Athletes Beyond Bartow: Shealy, Syracuse to play for national title; Lawrence leads Jags to win

Former Cartersville High quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars snapped an eight-game road losing streak Sunday as they won at the Tennessee Titans, 36-22. The 23-year-old signal caller, coming off a week with some missed practice time due to a toe injury, scored four touchdowns in the victory.

On the soccer pitch, Cartersville resident and Syracuse goalkeeper Russell Shealy, helped lead the Orange to the NCAA Men’s College Cup championship game. Syracuse (18-2-4) beat Creighton Friday night in the national semifinals. They square off with Indiana (14-4-6) at 6 p.m. Monday night in Cary, North Carolina on ESPNU for the national championship.

NFL

TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL, 2nd-yr. pro; Clemson; Cartersville HS) … was 30-for-42 passing for 368 yards and three touchdowns as Jacksonville won at the Tennessee Titans Sunday, 36-22. He also rushed three times for seven yards and one touchdown. His touchdown passes included a 12-yarder to Evan Engram in the first quarter and a 21-yarder to Engram in the third quarter. Lawrence also tossed a 20-yarder to Zay Jones in the second quarter and scored on a 1-yard keeper in the third. The Jaguars led 20-14 at halftime and took control of the game with a 13-0 third quarter. The Jaguars (5-8) host the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday afternoon.

PRO BASKETBALL

ASHTON HAGANS — Greensboro Swarm (NBA G-League, 3rd-year pro; Cartersville native; Newton HS; Kentucky) … scored eight points Sunday and had eight assists, four rebounds, one blocked shot, and two steals as the Swarm beat the Capital City Go-Go in Washington, 112-105. Earlier in the week, he scored 12 points, collected five rebounds, made five assists, and five steals in a 116-101 win Monday at Raptors 905 in Ontario. He then scored 23 points with four boards, five assists, and three steals last Tuesday in a 114-101 loss to the Raptors. Greensboro is 6-9 and in seventh place in the NBA-G League’s East Division Showcase Cup standings. The Swarm plays at the Maine Celtics Thursday night.

SOCCER

RUSSELL SHEALY — Syracuse University (R-Sr., Cartersville resident; Darlington HS) … earned his 17th win of the season as a goalkeeper and recorded six saves as Syracuse defeated Creighton this past Friday night in the national semifinals of the 2022 NCAA College Cup. Shealy had four first half saves as the Orange held a 1-0 lead at halftime. He added another save in the opening minute of the second half before the Bluejays tied the match 1-1 in the 49th minute. Syracuse went back ahead 2-1 just two minutes later and Shealy’s save in the 61st minute kept the Orange ahead. Creighton found the net in the 63rd minute to tie the game again but Syracuse took the lead for good in the 85th minute. Shealy, who has 10 shutouts and a .812 save percentage on the year, had no additional saves in the final ten minutes but faced three more corner kicks down the stretch. The Orange (18-2-4) will face Indiana (14-4-6) for the national championship Monday night back in Cary, North Carolina. The Hoosiers have not allowed a goal in the tournament and blanked Pittsburgh Friday night, 2-0, in the other semifinal. The title match will be televised Monday night at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.

SWIMMING

MALLORY COOK — University of Montevallo (So., Adairsville HS) … a member of the Falcons’ 200-yard medley relay team that placed 13th this past Saturday during the first day of the Delta State Invitational. The meet continues through Tuesday, December 13.

WRESTLING

ANGEL BANDA — Reinhardt University (Jr., Adairsville HS) … finished 3-0 this past weekend with three pins at the Lindsey Wilson NAIA Challenge Duals in Columbia, Kentucky. Wrestling in the 125-pound division, Banda helped the Eagles to wins over Marian University (Indiana), University of Rio Grande (Ohio), Menlo College (California), and Midway University (Kentucky). Reinhardt hits the mat again Saturday at the Fire Duals in Lakeland, Florida.

CALEB HENSON — Virginia Tech (Fr., Woodland HS) … lost his bout 9-7 to nationally ranked Brock Mauller of Missouri but the 9th-ranked Hokies defeated the visiting 7th-ranked Tigers Sunday 17-15. Virginia Tech travels to Palo Alto to face Stanford and Lindenwood next Sunday.

QUESTAPHA LEWIS — Midway University (So., Woodland HS) … went 0-4 in bouts at the Lindsey Wilson NAIA Challenge Duals in Columbia, Kentucky. The Eagles also finished 0-4 as a team. Midway wrestles again Wednesday at Kentucky Wesleyan University.

JAXON SMITH — University of Maryland (Fr., Woodland HS) … ranked No. 12 nationally in the 197-pound division, Smith defeated Navy’s Jacob Koser 10-2 Sunday as the 23rd-ranked Terrapins beat the Midshipmen, 18-15. Up next for Maryland is the Southern Scuffle at Chattanooga on January 1-2.

BASKETBALL

CLAIRE DAVIS — Palm Beach Atlantic University (Fr., Cass HS) … scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and had one steal in a 97-58 home loss to conference-foe Nova Southeastern this past Saturday. She also finished with five points and six rebounds in an exhibition loss last Thursday at D-I Florida Gulf Coast University. The Sailfish (4-3, 2-2 Sunshine State Conference) host Johnson University (Florida) Tuesday and will play Shaw University (North Carolina) Saturday in Boca Raton.

DiANTHONY HEATHCOCK — Columbia International University (Jr., Woodland HS) … produced a double-double Saturday in a 92-87 home, conference win over Kentucky Christian University. The forward had 34 points, 15 rebounds, and one assist. Last Wednesday in a loss at home to 11th-ranked Union College (Kentucky), Heathcock scored 25 points with eight boards and one steal. CIU (5-6, 4-4 Appalachian Athletic Conference) plays at Point University Tuesday night.

HALEY JOHNSON - Central Georgia Tech CC (Fr., Cass HS) … had one rebound but did not score coming off the Titans’ bench last Wednesday in an 80-51 loss at Georgia Highlands CC. CGTCC also won at Brenau University JV Saturday, 64-48, and edged Middle Georgia Prep in Barnesville Sunday afternoon, 60-59. Game stats were not available for those games. The Titans (5-6, 1-4 Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association) host South Georgia Tech Wednesday and will play Tallahassee CC and Gulf Coast State CC in Panama City, Florida this weekend.

KEARA McDANIEL — Toccoa Falls College (Fr., Cass HS) … saw playing time off the bench but recorded no stats in a 69-55 win last Friday over visiting Campbellsville University - Harrodsburg. The Screaming Eagles (8-4, 2-1 NCCAA D-II South) return to action on January 6 at Southeastern Baptist College (Mississippi).

LONDAISHA SMITH — Alderson Broaddus University (So., Cass HS) … scored 11 points with five rebounds and two steals last Wednesday in a 76-71 win at West Virginia Wesleyan. She then scored 17 points with seven boards, one steal, and one assist Saturday in an 82-70 home loss to Davis & Elkins College. The Battlers (3-7, 2-4 Mountain East Conference) travel to Salem University Thursday.