Elite Athletes of the Week
Elite Stone Supply, in conjunction with WBHF and Bartow Sports Zone, presents the ELITE ATHLETES OF THE WEEK. Each week, all five local schools are provided opportunity to name an Elite Athlete of the Week and present the information on their honoree through Bartow Sports Zone and on 100.3FM and AM1450, WBHF in Cartersville.
Recipients for the week ending October 8, 2016:
Taylor Gibson -- Excel Christian Academy Hunter Hardin -- Woodland High School
Trevor Lawrence -- Cartersville High School
Jaylon Stubbs -- Cass High School
Taylor Gibson is the Excel Christian Academy Elite Athlete of the Week.
She is the daughter of Casey Gibson and the granddaughter of Danny Owens.
A junior, who has played softball for the past six years, Gibson has been a crucial part of the Excel softball program that has qualified for the state playoffs each of the past three seasons.
Gibson has been a mainstay for the Lady Eagles’ pitching staff and continues to be one of the top pitchers in the region. She has improved her offensive skills and has played second base this season when not pitching.
She was named to the All County Softball Team and was selected to the All-Region 6-A team last year.
Coach Michael Adcock praises Taylor for her “bulldog like” tenacity on the pitching mound. “She just comes at you nonstop throughout the course of the game and does not get rattled. She competes on every pitch.” Adcock concluded.
Her favorite subject is psychology because she says ‘it deals with the abstract and makes you think outside the box.’
Gibson attends New Zion Baptist Church in Acworth.
Her future plans include attending college to play softball while majoring in criminal justice.
Hunter Hardin is the Elite Athlete of the Week for Woodland High School.
The son of Patrick and Valerie Weise, Hardin is a senior offensive lineman and defensive tackle for the Wildcats’ football team.
Hardin is identified as a young man of character by the Woodland coaching staff. He is a leader in the classroom, in the weight room, and on the football field. He is also a varsity wrestler.
Trevor Lawrence is the Elite Athlete of the Week representing Cartersville High School.
Lawrence, who helped lead the Canes to a state title and a 15-0 record at quarterback last season, has Cartersville at 7-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class AAAA again in 2016. He was 18-of-29 passing for 283 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-7 victory over LaGrange last week. He also ran for three scores. For the season, his passing numbers are 121-of-192 for 1,900 yards and 24 touchdowns.
The son of Jeremy and Amanda Lawrence, the Canes’ junior quarterback is the national consensus No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2018.
The Elite Athlete of the Week for Cass High School is football senior nose-guard Jaylon Stubbs.
Stubbs' consistent and dominant play up front has been a key for the continued strong performance of the Colonels’ defense. He has been physically strong at the point of attack, making it difficult on opposing offenses to run the football.
Stubbs is the son of Jocelyn Long.
Editors Note: Photos and bios are supplied to Bartow Sports Zone and WBHF by the respective schools and their athletic departments. Adairsville High School did not submit a recipient for the week.
