Bulldogs look to bounce back with region opener

♦ Cartersville coming to Cedartown this Friday night

After falling to Thomson 66-57 on in weeks past to end the Rockmart Holiday Tournament games, the Cedartown Bulldogs boys basketball team will look to rebound against the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes as they return to the court this week on the road.

The Canes will travel to Cedartown on Friday, Jan. 4 to end the holiday break for the Bulldogs.

Friday’s game will be the Region 5-4A opener for both squads, who are both coming into the game needing a win to start the year.

For Cartersville, it has been a tale of two teams this season.

They currently sit at 4-6 overall. They have had some very close wins, and then some bad blowout losses. They defeated Northwest Whitfield by 6, Coosa by 3, and Calhoun by 3, but have lost to Rome by 15, Darlington by 18, and Paulding County by 40.

This comes a year after one of Cartersville’s best basketball teams in recent memory, as the 2017-18 Canes went 21-7, falling just short of claiming the Region 5-4A crown over Sandy Creek.

Cartersville then defeated Heritage in the playoffs and downed Blessed Trinity in overtime before falling to Baldwin in the Elite 8.

Despite being 4-6 early on, the Canes return much of their core from last year’s Region Champions team, including Perignon Dyer, Marquail Coaxum, and 6’6 senior Isaac Gridley.

Last season, Cedartown was swept by Cartersville.

The 6-5 Bulldogs will definitely be looking to avenge last season’s 60-34 and 58-25 losses with a big win on Friday.

Since the Region realignment in 2016, the Canes are 4-0 against the Bulldogs on the court.

Will that change on Friday? Come find out at Cedartown High with tipoff for the Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m.