Spring sports in full gear with tennis, soccer

♦ Region contests just around the corner as teams get into heart of season

Cedartown’s tennis teams had a positive start to the season against South Paulding with the boys winning 5-0 while the girls came close but fell 3-2.

The Bulldogs dropped just seven games total against the Spartans. Barclay Barnes won 6-0, 6-2 at No. 1 singles, while Kam Palacios won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles. No. 3 singles saw Maddox Minge win 6-2, 6-2.

In doubles play, Cedartown’s team of Sam Arnold and Spencer Hicks won 6-0, 6-0, while Isaac Iglesias and Ethan McElwee won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 doubles.

Lady Dawg Jimena Escutia had to go to a tie-breaker set but won her No. 3 singles match 6-3, 6-6 (7-5) against South Paulding. Cedartown’s other girls win came at No. 1 doubles as Edy Lee and Ariana Klemke won 6-2, 6-2.

Cedartown will host CentralCarroll for its first Region 7-4A match Tuesday, March 7.

ROCKMART TENNIS

The Rockmart girls have gotten plenty of time on the courts and held a 3-1 record at the end of last week following home-court sweeps of Coosa and Woodland.

Against Coosa on Feb. 20, Ansley Lanier won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, Ava Shae Culver won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 singles, and Hadlee Caldwell won 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3 singles.

Doubles teams Maddie Owens and Madi Sanders, and Emma Barber and Summer Waits each picked up a victory as well against the Lady Eagles.

Dodging the rain last Thursday, the Lady Jackets came away with another 5-0 victory, this time against the visiting Woodland Lady Wildcats.

Culver won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles for Rockmart, Lanier won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 singles, and Caldwell won 6-3, 6-2 at No. 3 singles. Owens and Sanders took a 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles, while Barber and Waits won 6-3, 6-4 in the No. 2 doubles match.

Rockmart will host fellow Region 7-AA team Model on Thursday afternoon.

CEDARTOWN SOCCER

Both the Cedartown girls and boys soccer teams participated in the Northwest Georgia Soccer Showcase Saturday, Feb. 25, at Barron Stadium in Rome.

The Lady Dawgs blanked Heritage-Newnan 3-0 to improve to 3-1-1 on the season, while the boys fought hard against a tough Calhoun squad but lost 2-0 for their first defeat of the season after starting out 4-0.

Both Cedartown teams will start Region 7-4A play next week when they host Southeast Whitfield on Tuesday, March 7. The girls game starts at 5 p.m. and the boys will follow.