Class AAAAAAA

1. Norcross (15-1)
2. McEachern (9-5)
3. Collins Hill (13-1)
4. Mill Creek (14-1)
5. Archer (11-3)
6. Newton (10-2)
7. Brookwood (11-4)
8. Westlake (10-5)
9. Lambert (12-2)
10. Marietta (12-3) 

Class AAAAAA

1. Harrison (11-2)
2. Winder-Barrow (8-4)
3. Douglas County (13-2)
4. Lovejoy (12-2)
5. Grovetown (10-5)
6. Stephenson (10-5)
7. Sequoyah (11-2)
8. Northview (12-3)
9. Forest Park (11-4)
10. Gainesville (8-3) 

Class AAAAA

1. Buford (11-0)
2. Flowery Branch (12-2)
3. Southwest DeKalb (12-4)
4. Griffin (13-0)
5. Warner Robins (13-0)
6. Maynard Jackson (11-1)
7. Carrollton (11-1)
8. Villa Rica (12-1)
9. Harris County (10-2)
10. McIntosh (10-2) 

Class AAAA

1. North Oconee (12-2)
2. Carver-Columbus (13-1)
3. West Hall (11-4)
4. Cross Creek (11-4)
5. Columbus (9-3)
6. Northwest Whitfield (9-4)
7. Americus-Sumter (11-2)
8. Sandy Creek (8-3)
9. Heritage-Catoosa (14-2)
10. Henry County (11-5) 

Class AAA

1. Beach (11-1)
2. Johnson-Savannah (12-1)
3. Greater Atlanta Christian (10-4)
4. Hart County (12-2)
5. Redan (9-2)
6. Ringgold (11-4)
7. Calhoun (12-3)
8. Haralson County (10-3)
9. Monroe (9-3)
10. Central-Macon (8-3) 

Class AA

1. Laney (12-1)
2. Rabun County (13-1)
3. Dodge County (10-2)
4. Fitzgerald (7-0)
5. Model (9-4)
6. Vidalia (9-3)
7. Dublin (7-3)
8. Dade County (10-4)
9. Bryan County (9-2)
10. Hapeville Charter (9-4) 

Class A-Private

1. Holy Innocents’ (12-1)
2. St. Francis (8-4)
3. Wesleyan (10-2)
4. Pinecrest Academy (8-2)
5. Lakeview Academy (11-4)
6. Landmark Christian (9-3)
7. Calvary Day (9-2)
8. Tattnall Square Academy (8-4)
9. Stratford Academy (8-3)
10. Christian Heritage (6-4) 

Class A-Public

1. Pelham (10-0)
2. Wheeler County (12-1)
3. Telfair County (10-1)
4. Greenville (10-2)
5. Woodville-Tompkins (11-3)
6. Treutlen (8-3)
7. Wilcox County (8-4)
8. Taylor County (8-3)
9. Macon County (6-3)
10. Marion County (8-3) 

 

As they did on the boys side, holiday tournaments have tested some of the state’s best girls programs and in the process have both helped and hurt teams’ momentum heading into the heart of region play as the calendar year flips over to January 2017. In Class AAAAAAA, No. 2 McEachern overtakes No. 3 Collins Hill after the Indians went 4-1 in the Sandra Meadows Classic while the Eagles were blown out by national powerhouse Riverdale, TN 73-35 at the State Farm Classic. Mill Creek holds strong at No. 4 and looks like the best non-national team in the state behind the top three who travel all over the country. The Hawks continued to dominate in Georgia, winning the Sweet South Classic with victories over Hapeville Charter 61-49 and Spalding 56-43. Brookwood closed 2016 with authority, winning the Deep South Classic beating three teams that have been ranked over the course of the year in North Forsyth (47-44), Franklin County (66-49) and No. 9 Lambert (55-42). Hillgrove and Colquitt County fall out and are replaced by the Longhorns and first time entry into the Top 10, Marietta. Hillgrove lost to Lambert 53-50 at the Deep South Classic while Colquitt County lost to both Valdosta and Monroe. Marietta scored a 49-39 win over Creekview at the Campbell Holiday Classic before falling to Douglas County 77-58.

Mays has lost five straight games and now sits at 5-7 an unranked in Class AAAAAA. The Raiders have played a difficult schedule, going 0-3 at the SoCal Holiday Prep Classic and will need to regain their footing once they return to Georgia which is more than doable. Lovejoy rises to No. 4 as No. 5 Grovetown slipped against Cross Creek 57-51 at the Monterrey Christmas Classic. No. 3 Douglas County defeated No. 7 Sequoyah at the Campbell Holliday Classic 56-45. The Lady Chiefs also dropped to Creekview 36-33. Joining Mays on the unranked circuit is Jonesboro. The Cardinals finished 1-2 at the Grayson Ram Classic, losing 64-44 to Buford and 37-36 to Rockdale County. No. 9 Forest Park and No. 10 Gainesville crack the poll. Forest Park debuts after a 2-1 showing at the Balln Prep Invitational. The Red Elephants opened the year ranked but quickly fell out. They are back in after a 2-1 Lanierland, beating Chestatee 56-44, losing to West Hall 59-50 and defeating Lakeview Academy 65-55.

Region 8-AAAAA cruised in their respective tournaments with No. 1 Buford going 3-0 at the Grayson Ram Classic and No. 2 Flowery Branch winning Lanierland for the second straight season, beating West Hall 59-50 in the title game. Arabia Mountain stumbled against Spalding 47-37 and beat Hapeville Charter 41-35 but it wasn’t enough to hold off No. 10 McIntosh who makes a Top 10 appearance after winning the Mary Persons Tournament Championship and beating Perry 47-37.

Carver-Columbus is up to No. 2 in Class AAAA after a strong showing at the Balln Prep Invitational, but North Oconee still clings onto No. 1 with a 2-1 trip at the Carolina Invitational. No. 4 Cross Creek knocked off Grovetown 57-51, but West Hall still has the slight advantage over the Razorbacks for the No. 3 spot after beating East Hall (51-39) and Gainesville at Lanierland. Perry and Jefferson don’t survive the final week of 2016. Perry lost to McIntosh while Jefferson went 1-2 at the Carolina Invitational. No. 9 Heritage-Catoosa and No. 10 Henry County climb back into the poll. The Warhawks finished 2-1 at the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational. Keep an eye on unranked Burke County (7-4). The Bears picked up wins over ranked Class A-Private programs Tattnall Square Academy and Stratford Academy at the Tattnall Christmas Tournament. Burke County hosts Cross Creek tomorrow in both teams’ first Region 3 contest of the season.

In AAA, No. 6 Ringgold went 1-2 at the Beech Christmas Tournament while No. 4 Hart County earned two wins at the 9^th annual McDonald’s Shootout before falling to Greenville, SC 75-44. Monroe slips three spots following losses to Rickards, FL (51-39) and Colquitt County (67-45). Central-Macon debuts at No. 10. The Lady Chargers are 8-3 coming off a Greenville Classic Championship, beating Class A-Public No. 4 Greenville 48-42.

Class AA has seen No. 5 Model not fully hit their stride yet. They went 1-2 at the Disney KSA event, losing to Pope 49-43 in the process. Dodge County hangs tight at No. 3 after a strong showing at the Volume Hyundai Classic at GSCU, losing in the championship to Class AAAAA No. 6 Maynard Jackson 54-50. No. 4 Fitzgerald moves up two spots and No. 7 Dublin moves up three spots while Heard County drops out after losses to LaGrange 43-37 and Troup County 44-24. No. 9 Bryan County sneaks back in the Top 10 at 9-2.

Holy Innocents’ claims No. 1 in Class A-Private as No. 2 St. Francis hasn’t been as dominant on the national circuit as they were last year, this time losing to Mercer County, KY 77-72. No. 5 Lakeview Academy disappointed at Lanierland going 1-2. They beat North Hall in the opening round 68-54, but were beat by Flowery Branch 70-48 and Gainesville 65-55. Fellowship Christian departs from the rankings after losing to Pickens and Gilmer at the Fannin County Christmas Tournament. No. 9 Stratford Academy jumps into the picture following a 50-34 win over Macon County.

Speaking of Macon County, after skyrocketing up to No. 6 last week in Class A-Public, their first week in the poll, the Bulldogs have dropped three straight and now find themselves at No. 9. They went 0-3 at the Tattnall Square tournament losing to Stratford, Fairview Christian Academy, TN and Carver-Atlanta. No. 2 Wheeler County went to Vidalia and won their tournament, beating the Class AA No. 6 in the process 68-56. Terrell County falls out after a 54-51 loss to Westover. Marion County takes a hold of No. 10.