Monthly Archives: December 2016

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

SEBA Atlanta Hoop Festival recap

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SEBA held its 9th annual Atlanta Hoop Festival at Pope High School. The event, run by William LoPresti, featured five games. I was in the building to check out the first three games of the day. Here are some notes from the action.

Game 1: Duluth 89, Sprayberry 68

 

Junior guard Adam Flagler set a SEBA record, pouring in 43 points. The smooth shooting guard drained 9 threes and didn’t start missing until he took some heat checks late in the game. Flagler has played great this year under Coach Cabral Huff and has definitely put his name on the radar of college coaches. Daylan “DJ” Smith and Jalen Hodges were second and third in command for the Wildcats. Hodges posted 13 points and 7 rebounds as a springy unsigned forward that goes about 6-foot-5. Smith, a junior guard, netted 14. Duluth was without 6-foot-10 sophomore Alex Powell.

Sprayberry saw Eddie Figueroa drop in 26 points before injuring his ankle late in the fourth quarter. The unsigned senior showed nice ball handling and a competitiveness to keep his team in the game for three quarters before Duluth finally ran away with it, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 25-15 in the fourth. Khadim Samb added 8 points and 9 rebounds. Andrew Giles methodically worked his way around the bucket for 10 points.

Top Performers

Adam Flagler poured in a SEBA record 43 points

 

Duluth
Adam Flagler – 43 points (9 threes), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Jalen Hodges – 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
DJ Smith – 14 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Sprayberry
Eddie Figueroa – 26 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 4 steals
Khadim Samb – 8 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Andrew Giles – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block

 

Game 2: Hillgrove 52, No. 4 St. Pius 39

 

St. Pius was held to two points in the second quarter as they saw Hillgrove race ahead to a 31-15 halftime lead. Heavy legs from two wars this week along with a Demeirre Black onslaught was too much to recover from. Black, a 6-foot senior guard, popped off from his first touch. Black was tight off the dribble, getting to the left wing and pulling up for three straight jumpers to open the game. He scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in the first quarter alone. Black plays bigger than his size and uses his quick leaping to crash the glass. He finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 4 steals as Coach Ed Morris’ go-to guy. Trey Stevens provided offense off the bench with 10 points.

The Golden Lions couldn’t hit a shot all game until the fourth quarter when they made a late run, but could never close to within single digits. They hit four threes in the final period but again, it was Black stemming the tide with a hoop. Carson Seramur led St. Pius with 8 points, but they all came in the first quarter. Zach Ranson got off to a slow start, but he battled hard on the glass and finished with 11 rebounds.

Top Performers

Demeirre Black played bigger than his 6-foot frame, dropping 25 points & 14 rebounds

Hillgrove
Demeirre Black – 25 points, 14 rebounds, 4 steals
Trey Stevens – 10 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block

St. Pius
Carson Seramur – 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block
Zach Ranson – 4 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist
Niko Broadway – 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

 

Game 3: No. 4 North Cobb Christian 51, No. 3 South Paulding 49

 

A true stunner as South Paulding saw a 40-27 lead heading into the fourth quarter slip away. The Spartans out-physicaled and out-toughed the Eagles for the majority of the game, but Demiere Brown was a one-man wrecking crew. South Paulding held a 25-16 lead at the half after DJ Jackson buried a three at the buzzer.  Jackson played great for Coach Gil Davis as the floor general picked up the slack scoring 15 points while Ja’Cori Wilson played sporadic minutes with a stomach bug before fouling out with 5 points with South Paulding nursing a 44-34 lead with 5:49 to play.

Upon his departure, North Cobb Christian closed on a 17-5 run to steal a victory away from the Spartans, riding Brown. The powerful 6-foot-6 senior wing poured in 31 points and 14 rebounds, pounding away at South Paulding’s smaller guards. Brown has to find a home at the D-1 level. That strength and diversity of ways to score the ball is something programs across the country must covet. He didn’t settle for too many threes and buttered his bread around the basket today.

South Paulding admittedly took the air out of the ball too soon while dealing with foul trouble and a lack of size. It wasn’t until the 4:57 mark when Hunter Norman tossed an alley-oop to Mo Merritt to make it 44-38 that I actually felt that North Cobb Christian had a chance. The Eagles’ fan base went rabid as all the momentum officially swung into their corner. The Spartans still could have put the game away, but Georgia State-signee Kane Williams couldn’t find his touch from the foul line. He went 5-of-10 in the fourth quarter and 7-of-14 for the game. Aside from his free throw woes, Williams was able to affect the game from the floor. He finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals while getting others involved.

North Cobb Christian got a huge lift down the stretch from Norman, Nate Perrin and Will Crumly. Perrin didn’t play much, but he came off the bench and rattled in a three to make it 47-43 with 3:14 remaining. I warned that Crumly was still dangerous even though he was ice cold for three quarters from deep. Crumly blocked a Williams shot inside and a minute later he drilled a three to bring the score to 49-48 with 1:09 to play. Crumly put the ball on the floor and got to the line and split a pair of free throws to knot the game at 49 with 1:00.

With South Paulding holding for one shot, Parker Berry lost his dribble in front of Norman who pounced on the floor to give the Eagles the ball with 24.9 left.

North Cobb Christian held for one shot and they found Brown on a duck-in in the middle of the lane. He caught it and hit a lefty hook with 1.8 seconds left.

Originally, they let the clock run off. North Cobb Christian stormed the court and mobbed Brown in a dogpile, but after reviewing, the officials put the correct 1.8 seconds left on the clock. The referees had the opportunity to call a technical with the Eagles team running on the floor, but due to the circumstances they let it go.

South Paulding had one last look when freshman Knowledge Ruben heaved from half court, but his shot bounced off the rim leaving the Spartans shell-shocked and the Eagles jubilant.

 

Top Performers

Demiere Brown is a defense’s nightmare. He had 31 points & 14 rebounds.

North Cobb Christian
Demiere Brown – 31 points, 14 rebounds, 1 steal
Mo Merritt – 5 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
Will Crumly – 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks
Chase Savage – 6 points, 1 rebound

South Paulding
Kane Williams – 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals
DJ Jackson – 15 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 3 steals
Drew Shepherd – 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
Ja’Cori Wilson – 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 12-16

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 5 McEachern 61, North Cobb 48: Isaac Okoro double-doubled with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Sharife Cooper had 12 points and 7 assists. Babatunde Akingbola finished with 10 rebounds and 10 blocks.

No. 6 Collins Hill 66, Duluth 56: Chris Parks and Kenny Stanciel scored 17 apiece to lead the Eagles. Max Clark chipped in 10 points. Duluth was led by Adam Flagler’s 15 points and Jalen Hodges’ 12.

Lanier 58, No. 10 Meadowcreek 52: A banged up Mustangs team couldn’t keep pace with the Longhorns. Adrian Martin scored 19 while Edmund Ruiz had a career-high 17 and Juwan Jones added 10.

Peachtree Ridge 54, Mill Creek 36: Matty Dobbs and Matthew McDowell both scored 11 points in a loss.

Discovery 59, Mountain View 51: The Titans went on the road and scored an impressive victory behind Keshawn Overstreet’s 14 points and 7 rebounds. Jaden Stanley had 12 and 7. Kalu Ezikpe posted 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Lambert 75, North Forsyth 32: Andrew Melms finished with 22 points and 8 assists while Austin Deckard added 12 points and 5 steals for the Longhorns.  

Marietta 67, Kennesaw Mountain 64: The Blue Devils rallied from down 13 late in the third to storm back for a narrow victory. Kharon Cameron scored 23 while Ramel Keyton added 18. Khalil Hawkins tacked on 10.

Brookwood 65, North Gwinnett 39: Bubba Parham scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Broncos. Trae Higginbotham added 12 points and Marcus Smith netted 11. North Gwinnett was led by Cam Rowland’s 13 points and Mikey Joseph posted 10 points.
Roswell 58, Milton 50: Milton’s struggles continued as Roswell stung the Eagles. James Anderson dropped in 22 points to carry the load.

Hillgrove 56, North Paulding 53: The Hawks went 10-for-10 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to ice a tight game with North Paulding. Demierre Black posted 19 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals. Justin Davidson added 11. Hillgrove rallied from down eight with two minutes to play. Davidson hit the go-ahead three with 40 seconds left.

Grayson 65, Archer 55: Travis Anderson poured in 26 points and collected 3 steals. Terrell Greene had 6 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Kenyon Jackson posted 8 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks. 

Class AAAAAA

No. 1 Gainesville 82, Harrison 56: Xavier Bledson went for 22 points and 4 assists to lead the Red Elephants. Bailey Minor went 7-of-8 from the floor and finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Mike White and Jarrel Rosser both added 8 points.

No. 2 Jonesboro 61, Lehigh, FL 53: Down at the City of Palms in Florida, Jonesboro held off Lehigh. On the big stage, MJ Walker came up huge again, pouring in 29 points and 14 rebounds. Jaylon Terrell had 12 points.

No. 8 Alpharetta 70, Chattahoochee 60: David Swillum scored 20 points and grabbed 5 rebounds to pace a balanced Raiders attack. Brandon Barron went for 17 points and 8 assists. Ryan Jenei had 10 points and Carlos Carriere notched 10 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 9 South Cobb 84, River Ridge 36: Trevin Wade scored 23 points and had 4 assists. Ralueke Orizu posted 14 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Cambridge 70, North Atlanta 60: David Banks scored 12 points to lead the Bears. Caleb Snyder added 11 and Kamar Robertson shipped in 10. Kyler Ingram battled for 9 points and Bryce Boutelle netted 8.

Sprayberry 64, Osborne 61: Eddie Figueroa finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Rodney Pearson added 9 points.

Lakeside-Evans 62, Greenbrier 57: Deon Berrien went for 16 points and 14 rebounds. Kre’Sean Hall added 15 points and 11 boards. Kalen Williams netted 15 points to go with his 6 rebounds.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 66, Flowery Branch 54: Buford pulled away from Flowery Branch in a hard fought battle. The Eagles were led by Brannon Clark’s 17 points and 6 rebounds. Myles Janess had 9 points and John Mills tallied 10 points and 3 assists.

No. 2 Eagle’s Landing 68, Jones County 58: Brandon Thomas scored 16 points to lead the Eagles. Jacob Durmveil had 12 and Tarrence Evans netted 10.

No. 3 Fayette County 57, Leon, FL 51:  Fayette County remained undefeated at the Southern States Classic. Noah Gurley posted 21 points 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Phillip Young went for 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Austin Nesmith provided 17 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

No. 6 Cedar Shoals 59, Walnut Grove 40: Phlan Fleming scored 19 points and in the process netted the 1,000th of his career. AJ Jones scored 12 for the Jags. Walnut Grove received 13 points apiece from Jailen Robinson and Dashun Smith.

No. 10 Warner Robins 79, 4ANo. 7 Perry 54: Jacolbey Owens exploded for 29 points while Jalen “Champ” Dawson added 17 and Nelson Phillips dropped 15 for the Demons. Jhimarre Brown scored a team-high 12 points for Perry. Damion Bagley scored 7 and Evan Lasseter had 9.

Starr’s Mill 71, Bowdon 62: Drew Hudson led the Panthers with 25 points.

Loganville 65, Clarke Central 56: Jamar Moore finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks to help the Red Devils to a Region 8 victory.

Lithia Springs 56, Troup 29: Shamarre Ruff scored 13 points and Ceaunte Zachery added 10 to lead the Lions to a 7-1 record. Troup was led by Quan McFarland’s 9 points.

Arabia Mountain 65, Lithonia 53: Cameron Robinson (17), Darius Giles (14) and Jordan Sterling (13) knocked off Lithonia in another wild Region 5 contest.

Class AAAA

Rickards, FL 77, No. 1 Sandy Creek 73: The Patriots fell at the Southern States Classic. KJ Wilkins scored 24 in the loss. Jarred Godfrey netted 14 and Kam Miller had 10. Evan Jester finished with 9 points.

No. 4 St. Pius 70, Stephens County 68: Carson Seramur netted 17 points to lead the Golden Lions at home. Troy Stephens chipped in 12 and Matt Gonzalo notched 9 points and 6 assists. Stephens County received a game-high 19 from Montavious Thornton. NuNu Walker added 12 points and Deundra Singleton went for 10 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks.

No. 6 Henry County 76, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 69: Damion Rosser scored 19 points while Javon Greene added 14 and Seth Brown pitched in 11 for the Warhawks. The Bulldogs were paced by DeMaje Carter’s game-high 27 and TreJohn Taylor’s 17 points.

No. 8 Westover 81, Terrell County 66: At the U-Save-It Classic, Kris Gardner poured in 29 points and 5 assists to lead the Patriots. Jordan “Snow” Brown had 13 points and 7 assists. Quin Smith added a double-double of 11 points and 15 rebounds. Cam Hill chipped in 11 points and 3 boards.

No. 10 Eastside 73, Luella 57: Keiodre Perry poured in 19 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in three quarters of work while shooting 8-of-15 from the floor.

LaFayette 57, Southeast Whitfield 41: Super sophomore Alex Kelehear went for 27 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists on the road.

Ridgeland 67, Pickens 54: The Dragons’ struggles continued. In the loss Joseph Gossett went for 17 points. Avery Luke had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Jacob Brumby had 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Madison County 53, Jefferson 37: Trevon Daniel and Jackson Bailey scored 13 apiece to lead Madison County. The Dragons received 9 points from Jasper Gibson.

Northwest Whitfield 66, Heritage-Catoosa 59: The Bruins won their sixth straight game behind Luke Shiflett’s 27 points and 12 rebounds. Paxton Pardee and Caleb Curry both scored 10 points.  

White County 71, West Forsyth 54: John Ward notched a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Austin Harris tagged on 17 points and 6 assists. Jay Lepkoske had 10 points and 8 rebounds.

Class AAA

No. 1 Westside-Macon 70, Peach County 24: Khavon Moore pitched in 20 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals in a blowout. Kentrevious Jones added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Trey Foster finished with 11 points, 3 assists and 4 steals.

No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian 71, East Hall 62: Sophomore Hunter McIntosh led the Spartans with 21 points while Mahki Brown hung a game-high 24 points for the Vikings. GAC also received 16 points apiece from Charlie O’Briant and Branden Harris.

No. 6 Central-Macon 85, Rutland 59: Antarius McCoy finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds while Kylan Hill added 9 points and 11 boards. Dewan Owens had 10 points and Tyrice Paul scored 9.

No. 9 Morgan County 68, West Hall 26: Alec Woodard scored 22 points while Tyrin Lawrence added 15 for the Bulldogs.

Dawson County 52, Fannin County 44: Jeremiah Crumley scored 18 points to power the Tigers. Cullen Reed had 8 and Campbell Reed had 7.

North Hall 70, Union County 47: Taylor Hanson netted 17 points followed by Alec Volle and Justin Rabb’s 10 apiece for the Trojans.

Class AA

No. 2 Therrell 79, Grady 73: DJ Brittian pumped in 28 points but it wasn’t enough to slow down Anthony Edwards and Therrell. Edwards dropped 27.

No. 7 Monticello 64, Elbert County 45: Ashton Bonner scored 16 points for the Hurricanes. Matthew Lawson had 14 and Malik Crawford added 10.

Dodge County 69, Hawkinsville 35: Nick Cummings scored 22 points for Dodge County.

Putnam County 89, Social Circle 68: D’Mario Reid dropped in 30 points and 7 rebounds while Carl Johnson hung 27 points and 10 assists for the Eagles.

Class A-Private

No. 2 St. Francis 64, Wesleyan 49: Dwon Odom overwhelmed the Wolves after St. Francis trailed by two at the half. The freshman finished with 27 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Chase Ellis posted 13 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Wallace Tucker tacked on 4 assists and 7 steals. Wesleyan received 27 points from Christian McLean.

Seffner Christian, FL 70, Lakeview Academy 69 OT: Lakeview fell in overtime at the Southern States Classic. Josh Randolph, Drew Cottrell and Tre Gober all scored 17 points.

No. 6 Aquinas 50, Lincoln County 36: Aquinas’ balance was too much for Lincoln County to overcome. Trent Bowdre had 22 points and 6 rebounds. Tre Gomillion posted 8 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists. George Welch chipped in 10 points and 8 rebounds. Jelani Shakir totaled 9 assists. In the loss, Ahmad Rand had 19 points, 18 rebounds and 14 blocks. Maciah Gunby netted 11.

Hebron Christian 86, Commerce 54: Troy Allen led the Lions with 19 points. John Stewart had 14 and Connor Almon had 11. Alex Calvert and Wesley Warbington both scored 10. 

                                                      

GIRLS

 Class AAAAAAA

Marietta 65, Kennesaw Mountain 40: Taylor Smith (20), Tatiana Foster (13) and Deaja Morton (10) were too much to control as the Lady Blue Devils trio combined for 43 points.

Lassiter 49, Paulding County 43: Caitlin Sasapan scored a team-high 15 points for the Trojans. Taylor Smith, Grace Karas and Wambui Chege each scored 8 points.

Class AAAAAA

No. 6 Grovetown 62, Evans 52: Destiny Marshall poured in 32 points for Grovetown.

No. 7 Sequoyah 46, Etowah 38: Alyssa Cagle went for 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 steals to power the Lady Chiefs. Emily Seres chipped in 9 points and 5 rebounds.

Centennial 60, Dunwoody 52: The Lady Knights defended their home floor in region play as Shekinah Guthrie dropped in a game-high 25 points. Aerial Nathan had 11 while Divine Guthire posted 8 points. Freshman Bailey Hebermehl knocked down three threes.

Johns Creek 55, Pope 49: Sydney Tanguilig scored a team-high 18 points as the Lady Gladiators advanced to 7-4 overall. Johns Creek sank 9-of-10 free throws in the fourth quarter to hold off the Greyhounds. Markeima Lancaster finished with 13 points and 4 steals. Ashley Alexander added 9 points and 14 rebounds.

Class AAAAA

No. 2 Buford 53, No. 1 Flowery Branch 44: The Lady Wolves made a statement in Region 8 on the road against Flowery Branch. In the loss Queen Scott battled foul trouble and finished with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Taniyah Worth had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists. Julianne Sutton added 4 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.

No. 5 Warner Robins 66, Perry 34: The Demonettes overpowered Perry behind Kezia Holmes’ 20 points and 13 blocks. Shynia Jackson scored 17 and Le’Terria Mathis netted 12. Jordan Thomas finished with 11.

No. 6 Villa Rica 67, 4ANo. 6 Sandy Creek 65: Deasia Merrill went off for 19 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists to help the Wildcats hold off Sandy Creek. Aliyah Hindsman scored a team-high 21 and Jaila Orozco posted 17 points and 8 rebounds.

McIntosh 50, LaGrange 43: DeLayne Rotolo and Kennedi Miller both scored 14 points to pace the Lady Chiefs. Sophomore Rylee Calhoun added 11 while Mikayla Rivers (6) and Savannah Soles (5) chipped in.

Class AAAA

No. 1 North Oconee 53, Oconee County 35: Emma Weynand scored 18 points and Keller Barks added 14 and 6 steals in the battle for Oconee. Camryn Williams had 9 points and 10 rebounds. Shekya Watson scored 8 points and collected 7 of the Lady Titans’ 22 steals.

No. 5 West Hall 53, Morgan County 38: Anna McKendree and Macy Passmore scored 12 apiece to lead the Spartans. Aashyah White and Avery Prather both scored 8 in the win.

No. 7 Jefferson 59, Madison County 32: Jazmin Allen netted a team-high 19 points for the Dragonettes.

No. 8 Northwest Whitfield 57, No. 10 Heritage-Catoosa: Bria Clemmons led the charge in a crucial region showdown, posting 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks. Hallie Brooker added 12 points.

St. Pius 62, Stephens County 31: The Golden Lions raced out to a 12-0 lead and never trailed. Leah Middleton had 15 points while Macey Carson added 10. Emma Drash netted 9. The Indians were led by Kaitlyn Phillips’ 10.

Ridgeland 77, Pickens 68: Mackenzie Hampton finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds and both Autumn Young and Torie Williams scored 13 points in the Dragonettes’ loss. Shelby Cook added 9 points and 4 rebounds. For Ridgeland, Sarah Meadows pumped in a game-high 31 points while Brylee Dunn added 16.

Class AAA

No. 1 Johnson-Savannah 50, Tattnall County 27: Alexis Pierce and Olivia Owens scored 13 apiece to carry the Atomsmashers. Owens added 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

Franklin County 58, Gatlinburg-Pittman, TN 56: After a 0-2 start to the season, the Lions have now ripped off eight straight wins. Mya Jones scored 18 points followed by Ivy Ginn’s 17. Asia Jones added 10.

Class AA

No. 3 Rabun County 73, Oglethorpe County 26: 11 different players scored for Coach DeeDee Dillard. Tessa Matheson led the way with 12 points. Georgia Stockton (11) and Kaitlin Coleman (10) both cracked double digits.

No. 5 Dodge County 92, Hawkinsville 35: Tierra Hamilton netted 22 points while Destanee Wright finished with 15 to cruise past the Red Devils. Bresha Carr (14), Europe Brown (12) and Nesia Mitchell (10) all broke double figures.

Dublin 57, Southwest-Macon 32: The Irish received 17 points from Takorra Smith and 13 from Alexus Carr in a blowout victory. Kesjia Wilcher added 11 points.

Class A-Public

Macon County 73, Wilkinson County 53: Junior guard Jasmine Larry dropped in 30 points for Macon County.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

No. 7 Sequoyah holds off pesky Wolverines

No. 7 Sequoyah 57, Woodstock 54

Cherokee County powers met at the War Lodge in Hickory Flat, Sequoyah entering at a perfect 7-0 and ranked No. 7 in Class AAAAAA while Woodstock, limping in with injuries at 4-4 without South Alabama-signee Devyn Lowe.

On a rare Monday night showdown, the Lady Chiefs and Wolverines went back and forth with both sides trading runs. Sequoyah led 12-11 after one behind Alyssa Cagle’s five points. The Lady Chiefs were on the verge of a taking an commanding early double digit lead if it wasn’t for the hot shooting of senior Taylor Reed. The long ball threat scored seven of her 10 points in the first quarter and drained three threes on the night while using a flare screen to get open on the opposite wing.

In the second quarter, Cagle picked up a hockey assist as she dished to Emily Seres who found AnnaLynne Bennett on a nice interior pass to go up 19-13.

Sequoyah opened up a quick 24-13 lead on a 12-2 run and looked like they were about to put the banged up Wolverines away, but athletic senior slasher Bralise Reese got free and powered a 13-4 run with six of her game-high 16 points in the frame, leading the Wolverines into the half trailing 28-26.

The Lady Chiefs sprung out of the half quickly using five points from Colby Carden. The junior combo guard sank her seventh point of the quarter to give Sequoyah a 40-31 lead with 1:37 left in the third. Sequoyah finished out the period using a Lauren Schletty basket to maintain a 44-33 lead heading into the fourth.

In the blink of an eye, Woodstock crawled its way back into the game riding a 10-2 surge to cut the Sequoyah lead to 46-43. Senior point guard Kamryn Forrester was the catalyst, scoring six of her 10 points in the final 8 minutes and finishing the game with four rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one block.

The Wolverines finally tied the game on freshman Sophia Singer’s three-pointer but Carden quickly got the ball up the court and found Schletty to regain a 48-46 lead at the 2:49 mark. Schletty got hot and scored six of her 10 points in the fourth including sinking two free throws to go ahead 52-46 with 2:11 left, the Lady Chiefs seemingly regaining control of the game.

Instead, Forrester came away with a steal underneath the basket and while tumbling down, kicked the ball behind her to Reese for two of her eight fourth quarter points to make it 56-54 with 42.6 seconds remaining.

Sequoyah’s Bennett was sent to the line with 27 seconds and missed her first free throw, prompting Woodstock head coach Julie Crowe to call timeout and organize a plan for the Wolverines. Bennett coolly knocked down her second attempt, setting up a final possession with 18.5 seconds left for Woodstock after advancing the ball and moving past half court.

Woodstock swung the ball around the perimeter but the best look they could get was a contested Reese heave from the top of the key that clanked off the rim.

My Take

Though she missed two free throws in the fourth quarter and didn’t have as many “wow” plays as usual, junior point guard Alyssa Cagle is still the real deal for Sequoyah. Every time she touches the ball good things happen whether she’s slashing through the lane, finding open shooters or pulling the trigger from deep herself. Coach Derrick DeWitt praised her for even her post defense when getting stuck on bigger Wolverines. As long as she’s in Black and Gold, the Lady Chiefs will be an issue statewide come February and March. She is the leader of a potent 7-man junior class which sees Colby Carden and Peyton Satterfield flank her as dangerous shooters. Carden moves in from Sprayberry, following father Allen Carden who is head coach of the boys team. She played very well with Cagle and provides a versatile scoring punch and high IQ alongside floor general Cagle. Lauren Schletty, one of two seniors on the roster, really came up big in the fourth quarter; she does some nice things around the basket. Without any Hartmans on the roster, Sequoyah’s one bugaboo when it comes to contending for a state title might be their lack of size.

Woodstock has been stung with injuries but that didn’t stop the Wolverines from fighting to the very end. Kamryn Forrester was excellent as an energizer bunny all over the floor, affecting the game in multiple ways. Taylor Reed used Coach Crowe’s flare screen offense to perfection in the first half with three threes. I loved Bralise Reese’s athleticism and tenacity. She was cat-quick getting to the rim and had a great second leap to clean up misses. Her 16-point 10-rebound double-double was a strong effort. A name to stow away in the memory bank is freshman Sophia Singer. The 5-foot-10 youngster resembles Olivia Nelson-Ododa with her long and lanky frame but of course, not at her height or skill set. She knocked down a big three in the fourth quarter and rebounded well.

Top Performers

Sequoyah
Colby Carden – 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals
Alyssa Cagle – 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Lauren Schletty – 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals 1 block
Peyton Satterfield – 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Emily Seres – 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist

Woodstock
Bralise Reese – 16 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block
Kamryn Forrester – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Taylor Reed – 10 points, 4 rebounds
Brittany Burnett – 7 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 4 Girls Rankings

2 Comments

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Norcross (10-0)
  2. Collins Hill (7-0)
  3. McEachern (4-4)
  4. Mill Creek (8-1)
  5. Westlake (6-1)
  6. Archer (6-2)
  7. Newton (6-1)
  8. Colquitt County (7-0)
  9. Lambert (7-0)
  10. North Forsyth (8-1)

Class AAAAAA

  1. Harrison (7-1)
  2. Mays (3-2)
  3. Winder-Barrow (5-3)
  4. Douglas County (8-2)
  5. Lovejoy (8-0)
  6. Grovetown (6-3)
  7. Sequoyah (7-0)
  8. Tucker (8-1)
  9. Northview (8-1)
  10. Jonesboro (6-3)

Class AAAAA

  1. Flowery Branch (8-1)
  2. Buford (4-0)
  3. Griffin (8-0)
  4. Southwest DeKalb (6-2)
  5. Warner Robins (8-0)
  6. Villa Rica (7-0)
  7. Carrollton (5-0)
  8. Harris County (8-0)
  9. Arabia Mountain (8-0)
  10. Maynard Jackson (5-0)

Class AAAA

  1. North Oconee (7-1)
  2. Columbus (6-1)
  3. Cross Creek (4-3)
  4. Carver-Columbus (7-0)
  5. West Hall (4-3)
  6. Sandy Creek (6-0)
  7. Jefferson (5-2)
  8. Northwest Whitfield (5-3)
  9. Baldwin (5-1)
  10. Heritage-Catoosa (8-0)

Class AAA

  1. Johnson-Savannah (9-0)
  2. Beach (8-0)
  3. Greater Atlanta Christian (6-4)
  4. Hart County (7-0)
  5. Redan (7-1)
  6. Monroe (6-0)
  7. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (8-1)
  8. Calhoun (7-2)
  9. Ringgold (6-2)
  10. Haralson County (5-2) 

Class AA

  1. Model (5-1)
  2. Laney (3-1)
  3. Rabun County (7-1)
  4. Fitzgerald (2-0)
  5. Dodge County (4-1)
  6. Vidalia (4-1)
  7. Heard County (8-2)
  8. Dade County (7-3)
  9. Putnam County (3-3)
  10. Bryan County (7-0) 

Class A-Private

  1. Wesleyan (8-0)
  2. St. Francis (6-1)
  3. Holy Innocents’ (7-1)
  4. Calvary Day (5-0)
  5. Lakeview Academy (7-2)
  6. Pinecrest Academy (6-1)
  7. Landmark Christian (5-3)
  8. Our Lady of Mercy (6-2)
  9. Darlington (4-2)
  10. Stratford Academy (5-1)

Class A-Public

  1. Pelham (4-0)
  2. Greenville (6-0)
  3. Telfair County (7-0)
  4. Terrell County (5-1)
  5. Wheeler County (6-1)
  6. Marion County (5-0)
  7. Taylor County (4-1)
  8. Wilcox County (5-2)
  9. Woodville-Tompkins (6-2)
  10. Treutlen (3-2) 

Three straight losses, all coming out of state, forces McEachern down to No. 3 in Class AAAAAAA. The Indians went 0-2 in the She Got Game Classic in Washington, D.C. Usually playing such good competition the Indians wouldn’t be punished, but No. 2 Collins Hill looks like the real deal and will just sneak ahead of the Indians for their in-state work. Newton falls to No. 7 after a 49-42 loss to Duluth, meaning Mill Creek is now in the Top 4. Archer rebounded from a rough week by shaking off an early deficit and beating No. 10 North Forsyth 55-43.

Harrison looked dominant as the No. 1 team in Class AAAAAA blitzed Creekview 63-37 and Hillgrove, 72-55. No. 3 Winder-Barrow got revenge against Loganville, 31-27 in another defensive struggle. Jonesboro had a week to forget in Region 4, losing to Tucker 57-43 and to Lovejoy 33-31. No. 8 Tucker lost to Lovejoy 39-32, slipping two spots while the Wildcats skyrocket five spots to No. 5 after a huge week. No. 7 Sequoyah jumps No. 9 Northview after scoring wins over county rivals River Ridge (54-45) and Cherokee (46-32).

Class AAAAA’s No. 2 Buford took down Loganville 56-44, and in the process dropped the Red Devils from the Top 10. Replacing Loganville is No. 10 Maynard Jackson who is undefeated to open the year. No one else in the rankings lost, but that will change this week as No. 6 Villa Rica hosts No. 7 Carrollton in a clash of Region 7 unbeatens on Tuesday.

Americus-Sumter and Henry County both depart the Class AAAA poll following Americus-Sumter’s 58-41 loss to No. 2 Columbus and the Warhawks’ losses to Woodward Academy (55-48) and Salem (69-63). Debuting this week are No. 9 Baldwin and No. 10 Heritage-Catoosa. The Braves defeated Putnam County on the road 50-38, and their only loss came to Warner Robins in overtime 72-62. Courtney Butts has led the charge, averaging 14.2 points, 7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 4.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Heritage’s statement win came at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, 61-39 handing the Warriors their lone loss of the season. The top mover in this week’s rankings is No. 6 Sandy Creek. The Patriots defeated 7-2 Greenville, SC 66-64.

South Georgia dominates the top of the poll in Class AAA while North Georgia fills the bottom as four teams from Region 6 go spots 7 through 10. Even with a loss to Heritage-Catoosa, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe continues its rise to No. 7 after defeating region foe No. 10 Haralson County 61-54. Back into the Top 10 is No. 8 Calhoun, who handed No. 9 Ringgold a region loss, 75-67. The Tigers held fast to their No. 9 spot however thanks to a 51-48 win against Northwest Whitfield. Defending state champion Morgan County drops out after a 3-4 start.

Putnam County’s slide in Class AA continues as the Eagles fall from No. 4 to No. 9 after a loss to Baldwin. Pepperell exits after being ranked No. 10. No. 1 Model beat the Dragons 58-38. Into the poll for the first time this year is No. 10 Bryan County.

Wesleyan has cruised so far this season in Class A-Private. The top-ranked Wolves crushed Morgan County 81-46 and took it to St. Pius X, 56-18. Two surprises take over the No. 6 and No. 7 spots in Pinecrest Academy and Landmark Christian. The Paladins are 6-1 while Landmark has won five straight after an 0-3 start, with their latest win coming against No. 8 Our Lady of Mercy, 58-53. Savannah Country Day was blown out by No. 4 Calvary Day 60-23 and lost to Woodville-Tompkins 52-27. Replacing the Hornets is No. 9 Darlington.

Four players are averaging double figures for Class A-Public No. 1 Pelham. The Hornets are powered by junior Mahogany Randall’s 19.8 points per game. Terrell County slips to No. 4 after a strong showing loss to Monroe, 57-51. No. 2 Greenville and No. 3 Telfair County get the nod over the Greenwave due to quality wins. The Trojan’s scored a 54-38 win over No. 8 Wilcox County this past week. Hancock Central falls from the Top 10 after losing to Washington County and Baldwin. Treutlen sinks five spots to No. 10 after losses at No. 5 Wheeler County (66-41) and Dublin, 61-53. Woodville-Tompkins resurfaces in the poll thanks to a shellacking of Savannah Country Day.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 4 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Norcross (8-0)
  2. Newton (8-0)
  3. Westlake (6-1)
  4. Pebblebrook (5-3)
  5. McEachern (4-0)
  6. Collins Hill (8-1)
  7. Wheeler (4-3)
  8. Tift County (7-1)
  9. Shiloh (5-3)
  10. Meadowcreek (9-1)

Class AAAAAA

  1. Gainesville (6-0)
  2. Jonesboro (6-1)
  3. South Paulding (7-0)
  4. Langston Hughes (7-3)
  5. Heritage-Conyers (5-2)
  6. Brunswick (6-1)
  7. Dacula (5-2)
  8. Alpharetta (9-1)
  9. South Cobb (6-2)
  10. Richmond Hill (8-1) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (7-0)
  2. Eagle’s Landing (6-1)
  3. Fayette County (6-0)
  4. Miller Grove (5-2)
  5. Southwest DeKalb (7-2)
  6. Cedar Shoals (6-2)
  7. Columbia (5-3)
  8. Riverwood (10-1)
  9. New Hampstead (6-2)
  10. Warner Robins (5-1)

 Class AAAA

  1. Sandy Creek (4-1)
  2. Upson-Lee (9-0)
  3. Thomson (2-1)
  4. St. Pius X (5-2)
  5. LaGrange (5-1)
  6. Henry County (6-4)
  7. Perry (8-1)
  8. Westover (4-2)
  9. Richmond Academy (7-2)
  10. Eastside (5-1)

Class AAA

  1. Westside-Macon (2-2)
  2. Cedar Grove (3-1)
  3. Greater Atlanta Christian (5-1)
  4. Pace Academy (3-2)
  5. Islands (5-2)
  6. Central-Macon (4-0)
  7. Calhoun (5-0)
  8. Liberty County (4-4)
  9. Morgan County (2-2)
  10. Jenkins (4-4)

Class AA

  1. South Atlanta (4-0)
  2. Therrell (6-1)
  3. Butler (4-1)
  4. Thomasville (3-4)
  5. Callaway (1-1)
  6. Dublin (2-3)
  7. Monticello (5-4)
  8. Laney (4-1)
  9. Glenn Hills (4-2)
  10. KIPP Atlanta (5-1) 

Class A-Private

  1. Greenforest (6-2)
  2. St. Francis (8-0)
  3. Southwest Atlanta Christian (3-3)
  4. North Cobb Christian (6-2)
  5. Lakeview Academy (6-1)
  6. Aquinas (3-0)
  7. Holy Innocents’ (3-4)
  8. Tattnall Square (2-0)
  9. Darlington (4-1)
  10. Whitefield Academy (3-2)

Class A-Public

  1. Wilkinson County (4-1)
  2. Calhoun County (7-0)
  3. Quitman County (8-1)
  4. Taylor County (4-1)
  5. Treutlen (5-0)
  6. Crawford County (5-2)
  7. Manchester (5-1)
  8. Twiggs County (5-1)
  9. Clinch County (2-0)
  10. Montgomery County (6-0) 

Ranked No. 2 in the nation to open the season, Wheeler now finds itself No. 7 in Class AAAAAAA after the Wildcats haven’t been able to piece everything together. No. 3 Westlake greeted Wheeler rudely to Region 2 play, handing the ‘Cats a 73-67 road loss, the Lions doing it without star guard Jamie Lewis. DeMatha, MD beat Wheeler 66-58 to continue the slide. The main beneficiaries of Wheeler’s “struggles” are No. 5 McEachern and No. 6 Collins Hill. McEachern defeated a talented young Holy Spirit Prep team 50-37 while the Eagles edged Class 6A No. 5 Heritage-Conyers 74-62 at the Christmas in Commerce tournament. Atop the state, No. 1 Norcross maintained its pristine record, beating Cordova, TN 70-55. Duluth drops out after one week in the poll, losing three straight games to Mountain View (72-56), Mitchell, TN (51-44) and No. 2 Newton (68-60). Entering for the first time is No. 10 Meadowcreek. The Mustangs’ only loss came against Class 5A No. 4 Miller Grove at Holiday Hoopsgiving, 57-46. Meadowcreek beat Cartersville 73-64 this weekend at the LakePoint Showcase.

After a poor by his standards showing against Wheeler to open the season, MJ Walker has been on a tear for Class AAAAAA No. 2 Jonesboro. In their past three games, the Cardinals have hammered Tucker (69-49), Lovejoy (79-24) and Mundy’s Mill (75-30), Walker averaging 28.6 points during the stretch. No. 4 Langston Hughes has navigated Region 5 successfully thus far with wins over Alexander (72-71), Tri-Cities (68-55) and Creekside (77-58). Tri-Cities has lost three straight, with Mays and No. 3 South Paulding handing them double digit losses, dropping the Bulldogs out of the rankings along with back-to-back state runner up Allatoona, who is now 3-3 with a 54-45 loss to No. 9 South Cobb who replaces them. The Eagles are off to a quick start and added a 79-61 win over Creekview and a 69-51 victory against Campbell to their ledger. No. 10 Richmond Hill has won eight in a row and debuts in the Top 10. Read about the Wildcats’ hot start HERE. The top mover this week is No. 6 Brunswick. The Pirates rise two spots with a 57-51 win over Bradwell Institute. No. 7 Dacula and No. 8 Alpharetta were both upset this week, Dacula by a red-hot three-point shooting North Oconee 75-72 and Alpharetta by Centennial, 50-49.

In Class AAAAA, No. 1 Buford cemented its status as tops in the state after holding off No.6 Cedar Shoals. Last week’s No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 teams all suffered losses, leading to shakeup. New No. 2 Eagle’s Landing crushed Class AAA No. 2 Cedar Grove, 71-49. The Eagles rise three spots while No. 3 Fayette County also jumps three places. Miller Grove is on the move behind scoring machine Tae Hardy, as the Wolverines remained a thorn in the side of rival No. 5 Southwest DeKalb, beating the Panthers 51-42. Columbia drops three spots to No. 7 after losing to Du Bois, TN 58-57, but more importantly after losing Lorenzo McGhee to a broken leg. Don’t sleep on No. 9 New Hampstead in Savannah, who jumps No. 10 Warner Robins. The Phoenix beat Brunswick 62-61 and knocked off Class AAA No. 5 Islands for the second time in overtime this year, 79-77 on a buzzer beater.

Sandy Creek picked up a major resume building win in Class AAAA by knocking off Class A-Private No. 4 North Cobb Christian 86-77 at the LakePoint Showcase. The Patriots received 24 points from Evan Jester, 21 from Xavier Brewer and 17 from TJ Bickerstaff. No. 6 Henry County’s roller coaster season continued, losing to Julian Cameron and Woodward Academy 71-70 before bouncing back and stopping Salem 69-65. The Warhawks slip three spots. LaGrange jumps three spots after beating Class AA No. 5 Callaway 75-65. North Clayton exits the Top 10 after Woodward Academy defeated them 50-49. The Eagles did beat Salem 54-49, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Eastside. This group of Eagles has been flying high at 5-1, their only loss to Newton, 74-51. Eastside beat Woodward Academy 90-75, withstanding Cameron’s 42-point outburst. Keiodre Perry is averaging over 20 points per game to carry Eastside with Desmeontay Dyer posting a double-double nightly.  They host Henry County on Tuesday in a critical Region 4 matchup, a region which has been topsy-turvy.

No. 1 Westside-Macon was upset by newly ranked No. 6 Central-Macon, but the Seminoles retain their top ranking after No. 2 Cedar Grove, No. 4 Pace Academy and No. 8 Liberty County all lost. The Cedar Grove Saints made a statement, beating Pace 55-42, but were later throttled by Eagle’s Landing. Liberty County plummets four spots, but hasn’t been healthy as Davion Mitchell is still in a boot with a broken toe. Will Richardson has tried to carry the load, but Richmond Hill (58-56) and Long County (73-72) handed the Panthers losses. Richardson poured in 54 points to beat Bradwell Institute 74-69 and is now averaging 31.2 points per game while averaging over 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Islands is up to No. 5 after beating No. 10 Jenkins, 75-72. Morgan County is down to No. 9 after Greenville, SC beat them 64-56 at the Valhalla Classic. Class AAA is shaping up to be another O.K. Corral.

Even with a 65-54 loss to Class AA No. 1 South Atlanta, Therrell showed that it can play with the big boys and rises six spots to No. 2. Butler jumps four spots to No. 3 after stunning No. 9 Glenn Hills 70-69 at the buzzer. The Bulldogs head to 7-1 Josey on Tuesday. A win and a clean week for the Eagles likely guarantees a Top 10 spot for Josey. No. 6 Dublin and No. 7 Monticello had rough weeks and tumble out of the No. 3 and No. 2 spots, respectively. Monticello was upset by Banks County 57-52 and then lost to Jones County 66-59. The Irish got revenge against Class A-Public No. 8 Twiggs County, but lost to A-Public No. 5 Treutlen, 67-64. Laney debuts in the poll thanks to a 53-46 victory against Class AAAA No. 9 Richmond Academy. Surging into the Top 10 for the first time in school history is No. 10 KIPP Atlanta. 5-foot-9 senior guard Stavon Griggs is pouring in 32.6 points per game and will lead the Warriors into battle on Tuesday at No. 1 South Atlanta. Chattooga and Toombs County drop out. The Indians lost to Class AAA No. 7 Calhoun 62-47 and Toombs lost to Jeff Davis 58-48.

North Cobb Christian’s loss to Sandy Creek drops them to No. 4 in Class A-Private as No. 2 St. Francis remains undefeated and No. 3 Southwest Atlanta Christian drills No. 7 Holy Innocents’ 88-61. Our Lady of Mercy exits the rankings following losses to Landmark Christian and No. 1 Greenforest. Darlington takes over No. 9.

Class A-Public is always fun to try and wrap my brain around and by fun I mean impossible. Calhoun County looks good at No. 2 in the state and will host No. 3 Quitman County on Tuesday to test the Hornets’ legitimacy. Taylor County is hot after an early loss to Class AAAA No. 2 Upson-Lee and have ripped off four wins in a row including beating No. 6 Crawford County, 65-53. No. 5 Treutlen has handled its business in South Georgia and scored a nice 67-64 win over Dublin. Twiggs County lost in their rematch to Dublin and falls to No. 8. Turner County and Schley County both say goodbye to the Top 10. The Rebels fall all the way from No. 4 after a 2-2 start while Schley County lost to Central-Talbotton 59-46. Newly ranked No. 9 Clinch County and 6-0 No. 10 Montgomery County will try to sustain their early success.