Category Archives: GHSA Basketball

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 5 Newton rams Tucker out of first-place in Region 2

No. 5 Newton 58, Tucker 48

It had been 719 days since the Tucker Tigers (17-5, 7-1) had last lost a region game. A 45-42 loss to Stephenson on Feb. 7, 2014 back in Class AAAAA was Coach James Hartry’s last defeat. Last season the Tigers swept through their new home, Region 2-AAAAAA, and through the first seven region games of this season, they had started 7-0, surviving No. 5 Newton 57-56 at Tucker on Dec. 15.

Newton (19-2, 7-1), enjoying its best start since 2009-10 when the Rams opened 30-1 before falling to state champion Milton in the semifinals, entered Wednesday’s make-up game at 18-2, using last season’s state playoff run as a springboard into the 2015-16 season. As a No. 4 seed last year, the Rams knocked off defending state champion Tift County 52-49 in round one and took down No. 2 seed Dacula 58-54 in the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual state champion Wheeler in the Elite 8, 72-54.

With all of Coach Rick Rasmussen’s recent success with the Rams, one win still eluded Newton: Tucker. Last night, the Rams were finally able to rid themselves of their demons and get the monkey off their back with a 58-48 win at home to take over first-place.

“It was a big win for us tonight,” explained Rasmussen. “I thought we had a really good chance to beat them at their place and I thought we were certainly capable of playing better than we did the first time.”

They did.

Things didn’t start out so promising for the Rams however. Tucker jumped out to a 9-2 lead and looked like the more energized team, but Newton’s leading scorer, junior JD Notae, shook the Rams out of the doldrums and scored their first eight points of the game.

To end the first period, freshman sensation Ashton Hagans drove on the fastbreak and found senior Jaquan Simms open in the left corner for one of his four three-pointers on the night to give Newton a 13-11 lead heading into the second quarter.

The onslaught continued for the Rams in the second quarter as Notae’s early spurt in the first quarter ignited a 21-4 Newton run that flipped the score from a 9-2 deficit to a 23-13 advantage with 3:55 left to play in the second quarter. Tucker would pick itself off the mat and end the period on a mini 5-2 run, capped by a Tyler Payne steal and lay-in at the buzzer, cutting Newton’s halftime lead to 25-18.

The third quarter saw Tucker senior center Adonis Green score back-to-back baskets but halfway through the frame Green picked up his fourth foul. Coach Hartry elected to keep him in the game and just 15 seconds later, Green committed his fifth personal, fouling out with 2:52 remaining in the third quarter and the Tigers trailing 33-26.

While Tucker was searching for answers on how to replace Green, but more importantly slow down Newton’s guards, Jaquan Simms caught fire, canning back-to-back threes and drawing a foul on a deep ball. Simms scored eight of his 16 points in the third quarter and pushed the Rams’ lead to 38-26.

However, once again it was Tucker using a late spurt to keep the game close. The Tigers ran off four quick points stamped by Kenton Eskridge’s lay-up right before the horn to make it a 38-30 game entering the fourth quarter.

Tucker did not crawl much closer than eight points in the fourth quarter as Notae and Dante Johnson would not allow another late game disappointment. In their first meeting, the Rams blew the game at the line, connecting on just 7-of-18 attempts. Wednesday night, Newton sank 14-of-22 free throws, but more importantly 12-of-17 in the fourth quarter. Notae scored 11 of his game-high 22 points in the fourth including going 5-of-6 from the stripe while Johnson netted six of his eight points in the final frame, hitting all four free throws.

After a hot start for Eskridge, scoring six first quarter points, the Rams honed in on Tucker’s playmaker and held him to four points over the next three periods.

Freshman Ashton Hagans won the war with junior Kenton Eskridge
Freshman Ashton Hagans won the war with junior Kenton Eskridge

The win was an important one for Newton, not only for region seeding, but for the overall psyche of the team, finally beating a program that has troubled them over the past two seasons. Coach Rasmussen understands there is still work to be done on Friday night as Newton hosts rival Rockdale County on senior night and the Tigers potentially looming in the region tournament.

“It feels good to get this one. I’m sure we’re going to have to play them again in the region tournament, so I’m sure that will be another war and we’re excited about it.”

My Take: Newton’s guards are the real deal. People who aren’t in the know could have given me slack for keeping the Rams in the top ten after an early 2-1 start following a loss to Henry County, but I had faith that Newton would warrant its place in the rankings. Fast forward eight weeks later and Coach Rick Rasmussen’s team is No. 5 in the poll. JD Notae has caught the eye of D-1 schools such as Kennesaw State, South Alabama and Presbyterian and all for good reason. The junior had two scoring binges. One to breathe life into the Rams and the second to close the door shut on Tucker. Notae scored the first eight points of the game to start a 21-4 run that gave Newton the lead for good and in the fourth quarter his 11 points ended all hope of a Tucker comeback. Notae showed an ability to finish inside with reverse lay ups and the coolness to sink important free throws late in the game. Freshman Ashton Hagans has some of the best court vision I’ve seen this season. It is extremely rare to see a point guard with that kind of court presence and the fact that he is only a freshman makes him a high major prospect for good reason; UGA has already offered, with Tennessee, Mississippi State and Auburn all showing interest. In last night’s low scoring game, he didn’t need to dazzle or show off any slick eye-catching passes like a Will Washington, but he was mature with the ball and put it in the right spots for teammates to score, something that can’t always be taught. The third man of the trio was senior Jaquan Simms. He cashed in four three-pointers and finished with 16 points. His ability to get hot from behind the arc will be invaluable come tournament time. With sophomore DeAndrae Butler missing from the lineup, Josh Tukes and Chazz Tanner stepped up and combined for four points and 10 rebounds. Dante Johnson was a key piece off the bench with eight points and nine rebounds, bringing great energy.

Xavier Johnson played well for Tucker in the absence of Adonis Green, who fouled out with four points and six rebounds. Johnson posted team-highs of 12 points and nine rebounds. Kenton Eskridge got going early on, putting his head down and finishing at the cup, but Newton made the proper adjustments to slow down the junior. The Tigers had some nice balance scoring, but weren’t able to find enough firepower to keep up with the running Rams.

Top Performers

Newton
JD Notae – 22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Jaquan Simms – 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Dante Johnson – 8 points, 9 rebounds
Ashton Hagans – 7 points, 1 rebound, 8 assists, 3 steals
Chazz Tanner – 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block

Tucker
Xavier Johnson – 12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block
Kenton Eskridge – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Amir Butcher – 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Josh Vann – 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Trevon Flowers – 6 points, 1 rebound
Adonis Green – 4 points, 6 rebounds

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

All-American Alterique Gilbert’s fourth quarter stops No. 9 Southwest DeKalb comeback

No. 1 Miller Grove 53, No. 9 Southwest DeKalb 45

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A 15-5 run had No. 1 Miller Grove seemingly on the ropes after taking its largest lead of the game 43-30 entering the fourth, but when the Wolverines needed a hoop, they turned to none other than McDonalds All-American and UConn signee Alterique Gilbert to answer the call as Miller Grove held off host No. 9 Southwest DeKalb in front of a capacity crowd, 53-45.

Southwest DeKalb looked to establish 6-foot-6, 245-pound senior TiQuan Lewis early on. The Washington County transfer posed problems inside for the slighter Wolverines in their first meeting, posting 19 points and 12 rebounds in a 76-69 loss. On Tuesday, the big man scored the Panthers’ first seven points of the game but was held to two points the rest of the way as Miller Grove began digging down and harassing Lewis with active hands.

While Lewis got Southwest DeKalb off to a quick start, Aaron Augustin began his own scoring spree, slashing to the basket and showing off his outside shot to finish with seven of his 10 points in the first quarter, giving the Wolverines a 15-10 lead after one.

Augustin sank his final basket of the night, a three-pointer at the 4:06 mark of the second quarter to push the Wolverine lead out to 21-14. Southwest DeKalb leading scorer Keith Gilmore scored just one point in the first quarter but began to find the bottom of the net while it looked like the Panthers were about to lose distance with the Wolverines. The senior scored nine of his team-high 16 points in the second period, but the Panthers still entered the half trailing Miller Grove 34-22.

To open the second half, Southwest DeKalb made sure to not stray away from the inside game, feeding it to Lewis early on, but Miller Grove caused him to fumble away a few opportunities with its pressure defense.  He and Gilmore combined for 17 of the Panthers’ 22 first half points meaning someone else had to step up. While Southwest searched for a third option in the third quarter, Miller Grove slowly began to pull away.

TiQuan Lewis is a big boy
TiQuan Lewis is a big boy

Aidan Saunders received a pass in transition and threw down a dunk, the first of the game, to extend the lead to 41-30. Seconds after the gym-rocking slam, the student sections of both teams began to get into it, causing a five-minute stop in the action while teachers and police went into the crowd to make sure nothing got out of hand. After the brief stoppage, Miller Grove added another hoop to give itself a 13-point cushion heading into the final eight minutes.

Instead of rolling over and letting the Wolverines blow them out of their own gym, the Panthers showed some bite of their own. A long and methodical comeback began to take place with Southwest using its helter skelter tempo and press to force Miller Grove into rushed shots and turnovers. Coach Eugene Brown finally found his third and fourth scoring options as Nathaniel Ambersley scored six of his 11 points in the fourth while Mandarius Dickerson added nine points in the game.

With 1:10 remaining, Gilmore caught a feed down low and went baseline to lay it up and claw the Panthers within 48-45. Seconds later at the 48.5 mark, Gilbert answered with an And-1 to make it 51-45 and stem the tide. The All-American poured in nine of Miller Grove’s 10 fourth quarter points and took over when Coach Sharman White needed him the most.

29.2 seconds remained when Coach White called a timeout. The Wolverines attempted to inbound the ball, but an offensive foul was called, giving the ball back to the Panthers still down six. Southwest DeKalb was unable to score, but forced a turnover with 15 seconds left. Gilmore had the ball on what looked like a 3-on-1 fast break, but instead of trying to get the bucket and play the fouling game, he elected to attempt a pull-up three which missed and resulted in a rebound and outlet for a Gilbert run-out dunk with seconds left to end the game.

Missed opportunities hurt the Panthers, especially as they entered the bonus with 5:26 left in the fourth, but made only 1-of-5 from the line and finished 8-of-16 for the game.

My Take: If you didn’t get to Southwest DeKalb by halftime of the girls’ game, you weren’t getting a seat. I strolled in right as the game was finishing up and there were no seats to be found. The action that ensued on the court warranted the crowd. Miller Grove looked like the top team in the state, coming away with a huge win in a wild environment. The Wolverines look to push the ball every chance they get and have some of the best spacing I’ve seen all year with shooters peppering the perimeter. Alterique Gilbert didn’t have his best game, missing some open threes, but he would not be denied when the game was on the line. Aaron Augustin had a big first half with 10 points but didn’t score in the second. He along with Gilbert were able to hit open men. The pair made everyone around them better tonight. The Wolverines are a very unselfish bunch and play for one another even with all the stars on their roster. They came away with 11 steals hounding the Southwest DeKalb guards, especially in the first half holding Darius Hogan, Mandarius Dickerson and Nathaniel Ambersley to five total first half points, with Hogan never cracking the scorebook on the night after scoring 12 against Miller Grove in their first meeting.

Southwest DeKalb showed a lot of heart, scrapping to get back into the game. TiQuan Lewis is a load inside and can punish smaller defenders. Keith Gilmore was the senior leader I expected him to be, finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds. If Coach Brown can get guard production around those two, the Panthers will be a tough team in the state tournament. The glaring issue for the Panthers was a lack of pure shooting. They made just one three-pointer on the night and shot 50% from the foul line. Missed free throws and Hogan’s quiet game came back to bite Southwest. Hogan is the team’s best shooter from deep, averaging over two makes a game and hitting 40%.

Top Performers

Miller Grove
Alterique Gilbert – 17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
Aaron Augustin – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Raylon Richardson – 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block
Aidan Saunders – 7 points
Joshua Jackmon – 5 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists
Tae Hardy – 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals

Southwest DeKalb
Keith Gilmore – 16 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist
Nathaniel Ambersley – 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
TiQuan Lewis – 9 points, 10 rebounds, 1 block
Mandarius Dickerson – 9 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 10 Rankings

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Class AAAAAA

  1. Westlake (14-2)
  2. Norcross (17-2)
  3. Wheeler (15-5)
  4. Tift County (19-2)
  5. Newton (17-2)
  6. Pebblebrook (13-7)
  7. McEachern (16-3)
  8. Shiloh (14-4)
  9. Dacula (14-4)
  10. Grayson (16-3)

Class AAAAA

  1. Miller Grove (19-2)
  2. Allatoona (19-0)
  3. McIntosh (17-2)
  4. Gainesville (13-4)
  5. Cedar Shoals (20-2)
  6. Riverwood (20-1)
  7. South Paulding (16-3)
  8. Warner Robins (13-2)
  9. Southwest DeKalb (18-3)
  10. Effingham County (18-3)

 Class AAAA

  1. Jonesboro (17-3)
  2. Lithonia (15-4)
  3. St. Pius (17-3)
  4. Grady (18-2)
  5. Liberty County (17-1)
  6. Eagle’s Landing (19-1)
  7. Upson-Lee (16-3)
  8. Thomson (14-3)
  9. Worth County (15-3)
  10. Sandy Creek (14-5)

Class AAA

  1. Morgan County (15-4)
  2. South Atlanta (16-4)
  3. Calhoun (18-0)
  4. Laney (18-2)
  5. Jenkins (16-3)
  6. Central-Macon (18-2)
  7. Westminster (17-2)
  8. Callaway (11-3)
  9. Banks County (18-2)
  10. Johnson-Savannah (15-5)

Class AA

  1. Thomasville (20-1)
  2. Seminole County (15-4)
  3. Crawford County (17-2)
  4. Pace Academy (9-9)
  5. Vidalia (18-3)
  6. Lovett (13-4)
  7. Dublin (17-3)
  8. Chattooga (19-1)
  9. Holy Innocents’ (14-5)
  10. Swainsboro (12-6)

Class A-Private

  1. Greenforest (18-2)
  2. North Cobb Christian (15-3)
  3. SWAC (12-8)
  4. St. Francis (13-7)
  5. Whitefield Academy (13-7)
  6. Lakeview Academy (17-4)
  7. Our Lady of Mercy (14-3)
  8. Stratford Academy (13-4)
  9. King’s Ridge (12-5)
  10. Walker (12-5)

Class A-Public

  1. Hancock Central (13-4)
  2. Wilkinson County (14-5)
  3. Treutlen (16-2)
  4. Turner County (16-5)
  5. Taylor County (14-6)
  6. Atkinson County (15-4)
  7. Calhoun County (12-8)
  8. Randolph-Clay (15-7)
  9. Central-Talbotton (13-8)
  10. Lincoln County (11-5)

Snow and ice wrecked most of the week’s action, but that still didn’t stop Class AAAAAA from seeing some major changes. It had been over five years since No. 8 Shiloh had lost back-to-back region games before the Generals were shocked by Central Gwinnett 61-58 on Tuesday. They have now fallen six spots in the past two weeks. No. 5 Newton is the main beneficiary of the movement, as the Rams continue to rise. No. 4 Tift County suffered a major blow with leading scorer and rebounder Preston Horne tearing his ACL and now being out for the year. Fred Lloyd has stepped up in his absence. No. 2 Norcross caught a raw deal because of the weather, having to miss their own tournament the Peachtree Corners Invitational and see its field of games shrink from five games to two and have the tournament be held at St. Pius instead. The Blue Devils did however pick up a big win on Tuesday, surviving at home against Collins Hill (16-3), 50-48, in the process knocking the Eagles out of the top ten. Rayshaun Hammonds once again caused problems for Collins Hill, posting 20 points and 11 rebounds. Kenny Stanciel gave the Eagles a big lift with a career-high 20 points while TeShaun Hightower (3) and Kai Lambert (1) were held to a combined four points. Coming off a 76-74 win over Berkmar, No. 10 Grayson finds itself back in the poll.

Everything went chalk for the most part in AAAAA. No. 8 Warner Robins used a Jacolbey Owens three-pointer at the buzzer to knock off rival Northside-Warner Robins 60-57 and hand Coach Jamaal Garman his 100th career win. No. 10 Effingham County continued to make a statement in Region 3 with a 72-66 win over defending state champion Brunswick. The Pirates had won 9-straight before the loss. No. 3 McIntosh held off Morrow 68-63 behind Jordan Lyons’ 25 points. No. 1 Miller Grove’s DeKalb County rematch with 4ANo. 2 Lithonia was snowed out and will not be made up.

No. 7 Upson-Lee took care of business against Perry 72-62, to take a share of first-place in Region 2-AAAA and advance its winning streak to 10 games. Senior O’Qualon Harris (17.2 ppg) and sophomore Ty Fagan (17.9 ppg) have powered the Knights this season. No. 9 Worth County earned another good win against Westover, 70-63. Walnut Grove (17-3) slips out of the top ten after a two-game losing streak, the Warriors’ most recent loss coming to Henry County 84-68. Replacing them is No. 10 Sandy Creek, who defeated Woodward Academy 70-54 last week.

AAA saw a state title contender emerge as No. 2 South Atlanta led wire-to-wire against 1A-PrivateNo. 1 Greenforest at the Blue Collar Basketball MLK Showcase, earning a 62-57 win. Jenkins falls three spots to No. 5 following a 66-59 loss to Johnson-Savannah, who debuts in the polls at No. 10. No. 4 Laney moves up a spot with an 80-60 beat down of Westside-Augusta, who now tumbles out of the top ten.

Class AA’s most dynamic player, Jordan Harris (UGA) of No. 2 Seminole County, went off for 47 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks and six three-pointers and six dunks in a 86-62 win over Berrien. Without teammate Anfernee King suited up to play, Harris had no problem taking full control of the game. No. 5 Vidalia lost 62-58 to new No. 10 Swainsboro and falls two slots. Pace Academy now holds the No. 4 ranking and is .500, but has won 7 of 8 games. GAC just misses staying in the top ten following a 42-39 loss to Pace. No. 7 Dublin has quietly worked its way up the rankings and has won 10-straight.

If there were ever a chance for a team to unseat No. 1 Greenforest in Class A-Private, it would have been after the Eagles loss to South Atlanta, but that did not happen. No. 5 Whitefield Academy finally slayed the dragon that is their arch-nemesis No. 4 St. Francis, 75-73. Isaiah Hart and Brendon Myles had monster games for the Wolf Pack. Hart finished with 37 points, five assists and two blocks while Myles went for 25 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. St. Anne-Pacelli (13-7) finally slips out of the top ten after holding strong the first nine weeks. Losses to Marion County 76-64 and Central-Talbotton 88-79 did the Vikings in. Both they and Hebron (14-6) fall out. The Lions only lasted one week in the poll before being thumped by No. 6 Lakeview Academy 65-48 and Tallulah Falls 67-53. No. 9 King’s Ridge and No. 10 Walker make an appearance in the top ten. Walker returns for the first time since Week 3 when it started 5-1. King’s Ridge debuts and has played well this year. The Tigers have won 4-straight and still have 7-foot center Tolu Jacobs waiting in the wings to become eligible and potentially change the landscape of A-Private.

In Class A-Public, No. 1 Hancock Central completes its ascension to the top of the state following No. 3 Treutlen’s 66-51 loss to No. 7 Calhoun County, knocking the Vikings from their perch. After a 5-5 start, Coach Tasha Kimble’s No. 4 Turner County Rebels are red-hot, winning 11 in a row including demolishing Hawkinsville 70-48 and No. 6 Atkinson County 82-46.  The Rebels have won their last five games by an average of 33.8 points. No. 9 Central-Talbotton enters the top ten for the first time following wins over Hawkinsville and St. Anne-Pacelli.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Class AA Region Run Down

Class AA

Region 1

            Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 1 Thomasville                     18-1                 6-1
No. 2 Seminole County          13-4                 5-1
Early County                                14-4                 4-2
Brooks County                            8-10                 3-4
Fitzgerald                                       8-6                   3-4
Pelham                                             6-7                   2-4
Berrien                                             7-11                 0-7

It might be a safe bet that the eventual state champion will come from Region 1 or will at least have to go through a few Region 1 teams to hoist the trophy. Last year it was No. 2 Seminole County winning the state title behind UGA signee Jordan Harris and Anfernee King. A true Batman and Robin duo, the two are the blood that courses through the Indians’ veins. Harris averages 31 points, 11.1 rebounds, 6 assists, 3.6 steals and 2.2 blocks while King posts 17.4 points, 6 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 5.1 steals. The dynamic duo combined for 49 points to take down No. 1 Thomasville on Jan. 9, 71-65. The Bulldogs might be the deepest and biggest team in the state. Brothers Alex and Reggie Perry transferred from Maclay High School in Tallahassee. Alex is a 6-foot-6 senior forward while Reggie stands 6-foot-8 as a sophomore and holds interest from Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma and Arkansas to name a few. They pair up with Jordan Willis, Thomasville’s leader at point guard and Shedric Cooper, a danger from deep. And don’t forget about massive freshman, Titus Wright, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound monster inside. Early County was also in the race for first-place and in the top ten, but a 68-67 upset loss at Brooks County last Saturday hurts their chances. The Bobcats play at Thomasville on Jan. 29 and host Seminole County on Feb. 5. The Indians and Bulldogs play at Thomasville on Feb. 2 in a showdown that will likely determine the region regular season champion.

Region 2

        Team                           Overall            Region
No. 3 Vidalia                   17-2                 10-0
Long County                15-5                 8-2
Benedictine                 10-7                 5-4
Bryan County              9-8                   5-5
Jeff Davis                        9-10                 4-5
Bacon County              7-11                 4-6
Groves                              2-15                 2-8
McIntosh County      2-16                 1-9

No. 3 Vidalia continues to win and is one of Southeast Georgia’s most consistent programs. Upstart Long County had a chance to dethrone them on Jan. 12, but the Indians went on the road and picked up a 76-65 victory. On Dec. 8, Vidalia took care of the Blue Tide 96-77 and will now cruise to another regular season region title. Long County has come out of nowhere to push Vidalia this year after the Tide finished 6-22 in 2014-15. Sophomores Henry Blair (12.3 ppg), Christian Bass (9.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and Ryhiem Izzard (8.3 ppg) have blossomed into important pieces for Coach Deshon Brock. Junior Perrell Brisbane averages 11.7 points and 7.4 rebounds.

Region 3

         Team                           Overall            Region
No. 9 Dublin                   15-3                 6-0
Swainsboro                    10-6                 6-1
Screven County           7-6                   4-2
East Laurens                  6-8                   3-3
Jefferson County        4-11                 3-5
Metter                               3-14                 1-5
Harlem                              2-17                 0-7

Following a 12-17 season, No. 9 Dublin is back in the driver’s seat in Region 3. The Fighting Irish scrapped out a 65-56 win at home vs. Swainsboro last Friday, but still have to escape the Tigers at home Jan. 30, no easy task especially after Swainsboro won a controversial second round playoff game vs. Holy Innocents’ last year in overtime, 57-52. The clock operator awarded the Tigers a crucial point after Swainsboro had missed a free throw with three minutes to play in the fourth. Swainsboro might only be 10-6, but they are battle tested after scheduling 5A’s Statesboro and No. 10 Effingham County 2x, 1A-Public’s No. 3 Wilkinson County 2x and No. 1 Treutlen, and 1A-Private’s Tattnall Square Academy, who just fell out of the top ten this past week. The Tigers also battled with No. 3 Vidalia, losing 59-58.

Region 4

                Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 4 Crawford County             15-2                 7-0
Monticello                                         12-7                 5-2
Macon County                                12-5                 4-3
Lamar County                                   8-9                   3-3
Bleckley County                             6-9                   3-4
Putnam County                              2-18                 2-5
Northeast-Macon                         2-17                 0-7

Last season’s state-runner up No. 4 Crawford County should cruise to its second straight undefeated region schedule behind William Jarrell and Marcal Knolton. Jarrell averages close to a triple-double going over 26 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists a night while collecting around 5 steals and 4 blocks. Knolton, a junior, is putting up monster number as well, averaging over 19 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks. Everyone returns from last year’s team that came up just short. The Eagles are one of the state’s highest scoring offenses pouring in 81.7 points a night. Monticello lost 73-55 at home to Crawford County but has one more shot next Tuesday. The Hurricanes use a balanced attack led by De’Miria Glover while Macon County leans on 6-foot-5 forward Marquell Wiggins, who just committed to play at Georgia College.

Region 5

         Team                                       Overall            Region
Manchester                                 13-5                 5-0
Temple                                           14-3                 4-1
Heard County                           10-9                 3-2
Bowdon                                        10-9                 1-3
Bremen                                         3-14                 1-4
Chattahoochee County     3-12                 0-4

The Region 5 race will come down to Manchester and Temple with Heard County hoping for both teams to falter. The Blue Devils held off Temple 65-62 this Tuesday to gain a game on the Tigers. The final game of the season pits the two against each other at Manchester on Feb. 5. If Temple wants to steal a win, Peyton Applewhite will need a big game. The 6-foot-7, 245-pound center can hit the three ball and also bang inside with his back to the basket. Demarcus Addie, Jah’nile Hill and Jerquavion Mahone will be three go-to guys for Coach Curtis Noble’s Blue Devils.

Region 6

            Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 5 Pace Academy                  9-8                   7-1
No. 6 Lovett                                    13-4                 7-1
No. 8 GAC                                        12-8                 7-2
No. 10 Holy Innocents’            14-5                 5-4
Wesleyan                                         11-8                 5-4
Hapeville Charter                         7-11                 2-7
KIPP Atlanta                                    6-7                   1-7
BEST Academy                               1-9                   0-8

Four teams fill up the top ten from Region 6, but it hasn’t been a smooth road. No. 5 Pace Academy is finally over .500 after a 2-8 start, meaning they have now won seven-straight. The Knights scheduled a slew of national tournaments which hurt their record, but now that they are back in the friendly confines of Region 6, they are ready to make a run behind 6-foot-10 top ranked junior in the nation, Wendell Carter Jr. No. 6 Lovett has been the biggest surprise in the region with Coach Ryan Koudele stepping in as head coach and already matching last year’s win total when the Lions went 13-15. Lovett doesn’t have much size, but senior Henry Richardson powers the undersized Lions, leading the team in scoring thanks to his deft three-point touch. No. 8 GAC has had a roller coaster season. Senior Garrett Covington, a Gwinnett Daily Post Super Six selection and Brian Coffey Jr., a recent North Florida-commit, are both no longer on the team. Coach David Eaton has used addition by subtraction to keep the Spartans afloat. They drilled rival No. 10 Holy Innocents’ 77-37 last Friday and then lost by just three, 42-39, to Pace. 6-foot-8 junior Charlie O’Briant scored 18 points and blocked six shots while freshman Hunter McIntosh added 15 points in the win over the rival Golden Bears. Basil Peterson chipped in 14 points and senior Jacob Hoffman had 10. Even after the lopsided loss, Holy Innocents’ is still dangerous, they just need to get healthy with 6-foot-7 center Brent Duncan missing a handful of games due to injury and backup 6-foot-7 center Richard Surdykowski, who has played exceptionally well in Duncan’s absence, has been dealing with a stress fracture in his foot.

Region 7

          Team                                     Overall         Region
No. 7 Chattooga                       19-1                 7-1
Model                                             12-6                 6-2
Coosa                                              8-7                   5-3
Darlington                                   12-7                 5-3
Gordon Lee                                 10-9                 4-4
Dade County                              6-15                 1-8
Armuchee                                    5-11                 0-7

No. 7 Chattooga was hammered at Model on Dec. 1, 57-37 as it looked like the Blue Devils, who finished 23-5 last year, were going to roll to another Region 7 championship. But when the Indians got a crack at Model at home last Friday, they took care of business 58-46 to regain first-place. Model’s only other loss came by 13 at Gordon Lee, 60-47. Chattooga almost lost at Coosa on Jan. 8, as it took overtime to escape the Eagles 70-68. Isaiah Foster poured in 31 points to lead the Indians while Jay Shropshire pitched in 13 points.

Region 8

        Team                                       Overall            Region
Rabun County                          9-10                 5-2
Union County                           9-10                 4-2
Riverside Military                   8-8                   4-3
Oglethorpe County               6-12                 3-3
Greene County                        6-12                 3-4
Washington-Wilkes             10-8                 2-4
Social  Circle                              8-11                 2-5

Wins have been tough to come by in Region 8 with just one team over .500. Last season Greene County went 23-6, Rabun County 21-9 and Union County, a respectable 17-12. If you like three-pointers, Rabun County is the team to see. 5-foot-8 senior Matthew Addis leads the team in scoring at 16.4 points per game, while sophomores Bailey Fisher (12.7 ppg) and Tevan Dixon (11.8) are both double digit threats. Addis is among the entire state’s top gunslingers, leading Georgia in threes made (90) and threes attempted (219), averaging 4.7 made threes a game on 11.5 attempts. Union County features three players scoring in double figures led by junior Lawson Baenninger’s 14 points per game. Inside, 6-foot-8 Chase Shook averages 11 points and over nine rebounds a game with two blocks. Sophomore Crawford Colwell could be one to watch in the future. He averages more than 13 points and five rebounds as a 6-foot-1 forward. The Panthers beat Rabun County 77-74 on Jan. 8 and travel to Rabun on Jan. 29 for a chance to control the region. Riverside Military has beaten Union County and has split the season series with Rabun. On Jan. 26 the Eagles visit Union County and could sneak back into the hunt for the No. 1 seed with a win.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Class AAA Region Run Down

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Class AAA

Region 1

              Team                                      Overall           Region
(B) No. 2 Jenkins                      16-2                 8-0
(B) Johnson                                 13-5                 7-1
(B) Islands                                     15-5                 7-2
(A) Dodge County                    11-5                 5-2
(A) Tattnall County                 11-7                 5-2
(A) Brantley County               12-6                 6-4
(B) Savannah                                8-11                5-5
(B) Southeast Bulloch             10-11              3-5
(A) Appling County                   2-14                 2-5
(B) Beach                                        5-15                 2-6
(A) Toombs County                  3-16                 2-8
 (A) Pierce County                      3-12                1-10

The balance of power lies in sub-region B as defending state champion No. 2 Jenkins looks to fend off Johnson and the much improved Sharks of Islands. The Warriors play Johnson for the first time tonight at home, then travel to Johnson on the last day of the regular season, Feb. 6. 6-foot-5 junior Trevion Lamar has quickly made a name for himself with the Warriors, leading the team in both scoring (16.8) and rebounding (9.1) while adding 4.3 assists per game and team-highs in steals (2.7) and blocks (1.9). Point guard Zion Williams transferred from Savannah High and is averaging 14.5 points and 4.6 assists as a junior. Seniors Michael Coffee and Dimetri Chambers are both scoring in double figures. Johnson’s only region loss came in double overtime at Islands, 64-61. The Sharks, whose program began in 2010-11, have steadily improved. Their wins by year read: 2010-11: 0, 2011-12: 0, 2012-13: 1, 2013-14: 2, 2014-15: 11. This year the Sharks have clinched their first-ever winning record behind patient Head Coach Karl DeMasi and 1,000-point scorer junior Justin Cave, who averages 21.2 points. Only one senior is on the roster. DeMasi’s primary rotation consists of one freshman, two sophomores and four juniors.

Region 2

           Team                                       Overall             Region
No. 6 Central-Macon             17-2                 10-1
Southwest-Macon                  14-5                 10-2
Westside-Macon                     15-4                 10-2
Jordan                                           8-11                 6-5
Spencer                                        4-12                 4-5
Rutland                                         5-12                 4-7
Kendrick                                      2-13                 2-7
Jackson                                        1-15                 1-9
Peach County                             2-16                 1-10

Region 2 has become one of the state’s most interesting regions located in Middle Georgia. No. 6 Central has won 10-straight including an 80-76 2OT thriller at Southwest last Saturday. The Chargers’ only loss came way back on Dec. 4, their second game of the season at Westside, 82-63. In their rematch, Central won 75-72, but that early loss could still come back to haunt them and has left the door open for the Seminoles and Patriots. There is some interesting talent in Macon. Central has senior point guard Derrick Evans and juniors Kentrevious Jones and Anterious McCoy. All three are constant 20-point threats. Jones may be the most intriguing of the bunch, standing 6-foot-10 and 280 pounds. Westside flaunts one of the most sought after prospects in the Class of 2018 in 6-foot-8 guard Khavon Moore. He averages 21.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.7 blocks. Southwest counters with its own pair of aces in senior Justin Slocum and junior Nick Hargrove. Slocum is 6-foot-6 and posts 21.5 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks a night while Hargrove, a private school transfer, records 20.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

Region 3

             Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 5 Laney                                     17-2                 6-1
No. 9 Westside-Augusta        10-3                 5-1
Josey                                                    8-9                   5-2
Butler                                                  9-6                   3-4
Washington County                   8-10                 3-4
Glenn Hills                                        2-15                 2-5
Hephzibah                                        0-19                 0-7

No. 5 Laney’s record looks like the Wildcats are having another strong year, but if you dig deeper into the results, the Cardiac Cats have shown signs of vulnerability. Countless times this season Laney has had to rally from down double digits in the second half to pull out a victory. Laney has won seven games by six points or less. No. 1 Morgan County edged them on Jan. 9, 65-63 and took over first-place from the Wildcats. Laney then slipped again just a week later, falling to Josey 66-55. Christian Keeling (Charleston Southern) and Zep Jasper (College of Charleston) are the heartbeat for new head coach Shawn Parks’ team. Keeling averages 24 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists while Jasper goes for 20.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists. No. 9 Westside has proven to be tough, losing to Laney at home 69-64 and again on the road 62-60 in the Richmond County Christmas Tournament, meaning it didn’t count in the standings and that Westside has one last crack at the Wildcats tonight with a chance to take over first-place. Damontrez Hawes leads the Patriots with 18.3 points per game while Dekwan Lewis (12.6) and Christian Robinson (11.1) are both valid options.

Region 4

            Team                                         Overall            Region
(A) No. 4 South Atlanta           16-4                 6-0
(B) No. 7 Westminster             17-2                 5-0
(A) North Clayton                       12-8                 5-1
(B) Blessed Trinity                      11-9                 4-2
(B) Decatur                                      9-12                 4-3
(B) Douglass                                    12-8                 3-3
(A) Cedar Grove                             8-8                   3-3
(A) Jackson-Atlanta                   13-8                 3-3
(B) Therrell                                      10-7                 2-3
(A) Towers                                       5-14                 1-5
(B) Washington                             1-18                 0-7
(A) McNair                                       3-14                 0-8

No. 4 South Atlanta made possibly the biggest statement out of any team in the classification with a wire-to-wire win over 1A-Private No. 1 Greenforest at the Blue Collar Basketball MLK Showcase at Peachtree Ridge on Monday, 62-57. The Hornets are long, quick and athletic. Everyone Coach Michael Reddick throws on the court has a chance to sting the opponent. Orlando Bebee, Devontae Dean, Frank Bailey and Devonta Pullins make up a deep backcourt while Tyler Thornton, Korbian Bell, Demonte Roberts and Artavious Banks do yeoman’s work inside. Quietly, No. 7 Westminster is the hottest team in the state outside of No. 3 Calhoun with 16-straight wins. Bo Jackson clone Will Benson leads the offense and is headed to Duke to play baseball. Tyler Barry, former NBA player and announcer Jon Barry’s son, pulls the trigger from deep while Mikael Sampson is an improving post and Philip Jones, a steady point guard. North Clayton might not have the prettiest record, but watch out. The Eagles lost 58-52 at home vs. South Atlanta on Jan. 5 and get another crack at the Hornets on Feb. 2. Junior Ahsan Asadullah is 6-foot-8 and has displayed elite footwork and passing skills down low while averaging a team-high 16.1 points.

Region 5

         Team                                       Overall            Region
(A) No. 8 Callaway                  10-3                 5-0
(B) Pepperell                              11-6                 4-1
(B) Rockmart                               4-14                 2-3
(B) Cedartown                            6-10                 2-3
(A) Central-Carroll                   9-9                   1-4
(A) Haralson County               2-17                 1-4

Talk about a down year for the diminutive region. Last year saw both No. 8 Callaway and Rockmart crack 20 wins, this season it looks as if only Callaway has a shot. The Cavaliers lost back-to-back games vs. LaGrange, 80-68 at home then 63-60 on the road before falling weeks later to Lanett (AL), 72-54, the Panthers’ record this season at 18-4. Callaway hasn’t quite had the explosive offense it had last season, but Braylon Sanders, Earnest Patillo, Dre Martin, Quantrez Cooper and Joe Brown make up a formidable five in the wide open classification. Pepperell has played well after an 11-15 season and was selected as a Sandy’s Spiel Super Sleeper entering 2015. The Dragons are a competitive bunch, but the Cavaliers are a lock to roll through the region undefeated and capture the No. 1 seed. Callaway’s average margin of victory against region opponents this season is a whopping 27.6 points, with their closest game coming against Central, 84-76.

Region 6

      Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 3 Calhoun                            18-0                 11-0
Coahulla Creek                         16-4                 10-2
Ringgold                                      8-10                 7-5
North Murray                          13-7                 7-5
Sonoraville                                 8-9                   5-5
Murray County                         7-14                 5-7
Lakeview-Ft Oglethorpe      6-14                 4-7
Adairsville                                    6-13                 2-9
Gordon Central                            2-16                 0-11

The Yellow Jackets are the only unbeaten team left in Class AAA. No. 3 Calhoun has handled every team placed in front of them and has established their legitimacy as being a title contender by sweeping through the SmileGeneration.com bracket of the Lake City Classic to win the tournament by an average margin of victory of 15 points. Jireh Wilson is a 1,000-point scorer and Wofford football signee averaging 13.7 points. Kaelan Riley, the star quarterback going to Mercer, posts team-highs of 15.9 points and 8.3 rebounds. Chapin Rierson, a 6-foot-5 junior, is a versatile X-factor with a motor that doesn’t quit. He chips in 12.9 points and 6.6 rebounds a night. Ray Reeves is the team’s best three-point shooter at 36 percent and averages 7.9 points. Much like Islands of Region 1, Coahulla Creek is an upstart program enjoying its best season ever in its short existence. After finishing 14-11 last year, the Colts are off to a 16-4 start. Seniors Alex Fisher and Caleb Lewis power Coach Matthew Queener’s offense. The Colts lost 60-52 against Calhoun and a 56-52 falter at Murray County likely erases Coahulla Creek’s shot at catching the Yellow Jackets, but the two teams play at Calhoun on Feb. 2.

Region 7

           Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 10 Banks County             18-2                 8-0
Lumpkin County                       16-5                 6-2
East Hall                                        13-6                 6-2
West Hall                                     10-9                 4-4
Franklin County                        7-14                 2-6
Dawson County                       10-10               1-6
Fannin County                           8-11                 0-7

Only three points separate No. 10 Banks County from being undefeated. A 67-66 loss to North Hall on Dec. 21 and a 42-40 loss in the Commerce Christmas Classic championship to 6A No. 10 Collins Hill are the Leopards’ only two blemishes. Coach Mike Cleveland overlooks the play of Zez Steeple, Zac Orr and Kahmal Wiley. Steeple, a 5-foot-7 guard, is an electric playmaker with his passing and scoring. Orr is a rugged 6-foot-6 center that is difficult to handle down low while Wiley at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds is a tank inside and cleans the glass alongside Orr. Head Coach Jeff Steele has brought over his magic touch after leading Johnson-Gainesville to a 29-1 record a year ago. Lumpkin County finished just 9-20 in 2014-15 and behind Steele and senior 1,000-point scorer Jack Howard, the Indians have revived their program. Brandon Zarate inside and guard Zach Pulley make Lumpkin County a dangerous team come tournament time. Lurking in the shadows is Coach Joe Dix’s East Hall Vikings. They won’t have a chance to catch the Leopards after falling 82-66 to them on Tuesday, completing the sweep, but the Vikes do get another crack at Lumpkin County next Tuesday, who they already beat 73-63 at Lumpkin. The boys from Valhalla don’t have much size, but Tylor Brown and Markese Jackson are active attacking the rim while brothers Triston and Luke Cooper can get hot from deep.

Region 8

         Team                                       Overall            Region
No. 1 Morgan County           16-4                 8-0
Jackson County                        12-8                 5-3
East Jackson                               9-10                 4-4
Jefferson                                       7-12                 4-5
Elbert County                             8-11                 3-5
Oconee County                         5-13                 2-5
Hart County                                6-15                 2-6

The prevalent theme across AAA has been surprise teams and momentous turnarounds. No program has fit the bill more than Jackson County, who finished 4-22 last year. Coach Chuck Butler has established a winning mentality with upperclassmen and have lived and breathed by the motto EAT: Effort, Attitude, Toughness. The Panthers have feasted on opponents this year, especially one program that elected to stray from the homegrown route, East Jackson. There is no way to sugarcoat it anymore, the Eagles’ season has been a disappointment after opening the year ranked No. 4 with the amount of talent Coach David Boyd has at his disposal. Sophomores Drue Drinnon and Travis Anderson are among the best young guards in the state, but it hasn’t resulted in wins. Lamont Smith left mid-way through the season and is back in Gwinnett County helping Duluth win games. Jalen Morgan is now eligible for the second half of the season, but the Eagles’ lack of post production is what has hurt them the most. The Panthers swept the season series in a pair of emotional wins, 67-63 at East Jackson and 74-73 at home on Tuesday. No. 1 Morgan County is still the class of the region after a state championship in 2014 and a runner-up finish in 2015. Florida Atlantic signees DeVorious Brown and Jailyn Ingram have given Coach Jamond Sims exactly what he needed after losing 3,000-point scorer Tookie Brown to Georgia Southern. Freshman guard Alec Woodard has stepped up while 6-foot-6 senior Jordan Ford has brought an explosive long athlete to the interior.