Monthly Archives: January 2016

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 1 Morgan County handles East Jackson

*Guest contribution from Colin Hubbard (@__Chubs__)

No. 1 Morgan County 75, East Jackson 56

The Morgan County Bulldogs (15-3, 7-0) have been a powerhouse in AAA high school basketball for quite some time now, but their 2015-16 squad could be their best team yet. After knocking off the No.1 ranked Laney Wildcats last week, the Bulldogs moved into the No.1 spot and hosted an up-and-coming East Jackson (9-8, 4-3) team on Friday that was hungry for a statement win. Morgan County and East Jackson have been the class of Region 8 for the past two seasons but the Eagles had never beaten them in that time span.

The Bulldogs are led by Florida Atlantic signees Jailyn Ingram and DeVorious Brown while the Eagles are powered by the sophomore trio of Drue Drinnon, Travis Anderson and Jalen Morgan.

FAU signee DeVorious Brown went for 27 against previously undefeated Laney
FAU signee DeVorious Brown went for 27 against previously undefeated Laney

Ingram, who is also a tremendous football player, elected to take his talents to Boca Raton to continue his basketball career and his decision to do so seems to be playing dividends.

Drinnon on the other hand is the Class of 2018’s No.1 ranked combo guard according to Future 150 and has already eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in less than two seasons. In East Jackson’s 81-58 win over rival Jefferson last week, all three of the Eagles’ trio scored 20 or more points before heading into a much-anticipated rematch with the Bulldogs.

Despite a strong effort to start the game, Morgan County was the better team on the night and picked up a 75-56 win to remain undefeated in Region 8.

“We knew coming in that they (East Jackson) were going to come out with a lot of energy so we knew what to expect,” Morgan County Head Coach Jamond Sims said. “We had our hands full with Drinnon in the first half but in the second half we were able to keep him in front of us and that helped us close out the game.”

“The team goes as Jailyn goes and when he wants to assert himself and be the best player on the floor, the rest of our team’s confidence goes up,” Sims said. “Whenever he catches the ball within 18 feet of the basket, he can pretty much shoot over anyone out there so he’s a big part of our success.”

The start couldn’t have been better for the Eagles after jumping out to a 12-4 lead but costly turnovers gave the Bulldogs a 1-point lead after the first quarter, 16-15.

Drinnon and Anderson combined to score 10 of the Eagles’ 15 while the Bulldogs got nine from Jordan Ford.

Travis Anderson | Photo By Ben Munro
Travis Anderson | Photo By Ben Munro

The second quarter did not start out the way East Jackson would have liked and quickly the Eagles found themselves in an 10-point hole midway through the quarter. However, hot shooting from Drinnon cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 41-35 at the half.

Drinnon scored 15 of the Eagles’ 20 points in the second quarter and led all contestants with 20 points at the half on 8-of-8 shooting while Ford added two more to lead the Bulldogs with 11 points.

The Bulldogs found their rhythm in the third quarter and dominated in all facets of the game. Ingram netted eight points in the period and helped build Morgan County’s lead to 61-46 heading into the fourth.

The Eagles managed to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 10 points midway through the fourth quarter but that was the closest they could get. Ingram proved to be too big for the smaller East Jackson frontline and finished with 20 points on the night.

Drinnon poured in a game-high 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting, dished out seven assists and collected four steals.

“We were doing fine at the start but they (Morgan County) started pressing us and that caused us to have a lot of stupid turnovers,” Drinnon said.

“We didn’t rebound the ball. They out rebounded us just like every other team we play so we need to work on rebounding and be safer with the ball going forward.”

Ingram on the other hand was very pleased with the way they played and is excited to see where the Bulldogs are headed.

“We have a lot of experience in playing in tough games so we knew that we would be ready for this one,” Ingram said. “We use all of our games as a learning experience and playing a team like East Jackson helps us going forward.”

Jailyn Ingram was too much inside for East Jackson
Jailyn Ingram was too much inside for East Jackson

East Jackson head coach David Boyd has spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to beat what has become the Eagles’ biggest thorn in their side but has yet to find an answer.

“They are hard to beat and I haven’t figured it out yet,” Boyd said. “I think they have the best team in AAA right now with the amount of length they have. Some of our newer guys that came out for the second semester got introduced to high-level basketball for the first time but we will keep fighting and hopefully get to play them again in the region tournament.”

Colin’s Take: East Jackson arguably has the best young backcourt in all of AAA but their inability to rebound has really held them back. Jalen Morgan, who has played in just three games after transferring from New Hope Christian Academy (NC), gives them the best option down low to rebound the ball but still needs time to get acclimated to East Jackson’s system. While they might not find a rebounding answer this season, they are well on their way to becoming a well-known AAA powerhouse next season and have a great shot at competing for a state championship in the very near future.

Morgan County doesn’t have a weakness. They have three players over 6-foot-6, they run the floor as good as anyone and they can shoot the basketball with ease. Their size and strength wear teams down late in games which gives them a great chance at getting back to the state championship game later this year. If you haven’t watched Morgan County play, then you’re missing out. They play like a Class AAAAAA team and could easily contend in a division of that magnitude.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 5 Cedar Shoals steals win at No. 7 Heritage-Conyers

1 Comment

No. 5 Cedar Shoals 54, No. 7 Heritage 51

Basketball is a 32-minute game. For 26 minutes, host No. 7 Heritage was the better team, crushing the offensive glass and sinking four first quarter threes, but as all good teams do, No. 5 Cedar Shoals was able to weather the storm and in the end found a way to pull out another Region 8 victory and move to 18-2 overall and 9-1 in region play after edging the Patriots 54-51.

The Jaguars brought a great crowd as both lineups were greeted with smears of boos and cheers echoing throughout the gym as if it were a neutral site. Coach L’Dreco Thomas said before the game that their goal was to keep the slashing Patriots out of the lane and force them to hit open jumpers – they did. Heritage buried four three-pointers in the first quarter paced by Jordan Thomas, who would sink five on the night en route to a team-high 15 points, giving the Patriots a 22-11 lead at the end of one.

With Heritage nailing nearly every open look it had, the Jaguars had to search for the light at the end of the tunnel. It was hard to find any positives in the first quarter however as the Patriots pounded Cedar Shoals on the glass to take a 17-5 rebounding advantage after eight minutes. The Jaguars would lose the rebounding battle on the night 34 to 21, but through quarters two through four, sewed up the tally, 17-16.

Heritage’s 6-foot-6 center Makyle Wilkerson sat with foul trouble for most of the half meaning 6-foot-2, 200-pound Marquis Davis had to step in. Davis, who looks more like a linebacker, gave the Patriots a spark inside collecting five points off the bench in the second quarter and finishing the game with seven points and seven rebounds.

Makyle Wilkerson played well when he was on the floor
Makyle Wilkerson played well when he was on the floor
Marquis Davis played great for Coach Vernon Denmark
Marquis Davis played great for Coach Vernon Denmark

The second quarter belonged to Phlan Fleming and the Jaguars. Held scoreless in the first, the junior swingman hotly recruited by SOCON schools got going. He led an 18-9 Cedar Shoals second quarter with nine of his 11 points. Coach Thomas elected to come out of their zone and extend into a press that began to rattle the Heritage ball handlers while switching the tempo and momentum into the road team’s favor, leading to a 31-29 halftime score; the Jaguars never holding the lead.

While it was Fleming’s second quarter, the third belonged to Cedar Shoals’ Snipe Hall. The junior poured in 11 of the Jaguars’ 15 third quarter points, the other four being scored by point guard Jerrick Mitchell. As Hall worked his way to a game-high 16 points, the Jags still never captured the lead and Davis would make sure the Patriots had the advantage heading into the fourth, scoring off a tip-in as the clock expired, giving Heritage a narrow 46-44 lead entering the final period.

Seen so many times before, teams in an early hole usually spend all of their energy just trying to claw back into the game and in the end fall short. Not Cedar Shoals. When the going got tough, the Jaguars sank their teeth into the Patriots, clamping down and allowing just five fourth quarter points. Senior guard Greg Smith, who was held scoreless through the first 25 minutes of the game, scored back-to-back buckets to give Cedar Shoals their first lead of the game, 48-46 with 6:06 left.

The Jags had finally climbed the mountain top, but would they be able to place their flag atop it? Nearly three full minutes passed without the score changing. With just over three minutes to play, Cedar Shoals took its largest lead of the game at 50-46. Having no momentum to speak of and no baskets coming easy, Byron Abrams took it upon himself to score two of his 11 points on the night to draw back within two. Twenty-two seconds later, Isaiah Banks hit Thomas in the corner for his fifth and final three of the night to make it 51-50 in favor of Heritage with 2:16 to play.

That bucket proved to not only be Thomas’ final points of the night, but the Patriots’ as well. Stavion Stevenson gave the Jaguars the lead back on a jumper. Banks was fouled with 1:36 to play but missed the front-end of the one-and-one. With 24.4 seconds remaining, it was Hall’s turn to miss a one-and-one, giving Heritage another breath. The Patriots went to Banks who drove to the rim but was swallowed up by two defenders, both Fleming and Hall blocking his shot. Banks retrieved it and tried to gather himself to go back up for two, but was denied again by Fleming and now Smith. A jump-ball was called with 7.9 left and the possession arrow pointing in Heritage’s direction. The Jags weren’t out of the woods yet.

Abrams burned two timeouts trying to inbound the ball and on the third try, Mitchell was called for a hold on Wilkerson, sending the big man to the line with a one-and-one opportunity to tie or potentially win the game.

Wilkerson’s free throw bounced on the rim three times before falling into Fleming’s hands. Fleming coolly sank both free throws with 6.2 seconds. Charles Moore raced up the court and pulled up for a clean look to send the game to overtime, but his shot rimmed out.

Cedar Shoals went 2-of-3 from the line in the fourth quarter and finished the night 7-of-12, while the Patriots went 0-of-2 in the fourth, and made just 3-of-9 during the game. The loss drops Heritage to 15-4 overall and 7-2 in region play; both losses to teams ahead of them with No. 4 Gainesville (11-3, 9-0) in first-place.

It was standing room only for the final possession
It was standing room only for the final possession

My Take: The already late 8:30 start time was pushed back to 9:40 after JV games ran late. This classic wasn’t finished until after 11 P.M., but boy was it a good one. It played out how I expected: two evenly matched teams with great balance, not giving an inch to the opponent. Cedar Shoals started off slow and Heritage, coming off a 96-68 inexplicable blowout loss to Brookwood, looked hungry and ready to blow the doors off of whoever stepped foot on the court. Jordan Thomas was cooking early on from deep and helped the Patriots race to a 15-6 lead. After Heritage’s four three-pointer barrage in the first eight minutes, they hit only two the rest of the game. Byron Abrams showed good court vision throughout the game and attacked when needed. Senior Charles Moore did a steady job handling the ball. To open the third quarter Heritage really looked to play at their pace and decided to slow down the offense a bit, hitting the high post and looking opposite. Makyle Wilkerson didn’t get much burn in the first half due to fouls, but he is a nice athletic piece inside, finishing with eight points and five rebounds. Marquis Davis played great off the bench and was a main reason why Heritage wrecked the smaller Jaguars on the boards to open the game.

Cedar Shoals did what good teams do: find a way to win. Jerrick Mitchell is a speedy guard that was able to attack the rim and set up his teammates. His only flaw is that opponents don’t respect his jumper. Abrams literally shooed him off when he had the ball in the corner and told him to shoot it. Credit to Mitchell, knowing his game, he didn’t play into Abrams’ head-games and passed it off instead of forcing a bad shot. Both Snipe Hall and Phlan Fleming carried Cedar Shoals at times. Both teams have 3-4 guys that can go out and lead the team in scoring with 15+ any night, which makes it difficult to slow them down. Fleming got going in the second quarter showing off a nice feathery touch from the mid-range baseline. Even though he is the most recruited player on his team, he never forced the issue and played within himself while playing team ball. Stavion Stevenson didn’t have a huge game, but he battled inside and came away with two big buckets in the fourth quarter. When Cedar Shoals really needed stops, it got them. The Jags started in a 2-3 zone, but moved into a press that really got them back into the game. Both teams went about 7-8 deep. I envision both squads being extremely tough outs in the state playoffs. They might not have the true go-to guy like Gainesville has in D’Marcus Simonds (Georgia State) or Apalachee in Kamar Baldwin (Butler), but their balance is extremely tough to handle when they are clicking on all cylinders.

Top Performers

Cedar Shoals
Snipe Hall – 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
Phlan Fleming – 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Jerrick Mitchell – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals
Stavion Stevenson – 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block

Heritage-Conyers
Jordan Thomas – 15 points (five 3’s), 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Byron Abrams – 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Makyle Wilkerson – 8 points, 5 rebounds
Charles Moore – 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Marquis Davis – 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists
Isaiah Banks – 3 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Mr. Basketball

Mr. Basketball Watch 1-15

*From stats available* *Seniors only*

Class AAAAAA

Photo by Ty Freeman
Photo by Ty Freeman

Jared Harper (Pebblebrook) – Auburn
15 GP – 27.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 10.5 apg,  3.5 spg

Douglas County Sentinel
Douglas County Sentinel

Brandon Robinson (Douglas County) – North Carolina
14 GP – 25.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.1 spg

Class AAAAA

Photo By Ty Freeman
Photo By Ty Freeman

Alterique Gilbert (Miller Grove) – Connecticut
18 GP – 23 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 7 apg, 4.5 spg

IMG_7664Kamar Baldwin (Apalachee) – Butler
16 GP – 28.8 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 4.7 apg, 3.9 spg, 1 bpg

Photo By Ty Freeman
Photo By Ty Freeman

D’Marcus Simonds (Gainesville) – Georgia State
11 GP – 22 ppg, 8 rpg, 6 apg

Jonescountygreyhounds.com
Jonescountygreyhounds.com

Devin Wooten (Jones County)
17 GP – 25.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4 apg, 2.8 spg

Class AAAA

HoopSeen
HoopSeen

Avi Toomer (Grady) – Bucknell
12 GP – 25.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.8 spg

B2iRB0rCIAAKQMSAnfernee McLemore (Worth County) – Auburn
12 GP – 15.2 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.6 spg, 6.3 bpg

Class AAA

Photo By Ty Freeman
Photo By Ty Freeman

Christian Keeling (Laney) – Charleston Southern
15 GP – 24.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.8 spg

Photo By Ty Freeman
Photo By Ty Freeman

Zep Jasper (Laney) – College of Charleston
14 GP – 21.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.9 spg

Photo By Jason Vorhees
Photo By Jason Vorhees

Justin Slocum (Southwest-Macon)
16 GP – 21.4 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 1.9 apg, 2 spg, 2.1 bpg

Class AA

HoopSeen
HoopSeen

Jordan Harris (Seminole County) – Georgia
14 GP – 31.6 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 6 apg, 3.6 spg, 2.2 bpg

Photo By Jason Vorhees
Photo By Jason Vorhees

William Jarrell (Crawford County)
7 GP – 26.3 ppg, 12.6 rpg, 8.7 apg, 5.7 spg, 4.3 bpg

Class A

Photo By Ty Freeman
Photo By Ty Freeman

Kobi Simmons (St. Francis)
15 GP – 26.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.2 spg

1499391Robert Baker (Walker) – Harvard
14 GP – 23.9 ppg, 12.6 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.9 spg, 1.8 bpg

SmothersLorenzo Smothers (Marion County)
12 GP – 27.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.9 apg, 3.1 spg

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Recaps

1-12 Recaps

BOYS

Class 6A-5A

Class 4A-3A

Class 2A-1A

GIRLS

Class AAAAAA

No. 5 Tucker 63, Alcovy 40: Sierra Wright had 15 points while Kierra Johnson-Graham posted 13 points and six rebounds.

Northview 51, Johns Creek 34: Freshman Maya Richards poured in 20 points to lead the Lady Titans. Ashlee Austin chipped in 16 points.

Lovejoy 61, Rockdale County 42: Amber Thornton finished with 17 points and three steals in the win.

Class AAAAA

No. 5 Flowery Branch 51, Winder-Barrow 47: Heather Moore scored 12 points and Taniyah Worth posted 18 points and nine rebounds to lift the Lady Falcons over a talented Lady Bulldogg team that drops to 13-2.

Class AAAA

No. 2 Marist 60, Cross Keys 13: Both Dominique Oden and Annabella Farabaugh outscored the entire Cross Keys team. Oden flirted with a quadruple-double and finished with 23 points, seven assists, 10 rebounds and 10 steals. Farabaugh added 14 points in the rout.

St. Pius X 67, Chamblee 48: Macey Carson scored 22 points to lead three Golden Lions in double figures in the win. Kathryn McKenzie added 18, while Hannah Jones chipped in 12.  St. Pius X (10-6, 8-3 Region 6-AAAA) never trailed, racing to a 36-22 halftime lead. Ariana Henderson led Chamblee (5-8, 4-7) with 15 points.

Mt. Zion 55, No. 6 Griffin 52: The Lady Bulldogs advanced to 15-3 overall after handing the tumbling Griffin Lady Bears another loss. Tyeisha Juhan poured in 35 points to lead the way.

Pickens 57, LaFayette 37: Autumn Young scored a team-high 16 to lead the Dragonettes. Mackenzie Hampton and Torie Williams added 14 apiece in the win.

Class AAA

No. 8 Ringgold 42, Sonoraville 31: Sydney Shutters led the Lady Tigers with 12 points. Taryn Hickey posted a game-high 13 points for Sonoraville.

No. 10 East Hall 63, Franklin County 45: Carly Winters sank seven three-pointers and scored 24 points to power the Lady Vikings. Ashlyn Ellison and Jenny Edwards both scored 11 points.

Calhoun 61, Murray County 32: Jana Johns posted 18 points, eight rebounds and five steals. Ashlyn Barnes recorded 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists and five steals while Sydnie Parker swatted away six shots.

Central-Macon 59, Westside-Macon 45: Kamry Hassan scored 19 points. Tyleia Williams added 11 in the win.

Class A

No. 5 Tattnall Square Academy 31, First Presbyterian 29: Tattnall Square survived the Lady Vikings led by Kate Patterson’s 16 points. Emma Lako added seven in the loss.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 8 Rankings

Class AAAAAA

  1. Westlake (9-2)
  2. Shiloh (12-2)
  3. Norcross (14-2)
  4. Wheeler (11-5)
  5. Tift County (15-2)
  6. McEachern (13-2)
  7. Pebblebrook (12-6)
  8. Newton (13-2)
  9. Grayson (14-2)
  10. Collins Hill (14-2)

Class AAAAA

  1. Miller Grove (15-2)
  2. Allatoona (15-0)
  3. McIntosh (13-2)
  4. Gainesville (9-3)
  5. Cedar Shoals (16-2)
  6. South Paulding (14-2)
  7. Heritage-Conyers (15-2)
  8. Riverwood (16-1)
  9. Warner Robins (10-2)
  10. Southwest DeKalb (15-3)

Class AAAA

  1. Jonesboro (13-3)
  2. Grady (15-1)
  3. Lithonia (12-4)
  4. Liberty County (12-1)
  5. St. Pius (13-2)
  6. Eagle’s Landing (15-1)
  7. Walnut Grove (16-1)
  8. Sandy Creek (12-4)
  9. Upson-Lee (13-3)
  10. Thomson (12-3)

Class AAA

  1. Morgan County (13-3)
  2. Jenkins (12-2)
  3. Laney (14-1)
  4. Calhoun (13-0)
  5. South Atlanta (12-4)
  6. Central-Macon (13-2)
  7. Westminster (14-2)
  8. Callaway (7-3)
  9. Westside-Augusta (7-2)
  10. Banks County (15-2)

Class AA

  1. Seminole County (12-3)
  2. Thomasville (16-1)
  3. Crawford County (13-1)
  4. Vidalia (14-2)
  5. Holy Innocents’ (12-4)
  6. Lovett (11-3)
  7. Early County (12-3)
  8. Pace Academy (5-8)
  9. Chattooga (16-1)
  10. Long County (13-3)

Class A-Private

  1. Greenforest (15-1)
  2. St. Francis (10-5)
  3. North Cobb Christian (12-3)
  4. St. Anne-Pacelli (11-4)
  5. SWAC (8-8)
  6. Lakeview Academy (13-3)
  7. Whitefield Academy (10-7)
  8. Our Lady of Mercy (10-3)
  9. Stratford Academy (10-3)
  10. Tattnall Square Academy (11-3)

Class A-Public

  1. Treutlen (12-1)
  2. Hancock Central (9-4)
  3. Randolph-Clay (12-4)
  4. Wilkinson County (9-5)
  5. Atkinson County (11-2)
  6. Taylor County (9-5)
  7. Lincoln County (9-3)
  8. Hawkinsville (9-4)
  9. Mitchell County (9-4)
  10. Turner County (9-5)

After nearly a month long layoff, Class AAAAAA’s No. 1 Westlake returned to the hardwood and picked up two Region 3 wins. The Lions held off UNC signee Brandon Robinson and Douglas County 65-59 before edging Langston Hughes 76-61. Chuma Okeke came up big for Westlake, finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds and three assists vs. Douglas County while Robinson poured in 21. Danny Lewis added 22 points and Jamie Lewis 14 points and nine assists for the Lions. In Friday’s win over Langston Hughes, it marked the first time this year Okeke played against his former school. No. 4 Wheeler dropped Milton 71-60 behind a balanced attack. Georgia Tech signee Romello White posted 22 points and eight rebounds. Cam Jordan and Darius Perry scored 19 and 18 points respectively. No. 7 Pebblebrook is red-hot and jumps up three spots. The Falcons rallied from down 87-74 with 4:43 left against Douglas County to force overtime and eventually win in two extra periods, 111-107 in a game of the year nominee. Collin Sexton dropped 44 points. Pebblebrook hosts No. 1 Westlake this Tuesday.

No.  9 Grayson makes its first appearance in the top ten this season after defeating Dacula 73-69, in turn taking their place in the poll. Austin Dukes scored 27 points to lead the Rams and Tre Sconiers recorded 14 points, 15 rebounds, two steals and four blocks. On Friday, Grayson had an opportunity to improve its resume even more with a crack at No. 2 Shiloh, but the upset-minded Rams fell short 80-73.

No. 2 Allatoona is now the lone undefeated team in Class AAAAA after Camden County lost to Effingham County 77-63 and slipped out of the top ten. Replacing the Wildcats is a familiar face, No. 10 Southwest DeKalb. The Panthers have won six straight and are quickly closing in on a rematch with No. 1 Miller Grove. No. 7 Heritage-Conyers falls a spot following a 73-66 overtime loss to Rockdale County. No. 9 Warner Robins stopped rival Northside-Warner Robins in front of a sold out crowd, 65-58. Donovan Brown finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds on the road to carry the load with star guard Marquez Callaway missing the game due to playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Class AAAA saw No. 4 Liberty County thump No. 10 Thomson 100-53. The statement win helps the Panthers jump back over No. 5 St. Pius. Thomson falls one spot only. No. 6 Eagle’s Landing moves up two spots and leaps over region foe No. 7 Walnut Grove. The Eagles knocked off Henry County 96-83 on Tuesday, drilled 13-3 Eastside 76-49 on Friday and outlasted Stockbridge 84-78 on Saturday. No. 1 Jonesboro survived a scare from Henry County on Saturday, 70-65 in overtime. MJ Walker exploded for 33 points to pace the Cardinals. Damion Rosser netted 28 points and Javon Greene 23 in the loss for the Warhawks.

Down goes Frazier! The AAA heavyweight No. 3 Laney finally lost a game to who else but No. 1 Morgan County, the same team that ended the Wildcats’ season in the semifinals last year. The Bulldogs won 65-63 behind Devorious Brown’s 27-point outburst.  Jailyn Ingram, who is heading to Florida Atlantic along with Brown, added 14 points and freshman Alec Woodard chipped in 13. Zep Jasper (College of Charleston) finished with 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals while Christian Keeling (Charleston Southern) posted 21 points and 10 rebounds for Laney. No. 10 Banks County resurfaces in the top ten after wins over Lumpkin County, 69-65 and Buford, 60-50.

I took a 217 mile trip down to South Georgia to see Class AA’s finest: No. 3 defending state champs Seminole County hosting undefeated No. 1 Thomasville. In the end, it was the championship duo of Jordan Harris (UGA) and Anfernee King that proved to be too much for the bigger and more balanced Bulldogs, combining for 49 points in the Indians’ 71-65 win in front of a raucous crowd. With the win, Seminole County regains the No. 1 spot in the state while Thomasville slides to No. 2. A string of close calls finally caught up to the battle-tested Bulldogs. Before their loss at Seminole County, last week Thomasville had beaten Bainbridge 63-61 and won at No. 7 Early County, 79-76. Region 1 looks like a force to be reckoned with come tournament time.

Two Region 6 teams drop out in Wesleyan and GAC, but two replace them with No. 6 Lovett and No. 8 Pace Academy. Currently Lovett owns sole possession of first place in the region with a 5-0 mark. The Lions hold wins over No. 5 Holy Innocents’ and just beat Wesleyan and GAC back-to-back on Friday and Saturday, knocking them both from the poll. On Friday Lovett gets to prove its record as they visit Pace Academy, a sleeping giant that has now won three in a row and hold a 4-1 mark in region play. Tomorrow in Southeast Georgia, No. 10 Long County hosts No. 4 Vidalia in a crucial Region 2 measuring stick game. Also keep an eye on Region 3’s Swainsboro (7-5, 3-0). The Tigers have played some tough competition out of region and are much better than their record shows. They are riding a five-game winning streak and may re-enter the poll sooner rather than later.

More of the same occurred in Class A-Private: Madness and business as usual. On the business side of things, No. 1 Greenforest dispatched of No. 5 SWAC, 81-58. The madness occurred with No. 2 St. Francis holding on against King’s Ridge (9-5), 72-71. Kobi Simmons became the Knights’ all-time leading scorer last week and surpassed the 2,000-point barrier. Landmark Christian tumbled out of the top ten with a 9-5 record and losses to Paideia in overtime 71-61 and No. 7 Whitefield Academy, 91-62. No. 9 Stratford Academy takes the War Eagles’ place in the rankings after dropping No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy, 67-58. Also, Quintez Cephus made SportsCenter with his thunderous baseline throw down against First Presbyterian Day.

Class A-Public sees No. 2 Hancock Central leap all the way from No. 9 thanks to five straight wins including victories over No. 7 Lincoln County and No. 4 Wilkinson County on Saturday, 70-62. No.5 Atkinson County continues to rise in the rankings while No. 8 Hawkinsville slips four spots following a 67-59 loss to Greenville. No. 9 Mitchell County and No. 10 Turner County replace Terrell County and Wilcox County. The Green Wave is riding a two-game skid while Wilcox County is on a three-game losing streak.