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December 7, 2024 The Cass wrestling team finished fifth of twenty teams this past weekend at the Creekview High School Invitational Tournament.“We had some guys out due to injury or taking SATs but had a dozen guys competing,” commented Cass head coach Derston Koontz. Top competitors for the Colonels: 113 — Hayden Trimm, 2nd place (3-1) 120 — Gavin Walker (3-2) 126 — Hunter Barrett, 3rd place (4-1) 132 — Luka Jensen, 2nd place (3-1) 144 — Austin McArthur (2-2) 150 — Ethan Edwards (1-2) 157 — Zeke Medina (1-1) 165 — Ethan Harrington, 3rd place (5-1) 175 — Logan Crisp (3-2) 215 — Codey Dean (1-2) 285 — John Abernathy (2-2) Cass returns to action on Friday and Saturday (Dec. 13-14) in Gatlinburg at the Smokey Mountain Duals.

December 6, 2024 Three local high school girls basketball teams collected region road wins Friday night. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 78, ALLATOONA 10 Eleven Lady Canes scored as the Cartersville girls won big at Allatoona Friday night, 78-10. Cartersville cruised to a 57-3 lead by halftime in the rout. Trinity Montgomery scored 17 points for the Lady Canes. Zoe McCurry and Layla Whitener finished with nine points. Akira Leonard added eight for Cartersville. Nakiyah Thatcher scored four points for the Lady Buccaneers (1-6, 0-2). The Lady Canes (3-4, 2-0) host New Manchester at noon on Saturday. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 40, GILMER 33 Host Gilmer rallied from a nine-point deficit at halftime and trailed by only one point heading into the final eight minutes Friday night in Ellijay, but the Lady Tigers held on for a 40-33 Region 7-AAA win. Adairsville led 20-11 at the intermission before Gilmer cut that margin to 27-26 after three quarters. The Lady Tigers outscored the Lady Bobcats 13-7 in the fourth quarter to earn the win. NaXyria Roberts led Adairsville with 19 points. Alivia Joslin and Lily Roberts added six. Paula Robertson led Gilmer (2-4, 0-1) with 13 points. Adairsville (4-3, 1-0) plays Northview on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in the Wood Elite Showcase at Etowah High School. CASS GIRLS 61, SOUTHEAST WHITFIELD 32 The Lady Colonels won their third straight game and evened their season record Friday night with a Region 7-4A victory at Southeast Whitfield, 61-32. The Lady Colonels led 22-15 at halftime and extended their lead to 36-23 by the end of the third quarter. In the final eight minutes, Cass outscored Southeast 25-9. Four Cass players reached double-figures, led by Anizah Taylor with 14 points. Cadie Paez and KK Evans posted 13, while Darianna Sosa finished with 11 points. Johanna Ortiz scored 17 points to lead the Lady Raiders. The loss dropped Southeast Whitfield to 1-3 on the season and 0-2 in region play. Cass (4-4, 2-0) hosts Cartersville on Tuesday at 6 p.m. HIRAM 77, WOODLAND GIRLS 22 The visiting Lady Hornets remained unbeaten in Region 7-4A play with a 77-22 win at Woodland on Friday night. Hiram improved to 3-7 overall and 2-0 in region games. Woodland (0-10, 0-2) visits Allatoona on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com In conjunction with WBHF and Bartow Sports Zone, Elite Stone Supply presents the ELITE ATHLETES OF THE MONTH. Each month, local high schools name an Elite Athlete of the Month from their varsity programs and present the information on their honoree through Bartow Sports Zone and on 100.3FM and AM1450, WBHF in Cartersville. Zoe McCurry is the November Elite Athlete of the Month, representing Cartersville High School. A freshman member of the Lady Canes’ basketball and tennis teams, McCurry has already been an integral contributor this season from her point guard position. “Zoe is a great student-athlete,” noted Cartersville coach Karisma Boykin. “She is an unselfish player and loves getting her teammates involved. She is a leader.” The daughter of Tyler and Kathryn McCurry, she is on the All-A’s Honor Roll and has plans to play college basketball. The Cass High School Elite Athlete of the Month for November is Comari Nettles. Nettles is a senior and team captain for the Colonels’ basketball team, averaging more than 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists per game.  “Comari demonstrates true leadership through his impact on people off the court,” said Cass Athletic Director Nicky Moore. “He constantly encourages others, builds connections, and shares a positive word in the locker room and our hallways.” “His work ethic and strong character have helped make him a great teammate and a leader in our program,” added Cass boys’ basketball coach Kevin Cunningham. Comari, the son of Misti and Cody Nettles, is an active community member and maintains a 3.32 grade point average.  NaXyria Roberts is the November Elite Athlete of the Month, representing Adairsville High School. A senior member of the Lady Tigers’ softball and basketball teams, she has excelled early in the season as a point guard. “NaXyria is a prime example of a student-athlete,” noted Adairsville head coach Melissa Winters. “She leads the team with her actions and helps teach the younger players. NaXyria is dedicated to improving, committed, coachable, and a great teammate. She always helps with anything needed and works exceptionally hard on the court. High school athletics needs more young people like her.” Roberts leads the Lady Tigers in scoring and steals at this point in the season. She has also been a spotlight player for both of the team's exposure events this year. NaXyria, the daughter of Nameschicka Richards, has a 3.8 grade point average and plans to pursue a degree in nursing. Zachary Wallace is the Woodland High School Elite Athlete of the Month for November. A senior on the Wildcats’ wrestling team, Zachary competes in the 165-pound weight class and has a 7-1 record so far this season. He is unbeaten in team duals.  “Zach is an excellent athlete and leader in our wrestling room,” commented Woodland head coach Brett Shedd. “He has a bright future in the sport and life after high school.” The son of William and Chrissy Wallace, Zach received multiple Student of the Month awards and the 2023 highest GPA Award. He plans to continue his wrestling career in college while pursuing a degree in medicine. Editors Note: The respective schools and athletic departments supply Bartow Sports Zone and WBHF with photos and bios. Elite Stone Supply Co., LLC is the monthly sponsor. Athletes receive a plaque and recognition during a radio feature on WBHF. #EliteAthletesoftheMonth #Cass #Cartersville #Woodland #Adairsville #highschool

December 6, 2024 The Adairsville Tigers and the Cass Colonels picked up one-sided region basketball wins on the road Friday night.  ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 63, GILMER 43 The Tigers led by just three points at halftime Friday night but turned up the defensive pressure in the second half to pull away for a 63-43 Region 7-AAA win at Gilmer. Adairsville led 28-25 at the intermission but pushed that advantage to 49-32 by the end of the third quarter. Ben Abernathy led the Tigers’ scoring attack with 21 points. Tre Winters poured in 19, and Xavious Nalls added 11 for Adairsville. Keegan Bryant scored 14 points to lead the Bobcats (3-3, 0-1). Adairsville (3-2, 1-0) plays Therrell on Saturday at noon in the Wood Elite Showcase at Etowah High School. CASS BOYS 92, SOUTHEAST WHITFIELD 31 Five Colonels finished in double-digits Friday night in a 92-31 Region 7-4A win at Southeast Whitfield. Cass rushed to a 21-7 lead after the opening eight minutes and led 42-13 by halftime. Xavier Lowe scored 14 points for Cass. Derrick Sams and Parnel Gamble finished with 13. Dylan Miller and Camron Beauford added 11 and 10 points, respectively.  Mason Williams scored 11 points for the Raiders (0-7, 0-2). Cass (4-4, 2-0) hosts Cartersville on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ALLATOONA 62, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 45 Visiting Allatoona outscored the Canes 24-10 in the third quarter Friday night to take command in an eventual 62-45 Region 7-4A win at The Storm Center.  Andre Dupree led the Buccaneers with 17 points. Dean Soulsby finished with 16 points, and Matthew McAuley added 15 points and seven steals for Allatoona (4-3, 2-0). Wyatt Thomason scored 18 points for Cartersville. Shakai Taylor added 12. The Hurricanes (2-2, 0-2) host New Manchester on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.  HIRAM 77, WOODLAND BOYS 47 Hiram built a 36-20 lead by halftime and won at Woodland Friday night, 77-47. Mason McKinney led the Hornets with 16 points. Kavon Fluker and Kingston Wilcox produced 13 each for Hiram (3-4, 2-0). For the Wildcats, Amir Heath scored 11 points, Jayden Metcalf scored 10, and Bryson Van Tonder added 8. Woodland (3-6, 0-2) visits Allatoona on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

December 6, 2024 The Woodland girls’ and boys’ basketball teams split home games with Unity Christian School of Rome on Thursday night in non-region action. The Wildcats defeated the Lions 67-37, and the Unity girls topped the Lady Cats 61-13. WOODLAND BOYS 67, UNITY CHRISTIAN 37 Jayden Metcalf scored 18 points to lead the Wildcats to a 67-37 victory over visiting Unity Christian on Thursday night. Woodland led 14-2 after one quarter and extended the lead to 34-16 by halftime in an eventual 30-point victory. Isaiah Livsy and Bryson Van Tonder contributed nine points for the Wildcats. Amir Heath added seven. Sam James paced Unity Christian (0-4) with 12 points. Woodland (3-5, 0-1) will host Hiram at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in a Region 7-4A matchup. UNITY CHRISTIAN 61, WOODLAND GIRLS 13 The visiting Lady Lions won their first game of the season Thursday night at Woodland, 61-13, improving to 1-3 on the season. The Lady Cats (0-8, 0-1) host Hiram on Friday at 6 p.m.

December 4, 2024 The Cass High swim team finished second in combined scores Tuesday night in a four-way meet hosted by the Colonels at the Adairsville High School pool. Dawson County won the meet with 92 combined points. Cass was second with 55 points, followed by Model (50) and Armuchee (11). The Model girls edged Cass by ten points while the Dawson County boys bested the Colonels, 65-25. Top finishes for Cass: 1st — Cass girls 200-yard freestyle relay — Jimena Perez, Ryland Piatt, Haley Davy, and Adyson Doolittle (2:16.42) 2nd — Cass girls 200-yard medley relay — Ryland Piatt, Kaitlyn Armstead, Adyson Doolittle, and Jimena Perez (2:38.46) 2nd — Boys 50-yard freestyle — Sawyer Foy (28.54) 2nd — Girls 50-yard freestyle — Jimena Perez (31.26) 2nd — Boys 100-yard freestyle — Brandon Silva-Escuen (1:11.81) 2nd — Girls 100-yard freestyle — Adyson Doolittle (1:13.45) 2nd — Cass boys 200-yard freestyle relay — Alex Mendoza, Christopher Rosi, Brandon Silva-Escuen, and Sawyer Foy (2:02.85) Cass's next meeting is Tuesday, Dec. 10, when the Colonels host Cartersville and Woodland at the Adairsville pool.

December 3, 2024 The Cass Colonels, Adairsville Tigers, and Excel Eagles all won in local high school boys' basketball on Tuesday night. CASS BOYS 55, WOODLAND 51 The Cass and Woodland boys' basketball teams battled for four quarters Tuesday night before the visiting Colonels won 55-51. The Wildcats led 17-16 after the opening eight minutes before Cass held leads of 29-23 at halftime and 40-36 after three quarters. Parnel Gamble led the Cass scoring attack with 13 points. Xavier Lowe finished with ten points, and Jakai Baldwin chipped in seven for the Colonels. Jayden Metcalf paced Woodland with 14 points. Tylen Metcalf followed with 11, and Isaiah Livsey added nine for the Wildcats. “Woodland is a good team that always plays us hard,” said Cass coach Kevin Cunningham. “I’m just happy to get a win tonight.” Woodland (2-5, 0-1) hosts Unity Christian on Thursday and Hiram on Friday. Both games tip at 7:30 p.m. Cass (3-4, 1-0) will visit Southeast Whitfield on Friday at 8:30 p.m. for another region game. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 63, NORTH PAULDING 53 The Tigers built an 11-point lead in the first half Tuesday night and held off the visiting North Paulding Wolfpack in the second half for a 62-53 non-region win. Adairsville led 35-24 at the intermission and extended the lead to 47-31 after three quarters. Ben Abernathy and Tre Winters led the Tigers in scoring with 19 points each. Xavious Nalls added 15. Algis Montiejunas scored 17 for the Wolfpack. Raedan Jones followed with 14 for North Paulding (2-4). Adairsville (2-2) opens Region 7-AAA play Friday at Gilmer in an 8:30 p.m. tip. The Tigers will play Therrell on Saturday at noon at Etowah High School in the Wood Elite Showcase. EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 78, CHEROKEE CHRISTIAN 73 The Eagles outscored visiting Cherokee Christian 23-13 in the third quarter Tuesday night in a come-from-behind victory over the Warriors. Cherokee Christian led 22-16 after one quarter and 32-29 at halftime before the Eagles took control of the game in the third quarter. Excel led 52-45 after three quarters and held on in the final eight minutes for a five-point win. Carter May led four Excel players in double-figures with 21 points. Kaiyu Huffman finished with 17. Evan Chappell scored 14, and Christian Vieira added 12 for the Eagles.  Rutherford Nease led Cherokee Christian (0-1) with 29 points in their season opener. ECA (5-4) returns to action next Tuesday, Dec. 10 at Unity Christian School. DALTON 54, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 47 The Purple Hurricanes held a narrow lead at halftime Tuesday night at Dalton, 26-25, but the Catamounts grabbed the lead in the third quarter and held on for a 54-47 win in both teams’ Region 7-AAAA opener. Dalton led 13-11 after one quarter and regained the lead at 38-34 by the end of the third quarter. Kobi Cooper led the Catamounts with 16 points. CJ Weaver contributed 12 for Dalton (2-1, 1-0). Cartersville got 16 points from Wyatt Thomason. Nas Bennett tossed in 15, and Jake Johnson added eight points for the Hurricanes. Cartersville (2-1, 0-1) hosts Allatoona on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in The Storm Center. The Canes will also host New Manchester on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

December 3, 2024 The Cartersville Lady Canes and Cass Lady Colonels started play in Region 7-AAAA Tuesday night with road wins at Dalton and Woodland.  CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 55, DALTON 49 The Lady Canes opened play in Region 7-AAAA Tuesday night at Dalton with a 55-49 victory. Cartersville led 17-11 after one quarter, 29-18 at halftime, and 40-32 after three quarters. The Hurricanes then held on for a six-point win. Senai Camper paced the Lady Canes with 14 points. Zoe McCurry followed with 12 points. Kaitlyn Arnold and Bayley Stanley contributed nine. Aubnyana Camp led Dalton (2-2, 0-1) with 25 points. Cartersville (2-3, 1-0) hosts Allatoona on Friday at 6 p.m. CASS GIRLS 53, WOODLAND 13 The Lady Colonels raced to a 16-0 lead after the opening eight minutes and went on to win at Woodland Tuesday night 53-13 in the Region 7-AAAA opener for both teams. Cass led 26-4 at the intermission. KK Evans and Cadie Paez led the Lady Colonels with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Anizah Taylor finished with eight, and Lily Powell added six for Cass. Alana Carnes scored eight points for Woodland. Cass (3-4, 1-0) visits Southeast Whitfield for a region game on Friday at 7 p.m. The Lady Colonels will also host Calhoun at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Woodland (0-7, 0-1) hosts Unity Christian School on Thursday and Hiram on Friday. Both games tip at 6 p.m. CHEROKEE CHRISTIAN 41, EXCEL CHRISTIAN GIRLS 34 Abby Medar and Haydan Bossart led Cherokee Christian School with 14 and 13 points, respectively, in a 41-34 win at Excel Christian Academy. Excel outscored the visiting Lady Warriors 14-5 in the fourth quarter but trailed 36-20 heading into the final eight minutes. Cherokee Christian improved to 1-0 with a season-opening win. The Lady Eagles (0-3) play next at Unity Christian School on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m.

December 2, 2024 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com A late hit on former Cartersville High quarterback Trevor Lawrence escalated tensions during the Jacksonville Jaguars game Sunday with the Houston Texans. The play sparked a brawl between the two teams and led to the ejection of two players. Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair made the hit on Lawrence and was tossed. Jarrian Jones, a cornerback for Jacksonville, came off the bench and threw a punch. He was also ejected from the game. Lawrence was quickly ruled out with a head injury, and on Monday, Al-Shaair apologized to Lawrence and his teammates. Lawrence posted on X Sunday night: “Thank you to everyone who has reached out / been praying for me. I’m home and feeling better. Means a lot, thank you all.” NFL TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL, 4th-yr. pro; Clemson; Cartersville HS) … returned to action Sunday after missing two games and an added bye week with a left shoulder injury.  He left the game with Houston in the second quarter following a hit from Aziz Al-Shaair. Lawrence slid feet first following a 6-yard scramble and was clearly going to the turf when the hit occurred. Al-Shaair was ejected following the play. The 25-year-old quarterback was 4-for-10 for 41 yards and had thrown one interception before exiting. Houston won 23-20, dropping the Jaguars to a 2-10 record this season. CHINA-CBA BASKETBALL ASHTON HAGANS — Xinjiang Flying Tigers (5th yr. pro; Cartersville native; University of Kentucky; Newton HS) … in eleven games this season with the Flying Tigers of the Chinese professional league, Hagans — a starter at shooting guard who played for the Portland Trail Blazers last season — is averaging 8.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 2.2 steals. Based in Urumqi, China, Xinjiang is 9-2 in the CBA standings and in second place behind the Beijing Ducks. The league plays a 46-game regular season from mid-October through March. COLLEGE FOOTBALL JONAH GAMBILL — University of Memphis (R-Sr., Cartersville HS) … a starter on the Tigers’ offensive line this past Thursday night that helped produce 454 yards in a 34-24 win at 17th-ranked Tulane. Memphis (10-2, 6-2 American Athletic Conference) awaits its bowl game assignment. DEVIN HENDERSON — Liberty University (Fr., Cass HS) … saw action at defensive back but had no stat line in the Flames’ 20-18 loss this past Friday at Sam Houston. Liberty (8-3, 5-3 Conference USA) awaits its bowl game assignment. SHADRE HURST — Tulane University (So., Cartersville HS) … a starter on the Green Wave’s offensive line that helped produce 374 yards in a 34-24 home loss to Memphis. Tulane (9-3, 7-1  American Athletic Conference) plays Army in the AAC Championship Game on Friday night at West Point’s Michie Stadium. DEVONTE ROSS — Troy University (Jr., Cartersville HS) … caught five passes for 70 yards and added one rushing attempt for two yards and a punt return for two yards this past Saturday in a 52-20 home win over Southern Miss. For the season, Ross finished with 76 receptions for 1044 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had 35 rushing yards, 214 kick return yards, and 153 punt return yards with one touchdown. His receiving yardage in 2024 ranks fourth in program history, and his 76 catches rank fifth all-time. The Trojans finished the season with a 4-8 overall record and were 3-5 in Sun Belt Conference play. EVAN SLOCUM — Wake Forest University (Sr., Cartersville HS) … made five tackles this past Saturday in the Demon Deacons’ 23-17 home loss to Duke. Slocum completed the season with 73 tackles, including one tackle for loss, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and one interception. The senior finished with 167 career tackles, seven pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. Wake Forest finished 4-8 this season and 2-6 in Atlantic Coast Conference games.  WRESTLING KYLE GOLLHOFER — University of Northern Iowa (R-Sr., Woodland HS) … lost his 125-pound bout 4-0, but the 10th-ranked Panthers (2-0) defeated 15th-ranked Missouri 24-10 this past Thursday in Hartland, Wisconsin. Next for UNI is the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Friday and Saturday. BASKETBALL BRAXTON BENHAM — Berry College (Sr., Cass HS) … scored 20 points with eight rebounds, five assists, and one steal in the Vikings’ 96-80 win Tuesday, Nov. 26 at Covenant College. Berry (3-3) hosts Pfeiffer University (NC) on Friday. NA’YEL CAMPER—Reinhardt University (Fr., Cartersville HS) ... in three games last week as a starter for the Lady Eagles, she totaled 20 points, six rebounds, five steals, and four assists. Reinhardt beat Bryan (TN) at home but lost at Campbellsville (KY) and lost to Georgetown (KY) in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Eagles (7-3, 4-1 Appalachian Athletic Conference) visit Truett-McConnell on Wednesday and Union Commonwealth (KY) on Saturday. JA’KA’YAH DRAUGHN — Chattanooga State CC (So., Cartersville HS) … scored 13 points with four rebounds, five steals, and nine assists as the Tigers beat the visiting Covenant College JV on Nov. 26. Chatt State (8-0, 5-0 TCCAA) hosts Walters State CC on Wednesday and Wallace State CC-Hanceville on Friday. ANSLEY GRIFFIN — North Carolina Wesleyan University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … had one rebound on Nov. 26  in a 73-66 loss at the University of Mary Washington. The Battling Bishops (3-1) visit the University of Lynchburg on Sunday. ZION HAYES — Weatherford College (Fr., Cass HS) … scored nine points with one rebound and one assist on Nov. 26 in an 88-79 home loss to Howard College (TX). The Coyotes (4-4) visit Paris Junior College on Tuesday. HALEY JOHNSON — Reinhardt University (Jr., Cass HS) … in three games last week, Johnson made one start for the Lady Eagles and totaled 15 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Reinhardt beat Bryan (TN) at home but lost at Campbellsville (KY) and lost to Georgetown (KY) in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Eagles (7-3, 4-1 Appalachian Athletic Conference) visit Truett-McConnell on Wednesday and Union Commonwealth (KY) on Saturday. KEARA McDANIEL — Toccoa Falls College (Jr., Cass HS) … scored five points with two rebounds, two assists, and two steals on Nov. 26 in a 78-50 loss at Young Harris College. Toccoa Falls also lost a home game to Simmons College (KY) on Saturday, but box score information was unavailable. The Screamin’ Eagles (0-8) host Clinton College (SC) on Monday night. LONDAISHA SMITH — St. Andrews University (Sr., Cass HS) … scored 24 points with nine rebounds, eight steals, and one assist in a 70-55 home win over Morris College (SC) on Nov. 25. The Lady Knights (3-6, 1-3 Appalachian Athletic Conference) play at Montreat College (NC) on Wednesday night and host Brenau University (GA) on Saturday.

November 30, 2024 The Cass wrestling team swept to a first-place finish Saturday afternoon at the Hiram High School Papa Wayne Duals. The Colonels finished the day with a 4-0 record, winning over Jonesboro (66-9), Hiram (60-18), Kennesaw Mountain (59-12), and Callaway in the finals (78-0). “We had a great weekend,” said Cass head coach Derston Koontz. “We were able to get a lot of different guys in action.” The lone female wrestler at Cass, Irelynn Wilmot, competed for the first time this weekend and finished 1-1. Cass returns to action on Friday and Saturday at Creekview High School.

November 30, 2024 The Adairsville girls and the Cartersville girls’ basketball teams were in showcase action Saturday at Cherokee High School in Canton. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 60, HIRAM 48 The Lady Tigers trailed by ten points at halftime but outscored Hiram 21-6 in the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon to rally past the Lady Hornets 60-48 at the Cherokee High School Thanksgiving Wood Elite All Girls Showcase in Canton. Hiram led 18-15 after one quarter and 34-24 at the intermission. Adairsville narrowed the margin to 42-39 after three quarters before pulling away in the final eight minutes. NaXyria Roberts led the Adairsville scoring attack with 16 points. Rihanna Crittenden finished with 13, and Lily Roberts had 11 for the Lady Tigers. Alivia Joslin and Ziyah Hicks added eight and six points, respectively. Taylor Crawford led Hiram with 22 points. T’Nasia Nance added nine for the Lady Hornets (1-7). Adairsville (3-3) begins Region 7-AAA play at Gilmer on Friday at 7 p.m. CHEROKEE 65, CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 42 Madison Moody scored 22 points, and Ansley Dunn added 14 to lead the host Cherokee Lady Warriors past the Lady Canes Saturday night 65-42. The game was played as part of the Elite Wood All Girls Showcase at Cherokee High School. Cherokee (7-1) led 34-25 at halftime and extended the lead to 47-30 by the end of the third quarter en route to a 23-point win. Kaytlin Arnold led Cartersville with 12 points. Bayley Stanley scored nine. Zoe McCurry and Senai Camper added eight for the Lady Canes. Cartersville (1-3) opens Region 7-AAAA play on Tuesday at Dalton at 6 p.m.

November 30, 2024 Charles Wilson, BartowSportsZone.com A thrilling second-half rally by the Purple Hurricanes came up just short Friday night as North Oconee won a Class 4A state quarterfinal duel in Bogart, 28-26. The two unbeaten teams—both 12-0 entering the night—battled to the final possession, with the host Titans able to pick up two first downs in the final three minutes, run out the clock, and secure a two-point win. North Oconee led 7-0 at the intermission as the two defenses controlled much of the opening half. Cartersville had six possessions in the opening half, ending with four punts and a pair of interceptions. The Titans also had six possessions in the first half, punting four times. North Oconee scored once and was stopped at the Cartersville 3-yard line as time expired in the second quarter. North Oconee’s first-half touchdown occurred early in the second quarter. The Titans drove 65 yards on just three plays. The big play was a quarterback scramble by Harrison Faulkner and a pass completion to Khamari Brooks for 54 yards to the Canes’ 11-yard line. Following another keeper by Faulkner, runningback J.T. Doster punched in a 6-yard run. Ollie Buckley’s PAT kick gave North Oconee a 7-0 advantage with 10:21 left in the half. The Titans extended the lead on the opening drive of the second half. Faulkner completed an 18-yard pass to Ben Blevins and had a 10-yard run to jump-start a 67-yard drive. Doster then finished the march with three straight runs, culminating with an 8-yard score and a 14-0 lead with 8:41 left in the third quarter. The teams traded punts for most of the third quarter before the Titans added to their lead again with a 72-yard drive on eight plays. Runs by Doster and Faulkner covered most of the yardage, and Faulkner added a 16-yard pass connection with Brooks. Maddox Brice finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run from a Wildcat formation direct snap. A successful PAT kick gave the Titans a 21-0 lead with 1:06 to play in the third quarter, but the Canes would rally to challenge the outcome. Starting from their 28-yard line after the ensuing kickoff, Cartersville scored in four plays that took less than a minute. Nate Russell completed short passes to Brady Marchese and Jamauri Brice. He then picked up ten more yards with a quarterback scramble to the North Oconee 43-yard line. A quick strike again to Marchese finally had the Canes on the scoreboard with 0:20 remaining in the period. Ramsey Rowell booted the PAT to make the score 21-7 with a quarter to play. The Canes defense promptly forced a three-and-out and started from their 41-yard line following a 33-yard Titans punt. Russell went back to work with receivers Marchese and Brice. Long had a pair of short runs mixed into the eight-play drive that finished with a 24-yard reception by Brice to keep the drive alive on a 4th-and-12, followed by a 27-yard touchdown catch by Marchese with 8:30 left in the game. The PAT kick missed wide right, but the Canes had narrowed the margin to 21-13. North Oconee answered with a 65-yard drive that needed only four plays and just over two minutes. Landon Roldan and Brody Taylor had runs for the Titans, with Roldan breaking free for a 46-yard scamper and scoring with 6:19 remaining. Buckley’s kick gave North Oconee a 28-13 lead. Cartersville struck back on the first play of their next possession. Russell hit a racing Marchese for a 90-yard touchdown, and Rowell’s kick made the score 28-20 with 6:00 to play. A fired-up Cartersville defense got the ball right back, forcing another three-and-out. The Titans’ punt gave the Hurricanes possession at their 23-yard line with 4:12 left. Four plays later, Cartersville was on the scoreboard again. On a fourth-and-three at the 30-yard line, Russell connected with Adarrian Taylor-Wilson for a 70-yard touchdown strike and a chance to tie. However, a two-point conversion pass attempt fell incomplete, leaving the Canes trailing 28-26 with 3:08 remaining. The Canes' ensuing kickoff and a short return pinned North Oconee at their 17-yard line, but the Titans were able to pick up two first downs on eight consecutive running plays to milk the clock and finish the game. Russell finished the night 19-for-31 passing for 352 yards (290 in the second half) with four touchdowns and two first-half interceptions. He also rushed for 29 yards on ten attempts. Marchese had eight receptions for 184 yards and three touchdowns. Brice caught seven passes for 80 yards, and Taylor-Wilson had a 70-yard scoring reception. Long rushed for 29 yards on eight carries and had a 10-yard reception. Jacaiden Leonard added four carries for 24 yards. Doster had 110 rushing yards for North Oconee on 16 carries with two touchdowns. Roldan added 71 yards on six attempts.  Faulkner completed eight of 17 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 93 yards on twenty attempts. North Oconee (13-0) advanced to the Class 4A semifinals for the third time in the past four years. On Friday, North Oconee will host Blessed Trinity (11-1) in a battle of two teams called Titans. Blessed Trinity defeated Benedictine 24-10 in the quarterfinals. The other Class 4A semifinal will pit Creekside against Marist (13-0). Creekside (10-2) blanked Eastside 26-0, and Marist beat Cambridge 40-14. Cartersville finished 2024 with a 12-1 record and a Region 7-4A championship. The Canes’ senior class had a four-year mark of 47-5 and reached two state semifinals with three total region championships.