Category Archives: GHSA Basketball

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 12-20

BOYS 

Class AAAAAAA

Hudson Catholic, NJ 65, No. 4 Pebblebrook 51: Jahvon Quinerly scored 23 and Luther Muhammad had 16 to lead Hudson Catholic at City of Palms. Collin Sexton scored 22 points for Pebblebrook while Drue Drinnon added 12.

Forsyth Central 55, Blessed Trinity 52: At the Keller Williams Christmas Classic, CJ Smith scored 19 points and dished out 3 assists as the Bulldogs took down Blessed Trinity. Ethan Hester posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Grant Cloud had 6 points and 6 assists.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Jonesboro 65, Neumann Goretti, PA 53: MJ Walker continued to shine on the big stage of City of Palms, netting 32 points. Brandon Walker scored 15 and Jaylon Terrell added 10.

No. 5 Brunswick 66, Vidalia 31: Jalen Jackson scored 13 points for the Pirates. Marcus Scott chipped in 12.

Douglas County 58, Mays 52: Malik Battle scored 16 points and Rodney Lewis had 15 as the Tigers overcame a 21-point Reo Wright night. Clayvon Croom finished with 13 for the Raiders while Horace Wyatt had 8.

River Ridge 54, North Forsyth 43: Destin Exinor had 22 points as River Ridge edged the Raiders.

Forest Park 70, Woodward Academy 62: Sandy’s Spiel Under The Radar Senior Avery Wilson poured in 44 points to carry the Panthers.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 60, 3ANo. 3 Cedar Grove 45: Cedar Grove completed it’s rough two-day stretch at the War Eagle Classic, losing twice. Buford was led by David Viti’s 18 points and 8 rebounds and Marcus Watson’s 16 points and 9 rebounds. Alex Jones finished with 8 points and 7 assists. Jamari Dean led the Saints with 13.

No. 7 Warner Robins 70, Bleckley County 58: Nelson Phillips finished with 25 points and Jacolbey Owens tossed in 14. Bleckley County was led by Dontavian Harris’ 15 points, DJ Lemmon’s 13 and Torenio Davis’ 12.

Flowery Branch 57, Woodstock 56: The Falcons held off the Wolverines at the Keller Williams Christmas Classic at North Forsyth. Blake Coxworth hit Brannon Clark on a back cut with 19 seconds left to take the lead for good. Clark scored 14 to pace the Falcons while Coxworth added 12 and Caleb Murphy scored 11. John Mills chipped in 9. Woodstock was led by Tyreke Johnson’s 25; 22 in the first half. Dylin Hardeman added 12 and Noah Frith posted 11.

Loganville 69, Ola 67: Jamar Moore broke out with 17 points, 20 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 1 block.

Walnut Grove 53, Jackson County 47: Jailen Robinson scored 16 points to pace Walnut Grove. RJ Selman added 12.

Wayne County 58, Dodge County 57: Nick Cummings scored 20 points and RJ Carr added 11 but it wasn’t enough for the Indians to earn a road win.

Class AAAA

No. 2 Upson-Lee 54, Northside-Warner Robins 46: Tye Fagan’s scoring binge rolled on as he sliced and diced his way to 25 points. Travon Walker went for another double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 3 LaGrange 52, Centennial 38: Laperion Perry scored 19 points while Bryan Fanning posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 4 Eastside 68, West Laurens 46: Eastside bounced back from a heartbreaking overtime loss to Class AAA No. 2 Central-Macon at the State Bank Classic at Jones County High School by dispatching of West Laurens. Keiodre Perry netted 18 points while Desmeontay Dyer had 20 and TJ Bush added 14.

Salem 50, No. 6 Westover 47: The Patriots couldn’t overcome 26 turnovers. Kris Gardner finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Jordan “Snow” Brown had 10 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

Henry County 82, 2ANo. 5 Monticello 72: The Warhawks held off Monticello to win the Chuck Miller Classic Championship. Damion Rosser finished with 36 points.

Shaw 80, Hardaway 44: Chris Hicks scored 21 points, Larrie Scott and Devan Porter-Wilson both had 12 and Lincoln Smith added 10 in the Raider victory.

McMinn County, TN 72, Northwest Whitfield 66: The Bruins couldn’t hold onto a 46-42 halftime lead at the North Murray Mistletoe Madness Tournament. Luke Shiflett finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Grant Terrell added 13 points and Paxton Pardee tallied 10 points and 5 assists.

Marist 62, East Jackson 55: Kobe Haley finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in a loss at the Lovett Classic.

Class AAA

No. 2 Central-Macon 85, Jones County 76: Antarius McCoy finished with 21 points and 8 rebounds to advance to the State Bank Classic Championship against Class AAAAA No. 7 Warner Robins. Wanya Thomas netted 15 points and Tyrice Paul pitched in 13 points and 5 assists.

No. 5 Greater Atlanta Christian 61, 4ANo. 8 St. Pius 58 OT: Charlie O’Briant had 17 points. Hunter McIntosh scored 12 with a game-tying three with under a minute left in regulation to force overtime.

No. 9 Calhoun 67, Rome 66 2OT: Calhoun used double overtime to stay undefeated and advance to the championship of the Rome News-Tribune Festival at Georgia Highlands where they will face Class A-Private No. 9 Darlington. Malik Lawrence scored 20 points and sent the game to double overtime with a three as time expired. Kaylan Aker continued his steady work with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Chapin Rierson totaled 17 points and 8 boards.

Lovett 68, Wesleyan 60: Ryan Greer dropped in 26 points and Nick Jackson tossed in 15 to help the Lions win their third straight game.

Sonoraville 66, Murray County 34: The Phoenix got hot from three to earn their eighth win of the year. Brad Wilson scored 21 points off seven threes, Casey Brooks hit four for 12 points and Trent Daniel knocked in three for 11 points for a team-record 16 threes.

Westminster 55, Mary Persons 53: Cam Holden poured in 29 points but it wasn’t enough to knock off Westminster at the War Eagle Classic. Ajay Manocha led the Wildcats with 14 points.

Class AA

No. 10 Putnam County 105, Rabun County 95: Putnam County debuted its new Top 10 ranking in style as Carl Johnson exploded for 46 points (12 threes) and in the process netted the 1,000th point of his career. D’Mario Reid added 23 points and 8 rebounds. For Rabun County, Bailey Fisher went for 39 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

Hapeville Charter 56, Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 39: Jamaure Ezzard scored a game-high 19 points to help Hapeville Charter over Mt. Vernon Presbyterian at the War Eagle Classic. John Traurig had 15 points for the Mustangs.

Class A-Private

No. 2 St. Francis 85, Milton 81: Duke-signee Alex O’Connell poured in 49 points, but Milton’s disappointing season continued. St. Francis’ youth carried the Knights. Sophomore CJ Riley had 28 points. Freshmen Chase Ellis and Dwon Odom both had huge nights. Ellis finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds while Odom went for 19 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals.

No. 8 Holy Innocents’ 65, Decatur 58: Cole Smith scored a team-high 20 points to power the Golden Bears at the War Eagle Classic. Decatur was led by Chalin Hippe’s 14 points and Terrill Hall and Antonio Myrick’s 13 apiece.

Class A-Public

No. 1 Calhoun County 69, Manchester 53: Rashun Williams posted 30 points as the Cougars crunched a fading Manchester team. 


GIRLS 

Class AAAAAAA

Monacan, VA 58, No. 1 Norcross 57: The Lady Blue Devils suffered their first loss of the season at the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational. Vanessa Blagmon scored a game-high 25 points and added 8 rebounds. Tionna Carter and Tehya Lyons both added 8 points. Monacan got 22 points and 5 rebounds from Megan Walker.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Winder-Barrow 65, 1ANo. 1 Wesleyan 60: At the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational, Olivia Nelson-Ododa posted 27 points and 7 rebounds to carry the Lady Bulldoggs over Wesleyan, the Wolves’ first loss of the year. Latrice Perkins added 14, Lexi Maddox 11 and Chellia Watson 10 points. Wesleyan received 24 points and 10 rebounds from Mikayla Coombs. Amaya Register and Jameson Kavel both scored 9 points while Sutton West added 8.

No. 3 Douglas County 67, No. 5 Mays 60: In Region 5’s Top 5 showdown, Douglas County used Arsula Clark’s 26 points to win on the road. Kamiyah Street dropped a game-high 30 for Mays.

Class AAAAA

No. 3 Griffin 61, Decatur 31: Andeija Puckett scored 13 points and Niavanni Flowers added 10 as the Bears rolled at the War Eagle Classic. Decatur was led by Taylor Jones’ 14 points.

No. 5 Warner Robins 78, Chestatee 29: 13-0 Chestatee met 11-0 Warner Robins at the Jones County Christmas tournament. The Demonettes pounded the War Eagles as Chestatee’s inflated record due to a weak schedule was exposed. Victoria Brown scored 14 points and dished out 5 assists. Le’Terria Mathis scored 14 points. Kezia Holmes added 11 points and 2 blocks. Shynia Jackson flirted with a double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds. Courtney Walker chipped in 11 points while Jordan Thomas (8) and Kishara Howard (5) also pitched in.

No. 7 Villa Rica 65, Cedartown 40: Deasia Merrill posted 18 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Jaila Orozco double-doubled with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Alexia Cooley scored 8 points and Tamya Windom had 7.

Class AAAA

Ridgeland 48, Trion 35: Sarah Meadows dropped in 24 points to power Ridgeland at Trion.

Class AAA

No. 8 Calhoun 89, Armuchee 54: Jana Johns led the Yellow Jackets with 23 points and 9 steals. Ashlyn Barnes added 16 points while Ryan Brzozoski (15) and Cassie Henderson (13) both cracked double figures.

Central-Macon 52, Jones County 22: JeNya Wilder had 20 points and 12 rebounds while Tyleia Williams had 13 points and 9 boards as the Lady Chargers advanced to the championship of the State Bank Classic.

Class AA

No. 3 Rabun County 87, Putnam County 46: 12 different players scored for Coach DeeDee Dillard while Putnam County’s nightmare season continued. Tessa Matheson scored 15 points to pace the Wildcats. Brooke Henricks and Jaden Quilliams both scored 14. Georgia Stockton added 10.

No. 4 Dodge County 50, Wayne County 45: Europe Brown scored 12 points and Jurnee Powell finished with 10 as the Indians advanced to 8-1.

Class A-Private

No. 3 Holy Innocents’ 60, LaGrange 30: Kaila Hubbard scored a game-high 20 points followed by Khayla Pointer’s 13 at the War Eagle Classic.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 5 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Norcross (10-1)
  2. Newton (9-0)
  3. Westlake (6-1)
  4. Pebblebrook (5-3)
  5. McEachern (6-0)
  6. Collins Hill (10-1)
  7. Wheeler (5-3)
  8. Tift County (9-1)
  9. Berkmar (8-3)
  10. Peachtree Ridge (7-3) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Gainesville (9-0)
  2. Jonesboro (8-1)
  3. Langston Hughes (7-3)
  4. South Paulding (9-1)
  5. Brunswick (6-1)
  6. Heritage-Conyers (6-3)
  7. South Cobb (9-2)
  8. Alpharetta (12-1)
  9. Dacula (6-3)
  10. Lakeside-Evans (8-3) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (8-0)
  2. Eagle’s Landing (8-1)
  3. Miller Grove (7-2)
  4. Fayette County (7-1)
  5. Cedar Shoals (9-2)
  6. Southwest DeKalb (8-2)
  7. Warner Robins (7-1)
  8. Riverwood (11-1)
  9. Union Grove (9-2)
  10. Maynard Jackson (8-2) 

Class AAAA

  1. Sandy Creek (5-2)
  2. Upson-Lee (11-0)
  3. LaGrange (7-1)
  4. Eastside (7-1)
  5. Thomson (2-2)
  6. Westover (5-2)
  7. Richmond Academy (7-2)
  8. St. Pius X (6-4)
  9. Perry (10-2)
  10. Burke County (5-0) 

Class AAA

  1. Westside-Macon (5-2)
  2. Central-Macon (6-0)
  3. Cedar Grove (5-2)
  4. Pace Academy (3-3)
  5. Greater Atlanta Christian (7-2)
  6. Liberty County (7-4)
  7. Morgan County (4-2)
  8. Jenkins (6-4)
  9. Calhoun (7-0)
  10. Islands (7-3) 

Class AA

  1. South Atlanta (9-1)
  2. Therrell (8-1)
  3. Thomasville (4-4)
  4. Dublin (4-3)
  5. Monticello (7-4)
  6. Callaway (3-2)
  7. Josey (9-2)
  8. Butler (5-2)
  9. Laney (6-2)
  10. Putnam County (7-2) 

Class A-Private

  1. Greenforest (7-2)
  2. St. Francis (9-0)
  3. Southwest Atlanta Christian (5-3)
  4. North Cobb Christian (7-2)
  5. Aquinas (6-0)
  6. Lakeview Academy (6-3)
  7. Whitefield Academy (6-2)
  8. Holy Innocents’ (3-4)
  9. Darlington (5-1)
  10. Tallulah Falls (10-0) 

Class A-Public

  1. Calhoun County (7-0)
  2. Quitman County (9-1)
  3. Taylor County (5-2)
  4. Wilkinson County (5-2)
  5. Treutlen (7-0)
  6. Crawford County (6-3)
  7. Clinch County (6-0)
  8. Montgomery County (8-1)
  9. Twiggs County (7-3)
  10. Central-Talbotton (7-3)

 

Norcross dropped its first game of the year at City of the Palms to IMG Academy 62-59 but the Blue Devils retain the top spot in Class AAAAAAA. Not much movement occurred in the poll, but we do have a new No. 9 and No. 10 as Shiloh and Meadowcreek drop out. The Generals lost a head scratcher to Archer 65-61 while Meadowcreek has battled with injuries. The Mustangs fell to No. 1 Norcross 58-46 and to Lanier 58-52. Jamir Chaplin has been out with a cracked fibula, but should return by early January. Back in the poll at No. 9 is Berkmar. The Patriots have won six straight and just beat Lee, AL 56-48 and Allatoona, 65-45, both at The King of the Bluegrass. Sliding in at No. 10 is Peachtree Ridge. The Lions are off to a 7-3 start and defeated Grayson last week 55-47 behind Devin Vassell’s 26 points.

Big games came down to the wire in Class AAAAAA. No. 1 Gainesville found a way to survive on the road at Class AAAA No. 8 St. Pius 70-65, shaking off free throw woes. No. 4 South Paulding was unable to do so, as the Spartans saw a 40-27 fourth quarter lead evaporate at the SEBA Atlanta Hoop Festival, losing to Class A-Private No. 4 North Cobb Christian 51-49. Georgia State-signee Kane Williams couldn’t close the door, going 5-of-10 from the line in the fourth quarter. Continuing their rise up the poll is No. 7 South Cobb. The Eagles have steamrolled Region 6, winning by an average of 25.6 points with junior guard Trevin Wade leading the way pouring in 17.9 points a night. Richmond Hill fell out of the Top 10 after losing to Johnson-Savannah and Class AAA No. 10 Islands, 65-45. Debuting is Lakeside-Evans. The Panthers have won six in a row and have scored wins over Josey (74-67), Laney (77-70) and Glenn Hills (88-83 OT) this season, three of Augusta’s best teams which have spent time in the Top 10. Sophomore guard Kalen Williams leads a three-pronged attack averaging 18.4 points. Senior forward Deon Berrien is posting a double-double at 15.6 points and 12.1 rebounds while senior Kre’Sean Hall is doing the same at 13 points and 10.5 boards.

Miller Grove creeps up to No. 3 in Class AAAAA. The Wolverines have righted the ship and just scored a 57-43 win over Pembroke Pines Charter, FL at the Kreul Classic. Cedar Shoals jumps Southwest DeKalb for No. 5. The Jaguars knocked off Class AAAAAA No. 6 Hertiage-Conyers 52-49. The Panthers of Southwest DeKalb have a tough slate ahead with No. 4 Fayette County at the Peach State Classic and then the following week, Class A-Private No. 1 Greenforest looms at the Tucker Invitational. New Hampstead and Columbia both exit the poll. Columbia was the preseason No. 1, but the magic hasn’t quite returned yet for Dr. Phil McCrary. They were upset by Lithonia 67-53 in a Region 5 shocker. The Phoenix lost to Effingham County 63-58 and to Class AAA No. 8 Jenkins, 54-45. Making their debut are No. 9 Union Grove and No. 10 Maynard Jackson. The Wolverines are 9-2 and have shown they can hang with the big boys, losing to No. 2 Eagle’s Landing 51-47 on Nov. 29. Junior guard Wesley Simpson runs the show. He’s averaging 12.7 points and 6.1 assists. First-year head coach Travis Williams has rode JaQuavius Hayes to a 8-2 mark for the Jaguars. The 6-foot-6 senior is averaging 22.8 points and 14.1 rebounds.

Sandy Creek was upended by undefeated Rickards, FL at the Southern States Classic 77-73, but the Patriots are still No. 1 in Class AAAA. They bounced back with a 69-60 win over Bartlett, TN. No. 2 Upson-Lee took care of business, dispatching over Class A-Public No. 6 Crawford County (71-55) and No. 3 Taylor County (58-52) for the second time each this season. Slick scoring junior Tye Fagan dropped in 28 points against the Eagles and 27 against the Vikings. Travon Walker added 13 points and 23 rebounds while Zyrice Scott went for 17 points in the win over rival Crawford County. St. Pius tumbles four spots to No. 8 after a tiring week saw them fall in overtime against Gainesville, narrowly defeat Stephens County 70-68 and finally run out of gas at SEBA, losing to Hillgrove 52-39. Henry County is the second preseason No. 1 to fall out of the poll this week. The Warhawks sit at 7-5 and were bounced out by new No. 4 Eastside, who rises six spots after a 78-71 victory. Replacing Henry County is No. 10 Burke County. The Bears are 5-0 with their best win coming against Effingham County 81-63. Three seniors lead the team, all scoring in double figures. Quantavious Wilson paces the attack, the 6-foot-6 forward averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

Class AAA is officially a jumbled mess outside of No. 1 Westside-Macon. Rival Central-Macon rises to No. 2 after No. 3 Cedar Grove (67-60; Monroe), No. 4 Pace Academy (76-42; Memphis-East), No. 5 Greater Atlanta Christian (62-47; Discovery) and No. 10 Islands (63-59 Nova, FL) all lost ahead of the Chargers. While the top of the poll faltered, proud programs regained their footing at the bottom. No. 6 Liberty County saw the return of Davion Mitchell and proceeded to hammer Class AAAA No. 5 Thomson, 85-66. No. 7 Morgan County stopped Class AAAAAA No. 9 Dacula 64-57 and No. 8 Jenkins knocked New Hampstead out of the Class AAAAA poll after a 54-45 win. Due to a numbers game, Monroe hasn’t been able to force their way into the Top 10 yet, but the Tornadoes are as dangerous as it gets at 7-1 with a victory over Cedar Grove already.

In Class AA, throw all your favorite Augusta area teams in a hat and pick out a name. That will be the best team that current week, as each school continues to beat each other with parity at an all-time high. No. 7 Josey debuts in the poll after beating No. 8 Butler 60-56, but the Eagles couldn’t fly higher thanks to a loss to Screven County 57-56. Even though the Bulldogs dropped five spots, all wasn’t lost for Butler. They beat No. 9 Laney 75-72 at Laney. The pieces will continue to shuffle around in the wild Region 4 which has already placed four teams in the Top 10. Glenn Hills is the casualty this week, cannibalized by the region. The Spartans lost in overtime to Laney, 61-53. Replacing Glenn Hills is Putnam County. 5-foot-7 senior guard Carl Johnson is pumping in 26.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4.1 steals per game.

Whitefield Academy picked up an impressive 79-53 win over Sacred Heart, AL to move the Wolfpack up to No. 7 in Class A-Private. No. 6 Lakeview Academy suffered two tough losses at the Southern States Classic, losing to Seffner Christian, FL 70-69 and to Rickards, FL 79-65. Tattnall Square Academy falls out after a 63-51 loss to Johnson-Savannah. Tallulah Falls sneaks in at No. 10 thanks to their hot start and veteran laden team.

Wilkinson County was drilled by Baldwin 63-46, dropping the defending champs to No. 4 in Class A-Public. No. 1 Calhoun County and No. 2 Quitman County never got a chance to play due to this ugly scene which resulted in a postponement with major statewide implications now at stake. Taylor County is now No. 3 after a strong showing against Upson-Lee, who has handed them both of their losses. No. 7 Clinch County is looking strong while No. 9 Twiggs County ran into a Putnam County buzz saw, losing twice to the Eagles this week. Montgomery County moves to No. 8 even after their 61-56 loss to Vidalia.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

SEBA Atlanta Hoop Festival recap

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SEBA held its 9th annual Atlanta Hoop Festival at Pope High School. The event, run by William LoPresti, featured five games. I was in the building to check out the first three games of the day. Here are some notes from the action.

Game 1: Duluth 89, Sprayberry 68

 

Junior guard Adam Flagler set a SEBA record, pouring in 43 points. The smooth shooting guard drained 9 threes and didn’t start missing until he took some heat checks late in the game. Flagler has played great this year under Coach Cabral Huff and has definitely put his name on the radar of college coaches. Daylan “DJ” Smith and Jalen Hodges were second and third in command for the Wildcats. Hodges posted 13 points and 7 rebounds as a springy unsigned forward that goes about 6-foot-5. Smith, a junior guard, netted 14. Duluth was without 6-foot-10 sophomore Alex Powell.

Sprayberry saw Eddie Figueroa drop in 26 points before injuring his ankle late in the fourth quarter. The unsigned senior showed nice ball handling and a competitiveness to keep his team in the game for three quarters before Duluth finally ran away with it, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 25-15 in the fourth. Khadim Samb added 8 points and 9 rebounds. Andrew Giles methodically worked his way around the bucket for 10 points.

Top Performers

Adam Flagler poured in a SEBA record 43 points

 

Duluth
Adam Flagler – 43 points (9 threes), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Jalen Hodges – 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
DJ Smith – 14 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Sprayberry
Eddie Figueroa – 26 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 4 steals
Khadim Samb – 8 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Andrew Giles – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block

 

Game 2: Hillgrove 52, No. 4 St. Pius 39

 

St. Pius was held to two points in the second quarter as they saw Hillgrove race ahead to a 31-15 halftime lead. Heavy legs from two wars this week along with a Demeirre Black onslaught was too much to recover from. Black, a 6-foot senior guard, popped off from his first touch. Black was tight off the dribble, getting to the left wing and pulling up for three straight jumpers to open the game. He scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in the first quarter alone. Black plays bigger than his size and uses his quick leaping to crash the glass. He finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 4 steals as Coach Ed Morris’ go-to guy. Trey Stevens provided offense off the bench with 10 points.

The Golden Lions couldn’t hit a shot all game until the fourth quarter when they made a late run, but could never close to within single digits. They hit four threes in the final period but again, it was Black stemming the tide with a hoop. Carson Seramur led St. Pius with 8 points, but they all came in the first quarter. Zach Ranson got off to a slow start, but he battled hard on the glass and finished with 11 rebounds.

Top Performers

Demeirre Black played bigger than his 6-foot frame, dropping 25 points & 14 rebounds

Hillgrove
Demeirre Black – 25 points, 14 rebounds, 4 steals
Trey Stevens – 10 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block

St. Pius
Carson Seramur – 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block
Zach Ranson – 4 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist
Niko Broadway – 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

 

Game 3: No. 4 North Cobb Christian 51, No. 3 South Paulding 49

 

A true stunner as South Paulding saw a 40-27 lead heading into the fourth quarter slip away. The Spartans out-physicaled and out-toughed the Eagles for the majority of the game, but Demiere Brown was a one-man wrecking crew. South Paulding held a 25-16 lead at the half after DJ Jackson buried a three at the buzzer.  Jackson played great for Coach Gil Davis as the floor general picked up the slack scoring 15 points while Ja’Cori Wilson played sporadic minutes with a stomach bug before fouling out with 5 points with South Paulding nursing a 44-34 lead with 5:49 to play.

Upon his departure, North Cobb Christian closed on a 17-5 run to steal a victory away from the Spartans, riding Brown. The powerful 6-foot-6 senior wing poured in 31 points and 14 rebounds, pounding away at South Paulding’s smaller guards. Brown has to find a home at the D-1 level. That strength and diversity of ways to score the ball is something programs across the country must covet. He didn’t settle for too many threes and buttered his bread around the basket today.

South Paulding admittedly took the air out of the ball too soon while dealing with foul trouble and a lack of size. It wasn’t until the 4:57 mark when Hunter Norman tossed an alley-oop to Mo Merritt to make it 44-38 that I actually felt that North Cobb Christian had a chance. The Eagles’ fan base went rabid as all the momentum officially swung into their corner. The Spartans still could have put the game away, but Georgia State-signee Kane Williams couldn’t find his touch from the foul line. He went 5-of-10 in the fourth quarter and 7-of-14 for the game. Aside from his free throw woes, Williams was able to affect the game from the floor. He finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals while getting others involved.

North Cobb Christian got a huge lift down the stretch from Norman, Nate Perrin and Will Crumly. Perrin didn’t play much, but he came off the bench and rattled in a three to make it 47-43 with 3:14 remaining. I warned that Crumly was still dangerous even though he was ice cold for three quarters from deep. Crumly blocked a Williams shot inside and a minute later he drilled a three to bring the score to 49-48 with 1:09 to play. Crumly put the ball on the floor and got to the line and split a pair of free throws to knot the game at 49 with 1:00.

With South Paulding holding for one shot, Parker Berry lost his dribble in front of Norman who pounced on the floor to give the Eagles the ball with 24.9 left.

North Cobb Christian held for one shot and they found Brown on a duck-in in the middle of the lane. He caught it and hit a lefty hook with 1.8 seconds left.

Originally, they let the clock run off. North Cobb Christian stormed the court and mobbed Brown in a dogpile, but after reviewing, the officials put the correct 1.8 seconds left on the clock. The referees had the opportunity to call a technical with the Eagles team running on the floor, but due to the circumstances they let it go.

South Paulding had one last look when freshman Knowledge Ruben heaved from half court, but his shot bounced off the rim leaving the Spartans shell-shocked and the Eagles jubilant.

 

Top Performers

Demiere Brown is a defense’s nightmare. He had 31 points & 14 rebounds.

North Cobb Christian
Demiere Brown – 31 points, 14 rebounds, 1 steal
Mo Merritt – 5 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
Will Crumly – 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks
Chase Savage – 6 points, 1 rebound

South Paulding
Kane Williams – 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals
DJ Jackson – 15 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 3 steals
Drew Shepherd – 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
Ja’Cori Wilson – 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 12-16

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 5 McEachern 61, North Cobb 48: Isaac Okoro double-doubled with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Sharife Cooper had 12 points and 7 assists. Babatunde Akingbola finished with 10 rebounds and 10 blocks.

No. 6 Collins Hill 66, Duluth 56: Chris Parks and Kenny Stanciel scored 17 apiece to lead the Eagles. Max Clark chipped in 10 points. Duluth was led by Adam Flagler’s 15 points and Jalen Hodges’ 12.

Lanier 58, No. 10 Meadowcreek 52: A banged up Mustangs team couldn’t keep pace with the Longhorns. Adrian Martin scored 19 while Edmund Ruiz had a career-high 17 and Juwan Jones added 10.

Peachtree Ridge 54, Mill Creek 36: Matty Dobbs and Matthew McDowell both scored 11 points in a loss.

Discovery 59, Mountain View 51: The Titans went on the road and scored an impressive victory behind Keshawn Overstreet’s 14 points and 7 rebounds. Jaden Stanley had 12 and 7. Kalu Ezikpe posted 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Lambert 75, North Forsyth 32: Andrew Melms finished with 22 points and 8 assists while Austin Deckard added 12 points and 5 steals for the Longhorns.  

Marietta 67, Kennesaw Mountain 64: The Blue Devils rallied from down 13 late in the third to storm back for a narrow victory. Kharon Cameron scored 23 while Ramel Keyton added 18. Khalil Hawkins tacked on 10.

Brookwood 65, North Gwinnett 39: Bubba Parham scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Broncos. Trae Higginbotham added 12 points and Marcus Smith netted 11. North Gwinnett was led by Cam Rowland’s 13 points and Mikey Joseph posted 10 points.
Roswell 58, Milton 50: Milton’s struggles continued as Roswell stung the Eagles. James Anderson dropped in 22 points to carry the load.

Hillgrove 56, North Paulding 53: The Hawks went 10-for-10 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to ice a tight game with North Paulding. Demierre Black posted 19 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals. Justin Davidson added 11. Hillgrove rallied from down eight with two minutes to play. Davidson hit the go-ahead three with 40 seconds left.

Grayson 65, Archer 55: Travis Anderson poured in 26 points and collected 3 steals. Terrell Greene had 6 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Kenyon Jackson posted 8 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks. 

Class AAAAAA

No. 1 Gainesville 82, Harrison 56: Xavier Bledson went for 22 points and 4 assists to lead the Red Elephants. Bailey Minor went 7-of-8 from the floor and finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Mike White and Jarrel Rosser both added 8 points.

No. 2 Jonesboro 61, Lehigh, FL 53: Down at the City of Palms in Florida, Jonesboro held off Lehigh. On the big stage, MJ Walker came up huge again, pouring in 29 points and 14 rebounds. Jaylon Terrell had 12 points.

No. 8 Alpharetta 70, Chattahoochee 60: David Swillum scored 20 points and grabbed 5 rebounds to pace a balanced Raiders attack. Brandon Barron went for 17 points and 8 assists. Ryan Jenei had 10 points and Carlos Carriere notched 10 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 9 South Cobb 84, River Ridge 36: Trevin Wade scored 23 points and had 4 assists. Ralueke Orizu posted 14 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Cambridge 70, North Atlanta 60: David Banks scored 12 points to lead the Bears. Caleb Snyder added 11 and Kamar Robertson shipped in 10. Kyler Ingram battled for 9 points and Bryce Boutelle netted 8.

Sprayberry 64, Osborne 61: Eddie Figueroa finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Rodney Pearson added 9 points.

Lakeside-Evans 62, Greenbrier 57: Deon Berrien went for 16 points and 14 rebounds. Kre’Sean Hall added 15 points and 11 boards. Kalen Williams netted 15 points to go with his 6 rebounds.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 66, Flowery Branch 54: Buford pulled away from Flowery Branch in a hard fought battle. The Eagles were led by Brannon Clark’s 17 points and 6 rebounds. Myles Janess had 9 points and John Mills tallied 10 points and 3 assists.

No. 2 Eagle’s Landing 68, Jones County 58: Brandon Thomas scored 16 points to lead the Eagles. Jacob Durmveil had 12 and Tarrence Evans netted 10.

No. 3 Fayette County 57, Leon, FL 51:  Fayette County remained undefeated at the Southern States Classic. Noah Gurley posted 21 points 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Phillip Young went for 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Austin Nesmith provided 17 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

No. 6 Cedar Shoals 59, Walnut Grove 40: Phlan Fleming scored 19 points and in the process netted the 1,000th of his career. AJ Jones scored 12 for the Jags. Walnut Grove received 13 points apiece from Jailen Robinson and Dashun Smith.

No. 10 Warner Robins 79, 4ANo. 7 Perry 54: Jacolbey Owens exploded for 29 points while Jalen “Champ” Dawson added 17 and Nelson Phillips dropped 15 for the Demons. Jhimarre Brown scored a team-high 12 points for Perry. Damion Bagley scored 7 and Evan Lasseter had 9.

Starr’s Mill 71, Bowdon 62: Drew Hudson led the Panthers with 25 points.

Loganville 65, Clarke Central 56: Jamar Moore finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks to help the Red Devils to a Region 8 victory.

Lithia Springs 56, Troup 29: Shamarre Ruff scored 13 points and Ceaunte Zachery added 10 to lead the Lions to a 7-1 record. Troup was led by Quan McFarland’s 9 points.

Arabia Mountain 65, Lithonia 53: Cameron Robinson (17), Darius Giles (14) and Jordan Sterling (13) knocked off Lithonia in another wild Region 5 contest.

Class AAAA

Rickards, FL 77, No. 1 Sandy Creek 73: The Patriots fell at the Southern States Classic. KJ Wilkins scored 24 in the loss. Jarred Godfrey netted 14 and Kam Miller had 10. Evan Jester finished with 9 points.

No. 4 St. Pius 70, Stephens County 68: Carson Seramur netted 17 points to lead the Golden Lions at home. Troy Stephens chipped in 12 and Matt Gonzalo notched 9 points and 6 assists. Stephens County received a game-high 19 from Montavious Thornton. NuNu Walker added 12 points and Deundra Singleton went for 10 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks.

No. 6 Henry County 76, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 69: Damion Rosser scored 19 points while Javon Greene added 14 and Seth Brown pitched in 11 for the Warhawks. The Bulldogs were paced by DeMaje Carter’s game-high 27 and TreJohn Taylor’s 17 points.

No. 8 Westover 81, Terrell County 66: At the U-Save-It Classic, Kris Gardner poured in 29 points and 5 assists to lead the Patriots. Jordan “Snow” Brown had 13 points and 7 assists. Quin Smith added a double-double of 11 points and 15 rebounds. Cam Hill chipped in 11 points and 3 boards.

No. 10 Eastside 73, Luella 57: Keiodre Perry poured in 19 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in three quarters of work while shooting 8-of-15 from the floor.

LaFayette 57, Southeast Whitfield 41: Super sophomore Alex Kelehear went for 27 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists on the road.

Ridgeland 67, Pickens 54: The Dragons’ struggles continued. In the loss Joseph Gossett went for 17 points. Avery Luke had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Jacob Brumby had 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Madison County 53, Jefferson 37: Trevon Daniel and Jackson Bailey scored 13 apiece to lead Madison County. The Dragons received 9 points from Jasper Gibson.

Northwest Whitfield 66, Heritage-Catoosa 59: The Bruins won their sixth straight game behind Luke Shiflett’s 27 points and 12 rebounds. Paxton Pardee and Caleb Curry both scored 10 points.  

White County 71, West Forsyth 54: John Ward notched a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Austin Harris tagged on 17 points and 6 assists. Jay Lepkoske had 10 points and 8 rebounds.

Class AAA

No. 1 Westside-Macon 70, Peach County 24: Khavon Moore pitched in 20 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals in a blowout. Kentrevious Jones added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Trey Foster finished with 11 points, 3 assists and 4 steals.

No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian 71, East Hall 62: Sophomore Hunter McIntosh led the Spartans with 21 points while Mahki Brown hung a game-high 24 points for the Vikings. GAC also received 16 points apiece from Charlie O’Briant and Branden Harris.

No. 6 Central-Macon 85, Rutland 59: Antarius McCoy finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds while Kylan Hill added 9 points and 11 boards. Dewan Owens had 10 points and Tyrice Paul scored 9.

No. 9 Morgan County 68, West Hall 26: Alec Woodard scored 22 points while Tyrin Lawrence added 15 for the Bulldogs.

Dawson County 52, Fannin County 44: Jeremiah Crumley scored 18 points to power the Tigers. Cullen Reed had 8 and Campbell Reed had 7.

North Hall 70, Union County 47: Taylor Hanson netted 17 points followed by Alec Volle and Justin Rabb’s 10 apiece for the Trojans.

Class AA

No. 2 Therrell 79, Grady 73: DJ Brittian pumped in 28 points but it wasn’t enough to slow down Anthony Edwards and Therrell. Edwards dropped 27.

No. 7 Monticello 64, Elbert County 45: Ashton Bonner scored 16 points for the Hurricanes. Matthew Lawson had 14 and Malik Crawford added 10.

Dodge County 69, Hawkinsville 35: Nick Cummings scored 22 points for Dodge County.

Putnam County 89, Social Circle 68: D’Mario Reid dropped in 30 points and 7 rebounds while Carl Johnson hung 27 points and 10 assists for the Eagles.

Class A-Private

No. 2 St. Francis 64, Wesleyan 49: Dwon Odom overwhelmed the Wolves after St. Francis trailed by two at the half. The freshman finished with 27 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Chase Ellis posted 13 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Wallace Tucker tacked on 4 assists and 7 steals. Wesleyan received 27 points from Christian McLean.

Seffner Christian, FL 70, Lakeview Academy 69 OT: Lakeview fell in overtime at the Southern States Classic. Josh Randolph, Drew Cottrell and Tre Gober all scored 17 points.

No. 6 Aquinas 50, Lincoln County 36: Aquinas’ balance was too much for Lincoln County to overcome. Trent Bowdre had 22 points and 6 rebounds. Tre Gomillion posted 8 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists. George Welch chipped in 10 points and 8 rebounds. Jelani Shakir totaled 9 assists. In the loss, Ahmad Rand had 19 points, 18 rebounds and 14 blocks. Maciah Gunby netted 11.

Hebron Christian 86, Commerce 54: Troy Allen led the Lions with 19 points. John Stewart had 14 and Connor Almon had 11. Alex Calvert and Wesley Warbington both scored 10. 

                                                      

GIRLS

 Class AAAAAAA

Marietta 65, Kennesaw Mountain 40: Taylor Smith (20), Tatiana Foster (13) and Deaja Morton (10) were too much to control as the Lady Blue Devils trio combined for 43 points.

Lassiter 49, Paulding County 43: Caitlin Sasapan scored a team-high 15 points for the Trojans. Taylor Smith, Grace Karas and Wambui Chege each scored 8 points.

Class AAAAAA

No. 6 Grovetown 62, Evans 52: Destiny Marshall poured in 32 points for Grovetown.

No. 7 Sequoyah 46, Etowah 38: Alyssa Cagle went for 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 steals to power the Lady Chiefs. Emily Seres chipped in 9 points and 5 rebounds.

Centennial 60, Dunwoody 52: The Lady Knights defended their home floor in region play as Shekinah Guthrie dropped in a game-high 25 points. Aerial Nathan had 11 while Divine Guthire posted 8 points. Freshman Bailey Hebermehl knocked down three threes.

Johns Creek 55, Pope 49: Sydney Tanguilig scored a team-high 18 points as the Lady Gladiators advanced to 7-4 overall. Johns Creek sank 9-of-10 free throws in the fourth quarter to hold off the Greyhounds. Markeima Lancaster finished with 13 points and 4 steals. Ashley Alexander added 9 points and 14 rebounds.

Class AAAAA

No. 2 Buford 53, No. 1 Flowery Branch 44: The Lady Wolves made a statement in Region 8 on the road against Flowery Branch. In the loss Queen Scott battled foul trouble and finished with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Taniyah Worth had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists. Julianne Sutton added 4 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.

No. 5 Warner Robins 66, Perry 34: The Demonettes overpowered Perry behind Kezia Holmes’ 20 points and 13 blocks. Shynia Jackson scored 17 and Le’Terria Mathis netted 12. Jordan Thomas finished with 11.

No. 6 Villa Rica 67, 4ANo. 6 Sandy Creek 65: Deasia Merrill went off for 19 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists to help the Wildcats hold off Sandy Creek. Aliyah Hindsman scored a team-high 21 and Jaila Orozco posted 17 points and 8 rebounds.

McIntosh 50, LaGrange 43: DeLayne Rotolo and Kennedi Miller both scored 14 points to pace the Lady Chiefs. Sophomore Rylee Calhoun added 11 while Mikayla Rivers (6) and Savannah Soles (5) chipped in.

Class AAAA

No. 1 North Oconee 53, Oconee County 35: Emma Weynand scored 18 points and Keller Barks added 14 and 6 steals in the battle for Oconee. Camryn Williams had 9 points and 10 rebounds. Shekya Watson scored 8 points and collected 7 of the Lady Titans’ 22 steals.

No. 5 West Hall 53, Morgan County 38: Anna McKendree and Macy Passmore scored 12 apiece to lead the Spartans. Aashyah White and Avery Prather both scored 8 in the win.

No. 7 Jefferson 59, Madison County 32: Jazmin Allen netted a team-high 19 points for the Dragonettes.

No. 8 Northwest Whitfield 57, No. 10 Heritage-Catoosa: Bria Clemmons led the charge in a crucial region showdown, posting 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks. Hallie Brooker added 12 points.

St. Pius 62, Stephens County 31: The Golden Lions raced out to a 12-0 lead and never trailed. Leah Middleton had 15 points while Macey Carson added 10. Emma Drash netted 9. The Indians were led by Kaitlyn Phillips’ 10.

Ridgeland 77, Pickens 68: Mackenzie Hampton finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds and both Autumn Young and Torie Williams scored 13 points in the Dragonettes’ loss. Shelby Cook added 9 points and 4 rebounds. For Ridgeland, Sarah Meadows pumped in a game-high 31 points while Brylee Dunn added 16.

Class AAA

No. 1 Johnson-Savannah 50, Tattnall County 27: Alexis Pierce and Olivia Owens scored 13 apiece to carry the Atomsmashers. Owens added 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

Franklin County 58, Gatlinburg-Pittman, TN 56: After a 0-2 start to the season, the Lions have now ripped off eight straight wins. Mya Jones scored 18 points followed by Ivy Ginn’s 17. Asia Jones added 10.

Class AA

No. 3 Rabun County 73, Oglethorpe County 26: 11 different players scored for Coach DeeDee Dillard. Tessa Matheson led the way with 12 points. Georgia Stockton (11) and Kaitlin Coleman (10) both cracked double digits.

No. 5 Dodge County 92, Hawkinsville 35: Tierra Hamilton netted 22 points while Destanee Wright finished with 15 to cruise past the Red Devils. Bresha Carr (14), Europe Brown (12) and Nesia Mitchell (10) all broke double figures.

Dublin 57, Southwest-Macon 32: The Irish received 17 points from Takorra Smith and 13 from Alexus Carr in a blowout victory. Kesjia Wilcher added 11 points.

Class A-Public

Macon County 73, Wilkinson County 53: Junior guard Jasmine Larry dropped in 30 points for Macon County.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 4 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Norcross (8-0)
  2. Newton (8-0)
  3. Westlake (6-1)
  4. Pebblebrook (5-3)
  5. McEachern (4-0)
  6. Collins Hill (8-1)
  7. Wheeler (4-3)
  8. Tift County (7-1)
  9. Shiloh (5-3)
  10. Meadowcreek (9-1)

Class AAAAAA

  1. Gainesville (6-0)
  2. Jonesboro (6-1)
  3. South Paulding (7-0)
  4. Langston Hughes (7-3)
  5. Heritage-Conyers (5-2)
  6. Brunswick (6-1)
  7. Dacula (5-2)
  8. Alpharetta (9-1)
  9. South Cobb (6-2)
  10. Richmond Hill (8-1) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (7-0)
  2. Eagle’s Landing (6-1)
  3. Fayette County (6-0)
  4. Miller Grove (5-2)
  5. Southwest DeKalb (7-2)
  6. Cedar Shoals (6-2)
  7. Columbia (5-3)
  8. Riverwood (10-1)
  9. New Hampstead (6-2)
  10. Warner Robins (5-1)

 Class AAAA

  1. Sandy Creek (4-1)
  2. Upson-Lee (9-0)
  3. Thomson (2-1)
  4. St. Pius X (5-2)
  5. LaGrange (5-1)
  6. Henry County (6-4)
  7. Perry (8-1)
  8. Westover (4-2)
  9. Richmond Academy (7-2)
  10. Eastside (5-1)

Class AAA

  1. Westside-Macon (2-2)
  2. Cedar Grove (3-1)
  3. Greater Atlanta Christian (5-1)
  4. Pace Academy (3-2)
  5. Islands (5-2)
  6. Central-Macon (4-0)
  7. Calhoun (5-0)
  8. Liberty County (4-4)
  9. Morgan County (2-2)
  10. Jenkins (4-4)

Class AA

  1. South Atlanta (4-0)
  2. Therrell (6-1)
  3. Butler (4-1)
  4. Thomasville (3-4)
  5. Callaway (1-1)
  6. Dublin (2-3)
  7. Monticello (5-4)
  8. Laney (4-1)
  9. Glenn Hills (4-2)
  10. KIPP Atlanta (5-1) 

Class A-Private

  1. Greenforest (6-2)
  2. St. Francis (8-0)
  3. Southwest Atlanta Christian (3-3)
  4. North Cobb Christian (6-2)
  5. Lakeview Academy (6-1)
  6. Aquinas (3-0)
  7. Holy Innocents’ (3-4)
  8. Tattnall Square (2-0)
  9. Darlington (4-1)
  10. Whitefield Academy (3-2)

Class A-Public

  1. Wilkinson County (4-1)
  2. Calhoun County (7-0)
  3. Quitman County (8-1)
  4. Taylor County (4-1)
  5. Treutlen (5-0)
  6. Crawford County (5-2)
  7. Manchester (5-1)
  8. Twiggs County (5-1)
  9. Clinch County (2-0)
  10. Montgomery County (6-0) 

Ranked No. 2 in the nation to open the season, Wheeler now finds itself No. 7 in Class AAAAAAA after the Wildcats haven’t been able to piece everything together. No. 3 Westlake greeted Wheeler rudely to Region 2 play, handing the ‘Cats a 73-67 road loss, the Lions doing it without star guard Jamie Lewis. DeMatha, MD beat Wheeler 66-58 to continue the slide. The main beneficiaries of Wheeler’s “struggles” are No. 5 McEachern and No. 6 Collins Hill. McEachern defeated a talented young Holy Spirit Prep team 50-37 while the Eagles edged Class 6A No. 5 Heritage-Conyers 74-62 at the Christmas in Commerce tournament. Atop the state, No. 1 Norcross maintained its pristine record, beating Cordova, TN 70-55. Duluth drops out after one week in the poll, losing three straight games to Mountain View (72-56), Mitchell, TN (51-44) and No. 2 Newton (68-60). Entering for the first time is No. 10 Meadowcreek. The Mustangs’ only loss came against Class 5A No. 4 Miller Grove at Holiday Hoopsgiving, 57-46. Meadowcreek beat Cartersville 73-64 this weekend at the LakePoint Showcase.

After a poor by his standards showing against Wheeler to open the season, MJ Walker has been on a tear for Class AAAAAA No. 2 Jonesboro. In their past three games, the Cardinals have hammered Tucker (69-49), Lovejoy (79-24) and Mundy’s Mill (75-30), Walker averaging 28.6 points during the stretch. No. 4 Langston Hughes has navigated Region 5 successfully thus far with wins over Alexander (72-71), Tri-Cities (68-55) and Creekside (77-58). Tri-Cities has lost three straight, with Mays and No. 3 South Paulding handing them double digit losses, dropping the Bulldogs out of the rankings along with back-to-back state runner up Allatoona, who is now 3-3 with a 54-45 loss to No. 9 South Cobb who replaces them. The Eagles are off to a quick start and added a 79-61 win over Creekview and a 69-51 victory against Campbell to their ledger. No. 10 Richmond Hill has won eight in a row and debuts in the Top 10. Read about the Wildcats’ hot start HERE. The top mover this week is No. 6 Brunswick. The Pirates rise two spots with a 57-51 win over Bradwell Institute. No. 7 Dacula and No. 8 Alpharetta were both upset this week, Dacula by a red-hot three-point shooting North Oconee 75-72 and Alpharetta by Centennial, 50-49.

In Class AAAAA, No. 1 Buford cemented its status as tops in the state after holding off No.6 Cedar Shoals. Last week’s No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 teams all suffered losses, leading to shakeup. New No. 2 Eagle’s Landing crushed Class AAA No. 2 Cedar Grove, 71-49. The Eagles rise three spots while No. 3 Fayette County also jumps three places. Miller Grove is on the move behind scoring machine Tae Hardy, as the Wolverines remained a thorn in the side of rival No. 5 Southwest DeKalb, beating the Panthers 51-42. Columbia drops three spots to No. 7 after losing to Du Bois, TN 58-57, but more importantly after losing Lorenzo McGhee to a broken leg. Don’t sleep on No. 9 New Hampstead in Savannah, who jumps No. 10 Warner Robins. The Phoenix beat Brunswick 62-61 and knocked off Class AAA No. 5 Islands for the second time in overtime this year, 79-77 on a buzzer beater.

Sandy Creek picked up a major resume building win in Class AAAA by knocking off Class A-Private No. 4 North Cobb Christian 86-77 at the LakePoint Showcase. The Patriots received 24 points from Evan Jester, 21 from Xavier Brewer and 17 from TJ Bickerstaff. No. 6 Henry County’s roller coaster season continued, losing to Julian Cameron and Woodward Academy 71-70 before bouncing back and stopping Salem 69-65. The Warhawks slip three spots. LaGrange jumps three spots after beating Class AA No. 5 Callaway 75-65. North Clayton exits the Top 10 after Woodward Academy defeated them 50-49. The Eagles did beat Salem 54-49, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Eastside. This group of Eagles has been flying high at 5-1, their only loss to Newton, 74-51. Eastside beat Woodward Academy 90-75, withstanding Cameron’s 42-point outburst. Keiodre Perry is averaging over 20 points per game to carry Eastside with Desmeontay Dyer posting a double-double nightly.  They host Henry County on Tuesday in a critical Region 4 matchup, a region which has been topsy-turvy.

No. 1 Westside-Macon was upset by newly ranked No. 6 Central-Macon, but the Seminoles retain their top ranking after No. 2 Cedar Grove, No. 4 Pace Academy and No. 8 Liberty County all lost. The Cedar Grove Saints made a statement, beating Pace 55-42, but were later throttled by Eagle’s Landing. Liberty County plummets four spots, but hasn’t been healthy as Davion Mitchell is still in a boot with a broken toe. Will Richardson has tried to carry the load, but Richmond Hill (58-56) and Long County (73-72) handed the Panthers losses. Richardson poured in 54 points to beat Bradwell Institute 74-69 and is now averaging 31.2 points per game while averaging over 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Islands is up to No. 5 after beating No. 10 Jenkins, 75-72. Morgan County is down to No. 9 after Greenville, SC beat them 64-56 at the Valhalla Classic. Class AAA is shaping up to be another O.K. Corral.

Even with a 65-54 loss to Class AA No. 1 South Atlanta, Therrell showed that it can play with the big boys and rises six spots to No. 2. Butler jumps four spots to No. 3 after stunning No. 9 Glenn Hills 70-69 at the buzzer. The Bulldogs head to 7-1 Josey on Tuesday. A win and a clean week for the Eagles likely guarantees a Top 10 spot for Josey. No. 6 Dublin and No. 7 Monticello had rough weeks and tumble out of the No. 3 and No. 2 spots, respectively. Monticello was upset by Banks County 57-52 and then lost to Jones County 66-59. The Irish got revenge against Class A-Public No. 8 Twiggs County, but lost to A-Public No. 5 Treutlen, 67-64. Laney debuts in the poll thanks to a 53-46 victory against Class AAAA No. 9 Richmond Academy. Surging into the Top 10 for the first time in school history is No. 10 KIPP Atlanta. 5-foot-9 senior guard Stavon Griggs is pouring in 32.6 points per game and will lead the Warriors into battle on Tuesday at No. 1 South Atlanta. Chattooga and Toombs County drop out. The Indians lost to Class AAA No. 7 Calhoun 62-47 and Toombs lost to Jeff Davis 58-48.

North Cobb Christian’s loss to Sandy Creek drops them to No. 4 in Class A-Private as No. 2 St. Francis remains undefeated and No. 3 Southwest Atlanta Christian drills No. 7 Holy Innocents’ 88-61. Our Lady of Mercy exits the rankings following losses to Landmark Christian and No. 1 Greenforest. Darlington takes over No. 9.

Class A-Public is always fun to try and wrap my brain around and by fun I mean impossible. Calhoun County looks good at No. 2 in the state and will host No. 3 Quitman County on Tuesday to test the Hornets’ legitimacy. Taylor County is hot after an early loss to Class AAAA No. 2 Upson-Lee and have ripped off four wins in a row including beating No. 6 Crawford County, 65-53. No. 5 Treutlen has handled its business in South Georgia and scored a nice 67-64 win over Dublin. Twiggs County lost in their rematch to Dublin and falls to No. 8. Turner County and Schley County both say goodbye to the Top 10. The Rebels fall all the way from No. 4 after a 2-2 start while Schley County lost to Central-Talbotton 59-46. Newly ranked No. 9 Clinch County and 6-0 No. 10 Montgomery County will try to sustain their early success.