Lady Canes blank Cedartown; Bulldogs spoil Canes home opener

February 7, 2024 DJ Paradis

Jackson Barkley’s goal gave CHS a brief 1-0 lead against Cedartown Tuesday night, but it wasn’t enough as the visiting Bulldogs would come back late to win 2-1.

Both teams played to a 0-0 stalemate in the first half before Barkley collected a loose ball and directed it into the net with four minutes gone in the second half. However, Cedartown would tie it up five minutes later.

A 12th-minute whistle in the box by the Canes brought the penalty kick that pushed the Bulldogs in front.

Cartersville’s last best opportunity at an equalizer came in the 14th minute when Yosvanni Pineda’s shot clicked off the Cedartown keeper’s heel and rolled to the left of the goal. Canes keeper Avery Sexton kept hope alive with a little over four minutes to play by kick-saving a point-blank shot.

“It was a close game, but we didn’t play to our ability tonight,” said coach DJ Paradis. “We didn’t have our best foot forward, and Cedartown took advantage of those chances. We didn’t. Tomorrow’s a new day.”

Cartersville (1-1) travels to Villa Rica on Friday.

CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 10, CEDARTOWN 0

February 7

Alex Farmer

The Cartersville Lady Hurricanes took down the visiting Cedartown Bulldogs last night as the Lady Canes shut out Cedartown 10-0 Tuesday night in Weinman Stadium. 

The sister duos were on display as Hattie Williams scored a career-high five goals with her sister, Annabelle, recording two of her own while Maci and Mallory Nicklas also got on the board, the latter ending the contest via mercy rule with two consecutive goals.

The Lady Canes jumped out early as Hattie Williams netted a pass from Kiley McMichael that she collected from an Annabelle Williams corner kick in the fourth minute. McMichael recorded 3 assists on the night. Ten minutes later it was Nicklas’ turn, as the senior made it 2-0 with a beautiful header at the far post off a corner kick from her sister. 

Two short minutes after that Hattie Williams got her second goal of the evening with a run down the right flank and a cool side-net finish into the left side of the goal.

“We wanted to come out and be strong early,” said Williams, a senior who recently committed to Reinhardt University. “We did just that and never backed down, pushing to the very end. The defense was really strong for us and our midfield got the ball back to the top. It was just up to us to finish from there.”

“Our energy out there was really good,” said Maci Nicklas, a Truett-McConnell University signee. “I could tell that we were playing for each other and that’s what made it work.”

Maci and Mallory Nicklas, Hattie Beth Williams, and Kiley McMichael also all learned on Tuesday that they had been selected for the preseason first-team All-State honorable mention list. 

Annabelle Williams finished the first half scoring with two goals. The first came in the 24th minute with the ball glancing off the goalie’s fingertips into the upper right corner. Five minutes later in a breakaway the Cedartown keeper stopped Williams’ first shot before the sophomore collected the rebound and finished the sequence to make the halftime lead 5-0.

Hattie Williams completed her hat trick within the first minute of the second half, collecting a Mallory Nicklas long ball over the back line to push the lead to 6-0. 

Williams then collected goals four and five on the evening, the last one set up by a Lundyn Eubanks pass that sliced between several defenders. 

Mallory Nicklas ended the scoring with two goals, the first coming off a free kick from 32 yards out that fell just under the crossbar. The final score came courtesy of another Eubanks pass with 45 seconds showing on the clock. 

Goalkeepers Claire Tucker and Helen Leaming secured the shutout, with Leaming punching one scoring threat over the bar in the 18th minute.

The Lady Canes (1-1) are on the road at Villa Rica on Friday, February 9th to face off with the Wildcats. Kickoff is set for 5:30.