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The Excel Christian Academy softball team swept a home doubleheader with Walker Saturday to extend their current win streak to five games. The Lady Eagles took the first game 13-0 in four innings and won the second game 11-3. Sophomore pitcher Taylor Gibson worked the first three innings in the circle of both games to pick up the two wins. Freshman Haley Owens pitched the fourth frame in the opener and also closed out the second game. In the two games combined, Brighton McCollum had five hits and Whitney Harris totaled four. Rachel Parrott and Taylor Gibson had three hits apiece. Aliza Baker, Tessa Thornbrough and Lindsay Mauldin each contributed a pair of hits. Callie Beth Scheff and Hannah Cauthen added one hit each. Excel puts their win streak on the line Monday and Tuesday on the road against two of the leaders in their region. The Lady Eagles travel to Christian Heritage Monday and Mount Zion on Tuesday.

PHOTOS: Tiamon Pennymon (left), Sidnee Johnson (center), and Laizon West (right) had big offensive nights for their respective teams in victories Friday, Sept. 11. CARTERSVILLE 45, NORTH PAULDING 7 Cartersville (3-0); North Paulding (0-4) Links to Cartersville coverage: Atlanta Journal-Constitution http://highschoolsports.blog.ajc.com/2015/09/11/cartersville-45-north-paulding-7/ The Daily Tribune News http://www.daily-tribune.com/sports/item/3473-cartersville-trounces-wolfpack-45-7 CASS 42, FORSYTH CENTRAL 18 Cass (2-1); Forsyth Central (2-1) Links to Cass coverage: Fox Five Atlanta http://www.fox5atlanta.com/sports/high-5-sports/19093761-story#.VfPTGNnG19g.facebook Atlanta Journal-Constitution http://highschoolsports.blog.ajc.com/2015/09/12/cass-42-forsyth-central-18/ The Daily Tribune News http://www.daily-tribune.com/sports/item/3470-colonels-make-statement-with-24-point-road-win ADAIRSVILLE 41, RINGGOLD 17 Forsyth Central (3-0); Ringgold (1-2) Links to Adairsville coverage Chattanooga Times Free Press http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/preps/story/2015/sep/12/adairsville-rushes-450-yards-41-17-wover-ring/324764/ The Daily Tribune News http://www.daily-tribune.com/sports/item/3472-tigers-take-step-toward-state-playoffs-with-win SPRAYBERRY 48, WOODLAND 15 Sprayberry (2-1); Woodland (0-3) Links to Woodland coverage Atlanta Journal-Constitution http://highschoolsports.blog.ajc.com/2015/09/12/sprayberry-48-woodland-bartow-15/ Marietta Daily Journal http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story_no/26854655/article-Sprayberry-rolls-over-Woodland-with-34-second-half-points- The Daily Tribune News http://www.daily-tribune.com/sports/item/3471-the-woodland-wildcats-looked-sharp-early-in-marietta-against-the-sprayberry-yellow-jackets-on-friday-but-second-half-miscues-ultimately-led-to-a-48-15-loss

The City of Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department has released its 2015 Youth Football and Youth Cheerleading rosters along with the 2015 schedule. Practices have already started and games begin Monday, September 21. The age divisions for 2015 include 6U Flag, 8U Flag, 8U Tackle, 10U Tackle, and 12U Tackle. 2015 6U CPRD FLAG FOOTBALL Team Rosters MEAN MACHINE Chance Brown, Mason Brown, Bo Burson, Marquis Carter, Will Chandler, Peyton Duren, Brooks Fulton, Luke Gaines, Cole Henson, Brant Rutledge, Steven Tumlin. Head Coach: Jacob Burson. Coach: Jeff Fulton. MIGHTY MUSTANG Tyrie Glunt, Kasey Jacobs, SJ Jones, Zac Jones, Brodie Lane, Kayden Pitman, Jaeden Skinner, Derek Smith, Landon Smith, DeCailyn Williams. Head Coach: Birch Jones. Coach: Saunders Jones. ROWDY RENEGADES Landon Ashworth, Kayden Blackwell, Donovan Gooch, Braylon Hall, Easton Hamilton, Braedyn Jackson, Lance Tippett Jr., Kaiden Kent, Braxton Mealer, Noah Rogers. Head Coach: Quitin Kent. Coach: James Pennegan. THUNDERING HERD Drake Bailey, Jack Finnemore, Aiden Graves, Yosiah Gunn, Bennett Hill, Noah Kearney, Ty King, Kadyn Ledbetter, Benjamin Self, Kamden Smith, Jayden Winston. Head Coach: Sam Bailey. Coach: Richard Kerney. FIGHTING ARMADILLOS Levi Dewberry, Andy Holstein, Ashton Lawless, Zack Parker, KJ Smith, Logan Veitch, River Wade, Tristan Wells, Parker Wilson, Nathan Woods. Head Coach: Mark Dewberry. Coach: Nick Wade. LITTLE GIANTS Jack Grant, Wesley Gravely, Tristan Hall, Soloman James, Kaden Owenby, Elijah Peeks, Cannon Phillips, Kfoopher Roberts, Wright Upton, Maddox Wilson. Head Coach: Jerry Hightower. MUD DOGS Benjamin Cagle, Noah Cagle, Andy Channell, Darren Cole, Ramsey Dunn, Brody Jones, Rocket Reilly, Jett Siniard, Trey Smith, Max Stepp, Samantha Stepp. Head Coach: Jayce Stepp. Coach: Reid Dunn. 2015 6U CPRD SCHEDULE Tue Sep 22 — 5:45p — F2 — Mean Machine vs. Little Giants Tue Sep 22 — 6:45p — F2 — Fighting Armadillos vs. Mud Dogs Tue Sep 22 — 5:45p — F3 — Mighty Mustang vs. Thundering Herd Thur Sep 24 — 5:45p — F3 — Fighting Armadillos vs. Mighty Mustang Thur Sep 24 — 6:45p — F2 — Mud Dogs vs. Rowdy Renegades Sat Sep 26 — 10a — F3 — Mean Machine vs. Mighty Mustang Sat Sep 26 — 11a — F3 — Mud Dogs vs. Thundering Herd Sat Sep 26 — noon — F3 — Fighting Armadillos vs. Little Giants Sat Sep 26 — 1p — F3 — Rowdy Renegades vs. Little Giants Tue Sep 29 — 5:45p — F2 — Fighting Armadillos vs. Thundering Herd Tue Sep 29 — 6:45p — F2 — Mean Machine vs. Rowdy Renegades Tue Sep 29 — 5:45p — F3 — Mud Dogs vs. Little Giants Thur Oct 1 — 5:45p — F2 — Mean Machine vs. Fighting Armadillos Thur Oct 1 — 5:45p — F3 — Mighty Mustang vs. Mud Dogs Sat Oct 3 — noon — Football Field — Fighting Armadillos vs. Mud Dogs Sat Oct 3 — 1p — Football Field — Mighty Mustang vs. Little Giants Sat Oct 3 — 2p — Football Field — Rowdy Renegades vs. Thundering Herd Sat Oct 3 — 3p — Football Field — Thundering Herd vs. Mean Machine Tue Oct 6 — 5:45p — F2 — Mud Dogs vs. Mighty Mustang Tue Oct 6 — 6:45p — F2 — Rowdy Renegades vs. Little Giants Tue Oct 6 — 5:45p — F3 — Fighting Armadillos vs. Mean Machine Thur Oct 8 — 5:45p — F3 — Little Giants vs. Thundering Herd Thur Oct 8 — 6:45p — F2 — Rowdy Renegades vs. Mighty Mustang Tue Oct 13 — 5:45p — F3 — Thundering Herd vs. Little Giants Tue Oct 13 — 5:45p — F2 — Mighty Mustang vs. Fighting Armadillos Tue Oct 13 — 6:45p — F2 — Rowdy Renegades vs. Mud Dogs Thur Oct 15 — 5:45p — F2 — Little Giants vs. Fighting Armadillos Thur Oct 15 — 5:45p — F3 — Thundering Herd vs. Mean Machine Tue Oct 20 — 5:45p — F3 — Mighty Mustang vs. Mean Machine Tue Oct 20 — 5:45p — F2 — Thundering Herd vs. Mud Dogs Tue Oct 20 — 6:45p — F2 — Rowdy Renegades vs. Fighting Armadillos Thur Oct 22 — 5:45p — F2 — Mean Machine vs. Thundering Herd Thur Oct 22 — 6:45p — F3 — Little Giants vs. Rowdy Renegades Tue Oct 27 — 5:45p — F3 — Mud Dogs vs. Mean Machine Tue Oct 27 — 5:45p — F2 — Little Giants vs. Mighty Mustang Tue Oct 27 — 6:45p — F2 — Thundering Herd vs. Rowdy Renegades Thur Oct 29 — 6:45p — F3 — Mighty Mustang vs. Rowdy Renegades __________________________________ 2015 8U CPRD FLAG FOOTBALL Team Rosters BLACK Bodie Brumlow, Malachi Dewberry, William Gaines, Grant Hudson, Maxwell Johnson, Roberto Manrique, Mike Sanders, Jadyn Terry, Landon Terry, Jaylon Watkins, and Kamdyn Woods. Head Coach: Mark Dewberry. Coaches: Andy Brumlow, JB Hudson. GOLD Nickolas Bennett, Noah Cutler, Hudson Hamilton, Dawson Holbrook, Kaleb Holton, Jovani Jackson, Gavin Nale, Sergio Ochoa, Landon Trevino, Hilton Wade, Caleb Waldrop. Head Coach: Cliff Graham. Coach: Bradley Graham. PURPLE Austin Barksdale, Ian Blevins, Nathan Crumbley, Nate Grant, Zeke Morton, William Nelson, Ramsey Rowell, Anson Sanger, Thomas Smith, Jackson Taylor, Smith Weaver. Head Coach: Cope Rowell. Coach: George Nelson. WHITE Cooper Adams, Will Camp, Elic Carter, Weston Chatman, Jayden Ewing, Dallen Fuqua, Garrett Hewlett, Griffin McGill, William Reed, Ian Spencer, Xavier Thompson. Head Coach: Landon Adams. Coaches: Britt McGill, Rick Camp. SILVER Owen Dunn, Justin Gooch, Dixon Lindsey, Andrew Lutjens, Blake Lutjens, Alden Lyons, Noah Pogue, Barrett Stepp, Wyatt Tatum, Jayden Velex. Head Coach: Hans Lutjens. Coaches: Joey Pogue, Jayce Stepp. 2015 8U FLAG FOOTBALL Games at Dellinger Park Tue Sep 22 — 6:45p — F3 — Black vs. White Thur Sep 24 — 5:45p — F2 — Gold vs. Purple Thur Sep 24 — 6:45p— F3 — Black vs. Silver Sat Sep 26 — 9a — F2 — White vs. Gold Sat Sep 26 — 10a — F2 — Black vs. Silver Sat Sep 26 — 11a — F2 — Purple vs. Gold Tue Sep 29 — 6:45p — F3 — Purple vs. Gold Thur Oct 1 — 6:45p — F2 — Silver vs. Black Thur Oct 1 — 6:45p — F3 — White vs. Purple Sat Oct 3 — 9a — Football Field — Silver vs. Purple Sat Oct 3 — 10a — Football Field — Gold vs. White Sat Oct 3 — 11a — Football Field — Black vs. Purple Tue Oct 6 — 6:45p — F3 — Silver vs. Gold Tue Oct 13 — 6:45p — F3 — White vs. Black Thur Oct 15 — 6:45p — F2 — White vs. Gold Thur Oct 15 — 6:45p — F3 — Purple vs. Silver Tue Oct 20 — 6:45p — F3 — Purple vs. White Thur Oct 22 — 6:45p — F2 — Gold vs. Silver Thur Oct 22 — 5:45p — F3 — Purple vs. Black Tue Oct 27 — 6:45p — F3 — Black vs. Purple Thur Oct 29 — 6:45p — F2 — White vs. Silver Thur Oct 29 — 5:45p — F3 — Black vs. Gold Tue Nov 3 — 5:45p — F2 — Silver vs. Purple Tue Nov 3 — 5:45p — F3 — Gold vs. White Tue Nov 3 — 6:45p — F3 — Black vs. White Thur Nov 5 — 5:45p — F2 — Silver vs. White Thur Nov 5 — 6:45p — F3 — Gold vs. Black ____________________________________ 2015 8U CPRD TACKLE FOOTBALL Team Rosters BLACK Jordan Atkins, Javen Bowens, Ben Caswell, Payton Emery, Amir Heath, Marquez Holcomb, Elijah Holmes, Collier Jordan, Asa Mitcham, Rhys Neal, Xavier Parker, Zae Zae Pennymon, Nyjua Philpot, Zeke Price, Jonathan Radford, Malakhi Thomas, Harris Turner, Brock Wilson, Griffin Woodall. Head Coach: Adam Turner. Coach: Ty Mitcham. Cheerleaders: Laura Caswell, Elin Jordan, Daisia Maxell, Zahriyah Maxell, Aubrey Sellers, Avaree Sellers, Kamia Smalls, Allana Williams, Makaya Williams, Zykeriya Williams. Head Squadl Leader: Misty Smalls. Coach: Tish Sellers. PURPLE Kenny Brown, R’Kail Douglas, Kaedon Fezzia, Maddox Frazier, Noah Greer, Brodie Harr, Malik Harris, Landen Heath, Zeke Helton, Adam Jenkin, Keyland Ledbetter, Brodie McWhorter, Bear McWhorter, Myles Mitchell, Thomas Peters, John Ramsey, Sam Sabaka, Davis Waddell, Owens Wiggins. Head Coach: Josh McWhorter. Coaches: Jay Frazier, Jacob McWhorter, Ricky Heath. Cheerleaders: Kierra Harmon, Reese Hertel, Elle Howren, Charlotte Jenkins, Aubrey Menerey, Brionna Muir, Tatiana Suarez, Chloe Warren, Malaysia Wells, Lauren Williams. Squad Leader: Natalie Menerey. WHITE Duke Aaron, Weston Bradley, Wyatt Bradley, Lorenzo Cotton, Jachai Delgado, Hayden Freeland, Saboor Kamal, Dylan Lee, Ja’Caiden Leonard, Baylon Long, Cooper Norris, Luke Parker, Ja Keveon Porter, Auntonio Quarles, Adam Reed, Julian Restrepo, Cameron Scott, Damia Smith Jr., Preston Sorrells. Head Coach: Chad Parker. Cheerleaders: Ryan Bailey, Amiah Brower, Gabrielle Culberson, Johanna Dunn, Bella Guterrez, Akira Leonard, Zenaria Porter, Julianne Reed, McKenzie Wilkie. Squad Leader: Keisha Wilkie. GOLD Ethan Abernathy, Cayden Aleman, Brody Bohn, Preston Bridges, Jamarise Clark, Christian Cothran, Jayden Evans, Malik Evans, Colton Graham, Peyton Graham, JP Heater, Elijah Lewis, Maverick Madonna, Anthony Pavel, Logan Pichon, Gabriel Ray, Ricky Taylor, Jordyn Woods. Head Coach: Cameron Thomas. Coaches: Mike Graham, Billy Pichon. Cheerleaders: Grace Abernathy, Baylee Acree, Brylie Bohn, Gracie Bridges, Jayda Cothran, Grace Kozee, Lily Kozee, Nichole Pavel, Cannon Theiss. Squad Leader: Julie Kozee. 2015 8U CPRD TACKLE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Games at Dellinger Football Field Mon Sep 21 — 6p — Black vs. Purple Mon Sep 21 — 7:30p — Gold vs. White Sat Sep 26 — 1p — Purple vs. White Sat Sep 26 — 2p — Gold vs. Black Mon Sep 28 — 6p — White vs. Black Mon Sep 28 — 7:30p — Gold vs. Purple Thur Oct 1 — 6p — Purple vs. Black Thur Oct 1 — 7:30p — White vs. Gold Mon Oct 5 — 6p — Black vs. Gold Mon Oct 5 — 7:30p — White vs. Purple Mon Oct 12 — 6p — Purple vs. Gold Mon Oct 12 — 7:30p — Black vs. White Thur Oct 15 — 6p — Black vs. Gold Thur Oct 15 — 7:30p — Purple vs. White Mon Oct 19 — 6p — Gold vs. Purple Mon Oct 19 — 7:30p — White vs. Black Sat Oct 24 — 1p — Gold vs. White (Weinman Stadium) Sat Oct 24 — 2p — Black vs. Purple (Weinman Stadium) Mon Oct 26 — 6p — White vs. Gold Mon Oct 26 — 7:30p — Purple vs. Black _________________ 2015 10U CPRD FOOTBALL Team Rosters BLACK Turner Abernathy, Jaylon Akins, Scott Allen, Isaac Cunningham, Jayden Curtis, Jack Dobbins, Myles Forristall, Avery Higgins, Braylon Inman, Kaiden McClendon, Ben Moore, Knox Neal, Hunter Owens, Brayden Pope, Denzel Reid, Cooper Stone, Travon Stubbs, Davis Wilkey, Wlishah Williams. Head Coach: Blake Wilkey. Coaches: James Gordy, Carl Abernathy. Cheerleaders: Ella Abernathy, Addison Cawthon, Adler Chance, Savannah Leifi, Trinity Montgomery, Makiah Murphy, Julia Neal, Makaylah Scott, Colee Stone, Ashton Wilkey, Aneecia Zellner. Squad Leader: Pam Chance. PURPLE Zayne Canady, Robert Dellaporta, Paul Gamble, Traver Groves, Aston Harris, Christian Harrison, Jamar Henry, Malachi Jeffries, Kenneth Morris Jr., Grant Knight, Quinton Kowdis, Isaiah Petrey, Boston Pittman, Braden Pittman, Koby Rreagon, McKaiden Reece, Bryan Sanchez, Hayden Tribble, Trevor Wood. Head Coach: Adam Williams. Coaches: Leon Brown, Jon Canady. Cheerleaders: Britanny Addison, Braelyn Bailey, Emma Black, Jayda Carter, Jamie Cordell, Makayla Garrison, Jaeiah Hightower, Noey Madrid, Tina Petry, McKya Reece. Squad Leader: Mary Neal. WHITE Rowan Billings, Jonah Binger, Jimmy Lee Channell, Devan Curtis, Carson Haley, Camden Haloszka, Tevor Harris, Chris Wells Jr., Michael Kilgore, Cedric McClinic, Pearse Mullinax, Eaiden Neal, Nate Rosser, Kaleb Smith, Luke Surrett, Christian Wood, Logan Woods, Nevaeh Woods. Head Coach: Jason Billings. Coach: Chad Wood. Cheerleaders: Sienna Cramer, Beth Draudt, Isis Gillon, Kaleigh Harris, Emma Isom, Tamani King, Jayden Langdale, Jasmine Matthews, Alexandra Peters. Squad Leaders: Simon Cramer. 2015 CPRD 10U FOOTBALL SCHEDULES Tue Sep 22 — 6p — Cartersville Black vs. Bartow Colts — DP Thu Sep 24 — 6p — Cartersville White vs. Bartow Colts — DP Thu Sep 24 — 7:30p — Cartersville Purple vs. Adairsville Packers — DP Sat Sep 26 — 11a — Cartersville Black vs. Adairsville Jets — DP Sat Sep 26 — noon — Cartersville Purple vs. Cartersville White — DP Tue Sep 29 — 6p — Cartersville Black vs. Cartersville White - DP Thur Oct 1 — 7:30p — Bartow Raiders vs. Cartersville Purple — HC Tue Oct 6 — 6p — Bartow Raiders vs. Cartersville Black — HC Tue Oct 6 — 7:30p — Adairsville Packers vs. Cartersville White — HC Thur Oct 8 — 6p — Cartersville Black vs. Bartow Bears — DP Thur Oct 8 — 7:30p — Cartersville Purple vs. Bartow Steelers — DP Thur Oct 8 — 6p — Adairsville Jets vs. Cartersville White — HC Tue Oct 13 — 6p — Cartersville Purple vs. Bartow Colts — DP Tue Oct 13 — 7:30p — Adairsville Packers vs. Cartersville Black — OCH Thur Oct 15 — 6p — Bartow Falcons vs. Cartersville Purple — OCH Thur Oct 15 — 7:30p — Bartow Steelers vs. Cartersville White — OCH Tue Oct 20 — 6p — Cartersville Black vs. Bartow Steelers — DP Tue Oct 20 — 7:30p — Cartersville White vs. Bartow Falcons — DP Tue Oct 20 — 6p — Adairsville Jets vs. Cartersville Purple — HC Thur Oct 22 — 6p — Bartow Raiders vs. Cartersville White — DP Thur Oct 22 — 7:30p — Bartow Bears vs. Cartersvillel Purple — DP Sat Oct 24 — 11a — Cartersville White vs. Bartow Bears — WS Sat Oct 24 — noon — Cartersville Black vs. Cartersville Purple — WS Tue Oct 27 — 6p — Cartersville Black vs. Bartow Falcons — DP WS = Weinman Stadium, Cartersville HS DP = Dellinger Park HC = Hamilton Crossing Park OCH = Old Cass HS __________________ 2015 12U Football Team Rosters CARTERSVILLE PURPLE HURRICANES Carson Bailey, Curt Bonner, Keith Brice, Randy Buchanan, Kedrick Chatmon, Nathan Clem, Ethan Collier, Landon DeFrench, Micah Earwood, Ethan Hardin, Caleb Henson, Asa James, Jud Knight, Damon Langston, Jairo Bryan Martinez, Trevor Montgomery, Shane Roberson, Andrew Rothschild, Jackson Rutledge, Tate Smith, Zeke Stevens-Kilgore, Giles Turner, Gib Williams, Christian Wills, Nicholas Zirkelbach. Head Coach: Kye Williams. Coaches: Marc Collier, David Henson, Jeremy Knight CPRD 12U SCHEDULE Tue Sep 22 — 7:30p — vs. Bartow Bucks — DP Sat Sep 26 — 9a — vs. Calhoun Bulldogs — DP Tue Sep 29 — 7:30p — vs. Bartow Tigers — DP Sat Oct 3 — noon — vs. Gordon Redbud — SHS Tue Oct 6 — 7:30p — vs. Bartow Falcons — OCH Sat Oct 10 — 9a — vs. Calhoun Canes — Calhoun Tue Oct 13 — 7:30p — vs. Gordon Ashworth — DP Sat Oct 17 — 9a — vs. Calhoun Colts — Calhoun Tue Oct 20 — 7pm — vs. Calhoun Yellow Jackets — Calhoun Sat Oct 24 — 9a — vs. Bartow Bears — WS DP = Dellinger Park SHS = Sonoraville HS OCH = Old Cass HS WS = Weinman Stadium, Cartersville HS

CASS 11, ROME 1 The Lady Colonels pounded out 15 hits and Hannah Lee tossed a six innning, three-hitter as Cass defeated Rome in a sub-region 7AAAAA-A game. Sarah Fox had four hits including a pair of doubles to lead the Lady Colonels. Fox also drove in four runs and stole two bases. Casey Brazell scored a pair of runs and added three hits for Cass. Sierrah Gani (2 RBI) and Alexia Najarro added two hits each. Lee, Cat White, Sarah Moore (3 RBI), and Hannah Elrod rounded out the Colonels’ attack with one hit apiece. Cass is now 3-16 overall and 3-7 in 7AAAAA-A. The Lady Colonels will travel to Chattanooga and Ringgold this weekend to play in the Score International Tournament. EXCEL 11, KINGS RIDGE 0 Excel Christian Academy sophomore pitcher Taylor Gibson tossed a five-inning, complete game Thursday and went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Lady Eagles to an 11-0 region win at Kings Ridge. Lady Eagles’ coach Eric Harris was pleased with Gibson’s performance. “That was one of her best outings of the year,” noted Harris. “She pitched really well and the girls played good defense behind her.” The victory improved ECA to 5-6 overall and 4-2 in Region 6-A. “We’ve got a little momentum going right now,” said Harris. “The two games we have at home Saturday are really important.” In addition to Gibson’s performance, the Lady Eagles got plenty of offensive production. Rachel Parrott went 3-for-3, Lindsay Mauldin and Callie Beth Scheff were both 2-for-3, and Hannah Cauthen and Brighton McCollum each addded a hit. Excel hosts Walker in a region doubleheader Saturday at 10am. RINGGOLD 13, ADAIRSVILLE 1 RINGGOLD —— 4-5-1-3 —— 13R | 9H | 0E ADAIRSVILLE — 0-1-0-0 —— 1R | 2H | 6E Adairsville hitters: Baily Robinson — 1R Loren Harris — 1H Alyssa Hughs — 1H, 1RBI Adairsville pitching: Loren Harris — 1.2 IP, 4H, 9R, 3ER, 3BB, 3K Alyssa Hughs — 2.1 IP, 5H, 4R, 3ER, 1BB Next for Adairsville: Fri Sep 11 — Tigertown Classic (AHS & Manning Mill Park) Sat Sep 12 — Tigertown Classic (AHS & Manning Mill Park) Mon Sep 14 — SONORAVILLE — 5:30pm Tue Sep 15 — at Ringgold — 6pm Thur Sep 17 — at North Murray — 5:30pm

All four local high school volleyball teams were in action Thursday night, September 10. Cartersville swept Rome and Model, while Cass earned its first win of the year. Results listed below: CARTERSVILLE Cartersville defeated Rome 25-18, 25-12 in straight sets. Cartersville defeated Model 25-17, 25-12 in straight sets. Cartersville record: 10-9 overall Next for Cartersville Tue Sep 15 — at Lafayette w/ TBA — 6pm Thur Sep 17 — VILLA RICA & SPRAYBERRY — 5pm Sat Sep 19 — Bartow Co. Tourney at Woodland — 9am ADAIRSVILLE Lafayette defeated Adairsville 25-11, 25-21 in straight sets. Gordon Lee defeated Adairsville 25-15, 25-7 in straight sets. Adairsville record: 8-15 overall Next for Adairsville: Tue Sep 15 — at Ringgold w/ Gordon Lee — 5pm Thur Sep 17 — PICKENS — 5pm Sat Sep 19 — Bartow Co. Tourney at Woodland WOODLAND Kell defeated Woodland 25-15, 26-24 in straight sets. North Paulding defeated Woodland 25-14, 25-17 in straight sets. Woodland record: 12-14 overall Next for Woodland: Tue Sep 15 — HOME vs. Dalton & River Ridge, 5:30pm Thur Sep 17 — HOME vs. Cass & Calhoun, 5pm Sat Sep 19 — Bartow County Tournament at Woodland CASS Cass defeated White County 25-11, 26-24 in straight sets Fannin County defeated Cass 25-8, 25-13 in straight sets Cass record: 1-14 overall Next for Cass: Tue Sep 15 — Home vs. Sequoyah & Creekview, 5pm Thur Sep 17 — at Woodland w/ Calhoun, 5pm Sat Sep 19 — Bartow County Tournament at Woodland

BGMSAA FOOTBALL Thursday, September 10 Adairsville 32, Woodland 6 Cartersville 35, Ashworth 0 Calhoun 31, Cass 6 Red Bud 35 South Central 0

​ Brad Stephens brings his own Southern flavored sports perspective and humor to Bartow Sports Zone. He is a Bartow County native and has his own law office in Cartersville, but he's mostly a Georgia Bulldogs' football fan. ________________ "He can take his'n and beat your'n and take your'n and beat his'n." That quote is attributed to Bum Phillips, the longtime Houston Oilers coach, when asked about the coaching ability of Don Shula. Coach Phillips was basically implying, in his own Texas way, that Shula could find any way to beat you with whomever took the field for him. Shula’s longevity and success in the NFL still resonates today for that reason – the man could simply get the most out of anyone he coached. Georgia high school football and its perennially successful programs appear to have this same trait. Some programs seem to reload every year and if there ever is a layoff, it is not for long. Whether it be from metro Atlanta, middle Georgia or below the gnat line – there are several teams that you simply cannot ever count out. There is an undercurrent of doubt, however. Fans across the state allude to this doubt more and more as each season goes by, compiling more circumstantial evidence than Johnnie Cochran. As certain teams and regions continue to pile up trophies while others are left holding the bag, many folks wonder aloud, “Are these teams winning with their own people?” The answer to that question is as clear as Stamp Creek after a thunderstorm. In the last fifteen years, the power structure has shifted in the bigger classifications. Prior to 2000, Valdosta was the premier program in the state, winning a record 24 state titles, including seven between 1982-1998. “Winnersville, USA” ran through their south Georgia counterparts in the regular season and then more often than not, ran the metro schools off the field with ease in the playoffs. Valdosta not only had superior talent, but an immortal coach in Nick Hyder that seemed to be one step ahead of every other coach in the state. Colquitt County, Tift County, Lowndes and Warner Robins also claimed titles during this time, giving rural Georgia a strong grip on a classification rife with metro Atlanta schools. In fact, metro Atlanta schools only won five state titles in the state’s highest class (AAAA) from 1980-99. As the nineties came to an end and we all thankfully survived Y2K, a rift in the landscape occurred. The population of the metro area boomed, better coaches filtered into the area and programs began to gear up, both physically and financially, to stop the south Georgia juggernaut. Parkview, a Gwinnett County school with a largely mediocre history, ran off three straight titles from 2000-02. En route to those victories, the Panthers eviscerated the likes of Valdosta and Northside-Warner Robins. Many were glad to see the kings knocked off their throne and Gwinnett County schools gained confidence for the rest of the Atlanta area – eight of the last fifteen state titles in the largest class have gone to Gwinnett or Fulton County schools. Still, there have been rumblings about these schools and their access to talent, which seems unabated by district lines and residential requirements. With the gigantic population of the county and the amount of money contributed by boosters, Gwinnett’s rise to power is no secret. However, the amount of transferring, open enrollment, district re-drawing and de facto gerrymandering that occurs has raised more than a few eyebrows. This has not only been an issue at the highest level. No school in Georgia is more scrutinized than AAAA’s current defending champion, the Buford Wolves. While the poormouthing usually comes from rivals who simply cannot upend the Buford program, their cries are not without credence. When you win ten titles in fifteen years, often by lopsided victories over completely inferior opponents, whispers become roars. When you only lose thirteen games (two by forfeit) since the year 2000, flashlights become spotlights. Buford schools have admission policies that differ from many schools and over the years, it has been pointed out that a great deal of their talent comes from outside the city limits. The GHSA combatted this by moving them up from A in 2001 all the way to their present position in AAAA in 2014. This move has had little effect so far – Buford closest region game was a 32-point victory and the Wolves won the AAAA title over St. Pius in a 55-10 snoozefest that was over at halftime. To keep up with the likes of Buford, other programs like Calhoun have pulled out all the stops. They have no choice. Concentrated efforts to improve facilities, strength training and coaching techniques have surfaced, along with the occasional transfers that seem to go along with territory. These new faces moving in and appearing on the sidelines of the same teams every year is wearing thin the patience of their less fortunate counterparts. Families want to be part of winning programs and that is understandable, but talent pools are being diluted unfairly. Schools unable to “keep up with the Joneses” lose their best players without recourse, then get clobbered on Friday night by a perpetual club team made up of the best talent in a four-county area. These kids work hard, lift weights, sweat in the heat and get chewed out by coaches all summer long – only to get waxed 63-0 with no hope of winning their region. This type of hopelessness can cripple a program. One of the things I love about high school football is the sense of community. Our way of life versus theirs. These schools are robbing us of that in a way. While there are plenty of young men on those teams that hail from their respective district, it cannot be denied that move-ins and transfers make their marks in the starting lineups. It is a fine line to walk, as the kids cannot be blamed for wanting to win. However, I believe that football should be played with your hometown players, take it or leave it. Some years will be lean, but that makes you appreciate the good times. It is the same reason why monopolies cannot exist in a capitalist economy. The elimination of competition creates an inferior product - games that are foregone conclusions with the state champion essentially predetermined, barring a meteor crashing to the earth on their practice field. If Cartersville expects to win the AAAA title, you can bet your bottom dollar that Buford will be there in the end. Their region is still completely inferior with absolutely no shot of dethroning the Wolves. Maybe Cartersville will have to join them to beat them. They can “take your’n” from Floyd, Polk, Paulding and Cherokee County and make a club team right there on Church Street. I wish the Canes luck in their quest for the title because they are going to need it. At the rate Buford is going, Valdosta’s state title record is very much in jeopardy. ______________________ What do you think? Post your comments on the Bartow Sports Zone Facebook page or on Twitter @bartowsportszon

Woodward Academy has moved to the top spot in Class AAAA in the Georgia Sports Writers Association poll released Wednesday. The War Eagles were second in that poll behind Buford prior to the Wolves’ loss last week at McEachern. Cartersville moved up to No. 2 this week and received five first place votes, followed by Buford at No. 3 with four first place votes. Earlier in the week, Cartersville moved to No. 1 in the latest Atlanta Journal-Constitution rankings and remained No. 2 in the poll released by ScoreAtlanta.com. Buford retained the top spot in that poll. The Adairsville Tigers, Class AAA, received three votes by the sports writers but remain outside the Top Ten. Adairsville region rival, Calhoun, remains No. 1 in Class AAA. In other classifications, Archer is No. 1 in Class AAAAAA ahead of Colquitt County, McEachern, and Grayson. Archer plays at Grayson this week. In AAAAA, Northside-Warner Robins is No. 1. They are followed by Houston County and Ware County. Benedictine is No. 1 in Class AA and Mount Paran is tops in Class A. CLASS AAAA (First place votes in parenthesis / vote pts. / Last Week) 1. Woodward Academy (8) 155 2 2. Cartersville (5) 149 3 3. Buford (4) 148 1 4. Jonesboro 107 5 5. West Laurens 92 6 6. Burke County 62 NR 7. Sandy Creek 54 8 8. Mary Persons 51 NR 9. Thomson 27 NR 10. Marist 24 10 Others receiving votes: Griffin 23, Bainbridge 20, St. Pius X 8, Howard 4, Whitewater 4, Cairo 3, Eagle’s Landing 1, Wayne County 1, Dropped out: Griffin, St. Pius X, Cairo CLASS AAA (First place votes in parenthesis / vote pts. / Last Week) 1. Calhoun (16) 169 1 2. Blessed Trinity (1) 154 2 3. Jefferson 133 4 4. Elbert County 117 5 5. Hart County 97 6 6. Central-Carrollton 74 T9 7. Cedar Grove 46 8 8. Westminster 38 3 9. West Hall 33 NR 10. Peach County 22 NR Others receiving votes: Oconee Co. 14, Pierce Co. 14, Westside-Macon 9, Cook 5, Dodge Co. 4, Adairsville 3, Laney 3. Dropped out: Pierce County, Washington County

River Ridge scored early and often in defeating Woodland 11-1 Wednesday night in a sub-region softball matchup in Woodstock. The Lady Knights sent ten batters to the plate in the bottom of the first, scored six times in that frame, and eventually cruised to a four inning win. Jessica Mirocha picked up the pitching victory for River Ridge. Beth McCulley, Gabby Williams, and Addison Bray led the River Ridge 10-hit attack with two hits each. Bray drove in three runs. The Lady Knights improved to an 11-5 mark on the season. The Lady Cats fell to 7-11. Woodland hitters: Taylor Calhoun — 1H Courtney Godfrey — 1BB Victoria Dabbs — 1R, 1H Jamison Kilgo — 1H Emma Jordan — 2H, 1RBI Woodland pitching: Lily Watson — 3 IP, 10H, 11R, 4ER, 2K Next Games for Woodland: Fri Sep 11 — at Valdosta Tourney Sat Sep 12 — at Valdosta Tourney Tue Sep 15 — ROME — 5:30pm Wed Sep 16 — at Darlington —- 5:30pm Thur Sep 17 — SEQUOYAH — 5:30pm

Australian Steven Bowditch and Chris Kirk are teammates of a sort on the PGA Tour. They both are coached by Cartersville Country Club’s Scott Hamilton (photo) and are affiliatiated with the Cartersville-based Scott Hamilton Golf Academy. Tuesday, Bowditch was made a Captain’s Pick by Nick Price for the Presidents Cup International team giving Hamilton a player on each of the opposing sides. Kirk had already nailed down a spot on the USA team via the FedExCup standings. Bowditch, 32, missed earning an automatic spot on the International team by only .0098 points in the Official World Golf Rankings. Bowditch could have clinched his spot at the Deutsche Bank Championship, but missed the cut and Danny Lee slipped passed him to 10th in the rankings. He anxiously awaited Price’s phone call, but was rewarded with the Captain's Pick. South Korea’s Sang-Moon Bae was captain Nick Price’s other pick. Chris Kirk, another Scott Hamilton Golf Academy player, will be on Team USA at the Presidents’ Cup October 8-11 at the Jack Nicklaus Club Korea. Kirk, who grew up in Woodstock, GA, played his high school golf at Etowah High School and collegiately at the University of Georgia. Kirk qualified for Team USA via FedExCup points. Kirk has battled a recent injury, but clinched the final automatic team berth despite missing the cut at the Deutsche Bank Championship last week. Team USA captain, Jay Haas, selected his son Bill Haas and Phil Mickelson with his two captain’s picks. The younger Haas finished one spot out of the automatically qualifying top ten. The selection of Mickelson extends his streak of having played in every Presidents Cup since it began. The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup has been held biennially since 1994. USA INTERNATIONAL Jordan Spieth Jason Day Bubba Watson Louis Oosthuizen Jimmy Walker. Adam Scott Zach Johnson Hideki Matsuyama Jim Furyk Branden Grace Rickie Fowler Marc Leishman Dustin Johnson Anirban Lahiri Patrick Reed Charl Schwartzel Matt Kuchar Thongchai Jaidee Chris Kirk Danny Lee Phil Mickelson Steven Bowditch Bill Haas Sangmoon Bae Scott Hamilton is the Director of Golf at Cartersville Country Club. His Scott Hamilton Golf Academy is based out of the Cartersville facility. Hamilton is coach to many prominent professional golfers on four different major tours -- PGA Tour, Champions Tour, WEB.com Tour, and LPGA. For more on the Presidents’ Cup selections see: Sean Martin, PGATOUR.com http://www.presidentscup.com/news/2015/09/08/live-blog--presidents-cup-captains--picks.html Doug Ferguson, Associated Press http://www.pga.com/news/pga-tour/chris-kirk-makes-first-us-presidents-cup-squad Nicole Jeffery, The Australian http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/golf/bowditch....

Volleyball results for Tuesday, September 8 Cartersville def. Gilmer, 25-20, 25-22. Northwest Whitfield def. Cartersville 25-6, 25-18. Next matches for Cartersville Thur Sep 10 — at Rome w/ Model — 5pm Tue Sep 15 — at Lafayette w/ TBA — 6pm Thur Sep 17 — VILLA RICA & SPRAYBERRY — 5pm Sat Sep 19 — Bartow Co. Tourney at Woodland — 9am

The Woodland Lady Wildcats built an early lead, then held on for a 9-8 sub-region victory at Cass Tuesday night. Cass rallied after trailing 9-2 and had a potential tying run on third base in the final frame. Woodland centerfielder, Victoria Dabbs, made a running, over-the-shoulder catch for the final out to preserve the win. PHOTO: Cass pitcher Hannah Lee delivers pitch to Woodland's Victoria Dabbs in the first meeting between these two teams. Photo by Becky Dabbs. Woodland improved to 7-10. Cass fell to 2-16. WOODLAND 9, CASS 8 WOODLAND —— 0-0-0-4-5-0-0 —— 9R | 11H | 0E CASS ————— 0-0-2-0-4-0-2 —— 8R | 15H | 0E Woodland hitters: Kylie Knox — 1R, 1BB, 1H Taylor Calhoun — 1H Kereston Franklin — 2R, 4BB Courtney Godfrey — 1R, 1H, 2RBI Victoria Dabbs — 2R, 2H, 1RBI Jamison Kilgo — 2R, 2H, 2RBI, SB Brittney Cox — 1R, 3H, 2SB Keri Cagle — 1H, 1BB, 1RBI Woodland pitching: Lilly Jordan — 7 IP, 15H, 8ER, 5K, 1BB Next games for Woodland: Thur Sep 10 — at River Ridge— 5:30pm Fri Sep 11 — at Valdosta Tourney Sat Sep 12 — at Valdosta Tourney Tue Sep 15 — ROME — 5:30pm Cass hitters: Sarah Fox — 2R, 2H Hope Elrod — 1R, 3H, 1RBI Sierrah Gani — 2R, 3H Hannah Lee — 2R, 3H, 2RBI Cat White — 1R, 1BB, 1H Sarah Moore — 1H, 1RBI Hannah Elrod — 1H, 3RBI Alexia Najarro — 1H Cass pitching: Hannah Lee — 7 IP, 11H, 7ER, 6BB, 12K Next games for Cass: Thur Sep 10 — at Rome — TBA Fri Sep 11 — Score Tournament (Chattanooga) Sat Sep 12 — Score Tournament (Chattanooga) Tue Sep 15 — at Seuqoyah — TBA Mon Sep 21 — vs. Gordon Lee (at Lee Univ.) — 4:30pm ___________________________ NORTHWEST WHITFIELD 8, CARTERSVILLE 5 The Cartersville Lady Hurricanes lost a region softball matchup with Northwest Whitfield Tuesday night, 8-5. The visiting Lady Bruins scored six runs in the first two innings only to have Cartersville rally to narrow the lead to one. Cartersville scored three times in the bottom of the second and added two more in the sixth to trail 6-5. Northwest added two more runs in the top of the seventh for the final 8-5 margin. NORTHWEST —— 3-3-0-0-0-0-2 —— 8R | 3H | 1E CARTERSVILLE — 0-3-0-0-0-2-0 —— 5R | 7H | 6E Cartersville hitters: Kennedy Bailey — 1H Michaela Crowe — 1H Paris Poston — 2R, 2H Madison McKinney — 1R, 1BB Hannah Todd — 1R, 2H, HR, 2RBI Kayla Stephenson — 1R Allie Jackson — 1RBI Taylor Waits — 1H, 1RBI Cartersville pitching: Hannah Todd — 6 IP, 2H, 2R, 1ER, 4BB, 8K Tara Mathis — 1 IP, 1H, 6R, 1ER, 4BB, 1K Upcoming games for Cartersville: Thur Sep 10 — at Gilmer — 5:55pm Fri Sep 11 — at North Cobb Tourney — TBA Sat Sep 12 — at North Cobb Tourney — TBA Tue Sep 15 — HERITAGE - CATOOSA — 5:55pm Thur Sep 17 — at Ridgeland — 5:55pm