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Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com In conjunction with WBHF and Bartow Sports Zone, Elite Stone Supply presents the ELITE ATHLETES OF THE MONTH. Each month, local high schools name an Elite Athlete of the Month from their varsity programs and present the information on their honoree through Bartow Sports Zone and on 100.3FM and AM1450, WBHF in Cartersville. Sadie Abernathy is the Adairsville High School Elite Athlete of the Month for October 2024.  A senior on the Tigers’ sideline and competition cheer teams, Abernathy is a captain and primarily a back spotter.  “Sadie exhibits our team values of dedication and 100% effort,” cheer coach Katie Forsyth noted. “She gives her best at each practice, game, and competition. She is a mentor and example to our younger athletes on the team. Sadie demonstrates leadership by taking the initiative to lead practices. She truly goes above and beyond for the team. Her desire to achieve excellence is shown through her consistency and drive. We appreciate everything that she does for our team!” Abernathy has a 3.7 GPA and is a Magnet Program student. She is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, BETA Club, Environmental Club, and Women in STEM. She plans to continue her studies in business marketing and public relations. She is the daughter of Rondi Abernathy. Braylon Hill is the Elite Athlete of the Month for October 2024, representing Cass High School. Hill, a junior running back on the Colonels’ football team, had his workload increase dramatically during October following a shift in offensive philosophy. In three games during the month, Hill rushed for 453 yards on 57 attempts with four touchdowns — good for a 7.95 average per rushing attempt. As a result, he has 1,049 yards on 152 attempts for the 2024 season with ten touchdowns. In addition, Hill has six receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns as Cass clinched a state playoff berth for a fourth straight year. He is the son of Rashad Hill and Crystal Jefferies. Grayson Moore is the Woodland High School Elite Athlete of the Month for October 2024. A senior on the Wildcats swim team, Moore competes in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. He has been on the team for four years and has been captain for three seasons. In his first meet of the season, Moore qualified for the 2025 GHSA State Meet in three events. “Grayson has been a great role model in the water and out,” noted Woodland coach Rebecca Beard-Arndt. “He excels in the classroom while practicing six days a week, averaging 18 hours weekly in the water. The younger swimmers feed off his energy and excitement of the sport.” The son of Jennifer and Aaron Moore, he is an “All A’s” student and a member of the National Honor Society, National Society of High Scholars, Spanish Honor Society, Food Club, and Journalism.  He will receive an academic scholarship at Berry College, where he plans to continue his competitive swimming career. Nate Russell is the October 2024 Elite Athlete of the Month, representing Cartersville High School. Russell is a Canes football and baseball team junior, a quarterback, and a standout right-hand pitcher. Russell was 43 of 63 passing in his last four games and threw for eleven touchdowns. He added 112 yards rushing in victories over Cedartown and Hiram. His efforts helped the Hurricanes complete a 10-0 regular season and a Region 7-4A championship. “Nate is a fantastic teammate that loves being a Purple Hurricane,” noted Canes’ quarterback coach Brent Rickman. “He consistently works hard and competes to be his best whenever he gets the opportunity. I’m thankful that Nate is on our team and experiencing success on and off the field.” He is the son of Eric and Caroline Russell. Editors Note: The respective schools and athletic departments supply Bartow Sports Zone and WBHF with photos and bios. Elite Stone Supply Co., LLC is the monthly sponsor. Athletes receive a plaque and recognition during a radio feature on WBHF. #EliteAthletesoftheMonth #Cass #Cartersville #Woodland #Adairsville #highschool

November 5, 2024 The Excel Christian Academy boys improved to 2-0 on the season Tuesday night with an 85-69 win at home over Fideles Christian. The Eagles led 21-16 after one quarter and 51-27 at halftime. Fideles narrowed the margin to t65-49 by the end of the third quarter, but Excel held on for a 16-point victory. Evan Chappell led ECA with 25 points. Kaiyu Huffman scored 13 and TJ Hubert finished with ten. Carter May added nine points for the Eagles. Xander Lipinski paced the Rangers (0-1) with 20 points. Eli Shadburn scored 16. Excel plays at Cornerstone Prep Academy on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

November 5, 2024 The Cartersville Lady Canes volleyball team lost the Class 4A State Championship match to Pace Academy Monday night at the Champions Center at LakePoint, 27-25, 25-12, and 25-17. The title for the Knights (43-6) is their eighth straight. The Lady Canes battled in a back-and-forth opening set before falling. Pace Academy controlled the next two to take the match in straight sets. Pace Academy's only in-state loss this season was to Class 5A state champion Pope in four sets in August. Cartersville finished the season as state runner-up with a Region 7-4A championship and a 33-12 overall record. The Lady Canes’ year included winning streaks of seven, eight, and nine matches.

November 5, 2024 Each of the high school cross country teams in Bartow County competed in their respective GHSA State Sectional Championships this past weekend. The Cartersville girls and boys, along with the Woodland girls and boys, advanced to the Class 4A State Championship Meet. The Cartersville boys finished sixth at the Class 4A Sectional 2 (Regions 3, 5, 6, 7) at One Church Course in Fayetteville. The Woodland boys placed eleventh, and Cass was 18th of 24 teams. The boys’ race included 170 runners. Cambridge won the sectional with five runners in the top 19. Starrs Mill was second, followed by Westminster, Blessed Trinity, and Marist. The Cartersville girls placed tenth of 23 teams in Fayetteville. Woodland was 12th, and Cass was 22nd. There were 165 runners in the Class 4A sectional. The Harris County girls won Sectional 2, with five runners finishing in the top fifteen. The Westminster girls were runner-up, followed by Northview. The Adairsville boys team placed 15th of 20 teams at the 141-runner Class 3A Sectional 2 (Regions 5, 6, 7, 8) at Unicoi State Park in Helen. The Lady Tigers did not field enough runners to have a team score. The top 12 teams at each sectional advanced to the State Championship in Carrollton. The Class 4A races will be on Saturday at Carrollton High School. Top five scoring runners for each team: Cartersville girls Sofia Burns (7th, 19:02), Hadley Finnemore (80th, 22:42), Jordan Hathaway (83rd, 22:49), Samantha Stepp (85th, 23:03), and Genevieve Alessandro (88th, 23:17). Woodland girls Allison Snead (38th, 20:46), Miranda Pelow (69th, 22:05), Addison Brown (76th, 22:32), Abby George (102nd, 24:00), and Lily Hiott (124th, 26:05) Cass girls Jimena Perez (128th, 26:40), Charley Doyle (129th, 26:53), Peyton Waldrop (144th, 27:59), Peyton Brennan (152nd, 29:39), and Alina Murrillo (153rd, 29:39). Cartersville boys Will Feuerbach (11th, 16:09), Barrett Stepp (18th, 16:42), Kaleb Lanier (29th, 17:07), Kyle Camper II (44th, 17:28), and Ethan Empie (45th, 17:29). Woodland boys Juan Mendoza (15th, 16:33), Will Parker (64th, 17:56), James Morris (68th, 18:04), Charlie Hennington (112th, 19:04), and Conner Cruz (116th, 19:09). Cass boys Nicholas Robinson (61st, 17:53), Leonardo Galeana (97th, 18:43), Booker Gearhart (120th, 19:19), Sawyer Foy (124th, 19:23), and Adam Brush (126th, 19:25). Adairsville boys Jonathan Ringwell (41st, 18:01), Griffin Bozeman (50th, 18:18), Aaron Souders (102nd, 10:16), Owen Kelly (122nd, 22:14), and Logan Brown (132nd, 23:13). Adairsville girls Fernanda Singer (78th, 24:37) of 139 runners. EXCEL CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS COMPETE AT GAPPS STATE MEET Excel had individual runners compete in the GAPPS (Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools) State Cross Country Championships on October 26 in Macon. Hugo Jara (19th, 20:16), Raul Vazquez (21st, 20:24), and Kasen Higginbotham (35th, 23:13) were among 43 competitors at the GAPPS Division 1 5K Championship. St. John Bosco Academy won the team title.

November 4, 2024 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com This week’s update includes reports on more than two dozen local athletes and their performances from last week across the nation in professional and collegiate sports. NFL TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL, 4th-yr. pro; Clemson; Cartersville HS) … completed 16 of 31 passes for 169 yards and scored touchdowns on two short rushing attempts in the Jaguars’ 28-23 loss this past Sunday at the Philadelphia Eagles. Lawrence was also picked off twice, including one in the end zone on Jacksonville’s final drive with 1:38 remaining. The Jags (2-7) host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. FOOTBALL ANDY AVELAR — Shorter University (R-Fr., Cass HS) … made his career first PAT kick in his only attempt during the Hawks’ 55-0 home win this past Saturday over Virginia University-Lynchburg. Shorter (3-4) hosts the University of West Alabama on Saturday afternoon. KOLBE BENHAM — Marist College (R-Jr., Cartersville HS) … had one tackle in a 19-0 loss this past Saturday at Drake University. The Red Foxes (0-9, 0-6 Pioneer Football League) visit Stetson University on Saturday afternoon. HAYDEN CAGLE — Berry College (Sr., Cartersville HS) … recently named a William V. Campbell Trophy national semifinalist for his academic and athletic performance, Cagle started on a Vikings’ offensive line this past Saturday that helped produce 329 total yards in a 28-21 home conference win over Centre College (KY). Berry (6-2, 4-1 Southern Athletic Association) entertains Millsaps College on Saturday afternoon for Senior Day. JONAH GAMBILL — University of Memphis (R-Sr., Cartersville HS) … a starter on the Tigers’ offensive line that helped produce 516 total yards in a 44-36 conference loss at UTSA. The Tigers (7-2, 3-2 American Athletic Conference) host Rice on Friday night. KEVIN HENDERSON — University of Findlay (Fr., Cass HS) … the linebacker made seven tackles (five solo) and broke up one pass this past Saturday in the Oilers’ 28-17 home win over Walsh University. 25th-ranked Findlay (8-1, 6-1 Great Midwest Athletic Conference) hosts Northwood University (MI) on Saturday. SHADRE HURST — Tulane University (So., Cartersville HS) … a starter on the Green Wave’s offensive line that helped produce 431 total yards in a 34-3 conference win at Charlotte this past Thursday. Tulane (7-2, 5-0 American Athletic Conference) hosts Temple on Saturday afternoon. QUANTE JENNINGS — Presbyterian College (Sr., Cartersville HS) … rushed for 89 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries and caught three passes for 13 yards this past Saturday in a 28-7 home win over Dayton University. His 12-yard touchdown run was early in the second quarter, giving the Blue Hose a 12-0 lead. Presbyterian (4-6, 2-4 Pioneer Football League) has a bye week before traveling to Marist College on November 16. TYLER MARTIN — Berry College (Jr., Cass HS) … a starter on the Vikings’ offensive line this past Saturday that helped produce 329 total yards in a 28-21 home conference win over Centre College (KY). Berry (6-2, 4-1 Southern Athletic Association) entertains Millsaps College on Saturday afternoon. JAKE PARKER — Judson University (So., Cartersville HS) … completed 21 of 44 passes for 327 yards and two touchdowns this past Saturday in a 65-20 home loss to Olivet Nazarene (IL). He was picked off twice. His second-half TD passes were from 75 and 12 yards. Judson (1-7, 0-3 Mid States Football League) heads to Indianapolis on Saturday to play NAIA 7th-ranked Marian University. SAM PHILLIPS — UT-Chattanooga (R-Jr., Cartersville HS) … had one reception for 36 yards this past Saturday in a 38-34 loss at Western Carolina. Chattanooga (5-4, 4-2 Southern Conference) plays at The Citadel on Saturday afternoon. DEVONTE ROSS — Troy University (Jr., Cartersville HS) … the Trojans’ receiver had four catches for 32 yards and one touchdown, one carry for nine yards, two kick returns for 51 yards, and one punt return for -2 yards this past Saturday in a 38-24 home win over Coastal Carolina. Troy (2-7, 1-4 Sun Belt Conference) has a bye week before visiting Georgia Southern on November 16. STEPHEN ROWSER — Morehouse College (Fr., Cartersville HS) … made one tackle this past Saturday in the Maroon Tigers’ 37-7 loss at Miles College. Morehouse (1-8, 1-6 SIAC) hosts Clark Atlanta University on Saturday afternoon. COURTNEY SLOCUM — Mars Hill University (Sr., Adairsville HS) … saw action, but the linebacker had no stat line in a 31-23 home win this past Saturday over Emory & Henry. The Lions (4-3, 4-2 South Atlantic Conference) play at Anderson University. SACOVIE WHITE — University of Georgia (Fr., Cass HS) … as a slot receiver, White was targeted for a deep pass from Carson Beck on the Bulldogs’ opening drive this past Saturday but was slightly overthrown. Second-ranked Georgia rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the Florida Gators 34-20. The Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) visit Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon. SOCCER ABBEY CRAIG — Reinhardt University (Jr., Cartersville HS) … a defensive starter, Craig logged all 90 minutes this past Saturday in a 2-1 Appalachian Athletic Conference quarterfinal victory over Columbia International University. On Tuesday, the Eagles (10-5-1) visit Tennessee Wesleyan in the conference semifinals. VOLLEYBALL AILEE ENGLAND — Berry College (Fr., Cartersville HS) … saw action in four sets as the Vikings won this past weekend at Sewanee and Centre College. She recorded one kill and two service aces. Berry (12-11, 9-3 Southern Athletic Association) won 3-1 at Sewanee and 3-2 at Centre. The Vikings will play Christopher Newport University, Averett University, and the University of Mary Washington on Saturday in Newport News, Virginia. MADELYN ORTON — LaGrange College (Jr., Cartersville resident, Cornerstone Prep Academy) … had two digs this past Saturday in a Panthers’ win at Agnes Scott College. LaGrange (8-21, 5-11 Collegiate Conference of the South) did not qualify for the conference tournament. MEREDITH ORTON — LaGrange College (Jr., Cartersville resident, Cornerstone Prep Academy) … had two kills and two digs this past Saturday in a straight sets win at Agnes Scott College. LaGrange (8-21, 5-11 Collegiate Conference of the South) did not qualify for the conference tournament. CROSS COUNTRY McKINLEY CHAPPELL — Berry College (Jr., Woodland HS) … placed 23rd individually in 27:10 at the 8K Southern Athletic Association Championship Meet in Memphis. The Vikings had their scoring runners all in the top eleven to win the 2024 conference title. Berry was nine points ahead of Oglethorpe. The Vikings will compete at the NCAA D-III South Regional in Clinton, Mississippi, on November 16. ANDY FORSYTH — Berry College (Fr., Woodland HS) … placed 31st individually in 27:40 at the 8K Southern Athletic Association Championship Meet in Memphis. The Vikings had their scoring runners all in the top eleven to win the 2024 conference title. Berry was nine points ahead of Oglethorpe. The Vikings are set to participate in the NCAA D-III South Regional in Clinton, Mississippi, on November 16. BASKETBALL NA’YEL CAMPER — Reinhardt University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … scored nine points and had three rebounds, two steals, and one assist in the Eagles’ 84-57 win at Spartanburg Methodist on October 26. This past Saturday, she also contributed one point and three boards in a 68-66 home win over Point University. The Lady Eagles (2-0) host Life University on Saturday afternoon. ZION HAYES — Weatherford CC (Fr., Cass HS) … totaled seven points, five rebounds, and two assists this past weekend in narrow losses to Angelina College (50-49) and Frank Phillips College (64-62). The Coyotes (0-2) host Southwestern Assemblies of God University on Monday and Dallas College-Cedar Valley on Saturday. HALEY JOHNSON — Reinhardt University (Jr., Cass HS) … scored seven points with five rebounds, one assist, and two steals on Oct 26 in an 84-57 win at Spartanburg Methodist. This past Saturday Johnson scored two points and grabbed five rebounds in a 68-66 home win over Point University. The Eagles (2-0) host Life University on Saturday. KEARA McDANIEL — Toccoa Falls College (Jr., Cass HS) … scored two points and had two rebounds, two steals, and one steal in a 41-39 loss at Dallas Christian (Tex.) last Friday. She then scored five points with three rebounds and three assists last Saturday in a 79-55 loss to Crowley’s Ridge (Ark.). The Screamin’ Eagles (0-2) play at Truett-MCconnell University on Tuesday and visit Morris College (SC) on Friday night. MEGAN SCHULTZ — Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (Fr., Woodland HS) … logged 14 minutes last Friday and had two rebounds, one assist, and one steal during a 77-58 loss at Crowley’s Ridge (Ark.). This past Saturday, Schultz also had two boards in abbreviated time in a 71-69 loss to Pensacola Christian College. The Fillies (0-2) host LaGrange College on Friday night and Beacon College (Fla.) on Saturday afternoon. LONDAISHA SMITH — St. Andrews University (Sr., Cass HS) … scored nine points with four rebounds, four steals, and three assists on Oct. 28 in a 65-63 loss at Spartanburg Methodist. She added 16 points with eight boards, one steal, and one assist this past Saturday in a 70-54 home loss to Voorhees University (SC). The Knights (0-2) host Spartanburg Methodist on Wednesday night and travel to USC-Beaufort on Saturday afternoon.

November 2, 2024 The Woodland Wildcats’ offense drove for touchdowns on two of their final three possessions Friday night at Dalton for a come-from-behind 20-17 Region 7-4A win over the host Catamounts. The Wildcats trailed 17-6 late in the third quarter before scoring the final 14 points to escape with their third win. Dalton returned the opening kickoff to the Woodland 6-yard line and scored two plays later on a 1-yard plunge by running back Julio Perez. Catamounts’ kicker Adrian Gongora booted the PAT kick, and Dalton had a 7-0 lead with 10:59 remaining in the initial period. The two teams traded possessions for the remainder of the first quarter.  Dalton reached Woodland territory twice but punted at the 40-yard line and turned the ball over on downs at the Wildcats’ 41-yard line. Woodland went three-and-out on two first-quarter possessions but drove deep into Dalton territory late in the period. Starting from their 39-yard line, the Wildcats drove to the Catamounts’ 10-yard line before turning the ball over on downs on the first play of the second quarter. The Woodland drive included three runs by Solly James, a reception by Cam Williams, a shuttle-pass catch, and a run by Isaiah Livsey. The drive also included a pass interference penalty on Dalton. The Catamounts responded with a 72-yard drive that took 16 plays. Gongora's 35-yard field goal with 4:18 left in the half gave Dalton a 10-0 lead. Dalton started from their 10-yard line and reached midfield on eight consecutive running plays featuring Nash Smith and Perez. Quarterback Caine Woods completed passes to Kamdon London for 10- and 18-yards and had a short scramble run to put his team in field goal position. On their ensuing possession, Woodland drove 80 yards in eight plays for the first Wildcats points of the night. A 22-yard pass from quarterback JD Trail to Taylor Mooney moved the Wildcats to their 47-yard line, and a Dalton penalty advanced Woodland to plus territory. Four plays later, a 23-yard wheel route pass from Trail to Livsey set up the Wildcats for their first score. Trail connected with Livsey on a hook route along the Woodland sideline, and Livsey lateraled to James, who raced the football into the end zone. The classic hook-and-lateral play narrowed the Dalton advantage to 10-6. Woodland’s PAT kick failed when it hit the crossbar. Dalton returned the next kickoff to the Woodland 48-yard line and drove to the Wildcats’ 37 in the half's final seconds. Woodland picked off a pass on the half's final play to end the Catamounts’ late threat. On the second half's opening drive, the Wildcats moved into Dalton territory on a 50-yard pass from Trail to Mooney. The drive stalled a few plays later, and Woodland’s negative-yardage punt gave Dalton possession at their 36-yard line. The Woodland defense forced a three-and-out by Dalton, but the Wildcats fumbled the punt that followed at the 4-yard line, setting up a Catamounts touchdown. On first-and-goal, Smith scored on a 4-yard run, giving Dalton a 17-6 lead with 7:15 left in the third quarter. Woodland’s next possession started at their 27-yard line and ended with a three-and-out. Dalton fumbled the Wildcats’ punt at the 50-yard line, and Woodland recovered to set up their next scoring drive. Three consecutive runs by Livsey advanced the Wildcats to the Dalton 28-yard line. Three plays later, Livsey converted a fourth-and-one situation with a two-yard run.  Following an incomplete pass, Livsey found daylight for a nine-yard touchdown run. A two-point conversion pass play failed, but Woodland had narrowed Dalton’s lead to 17-12 with 2:03 remaining in the third period. The Woodland defense forced a fumble on the next Dalton possession, but the Wildcats had to punt as the fourth quarter got underway. Dalton drove to the Woodland 35-yard line again, but the Wildcat defense tightened.  A Catamounts’ quick-kick punt went out of bounds at the Woodland 17-yard line, setting up the Wildcats’ game-winning drive. Woodland marched 83 yards on ten plays, with Trail connecting with Traver Groves in the right corner of the end zone for a go-ahead, 24-yard touchdown pass. Livsey followed with a two-point conversion run out of a “Wildcat formation,” and Woodland had a 20-17 lead with 3:58 remaining in the game. Dalton returned the ensuing kickoff to their 38-yard line and kept the ball on the ground in their comeback effort. Nine consecutive running plays featuring Smith, Perez, and Woods set up a 52-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds. Woodland blocked the kick attempt, however, and was able to run out the clock from “victory formation.” Trail was 9-for-23 passing for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Williams caught three passes for 41 yards, and Mooney had two receptions for 72 yards. Livsey had nine carries for 45 yards and caught two passes for 24 yards. James rushed for 57 yards on 14 carries and had a 33-yard reception. Dalton finished the 2024 season 0-10, marking the first winless football year for the Catamounts since 1928. Woodland’s win was also its first over Dalton since a 35-34 victory in 1999. The Wildcats are now 2-7 all-time against Dalton. Woodland finished the 2024 season with a 3-7 overall record and a 1-5 mark in Region 7-4A. “I cannot be more proud of our seniors, our entire team, and our coaches for sticking together and finishing the season the right way,” said Wildcats head coach Andy Scott. “I am really looking forward to the future of Woodland football.”

November 1, 2024 On a night when visibility was challenged by a “pea soup” fog draping the Generals' stadium in the second half, Heritage-Catoosa defeated the Adairsville Tigers 17-7. The win secured Heritage a state playoff berth and moved the Generals ahead of Adairsville in the new GHSA Postseason Rankings, which will seed the top 32 teams in Class AAA. Adairsville committed four turnovers, and Heritage had three giveaways but built a 14-0 advantage in the first half and kept the Tigers off the scoreboard until the final 73 seconds of the game. Heritage had the only major scoring threat in a scoreless first quarter, but the Tigers kept the Generals off the scoreboard with a goal-line stand toward the end of the period. After forcing an Adairsville punt, the Generals marched 46 yards on six plays for their first points. Heritage scored on a 26 yard pass from quarterback Cross Williams to Noah Pierce with 10:04 remaining in the second quarter. Kicker Jake Collette converted the PAT kick for a 7-0 lead. Adairsville went three-and-out on their next possession and Heritage answered with another score. The drive covered 74 yards and took six plays, but the scoring strike was a 73-yard pass from Williams to Cody Bryan with 7:14 left in the first half. Collette’s second extra point kick gave Heritage a 14-0 lead. The Generals threatened again late in the half but were turned away by Colt Sanford’s interception just before halftime. The third quarter saw both teams commit turnovers as a wet fog settled into the stadium. Adairsville had a drive stopped on downs at the Heritage 39-yard line with their deepest penetration of the period.  Later in the third quarter, Heritage intercepted a pass and returned it deep into Adairsville territory, but the Tiger defense got a stop at the 1-yard line when the Generals fumbled on the second play of the fourth quarter. The teams swapped fumbles in the early portion of the final quarter before Adairsville’s Ethan Long connected with Tre Winters on a pass to the Heritage 40-yard line. Another interception a few plays later gave the Generals another possession with 9:44 remaining. Heritage turned it into a scoring drive when Williams hit Pierce with another reception to the Tigers’ 23-yard line. The Adairsville defense stiffened again, but Collette booted a 52-yard field goal through the fog to give the Generals a 17-0 advantage with 5:46 left. Adairsville reached the red zone for the first time in the game with just 1:17 remaining, and the Tigers culminated their drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Long to Winters just four seconds later. The drive covered 79 yards in five plays, and a successful PAT kick by Cooper Souders made the score 17-7. The Tigers’ onside kickoff attempt did not cover the required ten yards, and Heritage ran out the clock from their victory formation. Heritage improved to 6-4 overall and finished 4-2 in Region 7-AAA. Adairsville (6-4, 3-3) will await other results from across the state in Class AAA to learn their playoff position. The GHSA is utilizing a Postseason Ranking System to seed the top 32 teams in Class AAA this season. Adairsville and Heritage entered their game with one another ranked No. 25 and 26 in the rankings. Those numbers will shift following statewide results on Friday night and next week. The state playoffs will begin on November 15 and 16, with higher seeds hosting first-round games. ~~ Larry Gardner contributed data for this report.

October 30, 2024 The Excel Christian Academy boys basketball team opened the 2024-25 season Wednesday night with a 99-55 home victory over Covenant Christian Academy of Cumming.  The Eagles led 31-19 after one quarter and built a 58-27 advantage by halftime. Evan Chappell scored 22 points to lead four Eagles in double-digit scoring. Connor Garland followed with 18 points. Jorge Crismat contributed 14, and Kaiyu Huffman added 10 points for ECA. Bowyen Reid led the visiting Rams with 18 points. Excel (1-0) will host Fideles Christian next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

October 26, 2024 The Adairsville Tigers took a step closer to the 2024 Class 3A state playoffs Friday night with a 28-0 home win over the Gilmer Bobcats. In the first season of the GHSA Post-Season Rankings for Class 3A, Gilmer entered Friday’s game as the No. 25 team in the classification. Adairsville started the night just outside the Top 32 teams at No. 33. Following the Tigers’ win, Adairsville moved to No. 25, with Gilmer falling to No. 31. Each of the eight region champions is guaranteed a spot in the 32-team state bracket, with the remaining slots filled by the highest-ranked teams.  Adairsville opened the scoring with an 80-yard drive in the latter half of the first quarter. The Tigers took seven plays in their march and scored on a 59-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Long to Xavious Nalls. Cooper Souders added the first of his four PAT kicks to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 4:07 remaining in the quarter. After trading possessions with the Bobcats, Adairsville added to their lead before the half with another lengthy drive. This time, the Tigers covered 83 yards in 18 plays. Long tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Barrett Fuller with 2.2 seconds left in the half to put Adairsville up 14-0 at halftime. The Tigers took advantage of outstanding field position in the latter stages of the third quarter to add to their lead. Starting at the Gilmer 48-yard line, Adairsville took nine plays to build a three-score lead. Long connected with Tre Winters on a 27-yard scoring strike with 2:32 left in the third quarter and a 21-0 lead. Adairsville sealed the win late in the fourth quarter on a pick-six by Winters. The interception of a pass by A.J. Callihan was returned 22 yards for a touchdown and a commanding 28-0 lead with 1:28 left in the game. The loss dropped Gilmer to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in Region 7-AAA. The Bobcats host Ridgeland next Friday, Nov. 1. Adairsville (6-3, 3-2) heads to Ringgold on Friday, Nov. 1, to take on the Heritage-Catoosa Generals (5-4, 3-2). Heritage lost 38-0 at Calhoun Friday night and is No. 26 in the GHSA Post-Season Rankings. NOTE:  Larry Gardner contributed to this report.

October 28, 2024 Former Cartersville High running back Quante Jennings of Presbyterian College and defensive back Evan Slocum of Wake Forest University established career highs in their games to highlight this week’s update. Local golfers Christian Surcey and Buck Brumlow also played productively for their teams at Florida State University and the University of Georgia. Clockwise starting top left: Quante Jennings, Evan Slocum, Christian Surcey, and Buck Brumlow. NFL TREVOR LAWRENCE — Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL, 4th-yr. pro; Clemson; Cartersville HS) …completed 21-of-32 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns Sunday in the Jaguars’ 30-27 home loss to the Green Bay Packers. He also rushed four times for ten yards, including a six-yard keeper for a touchdown in the second quarter. His TD passes went to Brian Thomas, Jr. from 14 yards in the third period and 14 yards to Evan Engram in the fourth. Jacksonville (2-6) plays at the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. FOOTBALL KOLBE BENHAM — Marist College (R-Jr., Cartersville HS) … made two tackles this past Saturday in a 17-14 home loss to Valparaiso, bringing his season total to 28. The Red Foxes (0-8, 0-5 Pioneer Football League) visit Drake on Saturday. HAYDEN CAGLE — Berry College (Sr., Cartersville HS) … a starter on the Vikings’ offensive line that helped produce 494 total yards of offense in a 38-35 overtime loss at Trinity University (TX). Berry (5-2, 3-1 Southern Athletic Association) hosts Centre College (KY) on Saturday. JONAH GAMBILL — University of Memphis (R-Sr., Cartersville HS) … a starter of the Tigers’ offensive line this past Saturday that helped produce 424 total yards in a 33-28 home win over Charlotte. Memphis (7-1, 3-1 American Athletic Conference) plays at UTSA on Saturday in San Antonio. KEVIN HENDERSON — University of Findlay (Fr., Cass HS) … made three tackles, including one sack and one for loss, from his linebacker position this past Saturday in a 34-17 win at Thomas More University. On Saturday, the Oilers (7-1, 5-1 Great Midwest Athletic Conference) host Walsh University (OH). SHADRE HURST — Tulane University (So., Cartersville HS) … a starter on the Green Wave’s offensive line that helped produce 472 total yards in a 45-37 win at North Texas. Tulane (6-2, 4-0 American Athletic Conference) carries a five-game win streak into Thursday night’s conference game at Charlotte. QUANTE JENNINGS — Presbyterian College (Sr., Cartersville HS) … rushed for a career-high 106 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries in a 42-14 win this past Saturday at Stetson University. He also caught one pass for three yards. The Blue Hose (3-6, 1-4 Pioneer Football League) host Dayton on Saturday afternoon. TYLER MARTIN — Berry College (Sr., Cass HS) … a starter on the Vikings’ offensive line that helped produce 494 total yards of offense in a 38-35 overtime loss at Trinity University (TX). Berry (5-2, 3-1 Southern Athletic Association) hosts Centre College (KY) on Saturday. DEVONTE ROSS — Troy University (Jr., Cartersville HS) … had 11 receptions for 126 yards and two kick returns for 30 yards this past Saturday in a 34-31 home loss to Arkansas State. On Saturday, Troy (1-7, 0-4 Sun Belt Conference) hosts Coastal Carolina. STEPHEN ROWSER — Morehouse College (Fr., Cartersville HS) … made two tackles this past Saturday in the Maroon Tigers’ 42-20 home loss to Fort Valley State University. Morehouse (1-7, 1-5 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) travels to Miles College on Saturday afternoon. COURTNEY SLOCUM — Mars Hill College (Sr., Adairsville HS) … made three tackles, one for a loss, broke up a pass, and returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown in a 31-17 win this past Saturday at Virginia-Wise. The Lions (3-3, 3-2 South Atlantic Conference) host Emory & Henry on Saturday. EVAN SLOCUM — Wake Forest University (Sr., Cartersville HS) … made a career-high ten tackles (four solo) this past Saturday in the Demon Deacons’ 27-24 win at Stanford. His season total is 47 tackles, and he has 141 for his career. Wake Forest (4-4, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) has a bye week before hosting California on November 8. CROSS COUNTRY DANIELLE THAYER — Augusta University (So., Woodland HS) … placed 39th individually in 19:52 this past Saturday as the Jaguars finished runner-up at the 10-team 2024 Peach Belt Conference 5K Championships in Gainesville, Georgia. The Flagler College women won the conference title with five harriers in the top nine and all seven runners in the top twelve. Augusta finished 34 points back. Next for Augusta is the NCAA D-II Southeast Regional in Spartanburg, South Carolina.   VOLLEYBALL MAKAYLA MALONE — Toccoa Falls College (Fr., Excel Christian Academy) … saw action in one set and had one service reception last Tuesday (Oct. 22) in a four-set loss at Brewton Parker College. The Screamin’ Eagles (7-14, 3-3 NCCAA) host Brenau University on Thursday night. MADELYN ORTON — LaGrange College (Jr., Cartersville resident, Cornerstone Prep Academy) … totaled six digs across appearances in four sets last week as the Panthers suffered losses to Clark Atlanta University, Covenant College, and Piedmont University. LaGrange (7-19, 4-10 Collegiate Conference of the South) visits Tuskegee University on Tuesday night and closes the regular season on Saturday in Decatur against Maryville College (Tenn.) and host Agnes Scott College. MEREDITH ORTON — LaGrange College (Jr., Cartersville resident, Cornerstone Prep Academy) … saw action in eight sets last week during the Panthers’ losses to Clark Atlanta University, Covenant College, and Piedmont University. Orton contributed four blocks, four digs, one kill, and one assist. LaGrange (7-19, 4-10 Collegiate Conference of the South) visits Tuskegee University on Tuesday night and closes the regular season on Saturday in Decatur against Maryville College (Tenn.) and host Agnes Scott College. SOCCER ABBEY CRAIG — Reinhardt University (Jr., Cartersville HS) … a defensive starter who logged all 90 minutes of a 2-0 home win this past Saturday over Union Commonwealth University and a 1-0 loss last Wednesday at Tennessee Wesleyan University. The Lady Eagles completed the regular season with a 9-5-1 mark and were third in the Appalachian Athletic Conference with a 9-3-1 record. Reinhardt will host a first-round match in the AAC tournament this week, with the date and opponent to be determined. BRADY CRAIG — Reinhardt University (Sr., Cartersville HS) … started on defense and logged 44 minutes of pitch time in the Eagles’ 2-0 loss last Wednesday at Tennessee Wesleyan University. RU also dropped a 4-0 home decision this past Saturday to Union Commonwealth. Reinhardt completed the regular season with a 4-9-4 record and a 3-6-3 Appalachian Athletic Conference mark. GOLF BUCK BRUMLOW — University of Georgia (Sr., Cartersville HS) … had his best 2024-25 season finish and tied for fourth October 20-21 at the Fallen Oak Invitational in Biloxi, Mississippi. Brumlow carded rounds of 72-70-70—212 to finish three shots behind tournament winner Jackson Buchanan of Illinois. The Bulldogs shot 5-under-par on the final day to finish in fourth place behind Ole Miss, Illinois, and LSU in the 13-team field. UGA will play in the Ka’anapali Classic on Nov. 2-4 in Maui, Hawaii. TYLER STEWARD — Hesston College (Fr., Adairsville HS) … shot 89-87-83 and placed 48th October 20-21 at the Sand Creek Station Intercollegiate in Newton, Kansas. Hesston tied for sixth of ten teams in the tournament, which Friends University (KS) won. It was the final Fall event for the Larks in the 2024-25 season. CHRISTINA SURCEY — Florida State University (Fr., Cartersville resident, North Cobb Christian) … carded rounds of 70-74-76—220 and tied for 24th individually in the Seminoles’ one-shot tournament win over Duke University at the 17-team Landfall Tradition this past weekend in Wilmington, North Carolina. Surcey had her score count each round in the team totals. The tournament was conducted at the par-72, 6,178-yard Country Club of Landfall Dye Course. Florida State will return to action January 31-February 1 at the 2025 Guadalajara Invitational in Mexico.

October 26, 2024 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com Cartersville place kicker Ramsey Rowell drilled a 35-yard field goal as time expired Friday night, lifting the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes to a 45-43 victory over visiting Hiram. The win clinched a Region 7-AAAA championship for the Hurricanes and a perfect 10-0 regular season. Cartersville has now had ten undefeated regular seasons in the last 13 years and has a 126-3 record in regular season games during that stretch. Hiram led 21-14 at halftime, but Cartersville scored three consecutive touchdowns to open the second half and grabbed a 35-21 lead late in the third quarter. The Hornets drove for a score to pull within seven and tied the score 35-35 after taking advantage of an interception. The Canes answered to go up 42-35, but the Hornets responded with a touchdown and a two-point conversion to lead 43-42 with 2:07 left in the game. On the final possession, Cartersville drove within field goal range to set up Rowell’s kick as the game clock expired. Cartersville scored on the opening drive to take a 7-0 lead. Nate Russell’s 16-yard pass to Cole Crawford capped a 75-yard drive with 9:04 left in the first quarter. Hiram answered with a 90-yard march to knot the score. Kaden Hamilton punched in a five-yard run, and the score was 7-7 with 1:44 remaining in the opening frame. The Hornets took their first lead on their next possession. An 85-yard drive was cashed in with a 2-yard run by Amari Lindley to make the score 14-7 with 5:43 left in the second quarter. Cartersville’s next possession tied the score again. Baylon Long culminated the drive with a 1-yard plunge with 1:53 remaining in the second period. The drive included a brilliant diving catch by Brady Marchese on a long pass from Russell to move the Hurricanes into the red zone. Hiram moved back down the field in the final minute and scored on a tipped pass as time ran out in the first half. Ethan Latimore hurled a pass to the end zone that was tipped, but a Hornets receiver hauled it in for a 21-14 Hiram lead at halftime. The Canes built a 35-21 lead in the third quarter. Russell connected with Cayden Aleman for a 13-yard touchdown to tie the game at 21 with 7:10 left in the third quarter. A short punt by Hiram on the Hornets' next possession gave the Canes excellent field position, and they took advantage. Ja’Caiden Leonard scored on a 17-yard run to give Cartersville a 28-21 lead with 5:00 remaining in the period. The next Cartersville possession resulted in the Canes’ third touchdown of the half. Russell found a streaking A’darrian Taylor-Wilson for a 51-yard score, putting the Canes ahead 35-21 with 2:40 to go in the third quarter. Hiram rallied in the fourth quarter to tie the game for a fourth time. The Hornets finished a 77-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Hamilton with 7:59 remaining to cut the Canes’ lead to one score. After a Russell pass was intercepted, Latimore found Hamilton on a fourth-down play for a 10-yard touchdown pass that knotted the score at 35 with 5:02 to play. The back-and-forth battle continued, with Cartersville regaining the lead on the next possession. Russell connected with Ja’mauri Brice for a 52-yard touchdown, which put the Canes ahead 42-35 with 2:55 left in the game. Less than a minute later, Hiram answered and regained the lead for themselves. Hamilton got loose for a 65-yard scamper, and Amari Lindley added a 2-point conversion run for a 43-42 lead with 2:07 remaining. The Cane's final possession started at their 23-yard line with only one timeout remaining. Runs by Baylon Long picked up a first down at the 37-yard line. Russell then found an opening in the Hiram defense and raced deep into the Hornets' territory. A holding penalty negated part of the run, but the 28-yard net gain had the Canes at the Hornets’ 43-yard line. Next, Russell hit Brice for a 19-yard gain to the Hiram 24-yard line. That was followed by a 4-yard run by Long and a 2-yard screen pass from Russell to Long to set up the Hurricanes at the 18-yard line. Cartersville head coach Conor Foster then used his final timeout with 0:02 remaining and sent out the field goal unit. Rowell’s game-winning kick from the right hash marks was true, and the Canes celebrated. Russell was 16-for-22 passing for 245 yards and four touchdowns. He threw one interception. The junior quarterback also had 47 rushing yards on five attempts. Long and Leonard had 39 and 38 yards rushing, respectively. Marchese caught five passes for 74 yards. Brice finished with four receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown. Cole Crawford had three catches for 22 yards, and Taylor-Wilson hauled in two passes for 55 yards and one score. The loss dropped Hiram to 5-5 overall and 4-2 in Region 7-AAAA. The Hornets will represent the region as a No. 3 seed and will be on the road at the Region 6-AAAA runner-up on November 15 or 16. Cartersville (10-0, 6-0) will host the No. 4 team from Region 6-AAAA in the first round on one of those same dates. NOTE: Matt Santini and David Herron contributed to this report.

October 26, 2024 The Cartersville Lady Canes volleyball team defeated Blessed Trinity in four sets Saturday afternoon at Allatoona High School to advance to the GHSA Class 4A state finals on Monday, Nov. 4, at 7:30  p.m. at the LakePoint Champions Center in Emerson. The Lady Canes won 26-24, 22-25, 25-12, and 25-23 and will face Pace Academy in the state championship match. Pace Academy defeated Marist Saturday in four sets in the other state semifinal. Cartersville opened the first set with a 7-3 lead, but that would be the Lady Canes’ largest advantage before pulling out a 26-24 win. The Titans chipped away at Cartersville’s lead and tied the score at 19- all late in the set. The two teams traded points down the stretch with four more ties before the Hurricanes got a left-side block to go up 1-0. Blessed Trinity bounced back in the second set for a 25-22 win. Three kills by Destinee Chukelu and Chloe Anido of the Lady Titans built a 12-9 advantage. Cartersville then won a long rally and got a key block from Addie Rickman to end Blessed Trinity’s run and cut the margin to 12-11. The Titans followed with four consecutive points to lead 17-11 and later led 21-16 before Cartersville surged back to tie the score at 21-all on a kill by Amara Ejieke. However, Blessed Trinity scored four of the final five points in Set 2, and the Titans tied the match at one set each. Cartersville controlled the flow in Set 3 and had an early five-point run to build a 10-4 advantage. Dufrene and Addison Marisko had kills in the run, and Emma Wall added a service ace. After the Titans made it 10-5, the Lady Canes scored the next four points to go up 14-5. Adahlyn Womack had a kill in the sequence. Cartersville held a ten-point edge at 20-10 and banked the set win down the stretch with kills from Dufrene and Marisko for set point. Trailing by a set, Blessed Trinity battled to the final point of Set 4. Cartersville led 3-1 on a Riley Huff kill and a service error by the Titans, but Blessed Trinity responded with four straight points to take a 5-3 lead. Anindo had a kill in the sequence. After the Hurricanes got kills from Rickman and Dufrene, they had knotted the score again at 7-all. Blessed Trinity won four of the next five points for an 11-8 lead with kills by Anindo and Chukelu, but Womack and Huff had kills for Cartersville to keep the Canes close at 12-10. The Titans led 15-12 on a kill by Raquel Mina before Cartersville reeled off five straight points to gain the lead 17-15 and force Blessed Trinity to use a timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Titans scored six consecutive points to build a 21-17 lead. Avery Russell's kill and dink were key plays in the scoring run. Cartersville head coach Kyle Lundberg used a timeout with Cartersville trailing, and the Lady Canes responded with four of the next five points to tie the score 21-21. Dinks by Dufrene and Womack were key plays in the run and set up the set’s dramatic final sequence. Riley Gilmore had a kill for Blessed Trinity to give the Titans a 22-21 lead, but Cartersville scored the next three points to set up a pair of match points at 24-22. Ansley Smith had a kill for Blessed Trinity to make the score 24-23 before a clutch block by Marisko sealed the Lady Canes’ 25-23 fourth-set victory. Dufrene paced the Cartersville front line with 12 kills and three blocks. Marisko had six kills and eight blocks. Huff contributed eight kills with four blocks, along with two aces. Rickman finished with six kills and five blocks. Ejieke added nine kills and one block. Mckenzie Wilkie produced 25 digs and added one kill. Aubree Barrett had ten digs, 17 assists, and one kill. Riley Jarrett contributed 14 digs and had one service ace. Emma Wall had 22 assists, seven digs, and one ace. Sydney Seigler added three digs and three aces. Blessed Trinity’s season ends with a 29-11 record. Cartersville improved to 33-11.