Monthly Archives: December 2017

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Peach State Stops of the Week (12/3-12/9)

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

FRIDAY

No. 5 Bradwell Institute at No. 4 Brunswick

If you want to take a trip to go see the Savannah River this Friday, you might as well stop by to catch two of the coast’s best basketball teams they have to offer at 8:30. The Tigers (6-1) are somewhat of an upstart, going 11-12 last year, but were a Preseason Top 10 team and haven’t disappointed yet thanks to the arrival of Preseason All-State First Teamer Khalyn Weekley and Isaiah Scott. Weekley is averaging over 20 points per game as a physical and explosive 6-foot-3 point guard while Scott provides a wiry 6-foot-4 frame on the wing that possesses a soft touch. Add Ronald Canty Jr. and Javonte LeCounte and you have a potent offense. The Tigers face a major test in defending Class AAAAAA state runner-up, Brunswick (5-0). The Pirates have handled their business behind a quick, yet undersized backcourt. 5-foot-8 senior Marcus Scott leads the team in scoring while 5-foot-10 Daquan Humphreys and 6-foot Jaylen Jackson are also experienced seniors. Tarique Gray and Shaky Baggs are two versatile pieces at Coach Chris Turner’s disposal.

No. 5 Southwest DeKalb at No. 3 Miller Grove

Region 5-AAAAA is always a dogfight with DeKalb County powers going toe-to-toe nightly. The young Panthers (5-2) will try to pick up a statement win over the Wolverines (4-2), who have seen their dominance and their talent gap shrink over the past two years, but still remain the team to beat. Sophomore point guard KD Johnson has proven to be the real deal and merits his Preseason All-State honors. The fearless competitor is averaging 18.9 points, 4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.6 steals per game. James Glisson III continues to round into a strong post presence, the 6-foot-6 junior averaging 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while lanky 6-foot-4 wing Eugene Brown III is chipping in 11.1 points and 7 rebounds. The trio will have to compete with TJ Stargell, Maurice Harvey and Lorenzo Anderson who pace the Wolverine offense from the backcourt. Stargell plays floor general while getting Anderson and Harvey in scoring position. Jermon Clark and Kevin Paige are two space eaters that rebound and block shots inside.

 

SATURDAY

No. 7 Cedar Shoals at Clarke Central

The shoe is on the other foot for the first time in a long time for these two Athens rivals. Though they are currently ranked in the Top 10, No. 7 Cedar Shoals (2-4) is reeling after three straight losses against elite competition including a 74-48 defeat against Region 8 foe No. 2 Buford this Tuesday. Clarke Central (5-0) hasn’t played nearly as difficult of a schedule but have the momentum heading into Saturday’s showdown. The Gladiators have often been the underdog but even so, they’ve always found a way to play the Jaguars tight, losing 73-70 and 67-57 last season. The core of Dwon Smith, Quamontae Monfort, Mijah Campbell and Jaiquez Smith have helped the Gladiators to their best start since 2013-14’s 26-2 team. Trey Johnson and Martavius Darden give Andre McIntyre a bevy of scoring options. Cedar Shoals will turn to sophomores Quincy Canty and Tyler Johnson to provide an inside-outside punch. Jai’Vanni McDavid and Keivaziay Ball are scrappy senior guards that have been through countless wars under Coach L’Dreco Thomas. Keep an eye on sophomore Demetrius Glenn, a sharpshooter that transferred from Clarke Central to Cedar Shoals this offseason.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 6 McIntosh bursts Starr’s Mill’s bubble 64-54

Contributed by Rob Grubbs   (@RCGJr226070)

No. 6 McIntosh 64, Starr’s Mill 54

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga – In Peachtree City, the “Battle of the Bubble” represents any competition between the two rival schools, McIntosh and Starr’s Mill.  All sports are included, but basketball is one of the fiercest, and it’s heightened this season for a couple of reasons. One, both teams are very talented and well coached, they both started the season ranked with the McIntosh Chiefs currently No. 6 and the other, Starr’s Mill Panther three-year starting point guard Zach Pina switched jerseys over the summer when he transferred to McIntosh for his final year. The first installment this season was held at McIntosh which has a unique set up, both student sections are behind the baskets and make for a raucous evening of chants, taunts and fervor. When the night ended, McIntosh remained undefeated (5-0) and got their first home region win of the season.

Pina’s replacement at point for the Panthers (4-2) is Jake Bishop who has plugged in nicely, but an early season injury to their big man, 6-foot-7 Nate Allison has Head Coach Brandon Hutchins adjusting his rotations. For the Chiefs, Pina joins a line-up that features 6-foot-7 sharp-shooting wing player Cole Guenther and explosive guard Chaz Hardin who has emerged as a scoring threat.

After the first quarter of back and forth that saw the Panthers lead by one, the game took on the personality of fast, slashing plays and quickness on defense.

Hardin had a block in the second quarter to keep the game tied at 20-20 and the Chiefs would score off a steal by Bruce Carpenter followed by a steal of the inbound by Pina. Pina’s quickness was causing trouble for the Panthers and in the closing seconds of the half, he collected a steal at half court and drove to the basket for the layup just before the horn sounded for a 23-20 halftime lead. The fans were even getting into the action as the officials had to move the Starr’s Mill student section back one row for touching a player in action.

Hudson started the second half with a three to tie things up and after trading baskets, Guenther got his first points of the game on a three-pointer only to see Panther forward Julian Lynch answer quickly on his end. After a Hudson basket put the Panthers up four with two minutes remaining, the Chiefs took control with a 12-0 run to end the third quarter up 44-36. Chief Head Coach Jason Eisele, who recently just got his 200th career win, showed confidence in his roster by giving his starters extended rest to end the quarter.

McIntosh guard Mills Berry hit a three to start the final quarter for their largest lead of the night. The Panthers would cut the deficit to seven on two occasions, but struggled to get inside against the Chiefs zone defense and never mounted a serious challenge down the stretch as the Chiefs closed out for a 64-54 win.

Hardin led the Chiefs with 23 points while Guenther and Pina both added 10.  Lynch paced the Panthers with 22 points and Hudson had 16. Afterwards, Coach Eisele commented on his team, “We were able to rest our guys in the third because of the depth we have, we are 13 deep and with our flexibility, we can play a lot of different groups.”

Pina played well against his former mates, and Eisele was proud of him. “We knew what to expect, we knew their students were going to be loud, but he remained composed and played his game. He has played in this game seven times, I was proud of how he handled himself.”

The Bubble rematch will move to Starr’s Mill on January 19, 2018 where Pina and the rest of the Chiefs will need that same composure and explosiveness against the Panthers with Allison back in the lineup in a game that will have key region implications.

Top Performers

McIntosh
Chaz Hardin – 23 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals
Cole Guenther – 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 7 blocks
Zach Pina – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal,

Starr’s Mill
Julian Lynch – 22 points
Drew Hudson – 16 points

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

LaFayette rambles past Generals behind third quarter dominance

LaFayette 69, Heritage-Catoosa 56

Region 6 bragging rights and first-place were on the line Tuesday night up in Ringgold where Heritage-Catoosa (3-3) hosted LaFayette (4-0).

Knowing that the offense revolves around 6-foot-4 senior forward Jon Morgan and 5-foot-11 junior point guard Alex Kelehear, the Generals opened up the game face guarding Morgan.

It took the Ramblers a moment to figure out the defense and get Morgan the ball, so instead he decided to get it himself off a rebound and score a tough leaner in the lane to open up his scoring and give LaFayette an early 9-6 lead.

Andrew Pendergrass and Morgan combined for 14 first quarter points while the Generals looked to play through 6-foot-5, 225-pound post Cole Wilcox. The UGA baseball-signee went to work early, showing his physicality and passing ability. He and Adam Thacker attacked from the post while Will Allen put in five of his 10 points in the opening quarter.

Kelehear dished out four of his game-high six assists in the first quarter including hitting Morgan for a three to take a 17-14 lead into the second quarter.

The Ramblers started to gain some separation in the second quarter once Kelehear started to hunt his own shot. A transition layup and a pull-up three sparked a 7-2 run to put the LaFayette lead at 24-16 with 6:31 remaining.

With the game slowly inching away, Coach Kevin Terry pounded the ball back inside to Wilcox who worked the high post and found Thacker for an and-1 to stem the tide.

The Generals cut the lead to 31-30 and were about to carry their momentum into the second half but instead it was Kelehear isoing and finding a three off a beautiful reverse pivot to give the Ramblers a 34-30 halftime lead.

Opening up the third quarter, Heritage decided to go Triangle-and-Two on Kelehear and Morgan who scored eight apiece in the first half. Instead, the defensive strategy backfired with LaFayette breaking off a 9-0 run to push ahead 43-30 at the 5:41 mark. With all the focus on Kelehear and Morgan, Pendergrass feasted. After knocking down a handful of foul line jumpers in the opening 16 minutes, Pendergrass opened up to the three-point line where he sniped three long balls and finished with 10 of his team-high 18 points in the quarter.

LaFayette had landed the knockout punch with a 21-8 third quarter, capped by yet another Kelehear iso just before the buzzer, giving the Ramblers an insurmountable 55-38 advantage.

Heritage, who struggled to score from beyond the arc, finally loosened up the defense a little with two late threes, but had to force the ball inside to Wilcox as their only consistent scorer and playmaker. Wilcox scored eight of his game-high 20 points in the final quarter and finished with 11 rebounds and 4 blocks.

My Take

I fully expect LaFayette to win out and run the table in Region 6. There could be a slip up here or there but they are the best team with the most momentum rolling over from last year’s Sweet 16 trip. Alex Kelehear was the real deal at point guard. At 5-foot-11, he’s probably best suited for D-III, NAIA, or the right fit at the D-II level. What he lacks in size and explosiveness, he makes up for with his actual skill and savvy. He could have easily scored 20+ but instead he chose to run the offense and play within himself. He handled the ball well and had a good zip on his passes, the type you see from the state’s best pocket passers. He picked apart Heritage anytime he had an isolation 1-on-1 opportunity. He was so good, hitting two buzzer beaters and assisting on one. He’s exactly who you want to have the ball in their hands at the end of a game. Jon Morgan has some bounce and is another player that could help out a small school. The lefty can knock down the deep ball (two threes), is an active rebounder with nice hands (9 rebounds) and can handle the ball when needed. Andrew Pendergrass is a pure jump shooter, meaning he hardly ever puts the ball on the ground and will catch-and-shoot. LaFayette is very good when he is on. His mid-range jumper was clicking from the first quarter and he expanded it to the three-point line in the second half. Do I think LaFayette can compete with the Upson-Lee’s and St. Pius’ of the world in Class AAAA? No I do not; but with the right draw, LaFayette could scare some teams and advance to the Sweet 16 again. Whoever they will play in Region 5 will likely have more athleticism then they will have seen all year. If Jon Morgan gets in foul trouble, I worry about their interior play. Dee Southern starts at “center”, but is only 5-foot-11. For a Cinderella run, Kelehear will have to hunt his offense more often, Morgan will need to play huge and Andrew Pendergrass must be lights out from deep.

Heritage-Catoosa just didn’t have enough outside shooting. I appreciate them force feeding Cole Wilcox and Adam Thacker inside. They are a good duo at that level. Wilcox got off to a nice start but left a ton of shots short at the rim. The Generals only played six players and really ran out of gas in the third quarter once the Ramblers hit them in the mouth to open.

Top Performers

LaFayette
Andrew Pendergrass – 18 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Jon Morgan – 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
Alex Kelehear – 15 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals
Dee Southern – 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Vyshonn Daniel – 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Heritage
Cole Wilcox – 20 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 4 blocks
Adam Thacker – 16 points, 9 rebounds
Will Allen – 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
Luke Grant – 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 12-5

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 4 Newton 89, Eastside 52: The Russell Westbrook of high school basketball, Ashton Hagans, collected his fifth straight triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 19 assists. Tyrease Brown scored 19. Armani Harris scored 14 points and grabbed 7 rebounds while Dre Butler added 12 points and 6 boards.  Eastside was led by Dai’Veon Robinson’s 13.

No. 7 Meadowcreek 61, Lakeside-DeKalb 52: Jamir Chaplin went for 22 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Cory Hightower added 13 points and 4 rebounds. Amari Kelly had 9 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks.

No. 8 Mountain View 54, No. 5 Duluth 46: Nahiem Allenye poured in 24 points to power the Bears while Troy-signee Spencer Rodgers added 15. Adam Flagler scored 13 points and Lamont Smith added 10 in the loss.

No. 9 Peachtree Ridge 74, North Gwinnett 64: Cam Rowland had 20 points and 4 assists in the loss.

Campbell 71, Hillgrove 56: Donovan Grant finished with 19 points while Terrell Burden stuffed the stat sheet going for 19 points, 9 assists (1 turnover) and 5 steals. Kiya Randolph added 14 points and 5 steals while Brandon Deravine collected 14 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Discovery 73, Mill Creek 63: Old Dominion-signee Kalu Ezikpe powered in 22 points and 15 rebounds. London Riley scored 14 off the bench and Jaden Walker tallied 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Mill Creek was led by Matthew McDowell’s 13 points and Noah Kenney’s 11.

Berkmar 72, Brookwood 49: Tony Johnson led five Patriots in double figures with 20 points.

Kennesaw Mountain 90, South Gwinnett 74: Jalyn McCreary and company ran wild against the Comets. McCreary scored 22 followed by Josh Strong’s 20 points and Christian Ramsey’s 12. Justin and Jordan Barnes each scored 10 points.

Etowah 59, Woodstock 47: Nick Nagy connected on 17 points and 3 steals to help the Eagles win bragging rights in Towne Lake. Adrian Cohen had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Carter Ingersoll had 10 points and 9 rebounds while Julian Baldwin produced 7 points and 8 rebounds.

Central Gwinnett 65, Parkview 57: Devrit Gross scored 17 points while Ahmir Langlais went for 15 points, 10 rebounds and 1 block, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Black Knights. Chris Poythress had 11 in the loss.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Dacula 82, Rockdale County 52: Brenden Tucker totaled 24 points and 8 rebounds for the Falcons. Arusha Hunter added 21 points and Mekhail Bethea tallied 11 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists. Quincy Ademokoya produced 11 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks.

No. 4 Brunswick 80, Ware County 62: Marcus Scott poured in 21 points and Daquan Humphreys had 15 in the win. Kelan Walker scored 13 points and Jaylen Jackson netted 12. Tarique Gray snatched 10 rebounds.

No. 5 Bradwell Institute 54, Long County 51: The Blue Tide pushed the Tigers but ultimately fell short. Henry Blair had 15 points in the loss while Stephan Hugley (13) and Ryheim Izzard (7) both pitched in.

No. 7 Jonesboro 61, No. 8 Tucker 57: Jamari Smith collected 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Cardinals. Brandon Walker added 17 points.

No. 9 Tri-Cities 71, Mays 55: Eli Lawrence scored 18 points while Jon Young provided 14 off the bench.

Drew 61, Mundy’s Mill 60: Will Black posted 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Titans. Kenneth Lee scored 15 points and James Brown netted 13. Demetrius Rives finished with 10 points.

South Paulding 52, Creekside 47 OT: Cam Armstrong scored 15 points and snagged 6 rebounds in the Spartan victory.

Lanier 63, West Forsyth 56: Adrian Martin exploded for 29 points while Alex Walker added 9 to push the Longhorns to 5-2.

River Ridge 60, Osborne 50: Chris Williams had 15 points and Jameel Ndiaye added 10 in the win. Will Apple and Amonte Scott both pitched in 9 points.

North Atlanta 68, Chattahoochee 66: Messiah Thompson continued to lead the Warrior turnaround with 15 points and 11 assists.

Sprayberry 68, Sequoyah 59: Idaho-signee Khadim Samb finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and 3 steals. Andrew Giles posted 17 points, 12 rebounds and 7 blocks. Micah McCuen had 14 points and 9 rebounds while Matt Jenkins added 10 points and 6 assists.

Cambridge 84, Northview 48: Kamar Robertson totaled 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in the win. Bryce Boutelle had 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists while Kyler Ingram collected 9 points, 7 rebounds and 6 blocks. Matt Davis led the Titans with 18 points and 6 rebounds while Joe Jones had 10 points and 5 assists.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Warner Robins 86, 3ANo. 7 Westside-Macon 62: Jacolbey Owens had 25 points in the win followed by Jacobi Coleman’s 15. Champ Dawson and Doug Duval both had 9. Khavon Moore was held to 13 points.

No. 2 Buford 74, No.7 Cedar Shoals 48: With a healthy Alex Jones back at the point, the Wolves rolled past Cedar Shoals after the Jags had cut the lead to nine points. Marcus Watson finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds while Jones had 11 points and 5 assists. Donell Nixon netted 15 points. Cedar Shoals received 15 points from Jai’Vanni McDavid and 14 points and 7 rebounds from Quincy Canty.

No. 3 Miller Grove 66, Arabia Mountain 53: TJ Stargell collected 10 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks for the Wolverines. The Rams were led by Ta’kari Rogers-Olive’s 19 points. Jaelin Simpson had 15 points and N’Kyzie Hawkins scored 9. Jordan Sterling did not play.

No. 4 Columbia 79, Clarkston 53: Lorenzo McGhee totaled 25 points and 8 rebounds. Josh Taylor pitched in 12 points and 9 rebounds. AJ Bey scored 9 points and handed out 5 assists.

No. 5 Southwest DeKalb 42, No. 9 Lithonia 41: KD Johnson finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds in the win while James Glisson III added 10 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 6 McIntosh 64, Starr’s Mill 54: The Chiefs won the Battle of the Bubble in front of a packed home crowd. Chaz Hardin paced the Chiefs with 23 points followed by Zach Pina and Cole Guenther’s 10 apiece. Bruce Carpenter added 9.

Flowery Branch 51, Johnson-Gainesville 40: Justin Quick finished with 16 points and 7 rebounds for the Falcons. Myles Janess added 13 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals. Patsheko Lutumba posted 9 points and 6 rebounds while Blake Coxworth had 5 points and 4 assists. Johnson-Gainesville was led by Chandler Jones’ 14 points and Will Richter’s 12.

Lithia Springs 71, Decatur 56: The Lions moved to 7-0 behind 13 points apiece from Christian Horton, Anthony Hardy and Chance Ellison. Keyshawn Phillips chipped in 12 points. Decatur was led by Travon Smith’s 15.

Villa Rica 73, Kell 62: JJ Franklin scored 15 points while Latrell Swanigan (13), Micah Hodges (13) and Javonte Hart (12) all hit double figures.

Statesboro 62, Tattnall County 51: Daniel Cooper dropped 22 points to pace the red hot Blue Devils. Tyler Goodman had 15 points and Tray Burns netted 10.

Stockbridge 84, Locust Grove 34: Terryance Jackson scored 25 points for the Tigers. Georgia State-signee Kavonte Ivery had 13 points and Davian Johnson added 10.

Cass 60, Paulding County 50: Ashton Burley and Mark Chester scored 13 points apiece to lead the Colonels. Ethan Carter netted 11 in the Region 7 win.

Loganville 65, North Oconee 62: Jamar Moore hung 23 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks on the Titans.

Fayette County 59, Riverdale 53: JeKobe Coleman scored 15 points to pace the Tigers. Terrell Bradley added 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Ricky Knight Jr. scored 12.

Class AAAA

No. 1 Upson-Lee 76, No. 4 Mary Persons 46: Without Cam Holden, the Bulldogs had no chance at slowing down the Runnin’ Knights in a disappointing game. Tye Fagan dropped 27 points to power Upson-Lee.

No. 2 St. Pius 71, Mt. Bethel 70: The Golden Lions rallied to knock off their fourth defending state champion in a thrilling back and forth game. Everett Lane came up clutch with 27 points to lead the comeback. Mt. Bethel was led by Jaquez Gilbert’s 27.

No. 3 Sandy Creek 58, New Manchester 49: Xavier Brewer picked up 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. TJ Bickerstaff finished with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block. Jarred Godfrey had 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Kam Miller notched 4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

No. 5 Carver-Columbus 62, Shaw 60: The Tigers survived an upset bid from the Raiders. Lincoln Smith finished with 26 points and 8 rebounds to lead Shaw. Jalen Ken had 13 points and 5 rebounds while TJ Mitchell tossed in 11 points.

No. 7 Stephens County 69, Hart County 55: DeUndra Singleton was too much to handle inside, double-doubling with 30 points and 14 rebounds. Ty Nails had 16 points and 11 rebounds while Chaz Bridges chipped in 10 points.

Hardway 80, No. 9 Northside-Columbus 71: Jhaquez Anderson’s game-high 38 points wasn’t enough as the Patriots fell victim to the Hawks. Hardaway received a team-high 16 points and 8 rebounds from Ahmad Maddox while Tahiem Mabery posted 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Blessed Trinity 68, 3ANo. 10 Dawson County 63: Trailing 38-21 at the half, the Titans stormed back to stun newly ranked Dawson County. Andy Swade scored 17 points while freshman Jax Bouknight had 14 and Ben Shappard netted 12.  The Tigers were paced by Cullen Reed’s 29 points and Kane Pelfrey’s 10.

LaFayette 69, Heritage-Catoosa 56: The Ramblers overwhelmed the Generals with a 21-8 third quarter advantage to put the game away. Andrew Pendergrass finished with 18 points to lead the Ramblers. Jon Morgan had 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block while Alex Kelehear posted 15 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. In the loss, Heritage was powered by 6-foot-5 post Cole Wilcox who had 20 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 4 blocks. Adam Thacker collected 16 points and 9 rebounds. Will Allen had 10 points and 8 rebounds while Luke Grant netted 10 points.

Troup County 75, Kendrick 63:  Jay Jefferson finished with 23 points and 5 assists while Tristian Ware double-doubled with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Kobe Hudson added 12 points and 4 assists. Tez Crowe netted 11 points.

Woodward Academy 59, North Clayton 50: Walker Kessler finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds and hit 4-of-5 threes to lead the War Eagles to a Region 4 win. Jacorrei Turner added 9 points.  North Clayton was led by Jaimonnie Watkins-Causey’s 14 points and Joseph Wimbley’s 12.

Class AAA

No. 1 Morgan County 61, Jefferson 37: Alec Woodard had 16 points while Anthony Cooper (14) and Quin Williams (12) also cracked double figures. Tyrin Lawrence did not play. Jefferson was led by Jasper Gibson’s 15 points.

No. 5 Cedar Grove 48, No. 9 Pace Academy 33: Jamari Dean posted 16 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. Kanaris Cummings had 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Devon Barnes tallied 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals while Malik Johnson netted 7 points.

East Hall 86, Lumpkin County 53: Luke Cooper scored 14 points and Jayvion Rucker added 11 in the Viking victory.

Franklin County 60, White County 52: The Lions knocked the Warriors from the unbeatens behind sophomores Micah Roebuck (17), Titlan Wells (15) and Titus Brown (13).

East Jackson 78, Oglethorpe County 50: Xavier Clark (19), Tay Howard (17) and Jace Bonds (14) led a balanced Eagles attack.

Union County 55, Fannin County 49: Sophomore Sawyer Drake netted 21 points to pace the Panthers. Crawford Colwell added 12. Fannin County got 11 points from Chandler Kendall.

Class AA

No. 2 Banks County 87, West Hall 73: Gabe Martin led the Leopards with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Dylan Orr notched 15 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks. Carl Cleveland added 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Darius Bonds tallied 10 points, 5 rebounds, 13 assists and 4 steals while Wes Ledford netted 10 points. In the loss, Noah Edmondson hit 7 threes and finished with a game-high 25 points.

No. 5 Jeff Davis 78, Toombs County 51: Chandler Davenport sank 19 points to lead the Yellow Jackets. Ja’Queze Kirby pitched in 17 points and 11 rebounds while Kirese Manley netted 16.

Armuchee 84, Gordon Central 76:  Tamalachi Lovelace made all the plays, scoring 17 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter to lift the Indians to their first win in a battle of winless teams. In the loss, Quan Curtis poured in 35 points and Dawson Lackey added 23.

Social Circle 60, George Walton Academy 58: Antonio Dorsey poured in 33 points as the Redskins rallied from double digits to surge past the Bulldogs. Kentavious Reynolds (9) and Chief Jennings (8) pitched in offensively.

Class A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 83, Walker 44: Sam Hines went for 17 points and 15 rebounds in the blow out. Chase Ellis had 13 points and 6 assists while Dwon Odom picked up 10 points and 8 helpers.

No. 3 ELCA 58, Fulton Leadership 40: Malachi Rhodes posted 10 points and 10 rebounds. Kamari Smith tacked on 10 points and 5 assists.

No. 9 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 59, Tattnall Square 57: Marques Frye drilled a corner three at the buzzer to stun the Trojans on the road. Frye finished with 13 points. Morgan Mulrain had a team-high 19 points while Tahj Keeton and Cam Bennett each scored 9.

King’s Ridge 73, No. 6 Mt. Pisgah 66: Behind Eric Coleman’s 26 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks, the Tigers picked up a huge victory in the ever-evolving landscape of Class A-Private.

Darlington 55, Gordon Lee 41: Andrew Land scored 17 points and JD Hull netted 14 in the Tiger win.

Class A-Public

No. 5 Woodville-Tompkins 85, Savannah Country Day 47: The Wolverines ripped up another opponent down on the coast. Preston Crisp poured in 15 points while AJ Hassel netted 14. Deante Green, Jordan Walker and Charleston Willingham pitched in 10 apiece.

Bowdon 60, Heard County 50 OT: Heard County had their football players back but it wasn’t enough to top the Red Devils. Trajan Brown collected 26 points and 11 rebounds to power Bowdon. Chris Parker scored 10 points followed by Martrez “Dede” Cox’s 9 and Jarrett Stephens’ 8.

Wilcox County 64, Dodge County 61: The Patriots were powered by 2020 point guard Keyshawn Howard who poured in 19 points, 8 rebounds and 14 assists. In the loss Dodge County received 21 points from Nick Cummings, 14 from DeMarcus Caines and 13 from RJ Carr. Michael Carr added 7.

Mt. Zion-Carroll 88, Trion 81: The Eagles finally opened up the season and did so with a bang. CJ Ackles scored 29 and Troy Cagle pumped in 25 in the win. Tyriese Farley added 17 points and Mike Cousin scored 8.

Dooly County 51, Greenville 48: Jarquavius Brown put up 21 points to pace the Bobcats. Desi Lester added 7 points and Reggie Smith tallied 7 assists.

 

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 7 Cherokee 82, Walton 34: Sydne Watts led the way with 15 points while Olivia Herrera had 14 and both Lacie McCoy and Chatham Brown scored 11. Gracie Mixson tossed in 8 points.

No. 8 North Forsyth 50, Archer 46: Catherine Shope netted 22 points to lead the Lady Raiders. Cassie Markle collected 8 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 10 South Gwinnett 50, Kennesaw Mountain 40: Maya Inman scored 10 points in the loss.

Woodstock 55, Etowah 44:  The Wolverines led by as many as 23 points in the battle for Towne Lake. Sophia Singer hit three three-pointers in a row to put the game out of reach. The 5-foot-11 sophomore finished with 17 points. Kayden Montgomery scored 8 points and Bree Burnett tossed in 7.

Lassiter 58, Roswell 34: Wambui Chege pumped in 12 points to lead the Lady Trojans. Deidra Maxwell and Maggie Rogers each scored 9.

Lambert 67, Grayson 47: Summer Edwards tallied a triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the Longhorn victory. Jaleah Greene had 21 points and 7 rebounds. Reagan Pasonski and Skylar Aledia scored 12 points apiece.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Harrison 66, No. 10 Creekview 51: UAB-signee Audrey Jordan dropped in 26 points to take early hold of Region 6.

No. 4 Alpharetta 71, Pope 34: Grace Knudsen scored 12 points and Croix Bethune netted 11 in the win. Sydnie Ward scored 8 points and GoGo Maduka chipped in 7.

No. 5 Northview 60, Cambridge 16: Ashlee Austin scored 22 points and Eden Sample added 10 in the Lady Titans bounce back win. Maya Richards scored 9 points and picked up her first D-1 offer from Charleston Southern. Megan Cistulli and Asjah Inniss netted 7 apiece.

No. 8 Forest Park 51, ML King 45: Alana Denson scored 18 points and Sarah Matthews tossed in 11 in the win.

River Ridge 74, Osborne 46: Savannah Samuel went off for 28 points while Faith Arthur totaled 16. Lexi Palmer netted 14 for good measure.

Centennial 45, Johns Creek 43: Jill Davis scored 12 points and Sam Breslow added 9 in the loss for the Gladiators.

New Manchester 28, Sandy Creek 27: The Lady Jags found a way to win in an ugly game and advance to 6-0. Ja’Lisya Glover scored 12 points.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 65, Cedar Shoals 28: Michigan State-signee Tory Ozment had 9 points along with Tate Walters. Casey Jones, Air Force-signee Audrey Weiner and Preston Reid all scored 8.

No. 2 Flowery Branch 57, Johnson-Gainesville 11: Freshman Abi Whitaker led the Lady Falcons with 10 points. Caroline Wysocki added 8 points and 5 steals. Lexie Sengkhammee collected 7 points and 4 assists. Taniyah Worth had 6 points and 4 assists in limited action while Ashlee Locke went for 7 points and 7 rebounds. Jenna Sutton put up 5 points and 5 boards.

No. 6 Eagle’s Landing 70, Hampton 28: Jaleah Storr went off for 31 points to carry the Eagles. Kierra Howard had 12 and Jasmine Atkins chipped in 9. Ashley Foster did not play.

No. 7 Villa Rica 73, Kell 42: Deasia Merrill went for 25 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Emmy Parham added 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals while Kyndal Coleman chipped in 8 points.

No. 9 Maynard Jackson 64, Grady 26: Tamaria White scored 18 points for the Jaguars. Dyhanne Taylor netted 11 and Dyniste Taylor pitched in 9.

Decatur 47, Lithia Springs 40: Olivia Stephens netted 16 points in the win. Lithia Springs received 12 from Demeara Hinds and 11 from Onwumelo Adaora in the loss.

Starr’s Mill 46, McIntosh 35: Freshman Ali Rumpel double-doubled in her first Battle of the Bubble with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Alice Ann Hudson collected 8 points and 7 rebounds while Emily Nieuwstraten posted 9 points and 4 rebounds. McIntosh was led by Rylee Calhoun’s 19 points and 7 rebounds. Kennedi Miller chipped in 8 points.

Cass 63, Paulding County 39: Chanel Clemmons scored 16 points. Sharia Wade had 11 points followed by Payton Stoddard (10), Lyric Curtis (8) and Kyla Michienzi (6).

Class AAAA

No. 5 Jefferson 51, Morgan County 32: Allianne Clark scored 11 points to lead the Dragons while Morgan Walker netted 10 for the Lady Bulldogs.

No. 10 West Hall 52, 2ANo. 5 Banks County 46: Anna McKendree piled in 31 points to push the Spartans past the Lady Leopards. Aashya White added 10 points in support. Banks County was led by Allison Smith’s 19 points and Jaycie Bowen’s 13.

Heritage-Catoosa 75, LaFayette 24: Sarah Bandy (16), Nicole Fine (15), Emily Wiley (11), Arianna Camp (10) and Reagan Armour (10) all finished in double figures in the rout.

Hardaway 60, Northside-Columbus 24: L’Trinity Eubanks dropped 23 points in the win.

Class AAA

No. 3 Central-Macon 42, Peach County 36: Jada Clowers was the difference inside with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks. JeNya Wilder added 14 points and 7 rebounds. ReNesha Goolsby (6 points, 4 rebounds) and Tyleia Williams (4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) both played key roles in the Region 4 win.

No. 7 Dawson County 56, Blessed Trinity 52: The Lady Tigers held on on the road after losing star Kaylee Sticker to a sprained ankle midway through the third quarter. Sticker finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

No. 10 North Murray 77, Adairsville 42: Raven Stone had 14 points and 4 steals in the win. Korbin Tipton had 11 points and 4 steals while Kailee Tipton pitched in 11 points as well. Sarah Plemons dished out 7 assists.

No. 9 Hart County 66, Stephens County 44: Taniya Alexander had 15 points to pace a balanced Bulldog attack. Torrion Starks, Brittany Devane and Shakendra Grove all had 12 points. The Lady Indians were led by Ranajah Verdell’s 8 points and Tykia Thompson and Anaiah Wilson’s 7.

East Hall 69, Lumpkin County 49: Georgia State-signee Carly Winters broke her own school-record with 11 three-pointers en route to a game-high 37 points. Carley Cox scored 11.

Jenkins 52, Islands 44: Elizabeth Sierzant scored 25 in the loss.

Union County 49, Fannin County 47: Bailey Daniel’s 13 points helped the Lady Panther survive a late 12-2 Rebel run. Hope Franklin netted a game-high 20 points for Fannin County

Class AA

No. 8 Dodge County 59, A-PublicNo. 7 Wilcox County 42: Europe Brown hung 29 points on Wilcox County to power the Indians. Zanessia Mitchell (9), Destanee Wright (8) and LaShauna Coley (8) all pitched in.

Josey 48, Cross Creek 47: Ebony Clark had 13 points followed by Tykedra and Rhykeria Rolland’s 10 apiece.

Hapeville Charter 36, Chapel Hill 34: Ja’dah Thomas poured in 14 points to lead the Hornets. Cherry Reeves and Ashley Eberhart scored 7 apiece.

Armuchee 63, Gordon Central 54: Mercedes Coleman pumped in 26 points in the loss.

Rockmart 64, Chattooga 43: 5-foot-11 freshman Keyarah Berry posted 31 points, 15 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block.  5-foot-8 junior Desiree Williamson added 11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. 5-foot-6 senior guard Madison Davis  chipped in 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

Class A-Private

No. 2 Wesleyan 77, WD Mohammed 12: Alyssa Phillip double-doubled with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Izzy Larsen scored 12 points and Amaya Register netted 11.

No. 6 Fellowship Christian 53, No. 8 Pinecrest Academy 50: Colorado-signee Cameron Swartz sank two late free throws to ice the game. She finished with 36.

Our Lady of Mercy 59, No.4 Landmark Christian 48: Florida State-signee Morgan Jones carried the Lady Bobcats to a signature victory, hanging 49 points against the War Eagles.

Galloway 65, Atlanta International 38: Caitlin Felts poured in 28 points to led the Scots. Jada Ryce added 15 and Mel Hartz had 10.

Class A-Public

Trion 65, Mt. Zion-Carroll 52: Iyanna Mann scored 14 points in the loss while Alyssa Ware added 10 and Cassidy Brown netted 9.

Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 3 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

  1. Lovejoy (7-0)
  2. Harrison (4-1)
  3. Winder-Barrow (5-0)
  4. Alpharetta (5-0)
  5. Northview (4-2)
  6. Bradwell Institute (5-1)
  7. Sequoyah (4-1)
  8. Forest Park (3-2)
  9. Stephenson (3-3)
  10. Creekview (3-3) 

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

  1. Holy Innocents’ (5-1)
  2. Wesleyan (4-1)
  3. St. Francis (4-1)
  4. Landmark Christian (5-2)
  5. Stratford Academy (3-1)
  6. Fellowship Christian (1-2)
  7. Christian Heritage (4-1)
  8. Pinecrest Academy (2-2)
  9. Greenforest (1-3)
  10. Athens Academy (4-1)

Class A-Public

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

 

The only movement in Class AAAAAAA is No. 3 Norcross swapping places with No. 4 McEachern. The Lady Indians lost to Class 3A No. 1 GAC 61-50. No. 2 Collins Hill beat GAC by the same score, 61-50. No. 6 Newton fended off No. 10 South Gwinnett 61-58. The Lady Comets proved they belong in the rankings and will stay in another week even after the loss. No. 7 Cherokee picked up quality wins over North Cobb (58-44) and Class 6A No. 10 Creekview (54-30). No. 8 North Forsyth’s Caroline Shope nailed a Raider-record 11 three-pointers in their 77-39 win over Chestatee. The King’s Academy transfer finished with 39 points, proving her scoring prowess can cross over competition levels.

Class AAAAAA sees more movement in the middle of the rankings and a couple new faces. No. 1 Lovejoy knocked off No. 8 Forest Park 60-48 in their first true test of the season. Sophomores Genesis Bryant (20 points) and Anaya Boyd (16 points 10 rebounds) led the way. No. 3 Winder-Barrow looked much better, beating Class 5A No. 2 Flowery Branch 50-48 on a late Chellia Watson layup.  No. 4 Alpharetta surges ahead of Region 7 frontrunner No. 5 Northview following the Lady Titans’ 56-41 loss to Class 5A No. 2 Flowery Branch at the Wesleyan Showcase. The addition of Sydnie Ward changes the entire dynamic of the Alpharetta backcourt. Transferring in from Tennessee, the Mississippi Valley State-commit has already put the state on notice, winning Roswell Rotary Air Invitational Tournament MVP a few weeks back. No. 7 Sequoyah is down two spots after losing to rival No. 10 Creekview 60-45, helping the Grizzlies climb back into the poll. Debuting is No. 6 Bradwell Institute. The Lady Tigers have already secured wins over Class A-Public No. 8 Woodville-Tompkins (57-40) and last week’s Class AAA No. 10 Tattnall County (54-39). Their only loss came against defending Class AAA state champion No. 2 Beach 50-48. Junior guard Jasmine Blevins is averaging 23.2 points, 5.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Valdosta (1-3) and Lanier (5-2) both exit the rankings. The Wildcats lost to Tift County 47-46 while the Longhorns faltered at South Forsyth 50-46.

No. 1 Buford and No. 2 Flowery Branch are beginning to stack up the wins in Class AAAAA. The Lady Wolves beat Morgan County 70-23 before sneaking past Class A-Private No. 2 Wesleyan in overtime at the Wesleyan Showcase, 48-46. The Lady Falcons regrouped after their loss to Winder-Barrow to beat Northview 56-41 behind Caroline Wysocki’s 18 points. No. 6 Eagle’s Landing drops three spots following their 49-41 loss to No. 5 Dutchtown, who skyrockets back into the Top 10. The Bulldogs take the place of Fayette County (5-1) who dropped a close one to red-hot Henry County.

In Class AAAA, No. 2 Henry County jumps undefeated No. 3 Spalding thanks to two wins against ranked opponents. The Warhawks beat Fayette County 59-50 and followed up with a 57-48 win over No. 4 Luella, who doesn’t lose any ground in the poll. No. 10 West Hall falls three spots after losing to Class AAA No. 7 Dawson County 60-47. Burke County (3-1) tumbles out of the Top 10 after a 61-51 loss to Josey. They are replaced by undefeated No. 9 Marist.

No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian suffered their first loss to Class 7A No. 2 Collins Hill at the Wesleyan Showcase 61-50, but still remains in the top spot in Class AAA. Before their loss, the Spartans earned a 61-50 win over Class 7A No. 4 McEachern. No. 5 Lovett scored a 45-43 victory against Region 5 rival Cedar Grove. No. 7 Dawson County rises a spot after their 60-47 win over West Hall while Hart County stays put at No. 9 after another loss to Banks County. Tattnall County (4-1) slips out following a loss to Bradwell Institute, making way for No. 10 North Murray, who holds wins over Heritage-Catoosa (59-50) and Dalton (56-29).

Class AA’s No. 2 Rabun County survived a scare against Union County 48-45. No. 6 Model wasn’t as fortunate as the Lady Blue Devils are down two slots after getting blown out by Class 6A No. 7 Sequoyah 78-48 at the Wesleyan Showcase. No. 5 Banks County rises one position thanks to their second early season victory against Class AAA No. 9 Hart County, 57-53. No. 7 Putnam County now has a playmaker to pair with Rykia Pennamon. Sophomore guard Jashanti Simmons is averaging 21.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. No. 8 Dodge County disposed of Class A-Public No. 2 Telfair County 62-57.

Things are getting hectic in Class A-Private below the Top 3. No. 2 Wesleyan hammered No. 4 Landmark Christian 81-41, exemplifying just how wide the gap is from No. 1 Holy Innocents’, Wesleyan and No. 3 St. Francis from the rest of the classification. No. 5 Stratford Academy is up a spot after knocking off No. 8 Pinecrest Academy 70-50, but then were defeated by Landmark Christian 59-56. Region 8 teams Prince Avenue Christian (1-1) and Lakeview Academy (1-3) exit the poll. The Wolverines took a 47-44 loss at Elbert County while the Lady Lions were blitzed by St. Francis. No. 7 Christian Heritage and No. 10 Athens Academy get their first crack at the Top 10. The Lions have wins over Galloway (52-51) and Mt. Paran (49-26) with their only loss coming to Class 3A No. 5 Lovett 64-41. The Lady Spartans are the latest Region 8 team to make an appearance. Their best win is a 38-35 defensive battle against Tattnall Square Academy. They also have a 63-37 loss at Stratford Academy.

No. 10 Treutlen is down five spots in Class A-Public after losses to No. 8 Woodville-Tompkins 57-51 and to Dublin 57-27. No. 2 Telfair County was defeated by Dodge County 62-57 but rebounded with a 68-37 thumping of Turner County (0-1) who falls out of the Top 10. Into the rankings is No. 9 Terrell County.