Monthly Archives: December 2017

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 5 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

  1. Harrison (7-2)
  2. Alpharetta (9-0)
  3. Northview (7-2)
  4. Lovejoy (9-1)
  5. Winder-Barrow (7-1)
  6. Sequoyah (8-1)
  7. Lanier (8-2)
  8. Forest Park (7-2)
  9. Northside-Warner Robins (7-1)
  10. Tucker (5-3) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (8-0)
  2. Flowery Branch (6-2)
  3. Dutchtown (9-1)
  4. Harris County (6-0)
  5. Bainbridge (11-2)
  6. Villa Rica (8-0)
  7. Maynard Jackson (6-0)
  8. Eagle’s Landing (8-4)
  9. Carrollton (3-2)
  10. Southwest DeKalb (4-3)

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

It’s still early in Class AAAAAAA, but as of right now, it looks like we might officially have a few new leaders in the clubhouse to win the state championship as No. 9 McEachern continues to fall back into the pack. The Lady Indians were beat by debutant No. 8 North Cobb on the road, 57-51. The Lady Warriors’ only loss this season has come to No. 5 Cherokee, 58-44. The Lady Warriors from Canton picked up a 54-39 win at River Ridge while No. 4 Newton hammered a good Grayson team 63-43 and slipped past Mill Creek 58-54. Cherokee and Newton benefit the most from McEachern and No. 10 Colquitt County’s slides. The Lady Packers were knocked off by Class 5A No. 5 Bainbridge 47-42 and now have the unenviable task of playing No. 1 Westlake at the Peach State Holiday Classic on Wednesday. The Lions are coming off an 85-54 mauling of Douglas County. No. 2 Collins Hill is hot on Westlake’s track, scoring impressive wins over Mountain View (81-33) and Class 6A No. 1 Harrison (42-39) at the Queens of the Hardwood Classic. Brookwood (5-2) exits from the poll after losing to Class 6A No. 7 Lanier.

Yes, that’s right, we have a new No. 1 in Class AAAAAA: No. 1 Harrison. Even with the Lady Hoyas’ 42-39 loss to Class 7A No. 2 Collins Hill, Harrison showed they can impose their will and control the tempo of any game. They defeated Region 6 opponent River Ridge 59-48 prior to their loss. No. 4 Lovejoy lost their hold of No. 1 thanks to a 56-53 loss to Stephenson (6-4) who drops out of the rankings after losing to No. 10 Tucker 48-38. Lovejoy played without star sophomore Anaya Boyd due to an eye injury, but with the stakes so high and the top teams so even, there is limited room for error. Region 7 now places teams two and three in No. 2 Alpharetta and No. 3 Northview. They will clash for first-place on January 4 at Alpharetta. The Lady Titans have a tough road ahead before worrying about the Lady Raiders. They tip-off the Deep South Classic against Hillgrove at Brookwood on the 28th. Lovejoy wasn’t the only team to falter this week as No. 5 Winder-Barrow is down two spots following their upset 63-58 loss to No. 7 Lanier, who reenters the poll. The Longhorns also beat Brookwood 48-46 behind Jamyah Montissol’s 21 points – 12 coming in the fourth quarter. No. 8 Forest Park beat Tucker 62-44 in convincing fashion. No. 9 Northside-Warner Robins earned a 43-36 win over Class 3A No. 6 Central-Macon.

Defending Class AAAAA state champion No. 1 Buford turned back No. 2 Flowery Branch for the fourth straight time dating back to last season, 58-48, but it still seems like the Lady Falcons are the team best equipped to challenge the Lady Wolves for a state title. No. 6 Villa Rica is making some noise, beating No. 9 Carrollton in Region 7 play, 67-60, dropping the Lady Trojans down six spots. Carrollton swept Villa Rica last year, but now it looks like the Wildcats are the early favorite to win the region. With Carrollton’s loss and No. 8 Eagle’s Landing’s 54-52 loss to Memphis Central at the Queens of the Hardwood Classic, No. 3 Dutchtown, No. 4 Harris County and No. 5 Bainbridge all rise into the Top 5. Dutchtown beat a good Locust Grove team 70-62 while Bainbridge took down Class 7A No. 10 Colquitt County 47-42 at Colquitt.

There will be a Class AAAA state championship rematch on Tuesday as No. 1 Carver-Columbus hosts rival Columbus. It will take a herculean effort for the Blue Devils to upset Class AAAA’s heavy state title favorite. No. 2 Henry County struggled with Eastside’s junk defense, double and triple-teaming Auburn-signee Brooke Moore, but Moore finally broke free late in the second half to help the War Hawks win 59-44. No. 10 Jefferson sinks five spots after losing at No. 6 Madison County 58-56. The Red Raiders held their own this week after losing in overtime to Class 2A No. 6 Banks County. They scored their win against Jefferson and followed up with a 64-56 win over Class 3A No. 10 Hart County. No. 5 Northwest Whitfield has a Region 6 showdown with red-hot 8-0 Pickens County. Coach Brandon Thomas has the Dragonettes clicking on all cylinders, but they haven’t played a well-oiled machine like the Lady Bruins. West Hall (7-4) exits the rankings after losing 46-44 at No. 8 Marist and to Banks County 55-36. No. 9 Americus-Sumter gets a crack at the Top 10 out of Region 1. Jykeria Long is averaging 14.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 5 steals for the Panthers.

While Class AAA No. 1 GAC has been taking care of business with wins over East Hall (78-44) and Mountain View (90-53), No. 2 Beach has done the same down on the coast. The defending state champs won their title game rematch with bitter rival No. 5 Johnson-Savannah 53-42 and will play the Atomsmashers again today for the Memorial Health Holiday Classic Championship. No. 6 Central-Macon is down three spots after a tough loss to Class 6A No. 9 Northside Warner-Robins, 43-36. North Murray (9-3) departs from the rankings following losses to Calhoun (49-44) and Murray County (53-45). Into the poll is No. 8 Peach County, who has played extremely well without Southern Miss-signee Daishai Almond, who suffered a season ending knee injury in the summer.

No. 1 Laney had a scare in Class AA, struggling to put away Butler 68-54. They rebounded however with an 80-57 win at Mays. No. 8 Fitzgerald falls five spots after a bad 60-55 loss at Cook. Last week’s teams four through eight all rise a position.  No. 6 Banks County could have jumped higher, but a 75-74 overtime setback against East Hall keeps their movement to a minimum. The Lady Leopards have played as tough a schedule as anyone in Class AA, earning wins over Class 4A No. 6 Madison County in overtime 60-53 and beating West Hall 55-36 last week. Berrien (8-3) disappears from the rankings following a 50-48 loss to Early County. They are replaced by No. 10 Washington County. The Golden Hawks have won five-straight including a 56-45 win over Bleckley County.

In Class A-Private, No. 1 Holy Innocents’ beat Lebanon (TN) 71-55 at the She Got Game Classic.  No. 2 Wesleyan raced past Fayette County 83-58 and No. 3 St. Francis fell to Hoover (AL) 53-51 at the Queens of the Hardwood Classic. No. 4 Our Lady of Mercy beat No. 9 Fellowship Christian 52-41, Florida State-signee Morgan Jones outscoring the Paladins with 42 points. No. 5 Christian Heritage is up five spots following their 57-42 win over Pinecrest Academy (3-4) knocking the Lady Paladins from the Top 10. Sisters Meghan and Kelsey Schneller are the twin engines for Coach Maggie Peeples’ Lions. Athens Academy (6-2) falls from the rankings after losing to returnee No. 10 Lakeview Academy 61-51. Making their first appearance in the poll is No. 8 Calvary Day. The Savannah-based Cavaliers hold wins over Jenkins (46-29) and Richmond Hill (54-39) to legitimize their resume.

Just like on the boys side, we have a state-altering upset in Class A-Public. No. 4 Pelham tumbles three spots after losing at No. 3 Terrell County 61-60, the Green Wave surging up five spots. That means defending state runner-up No. 1 Telfair County grabs the driver’s seat in Class A-Public after the Hornets were ranked No. 1 wire-to-wire last season. The Lady Trojans beat No. 5 Wheeler County for the second time this year on Saturday, 75-64 on the road. Ny’Asia Howard dropped 25 points while India Wells netted 22 and Brandy Mackey and Vashay Tillis each added 8 points. No. 8 Marion County suffered a bad loss to 2-5 Taylor County, 47-42, dropping the Eagles three spots. Wilcox County (6-3) exits the Top 10 after losing at Class 2A No. 7 Dodge County 50-34. They are replaced by undefeated No. 10 Georgia Military College. The Lady Bulldogs have gotten a spark from 5-foot-9 freshman Deandria Stephens, who is averaging 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals per game.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

6A No. 2 Harrison controls tempo, but 7A No. 2 Collins Hill grinds out 42-39 win

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Contributed by Rob Grubbs  (@RCGJr226070)

Sponsored by:   @sportalspace

7ANo. 2 Collins Hill 42, 6ANo. 2 Harrison 39

Harrison was able to neutralize Collins Hill’s size advantage for most of the game

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. – In men’s basketball, most games are won with athleticism and skill, the tallest players and those that leap the highest usually determine the outcome.  But the ladies game has more room for diversity of style, it can be more of a tactical match of wits and the ability for the head coach to relate and motivate his team.  In the nightcap of the Queens of the Hardwood Classic, two of the best teams in the state faced off with completely different roster styles. The Harrison Lady Hoyas (7-2), who lost the state championship last season to Mays by one point, are currently ranked No. 2 in Class AAAAAA while Collins Hill (9-1) is ranked No. 2 in Class AAAAAAA. Harrison has a small quick line-up, they start four guards and a forward, while Collins Hill is exactly the opposite, they start four forwards and one guard. The game was a low scoring affair as the Lady Hoyas dictated the pace, but the Lady Eagles held on for the 42-39 win.

Collins Hill has All-State forward 6-foot-2 Jada Rice (NC State) and University of Georgia-commit 6-foot-3 Jayvn Nicholson and as Head Coach Brian Harmon said, “We prefer to work our offense inside and which opens up our outside shots.”

That is how the game started, Nicholson scored the first basket in the paint for Collins Hill to set the tone early. The Lady Hoyas prefer to run a motion offense with multiple passes and controlling the ball for long periods of time. Their typical possession contained up to 15 passes as they looked for the open shot, with the entire team working in orchestrated precision that resembles synchronized swimming in some instances. You could sense that the Lady Eagles’ height inside was affecting Harrison, as most of their shots had a much higher arch than normal and at the halfway mark of the first quarter, the Lady Hoyas still had not scored a point. Senior Harper Vick finally broke the ice with a three at 3:34 mark in opening quarter to tie the game at 3.

The change of pace from Harrison caused frustration for Collins Hill, with the Lady Hoyas controlling offensive possessions for long periods of time, they effectively took away what the Lady Eagles do best. The patience was paying off for Harrison as they jumped out to a 10-8 lead after the initial quarter.

https://twitter.com/RCGJr226070/status/942228628410073088

With their post players effectively neutralized, Collins Hill showed that to be a champion you must adapt, and junior guard Bria Harmon (Purdue) took control of the Lady Eagle offense, hitting a runner early in the second quarter to tie the game up. Harmon, who is a Gwinnett Daily Post Super 6 pick (along with Nicholson) and Coach Harmon’s daughter, continued to look for scoring opportunities throughout the game.

Coach Harmon called upon junior Katherine Fourie off the bench to supplement the scoring and she came up big. She entered the game with the Lady Hoyas up 16-14 and scored six points in less than two minutes, including a three to push Collins Hill to a 22-16 halftime lead.

https://twitter.com/RCGJr226070/status/942232136723193857

Coach Harmon said, “Katherine can provide instant offense for us, which we needed, I just had to figure the right moments to get her in there.”

When he put her in, she came through, as she led all scorers with 15 points, all of them clutch.

Harrison continued the game plan in the third but behind Harmon, the Lady Eagles were slowly growing the lead behind Harmon and with the clock clicking down in the third quarter, Lady Hoya senior guard Sarah Woghiren hit a three at the buzzer to turn a 9-point deficit into a more manageable 31-25 game entering the fourth.

After a Jaron Stallworth basket, the Lady Eagles were up 37-30 with 4 minutes remaining, but Harrison head coach Steve Lenahan, in his 10th season, saw his plan coming into focus as the Lady Hoyas scored six unanswered to pull within one point with two minutes left.

Harrison had two possessions to take the lead but could not convert on either one and then “instant offense” Fourie hit a three-pointer with 1:13 remaining that seemed to ice the game at 40-36.

The Lady Hoyas didn’t bring the word quit with them on the bus from Kennesaw and when Vick converted a free throw to complete a three-point play to bring the game to 40-39 with 37 seconds, they were just a turnover away from another chance to snatch a win. However, Collins Hill broke the press and Nicholson hit two free throws to ice the game for the 42-39 win.

Coach Harmon was frustrated but pleased with the outcome. He closed with, “We have to do a better job of forcing our tempo instead of just allowing ourselves to play our opponents game, that is the lesson that we learned tonight.”

He had a classroom-style chat with the team on the bench for about ten minutes before they headed home.  Hopefully, it is a lesson his team learned, as the head coach of their next opponent was in the building to observe and scout.

Great teams separate themselves from the good teams by the way they adjust, Collins Hill has the roster, it us up to them to learn from tonight and move forward.

Rob’s Takeaways

  1. Junior Bria Harmon is a three-year starter at point guard and usually has the take of setting up the post players down low, but tonight, she took on more scoring responsibility and kept the Lady Eagles in the game throughout. She played excellent defense, and has extremely quick hands and feet. Being the head coach’s daughter can bring its own set of challenges, but she saw the direction the game took and understood it was her responsibility to score.
  2. I was excited to see Jada Rice and Jayvn Nicholson work inside and was disappointed they were regulated to a spectator role for much of the time. They will need to adapt, as several coaches from other top high school programs were in attendance for the game and took notes on how to neutralize their presence.
  3. The Players of the Game, as determined by the teams’ head coaches were UAB-signee Audrey Jordan for Harrison and Bria Harmon for Collins Hill.
  4. Coach Harmon had excellent utilization of Katherine Fourie, he brought her into situation when the Lady Eagles needed points and she delivered.
  5. As the region slate heats up, Harrison needs to find a consistent scorer to depend on, will that be Harper Vick, Sarah Woghiren, Audrey Jordan? Who will take the shots with the game on the line?
  6. Does Collins Hill get maximum exposure from “instant offense” Katherine Fourie off the bench or would she be better suited for the starting five? Coach Harmon will have to continue playing his hunch here as the region and playoff games get more important down the road.
  7. Up next – for Harrison, they face Lambert on Thursday night at the Hawks-Naismith Classic. Collins Hill plays Buford in the same tournament.

Top Performers

Collins Hill
Katherine Fourie – 15 points, 4 assists, 2 steals
Bria Harmon – 14 points, 4 rebounds
Javyn Nicholson – 6 points, 8 rebounds
Jaron Stallworth – 5 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks

Harrison
Amara Newsom – 10 points, 2 rebounds
Audrey Jordan – 8 points, 7 rebounds
Harper Vick – 7 points, 3 assists

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

Explosive fourth quarter powers No. 2 Wesleyan past Fayette County at Queens of the Hardwood Classic

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Contributed by Rob Grubbs  (@RCGJr226070)

Sponsored by:   @sportalspace

No. 2 Wesleyan 83, Fayette County 58

https://twitter.com/RCGJr226070/status/942122229759987713

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga – In girls high school basketball, the holiday tournaments give teams the opportunity to play against competition from other classifications and parts of the state, it is a good gauge of where they are and what they need to work on before region games heat up in January.  The Fayette County Lady Tigers, who advanced to the Sweet 16 last year in Class AAAAA, have gotten off to a strong start and got the chance to face one of the most storied ladies’ programs in the state, the No. 2 Wesleyan Lady Wolves. Under the leadership of Head Coach Jan Azar, Wesleyan has won 12 state championships in the past 16 years.  The current edition is led by the talented senior duo of point guard Amaya Register who is signed to Old Dominion and Furman-signee Sutton West, but an otherwise young supporting cast. While the Lady Tigers (8-2) played Wesleyan even through the first quarter, emerging star sophomore AC Carter dominated on the offensive and defensive sides of the court and led the Lady Wolves (6-1) to an impressive 83-58 win.

The opening tip of the game gave a glimpse what was to transpire as West easily tipped the ball out to Carter who had an easy lay-up for the opening score. West would score on their next possession to go up 4-0 less than one minute in and a sudden feeling of a blow-out wafted overhead, but Lady Tiger senior forward Rikkelle Miller knocked down a three to answer, which seemed to settle her team down. Miller hit another three-pointer at the end of the first quarter to tie things up at 20. An otherwise impressive first quarter by the Lady Tigers did have one negative, the sharpshooting Miller picked up two quick fouls, the second one only three minutes into the game, it would significantly affect the way Fayette County Head Coach John Strickland rotated her in and out to protect her.

The Wolves struck quickly to start the second half, they went on a 9-0 run over the first 3 minutes. Register and Carter scored during the run that put the Lady Wolves up for good. The Lady Wolves may have stars, but their roster is strong from top to bottom and minutes are spread out.  When West sat down in the second quarter, Sophomore Izzy Larsen got productive time and scored off an offensive rebound and put back. Another sophomore, Lauren Hill, hit a three from the top of the key and Register followed suit. Fayette County senior guard Trinity Brown, who had the task of answering the Wesleyan press all game, kept the Lady Tigers within striking distance, she slashed to the basket on two occasions for lay-ups to keep her team close. At the half, the Lady Wolves were up 40-31.  After the 9-0 run to start the quarter, the Lady Tigers matched points the rest of the half.

The third started like the first, Carter hit a triple on the first play. It was the start of a surgically precise third quarter where the Lady Wolves operated at will. They hit six three-pointers in the quarter alone, Carter and Register with two each, and Nicole Azar and Hill also getting one. Maegan Barkley was a bright spot in the second half for the Lady Tigers, she made an athletic steal at mid-court and a drive for the basket plus the foul to keep Fayette County within reach at 58-45.

By the fourth quarter, the game was decided. It was an opportunity to showcase some skillsets and get some younger players some playing time. Carter impressed the crowd with a strong defensive rebound and then drove the length of the floor for the lay-up. She was almost unguardable throughout the game.  Miller would add one more three with 6 minutes remaining, but the Lady Wolves closed out strong for the 25-point win.

https://twitter.com/RCGJr226070/status/942148694345965568

Coach Azar was proud of the effort afterwards, “We have not played in 11 days, so I was really impressed at our shooting, we shot the ball really well. And made shots on the offensive end allow us to set up the press. Fayette County is a good team, we just hit the shots that let us jump out to a big lead and put it away.”

The Lady Wolves are going to be sending a lot of good teams home with 25-point losses as the season progresses.

Rob’s Takeaways

  1. The Wesleyan Lady Wolves arrived at the gym 25 minutes prior to game time, they literally walked off their bus, put on tournament tee-shirts and started their warm-up routine.
  2. Senior Sutton West is a state championship machine, she currently has 7 (two in basketball, once in soccer and four in track). She has the chance to get four more this year. She is their best defender and usually draws the opponent’s best player. She can bring the ball up court, effectively maneuver the press and score off the dribble.
  3. The Lady Wolves offense runs through AC Carter, Amaya Register typically makes an entry pass to her at the free-throw line and she either drives to the hoop from a spin move, passes to a cutter headed to the basket, or back out to Register who resets the play.
  4. Early foul trouble on Fayette County’s Rikkelle Miller hurt the Lady Tiger game plan. Her ability to score from beyond the three-point line was paramount to keeping the Tigers in the game.
  5. Fayette County’s senior guard combo of Trinity Brown and Meagan Barkley have been in Coach Strickland’s system since freshman year and are athletic and physical.  Their play and leadership make them the favorite in Region 3-AAAAA.
  6. Wesleyan freshman Alyssa Phillip has been getting increased playing time in Coach Azar’s system. There is a lot of depth in front of her, but you can see her potential. Great size and physical around the basket.
  7. Coach Azar’s daughter, freshman Nicole is a three-point sharpshooter and another weapon off the bench for the Lady Wolves. She had two in the game.
  8. At one point during the game, Coach Azar and Register were having a strategy conversation during a Fayette County free throw about the technical aspects of the upcoming possession. The discussion sounded like a graduate level class lecture. The Wesleyan basketball IQ is off the charts.
  9. Fayette County has two post players that are getting their first significant playing time, sophomore Naomi Franco and junior Celine Akande. They have great potential to improve and give the guard-laden team more options as the season progresses.
  10. Regardless of what the PA announcer said – it’s Wesleyan – not Wesley-Anne.
  11. The Players of the Game, as determined by the teams’ head coaches were Maegan Barkley for Fayette County and Amaya Register for Wesleyan.
  12. Up next – for Wesleyan, they face Miller Grove on Tuesday at the War Eagle Classic @ Woodward Academy. Fayette County travels to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the Crescom Invitational.

Top Performers

Wesleyan
AC Carter – 27 points, 15 rebounds
Sutton West – 10 points, 10 rebounds
Amaya Register – 18 points, 6 assists

Fayette County
Maegan Barkley – 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Rikkelle Miller – 16 points, 4 rebounds
Trinity Brown – 10 points, 6 assists
Sydney Sims – 4 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 5 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. McEachern (6-0)
  2. Grayson (7-1)
  3. Norcross (8-2)
  4. Collins Hill (9-1)
  5. Mountain View (7-2)
  6. Wheeler (6-3)
  7. Newton (7-2)
  8. Meadowcreek (7-2)
  9. Pebblebrook (6-2)
  10. Duluth (7-3)

Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

 

Hold on tight, Week 5 has the most movement we’ve seen all year. Top teams couldn’t avoid upsets and now heading into region play, the best of the best are starting to square off. In Class AAAAAAA, No. 1 McEachern held off No. 10 Duluth 82-66 at the SEBA Hoop Festival. The Wildcats ran out of gas after trailing 51-47 heading into the fourth quarter. Isaac Okoro couldn’t be stopped, posting 32 points and 11 rebounds while super sophomore Sharife Cooper added 26 points and 5 assists. The Indians’ size gave Duluth some issues with Babatunde Akingbola collecting 11 points, 9 rebounds and 6 blocks. Adam Flagler paced the Wildcats with 18 points followed by Will Huzzie’s electric 15 points and 7 rebounds. No. 3 Norcross was stunned in overtime by Lakeside-DeKalb (4-5) by a score of 56-55, Damon Davis hitting the game-winner and finishing with 17 points. No. 2 Grayson rises three spots after handling their business, knocking off No. 7 Newton 74-73, Archer 68-49 and Class 6A No. 5 Gainesville 65-63 in overtime. Vaulting up six spots is red-hot No. 4 Collins Hill. The Eagles scored wins over No. 5 Mountain View 49-48 and Duluth 54-50. The Bears of Mountain View still rose two spots thanks to their nail-biting wins over Discovery 46-45 and Newton in overtime, 66-65. No. 6 Wheeler slips three spots after a 71-68 home loss to No. 9 Pebblebrook, who rejoins the Top 10 replacing Peachtree Ridge (9-1) who suffered their first loss of the season to Etowah 49-46, the Eagles sneaking up the list of valid contenders at 8-1.

In Class AAAAAA, no one is playing better than the defending state champs, No. 1 Langston Hughes. If you didn’t believe me when I said Virginia Tech-signee Landers Nolley is the state’s most unstoppable scorer, maybe you’ll believe me now. He hung 51 on Mays in a 75-66 win and followed up with 40 points and 8 rebounds in an outstanding 63-58 win over Holy Spirit Prep. No. 2 Dacula hasn’t clicked on all cylinders just yet, but the Falcons picked up a pair of wins over South Gwinnett in overtime 61-54 and Pope 68-53 at the SEBA Hoop Festival. Dr. Russ Triaga has stepped down as head coach, leading to assistant Byron Wilson sliding over a seat to take over his dream job. No. 3 Brunswick rises a spot after beating No. 10 Coffee 64-61. The Trojans are out of excuses now with their football players finally back on the court. If they don’t take off right away, they will have to work their way back into the Top 10. They had a heartbreaking buzzer-beater loss to Tift County 54-52, courtesy of the Blue Devils’ Marquavius Johnson. In the loss, Jayce Moore dumped in 20 points, matching Montae Terrell’s 20 for Tift. No. 4 Tri-Cities creeps up three spots after wins over New Manchester (83-71), South Paulding (73-59), Eagle’s Landing (68-56) and Marietta in overtime (74-70). No. 5 Gainesville is down two more spots, desperately trying to finish out their brutal 9-game stretch to start the season. Battling suspensions, the Red Elephants nearly escaped Class 7A No. 2 Grayson, but lost in overtime 65-63. Sitting at 2-5 overall, Gainesville is 0-4 vs. GHSA opponents; their only wins coming at the Memphis vs. Atlanta Roundball Classic. Tucker (7-3) falls out of the poll following a 54-40 loss to debutant No. 9 Stephenson. The Jaguars have now won 8-straight games behind their dynamic guard play of Bryce Latimer and Drevion Evans.

Though they might not have a state title favorite right now, Region 5-AAAAA is loaded with potential Final Four teams. No. 3 Columbia moves up a spot after losing to No. 6 Lithonia 53-52, but beating rival No. 4 Miller Grove 60-58. Lithonia jumps four spots thanks to their win. No. 5 Southwest DeKalb sees no movement after beating Class 6A No. 3 Brunswick 58-44, but losing to Class 3A No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 62-55 at the Memorial Health Holiday Classic. Elsewhere in the classification, No. 8 Maynard Jackson remained undefeated by helping knock Lithia Springs (7-3) out of the rankings, surviving on the road in overtime 69-64. The Lions have now lost three straight games, suffering losses at Banneker 88-82 and to Cass 52-48. Leading scorer Anthony Hardy has missed the last two games with an injury. Replacing Lithia Springs is No. 10 Woodland-Stockbridge. The Wolfpack make their first appearance in the Top 10. They hold wins over Stockbridge 67-66 and Class 6A’s newly ranked Stephenson 70-65. The junior backcourt of Curtis Perdue and Jalen Mason is leading the way. Perdue is averaging 15.3 points while Mason, the Miller Grove transfer, is tallying 12.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per night.

No. 1 Upson-Lee is winning by an average of 40.8 points per game in Class AAAA. They trashed Taylor County 69-11 and at one point had allowed only four points deep into the third quarter. They will finally get their first test of the season on Wednesday down at the City of Palms. The Knights meet Kaukauna High School out of Wisconsin. Jordan McCabe, a West Virginia-signee and YouTube sensation, will likely be the best player Upson-Lee has ever played against in a high school game. No. 2 St. Pius trounced Stephens County (7-1) and dropped the Indians from the Top 10. It wasn’t just their 79-65 loss to the Golden Lions that forced the Indians out, but it was their lackluster 60-57 win over 2-7 Habersham Central that sealed their fate. They had beaten the Raiders 91-48 at Stephens County on December 1.  The Indians however aren’t the only team that struggled this week. Region 1’s No. 9 Americus-Sumter and No. 10 Carver-Columbus are down four and six spots, respectively. Carver suffered a bad 56-52 loss to Class 2A Spencer (4-4) while Americus-Sumter was defeated by Northside-Columbus 58-56. No. 5 Cartersville benefits and jumps up three spots to their preseason position after finally opening the season and doing so with two impressive wins over Paulding County (76-54) and at Calhoun (54-27).  No. 6 Westover is hot on their tail, moving up four spots with wins over Early County (81-72), Class 5A No. 9 Statesboro (69-51) and Glynn Academy (68-59). Replacing the aforementioned Stephens County Indians is preseason No. 6, No. 8 Salem. The Seminoles have finally found their groove, having to do so without Heritage-Conyers transfer Avante Lederer who is lost for the season with an injury. Seniors Tehjuan Powell and Tabias Long are carrying the load. Powell is averaging 17.9 points per game while Long is totaling 11.4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals on average. Junior point guard Montez Swann is providing 10 points per game and is the team’s leading three-point shooter.

Savannah is rising in Class AAA. No. 2 Johnson-Savannah beat Class 5A No. 5 Southwest DeKalb 62-55 while No. 3 Jenkins beat up Class 6A No. 8 Bradwell Institute 75-47 and edged No. 7 Windsor Forest 72-62, the Knights still moving up two spots in the process. No. 5 Greater Atlanta Christian is down three spots as they continue to struggle how to solve Coach Joe Dix’s East Hall Vikings. The Vikes are only 2-4 but they have now won three-straight games dating back to last season against GAC following their 88-74 victory in Valhalla. Perennial powers Calhoun (1-2) and Pace Academy (2-2), the defending two-time state champs, exit the Top 10. The Yellow Jackets suffered a bad loss at Model 62-53 and then were outmatched by Class 4A No. 5 Cartersville 54-27 at home. Pace Academy faces a tough stretch ahead and will need to find a leader to carry them through their early two-game losing streak which has been prolonged due to snow postponements. Into the poll is No. 9 Monroe Area and No. 10 Dawson County. The Hurricanes are 7-0 under long-time legend Bolling Dubose, who coached for over 40 years at Jefferson before landing the job in Monroe. Their last three wins have come against Social Circle (61-38), at Apalachee (61-60) and Winder-Barrow (73-60). 6-foot-7 senior forward Elijah Goodman is averaging 15.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.3 blocks. Juniors Isaiah Glasper (14.3 ppg) and Michael Gray (9.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.7 bpg) are playing well along with senior stat sheet stuffer Devin Sheats, the 6-foot-4 wing averaging 7.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Dawson County has rebounded nicely after blowing a 17-point halftime lead against Blessed Trinity and have now won three in a row behind Cullen Reed, Jeremiah Crumley and Campbell Reed.

In Class AA, No. 8 Jeff Davis is down four spots following a 62-59 loss at Vidalia and a 66-54 loss to No. 6 Swainsboro. No. 4 Dublin is rolling, heading to the championship game at the Kreul Classic. Monticello (5-3) and Washington County (4-2) are rolling, but in the wrong direction following the Hurricanes’ losses to Thomson 71-66 and at Elbert County 75-64. The Golden Hawks were tripped up by Northeast-Macon 52-51. Into the poll are familiar faces No. 9 Laney and No. 7 Chattooga. Laney pushed No. 1 Glenn Hills to the brink 62-61 while Chattooga has blasted their opponents in North Georgia. The Indians are led by 5-foot-5 junior point guard “Nuk Nuk” Adams. The speed merchant is averaging a team-high 19 points per game off the bench, pacing Chattooga’s relentless attack.

Class A-Private is seeing No. 1 St. Francis and No. 3 ELCA start to rack up the quality wins. The Knights drilled Southwest Atlanta Christian 93-32 and then beat No. 4 Wesleyan 62-52; the Wolves rising two spots due to No. 5 North Cobb Christian losing to Paulding County 83-74 and No. 8 Landmark Christian slipping three spots following a 97-63 drubbing at the hands of Class 3A No. 5 GAC. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy took care of No. 9 King’s Ridge Christian 77-54 and stomped Drew Charter 88-35. They will host defending two-time state champion No. 7 Greenforest on Friday. The Eagles are back in the Top 10 after beating No. 10 WD Mohammed 64-50. Jaylyn Clark is averaging 17.3 points to pace Greenforest while Christian Jackson is netting 16.7 points and grabbing 6 rebounds a night. Exiting the poll is Stratford Academy (2-3) and Mt. Vernon Presbyterian (4-2). Stratford took two tough losses in Florida while the Mustangs faltered against Whitefield Academy 54-46. Making their first appearance in the Top 10 is North Georgia’s No. 6 Christian Heritage. The Lions haven’t played the toughest schedule in Dalton, but they have handled their business thus far. If they can get out of Chickamauga with a win on Friday at Gordon Lee, they will likely have a Top 10 showdown with North Cobb Christian on January 5. 6-foot-7 forward Christian Koneman is the star of the Lions. He played his travel ball with the Atlanta All-Stars, seeing elite competition over the spring and summer months. The veteran group turns to Zach Gentry at point guard and three-point threat Sam Dindoffer on the wing. AJ Kent brings some athleticism at the swingman spot while freshman Evan Lester is a post presence.

Stop the presses. We have a new No. 1 in Class A-Public. No. 1 Central-Talbotton has been a juggernaut this year and now get the No. 1 title to go along with it. The Hawks beat Dooly County 75-68 behind Tayne Smith’s 29 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and ZyTavian Hill’s 29 points and 14 rebounds. No. 3 Calhoun County loses their grip on Class A-Public after getting upset by No. 6 Manchester 53-49. JahNile Hill took it to USF-signee Rashun Williams, pouring in 23 points while the Blue Devils held Williams to 11. Manchester jumps four spots. No. 2 Woodville-Tompkins’ rise continues following their 64-39 win over Beach. No. 4 Montgomery County bumps up one spot after an impressive 92-74 thumping of Vidalia behind Daveuan Coglin’s 31 points. No. 8 Macon County is reeling, tumbling five spots after losing to No. 5 Wilkinson County 69-61. Keep an eye on No. 7 Lanier County. The Bulldogs are quietly putting together a nice resume, adding wins over Turner County (59-41), 3A Islands (53-46) and 5A New Hampstead (58-51). Hancock Central (5-4) departs from the poll after a 67-56 loss to Greene County. No. 9 Pelham is back thanks to a 79-76 win over Terrell County.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Etowah makes statewide statement with upset of undefeated No. 9 Peachtree Ridge

 

Contributed by Cody Butler  (@CodeMan10x)

Sponsored by:   @sportalspace

Etowah 49, No. 9 Peachtree Ridge 46

Etowah (8-1) closed the door late on Peachtree Ridge in a 49-46 win Saturday at the Gwinnett Daily Post Metro Atlanta Challenge. Etowah made plays down the stretch to escape Gwinnett County with a Top 10 win over the previously unbeaten Lions (8-1). 6-foot-5 wing Adrian Cohen delivered the game winning three for the Eagles with under a minute left in regulation.  Etowah executed their game-plan of defending Florida State-signee Devin Vassell for most of the night, holding him well below his 25-point per game averaging, scoring just 11 points. Vassell went scoreless in the first and fourth quarters, the two pivotal periods Peachtree Ridge struggled to knock down shots as a team.

Etowah took a 12-3 lead in the first after the sensational play of 6-foot-4 junior wing Jaxon Etter. Etter scored eight points quickly setting the Eagles out front of a struggling Lions offense.

Peachtree Ridge head coach Keith Arrington was critical of his team’s shot selection during a timeout, citing too many missed threes and not enough penetration. Etowah guard Nick Nagy frustrated Vassell most of the game leaving no room for separation, making the future Seminole work for every basket.

Peachtree Ridge went on a run of their own as the score tightened to 16-12 with 5:26 to go in the half. The plan to feed Vassell in the second quarter became more successful as he scored six of his 11 total points in the next few minutes.  An Etowah timeout created adjustments though as the Eagles put themselves in control again up 27-19 at halftime.

Cohen, a Tusculum-signee, made his presence known in the second quarter with six consecutive Etowah points. Cohen possesses combo guard skills to drive the basketball and knock down the open shot.

The undefeated Lions wanted no part of losing their first game as they turned up the intensity down eight in the third quarter. Constant pressure on the ball forced Etowah into mistakes.  Back-to-back three-pointers from Vassell and guard Devon Higgs cut the Etowah lead to 32-31 with 2:18 left in the third. The Eagles scored only eight points in the quarter as momentum flipped to the Lions heading to the fourth.

Peachtree Ridge took their first lead of the game on a Hirum Maxey three-pointer making it 36-35 with 5:05 remaining. While Vassell struggled to find open looks in the final frame, Maxey stepped up and made shots to keep the Lions in it. The 6-foot-1 guard finished the game with 12 points, six in the final minutes down the stretch.

Etowah remained poised and answered the Lions run with key three-pointers from Nagy and Cohen to close out the game. Peachtree Ridge led 40-38 with less than four minutes left before Nagy caught and released a three from downtown to regain the lead, 41-40. Peachtree Ridge went back in front 45-44 on a Maxey turnaround with 1:15 remaining but the celebration was short lived.

After a quick timeout and whiteboard session with Etowah head coach Jason Dasinger, the Eagles made the biggest play of the night and proved to be the better team on this Saturday.  Cohen called for the ball and sank the game winning three with 40 seconds left to put Etowah up for good. Cohen finished the game with 16 points and five rebounds.  Etowah kept the ball out of Vassell’s hands down the stretch and left Gwinnett County with the Lions stunned.

Top Performers

Etowah
Adrian Cohen – 16 points, 5 rebounds
Jaxon Etter- 10 points
Nick Nagy – 9 points

Peachtree Ridge
Hirum Maxey – 12 points
Devin Vassell – 11 points