Monthly Archives: December 2017

GHSA, Girls Rankings

Week 6 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Westlake (9-0)
  2. Collins Hill (10-1)
  3. Norcross (12-3)
  4. Newton (10-1)
  5. Cherokee (10-1)
  6. North Forsyth (11-2)
  7. South Gwinnett (9-1)
  8. Colquitt County (8-3)
  9. North Cobb (9-2)
  10. McEachern (5-3)

Class AAAAAA

  1. Harrison (8-2)
  2. Northview (8-2)
  3. Lovejoy (10-1)
  4. Winder-Barrow (9-3)
  5. Sequoyah (10-1)
  6. Alpharetta (12-1)
  7. Forest Park (10-2)
  8. Lanier (10-3)
  9. Northside-Warner Robins (7-1)
  10. Centennial (7-3)

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (9-1)
  2. Flowery Branch (8-3)
  3. Dutchtown (12-1)
  4. Harris County (8-2)
  5. Bainbridge (12-2)
  6. Villa Rica (9-0)
  7. Arabia Mountain (11-1)
  8. Carrollton (7-2)
  9. Cedar Shoals (8-3)
  10. Ware County (6-2)

Class AAAA

  1. Carver-Columbus (12-0)
  2. Henry County (10-0)
  3. Spalding (10-0)
  4. Luella (11-2)
  5. Madison County (7-3)
  6. Northwest Whitfield (11-2)
  7. Marist (10-2)
  8. Baldwin (8-0)
  9. Jefferson (8-3)
  10. Americus-Sumter (9-1)

Class AAA

  1. Greater Atlanta Christian (8-1)
  2. Beach (11-1)
  3. Johnson-Savannah (8-3)
  4. Franklin County (10-0)
  5. Central-Macon (8-1)
  6. Lovett (10-3)
  7. Haralson County (7-0)
  8. Hart County (6-3)
  9. Peach County (8-3)
  10. Dawson County (7-3)

Class AA

  1. Laney (10-0)
  2. Putnam County (8-0)
  3. Rabun County (9-1)
  4. Dodge County (10-1)
  5. Swainsboro (9-2)
  6. Josey (13-1)
  7. Model (10-3)
  8. Banks County (8-3)
  9. Washington County (7-2)
  10. Dublin (6-1)

Class A-Private

  1. Holy Innocents’ (9-1)
  2. Wesleyan (8-1)
  3. St. Francis (8-3)
  4. Our Lady of Mercy (9-1)
  5. Christian Heritage (9-1)
  6. Calvary Day (11-1)
  7. Stratford Academy (6-2)
  8. Landmark Christian (6-4)
  9. Lakeview Academy (5-4)
  10. Prince Avenue Christian (6-1)

Class A-Public

  1. Telfair County (11-1)
  2. Greenville (9-1)
  3. Pelham (9-1)
  4. Wheeler County (9-2)
  5. Macon County (6-1)
  6. Woodville-Tompkins (9-4)
  7. Terrell County (7-2)
  8. Marion County (10-1)
  9. Georgia Military College (9-0)
  10. Turner County (5-2)

Class AAAAAAA No. 1 Westlake took home the Peach State Classic Championship, beating No. 8 Colquitt County 55-46, Maynard Jackson 77-36 and Tucker in the championship game, 61-40; three wins against teams that were ranked last week. No. 2 Collins Hill was just as impressive with a 56-48 win over Class 5A No. 1 Buford at the Hawks-Naismith Holiday Classic. No. 3 Norcross went 2-2 at the CresCom Bank Invitational.

No. 6 Alpharetta tumbles four spots in Class AAAAAA after losing to debutant No. 10 Centennial, 37-34. No. 4 Winder-Barrow finished 2-2 at the CresCom Bank Invitational. No. 8 Lanier is down one position after losing to Class 5A No. 7 Arabia Mountain 59-48. Tucker (7-4) departs from the Top 10 even after a 67-61 upset of Class 4A No. 4 Luella at the Peach State Classic. The Lady Tigers got beat by Westlake and lost on Dec. 15 to Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 61-57; a defeat that would have knocked Tucker from the polls last week if they would have reported the score to MaxPreps on time.

There are three new faces in the Class AAAAA Top 10. No. 7 Arabia Mountain, No. 9 Cedar Shoals and No. 10 Ware County. The Rams were squeezed out of the poll a few weeks ago but reemerge following 10-straight wins including a 59-48 win over Lanier. The Jaguars upset Class 7A No. 9 North Cobb 55-47 to earn their spot while the Gators won the Shane’s Rib Shack Tournament Championship by beating Class 2A No. 5 Swainsboro 62-53 and Class 4A No. 7 Marist 49-42. Out of the rankings are Maynard Jackson (7-2), Eagle’s Landing (9-5) and Southwest DeKalb (7-5). The Jags got hammered at the Peach State Classic on their home floor by Class 7A No. 1 Westlake 77-36 and by Class 4A No. 4 Luella 67-49. The Eagles suffered a 40-37 loss at St. Pius X while the Panthers went 2-2 at the Tarkanian Classic. At the top of the rankings, No. 1 Buford suffered their first loss of the year to Class 7A No. 2 Collins Hill. No. 2 Flowery Branch finished 2-1 at the KSA Holiday Tournament while No. 4 Harris County tallied a 2-2 showing at the CresCom Bank Invitational, beating Fayette County 68-59 in the process.

In Class AAAA, No. 1 Carver-Columbus won the William H. Shaw Christmas Tournament. No. 4 Luella clawed their way to a 2-1 record at the Peach State Classic. No. 5 Madison County jumps No. 6 Northwest Whitfield after their 50-42 win over Class 2A No. 8 Banks County. No. 9 Jefferson defeated West Hall 47-40, denying the Lady Spartans reentry into the Top 10 for at least another week.

No. 3 Johnson-Savannah climbs two spots in Class AAA thanks to their revenge win over No. 2 Beach, 48-43. No. 6 Lovett falls two positions after losing to Dutch Forks, SC 50-42 and Greenbrier 48-37 at the Savannah River Shootout. No. 5 Central-Macon won the State Bank & Trust Championship with a 65-44 win over Class 2A No. 9 Washington County. No. 10 Dawson County clings onto the final spot after a 61-45 loss at West Hall.

No. 1 Laney no longer seems unbeatable in Class AA. The Wildcats slipped by Cross Creek 62-59 and had to rally from down 25-8 to newly ranked No. 6 Josey to pull out a 70-57 victory. The Josey Lady Eagles pop up in the rankings at 13-1. With their measuring stick game finally in tow against Laney, there is confidence that Josey is a legit Top 10 team. Last season the Eagles put together an 18-9 record, but were steamrolled by Laney 74-32, 72-35 and 76-33. Outside of Laney’s two scares, the biggest result in the classification came in Region 8 where No. 2 Putnam County blasted No. 3 Rabun County 82-53. Jashanti Simmons poured in 25 points followed by Hailey Hyman’s 22 and Rykia Pennamon’s 18 to overpowered the LadyCats and Georgia Stockton’s game-high 38 points. Up three spots is No. 4 Dodge County, who continues to be a nightmare for larger schools. The Squaws stunned Wayne County 52-51 by outscoring the Lady Jackets 32-11 in the fourth quarter. Speaking of Class AA on Class AAAAA crime, No. 9 Washington County defeated Warner Robins 52-47.

Class A-Private No. 3 St. Francis went 3-1 at the CresCom Bank Invitational, beating Class 5A No. 4 Harris County 72-48 and eventually falling in the championship game to the No. 5 ranked team in the nation, New York’s Christ the King 67-61. No. 6 Calvary Day rises two spots after drilling Class A-Public No. 6 Woodville-Tompkins 69-40. Fellowship Christian (3-6) exits the Top 10. The one-man show of Colorado-signee Cameron Swartz hasn’t been enough to win games. They fell to No. 8 Landmark Christian 60-58 and finished 1-2 at the War Lodge Invitational. Replacing the Lady Paladins is returnee No. 10 Prince Avenue Christian.

In Class A-Public, No. 7 Terrell County’s win over No. 3 Pelham was short-lived, the Green Wave dropping four spots after a 46-44 loss to No. 6 Woodville-Tompkins, the Lady Wolverines still yet to be beaten by a fellow Class A-Public school. No. 2 Greenville pushed Class 4A No. 1 Carver-Columbus to the brink, 78-72 at the William H. Shaw Christmas Tournament. At the same event, No. 8 Marion County won the small schools bracket. Mitchell County (4-3) exits the poll on a two-game losing streak. They are replaced by No. 10 Turner County (5-2).

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 6 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. McEachern (9-1)
  2. Grayson (8-1)
  3. Norcross (9-2)
  4. Collins Hill (11-1)
  5. Mountain View (9-2)
  6. Wheeler (6-3)
  7. Newton (8-2)
  8. Meadowcreek (9-2)
  9. Pebblebrook (7-2)
  10. Etowah (8-1) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Langston Hughes (9-2)
  2. Dacula (5-3)
  3. Brunswick (10-1)
  4. Tri-Cities (12-3)
  5. Douglas County (7-2)
  6. Gainesville (3-6)
  7. Jonesboro (7-2)
  8. Coffee (4-4)
  9. Bradwell Institute (8-4)
  10. Cambridge (12-1) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Warner Robins (8-0)
  2. Buford (6-2)
  3. Columbia (6-2)
  4. Miller Grove (7-3)
  5. Southwest DeKalb (8-3)
  6. Lithonia (11-2)
  7. McIntosh (6-0)
  8. Eagle’s Landing (8-2)
  9. Maynard Jackson (11-0)
  10. Statesboro (8-2) 

Class AAAA

  1. Upson-Lee (12-0)
  2. St. Pius X (8-2)
  3. Sandy Creek (7-2)
  4. Mary Persons (9-1)
  5. Cartersville (6-0)
  6. Westover (8-4)
  7. Baldwin (6-3)
  8. Americus-Sumter (9-1)
  9. Salem (10-4)
  10. Carver-Columbus (11-2) 

Class AAA

  1. Morgan County (9-0)
  2. Jenkins (7-2)
  3. Johnson-Savannah (8-2)
  4. Cedar Grove (5-3)
  5. Greater Atlanta Christian (7-3)
  6. Westside-Macon (5-5)
  7. Monroe Area (8-0)
  8. Windsor Forest (8-3)
  9. Dawson County (8-2)
  10. Pace Academy (4-3) 

Class AA

  1. Glenn Hills (9-0)
  2. South Atlanta (8-1)
  3. Dublin (8-1)
  4. Banks County (10-1)
  5. Swainsboro (6-2)
  6. Thomasville (10-2)
  7. Jeff Davis (7-2)
  8. Chattooga (8-1)
  9. Metter (9-1)
  10. Laney (10-3) 

Class A-Private

  1. St. Francis (8-1)
  2. Aquinas (8-1)
  3. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (9-1)
  4. King’s Ridge Christian (8-2)
  5. Christian Heritage (9-0)
  6. Wesleyan (2-3)
  7. Landmark Christian (9-3)
  8. North Cobb Christian (6-2)
  9. WD Mohammed (6-1)
  10. Greenforest (3-6)

Class A-Public

  1. Central-Talbotton (11-0)
  2. Manchester (6-0)
  3. Lanier County (9-1)
  4. Woodville-Tompkins (11-2)
  5. Montgomery County (8-2)
  6. Pelham (8-2)
  7. Calhoun County (10-2)
  8. Wilkinson County (6-3)
  9. Wilcox County (8-3)
  10. Macon County (5-2) 

After a glucose level of 900 and an 18-hour stint in urgent care, the show must go on as Holiday Hoops are heating up the cold winter months. In Class AAAAAAA, No. 1 McEachern finished 3-1 at the City of Palms, taking home third-place after scoring wins over Ranney School, NJ (77-57), Hudson Catholic, NJ (83-81 OT) and Simeon, IL (56-54). The emergence of Sharife Cooper has officially grown to the national level, the sophomore point guard exploding for 42 points including the game-winner against Hudson Catholic. No. 2 Grayson held off Discovery 66-62, No. 3 Norcross rallied in the second half to beat Holy Spirit Prep 75-65, No. 7 Newton got its revenge against Tift County 67-45, No. 8 Meadowcreek took care of Class 4A No. 3 Sandy Creek 59-51 and No. 9 Pebblebrook survived Campbell in overtime, 83-81, to round up the rest of this week’s notable action. Duluth (8-4) exits the Top 10 after an 82-80 loss to Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis at the Hawks-Naismith Holiday Classic. Replacing the Wildcats is No. 10 Etowah. The Eagles have won 8-straight following their season-opening 59-48 loss to Alabama power Hoover. They next tip against Milton on Wednesday, an interesting matchup as Coach Jason Dasinger squares off against Etowah predecessor Allen Whitehart.

Region 5 reigns yet again in Class AAAAAA, as No. 1 Langston Hughes, No. 4 Tri-Cities and No. 5 Douglas County are all rolling. The Panthers overwhelmed Class A-Private No. 10 Greenforest at the Hawks-Naismith Holiday Classic 79-60. The Bulldogs captured the Peach State Classic Championship by beating No. 7 Jonesboro 83-67 and the Tigers cruised with wins over Mays and Northside-Warner Robins. Stephenson (9-3) bows out of the rankings after a 44-42 loss to Enumclaw, WA. The Jaguars are replaced by the Shane’s Rib Shack tournament champions, No. 10 Cambridge. The Bears outlasted Clarke Central in triple overtime 86-80 before beating Rutland in the title game 78-62.

The DeKalb County Region 5-AAAAA showed well yet again with No. 4 Miller Grove beating Allatoona 51-39, No. 5 Southwest DeKalb drilling Class 3A No. 8 Windsor Forest 90-69 and No. 6 Lithonia winning the New Manchester Toys for Tots tournament 80-68 over Kennesaw Mountain. Woodland-Stockbridge (8-3) exits the poll after a 55-50 loss to red-hot Region 4 foe No. 8 Eagle’s Landing. The Eagles stole a 57-51 win at the X-Dome against Class 4A No. 2 St. Pius after trailing by 19 points at the half, solidifying their place back in the Top 10.

It wasn’t easy, but No. 1 Upson-Lee extended its winning streak to 44 games in Class AAAA by capturing the City of Palms Signature Series championship, beating Kaukauna, WI 79-67 and Corbin, KY in the title game 73-71, rallying from a 14-point second half deficit. Middle Tennessee State-signee Tye Fagan ignited the comeback with 34 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals while Travon Walker collected 12 points and 21 rebounds. No. 4 Mary Persons went 2-0 at the War Eagle Classic, dumping Forest Park and Westminster. No. 5 Cartersville won the Rome News-Tribune championship 40-28 over Rome.

No. 2 Jenkins clocked rival No. 3 Johnson-Savannah 88-52 in Class AAA to win the Memorial Health Holiday Classic. No. 4 Cedar Grove holds onto their position after wins over Westlake (62-49) and Pinson Valley, AL (84-78) with a 68-67 loss to Class 6A No. 7 Jonesboro sandwiched in between at the Peach State Classic. No. 7 Monroe Area is up two spots after a 63-53 win at Marist. Dougherty (8-4) slips from the poll after a 91-63 loss to Class 4A No. 8 Americus-Sumter. The Trojans are replaced by the two-time defending state champion No. 10 Pace Academy Knights. Pace picked up wins over Episcopal School of Jacksonville and Lincoln, FL at the Providence School Christmas tournament, losing to Providence 44-28 to wrap up the event.

No. 1 Glenn Hills continues to hold serve in Class AA, beating No. 10 Laney 49-46 to win the Holiday Roundball Classic Championship. No. 4 Banks County is down two spots after an 84-65 loss to Apalachee. No. 2 South Atlanta went unblemished at the Nashville vs. Atlanta Challenge while No. 3 Dublin won the Kreul Classic Championship, 61-59 over Taravella, FL. Berrien (8-5) tumbles out of the statewide picture with losses at Pierce County 72-68 and at Lowndes 62-58. The Rebels are replaced by debutant No. 9 Metter. The Tigers’ only loss this season came against No. 7 Jeff Davis, 74-73.

Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis tacked on an 82-80 win over Duluth at the Hawks-Naismith Holiday Classic while No. 3 ELCA pounded No. 10 Greenforest 80-64. Surging five spots is No. 4 King’s Ridge Christian. The Tigers handled No. 7 Landmark Christian 79-56 and beat The King’s Academy 73-49 for the Storm Classic Championship. Freshman Sutton Smith was named MVP. Landmark Christian is without leading rebounder and only post presence Aaron Northcutt for the rest of the season with an injury. No. 5 Christian Heritage has a chance to prove themselves worthy of a Top 5 ranking as they host No. 8 North Cobb Christian next week. No. 6 Wesleyan has lost three straight games, their latest coming against GICAA juggernaut Mt. Bethel Christian, 55-46.

Class A-Public is in full mayhem mode. Outside of No. 1 Central-Talbotton, everything you thought you knew about the classification is in doubt. No. 2 Manchester’s meteoric rise continues, unranked three weeks ago to now sitting near the top after wins over Dooly County 68-53 and Treutlen 71-53.  No. 3 Lanier County flexed its muscle and beat No. 4 Woodville-Tompkins 59-55 to rise four spots. No. 7 Calhoun County plummets four more slots after losing 94-91 in overtime to No. 5 Montgomery County. However, the Cougars bounced back with an 88-63 blowout of No. 10 Macon County. No. 6 Pelham is up three spots thanks to a 69-66 win over Montgomery County.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 1 McEachern dominates on national stage at City of Palms

Contributed by Chris Kelly   (@C_KELLY99)

No. 1 McEachern 77, Ranney School (NJ) 57

https://twitter.com/C_KELLY99/status/942933042091495424

No. 1 McEachern (7-0) entered their first City of Palms game against the Ranney School (NJ) as the nightcap on Monday. McEachern and Coach Mike Thompson knew they were going to have their hands full with 5-star wings Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis. Both wings are highly touted prospects with a handful of offers from high-major schools. The game tipped off with a total of nine juniors and a sophomore starting between the two teams. It started out as a fast pace matchup with Sharife Cooper and Isaac Okoro finishing strong at the rim. On the other end, McEachern came out in man-to-man with the long Brandon Suggs guarding Lewis, the No. 6 ranked player in 2019, and Okoro picking up Antoine, the No. 7 player in 2019. As the quarter closed out, Cooper put up a long two, looking for a foul and made it to give McEachern a four-point lead.

The second quarter began with the Indians going on a small run. McEachern’s size inside, mainly Jared Jones and Babatunde Akingbola, became a big problem for the much smaller Ranney School. The two bigs made their presence felt by continually crashing the boards and swatting shots. Towards the middle of the quarter, Cooper floated a perfect pass to Akingbola who rose up and dunked all over Lewis.

McEachern closed out the half with a string of great defensive stances and Ranney School head coach Tahj Holden getting a technical foul. At the half, McEachern was up 42-19.

https://twitter.com/C_KELLY99/status/942943212481769472

The third quarter opened up with the Ranney School sparking a brief run. Lewis got his first points off of a beautiful crossover and three. Antoine got to the free throw line a few times and both the standouts found guards Ahmadu Sarnor and Alex Klatsky for easy buckets. McEachern responded with a run of their own, fueled by Cooper’s ability to penetrate and find players on the wing. Big men Jones and Akingbola both showed their versatility by knocking down some outside shots. Lewis left part way through the third quarter with what looked like a very gross, dislocated pinky finger but quickly came back and started to make his presence felt a bit. He hit a few jump shots and did a great job finding shooters open on the wing. McEachern still closed out the quarter by a wide scoring margin and began to pull away.

https://twitter.com/C_KELLY99/status/942949577535127552

The fourth quarter started with the Ranney School losing one of their more consistent players, Sornar, to fouls and McEachern capitalized on it. Cooper turned it up a notch and got into the paint at will, finishing well with both hands. McEachern’s bench came in to give their starters a rest and provided the same level of production and consistency. Juniors Alyn Breed, Quinton McElroy and Devin Gordon were the main contributors from the bench and provided little drop off in production from the starters. As the quarter went on, the lead never dwindled and McEachern kept their foot on the gas. Towards the end of the game, both squads put in their reserve players and Lewis finished with a few big time plays, including a spin move and huge dunk.

McEachern won by 20 with the final score being 77-57. The Indians displayed their dominance on a national stage at the City of Palms. The young, Georgia team has a very tough match-up Wednesday morning against the No. 8 ranked team in the nation, Hudson Catholic (NJ). The second New Jersey squad the Indians will play, are led by a senior core consisting of Ohio State-commit Luther Muhammad, Oregon-commit Louis King, and recent Arizona-decommit Jahvon Quinerly. The game tips off at 11 AM.

Chris’ Takeaways

Sharife Cooper was one of, if not, the best player on the floor. Cooper was extremely poised and made great decisions for his team, something you do not normally see from a sophomore. He got into the paint with ease and was able to find teammates to kick the ball out to.

McEachern’s defense is the real deal. The Indians held a very good Ranney School team to just 19 points in the first half and finished with only 58, with most of those second half points coming at the end of the game. Brandon Suggs and Isaac Okoro did a great job containing Scottie Lewis and Bryan Antoine. The two wings combined for thirty-two points on a subpar 33% shooting.

Beating McEachern come playoff time will be no easy feat. The Indians, despite being young, limit their mistakes and played under control. McEachern is also such a deep team. Coach Thompson’s team has very little drop off in production when the second unit comes in the game.

Top Performers

McEachern
Sharife Cooper – 21 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists
Isaac Okoro – 15 points, 5 rebounds
Jared Jones – 16 points (6-9 FG) 7 rebounds

Ranney School
Bryan Antoine – 20 points
Scottie Lewis – 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 12-19

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

 

Class AAAAAA

No. 5 Gainesville 81, Cedar Shoals 67: KaJuan Hale scored a team-high 15 points for the Red Elephants. Bailey Minor scored 12 points while Xavier Bledson scored 12 points and added 6 assists. Jarred Rosser (9), Jarrel Rosser (8) and Maurice Hector (8) all pitched in offensively. Cedar Shoals was led by Tyler Johnson’s 15 points and 5 rebounds. Quincy Canty scored 13 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Jaiden Williams tacked on 12 points.

No. 6 Jonesboro 53, Heritage-Conyers 52: Jamari Mosley hit a free throw with 3.2 seconds left to slip past the Patriots. Mosley finished with 11 points and 5 rebounds. Jamari Smith collected 14 points and 10 rebounds. Quinn Thomas hit 4 threes off the bench. Meco Lucas added 4 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 7 Douglas County 71, Mays 55: Malik Battle scored 22 points, Cam Copeland 18 and Rickey Clark 12 in the Region 5 victory.

Class AAAAA

Loganville 60, Griffin 44: Jamar Moore had 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 7 steals and 3 blocks in the win.

Paulding County 64, South Paulding 57: Tyron Summerour netted 17 points to pace the Patriots. Keon Sedgewick had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Brown chipped in 10 points and 7 rebounds. Elijah Brown finished with 6 points and 9 rebounds.

Villa Rica 52, Cedartown 29: Phillip Zachery scored 12 points for the Wildcats. Javonte Hart, Elijah Fluker and Latrell Swanigan all scored 10 points apiece.

Lithia Springs 53, Soddy Daisy (TN) 49: Omarion Smith led the way with 13 points.

Class AAAA

No. 4 Mary Persons 75, Westminster 65: Cam Holden poured in 25 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks. Tre Edge added 21 points and 5 rebounds. Desmond Williams scored 12 and Tre Slaten tossed in 8 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists.

LaFayette 66, Coahulla Creek 60: Dee Southern netted 16 points. Rylan Russell hit five threes en route to 15 points. Alex Kelehear (13), Andrew Pendergrass (11) and Jon Morgan (10) all cracked double figures.

Woodward Academy 56, Fayette County 53: Kevin Powell scored 12 points followed by Spencer Felix (11), Walker Kessler (11) and JaCorrei Turner’s 10 in the win. Ricky Knight netted a game-high 18 in the loss. JaKobe Coleman had 11.

Henry County 54, KIPP Academy 41: DeAndre Rice tallied 13 points and 8 rebounds. Casey Armour netted 11.

Shaw 71, Hardaway 41: Lincoln Smith produced 20 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists. Jalen Ken notched 12 points.

Class AAA

GISATrinity Christian 62, No. 5 GAC 57: The Lions rallied from down 16 points to beat the Spartans. Jamir Williams had 25 points and 10 rebounds while Brady Burnett added 11 points.

No. 9 Monroe Area 63, Marist 53: Isaiah Glasper scored 15 points and Dabarius Partee added 12 in the win. Devin Sheets collected 11 points and 10 rebounds. Elijah Goodman scored 9 points while Quontarius Lackey and Michael Gray each added 8.

No. 10 Dawson County 58, West Hall 49 OT: Campbell Reed drilled 7 threes and finished with 31 points as the Tigers got the win in their fourth game in five days. Cullen Reed added 12 points while Ryan Gallenkamp grabbed 15 rebounds; Trey Pruitt snatched 7 boards. Noah Edmondson scored 20 and Dee Buffington added 15 in the loss.

Adairsville 60, Cass 50: Mason Bowell finished with 17 points including 5 threes to stun the Colonels. Cody Henderson (14), Ethan Belcher (13) and Hunter Hice (11) all came up big. Mark Chester netted 14 points and Ashton Burley had 13 in the loss.

Maplewood (TN) 67, Lovett 64: Crawford Schwieger had 24 points and Lance Beck scored 20 in the loss.

Union County 59, Gilmer 30: Pierson Allison put up 19 points while Sawyer Drake (12) and Patrick Baggett (11) both came up big.

Class AA

No. 2 Banks County 66, Monticello 61: Dylan Orr dumped in 28 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 7 blocks as the Hurricanes had no answer inside. Carl Cleveland scored 20 points and grabbed 9 rebounds while Gabe Martin netted 16 points. Darius Bonds collected 2 points, 5 rebounds and 12 assists.

Dodge County 67, Wayne County 48: Nick Cummings scored 25 points and RJ Carr dropped in 21. Marcus Caines pitched in 12 in the win.

Lamar County 66, Mt. de Sales 54: Quay Parks led the way with 20 points. Rondez Fletcher and Josiah Stewart scored 14 apiece.

Elbert County 65, Social Circle 25: Kobe Goudelock had 19 points and 11 rebounds in the win,

Class A-Private

GISAMt. Bethel Christian 55, No. 4 Wesleyan 46: Jordan Meka scored 23 points inside while Staney Eze added 15 in the Eagles victory. Christian McLean fouled out with 6:30 remaining in the game for Wesleyan. He netted 13 to lead the Wolves.

Stratford Academy 76, Hawkinsville 69: The Eagles struggled to put away Hawkinsville. Devin Butts finished with 28 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. Nathan Hunt scored 24 and Jaden Harris added 7.

Class A-Public

No. 2 Woodville-Tompkins 76, McIntosh County Academy 50: Deante Green led all scorers with 17 points. Preston Crisp had 15 points and AJ Hassel netted 15.

Bowdon 79, North Murray 73: Zach Ledbetter dropped in 24 points and Christ Parker added 21 in the win. Scott Cunningham chipped in 16.

Green County 79, Prince Avenue Christian 61: DJ Wright tallied 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in the win.

 

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 5 Cherokee 61, Marietta 49: Sydne Watts posted 18 points. Olivia Herrera and Kate Johnson scored 10 apiece. Lacie McCoy netted 8.

Rockdale County 55, McNair 39: Kourtlan Carter posted 19 points to pace the Lady Bulldogs.

Class AAAAAA

Pope 49, North Atlanta 29:  Abby McKinley and Talia Cloud led the Lady Greyhounds with 13 points apiece.

Class AAAAA

No. 2 Flowery Branch 49, Edison (VA) 46: Down at the KSA Tournament in Orlando, the Lady Falcons received 13 points from Caroline Wysocki and 12 from Taniyah Worth in the win. Lexie Sengkhammee and Ashlee Locke scored 8 apiece.

No. 4 Harris County 68, Fayette County 59: At the Crescom Bank Holiday Invitational, Mississippi State-signee Jessika Carter poured in 16 points, 19 rebounds and 3 blocks. Taziaha Fanning posted 19 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks inside while Ny’Azjha Carter put up 15 points and 7 rebounds. Fayette County was led by Maegan Barkley’s 12 points and 4 assists. Rikkelle Miller had 11 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists while Naomi Franco had 8 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks.

No. 6 Villa Rica 70, Cedartown 35: Deasia Merrill finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 9 steals. Kyndal Coleman went for 15 points and 3 assists while Aliyah Hindsman put up 13 points and 4 steals. Jaila Orozco had 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

No. 7 Maynard Jackson 67, Whitewater 36: Tamaria White scored 21 points and Jamilah Mitchell added 12.

Cass 58, Adairsville 34: Kyla Michienzi led the Lady Colonels with 14 points while Payon Stoddard added 13. Amber Brittian scored 9 points followed by Aaliyah Curtis (7) and Alexis Ware (6).

Class AAAA

No. 10 Jefferson 60, Columbia 20: Livi Blackstock finished with 14 points followed by Mariah Starks’ 13 and Jazmin Allen’s 12.

West Hall 61, 3ANo. 9 Dawson County 45: Anna McKendree dropped 24 points in the win.

Class AAA

Sonoraville 56, Pepperell 41: Maliyah Parks and Alexa Geary had 12 apiece in the Lady Phoenix win. Sandi McMullin chipped in 11 points and Harleigh Chastain, Grace Darnell and Abby Chambers each scored 7. Pepperell was led by Kaylee Mansell’s 20 points.

Union County 68, Gilmer 61: Bailey Daniel pumped in 19 points while Brooke Dockery and Kait McCarter added 17 apiece.

Class AA

No. 5 Putnam County 82, No. 2 Rabun County 53: Jashanti Simmons dropped 25 points, Hailey Hyman had 22 and Rykia Pennamon netted 18 in the massive statement game for the Eagles. Georgia Stockton scored a career-high 38 in the loss.

No. 6 Banks County 62, Monticello 37: Allison Smith scored 20 points and Jaycie Bowen added 16 in the Region 8 win. Amber Williams and Morgan Lyons each scored 6 points.

No. 7 Dodge County 52, Wayne County 51: The Squaws rallied in the fourth quarter to stun Wayne County, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 32-11 in the fourth. Zanessia Mitchell scored 14 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter. Destanee Wright had 12 points, 10 coming in the final quarter. Europe Brown finished with 11 points.

Rockmart 69, Mt. Zion-Carrollton 23: Freshman Keyarah Berry hung 26 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Cambree Stanley added 11 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Madison Davis collected 9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals.

Bryan County 49, Long County 31: Olonna Rawls pumped in 22 points and 8 rebounds. Jay Black added 9 points and 11 rebounds. Kelsey Leggett scored 8 points as did Alicia Fabin.

Class A-Private

No. 2 Wesleyan 96, Miller Grove 40: AC Carter tallied 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 steals. Amaya Register pitched in 18 points and 5 assists. Alyssa Phillip scored 12 points and Sutton West finished with 11 points and 7 steals.

Athens Academy 54, Oglethorpe County 22: Gabby Mastandrea posted 11 points followed by Maddie McCleary’s 10 and Greer Moseley’s 9. Reagan Hatch had 6 points and 7 rebounds while Rose Bone collected 6 points and 6 rebounds.

Prince Avenue Christian 40, Greene County 30: Madison Britt scored 16 points to pace the Lady Wolverines. Ansley Hall and Janie Henderson added 10 apiece.

Class A-Public

No. 1 Telfair County 86, Treutlen 26: India Wells (23), NyAsia Howard (20), Tanajawa Graham (20) and Brandy Mackey (10) led an overwhelming attack for the Lady Trojans.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Peach State Stops of the Week (12/17-12/23)

People always ask me, “What’s the best game in town this week?”

Peach State Stops of the Week will highlight some of the best basketball being played in Georgia for the current week. Whether it’s a tournament/showcase, a region rivalry, a Top 10 showdown, or a seldom heard sleeper, Peach State Stops of the Week will let you know what gym you need to get into

WEDNESDAY

No. 3 Calhoun County at No. 4 Montgomery County

Coming off an upset loss to No. 6 Manchester 53-49, No. 3 Calhoun County (8-1) has no time to wallow in self-pity. They turn around and face a tough No. 4 Montgomery County (7-1) team with a star scorer of their own. Senior guard Daveaun Coglin piles in buckets at a high rate and will be asked to carry the Eagles past an angry group of Cougars led by South Florida-signee Rashun Williams.

Campbell at No. 9 Pebblebrook

At 6-2, Pebblebrook has seen a plethora of high level talent before entering Region 2-AAAAAAA play. They kicked off their region schedule with a come from behind 71-68 win to stun No. 6 Wheeler. The backcourt of Dwight Murray, Grant Howard, Jalen Harper and Khalil Hawkins has powered the Falcons offense, with Canisius-signee Mervin James and Josh Graham doing the dirty work in the front court. As potent as the Falcons are when they are clicking, they will have their hands full with Campbell. Without all the D-1 stars that he usually coaches against night in and night out in Region 2, Coach James Gwyn always gets the most out of his players and seemingly always pushes his high-profile opponents to the limit. Junior point guard Terrell Burden is flourishing this year, the 5-foot-9 playmaker averaging 17.2 points, 6.6 assists and 3.2 steals. 6-foot-5 junior wing Donovan Grant is a knock-down shooter averaging 15 points and 5.6 rebounds while Kiya Randolph (12.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Brandon Deravine (11.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.6 bpg) are also tough covers.

FRIDAY

No. 7 Greenforest at No. 3 ELCA

To reestablish themselves as a true title contender in Class A-Private, the two-time defending state champion Eagles (3-4) will have to play well against ELCA (8-1). The Chargers have hit their stride and have left no doubt against their opponents. Greenforest is the start of a challenging stretch of games. 6-foot-8 Malachi Rhodes will need to stay out of foul trouble to keep ELCA playing to their potential. He is averaging 14.3 points and 10.9 rebounds. Power forward Jamaine Mann is a physical and explosive sophomore posting 9.8 points and 8.7 rebounds. A balanced backcourt consists of Trevon Reddish, KJ Jones, Kamari Smith and Mekhi Cameron. Greenforest will have to handle the Charger press. Turnovers have crippled the Eagles against top competition. With a completely new team full of transfers, chemistry has lacked early in the season and may still take some time to jell. Jaylyn Clark leads the team at 18 points per game while Christian Jackson pitches in 16.1 a night. The Eagles have raw size inside. It will be interesting to see if 6-foot-8, 215-pound Ibrahim Jarjou and 6-foot-10, 260-pound Bright Okongwu can slow down Rhodes around the rim.

THURSDAY-SATURDAY

Hawks-Naismith Holiday Classic

The first annual Hawks-Naismith Holiday Classic at Norcross has good games galore. There are a couple grudge matches on the docket that provide the best storylines, if not the best games. On Thursday, Allatoona gets a 2015-16 state championship rematch with No. 4 Miller Grove, Coach Sharman White’s final high school game, beating the Bucs 50-48 during the Macon Centreplex debacle. The night cap on Friday features No. 10 Duluth vs. No. 1 St. Francis. Coach Cabral Huff brought a 2014 state championship to St. Francis before leaving for the college ranks and returning last year to take over the reins at Duluth. Saturday night at 6 PM pits Tift County against No. 7 Newton. The Blue Devils ended the Rams’ season last year in the Elite 8, stunning the home crowd at Newton. The defending Class AAAAAAA state champions don’t have the fire power they had last year, but still are a thorn in opponents’ sides. Expect Ashton Hagans’ Rams to come out uber-motivated for revenge.