Search Results

January 19, 2025 by Clifton Puckett The Georgia Highlands College men’s basketball team beat East Georgia State 79-78 in overtime Saturday afternoon to extend their winning streak to three games.   Rome native Jay’Quan Nelson tallied 29 points, with 5 in the final minute of regulation, including a 3-pointer that pushed the game into overtime. Marquin Thompson contributed 17 points, and Jordan Johnson added 13.   The Chargers used a 10-2 run to break a 27-27 tie headed into halftime and held back the Bobcats for most of the second half. With 4:44 left in regulation, GHC led 63-55, but East Georgia battled to take a 64-63 with 1:24 remaining. On the next possession, Nelson drove the lane for a layup to regain the lead, but East Georgia countered with a layup of their own to go ahead with 33 seconds left. Nelson, assisted by Jah’kim Payne, swished a 3-pointer to give GHC the lead back. In overtime, the Chargers grabbed an early lead and held off the Bobcats to snag the victory.   GHC (11-5, 3-1 GCAA) returns to action Saturday on the Floyd Campus against Albany Tech at 3 p.m. It will be Youth Day, where all children will receive free admission.

January 20, 2025 PAW POWER SWIMMING INVITATIONAL The Adairsville High School swim team placed fourth, and Woodland was fifth Saturday at the 12-team Paw Power Invitational held at the Adairsville natatorium. Starrs Mill won the event with 927.5 points. McIntosh was second with 611. Ola (402), Adairsville (397), and Woodland (365) rounded out the top five teams.  Local performers recorded multiple state qualifying times (SQT). Top local performances: First Place Woodland boys 200-yard medley relay (1:48.99) (SQT): Grayson Moore, Isaac Muriel, Isaiah Muriel, Kadin Keith Grayson Moore, Woodland, boys 100-yard backstroke (58.94) (SQT) Second Place Adairsville boys 200-yard medley relay (1:53.00): Gabriel Greenway, Dylan Barrett, Finnley Minhinnett, Brayden Rizer Adairsville boys 200-yard freestyle relay (1:36.52) (SQT): Isaac Muriel, Kadin Keith, Isaiah Muriel, Grayson Moore Adairsville boys 400-yard freestyle relay (3:40.91) (SQT): Gabriel Greenway, Finnley Minhinnett, Eli Burke, Brayden Rizer Dylan Barrett, Adairsville, boys 200-yard freestyle (2:11.56) Brayden Rizer, Adairsville, boys 50-yard freestyle (23.08) (SQT) Andrew Harris, Adairsville, boys 100-yard butterfly (1:00.95) Grayson Moore, Woodland, boys 100-yard freestyle (48.81) (SQT) Gabriel Greenway, Adairsville, boys 100-yard backstroke (1:00.20) Third Place Woodland girls 200-yard medley relay (2:11.41): Emily Guin, Peighton Young, Natalie Guin, Karynne McKenney Andrew Harris, Adairsville, boys 200-yard freestyle (2:11.74) Kadin Keith, Woodland, boys 200-yard individual medley (2:37.66) Finnley Minhinnett, Adairsville, boys 500-yard freestyle (5:48.28) Final Team Scores: 1 — Starrs Mill, 927.5 2 — MicIntosh, 611 3 — Ola, 402 4 — Adairsville, 397 5 — Woodland, 365 6 — Whitewater, 347 7 — Eastside, 236 8 — Union Grove, 225.5 9 — Cedar Shoals, 183 10 — Model, 44 11 — Locust Grove, 20 12 — Armuchee, 9

January 20, 2025 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com College basketball and wrestling have hit mid-season strides, and conference races are heating up for many of our Bartow County athletes nationwide.  In addition to college hoops and wrestling, this week’s update includes professional basketball from China, college tennis, gymnastics, and indoor track and field. CHINA — CBA PRO BASKETBALL ASHTON HAGANS — Xinjiang Flying Tigers (5th yr. pro; Cartersville native; University of Kentucky; Newton HS) … totaled 10 assists, nine points, nine rebounds, and one steal in wins last week over Jiangsu 92-82 and Guangzhou 116-97. The Flying Tigers (22-9) are fourth in the 20-team league standings. Xinjiang hosts Qingdao and visits Jilin and Shenzhen this week. WRESTLING ANGEL BANDA  — Reinhardt University (Sr., Adairsville HS) … won his bout at 133 pounds by pin at the 3:47 mark as the host Eagles blanked Emmanuel University last Thursday, 50-0. Reinhardt heads to Marshall, Missouri, for the Missouri Valley Open on Saturday. LEE CAMP — Reinhardt University (Fr., Cass HS) …won his bout at 125 pounds by pin at the 4:41 mark as the host Eagles shutout Emmanuel University last Thursday, 50-0. Reinhardt heads to Marshall, Missouri, for the Missouri Valley Open on Saturday. KYLE GOLLHOFER — University of Northern Iowa (R-Sr., Woodland HS) … finished with a 2-2 mark in the 125-pound division of the Iowa State Cyclone Open this past weekend. He lost a 6-4 decision to the eventual runner-up from Nebraska in the opening round before defeating opponents from Wisconsin and Oklahoma. He fell short of the fifth-place match in a loss to a second opponent from the University of Nebraska. Fifth-ranked UNI hosts third-ranked Oklahoma State on Friday night and 20th-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday in Big 12 Conference duals. BRYCE KRESHO — Franklin & Marshall College (Jr., Cass HS) … won his 141-pound bout by major decision this past Saturday, but the Diplomats lost to visiting Binghamton University 36-4. Franklin & Marshall hosts Sacred Heart University on Saturday night. QUESTAPHA LEWIS — Midway University (Sr., Woodland HS) … lost his bout at 133 pounds in the Eagles’ 38-3 loss this past Friday at the University of the Cumberlands (KY). Midway wrestles at Campbellsville University (KY) on Monday night and will participate in the Missouri Valley Invitational on Friday and Saturday. TYLER-XAVIER McKNIGHT — Davidson College (So., Cass HS) … won his 149-pound bout with a 5-0 decision Saturday as the Wildcats defeated Brown University 41-3. He also suffered a loss to his University of Arkansas-Little Rock opponent in a 38-9 team loss. Davidson also lost to Morgan State 26-13 in the quad match. Davidson (3-6, 1-0) hosts Southern Conference foes The Citadel and Gardner-Webb University on Friday and Sunday. The Wildcats will also face Air Force in a non-conference dual on Sunday. Jaxon Smith JAXON SMITH — University of Maryland (R-Jr., Woodland HS) … ranked No. 13 as an individual in the 184-pound weight class, Smith won a 14-3 major decision last Friday in the Terrapins’ 24-13 Big Ten home win over Wisconsin. Maryland (8-5, 3-0) hosts 9th-ranked Illinois on Friday. Anetra Witherspoon ANETRA WITHERSPOON — Life University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … won her bout pinfall last Wednesday in a home team victory over Lindsey Wilson College (KY). The Running Eagles also defeated Presbyterian College on Wednesday. Life (9-1) travels to Fort Wayne, Indiana, for the Indiana Tech Warrior Duals and Warrior Open this weekend. BASKETBALL Braxton Benham BRAXTON BENHAM — Berry College (Sr., Cass HS) … totaled 45 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, and seven steals in a Vikings’ wins over Oglethorpe University at home and Millsaps College (MS) in Jackson this past Wednesday and Saturday. Berry (10-7, 3-1 Southern Athletic Association) has road conference games on Friday at Hendrix College (AR) and Rhodes College (TN) on Friday and Sunday. NA’YEL CAMPER — Reinhardt University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … a starter for the Lady Eagles, Camper totaled eight rebounds, four points, and four assists in conference losses at Brenau University and Montreat College last Wednesday and Saturday. Reinhardt (13-5, 9-3 Appalachian Athletic Conference) hosts Wednesday and Saturday conference games with Tennessee Wesleyan University and Columbia College (SC). CLAIRE DAVIS — Kennesaw State University (Jr., Cass HS) … in brief floor time during a road win at Sam Houston University and a loss at Louisiana Tech last week, Davis recorded one blocked shot. The Owls (6-10, 1-4 Conference USA) host New Mexico State on Thursday and UTEP on Saturday afternoon. JA’KA’YAH DRAUGHN — Chattanooga State CC (So., Cartersville HS) … totaled 23 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals in losses last week to Roane State CC and Columbia State CC. The Lady Tigers (10-7, 6-3 TCCAA) play at Dyersburg State CC on Thursday and host Volunteer State CC on Saturday. Zion Hayes ZION HAYES — Weatherford CC (Fr., Cass HS) … scored a career-high 15 points last Saturday in a 105-69 win at Southwestern Christian College. She added three rebounds and two assists. Hayes also posted four points and three rebounds last Wednesday in a 110-69 win at Hill College. The Coyotes (9-7, 2-2 North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference) play at Grayson College on Saturday afternoon. ZYON HEATH — LaGrange College (Fr., Woodland HS) … saw action in two of the Panthers’ three games last week. He scored five points with four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in a 110-82 loss at Piedmont University on January 14. He also scored three points with five boards and two assists this past Saturday in a 105-69 home win over Asbury University (KY). LaGrange also dropped a 67-52 home game to Maryville College (TN) last Friday. The Panthers (5-13, 1-5 Collegiate Conference of the South) host Huntingdon College on Saturday afternoon. HALEY JOHNSON — Reinhardt University (Jr., Cass HS) … had two rebounds, one assist, and one steal in the Eagles’ road losses last week at Brenau University and Montreat College. Reinhardt (13-5, 9-3 Appalachian Athletic Conference) hosts Wednesday and Saturday conference games with Tennessee Wesleyan University and Columbia College (SC). KEARA McDANIEL — Toccoa Falls College (Jr., Cass HS) …  made a start this past Saturday and scored three points, four assists, one rebound, and one steal in a 97-28 home win over Mid Atlantic Christian. She also totaled nine points, seven assists, two blocks, and four rebounds in two home losses earlier in the week to Truett-McConnell University and Pensacola Christian College. The Screamin’ Eagles (5-9) have road games at Warren Wilson College (KY) on Monday and Bob Jones University (SC) on Tuesday before hosting Southeastern Baptist College (MS) on Saturday. T.J. PRINTUP — Tusculum University (So., Adairsville HS) … scored eight points with two rebounds, one assist, and one steal this past Saturday in a 106-91 home win over Coker University. Printup also grabbed three rebounds last Wednesday in a 68-55 home loss to 11th-ranked Lincoln Memorial. The Pioneers (4-13, 4-9 South Atlantic Conference) visit the University of Virginia-Wise on Wednesday night and host Lenoir-Rhyne University on Saturday afternoon. MEGAN SCHULTZ — Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (Fr., Woodland HS) … in home conference losses last week to the University of Tennessee Southern and Blue Mountain Christian University, Schultz had one rebound in each game. LONDAISHA SMITH — St. Andrews University (Sr., Cass HS) … in three wins last week, Smith totaled 39 points, 19 rebounds, nine steals, and eight assists as the Lady Knights beat Winston Salem State and Bluefield University (VA) at home and also won at Truett-McConnell University.  ALISSA WINTERS — Truett-McConnell University (Fr., Adairsville HS) … scored six points with four rebounds and one steal on Monday, January 13, in a 43-32 win at Toccoa Falls College. She also totaled six points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal in a home loss to St. Andrews University (NC) and Johnson University (TN). The Lady Bears (8-9, 5-6 Appalachian Athletic Conference) visit Columbia College (SC) on Wednesday night and Bluefield University (VA) on Saturday afternoon. TENNIS EMILY SURCEY — Samford University (Sr., Cass HS) … the Bulldogs split matches in Starkville, Mississippi this past Saturday. Surcey won her Line 1 singles match 6-3, 6-1 in a 4-1 team win over Bellarmine University but lost a 6-0 Line 1 doubles set with partner Sara Erenda in a 4-0 team loss to Mississippi State. She trailed 2-6, 4-5 in an unfinished Line 1 singles match vs. Mississippi State. Samford (1-1) hosts Jacksonville State on Friday and Presbyterian College on Sunday. GYMNASTICS Abigail Bunch ABIGAIL BUNCH — Rhode Island College (Jr., Cass HS) … had her career-high score and placed first on beam (9.700) in the Anchorwomen’s home win this past Saturday over Utica University (NY) and Gustavus Adolphus College (MN). Bunch also tied for fifth on bars (9.275). On January 12, she scored 7.45 on bars and was 28th in a five-way meet in Cortland, New York. RIC finished fourth behind Ursinus College (PA), Utica, and SUNY Cortland. The Anchorwomen finished ahead of Springfield College (MA). Next on the schedule for Rhode Island is a meet Sunday afternoon at SUNY Brockport. INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD JUNE DeLAUDER — Reinhardt University (Fr., Cass HS) … was 30th in the 60-meter hurdles preliminaries this past weekend at the Samford Open in Birmingham with an 11.65 time. She was also 42nd in the 400-meter prelims with a personal record of 1:11.79. The next event for the Eagles is Sunday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at the JDL Flat is Fast Invitational. KAITLYN GODWIN — University of North Florida (Fr., Cass HS) … was 51st with a time of 8.18 in the preliminaries of the 60-meter dash this past Saturday at the Jimmy Carnes Track and Feid Meet in Gainesville, Florida. ERIC TOVIAVE — Belmont University (Jr., Cartersville HS) … placed 25th (8.55) in the 60-meter hurdles preliminaries this past Saturday at the Vanderbilt Indoor Invitational in Nashville. The Bruins will compete at the Lenny Lyles Invitational in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 31-February 1.

January 18, 2025 by Clifton Puckett The Georgia Highlands College men’s basketball team continued their conference title defense Saturday, defeating the Andrew College Tigers 66-48 in Rome. They move to 10-5 on the season and 2-1 in the conference.   Cameron Baldwin scored a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds while adding two blocks, three steals, and two assists. Ten different Chargers scored in the contest, and GHC scored 27 points off the bench. The Chargers led 31-27 at halftime but outscored Andrew 35-21 in the second half to seal the win.   GHC will continue their four-game homestand Monday night against East Georgia State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on GHC’s Floyd Campus.

January 19, 2025 The Cass High School wrestling team won its second consecutive GHSA State Duals championship Saturday and the Colonels’ third title in the last four seasons.  This year’s Class 4A State Duals Championship was held at Ola High School in McDonough. Cass defeated county rival Woodland in the state championship match, 38-30, to avenge a loss to the Wildcats two weeks ago in the region championship. The two local wrestling programs have been mainstays in whatever classification they have been assigned for more than a decade. Woodland beat Cass in the Region 7-4A Duals Championship to enter the state tournament as a higher seed.  The Wildcats won three-consecutive Class 5A titles between 2019 and 2021. Woodland also won the Duals Championship in Class 4A in 2011 and 2003.  Cass won the Class 5A Duals Championship in 2024 and 2022 and also won a 3A title in 2008. In this year’s tournament, Woodland advanced to the state championship match with victories over Westminter (74-6), Ware County (60-14), and Ola (41-29). Cass defeated Cambridge (56-21), Locust Grove (63-11), and top-ranked Central-Carroll (37-29) to earn a spot in the title match. In the finals that started with the 165-pound weight class, Woodland’s Paul Lanier, Zachary Wallace (175-pounds), and John Gill (215) gave the Wildcats an early lead by winning three of the first four bouts. The only Cass win in that string was by Kirecg Roe (190). Cass responded by winning five of the next six bouts. John Abernathy (285), Hayden Trimm (106), Gavin Walker (113), Hunter Barrett (120), and Luka Jensen (132) turned some of the match momentum in the Colonels’ direction. Woodland’s win in that stretch was by Adrian Zapata (126). The Colonels and Wildcats split the final four bouts. Dylan Couey (138) and Skylar Pizzutiello (157) collected wins for Woodland. Aidan Piatt (144) and David Jewell (150) had pin fall wins for Cass with Jewell's victory sealing the team title. “The boys wrestled great all weekend,” stated Cass coach D.L. Koontz on Saturday night. “Each boy contributed in their own way. Some did a great job even in a loss by limiting bonus points for their opponent.” Koontz also referred to the difficult route his team navigated in the tournament based on seeding, “Maybe one day we’ll figure out how to not match up with a reigning state champion in the semifinals. That’s two years in a row!” Koontz, in his 20th season with the Colonels, discussed the strength of the sport in Bartow County. “It was special to wrestle crosstown rival Woodland in the finals. It just goes to show how strong wrestling is in our community. It’s great to keep the state championship trophy in this county.” Zapata (4-0), Couey (4-0), and Gill (3-0) were undefeated in their bouts for Woodland. Nathan Cates (3-1), Lanier (3-1), Wallace (3-1), Christian Cothran (3-1), Will Thomas, and Owen Jones (2-1) lost only once in the tournament. Roe (4-0), Trimm (4-0), Walker (4-0), Barrett (4-0), Austin McArthur (2-0), and Colin Armona (1-0) had an undefeated tournament for Cass. Piatt, Ethan Harrington, Jensen, and Jewell each finish 2-1 in the event. State Championship Match Cass defeated Woodland 38-30 165  - Paul Lanier (Woodland) over Logan Crisp (Cass) TF 19-4 175  - Zachary Wallace (Woodland) over Mason Tompkins (Cass) Dec 10-4 190  - Kirecg Roe (Cass) over Christian Cothran (Woodland) Maj 14-6 215  - John Gill (Woodland) over Codey Dean (Cass) Fall 0:43 285  - John Abernathy (Cass) over Will Thomas (Woodland) Dec 10-8 106  - Hayden Trimm (Cass) over Nick Weathersbee (Woodland) TF 21-5 113  - Gavin Walker (Cass) over Bryton Glenn (Woodland), Fall 1:45 120  - Hunter Barrett (Cass) over Noah Cates (Woodland) TF 21-5 126  - Adrian Zapata (Woodland) over Joe Vara (Cass) Fall 3:22 132  - Luka Jensen (Cass) over Nathan Cates (Woodland) Dec 13-7 138  - Dylan Couey (Woodland) over Rowdy Duck (Cass) Maj 9-1 144  - Aidan Piatt (Cass) over Aiden Buchan (Woodland) Fall 3:21 150  - David Jewell (Cass) over Dallas Seale (Woodland) Fall 0:53 157  - Skylar Pizzutiello (Woodland) over Unree Sanders (Cass) Fall 3:04 First Round Cass defeated Cambridge 56-21 144  - Austin McArthur (Cass) over Clay Murdock (Cambridge) TF 20-5 150  - Aidan Piatt (Cass) over Liam Smith (Cambridge) Fall 0:47 157  - Ethan Harrington (Cass) over Eric Moelter (Cambridge) Maj 13-3 165  - Ty Tosi (Cambridge) over Jachai Delgado (Cass) Fall 4:19 175  - Mason Tompkins (Cass) over Walker Thomas (Cambridge) Fall 0:53 190  - Kirecg Roe (Cass) over Justice Levitan (Cambridge) TF 15-0 215  - Codey Dean (Cass) over Harrison House (Cambridge) Fall 0:44 285  - Manny Brown (Cambridge) over John Abernathy (Cass) Fall 2:44 106  - Hayden Trimm (Cass) over Zeke Driggs (Cambridge) Fall 0:58 113  - Gavin Walker (Cass) over Chris Brown (Cambridge) Fall 2:45 120  - Hunter Barrett (Cass) over Mykyta Liutyi (Cambridge) Fall 3:25 126  - J.D. Ginn (Cambridge) over Joe Vara (Cass) Dec 10-3 132  - Collin Armona (Cass) over Jett Fusco (Cambridge) Fall 1:07 138  - Hunter Keane (Cambridge) over Logan Hicks (Cass) Fall 0:23 Woodland defeated Westminster 74-6 144  - Aiden Buchan (Woodland) over Jackson Bailey (Westminster) Fall 1:38 150  - Webb Bogess (Westminster) over Skylar Pizzutiello (Woodland) Fall 1:06 157  - Paul Lanier (Woodland) over Louie Gump (Westminster) TF 21-5 165  - Zachary Wallace (Woodland) over Lincoln Jabren (Westminster) TF 17-2 175  - Christian Cothran (Woodland) over Clayton Clemmons (Westminster) Fall 0:55 190  - Owen Jones (Woodland) over Porter Clemmons (Westminster) Fall 0:37 215  - John Gill (Woodland) by Forfeit 285  - Will Thomas (Woodland) over Mason Ulzheimer (Westminster) Fall 2:49 106  - Nick Weathersbee (Woodland) over Eugene Oh (Westminster) Fall 0:29 113  - Bryton Glenn (Woodland) over Will Cooper (Westminster) Fall 1:28 120  - Noah Cates (Woodland) over Luca Bellman (Westminster) Maj 21-7 126  - Adrian Zapata (Woodland) over Brian Schaeffer (Westminster) Fall 1:20 132  - Nathan Cates (Woodland) over Luke Baugher (Westminster) Fall 3:22 138  - Dylan Couey (Woodland) over Aidan Cisneros (Westminster) Fall 0:51 State Quarterfinals Cass defeated Locust Grove 63-11 150  - Karter Nolan (Locust Grove) over David Jewell (Cass) Dec 12-10 157  - Ethan Harrington (Cass) over Avery Spencer (Locust Grove) Fall 0:00 165  - William McNair (Locust Grove) over Logan Crisp (Cass) TF 25-8 175  - Mason Tompkins (Cass) over Jacob Neal (Locust Grove) Fall 0:41 190  - Kirecg Roe (Cass) over Matthew Polyn (Locust Grove) Fall 1:47 215  - Codey Dean (Cass) over Justice Smith (Locust Grove) Fall 1:18 285  - John Abernathy (Cass) over Elisha Lamar (Locust Grove) Fall 0:47 106  - Hayden Trimm (Cass) over Khani Johnson (Locust Grove) Fall 1:24 113  - Gavin Walker (Cass) over Aiden Farquharso (Locust Grove) TF 17-1 120  - Hunter Barrett (Cass) over Derek Wheeler (Locust Grove) Fall 0:30 126  - Aden Akins (Locust Grove) over Joe Vara (Cass) Dec 16-12 132  - Luka Jensen (Cass) over Jackson East (Locust Grove) Fall 1:29 138  - Rowdy Duck (Cass) over Jayden Sanders (Locust Grove) TF 19-4 144  - Austin McArthur (Cass) over Randy Upshaw (Locust Grove) TF 20-4 Woodland defeated Ware County 60-14 150  - Jaden McKelvin (Ware County) over Skylar Pizzutiello (Woodland) Fall 2:15 157  - Paul Lanier (Woodland) over Kayden Drury (Ware County) TF 20-4 165  - Zachary Wallace (Woodland) over Gunter Fore (Ware County) TF 17-2 175  - Christian Cothran (Woodland) over David Muchison (Ware County) Fall 1:07 190  - Owen Jones (Woodland) over Cameron Hambrick (Ware County) Fall 1:40 215  - John Gill (Woodland) over Jalen Hampton (Ware County) Fall 1:40 285  - Will Thomas (Woodland) over Kyler Matthews (Ware County) TF 21-6 106  - Steohen Valdez (Ware County) over Nick Weathersbee (Woodland) Dec 3-1 113  - Jordan Maxwell (Ware County) over Bryton Glenn (Woodland) TF 17-0 120  - Noah Cates (Woodland) over Noah Paul (Ware County) TF 22-6 126  - Adrian Zapata (Woodland) over DaMarion Zanders (Ware County) Fall 1:55 132  - Nathan Cates (Woodland) over Rodrigo Reyes (Ware County) Maj 12-4 138  - Dylan Couey (Woodland) over Evan Thomas (Ware County) Fall 1:06 144  - Aiden Buchan (Woodland) over Aaron Bennett (Ware County) Fall 0:46 State Semifinals Cass defeated Central (Carroll) 37-29 157  - Kam Thornton (Central (Carroll)) over Ethan Harrington (Cass) Dec 6-5 165  - William White (Central (Carroll)) over Logan Crisp (Cass) Fall 0:55 175  - Mason Tompkins (Cass) over Elijah Toliver (Central (Carroll)) Fall 0:41 190  - Kirecg Roe (Cass) over Matt Phillips (Central (Carroll)) Maj 17-4 215  - Codey Dean (Cass) over Johnathan Watts (Central (Carroll)) Fall 3:12 285  - Jayden Thomasson (Central (Carroll)) over John Abernathy (Cass) Dec 1-0 106  - Hayden Trimm (Cass) over Jase Moore (Central (Carroll)) Fall 5:55 113  - Gavin Walker (Cass) over Landon Rossi (Central (Carroll)) Fall 1:49 120  - Hunter Barrett (Cass) over Chris Phillips (Central (Carroll)) SV-1 10-7 126  - Colt Mitchell (Central (Carroll)) over Joe Vara (Cass) Fall 1:57 132  - Ty Murray (Central (Carroll)) over Luka Jensen (Cass) TF 18-2 138  - Danny Krutules (Central (Carroll)) over Rowdy Duck (Cass) Dec 7-6 144  - Colson Hoffman (Central (Carroll)) over Aidan Piatt (Cass) Dec 13-6 150  - David Jewell (Cass) over Caden Shope (Central (Carroll)) Fall 1:40 Woodland defeated Ola 41-29 157  - J`Veion Redmon (Ola) over Paul Lanier (Woodland) TF 18-3 165  - Brian Papcun (Ola) over Zachary Wallace (Woodland) Maj 16-4 175  - Christian Cothran (Woodland) over Jeremy Reagin (Ola) Fall 1:58 190  - Xander Dossett (Ola) over Owen Jones (Woodland) Fall 2:31 215  - John Gill (Woodland) over Joseph Martin (Ola) Fall 2:41 285  - Will Thomas (Woodland) over Landon McKee (Ola) Maj 13-2 106  - Elvis Gonzalez- Alverez (Woodland) by Forfeit 113  - Gabriel Easey (Ola) over Nick Weathersbee (Woodland) TF 19-0 120  - Tye Daniel (Ola) over Noah Cates (Woodland) Fall 2:33 126  - Adrian Zapata (Woodland) over Max Meredith (Ola) Dec 15-13 132  - Nathan Cates (Woodland) over Lincoln Durden (Ola) TF 21-5 138  - Dylan Couey (Woodland) over Owen Nix (Ola) Fall 1:45 144  - Samir Ross (Ola) over Aiden Buchan (Woodland) Dec 12-5 150  - Skylar Pizzutiello (Woodland) over Landen Moss (Ola) Fall 1:54 Woodland's team score was adjusted by -1.0 for unsportsmanlike Up next for the two programs will be the Region 7-4A Traditional Tournament at Cartersville High School on Saturday, February 1.

January 18, 2025 Friday night featured a lot of local high school basketball action, with the Cass teams securing region victories. At the same time, the Adairsville boys, Excel Christian boys, and Cartersville girls also claimed wins. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 68, GILMER 54 The Tigers completed a 3-0 week Friday night with a 68-54 home win over the Gilmer Bobcats. All three wins for Adairsville were region games and moved the Tigers into a tie at the top of the current 7-3A standings. Adairsville led 23-14 after one quarter on Friday and 36-26 at the intermission. The Tigers extended their advantage to 62-38 by the end of the third period and maintained that margin over the final eight minutes. Tre Winters scored a game-high 32 points to pace the Tigers. Eli Pearson followed with 11. Xavious Nalls chipped in 10 points and Ben Abernathy finished with nine for Adairsville. JD Taylor led the Bobcats with 20 points. Keegan Bryant scored 17 points, and Boston Teague added nine for Gilmer (7-9, 2-4). Adairsville (11-8, 6-1) visits Heritage-Catoosa on Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. tip and will host Region 7-3A co-leader Northwest Whitfield on Friday at 8:30 p.m. EXCEL CHRISTIAN BOYS 76, ARLINGTON CHRISTIAN 62 Carter May The Eagles pulled away at home in the fourth quarter Friday night to win a back-and-forth tilt with visiting Arlington Christian of Fairburn, 76-62. Excel grabbed a 21-17 first-quarter lead, but Arlington held a 30-29 advantage at halftime. The host Eagles then outscored Arlington 20-14 in the third quarter to take a 49-44 lead. In the final eight minutes, Excel pulled away to escape with a 14-point win. Kaiyu Huffman led ECA with 20 points. Evan Chappell scored 19 points, and Carter May finished with 14 points for the Eagles.  Tylon Adams led Arlington (11-4) with 21 points, followed by 17 from Khalib Brooks. Excel Christian (11-7, 3-0) hosts Praise Academy on Monday at 5 p.m. during a busy week on the hardwoods. The Eagles also host Cross Keys on Tuesday at 7 p.m. before playing at Fideles Christian on Thursday and Gordon Central on Friday. ECA will then entertain Murray County on Saturday at 4 p.m. CASS BOYS 83, SOUTHEAST WHITFIELD 25 Comari Nettles The Colonels sprinted to a 22-5 first-quarter lead and led 61-19 by the end of the third quarter to win 83-25 at home Friday night and keep Southeast Whitfield winless on the season. Cass had 13 players in the scoring column during the Region 7-4A win. Derrick Sams scored 15 points for the Colonels. Jaimere Anderson, Comari Nettles, and Dylan Miller finished with nine points. “It was an overall team effort,” stated Cass coach Kevin Cunningham. “Hopefully, we can maintain this level tomorrow against North Cobb.” Mason Williams scored six points for the Raiders (0-16, 0-9). Cass (7-11, 4-5) visits North Cobb on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. for a non-region game. The Colonels visit Cartersville on Tuesday and Cedartown on Friday for 7:30 p.m. starts in both region games. CARTERSVILLE GIRLS 55, ALLATOONA 15 The Lady Canes led 37-10 by halftime Friday night and cruised to a 55-15 region win at Allatoona. KK Arnold led Cartersville in the scoring column with 15 points. She added two rebounds and one assist. Jayda Cothran scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds. Zoe McCurry finished with seven points, five assists, and four steals. AnaDe Oliveira scored six points for the Lady Buccaneers (2-13, 0-8). Cartersville (12-8, 8-1) hosts Cass on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and travels to Hiram on Friday for a 6 p.m. tip. CASS GIRLS 40, SOUTHEAST WHITFIELD 30 The Lady Colonels overcame a low-production first half Friday night to beat visiting Southeast Whitfield, 40-30. The Cass girls scored 23 points in the third quarter to take command after trailing 13-9 at halftime. KK Evans scored 15 points, and Summerlyn Smith tossed in 12 to lead the Lady Colonels. Kiana McDaniel added nine points for Cass. Johanna Ortiz posted 13 points for the Lady Raiders (3-11, 2-7). Cass (8-9, 6-3) visits Cartersville on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Cedartown on Friday at 7 p.m. ALLATOONA 73, CARTERSVILLE BOYS 53 Host and region-leading Allatoona led 21-6 after one quarter and 38-18 by halftime Friday night in an eventual 73-53 win over Cartersville. Five Buccaneers scored in double figures, led by Matt McAuley and Dean Soulsby with 17 points. Dre Dupree finished with 14 points. Lewis Ngarga and Kellen Phillips added 10 for Allatoona (14-5, 9-0). Nas Bennett returned to the Cartersville lineup to score 22 points and added seven rebounds. Wyatt Thomason finished with eight points and eight boards. Kyron McClendon contributed eight points, five rebounds, and four assists. Kaden Baldwin tossed in eight points, and Grayson Warmack added six rebounds for the Canes.  Cartersville (10-10, 5-4) hosts a Region 7-4A matchup with Cass on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. before visiting Hiram on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. tip. HIRAM 83, WOODLAND BOYS 56 The host Hiram Hornets totaled 64 points in the two middle periods Friday night to pull away from the Woodland Wildcats, 83-56, in Paulding County. Woodland led 15-5 after the opening eight minutes before Hiram grabbed leads of 40-30 at halftime and 69-46 through three quarters. AJ Williams led the Hornets with 22 points. Mason McKinney and Javon Leonard added 16 and 10 points for Hiram (8-11, 6-3). Bryson Van Tonder made five three-pointers and paced the Wildcats with 25 points. Elijah Morris contributed 13 points, and Tylen Metcalf added 11. Woodland (5-15, 1-8) hosts region-leading Allatoona on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Dalton on Friday at 8:30 p.m. HIRAM 65, WOODLAND GIRLS 6 The Hiram girls improved to 8-11 overall and 7-2 in Region 7-4A Friday night with a home win over Woodland. The Lady Cats (1-19, 1-7) host Allatoona on Tuesday and Dalton on Friday. Both games are 6 p.m starts. DOMINION CHRISTIAN 63, EXCEL CHRISTIAN GIRLS 18  The Excel Christian Academy girls dropped a 63-18 decision this past Thursday at Dominion Christian in Marietta. The Lady Knights improved to 12-5 overall. Excel Christian (2-9) hosts Cross Keys on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before visiting Fideles Christian on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Gordon Central on Friday at 6 p.m. GILMER 50, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 23 The Lady Tigers lost their fourth game of the week Friday night at home, falling to Gilmer 50-23. The visiting Lady Bobcats improved to 10-7 overall and 4-2 in Region 7-AAA. Adairsville (9-11, 2-5) returns to region action on Tuesday at Heritage-Catoosa.

January 18, 2025 Jakai Baldwin had five points Saturday in the Colonels' win at North Cobb. In a game that saw multiple lead changes and ties, the Cass Colonels escaped with a non-region two-point win Saturday afternoon at North Cobb. The Warriors held leads of 12-9 and 21-18 at the end of the first two periods but Cass surged ahead in the third quarter to hold a 34-31 advantage. The Colonels then held on in the final period for a 47-45 victory. “We’re just happy to get a road win out of the region,” said Cass coach Kevin Cunningham following the Colonels’ third straight win. “That game was basically tied the whole way. We knocked down some big free throws there at the end. Now we will take a day off, practice on Monday, and get ready to play Cartersville on Tuesday.” The Colonels converted six of nine free throw attempts in the fourth quarter. Cass boys' coach Kevin Cunningham Xavier Lowe led Cass in scoring with 11 points. Parnel Gamble and Comari Nettles contributed 10 points. Jason Brown added eight points for the Colonels. Josh Pritchett posted 11 points for North Cobb. Christian Peacock finished with nine for the Warriors (4-13). Cass (8-11, 4-5) play at Cartersville on Tuesday and at Cedartown on Friday. Both Region 7-4A games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. NORTH COBB 56, CASS GIRLS 33 The Lady Colonels struggled offensively out of the gate Saturday afternoon at North Cobb and dropped a 56-33 non-region decision to the Lady Warriors in Acworth. North Cobb led 13-1 after one quarter, 29-11 at the intermission, and 49-22 through three quarters. Jaidyn Taylor led North Cobb (10-11) with 18 points. KK Evans scored nine for the Lady Colonels. Darianna Sosa and Kiana McDaniel added eight points each. Cass (7-10, 6-3) visits Cartersville on Tuesday and Cedartown on Friday in 6 p.m. tips.

January 17, 2025 Woodland won the 2024-25 Bartow County Swimming Championship Thursday evening at Adairsville High School, with the host Tigers placing second and Cartersville third. Adairsville swimmers won 10 of the 22 events at the meet. Woodland swimmers won nine, Cartersville two, and Cass one. There were five state qualifying times. The Adairsville boys 200-yard medley relay team, the Woodland girls 200-yard medley relay team, plus the Woodland and Adairsvile boys 200-yard freestyle relay teams eclipsed GHSA state qualifying times. Adairsville’s Gabriel Greenway also reached the state qualifying mark in the boys' 100-yard butterfly. Top three placers in each event: Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay 1st — Adairsville — 1:50.31 (SQT) — Gabriel Greenway, Brayden Rizer, Finnley Minhinnett, Grayson McKinney 2nd — Woodland — 1:53.02 — Isaac Muriel, Isaiah Muriel, Grayson Moore, Kadin Keith 3rd — Adairsville — 1:58.27 — Brian Allen, Dylan Barrett, Andrew Harris, Eli Burke Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay 1st — Woodland — 2:06.73 (SQT) — Emily Guin, Natalie Guin, Peighton Young, Paisley Harp 2nd — Cartersville — 2:12.53 — Laney Saunders, Sofia Burns, Layne Callan, Adahyln Womack 3rd — Cass — 2:21.24 — Ryland Piatt, Adyson Doolittle, Marta Trezza, Jimena Perez Boys 200 Yard Freestyle 1st — Andrew Harris, Adairsville, 2:12.46 2nd — Nick Miranda, Woodland, 2:31.57 3rd — Grant Davenport, Woodland, 2:35.43 Girls 200 Yard Freestyle 1st — Emily Guin, Woodland, 2:35.54 2nd — Kaitlyn Queen, Adairsville, 2:56.04 3rd — Eliza Johnson, Cartersville, 2:57.62 Boys 200 Yard Individual Medley 1st — Finnley Minhinnett, Adairsville, 2:23.27 2nd — Eli Burke, Adairsville, 2:30.60 3rd — Isaiah Muriel, Woodland, 2:32.23 Girls 200 Yard Individual Medley 1st — Marta Trezza, Cass, 2:39.45 2nd — Natalie Guin, Woodland, 2:55.90 3rd — Laney Saunders, Cartersville, 3:04.72 Boys 50 Yard Freestyle 1st — Brayden Rizer, Adairsville, 23.75 2nd — Isaac Muriel, Woodland, 24.91 3rd — Grayson McKinney, Adairsville, 25.25 Girls 50 Yard Freestyle 1st — Brooklyn Chancey, Adairsville, 27.51 2nd — Karynne McKenney, Woodland, 29.61 3rd — Jimena Perez, Cass, 29.72 Boys 100 Yard Butterfly 1st — Gabriel Greenway, Adairsville, 57.48 (SQT) 2nd — Grayson Moore, Woodland, 58.52 3rd — Andrew Harris, Adairsville, 1:01.93 Girls 100 Yard Butterfly 1st — Natalie Guin, Woodland, 1:11.75 2nd — Brooklyn Chancey, Adairsville, 1:25.39 3rd — Brianna Morris, Woodland, 1:41.88 Boys 100 Yard Freestyle 1st — Isaac Muriel, Woodland, 55.31 2nd — Eli Burke, Adairsville, 58.78 3rd — Grayson McKinney, Adairsville, 59.55 Girls 100 Yard Freestyle 1st — Sofia Burns, Cartersville, 1:01.90 2nd — Marta Trezza, Cass, 1:02.40 3rd — Paisley Harp, Woodland, 1:08.77 Boys 500 Yard Freestyle 1st — Finnley Minhinnett, Adairsville, 5:49.41 2nd — Joel McSwain, Woodland, 6:19.65 3rd — Xi Chao, Woodland, 7:22.21 Girls 500 Yard Freestyle 1st — Kaitlyn Queen, Adairsville, 6:29.99 2nd — Jaxon Leger, Adairsville, 7:42.36 3rd — Eliza Johnson, Cartersville, 8:00.91 Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay 1st — Woodland, 1:36.29 (SQT) — Isaiah Muriel, Kadin Keith, Isaac Muriel, Grayson Moore 2nd — Adairsville, 1:37.19 (SQT) — Gabriel Greenway, Finnley Minhinnett, Grayson McKinney, Brayden Rizer 3rd — Cartersville, 1:42.63 — Barrett Stepp, Thomas Peters, Tripp Chitwood, Nate Rives Girls 200 Yard Freestyle Relay 1st — Woodland, 1:55.48 — Natalie Guin, Paisley Harp, Karynne McKenney, Emily Guin 2nd — Cartersville, 1:59.27 — Adahyln Womack, Layne Callan, Laney Saunders, Sofia Burns 3rd — Cass, 2:01.83 — Jimena Perez, Ryland Piatt, Adyson Doolittle, Marta Trezza Boys 100 Yard Backstroke 1st — Grayson Moore, Woodland, 1:00.54 2nd — Gabriel Greenway, Adairsville, 1:01.64 3rd — Brian Allen, Adairsville, 1:12.50 Girls 100 Yard Backstroke 1st — Emily Guin, Woodland, 1:13.91 2nd — Laney Saunders, Cartersville, 1:19.98 3rd — Karynne McKenney, Woodland, 1:24.73 Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke 1st — Brayden Rizer, Adairsville, 1:09.92 2nd — Isaiah Muriel, Woodland, 1:14.11 3rd — Dylan Barrett, Adairsville, 1:16.60 Girls 100 Yard Breaststroke 1st — Sofia Burns, Cartersville, 1:16.49 2nd — Ella Bailey, Adairsville, 1:26.65 3rd — Peighton Young, Woodland, 1:28.19 Boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay 1st — Adairsville (4:17.63) — Eli Burke, Dylan Barrett, Toby Johnson, Wyatt Mauldin 2nd — Adairsville (4:29.91) — Stevie Flores, Beckett Collins, Nathaniel Fortier, Hayden Erickson 3rd — Woodland (4:30.43) — Nick Miranda, Jac Williams, Gavin Hubbard, Joel McSwain Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay 1st — Woodland (5:06.34) — Karynne McKenney, Ireland Perkins, Jomana Edens, Sarah Reyes 2nd — Cartersville (5:20.55) — Charlotte Green, Baylei Hill, Arabella Kilgore, Lexi Saunders 3rd — Adairsville (5:23.57) — Jaxon Leger, Mollie Coker, Hayden Clay, Kaitlyn Queen SQT = State Meet Qualifying Time Team Scores Combined: Woodland 888, Adairsville 794, Cartersville 698, Cass 375 Girls: Woodland 460, Cartersville 370, Adairsville 302, Cass 221 Boys: Adairsville 492, Woodland 428, Cartersville 328, Cass 154

January 17, 2025 by Clifton Puckett The Georgia Highlands College men's basketball team took down Central Georgia Tech 59-48 Wednesday night in Macon to notch their first conference win of the season. GHC led 30-15 and kept pace in the second half to earn the victory. Jordan Johnson led a balanced scoring attack with 11 points and added eight rebounds. Landen Williams and Josh Cooper added 10 points apiece for the Chargers. The Chargers, now 1-1 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Associaton standings and 9-5 overall, begin a four-game homestand on Saturday against East Georgia at 2 pm on the Floyd Campus.

January 15, 2025 KK Arnold (shown in a recent home game) scored 15 points Wednesday night in the Lady Canes' non-region win at Adairsville. The Cartersville Lady Canes won at Adairsville Wednesday night in a non-region basketball game between the intra-county rivals, 50-41.  Cartersville led 16-7 after the opening eight minutes and held leads of 25-20 and 37-28 at the end of the next two periods. Zoe McCurry and KK Arnold led the Lady Canes in the scoring column with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Bayley Stanley added six points. NaXyria Roberts scored 16 points for the Lady Tigers. Alivia Joslin and Lily Roberts finished with nine points. Cartersville (11-8, 7-1) returns to Region 7-4A play Friday at Allatoona at 6 p.m. Adairsville (9-9, 2-3) plays a Region 7-3A game Thursday night at 6 p.m. at Calhoun. The Lady Tigers then host region foe Gilmer on Friday night in a 7 p.m. tip.

January 16, 2025 In games that were rescheduled from last weekend, the Adairsville High basketball teams split Region 7-3A contests Thursday night at Calhoun. ADAIRSVILLE BOYS 71, CALHOUN 54 Tre Winters scored 24 points in the Tigers' win Thursday at Calhoun. The Tigers moved to within one-half game of first place in Region 7-3A Thursday night with a 71-54 win at Calhoun. As a result, Adairsville, Calhoun, and Northwest Whitfield have one loss at the top of the region standings. The Tigers held an 18-15 lead at the end of the first quarter and were up 35-29 at the intermission but built an 18-point lead by the end of the third quarter, 59-41. “It was another great defensive effort,” said Adairsville coach Alex Disbrow. “A good win, but we have another important region game tomorrow night.” Tre Winters and Xavious Nalls led Adairsville with 24 and 22 points, respectively. Tyrek Hames and Ben Abernathy added eight points for the Tigers. Trace Hawkins led Calhoun (8-3, 4-1) with 17 points, and Jaxon Moore scored 16. Adairsville (10-8, 5-1) hosts Gilmer on Friday at 8:30 p.m. CALHOUN 50, ADAIRSVILLE GIRLS 20 The Lady Tigers had a problematic scoring night Thursday at Calhoun and fell to the Lady Jackets, 50-20. Calhoun led 16-6 at the end of the opening period and 28-12 at halftime.  Adairsville then managed only eight more points in the second half. Jaylene Johns led Calhoun (10-5, 4-1) with 12 points. Jaylen Moore scored 10 for the Lady Jackets. NaXyria Roberts and Alivia Joslin scored five points for the Lady Tigers. Adairsville (9-10, 2-4) hosts Gilmer in a Region 7-3A game on Friday at 7 p.m.

January 15, 2025 In a quad swim meet hosted by Cass Tuesday night at the Adairsville High School pool, Coahulla Creek (191) outscored Cass (121), Woodland (96), and Southeast Whitfield (78) for a combined team victory. Event winners for Cass and Woodland: Emily Guin, Woodland — Girls 200-yard freestyle (2:33.07) Marta Trezza, Cass — Girls 200-yard individual medley (2:42.24) Jordan Russell, Cass — Boys 50-yard freestyle (25.82) Natalie Guin, Woodland — Girls 50-yard freestyle (28.74) Gavin Hubbard, Woodland — Boys 100-yard freestyle (1:03.08) Marta Trezza, Cass — Girls 100-yard freestyle (1:04.58) Cass girls 200-yard freestyle relay — Jimena Perez, Ryland Piatt, Adyson Doolittle, and Marta Trezza (2:03.60) Isaiah Muriel, Woodland — Boys 100-yard breaststroke (1:16.57) Cass and Woodland will return to the Adairsville High School pool on Thursday for the Bartow County Championship.