All posts by KyleSandy

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

Savannah Samuel stars with 23 of 29 River Ridge second half points to carry Lady Knights past Sequoyah, 54-48

River Ridge 54, Sequoyah 48

River Ridge moved into third-place in R6-AAAAAA

The War Lodge was host to an important Region 6-AAAAAA matchup between Sequoyah (16-5, 7-4) and the River Ridge Knights (15-5, 8-3). Deadlocked at 7-3 apiece in the standings, the winner would control third-place in the top-heavy region while No. 3 Harrison (16-4, 11-0) and No. 4 Creekview (13-6, 8-2) manned the top spots. The Lady Knights shook off a nightmarish opening four minutes to regain their composure and methodically chip away at an early deficit, eventually gaining control and closing out a 54-48 road win behind sophomore Savannah Samuel’s sensational night.

The Lady Chiefs jumped all over the Knights, forcing four quick turnovers and leading 8-0 at the 6:09 mark. Coach Jason Taylor laid into his players, exclaiming they were about to get ran out of the gym if they didn’t take better care of the ball. Another two minutes went by and things didn’t get much better, the Lady Chiefs up 14-4 as Sydney Rosant and AnnaLynne Bennett scored six apiece in the frame.

River Ridge would close on an 11-4 run to end the quarter down 18-15, Mary Allen Mansell sparking the Lady Knights with six early points and Samuel adding five.

The two teams traded buckets in the second quarter. Peyton Satterfield got hot with two threes for Sequoyah, but River Ridge’s size began to pose a problem as 6-foot-2 Lexi Palmer and 6-foot Faith Arthur scored four points apiece around the basket. Arthur added a contested jumper in the lane at the buzzer as the Knights entered the half trailing 28-25.

In the third quarter, Samuel took over. The 6-foot-1 wing led the charge as the Knights pounded the smaller Lady Chiefs on the boards. Samuel’s first six points of the quarter all came on put-backs as River Ridge finally got over the hump and seized their first lead of the game at 33-31 with 3:55 remaining.

At the end of three, River Ridge held a 37-36 advantage. Samuel scored 10 points in the quarter while Arthur crashed the glass alongside Samuel for second chance opportunities.

The Knights shut down senior leader Alyssa Cagle, who had only two points, both coming from the free throw line in the first quarter. With Cagle unable to find a field goal, the Lady Chiefs scrambled for baskets. Sequoyah trailed 41-40 before Samuel drilled a three in the corner to go up four with 3:33 left.

Samuel would finish with a game-high 30 points, scoring 23 of her team’s 29 second half points.

Macy Williams knocked down two free throws for the Chiefs to cut the lead to 46-44 with 2:18 to play, but Samuel continued to score at will, netting 13 points in the final frame, going 8-of-10 from the line.

Rosant floated in a tough bucket in the lane with 54 seconds remaining to make it a 50-48 game, but the Lady Chiefs were unable to keep the ball out of Samuel’s hands as she punished them from the line.

Sequoyah had a last gasp to make it a one possession game, but the Lady Knights got a crucial stop that resulted in a Leigh Codiniera rebound and two free throws at the other end with 13 seconds left to ice the game 54-48.

My Take

Cherokee County girls basketball just got that much more interesting. It would be too cliché to say a star was born, considering Savannah Samuel has averaged 20.9 points and 5.6 rebounds, but the 6-foot-1 sophomore transfer from Collins Hill has changed the outlook of an entire program. Gwinnett County’s loss is Cherokee County’s gain. Samuel was phenomenal, taking over the game against one the state’s best programs over the past four years. A lanky, fluid athlete that’s all arms and legs, Samuel can get to the hoop and finish through contact. She can stretch teams out to the three-point line and is a nuisance on the glass. She has a High Major D-I ceiling and could be one of the best players the county has seen in quite some time, a county with a rich tradition of girls basketball. River Ridge’s frontline did major damage against the Chiefs; Sequoyah’s one glaring weakness. While the entire roster took a backseat to Samuel in the second half, Faith Arthur and Lexi Palmer were relentless on the boards, taking Samuel’s lead. Arthur has a physical, sturdy frame that allows her to play inside and out. With three players standing over 6-foot, the Knights have the ability to dominate the paint. Freshman Leigh Codiniera showed promise and composure while handling the point guard duties. She went 4-of-4 from the line including the final two points of the game. Depth will be a major issue for the Knights come state tournament time. Outside of their starters, Sabrina Roberts and Emily Ruth combined for three rebounds and one steal; the only stats contributed by the bench.

Sequoyah looked like they were going to blitz the Lady Knights, coming out with intense defensive pressure, but eventually River Ridge settled in and the Lady Chiefs’ large lead evaporated by the end of the first quarter. Sydney Rosant came out firing. There’s not many shots the high-scoring junior won’t take. She was finding baskets early on and hit her season average with 13 points. The insertion of AnnaLynne Bennett into the starting lineup over tallest player, 5-foot-9 Emily Seres, paid early dividends. The engine that makes Sequoyah go, unsigned senior Alyssa Cagle, was held to two first quarter free throws. While she was unable to score, she affected the game in other ways, the 5-foot-6 bulldog leading the Lady Chiefs with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Her offense hasn’t been as consistent this year, but credit some of that to her deferring to Rosant. Sophomore Macy Williams had six points. She’s instant energy off the bench for Coach Derrick DeWitt. Williams is the next in a long line of tenacious Lady Chief guards. She is a major competitor on the floor.

Top Performers

River Ridge
Savannah Samuel – 30 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block
Faith Arthur – 8 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Lexi Palmer – 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks
Mary Allen Mansell – 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Leigh Codiniera – 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Sequoyah
Sydney Rosant – 13 points, 2 rebounds
Peyton Satterfield – 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Macy Williams – 6 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals
AnnaLynne Bennett – 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block
Colby Carden – 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
Alyssa Cagle – 2 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 8 Elbert County withstands 11 three-pointers to sweep No. 9 Banks County, 61-56

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No. 8 Elbert County 61, No. 9 Banks County 56

Wins don’t come easy in Homer, Georgia for opponents that enter the jungle. Heading into Tuesday’s Region 8-AA Top 10 clash, No. 9 Banks County (18-4, 7-2) held an 11-1 record at home and a 34-5 mark over the past three seasons in their friendly confines, often covered in blue. The defending region champs welcomed in No. 8 Elbert County (19-3, 9-1) as the two teams held a share of first-place with the Blue Devils defending their homecourt back on January 5th with a 61-50 win, jolting Elbert County into the rankings. After finishing 14-15 (6-6) in Year 1 under longtime Etowah head coach Don Hurlburt, the upstart Blue Devils have taken on Hurlburt’s style of play and have found success and swagger. But to officially announce themselves as the team to beat, they would have to find a way to win in Banks County, where they lost 65-47 and 52-45 a season ago.

It was a slow start for both teams offensively as Banks County’s 3-2 zone forced Elbert County into lengthy possessions, typically upwards of 10 to 15 passes before the Blue Devils could take a shot, but even then, there were no promises it would be a good look. Elbert was tentative in attacking and getting all the way to the basket due to 6-foot-7 shot-blocker Dylan Orr lurking in the paint and the Leopards’ team defense, Gaitlin Lunsford drawing two of Banks County’s five charges in the opening quarter.

Carl Cleveland opened the scoring for the Leopards. The 6-foot-5 sophomore and coach’s son, drilled two threes while Orr provided a lefty hook off the glass to give Banks a 10-8 lead after 8 minutes.

Elbert County edged ahead at the 4:34 mark, 14-13, behind an AJ James bucket in the paint.

With a major size advantage inside, Coach Mike Cleveland wanted to play inside out. Carl spun in the lane and dumped down an assist to Orr.

Soon after, Orr returned the favor by drawing a crowd on the block and swinging it to an open Cleveland for a three to take a 20-16 lead.

Banks’ cushion didn’t last long as the Blue Devils closed the half on a 7-0 spurt to regain a 23-20 lead. Lefty Jacquavious Ramsey scored five points in the quarter while Jamison Syphore’s activity on defense gave Elbert the late advantage.

Only Cleveland, Orr and point guard Darius Bonds scored in the first half for the Leopards while Elbert County saw five players crack the scoring column.

Banks County quickly took back the lead at the 6:18 mark up 25-23 following a Gabe Martin trifecta. Elbert County, not panicked, tightened up their full court press with junior guard Ty Hill picking up the pressure on Bonds, collecting two steals and an assist while James, who scored 22 points in their first meeting, knocked down a three as the Blue Devils took their largest lead of the game on an 11-0 run, 34-25, before a Cleveland three sliced the lead back down to six with 3:20 remaining in the third.

With the deficit nearing double digits, the Leopards came out of their zone and attempted to match up man-to-man, an advantage for the quicker Blue Devils. But while the defense was leaking points, Bonds made up for it with three threes in the frame, cutting the lead to 36-34 with 1:18 to play.

Elbert County, who hit only three three-pointers on the night, received an answer from Jaqirus Harris right before the horn to nurse a 41-37 lead into the final quarter.

Both student sections were on their feet and the crowd in full throat as first-place in Region 8 came down to the wire. The Blue Devils pushed ahead in front of their raucous fan base to take a 47-40 lead with 5:16 to play.

Ramsey and Kobe Gaudelock found life easier with Banks County out of their zone, combining for nine points in the quarter, but it was James who did the heavy lifting for the Blue Devils. The 6-foot-4 junior scored nine of his game-high 19 points in the final frame, working the post and getting to the line, going 7-of-8 from the stripe.

Always dangerous with the three-ball, hitting 11 for the game, Banks County still had life as they crept closer on Martin’s second of the night, bringing the score to 51-47 with 2:50 left.

Down to 1:29 remaining on the clock, the Leopards began fouling trailing 55-49, but the Blue Devils were 6-of-6 from the line in the quarter at that point. The strategy began to work as Elbert went 6-of-12 in the final 89 seconds and three Martin free throws had the score at 56-52 at the 1:15 mark.

Banks County’s last chance to make things interesting came with 29.5 seconds to play when a Bonds three-pointer was half way down before popping out, which nearly made it a two-point game, but instead the score read 57-52 with Ramsey heading to the line to help ice it and secure a season sweep for Elbert County.

My Take

Class AA is probably my favorite classification to cover. Small school basketball with the vast majority of the kids growing up through the pipeline. The atmosphere at Banks County is unlike any other with the gym packed from the opening tip of the girls game to the final buzzer of the boys game. The strong tie to the community is apparent as little Leopards watched their favorite players and knowledgably cheered them on.

But on Tuesday, it was Elbert County’s night. The Blue Devils don’t jump off the court with major size, with AJ James their tallest at 6-foot-4, but the effort and tenacity are there. They battled the bigger Leopards and after landing a few body blows throughout, finally knocked out the defending region champs, sweeping the season series. Elbert was extremely patient and almost shy when probing the Banks County 3-2 zone. It took them a while to adjust, but they did. Instead of forcing up bad shots, they were content with swinging the ball around until they got an open look. James was the man inside and provided physicality and toughness in the post. Jamison Syphore is very active and rebounds well for his size, collecting 11 on the night. Elbert County doesn’t have a ton of floor spacers, hitting three threes as Kobe Gaudelock, one of their best shooters who had 18 points in their first meeting, was held to six points. Elbert will likely be more of a by-committee three-point shooting team with a handful of players able to knock one down here and there. Once Banks County came out of their zone, Elbert County’s athleticism took over and they were able to find much easier looks. The Blue Devils’ press really exploited Banks County’s lack of ball handlers outside of Darius Bonds. As a team, Elbert County came away with 12 steals.

Banks County drilled 11 threes at home but still lost – a tough pill to swallow. Carl Cleveland came out firing, hitting four from deep to finish with a team-high 18 points along with Bonds who also drilled four. Dylan Orr was a non-factor in the second half, held to zero points and two rebounds after posting seven points and six rebounds in the first half. Orr plays above the rim and blocks shots, but he went 1-of-6 at the foul line and was unable to impose his will. North Georgia Head Coach Chris Faulkner was in to see him. Darius Bonds shot the ball extremely well from deep. He has a ton of pressure on him to handle the ball handling duties and Elbert County’s Ty Hill and Tay Huff really dug into him in the third quarter and forced some turnovers. Banks County’s zone was very effective, but once pulled out of it, there were some holes. Their ability to draw charges makes their zone that much more effective, but when in man, it’s harder to be in position to take them on the chest. Banks County has been dinged up with injuries this year but are getting healthy at the right time and will be a tough team to beat if they can clinch home court advantage.

Top Performers

Elbert County
AJ James – 19 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal
Jacquavious Ramsey – 14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
Ty Hill – 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 4 steals
Jamison Syphore – 8 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Banks County
Darius Bonds – 18 points (4 threes), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Carl Cleveland – 18 points (4 threes), 6 rebounds, 2 assists
Gabe Martin – 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist
Dylan Orr – 7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Troup County “Trusts the Process” in 65-62 upset of No. 7 Cartersville

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Troup County 65, No. 7 Cartersville 62

There’s no better way to start your work week than with some Monday night basketball, afforded to us by last week’s snow-outs. Class AAAA No. 7 Cartersville (14-3, 7-1) entered with a perfect Region 5 record while host Troup County (9-8, 4-3) was in search of a signature win in Year 1 of the Blake Craft era. A successful defensive game plan coupled with red-hot shooting helped the Tigers weather a late Hurricane surge to send shockwaves through the rest of the region.

Cartersville opened with an early 5-2 lead with Isaac Gridley causing problems inside defensively, swatting away two shots in the first four minutes of the game. After seeing the interior temporarily closed down by Gridley, the Tigers turned to star senior guard Jay Jefferson to set the pace.

The unsigned 6-foot-2 playmaker created offense for his teammates, finding Tristen Ware for two of his eight points.

From that point on, Jefferson took it upon himself to carry the offensive load. He poured in 12 points including two threes that would give Troup a 16-12 lead after one.

While Jefferson paced the Tigers, senior TJ Horton led the Hurricanes. Known primarily as a slasher, the athletic 6-foot-3 guard got loose for two of his four three-pointers in the opening quarter, while Furman-signee Jaylon Pugh was held to two points on a pair of free throws.

Troup made a concerted effort to hone in on Pugh and forced the potent scorer to take contested shots, firing two air-balls in the first half.

As Pugh struggled, Jefferson continued to shine. He knocked down two more threes to finish with 18 first half points. He received help from sophomore point guard Trey Williams, who orchestrated the offense, collecting seven assists on the night and teaming up with Lenntavis Harper and others to slow down Pugh.

After trailing 28-18, on yet another Jefferson three-ball, Cartersville started to fight fire with fire. The Canes knocked down three straight from distance, two via Perignon Dyer and one from Luke Schiltz to close the gap to 32-27 with 1:20 remaining in the first half.

Troup County hit their sixth three of the first half and the 11th for the two teams combined with 12 seconds to play as Jarell Smith entered for the first time and immediately sank one from the corner to give the Tigers a 35-27 lead at halftime.

As both teams retreated to their respective locker rooms, the Cartersville coaching staff took about three minutes to collect themselves on the bench while their team had a players-only gathering. Whatever was said, didn’t effectively make a difference right away as the third quarter followed suit of the first two, as Jefferson came out firing with two more of his six three-pointers.

At the 4:58 mark, Pugh finally broke through with his first field goal of the game after a two-point opening half, bringing the deficit to 42-35.

The Tigers responded with a quick 5-0 spurt, capped by a Montez Crowe put-back to hold a 12-point advantage.

As Pugh remained dormant, held to three points in the quarter and now five for the game, Horton’s deft shooting kept the Hurricanes afloat. Every time the Tigers would knock down a three and look to put the game out of reach, Horton would answer.

At the end of three quarters, Troup County held a 52-41 lead.

In the fourth quarter with the game on the line, the volcano finally erupted.

A seemingly innocuous put-back at the 6:49 mark with Cartersville trailing 54-43, ignited a Pugh scoring binge. Troup did a nice job of trying to put their finger in the dike, but the levee eventually broke with Pugh sensing the time and game slipping away.

Pugh went on a personal 9-0 run to bring the score to 57-50 with 5:04 remaining after his second three of the quarter.

The onslaught continued with Horton finishing in traffic with a euro-step to cut the lead to 57-56 with 2:17 left to play, the Hurricanes storming back on a 15-5 run.

With the score the same and the clock now showing 1:45, Jkobe Orr picked up a technical foul after committing a personal on Alabama linebacker-commit King Mwikuta. The 6-foot-4 center split a pair of free throws, as did Jefferson, slightly extending the lead to 59-56 instead of making it a two-possession game.

Cartersville trimmed the lead back down to one at 59-58 with 53.5 seconds left. Crowe was fouled and calmly knocked down both attempts with 33.7 seconds on the clock to push the lead to 61-58.

Pugh had a decent look from the corner with an opportunity to tie the game, but Jefferson came flying in at the last second to contest the shot, leading to a miss and sending Jefferson to the line for two free throws, sinking them both.

Down three with 6 seconds remaining, Cartersville had an opportunity at a steal on a dangerous inbound, but Pugh was unable to whip his head around in time to track the ball and Jefferson came down with it and iced the game with two more free throws before a last-second uncontested Gridley layup, giving the Tigers a crucial 65-62 home win.

 

My Take

Jay Jefferson brought it from the opening tip tonight and outplayed Furman’s Jaylon Pugh. Jefferson proved to be a reliable ball handler for Troup County and showed he could finish in the lane to add onto his locked-in three-point stroke. He went 5-of-6 from the line in the fourth quarter to seal the upset. Jefferson has the skills to help out at the JUCO and D2 level. He has good size at the point guard position, which bodes well in college. The Tiger role players put forth a strong effort. For many of them, basketball is their second sport with football being their expertise. Their football toughness was on display not only physically, but mentally as well. Quarterback Montez Crowe had five points, none bigger than his two ice-water free throws with 33.7 seconds left in a one-point game. King Mwikuta isn’t overly skilled in the pivot, but he’s a strong body that can take up space in the lane and move opponents. Tristen Ware used his athleticism on the defensive end two reject two shots. Sophomore point guard Trey Williams played extremely well for someone who didn’t score. He had four rebounds, seven assists and one block. He made good decisions when driving the lane and was able to squeeze passes into tight windows.

TJ Horton was consistent throughout for the Hurricanes while Pugh slept-walked his way through the first three quarters before turning on the microwave. Horton displayed an all-around game, hitting threes, getting to the basket and handing out four assists. Troup County did an exceptional job of knowing where Pugh was at all times, but in the fourth quarter, the scoring dynamo put on his superman cape and nearly saved the day. His 4-of-7 shooting from the foul line however, summed up his disjointed night. 6-foot-6 junior Isaac Gridley was steady as always, providing nine points, nine rebounds and three blocks. He has a nice touch for a big man and could be an option at the NAIA level or maybe higher once he’s a senior.

Top Performers

Troup County
Jay Jefferson – 31 points (6 threes), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 block
Tristen Ware – 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Lenntavis Harper – 8 points, 1 assist
King Mwikuta – 7 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Montez Crowe – 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Trey Williams – 0 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block

Cartersville
TJ Horton – 22 points (4 threes), 1 rebound, 4 assists, 2 steals
Jaylon Pugh – 16 points (11 in 4Q), 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
Isaac Gridley – 9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks
Perignon Dyer – 6 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 10 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Westlake (17-1)
  2. Collins Hill (17-2)
  3. Norcross (18-3)
  4. Newton (16-2)
  5. Cherokee (18-2)
  6. North Forsyth (19-2)
  7. South Gwinnett (17-1)
  8. Hillgrove (12-4)
  9. Colquitt County (17-4)
  10. McEachern (10-5) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Lovejoy (18-1)
  2. Winder-Barrow (15-4)
  3. Harrison (15-4)
  4. Creekview (12-6)
  5. Lanier (17-3)
  6. Forest Park (14-3)
  7. Stephenson (13-5)
  8. Tucker (14-5)
  9. Douglas County (15-5)
  10. Alpharetta (16-3) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (17-3)
  2. Flowery Branch (17-4)
  3. Harris County (19-2)
  4. Villa Rica (15-0)
  5. Arabia Mountain (15-1)
  6. Bainbridge (19-3)
  7. Ware County (17-2)
  8. Dutchtown (16-3)
  9. Carrollton (15-4)
  10. Rome (15-2)

Class AAAA

  1. Carver-Columbus (20-1)
  2. Henry County (18-1)
  3. Spalding (15-2)
  4. Northwest Whitfield (18-2)
  5. Luella (13-4)
  6. Madison County (15-5)
  7. Baldwin (19-2)
  8. Marist (15-2)
  9. Westover (17-2)
  10. Burke County (12-5)

Class AAA

  1. Greater Atlanta Christian (15-3)
  2. Beach (18-1)
  3. Franklin County (21-0)
  4. Central-Macon (16-2)
  5. Johnson-Savannah (12-5)
  6. Lovett (15-4)
  7. North Murray (14-5)
  8. Hart County (16-5)
  9. Tattnall County (16-5)
  10. Pierce County (13-4) 

Class AA

  1. Laney (20-0)
  2. Banks County (17-4)
  3. Washington County (15-4)
  4. Putnam County (17-2)
  5. Josey (18-2)
  6. Swainsboro (15-3)
  7. Rabun County (15-4)
  8. Model (15-3)
  9. Early County (15-5)
  10. Dodge County (15-3) 

Class A-Private

  1. Holy Innocents’ (18-1)
  2. Wesleyan (17-2)
  3. St. Francis (14-3)
  4. Our Lady of Mercy (16-1)
  5. Calvary Day (19-1)
  6. Stratford Academy (16-2)
  7. Christian Heritage (15-3)
  8. Landmark Christian (9-8)
  9. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (14-5)
  10. Athens Academy (17-3) 

Class A-Public

  1. Greenville (18-1)
  2. Pelham (18-1)
  3. Telfair County (18-2)
  4. Wilcox County (14-4)
  5. Wheeler County (15-2)
  6. Macon County (14-4)
  7. Marion County (16-4)
  8. Bowdon (14-4)
  9. Central-Talbotton (12-4)
  10. Terrell County (14-4)

 

No one in Class AAAAAAA suffered a loss this week as the rankings remain set in stone. No. 1 Westlake blitzed Campbell 80-32, No. 3 Norcross earned an outstanding 62-58 win over Class 5A No. 1 Buford at the BCB MLK Classic and No. 5 Cherokee dumped rival Sequoyah 68-53. No. 6 North Forsyth completed a season sweep of Lambert with a 46-30 win. No. 7 South Gwinnett edged Brookwood 48-45, No. 9 Colquitt County grinded out a 39-24 win over Camden County and No. 10 McEachern picked up a 65-56 victory against Wenonah (AL) at the BallN Powher Prep MLK Classic.

Preseason Class AAAAAA No. 1 Northview (16-5) drops out of the rankings. The Lady Titans have not played up to their potential yet this season and are bounced out after a 37-34 loss to Lambert, who was missing two starters. No. 2 Winder-Barrow has a big week as they visit No. 5 Lanier on Tuesday. The Lady Doggs lost 63-58 on December 15 in their first meeting with McDonald’s All-American Olivia Nelson-Ododa sidelined. No. 10 Alpharetta clings onto the final spot in the Top 10 after a disappointing 61-46 loss to Marietta at the Johns Creek MLK Showcase. Into the rankings for the first time since Week 1 is No. 9 Douglas County. The Lady Tigers have shaken off a 1-3 start to the season and have won 7-straight, including a 66-54 win over Fayette County at the J4Sports MLK Classic where All-State forward Amari Robinson poured in a career-high 41 points.

No. 1 meets No. 2 in Class AAAAA as No. 2 Flowery Branch tries to finally get the monkey off their back when they host No. 1 Buford on Tuesday. The Lady Falcons lost 58-48 in their first meeting this season after losing thrice last year. No. 3 Harris County defeated No. 6 Bainbridge 59-52 in overtime, sending the Bearcats down two spots. Undefeated No. 4 Villa Rica hosts No. 9 Carrollton in a pivotal Region 7 showdown while No. 10 Rome, back in the rankings, waits for a shot at both. Fayette County (13-5) departs after their loss to Douglas County.

Class AAAA No. 1 Carver-Columbus drilled Americus-Sumter 76-41. No. 3 Spalding earned a nice 53-49 win over Class 3A No. 5 Johnson-Savannah 53-49. No. 4 Northwest Whitfield avoided setbacks against rivals Pickens (72-61) and Dalton (52-49). No. 6 Madison County took care of business on the road at Jefferson 54-38. No. 7 Baldwin leaps No. 8 Marist after knocking Cross Creek (14-6) from the Top 10 with a 61-43 clinic and beating Class 2A No. 3 Washington County 57-47. The Braves host returnee No. 10 Burke County on Friday with a share of Region 3 first-place on the line. The Lady Bears beat the Braves 55-48 earlier this season. Burke County is coming off a 49-47 win over Cross Creek.

No. 1 GAC’s hold over Class AAA has loosened since Auburn-signee Robyn Benton re-tore her ACL. The Lady Spartans still managed wins over Union County (66-53) and Dawson County (69-52) without her. No. 3 Franklin County is sitting pretty at 21-0 while No. 5 Johnson-Savannah slips two spots, challenging themselves but coming up short with losses to Class AA No. 1 Laney 73-53 and Class 4A No. 3 Spalding. Region 2 is heating up as debutant No. 10 Pierce County beat No. 9 Tattnall County 54-51 in Blackshear. The Lady Bears replace Sonoraville (13-5) following the Lady Phoenix’s 60-51 loss to Pickens.

In Class AA, No. 1 Laney earned a 73-53 win over Class AAA No. 5 Johnson-Savannah. The rest of Top 4 all suffered losses. No. 2 Banks County retains their ranking after getting upset at Monticello 51-41. No. 3 Washington County slides up a spot thanks to wins over Evans (54-43) and East Laurens (72-52), overshadowing their tough 57-47 loss to Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin. No. 4 Putnam County climbs a position after sweeping No. 7 Rabun County, 56-47 and winning at Elbert County 52-47. No. 6 Swainsboro tumbles three spots. The Lady Tigers beat St. Vincent’s 48-45 but lost to Statesboro 52-42 after clipping the Blue Devils back on December 2. No. 5 Josey cracks the Top 5 just ahead of Swainsboro. In their lone meeting with mutual opponent Statesboro, the Lady Eagles won 55-43 in late November. No. 10 Dodge County has fallen all the way to the final rung of the rankings after losing for the second time to East Laurens, 55-47. Bryan County (16-3) was the unfortunate casualty this week, losing 50-47 at Metter. Debuting in the poll is No. 9 Early County. The Lady Bobcats are powered by 6-foot-2 freshman Mykayla Timpson. The post presence is averaging 19.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.3 blocks. Early County has already matched last year’s win total and four of their five losses have come in season sweeps to Class 5A No. 6 Bainbridge and Class 4A No. 9 Westover. The Bobcats’ resume is highlighted by a 68-61 win at Fitzgerald and a 66-43 rout of Class A-Public No. 10 Terrell County on Tuesday.

Class A-Private saw Prince Avenue Christian (17-2) have their 15-game winning streak snapped by No. 10 Athens Academy 51-44 and get replaced in the poll by the Spartans. The Region 8 race is tightening up as Lakeview Academy (13-7, 9-1) holds a slim lead on the Wolverines (8-1) and Athens Academy (7-2). No. 9 ELCA received 44 points from freshman phenom Weronika Hipp in their 73-42 win at Lake Oconee Academy.

Class A-Public is hotly contested in the middle of the pack, but up top, No. 1 Greenville and No. 2 Pelham are starting to separate themselves. The Lady Patriots crushed No. 6 Macon County 90-59 as the Lady Bulldogs also suffered a 56-47 loss to newly ranked No. 9 Central-Talbotton. The defending state champion Lady Hornets avenged their 61-60 loss to No. 10 Terrell County by topping the Green Wave 63-43. No. 5 Wheeler County took care of Woodville-Tompkins 62-47. No. 7 Marion County travels to Central-Talbotton on Tuesday. Georgia Military College (17-1) exits the Top 10 after a 48-43 loss at Greene County.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 10 Boys Rankings

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Class AAAAAAA

  1. McEachern (16-2)
  2. Norcross (17-3)
  3. Newton (17-3)
  4. Pebblebrook (17-2)
  5. Grayson (16-3)
  6. Mountain View (16-3)
  7. Peachtree Ridge (16-3)
  8. Meadowcreek (13-4)
  9. Collins Hill (18-2)
  10. Duluth (15-6)

Class AAAAAA

  1. Gainesville (13-6)
  2. Langston Hughes (16-5)
  3. Douglas County (15-4)
  4. Tri-Cities (14-5)
  5. Brunswick (18-2)
  6. Stephenson (12-5)
  7. Bradwell Institute (14-5)
  8. Jonesboro (13-7)
  9. Cambridge (18-1)
  10. Coffee (12-6)

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (16-4)
  2. Warner Robins (16-3)
  3. Miller Grove (14-6)
  4. Lithonia (15-4)
  5. Eagle’s Landing (14-5)
  6. Southwest DeKalb (13-7)
  7. Villa Rica (16-0)
  8. Maynard Jackson (18-1)
  9. Columbia (12-7)
  10. Stockbridge (15-5)

Class AAAA

  1. Upson-Lee (20-0)
  2. St. Pius X (18-3)
  3. Americus-Sumter (17-2)
  4. Baldwin (16-5)
  5. Salem (14-4)
  6. Mary Persons (18-2)
  7. Cartersville (14-2)
  8. Westover (15-5)
  9. Sandy Creek (13-5)
  10. Woodward Academy (13-5)

Class AAA

  1. Morgan County (20-1)
  2. Jenkins (16-3)
  3. Johnson-Savannah (17-2)
  4. Greater Atlanta Christian (16-3)
  5. Cedar Grove (12-6)
  6. Windsor Forest (13-7)
  7. Westside-Macon (12-8)
  8. Long County (14-7)
  9. Towers (11-5)
  10. Central-Macon (13-5)

Class AA

  1. Glenn Hills (18-1)
  2. Dublin (15-2)
  3. South Atlanta (16-2)
  4. Swainsboro (15-3)
  5. Laney (17-3)
  6. Thomasville (17-3)
  7. Therrell (11-7)
  8. Elbert County (18-3)
  9. Banks County (18-3)
  10. Vidalia (14-6)

Class A-Private

  1. St. Francis (17-2)
  2. Aquinas (17-3)
  3. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (17-2)
  4. Stratford Academy (14-4)
  5. Lakeview Academy (14-6)
  6. North Cobb Christian (15-5)
  7. Christian Heritage (17-1)
  8. Holy Innocents’ (10-7)
  9. Mt. Vernon Presbyterian (12-6)
  10. WD Mohammed (9-3)

Class A-Public

  1. Manchester (16-0)
  2. Woodville-Tompkins (18-2)
  3. Calhoun County (18-2)
  4. Montgomery County (15-3)
  5. Lanier County (18-2)
  6. Macon County (15-3)
  7. Central-Talbotton (14-3)
  8. Wilcox County (15-4)
  9. Wilkinson County (13-6)
  10. Pelham (14-4)

 

More snow complicated a week of basketball, but MLK Day action on Monday afforded us nearly a full slate of games. Class AAAAAAA No. 1 McEachern went 2-0 at Flyin’ To The Hoop and came back home to blow out Village Christian (NC) 85-57 at the Peachtree Corners Invitational (PTCI). No. 2 Norcross lost to Christ School (NC) at the Prep Hoops MLK Classic, but handled their business at home at the PTCI, beating Riverdale Baptist (MD) 76-66. No. 3 Newton has officially caught up to and surpassed No. 4 Pebblebrook, even though the Falcons have won 15-straight. Their last loss? To Newton at Holiday Hoopsgiving 87-78. Newton defeated two Week 9 No. 1 teams, beating 5A’s Warner Robins 80-65 and 3A’s Morgan County 65-61. Pebblebrook squeaked out a 76-73 win over Berkmar at the J4Sports MLK Classic at Douglas County. No. 5 Grayson moves up two spots after rallying from down 20 points to knock off last week’s 6A No. 1 Langston Hughes, 65-64. Unsigned senior guard Nick Edwards scored 11 points in the fourth quarter including the game-winner with 1-second left. The Rams now host Newton on Tuesday in a pivotal Region 8 clash. Grayson won 74-73 in Round 1. No. 6 Mountain View slips two spots after a hard-fought 63-61 double overtime loss to returnee No. 10 Duluth. The Wildcats, winners of 5-straight, got a Will Huzzie put-back at the buzzer to stun the Bears. Duluth takes over for Wheeler (12-8) who exits the poll. The Wildcats have played a challenging national schedule, but four of their eight losses have come against in-state opponents. Wheeler beat Summit (TN) 83-51 before losing at the PTCI to Christ School 62-55. Duluth gets the nod over Wheeler even after falling to the Wildcats at the Big South Shootout 59-57 on a last second EJ Montgomery slam.

After a 3-6 start, No. 1 Gainesville has climbed their way to the top of the heap in Class AAAAAA. The Red Elephants’ momentum has carried on, destroying a lifeless Dacula team on the road 89-55 and miraculously coming back to shock host Class 5A No. 1 Buford 83-81, Raffy Rubel hitting a three with 8 seconds left to tie the game and then Kajuan Hale grabbing a steal and getting fouled with .3 seconds remaining and sinking both free throws to win it. Hale finished with 23 points and 6 rebounds while Xavier Bledson added 13 points. No. 2 Langston Hughes blew a 20-point lead at the BCB MLK Classic, losing to Class 7A No. 5 Grayson 65-64 before rebounding with a 78-70 win over No. 4 Tri-Cities. Landers Nolley outmatched Eli Lawrence, 29 points to 28 in and entertaining matchup. No. 5 Brunswick’s magic ran out as No. 7 Bradwell Institute stopped the Pirates 60-52 behind Isaiah Scott’s 16 points, making things much more interesting in Region 2. No. 3 Douglas County rises two spots after a 68-65 win at the J4Sports MLK Classic against Fayette County and a 95-35 beat down of Northgate.

The tug-of-war for first in Class AAAAA rages on as both the Demons and the Wolves lost last week. In the end, it is No. 1 Buford regaining the top spot after a 69-67 win over United Faith (NC), David Viti with the last second tip-in. The Wolves lost in heartbreaking fashion to Class 6A No. 1 Gainesville, Viti injuring his ankle, while No. 2 Warner Robins was sloppy and looked disinterested at times in their 80-65 loss to Class 7A No. 3 Newton. No one can figure out what is going on with No. 3 Miller Grove, but at the end of the day they continue to win. The Wolverines dominated Discovery 63-42 at the BCB MLK Classic, but then beat 4-17 Parkview by just eight points on the road, 61-53. No. 6 Southwest DeKalb falls two spots after a 55-46 overtime loss to No. 9 Columbia, who re-enters the poll. No. 5 Eagle’s Landing jumps up five spots after beating No. 10 Stockbridge 62-54. Statesboro (16-4) falls out of the rankings after suffering a 65-61 loss at Class 2A No. 4 Swainsboro. No. 7 Villa Rica and No. 8 Maynard Jackson might have hit a glass ceiling in the rankings as they have not played enough high-level competition out of their weaker regions and don’t have many opportunities for quality resume building wins going forward.

Now more than ever, it seems like everyone is playing for second-place in Class AAAA as No. 1 Upson-Lee humiliated No. 6 Mary Persons in front of a sold-out Castle, 89-58, dropping the Bulldogs three spots. No. 2 St. Pius X was without Brian Gonzalo and Patrick Snipes in their disappointing 68-65 loss to Pinson Valley (AL) at the PTCI. Rising two spots is No. 3 Americus-Sumter. The Panthers knocked Carver-Columbus (16-5) from the poll with a 55-52 road win. Up four spots is No. 4 Baldwin. The Braves hammered Washington County on the road 71-40. No. 8 Westover sees their long winning streak snapped by a 70-54 defeat at the hands of Northside-Columbus. Back into the poll for the first time since the preseason when they opened at No. 8, is No. 10 Woodward Academy. After a rocky start, the War Eagles have found their footing, winning 6-straight. On Saturday they rocked McIntosh 67-49 behind 6-foot-10 sophomore Walker Kessler’s 29 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks.

In Class AAA, No. 1 Morgan County suffered their first loss of the year against Class 7A No. 3 Newton, 65-61. No. 2 Jenkins beat Class A-Private No. 5 Lakeview Academy 63-44 while rival No. 3 Johnson-Savannah beat Heritage School 61-53 and blew out No. 6 Windsor Forest 92-77. The Atomsmashers host the Warriors on Tuesday. Johnson-Savannah won the first region meeting 67-54 while Jenkins won the non-region Memorial Health Classic Championship 79-41. No. 4 GAC blew Dawson County (14-5) out of the rankings, going to Dawsonville to finally play the Tigers and earning an 87-47 decision. No. 7 Westside-Macon falls two spots after a loss to Holy Spirit Prep 74-65 but more importantly, seeing the brilliant career of Khavon Moore end prematurely with a broken tibia and fibula in the waning moments of their 75-62 win over No. 10 Central-Macon, who also lost 51-48 to Northeast-Macon. The Seminoles are no longer state title contenders without the 4-star 6-foot-8 Moore’s 22.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. Back in the Top 10 is No. 8 Long County. The Blue Tide has won four in a row to move into a tie for first-place in Region 2. They now face a tough test in Pierce County, who the Tide beat 67-66 in overtime in their first meeting.

No. 1 Glenn Hills took their first loss of the season in Class AA at No. 5 Laney 59-49, but starting backcourt mates Isaiah Bauman and Eric Farmer did not play. No. 2 Dublin jumps two spots after a 73-59 win against Bleckley County. No. 3 South Atlanta had a scare against North Clayton before pulling out a 79-76 victory. No. 6 Thomasville got 9 points from their McDonald’s All-American Reggie Perry in a head-shaking 60-59 loss to Class A-Public No. 10 Pelham, dropping the Bulldogs four spots. Don’t look now, but No. 4 Swainsboro is peaking, winning 8-straight including avenging a 71-36 loss to Statesboro, 65-61. No. 8 Elbert County tumbles three spots after taking it on the chin at Monticello, 66-43. They now visit No. 9 Banks County on Tuesday. The Leopards still aren’t right, failing to impress again in a 63-56 win over 5-14, 0-9 Social Circle after holding on against Monticello 68-61. Washington County (12-6) was whipped by Class 4A No. 4 Baldwin at home 71-40, departing the poll. Replacing the Golden Hawks is debutant No. 10 Vidalia. The Indians have a crucial Region 2 rematch at Jeff Davis on Tuesday. They won 62-59 against the Yellow Jackets back on December 12. Vidalia sits at 8-2 in the region while Jeff Davis is 7-3, both teams chasing 10-0 Swainsboro.

It’s getting more and more difficult to fill out the Class A-Private rankings as it is devoid of winning records with substance. No. 3 ELCA cracked East Hall 73-49 at The Dream Challenge and took care of Berrien 56-36. No. 6 North Cobb Christian used the Cobb County home crowd to help the Eagles get revenge against No. 7 Christian Heritage, 71-52. No. 9 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian lost to Class 3A No. 6 Windsor Forest 55-48 and at Wesleyan 42-41, falling three positions. No. 5 Lakeview Academy moves up two spots and still owns Region 8, winning at rival Hebron Christian 67-59. In a clerical error, public school Drew Charter was ranked last week. They are replaced by No. 10 WD Mohammed.

No. 7 Central-Talbotton is on the ropes in Class A-Public, seeing their promising start spiral down the drain with their third-straight loss, this time to No. 6 Macon County 53-46, who rises three spots.  No. 2 Woodville-Tompkins dispatched of Savannah Christian 64-38 and is starting to garner more attention across Savannah and southeast Georgia. No. 8 Wilcox County slips two spots after losing 77-67 at Irwin County. No. 10 Pelham does the same, beating Class 2A No. 6 Thomasville 60-59, but coming out flat against Terrell County 61-34. The Hornets’ win over the Bulldogs saves them from being replaced by the Green Wave.