Athletes Beyond Bartow: Collegiate updates

One of the few Bartow County athletes below the Division-I level to have the chance to compete in collegiate athletics this fall took full advantage of the opportunity.

Parker Breedlove, a former Cartersville High cross country and track standout, was able to finish out his sophomore season with the Reinhardt men’s XC team Saturday with an impressive showing in the Appalachian Athletic Conference championship meet. Breedlove wound up 30th overall (fourth on the Eagles) out of 80 runners in helping his team place third in the season-ending event.

"David [Crow], Brody [Blalock] and Parker all had a big part in securing the third-place spot as they really put together great races,” Reinhardt head coach Jordan Turner said on the team’s website. “This men's group is very young, but they have a chance to be very good the next couple of years; I hope they all see the positives from this very different season."

In football, it was another light week. A combination of scheduled open dates and COVID-19 cancellations dropped the number of locals seeing action to three this week. The expectation would be for a much greater number to return to the field this coming weekend, including former Canes quarterback Trevor Lawrence for Clemson’s trip to Florida State.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Jordan Ferguson (Middle Tennessee State R-Jr., Cartersville) — Ferguson managed seven tackles, although six of them were assists, in a 42-14 loss Saturday at Marshall. One of the assists did come on a tackle for loss, and he added three quarterback hurries. MTSU (2-6, 2-4 Conference USA) is slated to face Troy this week on the road.

JaCorey Johns (Wake Forest R-So., Cartersville) — Johns’ stat line looked incredibly similar to Ferguson, as the Demon Deacons starting defensive end registered seven tackles Saturday. Five of the stops were assisted, including one on a tackle for loss. Wake Forest, though, suffered a tough road loss to North Carolina, which rallied from a 45-24 deficit for a 59-53 win. Next up for the Demon Deacons (4-3, 3-3 ACC) is another in-state away game this week at Duke.

Manny Jones (Colorado State Sr., Woodland) — After an absolutely stellar showing the game prior, Jones had a relatively quiet Thursday evening at Boise State. The former Wildcats star helped out on a pair of tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage, as the Rams suffered a 52-21 defeat. Colorado State (1-2 Mountain West) will look to bounce back in its next game Saturday against UNLV.

CROSS COUNTRY

Parker Breedlove (Reinhardt So., Cartersville) — Breedlove finished fourth on his team and 30th overall in helping the Eagles place third in the Appalachian Athletic Conference championship meet Saturday in Asheville, North Carolina. He completed the 8k course in 28 minutes, 28.70 seconds. --- contribution by Nicholas Sullivan, The Daily Tribune News