Chattooga High School’s construction and welding students brought home the Gold Cup from the Northwest Georgia Skills Challenge held Thursday in Rome, earning multiple first-place finishes and demonstrating their skills against students from across the region.

The competition, organized by the Associated General Contractors of Georgia in partnership with SkillsUSA, was held at the Forum River Center and featured students competing in a variety of skilled trades.

Chattooga High School earned five first-place finishes, including individual championships in masonry, welding and cabinetmaking, along with team victories in TeamWorks and welding fabrication.

The school’s Career, Technical and Agricultural Education program announced the results Thursday evening, congratulating students for their accomplishments.

In the individual competitions, Cody Corbin won first place in masonry, while Jude Chestnut captured first place in welding. Gunner Henderson finished second in welding.

Corbin Wiggins earned first place in cabinetmaking, with Brian Durham taking third place in the same competition.

David Mangan finished second in carpentry, while Camp Bullard earned third place in plumbing.

Chattooga also had an outstanding showing in the team competitions.

The TeamWorks team of Oaklyn Young, Kylor Kellett, Ben Howard and Gabriel Pauley captured first place, demonstrating their ability to work together on construction-related projects.

The school’s welding fabrication team of Gunnar Allen, Skylar Ward and Rylan Green also earned first place.

The strong performance earned Chattooga High School the competition’s Gold Cup, adding another major accomplishment for the school’s career and technical education programs.

Chattooga CTAE officials credited construction instructor Bengi Price and welding instructor Carter Woodall for their work preparing students for the competition and helping them develop skills for future careers.

School officials said the students’ hard work, dedication and technical abilities were reflected in their success at the regional competition.

The Northwest Georgia Skills Challenge gives high school students opportunities to demonstrate hands-on skills in construction and related trades while connecting career education with the region’s workforce needs.

Chattooga High School’s performance Thursday continues a tradition of success at the regional competition, where the school also earned the top team award in 2025.