Dalton High School baseball coach Rhett Parrott has led the Catamounts to a subregion title and a home series for the state playoffs in his first season with the program.With one week left in the regular season for GHSA baseball, there is still much to be decided for northwest Georgia teams before the state playoffs begin.
There is clarity, however, at the top of three area regions.
Dalton clinched a subregion title in Region 7-AAAAA and will face Forsyth Central, the other subregion winner, in a best-of-three championship series starting Wednesday. Win or lose, the Catamounts will host a first-round state playoff series starting Friday, April 29.
Ringgold and Gordon Lee are one win away from clinching region championships in 6-AAA and 7-AA, respectively. Ringgold (17-5, 12-0) has a three-game lead on Calhoun and owns two wins over the Yellow Jackets, so one victory in the Tigers' final four games - beginning with today's against Gordon Central - will earn the title.
Calhoun, Adairsville, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Sonoraville and Coahulla Creek are all in the running for the other three playoff berths.
In 7-AA, Gordon Lee (18-5, 10-0) has clinched at least a tie for the title and can win it outright with a victory over Coosa today. Darlington, Model and Coosa have already locked up the other three playoff spots, though their order is to be determined.
The playoff scene in Region 7-AAAA is a bit cloudier. Heritage has just one loss, but that loss was to Cartersville, which now has two defeats after being upset by Ridgeland Thursday. Heritage travels to Cartersville Tuesday and will still likely need to win to capture the region title.
Ridgeland and Pickens County have five losses each, with Northwest Whitfield still in the picture with six defeats. Today's Northwest-Ridgeland matchup is a near must-win for the Bruins.
In Region 6-A, Trion cannot win the championship, though the Bulldogs' final four games offer opportunities to improve their power rating. A strong finish would likely earn them a top-eight ranking and a home series when the state playoffs begin.
Bradley Central among area's ranked teams
Bradley Central, fresh off a two-game sweep of Soddy-Daisy in District 5-AAA, is ranked No. 9 in the latest Class AAA poll compiled by the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association.
The Bears, with a three-game lead in the district standings, have clinched the championship and need only a split with McMinn County next week to capture an automatic region tournament berth.
Hixson, which has won District 6-AA, moved up to No. 6 in the Class AA poll.
McCallie remains the state's top-ranked Division II-AA team. The other No. 1 teams are Siegel (AAA), Milan (AA), Peabody (A) and Harding (DII-A).
Bradley Central 's Hicks second in nation
Bradley Central wrestler T.J. Hicks finished second at the National High School Coaches Association Junior Nationals last week in Virginia Beach, Va.
Hicks, an All-American less than two weeks ago at the prestigious Flo-Nationals in Pennsylvania, finished the NHSCA tournament with a 5-1 record. By advancing to the championship final at 113 pounds, he joined only a handful of Tennessee wrestlers to compete for a national title.
He lost 4-2 to Esco Walker from North Carolina in that championship match.
Ridgeland wrestler Mariakis honored
Ridgeland freshman wrestler Jacob Mariakis also was an All-American at Flo-Nationals.
The 126-pounder, who was a GHSA state runner-up this year, finished eighth at the national event to reach All-America status. Teammate Chris Henderson, a GHSA champion at 220 pounds, was one win away from being an All-American.
Mariakis was a freshman All-American at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, where he placed third at 132.