Sign on the line
♦ Recent Cedartown grad MJ Holiday makes his posthigh school plans official by signing with Shorter.
A standout Bulldog will continue his career on the court at the next level.
Last week, Cedartown High School class of 2022 graduate MJ Holiday officially signed to play basketball at Shorter University during a ceremony held at the high school with family coaches and teammates.
Holiday was a two-sport star at CHS. He excelled on both the hardwood and diamond, and most recently helped the Bulldog baseball program to backto-back Region 7-4A championships.
The talented student-athlete was a four-year starter on the Cedartown High School basketball team under head coach Benjie Frazier.
“First off, I’d like to thank MJ for being a great team leader for this program and for the baseball program for the last four years,” Frazier said at last Thursday’s signing.
Holiday burst onto the scene as a freshman in the 2018-19 season, leading the Bulldogs to their first playoff appearance in several years.
Two years later, the speedy guard would be a key piece in Cedartown’s impressive 2020-21 season, during which Holiday and the Bulldogs knocked off Marist 42-38 in the opening round of the GHSA state playoffs to earn their first postseason victory in over a decade.
Holiday etched his name into Cedartown history as a senior last winter when, in a mid-January home game against region foe Ridgeland, Holiday buried a mid-range jumper to join the 1,000-point club. MJ also earned AllRegion honors in a competitive Region 7-4A last season.
He finished his career at Cedartown with 1,118 points, 329 rebounds, 236 assists and 277 steals. Frazier also jokingly added that he had four career techs, including two this past season.
“So he had more than me,” Frazier said.
“But, all in all, I want to say thank you for being a hell of a player, but more important than that, a great team leader. And, like I said, congratulations. This is only the beginning. Go and play ball but also earn your education.”
In addition, Holiday was a multi-year starter for Cedartown’s baseball team. He served as an infielder, outfielder, and right-handed pitcher for coach Gevin Johnson’s squad. With MJ on the roster, CHS baseball made a run to the state quarterfinals in 2021 and the state semifinals in 2022 along with taking the Region 7-4A title both years.
In the final two years of his high school career, MJ was joined by his younger brother, Xavier, on the basketball and baseball teams at CHS. The two Holidays shined together in both sports and were each named first-team all-region selections as hitters and position players for the 2022
Bulldog baseball squad.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound athlete should have the chance to compete for early playing time with a rebuilding Shorter basketball program. The Hawks went 5-20 last year, including a 2-18 mark in conference play. Shorter competes in the Gulf South Conference against the likes of Lee University (Tenn.), West Georgia, and Valdosta State.
He will join several northwest Georgia natives on the team including former Chattooga Indian Jay Shropshire, Armuchee alum Chandler Cook, and Unity Christian product Huston Bryant.