Athletes Beyond Bartow: Lawrence, Jags battle back but come up short vs. Atlanta
Former Cartersville High School quarterback Trevor Lawrence had one of his best performances of his 2021 rookie NFL season Sunday, but the Jacksonville Jaguars came up just short against the visiting Atlanta Falcons.
In college football action, a pair of local specialists helped their teams advance in the NCAA FCS playoffs. Long snapper Jacob Potter and the Kennesaw State Owls along with John Scifers and the UIW Cardinals won their first round playoff games Saturday. Meanwhile, former local basketball athletes -- DiAnthony Heathcock, T.J. Horton, Josie Summerville, and Nakiyah Washington -- were all in recent Thanksgiving Week action.
NFL
TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (Rookie season, Cartersville HS) … the NFL’s overall No. 1 draft pick had the Jaguars 82 yards from tying the score Sunday with 2:14 remaining in the game, but the Atlanta defense forced four incompletions in a row as the Falcons (5-6) held on for a 21-14 win. Lawrence finished 23-for-42 passing for 228 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also had five rushes for 39 yards. The rookie quarterback’s interception was thrown on Jags’ second series of the game and the Falcons took a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter on a pair of Cordarrelle Patterson touchdown runs. Lawrence guided a 14-play, 70-yard drive late in the half that led to a 22-yard field goal. The 6-6 signal-caller’s 7-yard touchdown pass came with 0:22 remaining in the third quarter and was followed by a two-point conversion completion to James O’Shaughnessey cutting the Atlanta lead to 21-11 at the time. Lawrence orchestrated a 74-yard, 14-play drive in the fourth quarter that resulted in a 34-yard field goal. Jacksonville (2-9) plays at the Los Angeles Rams (7-4) Sunday afternoon.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
CHRIS BLACKSTON — University of West Georgia (Sr., Adairsville HS)… finished with a season-high six tackles, five of them solo in the Wolves 66-35 NCAA playoff loss at No. 1 Valdosta State Saturday. The fifth-year senior also added one quarterback hurry. West Georgia finished the season with a 9-3 record.
TREY CREAMER — UNC Charlotte (R-Sr., Cartersville HS)… made a pair of tackles and blocked a second quarter field goal attempt but the 49ers lost at Old Dominion 56-34. The loss was the third straight for Charlotte to finish the season 5-7. Creamer finished the year with 26 tackles, 1.5 for loss, seven pass breakups, and a forced fumble.
JONATHAN CRUZ — UNC Charlotte (Sr., Cartersville HS)… made all four of his PAT kicks and made a pair of fourth quarter field goals from 39 yards and 44 yards Saturday in the 49ers’ loss at Old Dominion. Cruz also booted four of seven kickoffs for touchbacks. For the season, Cruz made 9-of-13 field goals with a long of 56 yards. He made 40-of-41 PAT attempts and kicked 44-of-60 kickoffs for touchbacks.
JORDAN FERGUSON — Middle Tennessee State University (R-Jr., Cartersville HS)… the Cartersville High graduate who played his football at St. Francis High School in Milton made nine tackles including three for loss with a sack and a fumble recovery in Saturday’s 27-17 come-from-behind win at Florida Atlantic. The Blue Raiders scored 24 unanswered points after trailing 17-3 to earn bowl eligibility and a 6-6 record.
MANNY JONES — Colorado State University (Grad Student, Woodland HS) … made three tackles — one for a loss — and added a quarterback hurry in the Rams’ 52-10 home loss to Nevada Saturday night. CSU ended the season with a 3-9 record.
TITUS JONES — Colorado State University (R-So., Woodland HS) … was a participant in Saturday night’s loss to visiting Nevada but did not record any stats.
JACOB POTTER — Kennesaw State University (Sr., Adairsville HS) … snapped for field goals, extra points, and punts in KSU’s NCAA FCS playoff win Saturday afternoon over visiting Davidson 48-21. The 4th-ranked Owls improved to 11-1 and earned a second round playoff trip to 8th-ranked East Tennessee State this Saturday.
JOHN SCIFERS — University Incarnate Word (Grad Student, Woodland HS) … had five kickoffs, one for a touchback, in the 13th-ranked Cardinals’ 35-28 overtime NCAA FCS home playoff win over 20th-ranked Stephen F. Austin. UIW (10-2) advances to a second round playoff game at No. 1 Sam Houston this Saturday.
EVAN SLOCUM — Wake Forest University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … made one tackle in the Demon Deacons’s 41-10 win at Boston College Saturday. The victory secured the Atlantic Division title for Wake Forest for just the second time and set up Saturday night’s ACC Championship game against Pitt in Charlotte where the winner earns a New Year’s Six bowl berth.
WRESTLING
ANGEL BANDA — Reinhardt University (Fr., Adairsville HS) … placed second in the Freshman/Sophomore 125-pound division at the Life University Open November 20. The Eagles hit the mats again Saturday at the Campbellsville University Duals.
BASKETBALL
DiANTHONY HEATHCOCK — Columbia International University (So., Woodland HS) … scored 15 points, collected six rebounds, and had one steal in a 74-69 win last Tuesday at Point University. He also posted 15 points, eight rebounds, and a steal in a 90-78 exhibition loss at Gardner-Webb Saturday. Columbia International (5-3, 3-3 Appalachian Athletic Conference) hosts Milligan University Wednesday night and travels to Tennessee Wesleyan Saturday afternoon. Both contests are conference matchups.
T.J. HORTON — Georgia Highlands College (Fr., Cartersville HS) … during a three-game Thanksgiving trip to Florida, Horton totaled 44 points including a 21-point performance against Indian River State CC in a 94-82 Chargers’ loss. He also scored six points in a 75-72 loss at State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota and finished with seven points in a 75-70 win over Eastern Florida State CC. Across the three-game span, Horton also totaled 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. GHC (4-4) plays at Chipola College Friday night and at Gulf Coast State Saturday afternoon.
JOSIE SUMMERVILLE — North Park University (Sr., Adairsville HS) … had one rebound and made one steal in just five minutes of playing time Saturday afternoon during a 92-46 Vikings’ home win over Olivet College. North Park (5-1) has now won four straight and will entertain University of Chicago Saturday afternoon.
NAKIYAH WASHINGTON — Piedmont College (Jr., Adairsville HS) … scored 10 points, grabbed four rebounds, made four steals, and blocked two shots Saturday afternoon in an 84-69 loss to Alma College (Kentucky) at the Pat Deacon Thanksgiving Tournament in Lexington. She added five points and five rebounds Sunday in a 76-46 loss to host Transylvania University. The Lions (4-2) play at Huntingdon College Saturday afternoon.
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