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December 29, 2024 The Cass High School wrestling team carried only six wrestlers to the Greater Miami Valley Holiday Wrestling Tournament this past Friday and Saturday (Dec. 27-28) in Vandalia, Ohio, but managed a 12th-place team finish in the 64-team field. The Colonels were led by Mason Tompkins (175 pounds), who went 4-1 in his bouts for a runner-up podium finish. Aidan Piatt was 3-3 in the 144-pound division and placed sixth. Codey Dean (215 pounds) placed eighth with a 3-3 mark, and Luka Jensen (132 pounds) was 2-2 in his bouts. Cass will host the Region 7-4A Duals Championship on Saturday, January 4. The tournament will include Woodland, Cedartown, Cartersville, Allatoona, Dalton, and Hiram.

December 29, 2024 With both teams coming off overtime wins on Friday night, the Adairsvile Tigers outlasted the Blessed Trinity Titans 67-62 in another overtime game Saturday night in the semifinals of the 2024 Christmas Clash at Adairsville High School. The Tigers led 21-20 after a fast-paced opening quarter on Saturday, but the Titans held a 35-31 advantage at the intermission. Adairsville moved back ahead by the end of the third quarter, 46-43 before Blessed Trinity forced overtime with the score knotted at 59-59. The Tigers outscored the Titans 8-3 in overtime, converting six of eight free throws. In the added four minutes, Adairsville’s Tre Winters had the only field goal for either team. DJ Jacobs led Blessed Trinity with 20 points. Henry Chastain scored 13 points, and Matt Lister finished with 12 points for the Titans (3-7). Xavious Nalls had 20 points for Adairsville, followed by Winters with 16. Tyrek Hames contributed 13 points. Ben Abernathy scored 10, and Barrett Fuller scored eight points for the Tigers. Blessed Trinity will play Allatoona on Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the third-place game. Adairsville (6-6) will square off with Paulding County for the tournament championship on Monday at 8:30 p.m. The Patriots (9-5) edged Allatoona 69-65 in double-overtime in Saturday's other boys' semifinal game. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 50, RINGGOLD 39 The Adairsville Lady Tigers snapped a four-game losing skid Saturday and advanced to play in the consolation finals with a 50-39 victory over the Ringgold Tigers. Adairsville trailed 17-7 after one quarter and 20-15 at halftime but outscored Ringgold 35-19 in the second half to pull out an 11-point win. Keeley Mountjoy and Jersey Rae Loy led Ringgold (7-5) with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Rihanna Crittenden scored 14 points to lead Adairsville. Alivia Joslin added 11 and Ziyah Hicks seven for the Adairsville girls. Adairsville (5-7) faces East Paulding on Monday at 1 p.m. in the consolation finals of the Christmas Clash. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 58, SUMTER COUNTY 49 The Lady Canes earned a split of their two games at the Carrollton Christmas Showcase with a 58-49 win over Sumter County on Saturday at Carrollton High School. Senai Camper scored 15 points with eight rebounds and three assists to help Cartersville bounce back on Saturday following their loss to Phenix City-Central on Friday. Zoe McCurry also reached double-figure scoring for the Lady Canes with 12 points. She added seven rebounds and four assists. KK Arnold finished with nine points, six assists, and collected four boards. Jesstynie Scott led Sumter County (4-5) with 26 points. The Lady Canes (7-5) will host Pope and the Wood Elite Showcase on January 4 at 7 p.m. RINGGOLD 59, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 49 The Purple Hurricanes dropped their second game at the Adairsville High School Christmas Clash on Saturday, falling to the Ringgold Tigers 59-49. Cartersville led by ten points at halftime, but Ringgold narrowed the margin to 43-39 by the end of the third quarter and outscored the Canes 20-6 in the final eight minutes. Bryce Harris and Trevor Jones led the Tigers (8-4) with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Wyatt Thomason scored 18 points and collected six rebounds for the Canes. Nas Bennett produced 12 points. AJ Cowart scored 10 points with Shakai Taylor adding nine rebounds and three points. Cartersville (8-6) will look to bounce back on Monday when the Hurricanes face Sonoraville at 11:30 a.m. in the tournament's seventh-place game. GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SET FOR ADAIRSVILLE CLASH Sonoraville outlasted McEachern 45-42, and North Cobb topped Model 40-35 in the semifinal games of the girls’ tournament at Adairsville High School on Saturday. Sonoraville and North Cobb will play for the Christmas Clash championship on Monday at 7 p.m.  McEachern and Model will play in the tournament’s third-place game at 4 p.m. on Monday. Monday’s complete schedule at Adairsville High School: 10 a.m. — Girls 7th place — Ringgold v. Blessed Trinity 11:30 a.m.. — Boys 7th place — Cartersville v. Sonoraville 1 p.m. — Girls 5th place — Adairsville v. East Paulding 2:30 p.m. —Boys 5th place — Ringgold v. North Paulding 4 p.m. — Girls 3rd place — Model v. McEachern 5:30 p.m. — Boys 3rd place — Allatoona v. Blessed Trinity 7 p.m. — Girls Championship — Sonoraville v. North Cobb 8:30 p.m. — Boys Championship — Adairsville v. Paulding County

December 27, 2024 Tre Winters scored 21 points Friday in Adairsville's overtime win over Ringgold at the Christmas Clash. The Adairsville boys have played many nail-biter games this season, and their first-round game of this year’s Christmas Clash on Friday night was no exception. In a battle of former region rivals, Adairsville outlasted the Ringgold Tigers 66-61 in overtime. “We had a three-point lead with the clock running out, and they hit another well-defended three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime,” reflected Adairsville coach Alex Disbrow. Adairsville outscored Ringgold 13-8 in the extra four-minute period to escape with a victory. Ringgold led at the end of the first three quarter stops. The visitors led 17-12 after one period, 31-27 at halftime, and 41-38 at the end of the third quarter. Adairsville outscored Ringgold 15-8 in the final eight minutes. Bryce Harris and Trevor Jones led Ringgold with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Tre Winters finished with 21 points for Adairsville. Ben Abernathy followed with 14, and Xavious Nalls added 13. Ringgold (7-4) will play Cartersville in a consolation semifinal on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Adairsville (5-6) advanced to Saturday’s championship semifinals to face Blessed Trinity at 8:30 p.m. MODEL 60, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 38 All twelve players from the Lady Blue Devils scored, with Jaeda Wells leading with 11 points, as Model triumphed over the Lady Tigers 60-38 on Friday night in the first round of the Adairsville Christmas Clash. Model (10-1) led 31-14 by halftime and 46-29 by the end of the third quarter. Alivia Joslin and Ziyah Hicks scored seven points for the Lady Tigers. Rihanna Crittendon added six in the loss. The Lady Blue Devils advanced to Saturday’s championship semifinals to face North Cobb in a 7 p.m. tip. Adairsville (4-7) will play Ringgold in a consolation semifinal on Saturday at 1 p.m. BLESSED TRINITY 64, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 63 (OT) Former region foes Cartersville and Blessed Trinity squared off Friday in the first round of the Adairsville Christmas Clash, with the Titans squeezing out a 64-63 victory in overtime. Blessed Trinity led 27-20 at halftime and 41-38 after three quarters before Cartersville rallied to tie the game at 59-all at the end of regulation. Cartersville held two fourth-quarter leads but needed Kaden Baldwin's three-pointer with only seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. The Canes led by as many as three points in the overtime session, but DJ Jacob's bucket with 0:02 remaining was the difference. Jacobs scored 29 points, including all five of Blessed Trinity’s points in overtime. Kaden Berry added 11 for the Titans (3-6).  Blessed Trinity advances to the tournament semifinals on Saturday against Adairsville at 8:30 p.m. Nas Bennett scored 19 points to pace the Hurricanes. Wyatt Thomason and Shakai Taylor totaled 13 points each. Cartersville (8-5) will play a consolation semifinal on Saturday afternoon against Ringgold at 2:30 p.m. Other scores at the Adairsville Christmas Clash on Friday: Girls Sonoraville 55, East Paulding 24 McEachern 39, Blessed Trinity 26 North Cobb 48, Ringgold 29 Boys Paulding County 65, North Paulding 52 Allatoona 85, Sonoraville 44 CENTRAL-PHENIX CITY, AL 59, CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 55 The Cartersville Lady Canes narrowly lost to the Central-Phenix City (AL) Red Devils Friday at the Carrollton Christmas Showcase, 59-55. Cartersville held small leads at the end of each of the first three quarters, but Central pulled the game out over the final eight minutes by outscoring the Lady Canes 13-7. Jabria Lindsey led all scorers with 33 points for the Red Devils (13-2). Senai Camper led Cartersville with 19 points. She added five rebounds and four assists. Trinity Montgomery pitched in ten points with three rebounds and two assists. Bayley Stanley added nine points, six boards, and five steals in the loss.  The Lady Canes (6-6) will play Sumter County at Carrollton High School on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

December 25, 2024 2024 Adairsville Tigers Christmas Clash The annual Adairsville High School Christmas Clash basketball invitational begins Friday morning, with eight games played each day on December 27, 28, and 30. The first round of the girls' bracket will begin at 10 a.m. with East Paulding facing Sonoraville. The other girls' first-round games include McEachern vs. Blessed Trinity at 1 p.m., Ringgold vs. North Cobb at 4 p.m., and Model against Adairsville at 7 p.m. The boys' tournament begins at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, with Allatoona taking on Sonoraville. The other three first-round boys' games on Friday include North Paulding vs. Paulding County at 2:30 p.m., Cartersville vs. Blessed Trinity at 5:30 p.m., and Ringgold vs. Adairsville at 8:30 p.m. On Saturday, the first-round losing teams will play in the consolation semifinals. The girls' consolations will be at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The boys' consolation semifinals will start at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The girls' tournament championship semifinals will be at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The boys' championship semifinals will be at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. On Monday, all teams will play a third game with the following schedule: 10 a.m. -- 7th place girls 11:30 a.m. -- 7th place boys 1 p.m. -- 5th place girls 2:30 p.m. -- 5th place boys 4 p.m. -- 3rd place girls 5:30 p.m. -- 3rd place boys 7 p.m. -- Girls Championship 8:30 p.m. -- Boys Championship 2024 TIGERS CHRISTMAS CLASH -- GIRLS BRACKET (click on the image to enlarge) 2024 TIGERS CHRISTMAS CLASH -- BOYS BRACKET (click on the image to enlarge)

December 23, 2024 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Most of the collegiate athletes with Cartersville and Bartow County connections are on holiday breaks, but a few were in action this past week.  In college football news, offensive linemen Jonah Gambill (Memphis) and Shadre Hurst (Tulane) had bowl games this past week. At the same time, Devin Henderson (Liberty) and Sacovie White (Georgia) prepared for upcoming games. Gambill and the Tigers won the Frisco Bowl. Hurst and the Green Wave lost at the Gasparilla Bowl. Henderson and the Flames will play in the Bahamas Bowl on January 4, and White and the Bulldogs will face Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl/CFP Quarterfinals on New Year’s Day. Three college wrestlers were on the mats last week and five locals saw basketball action. CHINA — CBA PRO BASKETBALL Ashton Hagans ASHTON HAGANS — Xinjiang Flying Tigers (5th yr. pro; Cartersville native; University of Kentucky; Newton HS) … totaled 15 points with 12 assists, two steals, and four rebounds in wins last week over Tianjin and Shandong. Xinjiang (15-4) is tied for third in the 20-team league behind first-place Guangsha and second-place Shanxi. The Flying Tigers play at Beijing on Tuesday and at Liaoning on Saturday.  COLLEGE FOOTBALL JONAH GAMBILL — University of Memphis (R-Sr., Cartersville HS) … a starter on the Tigers’ offensive line that helped produce 474 yards in a 42-37 win over West Virginia last Tuesday (Dec. 17) at the Frisco Bowl in Texas. The win likely assures a final Top 25 ranking for Memphis. The Tigers (11-2) were just inside the Top 25 in the College Football Playoff rankings, the AP Poll, and the Coaches Poll in the final rankings before the bowl games. Gambill appeared in 47 games — most were starts — during his five-season career. SHADRE HURST — Tulane University (So., Cartersville HS) … a starter on the Green Wave’s offensive line that helped produce 194 yards of offense in a 33-6 loss to Florida last Friday at the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa. Hurst started all 14 games this season for Tulane, and the guard even caught a 5-yard pass in September at Louisiana-Lafayette. Tulane finished the season with a 9-5 record. Hurst has now appeared in 30 games for the Green Wave. SAM PHILLIPS — UT-Chattanooga (R-Jr., Cartersville HS) … a wide receiver, Phillips has entered the transfer portal after 28 games, 117 receptions, 1519 yards, and seven touchdowns with the Mocs. Chattanooga was 7-5 in 2024.  He caught 50 passes this past season for 823 yards and three touchdowns and will be a redshirt senior. COLLEGE WRESTLING BRYCE KRESHO — Franklin & Morris College (Jr., Cass HS) … went 3-2 and placed fourth this past weekend at the Sheridan Open in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Diplomats return to the mats December 29-30 at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships in Evanston, Illinois. Tyler-Xavier McKnight TYLER-XAVIER McKNIGHT — Davidson College (So., Cass HS) … reached the semifinals before falling and went 4-1 to finish third in the 149-pound bracket at the Wilkes Open this past weekend. He was one of six Wildcats reaching the Wilkes-Barr, Pennsylvania podium. Davidson will wrestle next at the Chattanooga Southern Scuffle on January 4-5. JAXON SMITH — University of Maryland (R-Jr., Woodland HS) … went 1-2 in a quad-duals meet this past weekend in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The Terrapins went 0-3 as a team, endangering their current No. 24 ranking. Smith, ranked sixth nationally in the 197-pound division, defeated an 11th-ranked opponent from Pitt but lost to his 22nd-ranked opponent from host Rider and eighth-ranked opponent from South Dakota State. Maryland (4-3 in duals) will face Binghampton, Columbia, and Lock Haven on January 5 in the Armbar at the Armory in Albany, New York. COLLEGE BASKETBALL Former Cass Colonel Braxton Benham averaged over 22 points in two games last week for Berry College. BRAXTON BENHAM — Berry College (Sr., Cass HS) … in a 62-60 home loss to Belhaven University last Thursday and an 81-68 win this past Saturday over Earlham College, Benham totaled 45 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and four steals. The Vikings (6-5) will play Ferrum College in the first game of the Christopher-Newport Tournament on Sunday before facing either Misericordia or CNU on Monday, December 30. DAVID JINKS — University of Maine-Augusta (Fr., Excel Christian Academy) … totaled five points and grabbed one rebound in losses last week at Paul Smith’s College and Maine-Fort Kent. The Moose (3-12, 3-5) return to action on January 17 at Vermont State-Randolph. MEGAN SCHULTZ — Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (Fr., Woodland HS) … scored three points and grabbed one rebound last Tuesday in a 66-38 loss at Brewton Parker College. The Fillies (5-9, 0-3 Southern States Athletic Conference) will host Thomas University (Fla.) on January 4. LONDAISHA SMITH — St. Andrews University (Sr., Cass HS) … scored 16 points with three rebounds, two assists, and two steals on December 16 in a 75-55 home loss to Milligan University. The Lady Knights (5-8, 2-5 Appalachian Athletic Conference) visit Bryan College (Tenn.) on January 4. Alissa Winters has moved into the Bears' starting lineup. ALISSA WINTERS — Truett-McConnell University (Fr., Adairsville HS) … through 12 games this season, including starts in the last eight games, Winters has totaled 29 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists, five steals, and two blocks as the Lady Bears have gone 6-6 overall and 4-3 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. TMU plays at Montreat College (NC) on January 4.

December 22, 2024 The Cass wrestling team hosted and won the eight-team Guerrilla Duals on Saturday. The Colonels won four consecutive duals to take the tournament title. Cass defeated Adairsville (62-16), Gordon Lee (54-21), and Houston County (75-6) to reach the championship match. Rockmart finished runner-up to Cass after falling in the championship match to the Colonels, 46-29.  Troup finished in third place, and Gordon Lee was fourth. Other participating schools were Liberty County (Fla.), Greenbrier, and Armuchee. Hunter Barrett (wrestling at 120 pounds and 126) went 4-0 on the day, as did Luka Jenson (138), Aiden Piatt (150), David Jewell (157), Ethan Harrington (4-0), and Codey Dean (215). Mason Tompkins (175) and Kriecg Roe (190) were 3-0 on the day. Logan Crisp (175) won his only bout.  Hayden Trimm (113, 3-1), Gavin Walker (120/126, 2-1), and Joe Vara (132, 3-1) rounded out the top Cass performances. The Colonels return to the mats Friday and Saturday at the GMVWA Holiday Tournament at Butler High School in Vandalia, Ohio. Cass wrestling won four straight duals on Saturday to win the Guerrilla Duals. WILDCATS FOURTH AT PELHAM INVITATIONAL Woodland placed fourth Saturday at the 22-team Pelham Invitational in Alabama. Gulf Shores (AL) won the traditional format tournament with 237 points. Two other Alabama schools — Enterprise (198.5) and Homewood (195) rounded out the top three teams. Woodland scored 182.5 points. Individual results by weight class: 106 — Nick Weathersbee — 2nd place — 3-1 120 — Noah Cates — 4th  — 3-2 125 — Adrian Zapata — 2nd — 4-1 138 — Dylan Couey — 2nd — 4-1 175 — Christian Cothran — 2nd — 3-1 190 — Owen Jones — 5th — 4-2 215 — John Gill — 3rd — 5-1 285 — Will Thomas — 3-2

December 21, 2024 The Cartersville boys' basketball team defeated host Villa Rica, and the Excel Christian Academy boys beat Cherokee Christian at the Silent Knight Christmas Classic on Saturday. CARTERSVILLE BOYS 67, VILLA RICA 62 Wyatt Thomason In the consolation finals of the Carroll County Schools SMI Christmas Classic, the Purple Hurricanes held off a late rally by host Villa Rica for a 67-62 win. The win by Cartersville was their sixth in their last seven games. Villa Rica led 19-16 after one quarter, but the Canes held leads of 36-33 and 52-48 at the end of the next two periods. The Wildcats took a brief lead late in the game, but the Canes held off the rally for a five-point win. Wyatt Thomason, named to the SMI All-Tournament Team, scored 26 points with eight rebounds and three assists. Nas Bennett followed with 21 points, seven boards, and three assists. Grayson Warmack and Kaden Baldwin added six and five points, respectively. Gavin Cooley led Villa Rica with 19 points. Will Wallace contributed 14 and Jay Hart 11 for the Wildcats (5-8). Cartersville (8-4) returns to action on December 27 at 5:30 p.m. at the Adairsville High School Christmas Clash. The Hurricanes will play Blessed Trinity in a first-round game. EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 76, CHEROKEE CHRISTIAN 65 In a game played in Woodstock at The King’s Academy Silent Knight Christmas Classic, Excel Christian outscored Cherokee Christian 19-10 in the fourth quarter to escape with a 76-65 victory over the Warriors. Cherokee Christian led 24-20 after one quarter and 38-36 at halftime. The Eagles led 57-55 at the end of the third quarter. Excel had four players reach double-digit scoring, led by Evan Chappell's 22 points. Kaiyu Huffman and Carter May finished with 13 points. Jayden Jinks added 10 for the Eagles. Caleb Blakeney led Cherokee Christian (2-6) with 23 points. Jalen Brown added 14. ECA (8-6) returns to action on January 4 at Pinecrest Academy in Cumming at 6 p.m. BANNEKER 71, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 70 (OT) A slow start hampered the Tigers Saturday at the Pope High School Holiday Tournament. Still, Adairsville surged back into contention in the fourth quarter and took the game to overtime before losing on a made three-pointer at the end. Banneker (6-6) led 20-8 after one quarter and held leads of 31-21 at halftime and 48-34 at the end of the third quarter.  The Tigers outscored the Trojans 26-12 over the final eight minutes to send the game to overtime tied 60-all. “We played a really good second half,” said Adairsville head coach Alex Disbrow. “We took a two-point lead with 0:12 to go, but they hit a well-defended three-pointer at the end to win it.” Emmanuel Ogbeifun led Banneker with 34 points. Dontrell Tells scored 11 for the Trojans. Xavious Nalls poured in 33 points for Adairsville. Ben Abernathy contributed 16 points, and Tre Winters added 10. The Tigers (4-6) will play Ringgold on December 27 in the first round of the Adairsville Christmas Clash in an 8:30 p.m. tip. BOWDON 74, WOODLAND GIRLS 27 Alana Carnes The Lady Red Devils improved to 2-3 on the year with a 74-27 win over Woodland on Saturday in a consolation game at the Carroll County Schools SMI Christmas Classic at Villa Rica. Woodland’s Alana Carnes was named to the SMI All-Tournament Team. The Lady Cats (1-15) will visit Unity Christian School on December 30 for a 6:30 p.m. tip. BOWDON 76, WOODLAND BOYS 63 Tylen Metcalf In a consolation game Saturday at the Carrollton SMI Christmas Classic, Woodland led early but trailed by halftime and eventually lost to Bowdon at Villa Rica High School 76-63. The Wildcats led 19-12 after the opening eight minutes, but the Red Devils held leads of 39-33 at halftime and 56-46 through three quarters en route to a 13-point win. Kaiden Prothro scored a game-high 23 points to lead Bowdon. Jacob Brown added 15. Tylen Metcalf, named to the SMI All-Tournament Team, led four Wildcats in double figures with 15 points. Isaiah Livsey and Jayden Metcalf finished with 13 points. Elijah Morris added 10 for the Wildcats. Bowdon improved to 3-2 on the season. Woodland (3-11) plays at Unity Christian School on December 30 at 7:30 p.m.

December 20, 2024 The Cartersville boys basketball team won their consolation semifinal game Friday evening at the Carroll County SMI Christmas Tournament, defeating Bowdon 76-73. The other Bartow County basketball teams in action on Friday suffered losses. CARTERSVILLE BOYS 76, BOWDON 73 The Purple Hurricanes and Red Devils played a tight contest Friday at Villa Rica High School. Cartersville held off Bowdon in the fourth quarter for a 76-73 win in the consolation semifinals of the Carroll County Schools SMI Christmas Classic.  Wyatt Thomason led the Canes with 22 points. Nas Bennett finished with 20 points, and Will Bishop added 12 for Cartersville. Kaiden Prothro scored 21 points for Bowdon, and Zayland Allen produced 16 for the Red Devils (2-2). Cartersville (7-4) will play host Villa Rica in the consolation finals on Saturday at 2 p.m. VILLA RICA 70, WOODLAND BOYS 49 In a consolation round pairing of two teams called Wildcats, host Villa Rica defeated Woodland on Friday 70-49 at the Carroll County Schools SMI Christmas Classic.  DJ Clayton and Gavin Cooley led Villa Rica (6-7) with 22 and 12 points, respectively. Tylen Metcalf led the Woodland scoring column with 17 points. Jayden Metcalf and Evan Womack added seven. Woodland (3-11) plays Bowdon in another consolation game on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Villa Rica High School. VILLA RICA 61, WOODLAND GIRLS 22 The Villa Rica girls improved to 5-7 on the season with a 61-22 home win Friday over Woodland in the Carroll County Schools SMI Christmas Classic consolation round. Woodland (1-14) will play another consolation game on Saturday at Villa Rica against Bowdon at 9:30 a.m. SONORAVILLE 65, CASS GIRLS 50 The host Lady Phoenix built a 35-21 lead by halftime and maintained their advantage in the second half Friday night for a 65-50 win over the Cass Lady Colonels. Erin Garland paced Sonoraville with 21 points. Ella Kate Walraven finished with 15 points for the Phoenix. Cadie Paez scored 18 and KK Evans posted 15 points to lead Cass. Kiana McDaniel and Anizah Taylor added nine and eight points, respectively. Sonoraville improved to 9-2 on the season. Cass (6-7) will return to action on January 4 at Adairsville at 5 p.m. SONORAVILLE 73, CASS BOYS 58 Sonoraville rushed to a 22-7 lead by the end of the first quarter and held off visiting Cass for a 73-58 win on Friday night. The Phoenix led 34-18 at halftime and 51-34 at the end of the third quarter. Braxton Coats scored 23 points for Sonoraville, and Elijah Woods finished with 22. Dylan Miller led the Colonels with 24 points. Parnel Gamble contributed 16 points, and Jason Brown added 11 for Cass.  Sonoraville improved to 3-8. Cass (5-8) returns to action on January 4 at Adairsville. THE KING’S ACADEMY 91, EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 63 The Excel Christian Academy boys fell behind early Friday night and could not recover in a 91-63 loss at The King’s Academy. The game was part of the Silent Knight Christmas Classic. The King’s Academy led 28-6 after one quarter, 53-29 at the intermission, and 80-47 by the end of the third quarter. Bryson McCleskey led the Knights with 25 points. Brooks Thrasher scored 20 for The King’s Academy. Evan Chappell led Excel with 19 points. Carter May finished with 15 points for the Eagles.  TKA improved to 8-3 on the season. Excel Christian (7-6) will play Cherokee Christian on Saturday at 5 p.m. at The King’s Academy in Woodstock. POPE 56, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 45 Playing at the Pope Christmas Classic, the Adairsville boys lost Friday to the host Greyhounds 56-45. Drew Abney led Pope with 20 points. Elijah Grimes added 14 for the Greyhounds. Tre Winters paced the Tigers with 16 points. Xavious Nalls tossed in nine points, and Ben Abernathy added eight. Pope improved to 10-2 on the season. Adairsville (4-5) continues play in the event on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. against Banneker.

December 20, 2024 The three local high school basketball teams participating in the annual Carroll County Schools SMI Holiday Tournament lost their first-round games on Thursday. The tournament continues with games on Friday and Saturday. MT. ZION-CARROLL 64, WOODLAND BOYS 55 The Wildcats recovered from a slow start Thursday evening and played a strong third quarter to charge back into their first-round game of the Carroll County Schools SMI Holiday Tournament, but the Mt. Zion-Carroll Eagles held on the win 64-55. Woodland trailed 16-5 after one quarter and 30-24 at halftime before outscoring the Eagles 22-17 in the third quarter to narrow the deficit to one point.  The rally came up short across the final eight minutes, with Mt. Zion taking the final period 17-9. Payton and Austin Waters led Mt. Zion-Carroll with 25 and 19 points, respectively. Jerry Terrell added 15 for the Eagles (6-0). Jayden Metcalf scored 16 points for Woodland, followed by Evan Womack with 11 and Tylen Metcalf with nine points. Woodland (3-10) plays at Villa Rica High School on Friday at 5:30 p.m. in a consolation game against Thursday night’s Temple/Villa Rica loser. CENTRAL-CARROLL 67, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 44 The Cartersville boys lost their first-round game at the Carroll County Schools SMI Holiday Tournament in Carrollton to Central-Carroll, 67-44. The Lions improved to 9-1 on the season. Cartersville (6-4) plays Bowdon in a tournament consolation game on Friday at Central-Carroll High School at 5:30 p.m. MT. ZION-CARROLL 60, WOODLAND GIRLS 18 The Woodland Lady Cats lost to Mt. Zion-Carroll Thursday afternoon in the Carroll County Schools SMI Holiday Tournament opening round at Villa Rica High School.  Mt. Zion-Carroll improved its season record to 2-3. Woodland (1-13) plays a consolation game on Friday at Villa Rica against Thursday’s Villa Rica / Temple loser. COAHULLA CREEK 73, EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 66 The Excel Eagles lost a 73-66 decision Thursday night in Whitfield County at the Coahulla Creek Colts. A highly competitive contest throughout, Coahulla Creek led 36-28 at halftime and carried a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter before holding on for a seven-point victory. Morris Cullen led the Colts (7-2) with 18 points. Gage Voyles posted 16 points, and Waelyn Baliles added 13 for Coahulla Creek. Evan Chappell scored 21 and Kaiyu Huffman 20 for the Eagles. Christian Vieira and Kameron Profit added six points. Carter May and Jorge Ricardo chipped in with five points. Excel Christian (7-5) plays host The King’s Academy Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the Silent Knight Christmas Classic and will play Cherokee Christian on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the same event in Woodstock.

Ask practically anyone in Bartow County about Rudy York, and they will tell you that he was a major league baseball player with local ties to the community. That is, of course, true. But the story of his rise to national stardom with the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox is one of wonder, excitement, and even dismay. My entire life is linked in some ways to the Rudy York story. My grandfather’s brother acquired Rudy York’s Cassville farm around 1950, and it was the country farm home of my grandparents until their passing. My mother and her sister went through high school while living in that home and it continues to serve as a family home for one of my cousins. As kids, we spent a lot of time on that farm. There was always plenty to do with the cows, chicken pens, or even an occasional hog. There were barnyard cats and always a huge vegetable garden in the summer with plenty of related chores to keep youngsters occupied outside. Over the years, multiple family members have built homes on the old farm place, with all the originally purchased property remaining in my extended family until recently. In fact, my current home is located on a portion of what was known as the Rudy York farm. So are the homes of my parents and my brother. Today’s Cartersville Little Leaguers and their parents know about Rudy York — at least the name. One of the fields in the current Cartersville Little League complex is named after York, and many people in this community recall when that space was used as the playing field for Cartersville High School games. Even youth football games were played across the outfield grass when it was the only field in that space. Below is a snapshot of the Rudy York story. Rudy York and Stan Musial at the 1946 World Series. ________ RUDY YORK: ATCO Supertwister to Major League star In the late 1920s, aviator Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo transatlantic flight from New York to Paris in 33 hours to become a national hero. Still, the decade was also when America created its first true sports heroes. Sports like baseball, basketball, and boxing reached new heights of popularity in the 1920s. Massive stadiums like Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium were built in cities to handle the increasing interest of fans who wanted to watch and celebrate the excitement of spectator sports. Legendary baseball heroes like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Satchel Paige were well-known in the Twenties. Joe Lewis, Jack Dempsey, and Gene Tunney were the heavyweight boxing greats, and the rising sport of football offered Red Grange. Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen were the golfing greats of the day, basketball fans talked about New Yorker Nat Holman, and tennis offered Bill Tilden and Helen Wills. Aerial view of the Atco mill village -- Bartow History Museum Meanwhile, in a quiet mill town on the western edge of Cartersville, a 15-year-old dubbed “home run king of Atco” was honing his skills — especially with a bat. That youngster was Rudy York. Beulah York — estranged from her husband Arthur — was a spooler in an Aragon textile mill. She moved her family to the Atco village in the late 1920s, where some of her five children also worked in the factory. The family even took in boarders to help make ends meet. Preston Rudolph “Rudy” York fell in love with baseball as a teenager. As a youngster, he played with the SuperTwisters, a founding member team of the Northwest Georgia Textile League. The American Textile Company (ATCO) mill town was established just after the turn of the 20th century and was purchased by the Goodyear Rubber Company in 1929. York and the SuperTwisters were an independent semi-pro team that played against teams from surrounding mill towns in Cedartown, Rockmart, and Rome. Baseball was a huge source of entertainment and a community event at the time. Teenaged York quickly became a local favorite and, by 1930, was a star, even amongst the best of the other players in the textile circuit. In April 1930, the Bartow Tribune-News called York “a sensational shortstop and a clever hitter…” In October 1930, the local newspaper noted, “Rudy has proved to the public that he loves baseball. He is a good hitter and fielder with more home runs to his credit than any other player in the Goodyear loop.” In June of 1931, he married Violet Dupree, an Atco girl. They had their first child, Mary Jane, in 1933. York, 19 years old in 1933, received a tryout with the Knoxville Smokies of the Southern League and went 1-for-10 in three games before being released. All three games of his pro debut were losses at the Memphis Chicks, but the 1933 season would be his inception for a professional career despite that disappointment. He returned to Atco briefly after the Knoxville experience but spent most of that remaining spring playing with the independent league LaGrange Troopers. The Troopers moved to Albany and became known as the Indians that spring. York played third base and some outfield and even appeared in a rare relief pitcher role with Albany before leaving the team in late June when scout Eddie Goosetree of the Detroit Tigers organization signed him. That season, the Tigers sent York to their affiliates — the Shreveport Sports and the Beaumont Exporters. In 1934, he started the year with the Exporters, but after a promising start as a developing catcher, York was loaned to another Texas League team, the Fort Worth Panthers. The Panthers moved York to left field, and his hitting improved, but not enough to help the struggling Fort Worth team. The Panthers fell from postseason contention well before the end of the season. In Beaumont, the Exporters were battling for a Texas League pennant in mid-August. As a result, the Panthers released York back to the Beaumont club, but the move was controversial. Other Texas League teams argued that the move of York should be nullified because it was after the August 1 trade deadline. The Exporters claimed the trade deadline did not apply to York because he was “loaned,” not traded or sold, to Fort Worth. League president J. Alvin Gardner ruled that Beaumont had every right to recall the loaned York, but the power hitter would be ineligible to play in the remaining 1934 games for the Exporters. The ruling appeared to end York’s season a month early, but instead, it launched his journey to the Major Leagues. York had hit .332 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI in 1934 with Beaumont and Fort Worth, so the major league team in Detroit decided to call him up, hoping he could provide a power bat off the bench. On August 16, the day before York’s 21st birthday, he was summoned to Detroit and spent his birthday on a train ride to join the Tigers. He made his major league debut and struck out as a pinch-hitter on August 22. He did not appear in a game again until the season's final week after the Tigers had locked up the American League pennant. He played in two more games and was 1-for-5 with a walk. He was on the Tigers’ roster during the 1934 World Series but did not appear in any of the seven-game Fall Classic won by the St. Louis Cardinals. In the off-season, York was reassigned back to the Beaumont roster. York began 1935 as the Exporter's primary catcher but struggled defensively, and his hitting also began to slump. At the end of May, his manager moved him to first base, where he showed some defensive promise, moved closer to the .300 mark as a hitter, and even took over the Texas League lead in home runs. The team also climbed the standings ladder and eventually finished runner-up to Oklahoma City. York, who hit .301 with a league-leading 32 home runs, finished the year with 117 RBIs and was selected as the league’s Most Valuable Player. In 1936, York hit .334 with 37 home runs and 148 RBIs for the Milwaukee Brewers of the Double-A American Association and won MVP of that league. In 1937, at age 23, he was back with Detroit and assigned to the major league club. With veteran star Hank Greenberg at first base, the Tigers tried York at third base and left field, but his defensive liabilities were too great to keep him in the lineup. An injury to regular third baseman Marv Owen put the Atco rookie back in the lineup until July. Tigers manager Mickey Cochrane put York in the lineup as a catcher in early August. Cochrane, a Tigers’ catcher himself, often labeled York as “too clunky” as a catcher but wanted that offensive weapon in his lineup. York responded with 18 home runs that month, breaking a record held by Babe Ruth. He also drove in 49 runs for the month to break a Lou Gehrig mark. The home run record for August was surpassed in 1998 by Sammy Sosa. He finished his rookie season as an MLB sensation. York had a .307 batting average, 35 homers, and 101 RBI in only 375 at-bats. Today, York still holds the record for reaching the 30 home run mark in only 80 games, and he ultimately smashed 46 homers in his first 146 major league games. The struggle to find a defensive position for York’s lethal bat continued throughout his pro-playing days. Later in his career, his one‐eighth Cherokee ancestry and less‐than‐perfect fielding would prompt an observer to declare: “He is part Indian and part first baseman.” York was the Tigers’ starting catcher in 1938 and a part-time left fielder during a season he made the AL all-star team. The next year, he was platooned at catcher with Birdie Tebbetts, and in 1940, the Tigers persuaded their star Greenberg to switch from first base to left field to free up the spot for York. The experiment was fruitful for the Tigers. Greenberg hit .340 with 41 home runs and 150 RBI. York hit .316 with 33 homers and 134 RBI, and the Tigers won the American League pennant before falling to the Cincinnati Reds in a seven-game World Series. From 1941 to 1945, York was named to the AL all-star squad four more times. In 1943, he had an impressive 34-homer, 118 RBI season to highlight the seasons in that stretch. In January 1946, York was traded to the Boston Red Sox for shortstop Eddie Lake. He had a slow and unproductive spring training, but when the season started, York sparked the Red Sox to a 41-9 start and an early 10-game lead over the Yankees. He was again an all-star and, on July 27, hit two grand slams and drove in 10 runs against the St. Louis Browns. Boston went on to win the AL pennant, giving him another World Series appearance. York hit a 10th-inning home run to win Game 1 of the 1946 World Series and had a three-run homer in Game 3 that launched another win. Unfortunately, the Red Sox lost the Fall Classic to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. York nearly died in April of 1947 when his hotel room caught fire. The fire was believed to have started from a lit cigarette in his hand after falling asleep. He was rescued from his Miles Standish Hotel room, which teammates later said was strewn with liquor bottles. It was one of many reported incidents regarding York’s lack of cigarette safety in hotel rooms. After his playing days, York's teammates said he “led the league in burned mattresses” and “we would wait until he fell asleep to go to sleep ourselves.” A slow start in 1947 saw York batting only .212 by mid-June when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. His hitting improved once joining the White Sox, and he was named to his seventh and final All-Star team in July. In September, he blasted his final major league home run in a game at Yankee Stadium as the White Sox finished sixth in the American League that season. York finished the year with a .243 batting average, 21 home runs, and 91 runs batted in, but Chicago released him in January of 1948. Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics had always coveted York’s bat and signed him for the 1948 season as a backup for Ferris Fain at first base. Now 35 years old, York struggled in the backup role. He managed only eight hits in 51 official at-bats (.157), with the Athletics playing in just 31 games. There were hushed rumors that York was not taking care of himself physically, and his affinity for alcohol may have been a factor in his shortened major league career. York was a career .275 hitter with 277 home runs, 1152 RBI, and a .845 OPS in 1603 major league games. In three World Series, he hit .221 with three homers and 10 RBI. York's .503 slugging percentage as a Detroit Tiger ranks him fourth in franchise history behind Hank Greenberg, Harry Heilmann, and Ty Cobb among players with at least 5,000 plate appearances —his 239 home runs as a Tiger ranks seventh in franchise history. With only 11 seasons in which he played at least 100 games, York finished in the top ten in the American League in home runs from 1937 through 1947. He also finished in the top ten in RBIs during those 11 seasons except for 1937 and 1939. In 1949, York took occasional roles in lower levels of baseball. He made a few appearances in the Northwest Georgia Textile League, was a player-manager for the Griffin Tigers of the Georgia-Alabama League, and held a similar role with the Union City Greyhounds of the Kitty League. By 1950, he was completely out of baseball and spent time on his farm in Cassville. He liked to hunt and fish, but his wife Violet reportedly told Hank Greenberg (who was now managing the Cleveland Indians) that he was drinking too much and needed a baseball job. Greenberg invited York to the Indians’ spring training in 1951, where he helped minor leaguers with hitting. After camp broke, he joined the Youngstown Athletics of the Mid-Atlantic League as a player-coach. By the end of May, he was named player-manager, and the team relocated to Oil City, Pennsylvania. In Oil City, the team struggled financially and folded toward the end of the season, but York — who was hitting over .290 and leading the league in home runs — was signed by New Castle to finish the season and possibly break the league’s home run record. Unfortunately, he came up just short of setting a new league record for home runs but did finish the year as the league leader. He played the 1952 season with a pair of teams in the Minnesota-based semi-pro leagues. He started the year with the Benson-DeGraff Irish Chiefs of the West Central League and finished the year with the St. James Saints of the Western Minnesota League. Out of baseball again in 1953, he took a job with the Georgia Forestry Commission. He was even known to umpire a few Cartersville High School baseball games involving his son. By 1956, the New York Yankees had hired him as an advanced scout. York was one of the best at reading pitchers and stealing signs. He continued the advanced scout role until June 1957, when he was hired to manage the North Platte Indians of the short-season Nebraska League. The Indians struggled, however, and finished last in the league with only 11 wins in 56 games. The Boston Red Sox hired York as a hitting instructor for the Memphis Chicks in 1958 and pulled him up to the major leagues as a first-base coach in 1959, where he remained through the 1962 season. Johnny Pesky was hired to manage the major league Red Sox in 1963 and released York, who stayed in the game by coaching again at the minor league level. In 1963 and 1964, York held coaching jobs with the Eastern League’s Reading Red Sox and the Statesville Colts of the Western Carolina League. Those were his final jobs in baseball. York lived in Cartersville for the remainder of his life, working mostly as a self-employed house painter. He lost part of a lung to cancer in November of 1969 and died the following February 5th (1970) after developing pneumonia related to his cancer surgery recovery. Rudy York is buried in Sunset Memory Gardens in Cartersville across from the Etowah Indian Mounds. He has been inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in three different states — Michigan (1972), Georgia (1977), and Alabama (his birthplace, 1979). Rudy York is pictured above with members of the Cartersville Little League Crackers. Photo in the collection at Bartow History Museum ________ For much more on Rudy York, please see: — Special to the New York Times, Feb. 6, 1970, “Rudy York, a Holder of Records As a Big Leagues Batsmen, Dies” — research by Terry Sloope, Kennesaw State University, originally published July 28, 2005, New Georgia Encyclopedia — Etowah Valley Historical Society, Online: http://evhsonline.org/bartow-history/people/rudolph-preston-rudy-york-major-league-baseball-player

December 18, 2024 The Cartersville swimming team finished second and Cass was third on Tuesday in a tri-meet at Rome High School won by the host Wolves. Rome scored 286 points, followed by Cartersville (161) and Cass (85). Top three finishers for Cartersville and Cass: First place: Girls 100-yard breaststroke — Sophia Burns, Cartersville (1:17.23) Second place: Cartersville boys 200-yard medley relay — Nate Rives, Barrett Stepp, Tripp Chitwood, and Thomas Peters (2:05.97) Cartersville girls 200-yard medley relay — Cameron Larkin, Sophia Burns, Kylie Ham, Adahlyn Womack (2:34.80) Girls 200-yard individual medley — Sophia Burns, Cartersville (2:37.41) Boys 100-yard freestyle — Jordan Russell, Cass (1:05.11) Cartersville boys 200-yard freestyle relay — Colin Nelson, Tripp Chitwood, Thomas Peters, Nate Rives (1:42.83) Cartersville girls 200-yard freestyle relay — Sophia Burns, Cameron Larkin, Adahlyn Womack, Kylie Ham (2:07.26) Girls 100-yard backstroke — Charley Doyle, Cass (1:41.79) Third place: Cass girls 200-yard medley relay — Ryland Piatt, Kaitlyn Armstead, Adyson Doolittle, Jimena Perez (2:40.91) Boys 200-yard freestyle — Luke Gibson, Cartersville (2:49.12) Girls 200-yard freestyle — Eliza Johnson, Cartersville (2:54.48) Boys 200-yard individual medley — Nate Rives, Cartersville (2:57.23) Boys 50-yard freestyle — Colin Nelson, Cartersville (24.95) Girls 50-yard freestyle — Jimena Perez, Cass (30.71) Boys 100-yard butterfly — Chase Crowder, Cartersville (1:39.32) Girls 100-yard butterfly — Eliza Johnson, Cartersville (1:38.93) Boys 100-yard freestyle — Barrett Stepp, Cartersville (1:05.59) Girls 100-yard freestyle — Cameron Larkin, Cartersville (1:14.35) Boys 500-yard freestyle — Barrett Stepp, Cartersville (7:50.80) Girls 500-yard freestyle — Ryland Piatt, Cass (8:55.00) Cass girls 200-yard freestyle relay — Adyson Doolittle, Haley Davy, Ryland Piatt, Jimena Perez (2:18.40) Boys 100-yard backstroke — Tripp Chitwood, Cartersville (1:14.62) Girls 100-yard backstroke — Emma Gilliam, Cass (1:51.47) Boys 100-yard breaststroke — Luke Gibson, Cartersville (1:27.69) Girls 100-yard breaststroke — Adahlyn Womack, Cartersville (1:46.04) Cass boys 400-yard freestyle relay — Brandon Silva-Escuen, Hayden Barlow, Timothy Roach, Jordan Russell (4:42.96)

December 17, 2024 The Cartersville Lady Canes and Hurricanes gathered Region 7-4A victories on Tuesday night at Southeast Whitfield in Dalton. In other Region 7-4A action, the Cass teams lost home games to Dalton and the Woodland teams lost at Cedartown. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 59, SOUTHEAST WHITFIELD 23 The Lady Canes had little problem at The Storm Center Tuesday night and ran away from Southeast Whitfield 59-23. Cartersville led 16-0 after one quarter and 41-5 at halftime in the eventual 36-point win.  Kaitlyn Arnold scored 15 points with three steals and two assists. Rahkia Pace produced ten points with six rebounds and three steals. Senai Camper added nine points, two rebounds, and one assist in the Lady Canes’ win. Johanna Ortiz led the Lady Raiders (2-6, 1-4) with eight points. Cartersville (6-5, 5-0) takes a holiday break and will return to action at home on January 4 against Pope. CARTERSVILLE BOYS 95, SOUTHEAST WHITFIELD 23 Shakai Taylor grabs a rebound as Wyatt Thomason and Jake Johnson head the other way. The Hurricanes blew past visiting Southast Whitfield Tuesday night at The Storm Center, 95-23, for a Region 7-4A win. The Canes led 29-0 at the end of the first quarter and built a 52-11 by the intermission. Wyatt Thomason led Cartersville with 24 points. Will Bishop scored 15. James Lee contributed 14 points. Nas Bennett posted ten points. Zac Tolbert and Shakai Taylor added eight points. Mason Williams scored 13 points for the Raiders (0-11, 0-5). Cartersville (6-3, 3-2) takes on Central-Carroll on Thursday in the first round of the Carrollton SMI Classic. DALTON 61, CASS GIRLS 20 The Lady Catamounts raced to a 21-8 first quarter lead and added to their advantage each quarter in a 61-20 victory Tuesday night at Cass. Aubriyana Camp scored 25 points to pace Dalton (7-2, 4-1). Dana Gravitt chipped in seven points for the Lady Cats. KK Evans scored seven points for the Lady Colonels. Yvonne Ellison added four. “We are still going through some growing pains,” noted Cass coach Brandan Harrell following the loss. Cass (5-6, 3-2) visits Sonoraville for a non-region game on Friday at 7 p.m. DALTON 73, CASS BOYS 52 The visiting Catamounts outscored the Cass boys 22-9 in the second quarter Tuesday night and pulled away for a 73-52 decision that handed the Colonels a third-straight Region 7-4A loss. CJ Weaver led a balanced Dalton scoring attack with 13 points. NaQuay Skillern, Drew Snyder, and Kobi Cooper added ten points for the region-leading Catamounts (7-1, 5-0). Dylan Miller scored all 18 of his game-high points in the first half for the Colonels. Jason Brown added 12. Cass (5-7, 2-3) plays at Sonoraville on Friday at 8:30 p.m. CEDARTOWN 59, WOODLAND GIRLS 16 The Woodland girls dropped a 59-16 decision at Cedartown on Tuesday night. The host Lady Bulldogs improved to 3-7 overall and 2-3 in Region 7-4A. Woodland (1-12, 1-5) hosts Mt. Zion-Carroll on Thursday at 4 p.m. CEDARTOWN 54, WOODLAND BOYS 47 Cedartown’s Quinlan Cothran poured in 26 points and Zae Diamond Pasley added ten as the Bulldogs held off visiting Woodland on Tuesday night 54-47. The Bulldogs led 10-8 after one quarter, 21-16 at halftime, and 34-25 through three quarters in their eventual seven-point win. “We got off to another slow start,” stated Wildcats’ coach Kip Dyer. “We picked it up every quarter but it wasn’t quite enough. We kept battling with their big who is a 1,000-point scorer.” Jayden and Tylen Metcalf led Woodland with 13 and nine points, respectively. Amir Heath and Bryson Van Tonder added six. Cedartown improved to 4-6 overall and 2-3 in Region 7-4A. Woodland (3-9, 0-5) hosts Mt. Zion-Carroll on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.