Canes' rifles top Etowah in home opener

Cartersville High School’s Canes Rifles hosted the Etowah at American Legion’s Carl Boyd Post 42 in their first home match of the season earlier this week. Cartersville edged Etowah in a back and forth rifle match 1020 to 1007. The match pitted Area 10’s top two juniors against one another. Etowah led the Canes through the first two series, but the Canes’ team captain, Angelina Christ – the second ranked junior in Area 10 – came through with a strong kneeling score that pulled her team ahead in the end. Christ scored her personal best match score and the Canes’ highest ever match score of 273 with 10 bullseyes. That effort topped Etowah’s top-ranked junior, Zachary Mauriello, who scored a 271 with 5 bullseyes, for the matches’ second highest score.

Etowah’s returning sophomore, Nolin Linenkugel, had the third highest score of the match at 268 while Cartersville freshmen, Caleb Adams and Luis Rangel, along with returning senior, Jacob Herron, finished in 4th, 5th, and 6th places with scores of 255 and 246. Etowah senior, Hunter Self was 7th with a 242, and Canes freshman, Maria Velasquez – in her very first match - finished in 8th place with a 240. Etowah sophomore, Benjamin Bogart, and freshman, Carson Mierzejewski, rounded out the match with a 226 and 213 respectively.

The Canes move into 3rd place in Area 10 with their win. They travel to Sonoraville on Thursday, and then host powerhouses Dalton and Lafayette next Tuesday and Thursday at the American Legion Post 42 in Cartersville.