What's Going On?: Cats can wrap up top seed

Dalton High’s boys haven’t been perfect on the basketball court this season. Some of their wins haven’t been pretty, and they have some inexplicable losses — some because of whom they came to, some because of the margin of defeat — although rivalry games tend to dispel with all logic.

But the Catamounts (17-6) have been very good in Sub-region 7A-3A play, with their only loss coming at LaFayette, 65-57 on Jan. 20. And they have a chance to essentially wipe that blemish from their memories Tuesday night when the Ramblers (18-3) come to the Cats Den with the sub-region title and a No. 1 seed for next week’s Region 7-3A tournament at Murray County on the line.

Both Dalton and LaFayette can finish no worse than second in the sub-region, meaning each is already assured of a first-round bye in the region tournament. But this isn’t the time of year to take solace in what’s been earned, and you can bet the Ramblers want the momentum that securing a home-and-home season sweep would bring as much as the Cats want to right an earlier wrong.

On the same night, Dalton’s girls will try to wrap up a perfect run through the sub-region for the second year in a row. The Lady Cats have been so much better than the rest of the sub-region, it’s been easy for observers to take their success for granted. (Closest margin of victory in sub-region play? Ten points — the rest have come by much bigger double-digit numbers.)

The Lady Cats (17-5) are already a No. 1 seed for the region tournament, meaning they’ll need just one win there to return to the state tournament a year after finishing runner-up in Class 3A. But they can put a nice stamp on their regular season with a 10-0 mark in sub-region play, extending an undefeated mark in league play for another year. That’s certainly noteworthy.

The postseason is looming for other local teams, too. Georgia Independent School Association member Christian Heritage is already in region tournament mode — the Lions play in the opening round of the Region 4-2A bracket at LaGrange Academy on Tuesday, while the top-seeded Lady Lions have a bye into Thursday’s semifinals.

Northwest Whitfield closed its regular season Saturday and is awaiting the bracket to see whether the Bruins and Lady Bruins will play Saturday in the first day of the Region 7-4A tournament or get two extra days of rest.

Region 7-2A teams must first survive sub-region tournaments to make it to the region tournament, which like the 7-3A tourney is set for next week.

But basketball is far from the only thing to keep your sporting attention in the coming days. Here’s a look at what else is going on:

• Two other winter sports are already in the state competition portion of their postseason, and local schools are in the process of working toward a big finish in swimming and diving, as well as wrestling.

Dalton and Northwest will both send representatives to the GHSA’s Class A-4A state meet this Friday (preliminaries) and Saturday (finals) at Georgia Tech. Dalton’s boys are sending a big, talented group and could be in the running for a strong team finish if they swim to their abilities and beyond.

For wrestlers, this week is a crucial one for those with state medal hopes. Twenty-two local wrestlers — one from Coahulla Creek, three each from Murray County and North Murray, four from Dalton, five from Northwest and six from Southeast Whitfield — will compete in either the 2A, 3A or 4A West sectional tournament.

The top eight finishers in each 16-man weight class at those events advance to next week’s state tournaments in Duluth.

Look for more details on area swimmers and divers and wrestlers and their push for postseason accolades later this week in The Daily Citizen.

• In its short history, Woodlawn Elementary’s archery team has been nothing short of stellar.

The Timberwolves have claimed state, national and international titles since beginning four years ago under the direction of coach Brad Bates, making Murray County Schools, Chatsworth and Northwest Georgia proud with their dedication and success.

But many of Woodlawn’s competitions are held outside of the area, so you may not have had the chance to watch the Timberwolves hit their target. This Saturday, you’ll have a great chance to do just that.

Woodlawn will host the National Archery in the Schools Program’s Region 4 tournament, a qualifying event for the state tournament, and the competition will include teams from Bagley Middle — also a 2011 state title winner — and Southeast High.

Competition will be held in both the cafeteria and gym at Woodlawn starting at 11:15 a.m., with a one-shot tournament set for 3 p.m. and an awards ceremony at 3:30. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for students.

• I’m not sure if our warm weather threw the groundhog off his game this year, but after a few harsh winters, this mild one has taken some getting used to for me. (Not that I’m complaining. I’d rather not repeat last year’s incident of losing my keys in the snow while digging out my car.)

So, not that it has been terribly cold for too long this winter, but as spring grows near, so will the amount of area outdoor activities. Road races, golf and softball tournaments and other competitions are starting to fill our Local Sports Calendar again, so be sure to check out what’s coming up that might get you moving. It’s on page 2B today, but is always online at daltonnow.com/events.

And if you have something you want others to know about, check the information at the bottom of the calendar to find out how to make that happen.

Marty Kirkland is sports editor of The Daily Citizen. Got something you think he should highlight in “What’s Going On?” Write to him at martykirkland@daltoncitizen.com.

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