Monthly Archives: January 2019

Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 10 Girls Rankings

The Sidelines

Class AAAAAAA

1. Westlake (19-0)
2. Collins Hill (19-1)
3. North Cobb (19-1)
4. Cherokee (19-3)
5. Grayson (19-2)
6. North Forsyth (15-4)
7. Norcross (14-9)
8. Brookwood (15-6)
9. Hillgrove (14-6)
10. Pebblebrook (17-3)

 Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (19-3)
2. Forest Park (20-2)
3. Northview (16-4)
4. Glynn Academy (18-2)
5. Douglas County (17-4)
6. Stephenson (13-9)
7. Valdosta (18-2)
8. Lanier (17-3)
9. Creekview (16-4)
10. New Manchester (19-3)

Class AAAAA

1. Villa Rica (20-0)
2. Buford (17-2)
3. Eagle’s Landing (14-4)
4. Veterans (20-2)
5. Southwest DeKalb (16-6)
6. Statesboro (21-1)
7. Jones County (17-4)
8. Harris County (16-5)
9. Woodland-Stockbridge (15-5)
10. Carrollton (15-6)

Class AAAA

1. Carver-Columbus (21-0)
2. Henry County (21-2)
3. Flowery Branch (19-3)
4. Spalding (15-4)
5. Madison County (19-2)
6. West Laurens (16-4)
7. Luella (16-4)
8. Baldwin (15-5)
9. Marist (15-5)
10. Sandy Creek (14-4)

Class AAA

1. Jefferson (18-2)
2. Johnson-Savannah (12-6)
3. Beach (18-4)
4. Morgan County (16-4)
5. Hart County (15-5)
6. GAC (11-9)
7. Peach County (14-4)
8. Tattnall County (16-5)
9. Dawson County (14-7)
10. Coahulla Creek (16-5)

Class AA

1. Dodge County (18-1)
2. Douglass (17-5)
3. Fitzgerald (19-0)
4. Laney (19-1)
5. Bryan County (20-0)
6. Rabun County (18-1)
7. Swainsboro (16-2)
8. Early County (17-2)
9. Banks County (16-4)
10. Washington County (15-4)

Class A-Private

1. Wesleyan (21-1)
2. St. Francis (14-3)
3. Holy Innocents’ (13-7)
4. ELCA (14-3)
5. Lakeview Academy (17-4)
6. Mt. Paran (17-1)
7. Stratford Academy (18-1)
8. Paideia (16-3)
9. Calvary Day (17-3)
10. Greenforest (15-4)

Class A-Public

1. Marion County (19-0)
2. Georgia Military College (13-1)
3. Telfair County (16-3)
4. Greenville (20-1)
5. Wheeler County (14-4)
6. Calhoun County (18-2)
7. Dooly County (15-3)
8. Mitchell County (15-4)
9. Clinch County (12-4)
10. Wilcox County (13-6)

Region play affords us some crucial Top 10 showdowns across all classifications as region tournament seeding is up for grabs. A handful of rematches will make us re-think what we thought we knew about the landscape of Georgia.

In Class AAAAAAA, No. 1 Westlake remained unbeaten, rallying from down 36-24 at the half to knockoff Class 5A No. 2 Buford on the road 58-51. Raven Johnson attacked the glass in the second half and led the Lions with 23 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals and 2 blocks while 6-foot-3 junior center Lydia Freeman proved to be the ultimate difference maker, dumping in 17 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks as Buford had no answer for her size and girth inside. No. 7 Norcross fell to No. 8 Brookwood 54-44 as both teams continue their see-saw seasons. The Broncos return to the Top 10 riding a six-game winning streak and will try to avoid anymore trap games. They replace tough-luck Colquitt County (16-2) who outlasted Camden County 46-45 on the road. No. 5 Grayson held off Class 6A No. 6 Stephenson 70-69 behind freshman Catherine Alben’s game-winning free throw and 19 points and 6 assists. No. 9 Hillgrove edged archnemesis McEachern 57-55.

Outside of No. 6 Stephenson dropping one spot after a 70-69 loss to Class 7A No. 5 Grayson and Dacula (16-5) falling out of the poll following a 66-61 loss to Winder-Barrow, everything in Class AAAAAA was status quo. The Falcons are replaced by returnee No. 10 New Manchester who went a perfect 4-0 last week with wins over Alexander (57-48), Starr’s Mill (42-32), Tri-Cities (78-22) and South Paulding (79-17).

There is no movement in Class AAAAA. No. 1 Villa Rica pumped Cass 71-47 while No. 10 Carrollton sneaked out of White with a 50-47 win. No. 3 Eagle’s Landing turned back No. 7 Jones County 40-37. No. 4 Veterans defeated Class 3A No. 7 Peach County 63-56. No. 8 Harris County handled Warner Robins 74-51.

Westover (15-3) and Perry (10-7) are casualties in Class AAAA. The Patriots were upset by 8-11 Cairo 44-35 while Perry went 0-3 last week, losing to No. 4 Spalding (62-40), No. 6 West Laurens (42-32) and Class A-Public No. 7 Dooly County (47-34). No. 8 Baldwin rises above the wreckage even after a 50-38 loss to Cross Creek. The Braves rebounded with a big 60-56 win over Class 2A No. 10 Washington County. Returning to the Top 10 is No. 9 Marist. The War Eagles beat White County 61-48 and Chestatee 61-42 before losing to No. 3 Flowery Branch 64-48. No. 10 Sandy Creek debuts in the poll and are on a nine-game winning streak. The Patriots have beat up on a weak Region 5, their latest win coming at Central-Carrollton 49-34, who has sunk to 13-5 and 3-4 in region play after a 10-0 start to the season. 6-foot-1 junior post Daija Powell is powering the Patriots with 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

The gauntlet known as Region 8 in Class AAA claimed another victim as No. 4 Morgan County slips three spots from their top ranking after losing 77-63 to No. 5 Hart County. Western Kentucky-signee Torrion Starks controlled the game with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists while Taniya Alexander added 23 points and 15 rebounds inside. Rising to the perch for the first time is the third Region 8 team in the Top 5, No. 1 Jefferson. They came out of Carnesville with a 40-33 win over Franklin County and now have a rematch this Tuesday against visiting Morgan County, who slayed the Dragons 60-52 back on December 14th. No. 6 GAC has gained breathing room in Region 7, beating No. 9 Dawson County 53-41 and dispatching of North Hall 61-46. No. 10 Coahulla Creek narrowly survives their first week in the poll in a topsy-turvy Region 6. The Colts lost to North Murray 51-46, splitting the season series, but bounced back with a 55-42 win at Adairsville. The Region 6 standings are a logjam up top: Ringgold (15-6, 11-1), Coahulla Creek (16-5, 10-2), North Murray (15-7, 10-3) and Sonoraville (15-6, 9-3) are the leaders. The Colts get the nod over the rest of the pack due to their crucial 47-44 win at Ringgold. North Murray is close on their tail with five-straight wins. Ringgold could have gotten the final spot this week, but they lost 54-51 to Class 4A Heritage-Catoosa and are 2-3 in their last five games.

For a second consecutive week there are no changes to the Class AA poll, though major shakeup could be on the horizon. No. 1 Dodge County travels to No. 10 Washington County on Tuesday looking to complete a season sweep of the Golden Hawks, who they beat 73-64 last month. No. 3 Fitzgerald travels to No. 8 Early County. The host Bobcats will look to avenge their 62-60 loss the Purple Hurricanes two weeks ago. No. 7 Swainsboro welcomes No. 5 Bryan County on Tuesday, the Redskins beat Swainsboro 68-64 in their first meeting. This past week, No. 4 Laney swept 9-8 Burke County 59-54. No. 6 Rabun County, winners of 16-straight, did the same against rival No. 9 Banks County, winning 59-53 with Brooke Henricks’ 19 points leading the way.

Class A-Private’s hated rivals wrote another chapter in their storied history as No. 3 Holy Innocents’ handed No. 1 Wesleyan their first loss of the year 68-63 as freshman Marya Hudgins had a career night with 26 points and 7 rebounds. Starting point guard Paige Lyons did not play in the loss. Wesleyan retains their number one position. Dating back to 2016-17, the Golden Bears have gone 6-1 in the regular season/region tournament, winning four-straight against the Wolves but have lost the last two state championships to Wesleyan. No. 2 St. Francis welcomes No. 6 Mt. Paran on Friday as the Lady Knights look to sweep the Eagles after beating them 59-42 in their first contest. No. 10 Greenforest clings onto their spot in the poll following a 67-65 loss at Landmark Christian.

Class A-Public sees Bowdon (16-4) and Central-Talbotton (10-6) fall from the Top 10. The Red Devils were upset 45-42 at Trion while the Hawks were drilled by No. 1 Marion County 76-44 and lost 60-59 to No. 4 Greenville. Continuing the statewide theme of rematches, the defending state champion Greenville Patriots travel to Marion County on Tuesday. The Eagles handed them their only loss of the season back in December, 71-70. No. 3 Telfair County blasted No. 9 Clinch County 76-47, India Wells posting 26 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. The Panthers fall two spots after also getting torched by Gracie Brunel in a 59-51 loss to Lanier County, the unsigned senior who leads the state in scoring dropping in 38 points. No. 5 Wheeler County heads to No. 3 Telfair County for a rematch of their season-opening 65-60 loss to the Trojans. No. 7 Dooly County is up a spot after a big 47-34 win against last week’s Class 4A No. 10 Perry. Returning to the poll is No. 8 Mitchell County and No. 10 Wilcox County. The Eagles battle with rival Pelham this week while the Patriots try to ride momentum from their 73-59 win over Echols County. Wilcox County is led by freshman Destiny Tisdol’s 14.5 points per game and Coach Santita Coon boasts the state’s leading rebounder, 5-foot-10 sophomore Alayshia Dixon who averages 14.1 points, 16.7 rebounds, 4.4 steals and 1.8 blocks.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 10 Boys Rankings

The Sidelines

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (18-0)
2. East Coweta (21-1)
3. Grayson (19-2)
4. Meadowcreek (17-4)
5. Discovery (18-3)
6. Norcross (15-7)
7. Pebblebrook (14-7)
8. Newton (15-5)
9. Wheeler (15-7)
10. Berkmar (15-5)

Class AAAAAA

1. Coffee (18-2)
2. Chattahoochee (19-3)
3. Tri-Cities (16-5)
4. Douglas County (15-5)
5. Lakeside-Evans (18-2)
6. Alexander (16-7)
7. South Cobb (14-5)
8. North Atlanta (16-5)
9. South Paulding (15-7)
10. Sprayberry (17-3)

Class AAAAA

1. Buford (17-2)
2. Fayette County (18-3)
3. Eagle’s Landing (15-3)
4. Lithonia (15-7)
5. Southwest DeKalb (16-6)
6. Woodland-Stockbridge (16-3)
7. Kell (17-4)
8. Jonesboro (13-8)
9. Lithia Springs (15-5)
10. Carrollton (13-7)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (19-1)
2. Sandy Creek (16-3)
3. St. Pius X (18-2)
4. Henry County (21-1)
5. Carver-Columbus (16-3)
6. Americus-Sumter (14-3)
7. Baldwin (13-7)
8. Woodward Academy (12-8)
9. Marist (14-7)
10. Salem (13-6)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (19-1)
2. GAC (15-4)
3. Dawson County (17-4)
4. Hart County (15-5) 
5. Pace Academy (14-6)
6. Johnson-Savannah (14-6)
7. Westside-Macon (15-5)
8. Central-Macon (15-5)
9. Monroe (14-5)
10. Windsor Forest (18-4)

Class AA

1. Woodville-Tompkins (21-0)
2. Therrell (16-6)
3. South Atlanta (16-5)
4. Northeast-Macon (17-3)
5. Elbert County (18-2)
6. Vidalia (18-3)
7. Spencer (16-3)
8. Washington County (14-5)
9. Glenn Hills (18-3)
10. Thomasville (17-3)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (16-4)
2. Mt. Bethel (15-4)
3. Greenforest (14-4)
4. ELCA (13-6)
5. Walker (14-5)
6. Holy Innocents’ (11-9)
7. Wesleyan (15-5)
8. Lakeview Academy (15-5)
9. Riverside Military (15-4)
10. Trinity Christian (9-10)

Class A-Public

1. Calhoun County (20-0)
2. Hancock Central (16-3)
3. Treutlen (19-1)
4. Terrell County (17-2)
5. Wilcox County (17-2)
6. Irwin County (14-2)
7. Greene County (15-5)
8. Wilkinson County (11-9)
9. Pelham (13-4)
10. Marion County (14-3)

 

Class AAAAAAA dominated the country again to prove the best basketball in the nation from top to bottom is played in Georgia, with Class 7A possibly being the deepest classification in the United States. No. 1 McEachern won the Bass Pros Tournament of Champions Championship by beating Springfield Catholic (MO) 75-42, Shadow Mountain (AZ) 73-61 and rallying to beat Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) in overtime in the title game 50-46 behind Sharife Cooper’s 20 points and Auburn-signee Isaac Okoro’s 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. No. 6 Norcross upset Roselle Catholic (NJ) 75-55 to hand the No. 11 ranked team in the nation their first loss of the season. The Blue Devils had their best week of the season and might finally be turning the corner and reaching their potential. They hammered both Parkview (80-42) and Brookwood (65-39) before winning at the Spalding HoopHall Classic with Brandon Boston’s 26 points leading the way. The bad news for McEachern and Norcross is that life gets much tougher back home believe it or not. No. 2 East Coweta jumps three teams and has cemented themselves as elite and a team that should garner nationwide attention. The Indians avenged their lone loss by beating No. 7 Pebblebrook 67-62 in OT before escaping Westlake, rallying from down 14 in the second half to win on the road 81-76. East Coweta finished the week with a thrilling 71-66 OT win at No. 9 Wheeler after leading 46-25 at the half before surviving a furious comeback. Outside of the vaunted Region 2, No. 8 Newton fell two spots following losses to No. 3 Grayson 70-61 and to Class 3A No. 1 Morgan County 56-51.

No. 2 Chattahoochee won their Top 3 Class AAAAAA showdown with No. 8 North Atlanta 64-56, sinking the Warriors six spots and taking control of Region 7. No. 3 Tri-Cities had a perfect week in Region 5, scoring wins over No. 9 South Paulding 66-50, New Manchester 86-71 and Langston Hughes 80-67. Sequoyah (16-5) drops out of the Top 10 after losing 78-64 to No. 7 South Cobb and nearly giving away a game to rival Cherokee, surviving 73-72. The Chiefs (9-3) are now stuck in third-place in Region 6 behind South Cobb (12-1) and returnee No. 10 Sprayberry (11-1) who blasted River Ridge 72-54 and Dalton 93-64.

In Class AAAAA, the spotlight was too bright for No. 2 Fayette County as their reign over Class 5A lasts just one week, slipping back to number two after a 62-52 loss to debutant No. 8 Jonesboro, who has now quietly won eight-straight games, allowing 42.3 points per game over their winning streak. No. 1 Buford returns to pole position after beating rival Clarke Central 67-43 and demolishing Walnut Grove 75-37. No. 5 Southwest DeKalb falls out of the Top 3 for the first time all season after losing to No. 4 Lithonia 75-62 and barely winning at Miller Grove 52-51. The Bulldogs are up three spots and have a chance to secure a No. 1 seed heading into the Region 5 tournament. Warner Robins (15-5), Statesboro (17-5) and Jones County (14-7) all slide out of the poll, giving us a new 8 through 10. The Demons were knocked off by Harris County 44-43, Statesboro was blown out by New Hampstead 67-46 and the Greyhounds were pounded by No. 3 Eagle’s Landing 77-52. Returning to the rankings is No. 9 Lithia Springs and No. 10 Carrollton. The Lions won two nail-biters against North Springs 62-61 and at Riverwood 62-57 and now have their work cut out for them against Class 6A No. 4 Douglas County who beat them 106-103 in their first meeting. Carrollton has won five-straight with their latest win coming at Cass 64-58. The Trojans will attempt to slow down Rome and prolific scorer Caleb Byrd this Tuesday.

The bottom of Class AAAA is becoming a barren wasteland with limited options worthy enough to crack the Top 10 with a handful of weak resumes. Thomson (14-4) falls out after losing 55-52 at Richmond Academy and narrowly defeating East Jackson 57-54. No. 9 Marist makes their first appearance in the Top 10 and will try to stick. The War Eagles have handled their business in an improved but still average Region 7. Last week’s three victories were highlighted by wins over White County 62-49 and Chestatee 79-40. First-place in the region is on the line at Blessed Trinity this Tuesday, who Marist beat 65-45 earlier in the season as one of their few signature wins. Marist’s respectable losses to powers Class 3A No. 5 Pace Academy (56-44), No. 3 St. Pius X (62-49) and Class 3A No. 2 GAC (64-51) are the War Eagle’s most reassuring results. Speaking of No. 3 St. Pius X, they kicked Cedar Grove from the Class 3A rankings with a 68-51 win. No. 4 Henry County is eagerly awaiting a slip up from the Top 3 as they continue to impress, beating No. 8 Woodward Academy 57-50, No. 10 Salem 66-60 and Hampton 60-40. No. 5 Carver-Columbus is playing great basketball as well, winning at Dougherty 79-71 and sweeping No. 6 Americus-Sumter in OT, 52-49.

No. 1 Morgan County and No. 2 GAC handled their business in Class AAA Top 4 bouts this past week and feel like virtual locks to meet in the state finals as they have separated themselves from the rest of the classification. The Bulldogs mauled No. 4 Hart County 70-53 on the road and then traveled to Class 7A No. 8 Newton to score a 56-51 win behind Tyrin Lawrence’s 26 points. The Spartans swept No. 3 Dawson County 72-60 with Hunter McIntosh pouring in 27 points while Clifton Baskerville (14), Belmont-signee Ben Sheppard (12) and Chris Hinton (11) combined for 37 points. No. 7 Westside-Macon climbs two spots after dropping No. 8 Central-Macon three slots with a 54-52 win over the Chargers. The Seminoles followed up with a 103-59 thrashing of Kendrick while Central-Macon lost to Class 2A No. 4 Northeast-Macon 54-52. Jefferson (13-7) is out of the poll after a 75-65 loss at Franklin County while Cedar Grove (11-7) was put out of their misery with losses to Class 4A No. 3 St. Pius X 68-51 and Redan 61-48, the Saints losing seven of their last nine games after starting 9-0. No. 9 Monroe sneaks into the Top 10 for the first time, coming out of the yucky four-team Region 1, which has a combined record of 21-36 outside of the Tornadoes’ 14-5 mark. Monroe very well may be a one-and-done candidate but a season sweep of Westover (69-36; 73-68), a 69-49 win over Early County and a tight 70-64 loss at Class A-Public No. 4 Terrell County might show that the Tornadoes aren’t just beating up on bad competition. They get their biggest test of the year on MLK Day against Class 4A No. 6 Americus-Sumter. Drama is afoot in Savannah. No. 6 Johnson-Savannah moves up a spot after beating Jenkins 65-44, but first-year Head Coach Rico Campbell will be hoping for some addition by subtraction as shot-hunter Shamar Jones has left the program after averaging a second-best 14.9 points per game. The Atomsmashers tried to load the deck with transfers but it has proven to be a combustible mix. With Jones leaving, 6-foot-6 junior Brandon Harris will likely get more shot attempts and will have to warrant all his High Major D-I offers and prove that his summer wasn’t just a flash in the pan. He holds averages of 10.4 points and 5.3 rebounds. No. 10 Windsor Forest breaks into the Top 10 for the first time this season and is the landing spot for Shamar Jones if he is somehow ruled eligible. At 18-4, its hard to believe the Knights still don’t have a signature win and have only beaten three teams with a winning record, their best win coming against 11-7 New Hampstead 68-47 back on December 22! 6-foot-3 senior Zim Fields averages 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.5 steals while 5-foot-10 sophomore Shamar Norman nets 15 points a night. If Jones is ruled eligible, it will be interesting to see whether he affects team chemistry as their rematch with Johnson-Savannah looms next Tuesday. Only the Atomsmashers and Knights have winning records in the nine-team Region 3.

The polar opposite of the Savannah area basketball in Class 3A is reflected in the special season that Class AA No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins is having. The Wolverines destroyed Swainsboro 81-47 and outlasted No. 6 Vidalia 53-50. No. 4 Northeast-Macon clipped Class 3A No. 8 Central-Macon 54-52. No. 10 Thomasville tumbles three spots after suffering an 83-68 loss at Class A-Public No. 9 Pelham. No. 8 Washington County moves up two positions after wins at Bleckley County 78-75 and at Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin 68-61, Jamarius Dixon (21) and Jarden Maze (20) combining for 41 points against the Braves.

The Top 5 remains unchanged in Class A-Private even after No. 2 Mt. Bethel’s 76-71 OT win at No. 1 St. Francis to split the season series, withstanding a 38-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist barrage from Xavier-commit Dwon Odom. The Knights hold onto the top spot barely thanks to a little bit stronger of a schedule and six Top 10 wins to Mt. Bethel’s five. The Eagles defeated No. 5 Walker 54-44 before taking down the Knights. No. 3 Greenforest edged No. 10 Trinity Christian 57-48, dropping the Lions two spots. No. 6 Holy Innocents’ rises three spots and have now won seven-straight games including beating No. 7 Wesleyan 59-54 on the road. Region 8 gets interesting this week as No. 8 Lakeview Academy battles No. 7 Wesleyan at the BCB MLK Showcase, but more importantly, meets the new and improved No. 9 Riverside Military Eagles on Friday. The Lions will need to play better after squeaking out a 57-56 win at Prince Avenue.

Here they come. The most feared team in Class A-Public and winners of three-straight state championships and five of the last six, No. 8 Wilkinson County is back in the Top 10 and have won six-straight games, their latest coming in a whipping of Macon County (12-5) 71-40, drilling the Bulldogs in Montezuma and knocking them out of the poll. Also out of the rankings is Georgia Military (9-5) continuing the theme of Region 7’s best being a revolving door. The Bulldogs lost at home to No. 7 Greene County 48-39 and then lost at Washington-Wilkes 58-56. Greene County turned around and were beat by Region 7 frontrunner No. 2 Hancock Central 62-55. The Bulldogs from Sparta then annihilated Washington-Wilkes 80-40. Outside of the Region 7 mayhem, No. 4 Terrell County rises two spots and are in hot pursuit of Region 1 leader No. 1 Calhoun County. The Greenwave beat Early County 67-63 and edged No. 9 Pelham 71-68 after the Hornets busted up Class 2A No. 10 Thomasvile 83-68. Pelham rebounded with a 53-50 win at Chattahoochee County. There’s a new threat in Region 2 as No. 6 Irwin County surges into the poll, winning 11-straight to debut. The Indians defended home court against No. 5 Wilcox County 71-66.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 1-19-19

BOYS

AAAAAAA

No. 1 McEachern 50, Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) 46 : The Indians rallied to win the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions championship. Sharife Cooper finished with 20 points. Auburn-signee Isaac Okoro had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.

No. 5 East Coweta 71, No. 9 Wheeler 66 OT: Up 21 points at the half, East Coweta used overtime to sweep the Wildcats. Christopher Youngblood had 24 points and Brandon Stroud scored 17. Fermandez Jones and Zac Hill netted 10 points apiece.

No. 7 Norcross 75, Roselle Catholic (NJ) 55: Brandon Boston scored 26 points in the upset.

Parkview 63, Cedar Shoals 61: In the loss, Quincy Canty had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Johnson added 14 points and 8 rebounds.

AAAAAA

No. 3 Chattahoochee 96, Dunwoody 75: AJ White (31), Cam Sheffield (21), Franklin Bailey (17) and Grant Van Beveren (16) overpowered Dunwoody.

No. 8 South Paulding 67, New Manchester 64: Sha’mi Shields finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 2 steals. Chandler Travis added 18 points and 4 rebounds. Shane Gibson tacked on 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks.

Mundy’s Mill 79, BEST Academy 40: Chris Lango (16), Rayquan Brown (15), Jordan Black (15), Demarcus Fannin (10) and Jalen Thrash (9) balanced the Tigers’ offense.

Cambridge 80, Johns Creek 50: Matt Cleveland (24), Kamar Robertson (22) and Bryce Boutelle (16) overwhelmed Johns Creek.

Pope 60, Alpharetta 51: Ross Shepherd scored 20 points while Ryan Billig had 8 points and 15 rebounds.

AAAAA

Loganville 58, George Walton Academy 46: In the loss Brelan Holston scored 11 points. Amari Gill had 11 points and 8 rebounds. Noah Hicks chipped in 8 points and 6 assists.

Paulding County 64, Woodland-Cartersville 60: Kevin Brown (18), Jervon Morris (14) and Trell Evans (10) paced the Patriots.  Woodland got 22 points from Hunter Johnson and 17 from Dawson Wilkins.

Stockbridge 61, Lovejoy 52: Trillis Brown scored 15 points, Khobe Comer 11, Jevon McDonald 9 and Davian Johnson scored 8 in the win. In the loss, Marlon Brownfield had 19 points. Fred Williams scored 10 points.

Johnson-Gainesville 51, West Hall 50: Wade Pearce scored 17 points and Jesse Harbin had 16.

Miller Grove 68, Tucker 63: In the loss, Nick Watson scored 24 points. Jermontae Hill had 15 and Dartmouth-signee Nate Ogbu had 9 points.

Rome 91, East Paulding 86: Caleb Byrd and Jaylen Nelson dropped 27 points apiece in the win. Sean Rutledge had 28 points in the loss. Azer Tidor netted 15 points and Ravon Melon had 10.

Wayne County 66, Pierce County 55: Anthony Grant exploded for 35 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks. Marcus Trice had 12 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Dre Johnson added 8 points and 10 rebounds.

Cass 58, Villa Rica 50: Jacquez Fountain scored 25 points while Andrew Glaze had 14. Jeffrey Dudley led Villa Rica with 19 points. Demarcus Blount scored 7.

Lithia Springs 62, Riverwood 57: Anthony Hardy poured in 34 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Harris County 67, Manchester 63: Tailique Williams scored 18 points and AJ Spencer had 16. Marcus Dumas (12) and Calvon Harris (10) both cracked double figures.

AAAA

No. 4 Henry County 60, Hampton 40: Semaj Rice had 18 points while Lay Davis and Jaylon Stapleton scored 12 apiece. Stapleton added 4 steals.

Shaw 53, Columbus 49: Greg Grant had 13 points and 5 rebounds while Darnell Moran scored 9 points. Trey Lee and Brandon Murphy added 8 points apiece. Wason Davis tallied 6 points and 5 rebounds.

Marist 74, Flowery Branch 48: Cody Gaynes (17) and John Teanor (16) carried the War Eagles.

Cartersville 61, Cedartown 47: Isaac Gridley and Amari Orr scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Westover 69, Northside-Columbus 47: Jordan Brown finished with 18 points, 9 assists and 4 steals while Mike Isler Jr. had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. AJ Jackson chipped in 10 points, 6 assists and 3 steals.

AAA

No. 1 Morgan County 56, 7ANo. 6 Newton 51: Tyrin Lawrence scored 26 points followed by Austin Peay-signee Alec Woodard’s 15 points and Stevin Greene’s 12.

Southeast Bulloch 85, Screven County 46: The Yellowjackets had 28 assists. Ryan Swanson tossed in 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Janard Mike had 16 points and 6 assists. Khristian Clark tacked on 15 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Bryce Stephens scored 10 points.

Calhoun 56, Dalton 38: Xaxton Goodson had 13 points followed by Gage Maffetone and Davis Allen’s 12 apiece. Jake Prather scored 5 points.

AA

No. 4 Northeast-Macon 54, 3ANo. 5 Central-Macon 52: Ty’Ree Gilbert (18), Cam Cherry (17) and Darius Dunn (10) led the Raiders. The Chargers got 17 points from Quay Primas. Harold Thompkins (10), Cam Collier (8) and Tony Card (7) helped out.

No. 10 Washington County 68, 4ANo. 7 Baldwin 61: Jamarius Dixon had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Jarden Maze scored 20 points. Jawan Dukes chipped in 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Ivory Williams tacked on 6 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals.

Chattooga 80, Rockmart 48: Back at full strength, the Indians rolled Rockmart to get revenge after losing to the Yellowjackets without two starters. Malachi Mack scored 18 points and Nuk Adams had 17 in the win. Jamarious Mosteller (13), Malachi Jackson (12) and Clayton Johnson (10) all broke double digits.

A-Private

No. 2 Mt. Bethel 76, No. 1 St. Francis 72 OT:  In the loss Xavier-commit Dwon Odom had 38 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Jusaun Holt posted 11 points and 9 rebounds. Chase Ellis chipped in 9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Jordan Brown scored 7 points.

No. 5 Walker 71, Mt. Paran 41: Chandler Baker finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Chris Newell had 17 points and 4 assists. Burke Chebuhar tacked on 15 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Omar Cooper had 8 assists.

Darlington 51, Excel Christian 43: Tate Ratledge scored 14 points while Patrick Shelley had 12. Andrew Land (10) and Barrick Wade (9) also contributed offensively. In the loss, Rayshawn Womack scored 14 points and Josiah Mosley had 10. Evan Lee netted 8 points.

Mt. Pisgah 77, King’s Ridge 56: James Madison-signee Quinn Richey poured in 35 points. Nate Gordon scored 11 points followed by JoJo Peterson and Garrett Sutherland’s 7 points apiece.

St. Anne-Pacelli 71, Baker County 31: Ian Mathews scored 27 points.

Brookstone 48, Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 45: In the defeat, Jordan Wicker chipped in 11 points and 9 rebounds. Alex Morge had 8 points and 4 rebounds.

Galloway 68, Elite Scholars 54: Will Winn scored 15 points and Anthony Arrington had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Quentin Alterman finished with 11 points and 3 assists. Mark Sguilaro collected 9 points and 7 rebounds.

A-Public

No. 10 Greene County 73, Warren County 65: DJ Wright scored 23 points. Quon Robbins had 19 and C’Darius Kelley pitched in 14 points.

Non-GHSA

The King’s Academy 48, Cornerstone Prep 45: Caden Palmer netted 18 points.

GIRLS

AAAAAAA

No. 1 Westlake 58, 5ANo. 2 Buford 51: Trailing 36-24 at the half and 42-41 after three quarters, Raven Johnson helped the Lions claw their way back at Buford. Johnson finished with 23 points, 7 rebounds (all in the second half), 1 assist, 4 steals and 2 blocks. 6-foot-3 junior post Lydia Freeman was the X-Factor with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks. Carlyse Hooks had 7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks while Snoop Turnage added 6 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Casey Jones led Buford with 12 points on 4 threes. Blair Wallis (10) and Tatum Ozment (7) balanced the offense while Ebony Grant and Tate Walters scored 6 points apiece.

No. 4 Cherokee 68, Sequoyah 60: North Georgia-signee Lacie McCoy scored 17 points followed by Kate Johnson’s 14 and Ashlyn Andrus’ 10. Olivia Herrera and Sydne Watts scored 9 points apiece. Brown-signee Sydney Rosant tossed in 27 points for Sequoyah.

No. 5 Grayson 70, 6ANo. 5 Stephenson 69: Catherine Alben had 19 points and 6 assists, including the game-winning free throw. Victoria Dames netted 16 points. Nadia Howard posted 10 points, 4 assists and 5 steals.

Forsyth Central 64, Blessed Trinity 55: Jillian Brentz netted 25 points. Ansley Carver had 8 in the win.

AAAAAA

No. 3 Northview 54, North Atlanta 7: Rice-signee Ashlee Austin scored 20 points. Markiema Lancaster netted 12 and Charleston Southern-bound forward Maya Richards posted 11 points.

No. 4 Glynn Academy 64, Camden County 38: Zoesha Smith dumped in 33 points and 20 rebounds. Chmayia Miller scored 21 points.

ML King 81, Carver-Atlanta 24: Ashlynn Greene scored 18 points and Alaija Coates had 17. Daziya Hairston netted 15 points and Keke Dash scored 11 points.

Johns Creek 44, Cambridge 33: Jillian Davis scored 11 points. Ahmia Childs (9) and Wilnie Joseph (8) paced the offense.

Dalton 63, Calhoun 51: Lauren Parker posted 19 points.

Pope 59, Alpharetta 58 OT: Teya Holloman hit the game winner and finished with 18 points. Cheyenne Holloman netted 15 points. Kara McKiernan and Abby McKinney scored 11 points apiece.

AAAAA

No. 1 Villa Rica 71, Cass 47: Kentucky-signee Deasia Merrill pumped in 25 points. Dekyia Cofield scored 17 points and Aliyah Hindsman added 10.

Paulding County 56, Woodland-Cartersville 33: Rajah Drummond (14), Destine Lovejoy (12) and Faith Lovejoy (12) carried the Patriots. Madgie Robinson scored 10 points in the loss while Ansley Evans scored 7 points.

AAAA


No. 2 Henry County 67, Hampton 13: Briana Juniel scored 15 points followed by Paris Mullins’ 12. Janiya Jones and A’Maiya Jackson each scored 10 points.

No. 3 Flowery Branch 64, Marist 48: Ashley Woodroffe had 25 points followed by Ashlee Locke’s 12. Caroline Wysocki and Ashley Scott scored 11 apiece.

No. 6 West Laurens 54, East Laurens 39: MaKayla Murray went for 21 points, 10 rebounds, 7 steals and 2 blocks. Calmela Mack tallied 13 points. Jakerra Wilbur finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and 1 block. MaKayla Kemp added 4 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals.

No. 8 Harris County 58, Manchester 33: Taziaha Fanning scored 15 points. Sydney Stewart had 14 points and Jherni Carter-Ransom had 7.

North Clayton 54, Eastside 47: T’Mya Parker finished with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks. Denetra Sneed collected a triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 steals.

Hardaway 65, Cairo 56: Ji’Mia Cobb netted 20 points, hitting 6 threes.

LaGrange 46, Central-Carrollton 42: Zaria Russell scored 16 points. Carmen McGhee had 12 points and 9 rebounds.

Cedartown 46, Cartersville 45: Qiana Watson scored 15 points while Keke Turner and Tamera Beeman scored 10 apiece. In the loss, Haley Johnson scored 11 points. Lehla Thomas had 9.

Southeast Whitfield 48, Adairsville 34: McKenna Lentych dropped 20 points. In the loss, Breeana Wilson scored 16 points. Nakiyah Washington added 7.

AAA

No. 1 Morgan County 68, Newton 57: Miranda Powell scored 25 points while Tamia Benford netted 22 in the win. Lou Reid scored 11.

North Murray 47, Darlington 43: Sarah Plemons scored 18 points to lead the Mountaineers while Tenley Gladson and Baylee Gable scored 12 apiece.

AA

No. 3 Fitzgerald 89, Brooks County 35: Trinity Jones finished with 20 points, 6 assists and 4 steals. Hayleigh Ross had 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Melodie Freeman scored 12 points. Keyara Boone tallied 12 points, 2 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks.

Rockmart 71, Chattooga 59: Keyarah Berry scored 36 points. Desiree Dasani had 13 points and Megan Little scored 10.

Temple 40, Pepperell 38: Tori Chivers had 20 points and 3 steals. Ruby Collins and Esther Jacobson each had 5 points and 10 rebounds.

A-Private

No. 1 Wesleyan 70, Centennial 31:  Nicole Azar scored 23 points. Izzy Larsen had 15 points and 19 rebounds. AC Carter tallied 13 points and 3 blocks. Alyssa Phillip had 9 points and 8 rebounds while Callie Weaver dished out 7 assists.

No. 6 Mt. Paran 63, Walker 17: Kara Dunn (16), Savannah Casey (14), Katelyn Dunning (8) and Jasiah Washington (8) powered the Eagles.

Prince Avenue 40, Athens Christian 21: Karlee Armstrong scored 16 points while Maddi Britt had 7 and Noelle Hynes tacked on 6.

King’s Ridge 57, Mt. Pisgah 24: Sophie Smith had 21 points, 3 assists and 5 steals. Carly Fahey tallied 12 points, 3 assists and 9 steals. Jada Green collected 10 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks.

GHSA, Spielin' & Dealin' Podcast

Spielin’ & Dealin’ Ep. 64: Week 9 Storylines + Power Rankings

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The Sidelines

The Sidelines [0:36]
No. 2 Grayson vs. No. 6 Newton preview [4:32]
No. 6 Lakeside-Evans runs Augusta [7:03]
No. 3 Buford’s surprising loss [11:19]
1-seed analysis [13:51]
Class A/7A Power Rankings [23:55]

Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 9 Girls Rankings

The Sidelines

Class AAAAAAA

1. Westlake (16-0)
2. Collins Hill (19-1)
3. North Cobb (17-1)
4. Cherokee (16-3)
5. Grayson (16-2)
6. Norcross (13-8)
7. North Forsyth (13-4)
8. Colquitt County (14-2)
9. Hillgrove (12-6)
10. Pebblebrook (15-3)

Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (17-3)
2. Forest Park (18-2)
3. Northview (13-4)
4. Glynn Academy (16-2)
5. Stephenson (12-8)
6. Douglas County (15-4)
7. Valdosta (16-2)
8. Lanier (15-3)
9. Dacula (15-4)
10. Creekview (15-4)

Class AAAAA

1. Villa Rica (17-0)
2. Buford (15-1)
3. Eagle’s Landing (12-4)
4. Veterans (17-2)
5. Southwest DeKalb (14-6)
6. Statesboro (19-1)
7. Jones County (17-3)
8. Harris County (13-5)
9. Woodland-Stockbridge (14-5)
10. Carrollton (14-6)

Class AAAA

1. Carver-Columbus (18-0)
2. Henry County (18-2)
3. Flowery Branch (16-3)
4. Spalding (13-4)
5. Madison County (17-2)
6. West Laurens (13-4)
7. Luella (14-4)
8. Westover (13-2)
9. Baldwin (13-4)
10. Perry (10-4) 

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (14-3)
2. Jefferson (17-2)
3. Johnson-Savannah (11-6)
4. Beach (16-4)
5. Peach County (12-3)
6. GAC (9-9)
7. Hart County (13-5)
8. Tattnall County (13-5)
9. Dawson County (13-6)
10. Coahulla Creek (15-4)

Class AA

1. Dodge County (16-1)
2. Douglass (14-5)
3. Fitzgerald (17-0)
4. Laney (17-1)
5. Bryan County (18-0)
6. Rabun County (16-1)
7. Swainsboro (13-2)
8. Early County (14-2)
9. Banks County (15-3)
10. Washington County (13-3)

Class A-Private

1. Wesleyan (19-0)
2. St. Francis (10-3)
3. ELCA (12-3)
4. Holy Innocents’ (9-7)
5. Lakeview Academy (15-4)
6. Mt. Paran (15-1)
7. Stratford Academy (16-1)
8. Paideia (14-3)
9. Calvary Day (14-3)
10. Greenforest (14-3)

Class A-Public

1. Marion County (16-0)
2. Georgia Military College (10-1)
3. Telfair County (14-3)
4. Greenville (18-1)
5. Wheeler County (13-4)
6. Calhoun County (16-2)
7. Clinch County (11-2)
8. Dooly County (12-3)
9. Bowdon (15-3)
10. Central-Talbotton (9-4)

A little separation was gained in Class AAAAAAA as No. 1 Westlake romped No. 10 Pebblebrook 75-50 to drop the Falcons three spots while No. 2 Collins Hill earned wins over Mill Creek 64-53 and Center Point (AL) 65-23. No. 3 North Cobb sticks at number three after dropping their first game of the season to undefeated Class A-Private No. 1 Wesleyan 59-38, the Wolves pulling away in the second half. No. 4 Cherokee is up a spot after defeating Roswell 61-34 and dispatching of Class A-Private No. 4 Holy Innocents’ 66-58 behind North Georgia-signee Lacie McCoy’s 17 points. Dropping out of the poll is Marietta (12-6). The Blue Devils were the latest Cobb County team to knock off McEachern 54-50 in overtime, Marietta’s first win against the Lady Indians since the 2009 Region 5-AAAAA Championship, but subsequently fell to re-entry No. 9 Hillgrove 51-45. The Hawks nearly beat North Cobb on Tuesday 46-44 and have taken over second-place in Region 3 with a date with rival McEachern looming this Tuesday.

Class AAAAAA No. 2 Forest Park pounded No. 5 Stephenson 65-31, but the Jaguars turned around and finished the weekend with a strong 46-45 win over Class 5A No. 5 Southwest DeKalb to hold onto their spot. No. 6 Douglas County blasted New Manchester (15-3) from the rankings with a 65-33 blowout. Following New Manchester out of the poll is Pope (14-4). The Greyhounds were upset at Johns Creek 60-47. Resurfacing is No. 8 Lanier, who rebounded nicely after getting hit hard by suspensions to take down No. 9 Dacula 51-42, dropping the Falcons two spots. Debuting in the rankings is No. 10 Creekview, the Grizzlies scoring wins at Sequoyah 59-46 and at Harrison 45-26. 5-foot-10 senior forward Josie Johnson leads Creekview with 11.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

There was plenty of flipping and flopping in Class AAAAA as No. 1 Villa Rica held off No. 10 Carrollton 66-58. The Trojans trade places with No. 7 Jones County who climbs three spots after wins over Union Grove 48-35, Ola 71-36 and Upson-Lee 71-55. No. 4 Veterans shoots up two spots after taking down No. 8 Harris County 58-49 and winning at Warner Robins 71-65. 6-foot junior Stacie Jones ate away at Harris County’s imposing frontline posting 27 points, 16 rebounds and 2 blocks in the win. The Tigers also fell in overtime at Campbell 59-54. No. 6 Statesboro climbs three positions following a statement week in Region 2, beating Wayne County 59-51, Ware County 47-39 and Southeast Bulloch 54-27. The Blue Devils are powered by 6-foot-1 guard Lacy Robins, the junior piling in 19.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5 assists, 4.7 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. No. 3 Eagle’s Landing bounced Locust Grove (14-5) from the Top 10 quickly, 64-35. Replacing the Wildcats is another Region 4 team, No. 9 Woodland-Stockbridge who makes their first appearance since Week 2, clawing back in after upsetting Eagle’s Landing in overtime 67-59. Junior guard Amia Brown exploded for a career-high 42 points, blowing past her 12.2 point-per-game average.

Class AAAA sees some shuffling among the Top 5 as No. 2 Henry County moves up two spots thanks to a 61-41 win at No. 7 Luella. No. 3 Flowery Branch moves up two places as well following a perfect week that was highlighted by a 68-61 win over Class 3A No. 6 GAC. No. 4 Spalding sinks two positions after a 54-49 loss at returnee No. 6 West Laurens. The win over the defending state champs springboards the Raiders back into the poll for the first time since Week 5. Calmela Mack erupted for 28 points in the win over the Jaguars while MaKayla Murray added 11 points, 11 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 blocks. Rounding out the Top 5 is No. 5 Madison County, sinking two spots after a letdown against North Oconee 56-50. With West Laurens’ rise into the Top 10, Marist (13-4) gets squeezed out of the poll after a 2-0 week. They have a chance to get right back into the rankings and take a huge leap like the Raiders did if they can beat No. 3 Flowery Branch at home this Saturday.

The power struggle down on the coast in Class AAA continued as No. 3 Johnson-Savannah got revenge against No. 4 Beach 55-42 to hop over the Bulldogs. No. 5 Peach County rises four spots after a 3-0 week while No. 7 Hart County sinks two places after a 62-56 loss at Franklin County. Things don’t get easier as the Bulldogs now host No. 1 Morgan County on Tuesday in the unforgiving Region 8. North Hall (13-6) was in the driver’s seat in Region 7 but back-to-back road losses to East Hall 48-45 and Chestatee 68-60 drop the Trojans from the rankings. Surging into the poll is debutant No. 10 Coahulla Creek. 1,000-point scorer Lily Snyder guided the Colts last week to wins over Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 54-42 and more impressively at Ringgold 47-44 to crack the poll.

The Class AA poll is rock solid with no movement with everyone winning except for No. 8 Early County who fell to No. 3 Fitzgerald 62-60. No. 1 Dodge County turned back Southwest-Macon 67-63, No. 4 Laney still mentally owns Josey after winning 60-57, No. 5 Bryan County smoked Woodville-Tompkins 68-48 while No. 6 Rabun County did the same to Putnam County 74-54.

No. 1 Wesleyan ran its record up to 19-0 in Class A-Private, hammering No. 8 Paideia down two spots 58-33 before pulling away from previously unbeaten Class 7A No. 3 North Cobb 59-38, AC Carter hanging 27 points and 9 rebounds while Nicole Azar drilled 6 threes to finish with 22 points. It was a rough week for the Pythons as they also lost to No. 3 ELCA 66-49. The Chargers got 27 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks from Rice-signee India Bellamy while Weronika Hipp pumped in 24 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. The dynamic duo leads ELCA into uncharted territory, breaking through the glass ceiling and passing up No. 4 Holy Innocents’ for a spot in the Top 3. The Golden Bears lost 66-58 to Class 7A No. 4 Cherokee to make way for the Chargers. Darlington (11-4) drops out after getting blown out by newly ranked Class A-Public No. 9 Bowdon 54-35. No. 10 Greenforest makes their first appearance in the Top 10. The Eagles don’t have too many resume wins, but they have been solid, most recently smacking Elite Scholars Academy 85-24, who handed No. 7 Stratford Academy their only loss of the season back in early December 56-49.

In Class A-Public, No. 1 Marion County went 4-0 highlighted by a 59-49 win at No. 10 Central-Talbotton, dropping the Hawks two spots. No. 3 Telfair County looked good with wins over Turner County 68-37, Lanier County 77-54 and Wilcox County 71-55. Wilcox County (11-6) falls from the Top 10 after also losing at Lanier County 59-57. Returning to the poll is No. 9 Bowdon. The Red Devils overwhelmed Darlington 54-35.