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.

November 26, 2024 Local basketball teams were back in action Tuesday across multiple locations, competing in Thanksgiving Tournament events and regular season play. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 56, ADAIRSVILLE 28 The Lady Canes picked up their first win of the season Tuesday afternoon with a 56-28 victory over Adairsville at the Lady Tigers Thanksgiving Classic. Cartersville grabbed a 15-7 lead after one quarter and held a 25-14 advantage at halftime. The Lady Canes extended their lead in the third quarter to 47-21. Senai Camper made four first-half three-pointers and led Cartersville in scoring with 16 points. Bayley Stanley and KK Arnold contributed 11 points. Camper added 13 rebounds and six assists. Arnold had three boards and two steals. Stanley contributed two steals and one assist. Alivia Joslin led Adairsville with nine points. NaXyria Roberts finished with seven. Cartersville (1-3) plays at Cherokee on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Adairsville (2-3) plays Hiram at Cherokee High School on Saturday at 3 p.m.. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 42, DARLINGTON 20 Earlier in the day, Adairsville rallied in the second half to defeat Darlington 42-20. Darlington led 9-3 after a slow first quarter and 16-10 at halftime before Adairsville clamped down defensively in the second half.  Adairsville outscored Darlington 15-2 in the third quarter and 17-2 in the fourth quarter for a 22-point win. Caroline Jordan led Darlington (3-2) with ten points. NaXyria Roberts led Adairsville with 12 points. Alivia Joslin and Ziyah Hicks tossed in seven points. WOODLAND BOYS 54, SONORAVILLE 49 Amir Heath made a strong start in the post in the first half and led the Wildcats with 15 points and 11 rebounds Tuesday as Woodland outlasted Sonoraville 54-49. The game was part of the Ray Tucker Classic at Gordon Central High School. Jayden and Tyler Metcalf contributed 14 and 10 points in the Woodland win. The game was knotted at 26-all at the intermission, and the Wildcats held a 42-41 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Chaz Pate and Braxton Coats led the Phoenix (2-2) with 13 points. Woodland (2-4) hosts Cass on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. CASS GIRLS 49, UNITY CHRISTIAN 29 After trailing early, the Lady Colonels pulled away in the second half to win 49-29 over Unity Christian School at the Adairsville Thanksgiving Classic. Darianna Sosa paced Cass with 15 points. KK Evans followed with 14, including 10 in the third quarter. Cadie Paez added seven points for the Lady Colonels. Anna Grace Wells led the Lions (0-2) with nine points. Cass (2-4) opens Region 7-4A play on Tuesday at Woodland in a 6 p.m. tip. CASS BOYS 93, UNITY CHRISTIAN 13 The Colonels enjoyed a hot shooting night and raced away from Unity Christian Tuesday night in a home regular season game, 93-13. Cass led 31-4 after one quarter and added to the lead through the afternoon. Xavier Lowe scored 16 points in the second half and led Cass with 18 points. Cameron Beauford followed with 12. Lucas Pealor and Jason Brown added eight points each. Sam Jones scored eight points for Unity Christian (0-2). The Colonels (2-4) visit Woodland on Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. start. SUMMIT (Tenn.) 62, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 61 Spartans’ shooting guard Jackson Puri drew a foul on a three-point attempt with less than a second remaining and knocked down all three free throws as Summit edged the Tigers 62-61. The game was played as part of the Ray Tucker Classic at Gordon Central High School in Calhoun. Tre Winters, who scored a game-high 22 points, had nailed a three-pointer to give Adairsville a 61-59 lead with 0:05 to go. In a close game throughout, Summit led 22-14 after one quarter and 37-34 at halftime. Adairsville caught the Spartans at 51-51 heading into the fourth quarter. Joel Coverston led Summit (5-0) with 17 points. Puri finished with 16, and Mary Phillips scored 14 points. Ben Abernathy scored ten points for the Tigers. Xavious Nalls added eight. Adairsville (1-2) hosts North Paulding on Tuesday. SONORAVILLE 79, WOODLAND GIRLS 8 Sonoraville improved to 3-1. Woodland (0-6) hosts Cass on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

November 25, 2024 This week, local high school basketball teams are participating in Thanksgiving tournaments at Adairsville, Harrison, and Gordon Central. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 75, McMINN CENTRAL (TN) 74 Xavious Nalls hit a three-pointer at the buzzer Monday to lift the Adairsville boys to their first win of the season — 75-74 over McMinn Central at the Gordon Central Thanksgiving Tournament in Calhoun. Tre Winters scored 21 points for the Tigers. Ben Abernathy followed with 20, and Nalls added 17. Raymond McCarty led McMinn Central (0-3) with 23 points. Adairsville (1-1) plays Summit (TN) on Tuesday afternoon at Gordon Central. ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 47, LAKEVIEW FT. OGLETHORPE 43 The Lady Tigers earned their first win of the season Monday night with a 47-43 victory over Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe in the Adairsville Thanksgiving Tournament presented by Glenda Mitchell Law Firm. Adairsville started fast and led 18-7 after one quarter. The Lady Tigers built a 29-14 lead by halftime, but LFO charged back in the second half.  The Lady Warriors trailed by only four points heading into the final period, but Adairsville was able to hold on for a win. Lily Roberts led a balanced scoring attack for Adairsville with 12 points. Samantha Gough followed with ten. Alivia Joslin scored nine points, and NaXyria Roberts finished with seven. Christen Collins led LFO (0-2) with 16 points. The Lady Tigers (1-2) will play Darlington on Tuesday at 9 a.m. and Cartersville on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. NORTH COBB 51, CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 43 North Cobb led 25-14 at halftime and held off the Lady Canes in the second half Monday afternoon for a 51-43 win at the Adairsville Thanksgiving Tournament. Jaidyn Taylor led the Lady Warriors (3-3) with 19 points. KK Arnold scored 12 points with three steals and two assists for Cartersville. Senai Camper finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Zoie Shiflett added seven points and three rebounds. Cartersville (0-3) will take on host Adairsville on Tuesday afternoon. ROME 55, CASS GIRLS 26 Miya Winston scored 27 points to lead the Rome Lady Wolves to a 55-26 win over Cass at the Adairsville Tournament. Mo Slocum added 11. KK Evans was the leading scorer for the Lady Colonels with 11 points. Kylie Miles added six. Rome improved its record to 2-1. Cass (1-4) hosts Unity Christian on Tuesday at 4 p.m. SOUTH ATLANTA 80, EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 50 The Eagles fell behind early and could not recover in an 80-50 loss to South Atlanta Monday at the Harrison High School Hoya Hoopsgiving Tournament.  South Atlanta (3-0) led 28-9 after one quarter and 45-19 at the intermission. Carter May led Excel (4-4) with 19 points. Evan Chappell followed with 11. SUMMIT (TN) 71, WOODLAND BOYS 53 Kane Ferrer led three Spartans (4-0) in double-digit scoring with 16 points. Joel Coverston and Marty Phillips added 12 as Summit topped Woodland 71-53 at Gordon Central High School. Woodland (1-4) plays Sonoraville on Tuesday at Gordon Central. SUMMIT (TN) 63, WOODLAND GIRLS 15 The Lady Spartans improved to 2-1 with a win over the Lady Cats at Gordon Central High School. Woodland (0-5) plays Sonoraville on Tuesday afternoon at Gordon Central. COLLINS HILL 96, ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 63 Last Friday, the Tigers fell to a hot-shooting Collins Hill team in Suwanee, 96-63. Tyson Baumgardner led the Eagles (4-0) with 26 points. Tre Winters paced the Tigers with 16 points. Xavious Nalls and Elijah Pearson added 12 and 10, respectively.

November 23, 2024 The Woodland wrestling team won the Allatoona High School Blackbeard Duals on Saturday in Acworth. The Wildcats had pool wins over North Paulding (57-21) and Union Grove (76-4). Woodland then defeated Alexander 66-12 in the quarterfinals, Gilmer in the semifinals 59-15, and Creekview in the championship match 42-25. Nick Weathersbee, Adrian Zapata, Zach Wallace, and John Gill had the top records on the day, with 5-0 records. Cass opened its season at the same duals tournament with a third-place finish. Cass won pool matches over Alexander (50-23) and Allatoona (53-28). The Colonels added a first-round bracket victory over North Paulding 42-30 before falling to Creekview in the semifinals, 49-25. Cass then edged Gilmer 41-39 in the Third Place dual. Individual bout results for Cass for the day: Hayden Trimm, Codey Dean, and Hunter Barrett were 5-0. Ethan Harrington and Mason Tompkins finished 4-1. Ezequiel Medina and Jachai Delgado went 2-1. Luka Jensen and Ethan Edwards went 3-2. Karter Berdnick was 1-1. Austin McArthur finished 2-3, and John Abernathy had one win. The Colonels will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 30, at the Papa Wayne Duals hosted by Hiram High School. Next for Woodland is the Wildcats' Candlelight Dinner / Senior Night Dual against Adairsville on December 5.

November 25, 2024 This week’s update for local athletes across the country from college football, volleyball, wrestling, and basketball. FOOTBALL HAYDEN CAGLE — Berry College (Sr., Cartersville HS) … a starter on the Vikings’ offensive line that produced 210 yards in a 20-16 first-round NCAA D-III playoff game loss to visiting Maryville College (Tenn.). Berry won the 2024 Southern Athletic Association championship and finished the season with an 8-3 record.  DEVIN HENDERSON — Liberty University (Fr., Cass HS) … saw action but did not have a stat line in the Flames’ 38-21 win this past Saturday at Western Kentucky. Liberty (8-2, 5-2 Conference USA) plays at Sam Houston on Friday afternoon. QUANTE JENNINGS — Presbyterian College (Sr., Cartersville HS) … rushed for a career-high 190 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries this past Saturday in a 30-27 home win over 23rd-ranked Butler. Jennings’ day included a 50-yard run in the second quarter and a 10-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He also caught two passes for three yards. Jennings appeared in 18 games and rushed for 661 yards at Presbyterian. The Blue Hose finished the season 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the Pioneer Football League. TYLER MARTIN — Berry College (Jr., Cass HS) … a starter on the Vikings’ offensive line that produced 210 yards in a 20-16 first-round NCAA D-III playoff game loss to visiting Maryville College (Tenn.). Berry won the 2024 Southern Athletic Association championship and finished the season with an 8-3 record. SAM PHILLIPS — UT-Chattanooga (R-Jr., Cartersville HS) … caught four passes for 33 yards this past Saturday in a 24-17 victory at Austin Peay. Phillips finished the season with 50 receptions for 823 yards and three touchdowns. The Mocs (7-5, 5-3 Southern Conference) were not selected for the FCS Playoffs. EVAN SLOCUM — Wake Forest University (Sr., Cartersville HS) … made eight tackles (six solo) this past Saturday in a 42-14 loss at 7th-ranked Miami. The Demon Deacons (4-7, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) complete their season Saturday at home against Duke. SACOVIE WHITE — University of Georgia (Fr., Cass HS) … had two receptions for 16 yards this past Saturday in the Bulldogs’ 59-21 home win over Massachusetts. Georgia (9-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) hosts Georgia Tech on Friday night. VOLLEYBALL AILEE ENGLAND — Berry College (Fr., Cartersville HS) … saw action in the NCAA D-III National Tournament and had three kills in the Vikings’ 3-1 loss to Trinity University (Texas) this past Friday. Berry, who won the Southern Athletic Association conference championship, defeated Whitworth University (Washington) in the first round of the national tournament. The Vikings finished the 2024 campaign with a 17-14 record. WRESTLING ANGEL BANDA — Reinhardt University (Sr., Adairsville HS) … won a 9-1 major decision at 133 pounds in the Eagles’ 42-12 home win last Friday over Brewton Parker. Next for the Eagles is the Doane University Tournament on Dec. 7 in Nebraska. COLTON BISHOP — Reinhardt University (Sr., Woodland HS) … went 1-2 in the 125-pound Gold Division at the Life University Lucha Open this past weekend at McEachern High School. Next for the Eagles is the Doane University Tournament on Dec. 7 in Nebraska. LEE CAMP — Reinhardt University (Fr., Cass HS) … won by pin at 125 pounds in the Eagles’ 42-12 home win last Friday over Brewton-Parker.  Next for the Eagles is the Doane University Tournament on Dec. 7 in Nebraska. KYLE GOLHOFER — University of Northern Iowa ( R-Sr., Woodland HS)… went to sudden victory against 5th-ranked Tanner Jordan at 125 pounds but lost 7-4 in the 15th-ranked Panthers’ 16-15 team win over 13th-ranked South Dakota State this past Sunday. UNI takes the mat against 9th-ranked Missouri on Tuesday in Hartland, Wisconsin. CALEB HENSON — Virginia Tech (Jr., Woodland HS) … went 4-0 this past Saturday to defend his title at the PRTC Keystone Classic. The No. 1-ranked 149-pounder also won an 11-1 major decision last Friday as the Hokies beat Rutgers 26-11. Virginia Tech returns to the mat Dec. 6-7 at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas. CHAMP HIGDON — Lander University (So., Woodland HS) … went 4-1 and was runner-up in the 197-pound Silver Division of the Life University Lucha Open this past weekend at McEachern High School. The Bearcats return to action on Dec. 1 in Greenwood, South Carolina, against Salem University, Mount Olive, Ashland, and UNC-Pembroke. BRYCE KRESHO — Franklin & Marshall College  (Jr., Cass HS) … went 4-2 in the 141-pound division at the PRTC Keystone Classic in Philadelphia. The Diplomats return to the mats on Dec. 20 at the Sheridan Open in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. JORDAN MITCHELL — Life University (Grad Student, Cass HS) … went 4-2 and won the seventh place match this past weekend in the 141-pound Gold Division at the Lucha/Life University Open at McEachern High School. Life returns to action on Dec. 14 at the Rocky Top Duals in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. JAXON SMITH — University of Maryland (R-Jr., Woodland HS) … ranked 6th nationally, Smith won by technical fall at 184 pounds in the Terrapins’ 43-3 home win last Friday over Morgan State. The Terps return to action on Dec. 8 at the George Mason Patriot Open. ELORA WATERMAN — Brewton Parker College (Jr., Cartersville HS) … went 1-2 Nov. 16 at the Liberty Duals as the Lady Barons went 2-1 with wins over Greensboro College (NC) and Southern Virginia. BPC lost to Montreat (NC). Next on the Brewton Parker schedule is the University of the Cumberlands Patriot Duals on Dec. 6-7. ANETRA WITHERSPOON — Life University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … went 3-1 and placed third in the 180-pound division on Nov. 19 at the Presbyterian Blue Hose Open. Up next for the Runnin’ Eagles is the University of the Cumberlands Patriot Duals on Dec. 6-7. BASKETBALL BRAXTON BENHAM — Berry College (Sr., Cass HS) … scored 27 points with six rebounds, three steals, and three assists on Nov. 19 in an 82-77 loss at Maryville College (Tenn.). The Vikings (2-3) visit Covenant College on Tuesday night. NA’YEL CAMPER — Reinhardt University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … scored four points with seven rebounds and three assists on Nov. 20 during a 71-66 win at the University of Pikeville (Ky.). Last Friday, Camper scored eight points with three boards, one assist, and one steal in a 68-63 home win over Milligan (Tenn.). The Eagles (6-1, 3-1 Appalachian Athletic Conference) host Bryan (Tenn.) on Tuesday, travel to Campbellsville (Ky.) on Friday, and face Georgetown (Ky.) on Saturday in Kingsport, Tennessee. JA’KA’YAH DRAUGHN — Chattanooga State CC (So., Cartersville HS) … totaled 23 points with seven assists, four steals, and four rebounds in a Nov. 20 win at Pellissippi State and a home win over Southwest Tennessee CC this past Saturday. The Tigers (7-0, 5-0 TCCAA) host Covenant College JV on Tuesday night. ZION HAYES — Weatherford College (Fr., Cass HS) … in a 94-49 win over Coastal Bend College and a 70-54 loss to Clarendon College this past weekend, Hayes totaled six points, six rebounds, and two assists. The Coyotes (4-3) host Paris CC on Dec. 3. HALEY JOHNSON — Reinhardt University (Jr., Cass HS) … in a 71-66 win at the University of Pikeville (Ky.) and a home win over Milligan (Tenn.) last week, she totaled eight points with six rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one blocked shot. The Eagles (6-1, 3-1 Appalachian Athletic Conference) host Bryan (Tenn.) on Tuesday, travel to Campbellsville (Kentucky) on Friday and face Georgetown (Ky.) on Saturday in Kingsport, Tennessee. MEGAN SCHULTZ — Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (Fr., Woodland HS) … had one rebound and one steal this past Saturday in the Fillies’ 89-62 home win over Paine College. ABAC (4-5, 0-2 Southern States Athletic Conference) play at Paine College on Tuesday, Dec. 3, and host College of Coastal Georgia on Dec. 7. LONDAISHA SMITH — St. Andrews University (Sr., Cass HS) … in a 78-77 home win over Union Commonwealth and a 71-56 loss to University of Pikeville (Ky.) last week, Smith totaled 22 points with seven rebounds, six assists, and four steals. The Lady Knights (2-6, 1-3 Appalachian Athletic Conference) visit Montreat (NC) on Dec. 4 and host Brenau University on Dec. 7.

November 23, 2024 The Woodland High swim team hosted and won the 2024 Wildcat Invitational on Saturday at Adairsville High School. The Wildcats won the boys team competition with 167 points. The Lady Cats won the girls meet with 147 points, and Woodland won the combined team score with 314. Cartersville finished second in all three rankings. The Cass boys were fourth and the Lady Colonels were fifth. Complete meet results may be viewed by downloading the PDF below:

November 23, 2024 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com The Purple Hurricanes’ offense scored on eight of nine possessions in a stretch and finished seven with touchdowns in the GHSA Class 4A quarterfinals Friday night at Weinman Stadium to hold off the Starrs Mill Panthers, 53-35. Baylon Long rushed for three touchdowns, and the other four came through the air. Nate Russell had three touchdown throws — two to Adarrian Taylor-Wilson and one to Jamauri Brice. Andrew Purdy added a touchdown toss to Davis Waddell, and Ramsey Rowell made a third-quarter field goal to round out the Canes’ scoring. Cartersville only punted once in the game, and their only other non-scoring possession was for victory formation.  The Starrs Mill offense, led by senior quarterback Logan Inagawa, was almost as effective. The Panthers posted points on six of ten possessions but were forced to punt twice and had one costly interception. Still, they only trailed by two points at halftime and led 32-31 late in the third quarter before the Hurricanes could pull away. Logan Shrewsbury and Mason James had sacks for the Cartersville defense on Starrs Mill’s opening possession to force a three-and-out punt. The Canes’ offense went immediately to work. A pair of Russell to Brice quick throws were mixed in with runs by Baylon Long and Jacaiden Leonard as Cartersville marched 70 yards in eight plays. Long punched in a six-yard touchdown run, and Ramsey Rowell made the first of his six PAT kicks to give Cartersville a 7-0 lead with 7:27 remaining in the first quarter. The Panthers answered with their next possession and consumed most of the remainder of the first-quarter clock with a 78-yard drive that took 13 plays. The drive included runs by Jeremiah Potter and Inagawa, plus four pass completions. Lincoln Delaere caught three passes in the drive, including a 29-yard touchdown to finish off the drive with 0:20 remaining in the quarter.  The Starrs Mill extra point kick missed wide left, but the Panthers had narrowed the Canes’ lead to 7-6. Cartersville picked up one first down on the next possession with a 19-yard pass play from Russell to Cayden Aleman, but the drive stalled near midfield, and the Canes punted for the only time of the night. Starrs Mill responded with an 80-yard drive in six plays to take a 13-7 lead. Delaere hauled in a 48-yard touchdown pass from Inagawa for the score with 7:43 left in the second quarter. The Hurricanes regained the lead quickly. Long had three straight runs to open the next Cartersville drive and Russell added short pass completions to Waddell and Brice to march the Canes down the field. A 9-yard reception by Brice culminated the 56-yard, 10-play drive, putting Cartersville up 14-13 with 4:20 left in the half. The Cane's defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, and a short, 15-yard punt by the Panthers gave Cartersville possession in plus territory. Three plays later, Taylor-Wilson got behind the Starrs Mill defense for a 34-yard touchdown toss from Russell, and the Canes had a 21-13 advantage with 1:52 left before the break. Inagawa and the Panthers reacted with an impressive 72-yard scoring drive to end the first half. The quarterback was five-for-six passing on the drive, and a penalty aided the march. Thomas Cochran hauled in a nine-yard throw to finish the drive as time expired in the first half. A two-point conversion pass attempt failed, so Cartersville carried a 21-19 lead to the locker room. The two teams traded scores on the next seven possessions to begin the second half. The Canes needed only four plays to get the scoring spree started. Beginning at their own 40, Russell connected with Brice on three consecutive throws to cover 52 yards. Long then punched in an 8-yard touchdown run to give Cartersville a 28-19 lead with 11:02 left in the third quarter. Starrs Mill answered with a 65-yard drive that took nine plays. Jeremiah Potter had six runs during the drive to cover 24 yards, and Inagawa connected with Delaere for a 25-yard pass play in the middle of the drive. The quarterback also had two rushes, including an 11-yard touchdown keeper with 7:19 left in the third quarter. Aaron Blair’s PAT kick cut the Cartersville lead to 28-26. The Cartersville drive that followed resulted in a 26-yard field goal by Rowell and a 31-26 lead with 5:11 remaining in the third period. Leonard had two runs that covered 22 yards, and Russell connected with Brady Marchese for a 12-yard play during the possession. Starrs Mill took its second and final lead of the night with the ensuing drive. The Panthers needed only three plays to drive 65 yards and scored on a 49-yard touchdown strike from Inagawa to Delaere. A two-point conversion pass attempt was missed, but Starrs Mill held a 32-31 lead with 3:55 to play in the third quarter. The Hurricanes stormed back down the field. Russell completed three of four passes to put Cartersville back ahead. Marchese and Brice caught passes to move the Canes to the Panther 45-yard line, where Taylor-Wilson hauled in another long touchdown pass from Russell with 2:47 remaining in the period. Russell then found tight end Cole Crawford for a two-point conversion pass and a 39-32 lead. The Panthers responded with a ten-play drive to continue the back-and-forth scoring. Blair finished a 66-yard drive with a 26-yard field goal that narrowed the Canes’ margin to 39-35 with 9:16 left in the game. Taylor-Wilson returned the next kickoff to the 45-yard line to set up the Canes’ sixth consecutive scoring drive, although it appeared stalled near midfield. On a third-and-eight, Brice made an acrobatic grab of a Russell pass for 30 yards to keep the drive alive. Four plays later, Purdy was inserted at quarterback, completed a 15-yard touchdown toss to Waddell with 6:12 remaining, and capped a seven-play drive. Rowell’s PAT gave Cartersville a 46-35 lead. On the first play of the next Starrs Mill possession, Crawford intercepted an Inagawa pass and returned it 30 yards to the Panthers’ 20-yard line. Long ran for 14 yards on first down and punched in a 6-yard touchdown run on the next play for a 53-35 advantage with 5:09 left in the game. Starrs Mill drove to the Canes’ 27-yard line on the ensuing possession but turned the ball over on downs.  A first down run by Long and a pair of victory formation kneel-downs secured the Cartersville victory and advanced the Hurricanes to the quarterfinals for the tenth time in the past thirteen seasons. Long finished with 74 yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns. Leonard rushed five times for 66 yards. Russell was 20-of-26 passing for 276 yards and three touchdowns. Purdy had a 15-yard touchdown pass on his only attempt. Brice caught 13 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown. Taylor-Wilson had two receptions for 79 yards and two scores. Marchese caught three passes for 24 yards. Waddell caught two passes for 23 yards and one touchdown, and Aleman had one reception for 19 yards. Inagawa of the Panthers completed 15 of 22 passes for 258 yards and four touchdowns. He threw one interception. The senior signal-caller also rushed for 56 yards and one touchdown on 16 attempts. Delaere had five catches for 140 yards and three touchdowns. Starrs Mill had its season end with a 10-2 record. Cartersville (12-0) visits 3rd-ranked North Oconee (12-0) on Friday in Bogart.