Caleb Storm, Sonoraville, Sr. OL - Dawson Oliver, North Murray, Sr. OL - Nick Culpepper, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Jr. OL - Brody Strickland, Bremen, Sr. OL - Noah Davenport, Calhoun, Sr. OL - Margarito Gutierrez, Murray County, Jr. OL - Maddox Teems, Adairsville, Jr. ATH - Baylon Spector, Calhoun, Sr. ATH - Brady Harper, North Murray, Sr. K - Matthew Reese, Bremen, Sr. First-team defense DL - CJ Fuller, Calhoun, Jr. DL - Logan Johnson, Bremen, Sr. DL - Ryan McCallion, Sonoraville, Sr. DL - Zeke Nance, Calhoun, Jr. DL - Hunter Sosebee, Murray County, Sr. DL - Luke Griffin, North Murray, So. LB - Kyle Bailey, Bremen, Sr. LB - Sherrod Agee, Sonoraville, Sr. LB - Bailey Lester, Calhoun, Jr. LB - Brody Frazier, North Murray, Sr. LB - Gio Chavez, Murray County, Jr. LB - Lane Moore, Sonoraville, Jr. DB - Ryan Randall, Calhoun, Sr. DB - Hunter McCurdy, North Murray, Sr. DB - Tate Moore, Sonoraville, Sr. DB - Rhett Abernathy, Calhoun, Sr. DB - Fernando Pulido, North Murray, Sr. P - Kevin Villatoro, Sonoraville, Sr. LS - Jacob Potter, Adairsville, Sr. Second-team offense QB - Gavin Gray, Calhoun, So. RB - Alec Martin, Haralson County, Sr. RB - Tristan Key, Sonoraville, Jr. WR - Ryan Randall, Calhoun, Sr. WR - Ethan Belcher, Adairsville, Jr. WR - Connor Rice, North Murray, Sr. WR - Drake Starks, Ringgold, Jr. WR - Cameron Keith, Sonoraville, Sr. TE - Chipper Taylor, Bremen, Sr. OL - Jacob Michal, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Sr. OL - Ethan Martin, North Murray, Sr. OL - Jeb Simerly, Adairsville, Sr. OL - Bucky Williams, Ringgold, Jr. OL - Luke Griffin, North Murray, So. OL - Blake Goble, Sonoraville, Jr. K - Kevin Villatoro, Sonoraville, Sr. ATH - Dominick Genitempo, Murray County, Sr. ATH - Travon Branch, Adairsville, So. ATH - Pat Moore, Sonoraville, Jr. Second-team defense DL - Denzel Pitt, Adairsville, Sr. DL - Braxton Stewart, Ringgold, Sr. DL - Devon Isaac, Adairsville, Sr. DL - Dylan Sturgill, North Murray, Sr. LB - Garrett Elrod, Murray County, Sr. LB - Matthew Lyons, Bremen, Sr. LB - Hunter Ciesa, Coahulla, Sr. LB - Davis Allen, Calhoun, So. LB - Morgan Holt, Sonoraville, Sr. LB - Hayden Davis, Haralson County, Sr. LB - Aiden Noe, North Murray, Sr. LB - Dakota Hughes, Adairsville, Jr. DB - Dominick Genitempo, Murray County, Sr. DB - Waylyn James, North Murray, Sr. DB - Brannon Spector, Calhoun, So. DB - Andre Tarver, Ringgold, So. DB - Trey Jackson, North Murray, Sr. DB - Malik Lawrence, Calhoun, Sr. DB/P - Michael Layman, Ringgold, Sr. P - Charles Davis, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Sr. LS - Jacob Callahan, Calhoun, Sr. Honorable mention: QB Wade Cartwright, Bremen, So.; QB Roger Redd, Adairsville, Sr.; QB Blake Davis, North Murray, Sr.; RB Nathan Williams, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, So.; RB Tee Brown, Bremen, Sr.; ATH Treylan Sheppard, Haralson County, So.; ATH Zach Vaughn, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Jr.; ATH Darius Smith, Coahulla Creek, Sr.; ATH Dee King, Ringgold, Sr.; ATH Mason Boswell, Adairsville, So.; WR Jalen Dallas, Bremen, So.; WR Trent Daniels, Sonoraville, Jr.; WR Chad Lowery, Adairsville, Sr.; WR Noah Harris, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Sr.; WR/H Bailey Reece, Sonoraville, Sr.; TE/H Hunter Cochran, North Murray, Sr.; OL Russell Johnson, Sonoraville, Jr.; OL Austin Harper, Bremen, Sr.; OL Cade Walker, Calhoun, Sr.; OL Marcus Thomas, North Murray, Sr.; OL Dustin Gibson, Murray County, Sr.; OL Branson Gonzalez, Ringgold, Sr.; OL JC Fuller, Calhoun, Jr.; OL Bailey Blakenship, North Murray, Sr.; OL Ethan Seay, Ringgold, Sr.; OL Parker McBurnett, Sonoraville, Jr.; OL Ben King, Calhoun, Sr.; K Jose De La Cruz, North Murray, Sr.; K Matthew Vines, Haralson, Sr.; DL Bruce Jennings, Sonoraville, Sr.; DL Dylan Pearson, Bremen, Sr.; DL Mac Rowland, Coahulla Creek, Jr.; DL Johnathan Cutcher, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Jr.; DL Chris Cooks, North Murray, Sr.; DL Riley Howe, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Sr.; LB Kade Berry, Bremen, So.; LB Owen Williams, Calhoun, Jr.; LB Alex Macies, Sonoraville, Sr.; LB Ty Jones, Ringgold, Jr.; LB Jaden Baggett, North Murray, Sr.; LB Pete Brower, Ringgold, So.; LB Lee McCracken, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Jr.; LB Noah Keaton, Ringgold, Jr.; LB Blake Reese, Haralson County, Sr.; LB Jordan Barnes, North Murray, Sr.; DB Wade O'Neal, Bremen, Sr.; DB Nathan Holbert, Sonoraville, Sr.; DB Ruddy Ware, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, So.; DB Michael King, Coahulla Creek, So.; DB Stone Logan, Sonoraville, Sr.; DB Christian Vaughn, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, So.; DB Bryce Burgess, Adairsville, Jr.; DB Nathan Camp, Ringgold, Jr.; DB Preston Vanmeter, Murray County, Jr.

The Adairsville swim team finished second in combined points and Cass was sixth in combined points Saturday at the Adairsville High School Tiger Plunge. Northwest Whitfield won the meet with a combined score of 164. Adairsville totaled 144 points. Chapel Hill placed third with 76 points, edging East Hamilton (TN) at 73. Ooltewah (TN) was next with 53 points, followed by Cass (42) and Silverdale Baptist Academy (TN) 27. Adairsville’s girls and boys were both second behind Northwest Whitfield in scores divided by gender. The Cass boys were third and the Cass girls were seventh. Adairsville Middle School finished third of five teams in the middle school division, behind Hunter Middle (Ooltewah, TN) and East Hamilton Middle (Ooltewah, TN). Top performances Adairsville girls: 1st — Girls 400 Freestyle Relay (Kate Huling, Katherine Sullivan, Felicia Miller, Gillian Ballard) 2nd — Kate Huling — 500 Freestyle 3rd — Gillian Ballard — 500 Freestyle 3rd — Katherine Sullivan — 100 Backstroke 3rd — Girls 400 Freestyle Relay (Ansley Samples, Megan Smith, Montana Edwards, Bri Ellis) 4th — Kate Huling — 200 Freestyle 5th — Medley Relay (Kate Huling, Katie Ray, Katherine Sullivan, Felicia Miller) 5th — Felicia Miller — 100 Backstroke 5th — Felicia Miller — 200 Individual Medley 6th — Gillian Ballard — 200 Individual Medley Top performances Adairsville boys: 1st — Boys Medley Relay (Dylan Smith, Johnathon Wilkes, Danield Sullivan, Chance Jones) 1st — Johnathon Wilkes — 200 Freestyle 1st — Daniel Sullivan — Individual Medley 1st — Dylan Smith — 100 Butterfly 1st — Johnathon Wilkes — 500 Freestyle 1st — Dylan Smith — 100 Backstroke 1st — Daniel Sullivan — 100 Breastroke 2nd — Chance Jones — 50 Freestyle 2nd — Boys 200 Freestyle Relay (Daniel Sullivan, Dylan Smith, Chance Jones, Johnathon Wilkes) 6th — Chance Jones — 100 Freestyle 6th — Jason Bromby — 100 Backstroke 7th — Boys 200 Freestyle Relay (Zach Ashley, Evan Crane, Jason Bromby, Brandon Lawhorn) 8th — Zach Ashley — 100 Breaststroke Adairsville Middle School top performances (included in HS meet) 4th — Sam Pasley — 50 Freestyle 4th — Andy Barnett — 100 Freestyle 4th — Ashlyn Waters — 100 Backstroke 5th — Sam Pasley — 100 Freestyle 5th — Addie Joslin — 100 Breaststroke 6th — Kylie Clay — 100 Breaststroke 7th — Kayleigh Rice — 100 Freestyle 8th — Cooper Brown — 50 Freestyle Top performances Cass girls: 4th — Yana Getz — 100 Backstroke 4th — Girls 200 Free Relay (K. Bunch, A. Swanson, S. Fairchild, S. Le) 6th — Girls 200 Medley Relay (Y. Getz, L. Gonzalez, K. Bunch, S. Le) 7th — Kelsey Bunch — 100 Freestyle 10th — Kelsey Bunch — 50 Freestyle Top performances Cass boys: 2nd — Joseph Stoelzle — 100 Freestyle 3rd — Boys 200 Medley Relay (J. Stoelzle, C. Molnar, T. Lowery, B. Fairbanks) 4th — Boys 200 Freestyle Relay (J. Stoelzle, B. Fairbanks, R. Dupree, T. Lowery) 6th — Joseph Stoelzle — 50 Freestyle Photos courtesy coach Danny Fairbanks. Cass competes next on Tuesday at Rome against the host Wolves and Calhoun. Adairsville is scheduled to host Coahulla Creek and Cass on Thursday.

Adairsville’s Vic Beasley, Jr., has said Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller of the Denver Broncos is a player he has “looked up to” since coming out of his own college playing days at Clemson. Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons’ second-year pro moved into a tie with Miller for the NFL lead in sacks after a tremendous performance on the road against the Los Angeles Rams. Beasley recorded three sacks in the Falcons’ 42-14 win giving him 13.5 for the season. He also added a league-leading sixth forced fumble and this time recovered and returned the loose ball 21-yards for a touchdown. The NFL record for forced fumbles in a season is ten. Beasley has now accumulated 34 tackles and two passes defended for the year as the Falcons maintained their division lead. Atlanta (8-5) is tied with Tampa Bay in the NFC South, but holds the current tie-breaker over the Bucs. The Falcons host the San Francisco 49ers Sunday at 4:05pm in the Georgia Dome and have regular season games remaining at the Carolina Panthers Saturday, December 24 and at home vs. the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, January 1. COLLEGE AND PRO BASKETBALL SYDNEY BOYD — Brewton-Parker College (Soph., G, Woodland HS). . . scored eight points with two steals and two rebounds as the Lady Barons defeated Florida Memorial College at home Saturday. Boyd started and played 24 minutes. BPC (4-2, 1-1) takes a break in their schedule before traveling to Martin Methodist College (TN) December 29 and Bethel University (TN) December 31 for a pair of Southern States Athletic Conference games. EMMANUEL HOLLOWAY — UU Korihait, Finnish Pro League (G, Illinois State, Woodland HS). . . scored four points, grabbed three rebounds, and two assists in an 89-54 loss to BC Nokia and did not play in a 92-88 loss to Kouvot December 9. UU Korihait (4-11) plays Kauhajoki December 14 and Salon Vilpas December 28. ADRIAN RODGERS — Malbas Oresund, Swedish Pro League (G, Southern University, Cartersvile native). . . led his team with 22 points on 10-of-18 shooting with seven rebounds and two steals in a 104-80 loss last Friday at UMEA in Malmo, Scania. Rodgers is averaging 17.8 points, 4 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.9 assists per game and leads the team in minutes played. Malbas (1-11) plays at Sodertalje Tuesday and hosts Norrkoping Friday. DARIUS THROWER — Truett-McConnell University (G, Fr., Excel Christian Academy). . . saw action off the bench in an 84-59 conference loss at Bluefield (VA) College. The Bears (4-8, 1-5 Appalachian Athletic Conference) play at Florida National University Wednesday and at Ave Maria University (FL) Friday. COREY TOBIN — Reinhardt University (G, Jr., Cartersville HS). . . scored 12 points last Wednesday in a home, 121-92 win over St. Andrews University (NC) and scored three points Saturday in a 93-91 loss at Montreat College (NC). Tobin also totaled five rebounds and a steal in the two games. Reinhardt (10-3, 5-2 Appalachian Athletic Conference) travels to Selma (AL) University Tuesday and will return to conference play January 5 at Union (KY) College. HAKEEM WINTERS — Point University (F, Soph., Cartersville HS). . . scored eight points, grabbed two rebounds, and had one assist in a 90-78 home loss to Allen (SC). Point (2-10) also picked up their first conference win last Wednesday at Tennessee Wesleyan College, 89-87. The Skyhawks play at Troy University Wednesday and travel to Melbourne, FL December 18-19 to play Nova Southeastern University and Florida Tech. Did we miss someone this week? If we did, please let us know. Use the 'Contact' link at the top of this page or email: bartowsportszone@comcast.net. Please also visit our 'Athletes Beyond Bartow' page on this website.

CHICAGO — In its 32nd year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, has selected Trevor Lawrence of Cartersville High School as its 2016-17 Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year. Lawrence is the first Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Cartersville High School. The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Lawrence as Georgia’s best high school football player. Lawrence, rated the No. 1 junior recruit in the country, is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in December. The Hurricanes' signal-caller carries a 4.07 grade point average, volunteers in his community, and is active with his church community. He finished the 2016 season with 51 touchdown passes, third-most in state history. For more, see GHSA.net: http://www.ghsa.net/cartersville-standout-named-gatorade-georgia-player-year

The Cartersville High School wrestling team finished third of 12 teams Saturday at the Northside-Columbus High School "Rumble at the Rock" Duals Tournament. The Purple Hurricanes won their pool with victories over St. Anne Pacelli (70-12), Shaw (48-33), and Harris County (48-36) to reach the three-team finals. Cartersville lost hard-fought matches to the other finalists -- Veterans and Spencer -- to finish in third place for the tournament. Other schools at the tournament included: Brookstone (Columbus, GA), Cartersville, Carver (Columbus, GA), Chattahoochee County (Cusseta, GA), Harris County (Hamilton, GA), Jordan (Columbus, GA), Northside (Columbus, GA), St. Anne Pacelli (Columbus), Shaw (Columbus, GA), Spencer (Columbus, GA), Turner County (Ashburn, GA) and Veterans (Kathleen, GA). Last year, Cartersville placed second at this event. Leading the Hurricanes was senior, Robby Earick, at the 132 lbs. weight class. Earick was undefeated on the day with a 5-0 record and three wins by pin. Senior Rafael Lopez followed with three pins and a 4-1 mark at the 285 lbs. weight class. Juniors Ryan Hardesty (195 lbs. & 220 lbs.) and John Reed Evans (160 lbs.), along with freshman Caz Smith (106 lbs.) also earned 4-1 records with three pins during the event. Jonathan De La Cruz, a junior competing at the 195 lbs. and 220 lbs. weight class this weekend was 3-1 on the day with a pin. Jabril Williams efforts earned him a pin and a 3-2 record. Carlos Aborresco (junior), Shil Shah (sophomore), and Braden Durocher (sophomore) all picked up two wins each during competition. Edwin Balderas (sophomore) and Will Simmons (freshman) both added one match win at the tournament. For the second year in a row, the Cartersville wrestling team was able to stop by the Georgia Dome and support the Hurricanes' football team in their state championship game. The Canes wrestling roster will now add several football players and the coaching staff will be anxious to see what impact they bring to the lineup. Cartersville competes again this Friday and Saturday at Whitewater High School Wildcat Brawl.

The Cass wrestling team finished fourth at the Parlay Invitational at Allatoona High School this weekend. Due to some recent injuries, the Colonels sent only eight individuals to the tournament. Tripp Breeden won the 195-pound weight class to lead Cass. Seven Richard (285-pound division), Houston Jones (170), Ben Mills (113), and Nick Mills (106) each placed second. Jaylen Callahan was third in the 145-pound weight division. Kendall Arnold was fourth at 160-pounds, and Dallas Huston placed sixth in the 220-pound division. The younger wrestlers for Cass competed in the varsity Sequoyah Duals and won three of five matches. Cass had wins over Andrews (NC), Osborne, and Rabun Gap. The Colonels lost to Franklin County and were narrowly edged by Johns Creek by two points. The Colonels will be back in action this coming week on Thursday at Armuchee in a quad-match against Armuchee, Rockmart, and Darlington. On Friday, one squad will head to the McCallie School in Chattanooga while the other squad will wrestle on Saturday at Pepperrell High School. Woodland placed fifth as a team Saturday at the Jim Graves Invitational hosted by Brandon High School, just outside of Tampa, Florida. The tournament drew 15 teams from Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Camden County (GA) won the tournament with South Dade (FL) finishing second. Southwest (FL) was third and host Brandon (FL) placed fourth. Kyle Gollhofer was runner-up in the 113-pound division for Woodland. Dawson Woods (138), Cody Cochran (160), and Hunter Hardin (220) each placed third in their respective brackets. Fourth place finishers for the Wildcats were Gavin Nix (106), Vinnie Rosati (126), and Brody Williams (182). Jesus Montero (120) and Kurtis Feanny were sixth. Blake Cash (132) and Kyle Veley (145) finished seventh. Jacob Welch (152) placed 11th. Woodland will travel to the McCallie Invitational this Friday and Saturday in Chattanooga. The Adairsville wrestling team had two competitors to place at the Dalton Carpet Classic Saturday. Bryce Burgess finished third in the 160-pound class. Tristen Garner finished fourth in the 195-pound division.

It was a rough Saturday on the basketball courts for the local high school teams. The Cartersville boys lost for the first time this season and the teams from Excel Christian Academy, Cass, and Woodland all lost games Saturday. WALKER GIRLS 43, EXCEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 31 Walker led 14-7 after one period and 23-15 at halftime. The Lady Wolverines extended their lead to 33-18 in the third period and held on for a 12-point victory. Saige Cornick-Tuppin led Walker with 14 points. Jesse Baynes scored 12 and Mary Johnson seven for the Lady Wolverines. Whitney Harris scored 13 points to lead Excel’s scorers. Rylie Boston scored seven points. Brighton McCollum scored five. Lindsey Mauldin and Kalli Beth Scheff added four points and two points, respectively. Walker improved to 2-6 with the win. The Lady Eagles (4-2, 1-0 in Region 6A) play Hebron Christian Academy at home Tuesday at 6pm and travel to North Cobb Christian for a region game Friday night at 6pm. WALKER BOYS 95, EXCEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 28 Walker led 28-6 after one quarter and 52-14 at halftime as the Wolverines coasted at home against the visiting Eagles. Jake Shore scored 24 points to lead Walker. Sahey Gill added 14. Levi Blackwell and Chase Horn scored seven points each for the Eagles. Excel hosts Hebron Christian Tuesday night at 7:30pm and travels to second-ranked North Cobb Christian Friday night at 7:30pm. MEADOWCREEK BOYS 73, CARTERSVILLE 63 Meadowcreek took a 16-point lead into the fourth quarter Saturday and held on for a win over Cartersville at the LakePoint Basketball Showcase presented by The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. The game was the first of five hosted at the LakePoint Champions Center in Emerson. The Mustangs (9-1) led at each of the first three quarter stops — 17-10, 36-25, and 55-39 — en route to to their sixth straight win. Anyueri Castillo led Meadowcreek with 17 points. Amari Kelly totaled 10 points and Cory Hightower nine for the Mustangs. Jaylon Pugh led four Cartersville scorers in double figures with 16 points. Isaac Gridley totaled 13 points, Deunta Bryan 12, and Perignon Dyer 11 for the Hurricanes. Luke Schiltz scored six points and Kam Whitfield five. Cartersville (3-1) is scheduled to play at Paulding County next Saturday at 5pm and will host the Patriots December 21. The Canes’ Basketball Alumni Night is set for December 22 vs. Woodland with the girls game set to tip at 6pm. KELL GIRLS 56, CASS 43 The Lady Longhorns evened their season and region records Saturday night with a 13-point win at Cass. Kell improved to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in Region 7-AAAAA. The Lady Colonels, who slipped to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the region, travel to Hiram Tuesday at 6pm and will play at Walton Friday at 6pm. KELL BOYS 63, CASS 39 The visiting Longhorns remained unbeaten in Region 7-AAAAA with a victory at Cass Saturday. Kell improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in region play. Cass (5-2, 3-1) plays at Hiram Tuesday. The Colonels will then play Dacula at the West Hall High School Spartan Shootout Friday and will face the hosts Saturday at 7:30pm in the same event. VILLA RICA BOYS 62, WOODLAND 47 Villa Rica led 29-24 at halftime and led by as many as 15 in the third quarter before settling for a 46-34 advantage through the third. Woodland got to within 11 points three times in the fourth quarter, but that is as close as they would get. Villa Rica improved to 4-2 overall and 3-2 in Region 7-AAAAA. Woodland (1-4, 0-3) is scheduled to play at Rome Tuesday at 7:30pm and face Model in the Rome News Festival at Berry College next Saturday at 4:30pm. VILLA RICA GIRLS 91, WOODLAND 29 Unbeaten Villa Rica led 23-10 after one quarter and 48-18 at halftime on their way to a home, region win over Woodland. Villa Rica improved to 7-0 on the year and 5-0 in Region 7-AAAAA. Woodland (0-5, 0-3) travels to Rome Tuesday night for a 6pm tip and will open play in the Rome News Tribune Holiday Tournament Saturday.

The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes not only won their second consecutive Class AAAA state football championship Saturday night in the Georgia Dome, they did it in convincing fashion. The Canes wrapped up their second straight 15-0 season and routed second-ranked Thomson, 58-7. Cartersville took a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter and was never really challenged. Trey Creamer made it 14-0 on a pair of short runs and added a 20-yard touchdown reception from Trevor Lawrence to build the early advantage. Thomson scored on a 59-yard pass play from Demekus Taylor to Trey Parker that narrowed the margin to 21-7 less than four minutes into the second quarter, but it was all Purple Hurricanes from there. Avery Showell caught an 18-yard second quarter touchdown pass from Lawrence that gave Cartersville a 28-7 lead and kicker Jonathan Cruz -- who successfully converted all six of his PATs in the game -- made field goals from 50- and 41-yards late in the second period for a 34-7 lead at halftime. Cartersville took advantage of six turnovers by the Bulldogs in the game that led to 34 points. Trase Fezzia returned one of five fumbles recovered by the Hurricanes 60 yards in the third quarter for a score and Xavior Coaxum picked off a pass for the Canes. Creamer added another short touchdown run in the third period and Cruz connected on a 37-yard field goal as Cartersville took a 51-7 lead to the final quarter. Nique Williams scored on an 8-yard run for Cartersville in the fourth quarter and Grant Farmer added the PAT for a 58-7 final score. Creamer finished with 107 yards on 16 carries with three touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 28 yards and one score. Lawrence was 14-of-34 passing for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Antoine Jefferson caught five passes for 85 yards. Showell, E.J. Turner, and J’Kobe Orr each had two receptions. Evan Williams and Fezzia added one catch each. Mike Thomas led Thomson with 84 yards rushing. Bulldogs’ quarterback Mills Ridings was 14-of-21 passing for 131 yards and one interception. Trey Parker was the leading receiver for Thomson with 101 yards on six catches and their 59-yard score. Showell made nine tackles on defense for Cartersville, including a sack, three tackles for loss, and a quarterback hit. Sean Holton followed with eight tackles, one for a loss, and a fumble recovery. Coaxum added seven tackles, one for loss, a forced fumble, a pass break up, and an interception. Four more Canes — Dylan Henderson, Creamer, Fezzia, and Carson Murray — finished with five stops each. Murray, Nyvin Nelson, and Garrett Shelton had fumble recoveries for the Purple Hurricanes. Click on the icon below to be redirected to the full statistical game report provided by West Georgia Sports Information Services. 2016 CARTERSVILLE PURPLE HURRICANES (15-0, 6-0) ​ Aug. 19 -- Cartersville 30, Allatoona 14 Sept. 2 -- Cartersville 56, Calhoun 0 Sept. 9 -- Cartersville 31, Westlake 0 Sept. 16 -- Cartersville 38, Hapeville Charter 7 Sept. 23 -- Cartersville 44, Cedartown 6 Sept. 30 -- Cartersville 59, Central-Carroll 9 Oct. 7 -- Cartersville 52, LaGrange 7 Oct. 14 -- Cartersville 35, Sandy Creek 21 Oct. 21 -- Cartersville 48, Chapel Hill 7 Nov. 4 -- Cartersville 68, Troup 0 Nov. 11 -- Cartersville 77, Chestatee 14 (1st Rd. State Playoffs) Nov. 18 -- Cartersville 35, Burke County 7 (2nd Rd. State Playoffs) Nov. 25 -- Cartersville 26, Woodward Academy 15 (State Quarter-Finals) Dec. 2 -- Cartersville 38, Mary Persons 17 (State Semi-Finals) Dec. 10 -- Cartersville 58, Thomson 7 (State Finals, Georgia Dome)

The Cass girls and boys basketball teams each picked up Region 7-AAAAA victories Friday night over visiting East Paulding, while the Adairsville Tigers and Lady Tigers swept Murray County in Chatsworth. The Excel Christian girls also added a road win. CASS BOYS 74, EAST PAULDING 66 Visiting East Paulding took a 24-12 lead after one quarter Friday night and scored the first four points of the second quarter before Cass settled in and eventually rallied for a 74-66 come-from-behind Region 7-AAAAA victory. Cass narrowed the Raiders lead to 34-29 by halftime and trailed by only four — 50-46 — after three periods. The Colonels then outscored East Paulding 28-16 in the fourth quarter for their eight point win. C.J. Bennett led three Colonels in double figures with 25 points. Ashton Burley scored 16 and Ian Whittington added 12 points. Jake Collum and Mark Chester contributed seven points each and Jacquez Milles added five. The Raiders (1-7, 0-3) were led by Caleb Ivey with 21 points. Will Prater scored 11 points. Silas Robinson scored 10 points. Silas Johnson and Azer Tidor both added nine points for East Paulding. Cass (5-1, 3-0) hosts Kell Saturday night at 7:30pm. CASS GIRLS 71, EAST PAULDING 30 The Cass girls started fast and continued to pull away throughout the night in a 71-30 defeat of visiting East Paulding Friday night. Cass led 23-7 after one quarter and 49-15 at halftime. The Lady Colonels extended their lead to 63-22 after three quarters. Jana Morning led Cass with 17 points. Lyric Curtis followed with 11 points and eight rebounds. Kyler Trouten contributed nine points and 13 rebounds. Payton Stoddard scored eight points. Esmeralda Thomas scored six points. Kyla Michienzi and Sharia Wade scored five points. Sydney Mays and Chanel Clemmons totaled four points each and Damia Simpson added two points for the Lady Colonels. Destin Williams led East Paulding with eight points. The Lady Raiders fell to 1-7 overall and 0-4 in Region 7-AAAAA play. Cass (4-2, 2-1) will go for a third straight win Saturday at home against Kell. Tip is set for 6pm. EXCEL GIRLS 45, MT. ZION-CARROLL 33 The Lady Eagles broke open a close game in the final quarter to defeat Mt. Zion-Carroll 45-33. Excel led 17-16 at halftime and 27-26 after three quarters before outscoring Mt. Zion 18-7 in the fourth quarter. Kalli Beth Scheff led Excel with 17 points, including nine in the decisive fourth period. Rylie Boston scored seven of her nine points in the final period. Brighton McCollum scored eight, Whitney Harris seven, and Lindsey Mauldin added four points for the Lady Eagles. Jordan Ackles led Mt. Zion with nine points. Jana Crews scored seven and Kayla Evans six points. Mt. Zion-Carroll slipped to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Region 6-A. Excel (4-1, 1-0) won its third straight and plays again Saturday at Walker at 6pm. MT. ZION-CARROLL BOYS 90, EXCEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 46 Excel (0-4, 0-1) plays Saturday at Walker. Mt. Zion-Carroll improved to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in Region 6-A. Jordan Wilkie scored 17 and Dylan Drew 10 for ECA. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 48, MURRAY COUNTY 44 The Adairsville Tigers took a 13-point lead to the fourth quarter Friday night and held on for a 48-44 win at Murray County. The Tigers led by one point after the first quarter and led 32-26 at halftime. Adairsville then extended the lead to 43-30 after three periods, but the home-standing Indians ralled to make it close in the final quarter. Braden Weaver led Murray with 10 points. John Kruse and Dominick Genitempo scored eight points each for the Indians. Cody Henderson had a game-high 15 points for Adairsville. Cole Hewett scored nine points. Ethan Belcher scored seven points. Juan Perez and Ronald Hardin each contributed six points. Hunter Hice added three points and James Sims scored two points. Murray County fell to 1-6 overall and 1-3 in region play with the loss. Adairsville (4-3, 2-1 Region 6-AAA) plays at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe Tuesday night. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 70, MURRAY COUNTY 55 The Adairsville girls outscored Murray County 39-19 in the second half Friday night for a come-from-behind road win to snap a three-game skid. Murray County led 36-31 at the intermission, but was limited to only seven points in the fourth quarter as Adairsville rallied for a 70-55 win. Zay Harris finished with 19 points to lead the Lady Tigers. Emily Collum added 14 points. The Lady Tigers (3-3, 1-2) host Pepperell Saturday. PAULDING COUNTY GIRLS 43, WOODLAND 38 The Lady Cats fell behind 13-8 after one quarter and trailed by six at halftime Friday night at Paulding County, before knotting the score at 29-29 after three quarters. Kasie Brewer, who led the Lady Patriots with a game-high 23 points, scored six of Paulding County’s 13 fourth quarter points while Woodland was held to only six points in the final period. Lexie Robinson led Woodland with 19 points. Nickiah Metcalf and Carli Clymer scored five points each. Danielle Downes, McKenzie Hobbs, and Madgie Robinson added two points each for the Lady Cats. Woodland (0-4) plays at Villa Rica Saturday at 6pm. PAULDING COUNTY BOYS 85, WOODLAND 67 Paulding County improved to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in Region 7-AAAAA. Woodland (1-3, 0-1) plays another Region 7-AAAAA game at Villa Rica Saturday at 7:30pm.