Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (14-0)
2. Grayson (16-2)
3. Meadowcreek (16-4)
4. Discovery (17-3)
5. East Coweta (18-1)
6. Newton (14-3)
7. Norcross (12-7)
8. Pebblebrook (13-6)
9. Wheeler (14-6)
10. Berkmar (14-5)

Class AAAAAA

1. Coffee (15-2)
2. North Atlanta (14-4)
3. Chattahoochee (16-3)
4. Tri-Cities (13-5)
5. Douglas County (13-5)
6. Lakeside-Evans (16-2)
7. Sequoyah (14-4)
8. South Paulding (13-6)
9. Alexander (14-7)
10. South Cobb (12-5)

Class AAAAA

1. Fayette County (16-2)
2. Southwest DeKalb (15-5)
3. Buford (15-2)
4. Eagle’s Landing (13-3)
5. Woodland-Stockbridge (14-3)
6. Kell (15-4)
7. Lithonia (13-7)
8. Warner Robins (12-4)
9. Statesboro (16-4)
10. Jones County (14-6)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (16-1)
2. Sandy Creek (14-3)
3. St. Pius X (16-2)
4. Henry County (18-1)
5. Carver-Columbus (13-3)
6. Americus-Sumter (13-2)
7. Baldwin (11-6)
8. Thomson (13-3)
9. Woodward Academy (11-7)
10. Salem (11-5)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (16-1)
2. GAC (13-4)
3. Dawson County (16-3)
4. Hart County (14-4) 
5. Central-Macon (14-3)
6. Pace Academy (12-6)
7. Johnson-Savannah (13-6)
8. Jefferson (13-6)
9. Westside-Macon (13-5)
10. Cedar Grove (11-5)

Class AA

1. Woodville-Tompkins (19-0)
2. Therrell (14-6)
3. South Atlanta (14-5)
4. Northeast-Macon (14-3)
5. Elbert County (16-2)
6. Vidalia (17-2)
7. Thomasville (15-2)
8. Spencer (15-3)
9. Glenn Hills (17-3)
10. Washington County (11-5)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (14-3)
2. Mt. Bethel (13-4)
3. Greenforest (12-4)
4. ELCA (11-6)
5. Walker (12-4)
6. Wesleyan (14-4)
7. Lakeview Academy (13-5)
8. Trinity Christian (8-9)
9. Holy Innocents’ (8-9)
10. Riverside Military (13-4)

Class A-Public

1. Calhoun County (18-0)
2. Hancock Central (13-3)
3. Treutlen (16-1)
4. Wilcox County (16-1)
5. Georgia Military College (8-3)
6. Terrell County (14-2)
7. Macon County (11-3)
8. Pelham (11-3)
9. Marion County (11-3)
10. Greene County (13-4)

There is officially a new bully on the block in Class AAAAAAA as Region 2’s No. 5 East Coweta rises a spot after a dominant week which featured wins over Campbell 95-49, No. 9 Wheeler 81-78 and Washington 89-57. Unsigned senior guard Fermandez Jones went for 26 points, 5 assists and 4 steals while 6-foot-6 junior swingman Brandon Stroud finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in the Indians’ thrilling win over Wheeler, who sinks four spots after also losing at No. 8 Pebblebrook 68-67. The Falcons turned around at lost to Westlake 70-63. Region 2 is cutthroat, as is the entire classification but East Coweta has all the pieces to make a deep state playoff run and could be this year’s Meadowcreek as a dark horse to win it all. Elsewhere, the Jimmies & Joes won out against the X’s & O’s as No. 1 McEachern escaped rival Marietta 80-72, pulling away late. No. 4 Discovery had nice wins on the road against Peachtree Ridge 58-51 and Mountain View 61-41. Coach Rick Rasmussen won his 300^th game at No. 6 Newton, beating rival Eastside 74-65 in a back-and-forth game. The Rams won at Shiloh 63-54 earlier in the week. No. 7 Norcross held off host No. 10 Berkmar 65-60, the close defeat keeping the Patriots in the poll.

Class AAAAAA revolves around Region 5 yet again. The cannibalization has begun, shaking up the entire state with four teams from Region 5 fitting into the Top 10. No. 5 Douglas County debuts in the poll after dropping No. 8 South Paulding five spots with a 72-60 defeat and beating New Manchester 67-62. The Spartans lost 50-45 to Creekside before falling to Douglas County which started their slide. No. 4 Tri-Cities is up two spots thanks to their resume but even the Bulldogs had a rocky week, barely beating Mays 62-58 before losing 64-58 to a suddenly hot Langston Hughes team that is only 8-10 but winners of three-straight including upsetting No. 9 Alexander on Tuesday 73-68 in 2OT. The Cougars were also stunned by Mays 47-43 which sinks them five spots. The jumbled-up region picture is as followed: No. 4 Tri-Cities (13-4, 9-1), No. 5 Douglas County (13-5, 8-2), No. 8 South Paulding (13-6, 7-3), unranked Langston Hughes (8-10, 6-4) and No. 9 Alexander (13-7, 7-5). Once again, whoever ends up winning Region 5 will be an odds-on favorite to be playing for a state title come March. The antithesis of Region 5 is Region 3. As the Sandy’s Spiel polls have warned all season long, Evans (17-1) isn’t quite the team to beat in the Augusta area just yet as they were bounced from the poll after a 67-56 loss to rival No. 6 Lakeside-Evans. The Panthers got 22 points from Kalen Williams and 19 from Tyshun Briscoe in the win. Following the Knights out of the rankings is Sprayberry (15-3), who has come back down to earth going 3-3 in their last six games. The Yellow Jackets had an ugly 67-63 win against 5-13 Harrison before falling flat against No. 10 South Cobb 91-75. The Eagles, winners of five-straight, are back in the poll and hold first-place in Region 6 at 10-1. Sprayberry stands at 9-1 while No. 7 Sequoyah, up two spots, is 8-2. The Chiefs travel to Austell on Tuesday to try and avenge an 82-74 loss.

We have a new number one in Class AAAAA as the upset of the year took place at Buford Arena as 9-8 Loganville shocked the state with a 59-54 win at No. 3 Buford. Jamar Moore (16), Akil Covington (12) and Sheldon Arnold (11) paced a fearless Red Devil team. Rising to the top spot is No. 1 Fayette County. The Tigers survived a hard-fought game with Starr’s Mill 57-46 and beat Whitewater 83-62. The long-awaited showdown between No. 4 Eagle’s Landing and No. 5 Woodland-Stockbridge was put on hold after tragedy struck the Eagle’s Landing community. Lithia Springs (13-5) drops from the Top 10 after back-to-back losses to Maynard Jackson 86-81 and Grady 63-57. Keep an eye on Maynard Jackson as 6-foot-7 junior center Darius Gaddy has transferred from Wheeler to follow his former coach and expects to play immediately. No. 8 Warner Robins resurfaces after commanding victories over Veterans 70-42 and Bainbridge 56-39.

Class AAAA No. 1 Upson-Lee had to use overtime to outlast Class 5A No. 10 Jones County 68-65. No. 4 Henry County has the second-longest winning streak in the classification, running it up to 13 with wins over North Clayton 71-58 and at Luella 66-55. They host Top 10 returnee No. 9 Woodward Academy on Tuesday. The War Eagles have won four in a row and are now healthy, beating Eastside 64-52 and Druid Hills 62-44, Walker Kessler going for 27 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 7 blocks against the Red Devils. Druid Hills tried to throw a monkey wrench into the Region 4 picture as they and Eastside both beat No. 10 Salem. The Seminoles lost 65-63 at Druid Hills and 46-45 at Eastside before beating Class 2A No. 4 Northeast-Macon 68-61 to cling onto another week in the Top 10. No. 5 Carver-Columbus edged No. 6 Americus-Sumter 72-67 to jump two spots. No. 7 Baldwin is up a spot after another up-and-down week, beating Burke County 73-50 and newly ranked Class 3A No. 9 Westside-Macon 65-61 before losing at Wilkinson County 65-64. Departing the poll is Denmark (15-4). A 65-62 loss to Marist cut the Danes’ stay short. Formerly ranked Chapel Hill has some major explaining to do as its been reported by multiple sources that Coach Ken Austin has lost his job after multiple violations.

No. 3 Dawson County took care of East Hall 86-74 now setting up a massive Region 7-AAA rematch with No. 2 GAC on Tuesday in Norcross. The Spartans won round one with the Tigers 82-75 back on December 7^th. Region 5 has blown a tire as both No. 6 Pace Academy and No. 10 Cedar Grove struggle to find their form. The Knights are down two spots after beating Cedar Grove 52-45 but losing to Lovett 54-43. The Saints have now lost five of their last seven after a 9-0 start to the season. Down two more spots, Cedar Grove won at Towers 59-36 before losing 50-40 to Tucker. Thursday may be their last gasp in the Top 10 as they travel to Class 4A No. 3 St. Pius X. Outside of Region 5, No. 8 Jefferson lost a trap game to 5-12 Monroe Area 52-51 at home, dropping the Dragons three spots. Kendrick (12-5) is out of the Top 10 after losing to No. 5 Central-Macon 63-46 and getting beat by a terrible 3-18 Russell County (AL) team 79-77, who the Cherokees beat 66-26 in their first meeting. Reappearing in the Top 10 is No. 9 Westside-Macon, who takes over for their Region 4 rival. The Seminoles defeated Rutland 86-75 and Mary Persons 81-75 with a loss at Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin 65-61 sandwiched in between.

No. 7 Thomasville slips two spots in Class AA after a 58-53 loss at Berrien. No. 3 South Atlanta moves up a spot after destroying Hapeville Charter 58-28, McNair 76-25 and Carver-Atlanta 81-30 while No. 4 Northeast-Macon beat Bleckley County 56-45 but fell to Class 4A No. 10 Salem 68-61 at the Sweet South Shootout at Morgan County. No. 9 Glenn Hills jumps No. 10 Washington County following a key 71-68 win at Butler. The Golden Hawks took care of Dublin 64-44.

Number one and number two were almost knocked off in Class A-Private, which could have led to some interesting developments but alas, the better teams won. Dwon Odom had 22 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals including the game-winning layup at the buzzer to push No. 1 St. Francis past No. 5 Walker 57-55. Junior wing Chandler Baker carried the Wolverines with 30 points. No. 2 Mt. Bethel survived a mind-numbing Mt. Pisgah team 66-64. Seemingly having momentum to return to the Top 10 after a narrow defeat to a Class A-Private favorite, the Patriots instead laid an egg and were demolished by Mt. Paran 64-43 the following day. Christian Heritage (14-2) was struck by reality as their soft schedule came back to haunt them, losing to Bowdon 80-69 and North Cobb Christian 75-51. Replacing the Lions is No. 10 Riverside Military. The Eagles beat Towns County 67-54 before a twin killing in Dawg Country, winning at Athens Christian 65-46 and at Athens Academy 57-49.

There are no changes in Class A-Public. No. 1 Calhoun County continued to roll winning at No. 7 Macon County 74-65. No. 2 Hancock Central was just as impressive, beating No. 5 Georgia Military 74-61 and beating Aquinas 50-45. The Bulldogs of GMC turned around and eviscerated the Irish 84-52 behind Malik Foston (30), Jalen Milner (25) and Armanius White’s 20 points and 10 rebounds. No. 3 Treutlen won at Dooly County 53-45 before smacking rival Montgomery County 93-57 on the road as junior guard Kameron Jordan finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds and 9 steals. No. 4 Wilcox County held off Lanier County on the road 78-76 behind junior Desmond Tisdol’s 31 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. For the second time in two weeks, No. 9 Marion County defeated Chattahoochee County 68-58.

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (12-0)
2. Grayson (14-2)
3. Meadowcreek (14-4)
4. Discovery (14-3)
5. Wheeler (14-4)
6. East Coweta (15-1)
7. Newton (11-3)
8. Norcross (10-7)
9. Pebblebrook (12-5)
10. Berkmar (13-4)

Class AAAAAA

1. Coffee (12-2)
2. North Atlanta (12-4)
3. South Paulding (13-4)
4. Alexander (13-5)
5. Chattahoochee (14-3)
6. Tri-Cities (11-4)
7. Lakeside-Evans (14-2)
8. Sprayberry (14-2)
9. Sequoyah (12-4)
10. Evans (16-0)

Class AAAAA

1. Buford (14-1)
2. Fayette County (14-2)
3. Southwest DeKalb (13-5)
4. Eagle’s Landing (12-3)
5. Woodland-Stockbridge (13-3)
6. Kell (12-4)
7. Lithonia (12-6)
8. Statesboro (14-3)
9. Jones County (13-4)
10. Lithia Springs (13-3)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (13-1)
2. Sandy Creek (11-3)
3. St. Pius X (14-2)
4. Henry County (16-1)
5. Americus-Sumter (11-1)
6. Thomson (12-2)
7. Carver-Columbus (10-3)
8. Baldwin (9-5)
9. Salem (10-3)
10. Denmark (14-3)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (14-1)
2. GAC (11-4)
3. Dawson County (14-3)
4. Pace Academy (11-5)
5. Jefferson (11-5)
6. Hart County (12-4)
7. Central-Macon (12-3)
8. Cedar Grove (10-3)
9. Johnson-Savannah (10-6)
10. Kendrick (12-3)

Class AA

1. Woodville-Tompkins (16-0)
2. Therrell (12-6)
3. Northeast-Macon (12-2)
4. South Atlanta (11-5)
5. Thomasville (13-1)
6. Elbert County (13-2)
7. Vidalia (15-2)
8. Spencer (12-3)
9. Washington County (10-5)
10. Glenn Hills (14-3)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (12-3)
2. Mt. Bethel (10-4)
3. Greenforest (10-4)
4. ELCA (8-6)
5. Walker (11-3)
6. Wesleyan (11-4)
7. Christian Heritage (13-0)
8. Lakeview Academy (10-5)
9. Trinity Christian (7-9)
10. Holy Innocents’ (6-9)

Class A-Public

1. Calhoun County (15-0)
2. Hancock Central (10-3)
3. Treutlen (13-1)
4. Wilcox County (13-1)
5. Georgia Military College (7-2)
6. Terrell County (11-2)
7. Macon County (9-2)
8. Pelham (9-3)
9. Marion County (7-3)
10. Greene County (11-4)

The first week of 2019 was fairly status quo in Class AAAAAAA outside of the middle of the poll. No. 1 McEachern beat Findlay Prep (NV) 60-53 before rallying from down 31-16 at the half to stun Imhotep Charter (PA) 62-58 at the Cancer Research Classic to solidify their No. 1 ranking for the entire country. No. 2 Grayson outlasted Region 8 foe Shiloh in overtime 61-59 while No. 3 Meadowcreek lost to Bartlett (TN) 62-50 before rebounding with wins over Whitney Young (IL) 56-53 and Brentwood Academy (TN) 46-43. No. 8 Norcross is down two spots after flopping at the Cancer Research Classic, getting blown out by Montverde Academy (FL) 88-56 and losing 70-67 to DeMatha (MD). No. 6 East Coweta rises two spots after breaking Class 2A No. 2 Therrell’s heart at the buzzer with Brandon Stroud picking up a loose ball off a rebound and scoring at the horn to win 63-61.

In Class AAAAAA, No. 2 North Atlanta survived two hard-fought Region 7 battles, beating Alpharetta 65-58 and winning at Pope 61-54. No. 5 Chattahoochee exploited a disinterested Cambridge defense to hit a school-record 18 threes in a 98-84 romp; Cam Sheffield (26), AJ White (25), Grant Van Beveren (23) and Franklin Bailey (18) combining for 92 points. No. 4 Alexander falls a spot after beating Class 5A No. 6 Kell 79-65 in the Lake City Classic Championship, but losing at the buzzer to Douglas County 48-47. No. 7 Lakeside-Evans jumps two spots and leapfrogs No. 10 Evans who is the classification’s lone unbeaten. The Panthers ripped up Heritage-Conyers 70-48 while we still wait for Evans to play a quality opponent. The Knights travel to Heritage on Tuesday and host Lakeside on Friday with a chance to officially stamp their legitimacy. No. 9 Sequoyah sinks two positions after rallying from down seven heading into the fourth quarter to beat Allatoona 59-58, but losing at No. 8 Sprayberry 96-88.

No. 1 Buford claimed third-place at the Arby’s Classic by beating Wenonah (AL) 66-59, but No. 2 Fayette County is the talk of Class AAAAA after drilling 14 threes to beat rival Class 4A No. 2 Sandy Creek 72-71 in an instant classic. No. 4 Eagle’s Landing earned bragging rights with their 60-53 win over Class A-Private No. 4 ELCA and now will try to slow down red-hot No. 5 Woodland-Stockbridge, winners of 11-straight. The victor will take control of first-place in Region 4 while No. 9 Jones County still looms, the Greyhounds losing to a Travon Walker-less Class 4A No. 1 Upson-Lee 58-51. Warner Robins (11-4) drops from the Top 10 following a 56-51 loss at Houston County. They are replaced by re-entry No. 8 Statesboro. The Blue Devils drilled Region 2 rival New Hampstead 58-38 and won at Swainsboro 48-44.

Class AAAA No. 1 Upson-Lee remained unbeaten at The Castle, holding off Class 5A No. 9 Jones County 58-51 without the services of All-American defensive lineman Travon Walker. In their annual beatdown of Stephens County, No. 2 St. Pius X saw Matt Gonzalo become the school’s all-time assist leader in a 71-47 rout. No. 6 Thomson shoots up four spots after beating No. 8 Baldwin 65-60 behind the senior trio of Zander Hamilton (18), Aubrey Ivery (17) and Malcolm Daniels (11) who combined for 46 points. Chapel Hill (7-4) departs from the rankings after a sobering 58-43 loss to Troup County in their Region 5 opener. No. 10 Denmark cracks the Top 10 for the first time in school history. The first-year program has won eight-straight behind the core of sophomore point guard Sutton Smith and juniors 6-foot-5 Ze’Vian Capers and 6-foot-6 Adonnis Tolbert.

No. 2 GAC dominated East Hall 82-54 in Region 7-AAA, Hunter McIntosh netting 27 points. No. 5 Jefferson has quickly made an impact since arriving in the Top 10 to end 2018. The Dragons bounce up four spots after beating No. 6 Hart County 59-54 behind Spencer Darby’s 11 points and 10 apiece from Kam Robinson and 6-foot-8 Jacob Radaker. No. 8 Cedar Grove’s swoon continued, losing to Class 5A No. 7 Lithonia 53-46 to drop three more spots.

Class AA No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins used a Deante Green bucket with five seconds left to remain unblemished in a 67-65 win over First Baptist (SC) at the Low Country Showcase. Preston Crisp was named MVP with 29 points. No. 3 Northeast-Macon’s prayers were answered as Darius Dunn scored 29 points including hitting a beyond half court Hail Mary at the buzzer to stun No. 9 Washington County 62-61. No. 7 Vidalia slips one spot after getting blown out by a now healthy Swainsboro team 72-51, making the juggernaut Region 2 picture that much more interesting with Metter (11-3, 4-1), Vidalia (15-2, 4-2), Swainsboro (7-7, 4-2) and Jeff Davis (12-5, 4-2) all chasing Woodville-Tompkins (16-0, 5-0) in the classification’s best region. Out west, No. 8 Spencer beat Greenville 91-77 as sophomore 6-foot-3 guard Jaylin Sellers dumped in 41 points. Bleckley County (10-7) exits the poll following their fourth consecutive loss. They were beat at Montgomery County 75-64 and in overtime at Dodge County 68-61. Resurfacing is No. 10 Glenn Hills, who will try to stay in the state picture for good. First-place in Region 4 is on the line at rival Butler (10-2) this Tuesday. The Spartans defeated the Bulldogs 76-69 in their first meeting. Juniors 6-foot-7 Eman Jones (21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds) and 6-foot-5 John Whitehead (20.1 points, 8.6 rebounds) carry Augusta’s most exciting team.

No. 1 St. Francis bashed Mt. Pisgah (9-6) 89-69 to send the Patriots out of the Class A-Private poll following their third straight loss against ranked opponents. No. 3 Greenforest finally usurps No. 4 ELCA for third-place after beating Cumberland Christian 84-73 and the Chargers lost to Class 5A No. 4 Eagle’s Landing 60-53. Following Mt. Pisgah out of the rankings is Riverside Military (10-4) who suffered a tough loss to Prince Avenue 52-43. Back into the Top 10 are No. 9 Trinity Christian and No. 10 Holy Innocents’. In a wishy-washy classification from teams six through 10 in the poll, the two most talented teams should have staying power from now on unless they are knocked off by an unranked opponent. The Lions and Golden Bears have too much talent and have played too good of a non-region schedule to be punished for their sub .500 records in a watered-down class.

No. 1 Calhoun County continues to impress in Class A-Public, winning at Early County 73-71 and defeating No. 8 Pelham 65-48. No. 2 Hancock Central has quite the resume as well, completing the season sweep of defending champs Wilkinson County with a 76-66 win at The Palace. Dooly County (9-4) was knocking on the door of the Top 10, but suffered two heartbreakers against No. 4 Wilcox County 67-65 and at No. 7 Macon County 64-54. Things won’t get easier for the Bobcats as they host No. 3 Treutlen on Tuesday. No. 10 Greene County tumbles six spots after a coaching blunder, holding the ball for five minutes to start the fourth quarter then getting called for a five-second violation and allowing the only points of the quarter to be scored by Zy Wright on an And-1 in a brutal 35-32 loss at Aquinas. The feel-good story of Chattahoochee County (13-3) comes to a brief pause as the Panthers fall from the rankings after a 74-58 loss at debutant No. 9 Marion County.

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (10-0)
2. Grayson (13-2)
3. Meadowcreek (13-3)
4. Discovery (13-3)
5. Wheeler (14-4)
6. Norcross (10-5)
7. Newton (10-3)
8. East Coweta (14-1)
9. Pebblebrook (11-4)
10. Berkmar (12-4)

Class AAAAAA

1. Coffee (10-2)
2. North Atlanta (10-4)
3. Alexander (11-4)
4. South Paulding (12-4)
5. Chattahoochee (12-3)
6. Tri-Cities (10-4)
7. Sequoyah (11-3)
8. Evans (14-0)
9. Lakeside-Evans (13-2)
10. Sprayberry (12-2)

Class AAAAA

1. Buford (11-1)
2. Fayette County (13-2)
3. Southwest DeKalb (12-5)
4. Eagle’s Landing (10-3)
5. Woodland-Stockbridge (10-3)
6. Kell (11-3)
7. Lithonia (11-6)
8. Jones County (12-3)
9. Warner Robins (9-3)
10. Lithia Springs (13-3)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (12-1)
2. Sandy Creek (10-2)
3. St. Pius X (13-2)
4. Henry County (15-1)
5. Americus-Sumter (11-1)
6. Chapel Hill (7-3)
7. Baldwin (8-4)
8. Carver-Columbus (9-3)
9. Salem (10-3)
10. Thomson (11-2)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (13-1)
2. GAC (10-4)
3. Dawson County (12-3)
4. Hart County (11-3) 
5. Cedar Grove (10-2)
6. Pace Academy (11-5)
7. Central-Macon (11-3)
8. Johnson-Savannah (8-6)
9. Jefferson (10-5)
10. Kendrick (10-3)

Class AA

1. Woodville-Tompkins (14-0)
2. Therrell (11-5)
3. Northeast-Macon (10-2)
4. South Atlanta (11-5)
5. Thomasville (11-1)
6. Vidalia (14-1)
7. Elbert County (11-2)
8. Bleckley County (10-5)
9. Spencer (10-3)
10. Washington County (9-4)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (10-3)
2. Mt. Bethel (7-4)
3. ELCA (7-5)
4. Greenforest (9-4)
5. Walker (9-3)
6. Mt. Pisgah (9-5)
7. Wesleyan (9-4)
8. Christian Heritage (11-0)
9. Lakeview Academy (9-5)
10. Riverside Military (9-3)

Class A-Public

1. Calhoun County (12-0)
2. Hancock Central (8-3)
3. Treutlen (11-1)
4. Greene County (10-3)
5. Wilcox County (11-1)
6. Georgia Military College (6-2)
7. Pelham (7-2)
8. Terrell County (10-2)
9. Chattahoochee County (12-2)
10. Macon County (9-2)

The final ranking of 2018 sees elite competition both in-state and out lead to another week that has separated the teams with inflated records from the teams that have challenged themselves.

The Tournament of Champions shook up Class AAAAAAA as No. 2 Grayson rockets up five spots after winning the Peach Championship by beating Class 6A No. 2 North Atlanta 64-56, John Marshall (VA) 71-54 and defending state champion No. 3 Meadowcreek in the title game 55-51, getting their long-awaited revenge after being eliminated 57-55 by the Mustangs in last year’s Final Four. No. 5 Wheeler shined on their home floor, beating Langston Hughes 72-71, Class 5A No. 3 Southwest DeKalb 79-66 and Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis 82-64 to win the Apple Championship at TOC. No. 7 Newton rises two spots after dismantling Class 3A No. 2 GAC 81-57 and beating Southwest DeKalb 82-77 with a loss to St. Francis 70-68 sandwiched in between. Unsigned seniors Armani Harris and Tre Clark both earned All-Tournament selections. Winning the Red Bracket Championship at TOC was debutant No. 10 Berkmar. The Patriots beat Heritage-Conyers 61-55, Trinity Christian 51-47, Class 3A No. 6 Pace Academy 56-50 and avenged an earlier loss in the season to Shiloh (11-4) by beating the Generals 63-58 in the championship and replacing them in the rankings. Over in South Carolina at the Chick-fil-A Classic, No. 6 Norcross went 1-2, dropping three spots after losses to Salesian College Prep (CA) 50-40 and Roman Catholic (PA) 72-62.

Class AAAAAA is still trying to decipher who is for real and who is not quite ready for the big stage. No. 2 North Atlanta had a 2-1 showing at TOC, losing to Class 7A No. 2 Grayson 64-56 before defeating Class 3A No. 8 Johnson-Savannah 58-53 and Lakewood (SC) 74-60, Campbell-signee Messiah Thompson dropping 43 points and 6 assists. No. 6 Tri-Cities drops four spots after going 2-2 at TOC with losses to Holy Innocents’ 61-50 and Miller Grove 57-55. No. 3 Alexander moves up three positions after winning their first three games at the Lake City Classic to set up a title match with Class 5A No. 6 Kell on Monday. The Cougars beat Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin 67-50, Class 5A No. 4 Eagle’s Landing 51-50 and Evangelical Christian (TN) 58-41. No. 10 Sprayberry sinks six spots after losing to newly ranked No. 5 Chattahoochee 67-66 and Heritage-Conyers 77-73 at TOC. The Cougars have put it all together, winning five straight games now. Chattahoochee stole the show at TOC, beating Class 4A No. 6 Chapel Hill 87-63, Sprayberry and in the Blue Bracket Championship, Class A-Private No. 4 Greenforest 93-90 in 5OT, Franklin Bailey winning MVP with 17 points while AJ White and Cameron Sheffield both earned All-Tournament honors. Dropping out of the poll to make room for the Cougs is Brunswick (8-5). The Pirates went 1-2 at the Tift County McDonald’s Invitational losing to Lincoln (FL) 49-44 and Norland (FL) 66-59.

No. 1 Buford suffered their first loss of the season at the Arby’s Classic falling to nationally ranked Carmel Christian (NC) 67-62, but wins over Tennessee 51-45 and Cardinal Newman (SC) 55-44 keep the Wolves at No. 1 in Class AAAAA. No. 2 Fayette County scored a win over Mountain View 87-78 at the Big South Shootout before surviving Creekside 70-68. No. 3 Southwest DeKalb beat Bishop Snyder (FL) 70-67 but fell to Class 7A No. 5 Wheeler 79-66 and Class 7A No. 7 Newton 82-77. No. 6 Kell is streaking, up three spots. The Longhorns will play for the Lake City Classic Championship on Monday against Class 6A No. 3 Alexander. Kell gutted their way to wins over Class 3A No. 5 Cedar Grove 61-46, Class A-Private No. 3 ELCA 55-54 and Class 2A No. 2 Therrell 67-63.

Two through four in Class AAAA continue to impress. No. 2 Sandy Creek knocked off Westlake 66-62 at the Big South Shootout behind Keith Williams III’s 19 points and 6 rebounds. Julian Alexander added 15 points while Drexel-signee TJ Bickerstaff tallied 13 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists and Jabari Smith collected 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. No. 3 St. Pius X won their Christmas Classic Championship in thrilling fashion, edging Loyola Blakefield (MD) in overtime 72-68, Niko Broadway winning MVP. No. 4 Henry County won the Chuck Miller Classic in dominating fashion, blowing out previously ranked Westside-Macon 88-68 behind Josh Steele’s 6 threes and 30 points. The team to beat in Region 1 might be No. 5 Americus-Sumter. The Panthers rocked No. 8 Carver-Columbus 80-54 and then beat Class 3A No. 7 Central-Macon 49-48 to win the Lee County Roundball Classic, unsigned 6-foot-7 forward Joshua Lusane winning MVP for the second consecutive year. No. 6 Chapel Hill is up three spots after a 2-1 finish at TOC highlighted by a 56-55 win over Cedar Shoals. Woodward Academy (9-7) finally drops out of the poll after continuing to tread water, losing to Oak Ridge (TN) 61-56. They are replaced by returnee No. 10 Thomson, who got revenge against last week’s Class A-Public No. 1 Hancock Central, beating the Bulldogs 55-52.

The see-saw of Class AAA tips in No. 1 Morgan County’s favor as the Bulldogs regain control of the top spot after cruising to the Sweet South Classic Championship, beating Apalachee 72-61, Class A-Public No. 4 Greene County 91-56 and Druid Hills 68-58. No. 2 GAC’s eight game winning streak was snapped abruptly at TOC, losing 81-57 to Class 7A No. 7 Newton.  The Spartans got back on track however with wins over Blanche Ely (FL) 62-52 and Bishop Snyder (FL) 65-45. No. 5 Cedar Grove is down two spots after struggling at the Lake City Classic, losing to Class 5A No. 6 Kell 61-46 for their first loss of the season and then to Class 5A No. 9 Warner Robins 68-50. Since their loss to Class 2A No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins, No. 8 Johnson-Savannah has temporarily lost their mojo. The Atomsmashers have dropped four straight games and went 0-3 at TOC to sink two more spots. They fell to John Marshall (VA) 60-53, Class 6A No. 2 North Atlanta 58-53 and Class 5A No. 7 Lithonia 67-58. Out of the poll is Westside-Macon (10-4). The Seminoles were hammered by Class 4A No. 4 Henry County in the Chuck Miller Classic Championship 88-68. Debuting in the Top 10 is No. 9 Jefferson, the third team from Region 8 to crack the rankings following No. 1 Morgan County and No. 4 Hart County. The Dragons won the InnisFree Hotels Beach Basketball Championship in Pensacola, FL beating North Sand Mountain (AL) 82-72, St. Stanislaus (MS) and Fleming County (KY) 68-34. Donsha Gaither (16) and Jacob Radaker (10) combining for 26 points in the title game and both making the All-Tournament Team.

In Class AA, No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins handled their business at the Big South Shootout, beating Class A-Private No. 7 Wesleyan 57-45 and Morrow 55-40. Out of the Wolverines’ perfect 14 games, opponents have cracked the 50-point mark just three times. No. 2 Therrell went 2-1 at the Lake City Classic and plays Evangelical Christian (TN) in the third-place game on Monday. The Panthers survived Dacula 74-72 and Mill Creek 67-65 before falling short against Class 5A No. 6 Kell 67-63. No. 4 South Atlanta slips one spot after their fourth straight loss. The Hornets went 0-3 at the Hoodies Classic, losing to elite competition. No. 3 Northeast-Macon picked up a nice 53-47 win over a reeling Drew Charter team at the Big South Shootout. No. 7 Elbert County won the Christmas in Commerce Championship, defeating Monroe Area 66-44, Stephens County 74-60 and Eastside in the title game, 52-40. Unsigned 6-foot-3 senior AJ James won tournament MVP, averaging 24 points and 12 rebounds while posting 20 & 10 in the championship. Glenn Hills (14-3) and Chattooga (6-6) depart from the poll. The Spartans were beat by Swainsboro 63-51 while the Indians got a taste of Bartow County’s best home court advantage, losing at the Storm Center to Cartersville 73-63. Making their first appearance in the Top 10 is No. 9 Spencer. The Greenwave lost 54-51 to Auburn, but bounced back with big wins over Lanett (AL) 68-55 and Central (AL) 64-63. Following the wave is No. 10 Washington County. The Golden Hawks won the Florida First Coast Classic Championship 89-65 over Hamilton County (FL), Jamarius Dixon exploding for 40 points.

The top five in Class A-Private remains unchanged. No. 1 St. Francis beat Blanche Ely (FL) 82-77 and Class 7A No. 7 Newton 70-68 before falling to Class 7A No. 5 Wheeler in the title game of TOC. No. 2 Mt. Bethel has gone 2-1 at the Arby’s Classic so far with wins over Sullivan East (TN) 55-47 and Orem (UT) 59-54. No. 3 ELCA had a 2-1 week at the Lake City Classic with wins over Etowah 61-44 and Mill Creek 76-59 but losing to Class 5A No. 6 Kell 55-54. No. 4 Greenforest tallied victories against United Faith Christian Academy (NC) 68-60, Cedar Shoals 54-47 and Heritage-Conyers 85-59 before losing a classic in 5OT to newly ranked Class 6A No. 5 Chattahoochee 93-90. Trinity Christian (6-9) sinks out of the Top 10 again after getting swept at TOC by Class 7A No. 10 Berkmar 51-47, Miller Grove 57-51 and North Gwinnett 56-55. The Lions join Holy Innocents’ as two of the classification’s most talented teams that are both unranked due to overscheduling, which will hurt their Power Rating seeding come tournament time. Climbing back into the poll is No. 10 Riverside Military.

Following a 55-52 loss to Class 4A No. 10 Thomson, No. 2 Hancock Central relents its grip on the top spot in Class A-Public as lone undefeated No. 1 Calhoun County takes over. No. 5 Wilcox County endured its first loss of the season and drops two spots following a 73-64 defeat to Worth County. No. 7 Pelham had a nice 56-40 win over Early County before losing to Lowndes 54-50. No. 9 Chattahoochee County got a quality win against Schley County 71-65. No. 10 Macon County tumbles two spots after a 65-57 loss to Irwin County.

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (10-0)
2. Meadowcreek (11-2)
3. Norcross (9-3)
4. Discovery (13-3)
5. Wheeler (11-4)
6. Pebblebrook (10-2)
7. Grayson (10-2)
8. East Coweta (14-1)
9. Newton (8-2)
10. Shiloh (9-3)

Class AAAAAA

1. Coffee (8-1)
2. Tri-Cities (8-2)
3. North Atlanta (8-3)
4. Sprayberry (10-0)
5. South Paulding (12-4)
6. Alexander (8-4)
7. Sequoyah (11-3)
8. Evans (11-0)
9. Lakeside-Evans (11-2)
10. Brunswick (7-3)

Class AAAAA

1. Buford (9-0)
2. Fayette County (11-2)
3. Southwest DeKalb (11-3)
4. Eagle’s Landing (8-2)
5. Woodland-Stockbridge (7-3)
6. Lithonia (9-5)
7. Jones County (12-3)
8. Lithia Springs (11-2)
9. Kell (8-3)
10. Warner Robins (7-2)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (12-1)
2. Sandy Creek (9-2)
3. St. Pius X (10-2)
4. Henry County (12-1)
5. Carver-Columbus (7-2)
6. Americus-Sumter (8-1)
7. Baldwin (7-2)
8. Salem (9-2)
9. Chapel Hill (5-2)
10. Woodward Academy (7-6)

Class AAA

1. GAC (8-3)
2. Morgan County (10-1)
3. Cedar Grove (9-0)
4. Dawson County (10-2)
5. Hart County (9-2) 
6. Johnson-Savannah (8-3)
7. Pace Academy (9-4)
8. Central-Macon (8-2)
9. Kendrick (8-2)
10. Westside-Macon (8-3)

Class AA

1. Woodville-Tompkins (12-0)
2. Therrell (9-4)
3. South Atlanta (11-2)
4. Northeast-Macon (9-2)
5. Thomasville (8-1)
6. Vidalia (11-1)
7. Elbert County (8-2)
8. Bleckley County (10-5)
9. Glenn Hills (12-2)
10. Chattooga (6-5)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (8-2)
2. Mt. Bethel (5-3)
3. ELCA (5-4)
4. Greenforest (6-3)
5. Walker (9-3)
6. Trinity Christian (5-6)
7. Mt. Pisgah (9-5)
8. Wesleyan (8-3)
9. Christian Heritage (8-0)
10. Lakeview Academy (7-4)

Class A-Public

1. Hancock Central (8-2)
2. Calhoun County (12-0)
3. Wilcox County (11-0)
4. Treutlen (9-1)
5. Greene County (8-2)
6. Georgia Military College (6-2)
7. Pelham (6-1)
8. Macon County (9-1)
9. Terrell County (8-2)
10. Chattahoochee County (10-2)

Our final week of games before Christmas wrapped up with the nation’s longest winning streak falling, cross-classification warfare and state dominance across borders – welcome to just another week of GHSA basketball.

For the first time this season there is no movement but Class AAAAAAA stole nationwide headlines as No. 1 McEachern mauled its way to a City of Palms championship while No. 4 Discovery beat Class 5A No. 4 Eagle’s Landing 62-48 but more importantly ended Class 4A No. 1 Upson-Lee’s 75-game winning streak, 75-57, Hasahnn Reynolds pouring in 27 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. The Indians proved once again that the best TRUE high school basketball in the country belongs in Georgia as the pride of Powder Springs beat Miami Christian, FL (71-48), Paul VI, VA (59-52), Mountain Brook, AL (50-29) and Imhotep Charter, PA (68-47). Sharife Cooper earned MVP honors of the tournament after going for 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the championship while Jared Jones (Northwestern) and Isaac Okoro (Auburn) both made the All-Tournament Team. No. 3 Norcross scored a 64-60 win over Class 6A No. 6 Alexander while No. 5 Wheeler and No. 6 Pebblebrook both went 2-1 against out of state competition.

No. 2 Tri-Cities defeated Region 5 foe No. 6 Alexander 70-65, but both teams hold their spots in Class AAAAAA. No. 5 South Paulding suffered two heartbreakers, seeing a 38-31 lead heading into the fourth quarter evaporate against Class 2A No. 2 Therrell in a 50-47 loss and then melting down in double overtime against Marietta 73-65. While the top six remain unchanged, the bottom of the poll has two newcomers after Mundy’s Mill (11-3) fell to Class 5A No. 3 Southwest DeKalb 66-53 and Class A-Private No. 3 ELCA 63-53. Back in the Top 10 for the first time since Week 1 is No. 7 Sequoyah. The Chiefs clicked on all cylinders at the War Lodge Invitational beating The King’s Academy 73-54, Class 2A No. 10 Chattooga 92-70 and running a Kamar Robertson-less Cambridge (10-5) out of the gym and out of the rankings with a 109-80 blitzing. Still trying to get 100% healthy, the Chiefs have gone 10-1 since getting Myles McGee and DJ King off the football field and unbeaten since Ayden Watson shook off the cobwebs in his first game of the season, Sequoyah’s last loss against South Cobb. Replacing Cambridge is No. 9 Lakeside-Evans. The Panthers shutdown Peachtree Ridge 47-39 before losing to North Augusta (SC) 67-58. All-State guard Kalen Williams is averaging 20.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists while three-point specialist Tyshun Briscoe is netting 18.5 points per game. No. 10 Brunswick slides down three spots after getting swept at the City of Palms by La Crosse Central (WI) 70-57 and Glens Falls (NY) 80-65, giving up 59 points to Syracuse-commit Joe Girard III.

Back atop the heap in Class AAAAA is No. 1 Buford. It was another easy week for the Wolves in comparison to the rest of the top three, beating Banks County 73-26 and Archer 66-56. No. 3 Southwest DeKalb drops two spots after beating Mundy’s Mill 66-53 but losing to new No. 2 Fayette County 67-65. The Tigers also clipped Class A-Private No. 3 ELCA 65-54 at the Peach State Classic but ultimately fell to Westlake in the championship 79-68. Statesboro (9-3) sinks from the poll after losses to Dougherty 75-60 and Westover 48-44. Carrollton (7-4) also drops following losses to debutant No. 9 Kell 80-75 and Class 2A No. 2 Therrell 64-61. The Longhorns climb into the poll behind a blend of veterans and youth, seniors Justin Perry and CJ Henderson teaming with sophomore Najhae Colon and freshman Scoota Henderson to play key roles. Following Kell into the rankings is defending champ No. 10 Warner Robins, who resurfaces after pounding Perry 84-52 and defeating Class 2A No. 8 Bleckley County 67-52.

All good things must come to an end as No. 1 Upson-Lee’s 75-game winning streak came to an end against Class 7A No. 4 Discovery 75-57, but the Runnin’ Knights still top Class AAAA. There is no movement in the classification but No. 4 Henry County did grind out a Holiday Round Ball Classic championship in Augusta by beating Class 2A No. 9 Glenn Hills 65-52. Walker Kessler is back healthy for No. 10 Woodward Academy, who split a pair of games at the War Eagle Classic, losing to Zachary (LA) 57-40 but rebounding with a 59-53 win over Miramar (FL).

Class AAA saw No. 2 Morgan County steal the show at the Palmetto Winter Classic taking care of Ridgeview (SC) 89-87, Holly Springs (NC) 60-58 and Blythewood (SC) 77-66 en route the championship. No. 6 Johnson-Savannah falls two spots after losing their Savannah showdown with Class 2A No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins 66-58. East Hall (7-6) exits the Top 10, losing three-straight to South Carolina competition while Liberty County (5-3) also is gone following a 72-70 loss at Swainsboro. Region 4 deploys first-timer No. 9 Kendrick and returnee No. 10 Westside-Macon to fill the poll. The Cherokees are a win away from matching last year’s win total and are closing in on their best finish since 2013-14. They outlasted Jordan in overtime 90-82. The Seminoles bounced back with a 74-50 win at Pike County.

No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins’ reign over Savannah has officially begun if it hadn’t already before last week, the Wolverines proving the best team on the coast resides in Class AA as they closed on a 12-3 run to race past Class 3A No. 6 Johnson-Savannah in the Memorial Health Holiday Classic championship 66-58. Preston Crisp (17), Charleston Willingham (14), Bernard Pelote (13) and Deante Green (11) all scoring in double figures. No. 2 Therrell is still hot on Woodville’s track however. The Panthers survived No. 3 South Atlanta 54-52 without Robbie Armbrester and then proceeded to earn a second-place finish back at full strength at the Carrollton Christmas Classic, knocking the host Trojans off 64-61 and Class 6A No. 5 South Paulding 50-47 before falling to Oxford (AL) 76-64 in the title game. No. 5 Thomasville slips two spots after losing to PK Yonge (FL).  No. 6 Vidalia climbs four positions with wins over Tattnall County 60-37 and Montgomery County 58-36. No. 8 Bleckley County drops a spot but clings onto a Top 10 position after beating Jeff Davis 72-70 but suffering losses to Veterans 68-63, Class 5A No. 10 Warner Robins 67-52 and Houston County 68-54, the trio combining for a record of 25-8. Also hanging on by a thread is No. 10 Chattooga. The Indians had hard fought losses to Alpharetta 54-47 and Class 6A No. 7 Sequoyah 92-70 at the War Lodge Invitational before bouncing back with a 56-54 win over The King’s Academy. The Indians’ 50-48 loss to No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins back at the SportalShowcase has served as a buoy for Chattooga, keeping them afloat in the Top 10. Washington County (6-4) isn’t as lucky, as they went 0-3 at the Savannah River Christmas tournament, blowing a double-digit lead against North Augusta (SC) to lose 80-79 in overtime and then getting beat by South Carolina’s Silver Bluff 64-57 and South Aiken 57-54. Reappearing from the CSRA is No. 9 Glenn Hills. The Spartans squeaked out wins over Clarke Central 53-48 and Tift County 62-57 before falling in the title game at the Roundball Holiday Classic to Class 4A No. 4 Henry County 65-52.

The top four in Class A-Private has clearly separated itself from the rest of the pack, but the rest is a jumbled mess with teams beating each other weekly. No. 1 St. Francis is above the mayhem and notched a 71-60 win vs. Mountain View. No. 5 Walker holds onto their spot but were beaten by newly ranked No. 8 Wesleyan 71-62. No. 6 Trinity Christian is right back in the poll following their 62-50 win over No. 7 Mt. Pisgah. Riverside Military (9-3) narrowly exits the Top 10 after a 76-60 loss to Denmark while Holy Innocents’ (2-7) is officially gone after a misreported score led to the Golden Bears stealing another week in the poll after they actually lost to Starr’s Mill 66-57.

The Class A Power Classic has shifted Class A-Public as expected. No. 2 Calhoun County rises three spots after taking care of Drew Charter 74-69 and knocking off No. 4 Treutlen 79-72. No. 3 Wilcox County, the only other unbeaten, escaped No. 9 Terrell County 81-79.  No. 5 Greene County falls back two spots with a 58-54 loss to Clarke Central.  No. 7 Pelham got by Lanier County 69-63 while No. 8 Macon County won a nail-biter at Dooly County 48-46.

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (5-0)
2. Meadowcreek (11-2)
3. Norcross (8-3)
4. Discovery (10-3)
5. Wheeler (9-3)
6. Pebblebrook (8-1)
7. Grayson (10-2)
8. East Coweta (12-1)
9. Newton (6-2)
10. Shiloh (9-3)

Class AAAAAA

1. Coffee (6-1)
2. Tri-Cities (7-2)
3. North Atlanta (8-3)
4. Sprayberry (10-0)
5. South Paulding (10-2)
6. Alexander (8-2)
7. Brunswick (7-1)
8. Mundy’s Mill (10-1)
9. Cambridge (8-4)
10. Evans (11-0)

Class AAAAA

1. Southwest DeKalb (8-2)
2. Buford (7-0)
3. Fayette County (9-1)
4. Eagle’s Landing (6-1)
5. Woodland-Stockbridge (6-3)
6. Lithonia (8-5)
7. Statesboro (7-1)
8. Carrollton (6-2)
9. Jones County (9-2)
10. Lithia Springs (10-2)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (9-0)
2. Sandy Creek (7-2)
3. St. Pius X (9-2)
4. Henry County (9-1)
5. Carver-Columbus (6-2)
6. Americus-Sumter (7-1)
7. Baldwin (6-2)
8. Salem (9-2)
9. Chapel Hill (5-2)
10. Woodward Academy (6-5)

Class AAA

1. GAC (8-3)
2. Morgan County (6-1)
3. Cedar Grove (7-0)
4. Johnson-Savannah (6-2)
5. Dawson County (7-2)
6. Hart County (7-2)
7. Pace Academy (8-3)
8. Central-Macon (6-1)
9. East Hall (6-3)
10. Liberty County (5-2)

Class AA

1. Woodville-Tompkins (9-0)
2. Therrell (6-3)
3. Thomasville (7-0)
4. South Atlanta (9-0)
5. Northeast-Macon (8-2)
6. Washington County (5-1)
7. Bleckley County (9-2)
8. Chattooga (4-3)
9. Elbert County (6-1)
10. Vidalia (9-1)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (7-2)
2. Mt. Bethel (5-3)
3. ELCA (3-3)
4. Greenforest (5-3)
5. Walker (7-2)
6. Lakeview Academy (6-3)
7. Mt. Pisgah (9-4)
8. Riverside Military (8-2)
9. Christian Heritage (7-0)
10. Holy Innocents’ (2-7)*

Class A-Public

1. Hancock Central (8-2)
2. Treutlen (6-0)
3. Greene County (6-1)
4. Wilcox County (10-0)
5. Calhoun County (9-0)
6. Georgia Military College (4-2)
7. Pelham (4-1)
8. Macon County (6-1)
9. Terrell County (7-1)
10. Chattahoochee County (8-2)

*Misreported score found after publication

There was complete and utter mayhem last week with upsets coming fast and furious on a nightly basis leading to 13 new teams entering this week’s rankings.

Class AAAAAAA had Top 10 clashes highlighted by No. 1 McEachern knocking off No. 5 Wheeler 77-62 behind Sharife Cooper’s 31 points and Auburn-signee Isaac Okoro’s 27. Even without Temple-signee Damien Dunn, No. 2 Meadowcreek outclassed No. 3 Norcross at the House of Blue 63-55, but the Blue Devils responded with their best game of the season in a 76-60 win over No. 4 Discovery, who was without star guard Jaden Walker due to a leg injury. Brandon Boston dumped in 27 points as Norcross pulled away late. No. 7 Grayson outlasted No. 9 Newton in overtime 68-65. The return of 6-foot-6 future Texas A&M wide receiver Kenyon Jackson has immediately paid dividends for the Rams. No. 8 East Coweta rises a spot after winning at Class 4A No. 2 Sandy Creek 68-62 and beating Village Christian Academy (NC) 81-76. Lambert (10-2) is this week’s lone casualty after a surprising 58-53 loss to 6-5 Parkview who has already surpassed last year’s win total with a gutted roster due to transfers.

Class AAAAAA has been shook. No team is in the same spot as last week. There is a new No. 1 – Coffee.  The Trojans are up two spots after dispatching of No. 7 Brunswick 72-57, giving the Pirates their first loss of the season thanks to a 24-point outburst from All-State guard Jayce Moore. No. 2 Tri-Cities saw their grip on the top spot slip after a 77-55 loss to Village Christian Academy (NC). No. 3 North Atlanta defeated a Kamar Robertson-less No. 9 Cambridge 61-49 and impressed in a tight 63-55 loss against Class 3A No. 1 GAC. No. 4 Sprayberry picked up a quality win over Allatoona 83-71. No. 5 South Paulding surges into the Top 10, debuting after a statement win over No. 6 Alexander 63-61, dropping the Cougars four spots. Cam Armstrong finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds while Pat Love scored 14 points himself. Following a 9-17 season, the Spartans have turned the corner in close games. Last year South Paulding went 2-7 in games decided by four points or less. After harping on learning to win all offseason, Coach Gil Davis’ Spartans are a perfect 7-0 in such games this season. Reappearing in the poll is No. 8 Mundy’s Mill after the Tigers booted Tucker (10-3) from the rankings, sinking last week’s No. 6 ranked team 63-48 at Tucker. Out of Mundy’s Mill’s 10 wins, seven have come by single digits. Class 6A’s only undefeated team other than Sprayberry is No. 10 Evans, who falls one spot. The Knights have beaten who they were supposed to beat, but their strength of schedule is extremely weak compared to the rest of the Top 10. The Knights have defeated only two teams with a winning record and their opponents have a combined 31-43 mark. Lanier (6-3) exits the poll following a 50-49 loss against a very good Mountain View team.

In Class AAAAA, No. 1 Southwest DeKalb continued to roll through adversity, beating Class A-Private No. 3 ELCA 76-71, receiving 24 points from KD Johnson and 18 from James Glisson III. No. 2 Buford is officially scorching, notching wins over Class A-Private No. 10 Holy Innocents’ 84-51 and Class 7A No. 5 Wheeler 77-74 in overtime, Oklahoma State-signee Marcus Watson tallying 31 points and 11 rebounds. No. 3 Fayette County scored a 73-71 win over Class 2A No. 2 Therrell. No. 6 Lithonia sinks a spot after pushing Columbia (6-3) from the rankings with a 79-57 whipping but ending the weekend with a 60-57 loss to Archer. Defending state champion Warner Robins (5-2) is out of the Top 10. The Demons lost 62-57 at Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin and against debutant No. 9 Jones County 53-52. The Greyhounds are making noise in Region 4 behind the senior trio of Jameson Bryant (11.7 ppg, 5 rpg), Marquis Jackson (10.6 ppg) and Tre Dean (10 ppg). They host No. 5 Woodland-Stockbridge on Tuesday, the Wolfpack up two spots after wins over Locust Grove 71-36 and at Stockbridge 68-46. Also debuting is No. 10 Lithia Springs. The Lions are the team to beat in Region 6 led by high-scoring junior backcourt Anthony Hardy and Antonio Lewis. Their latest 82-72 win at Class 4A No. 9 Chapel Hill clinched their ranking.

No. 1 Upson-Lee ran their nation-best winning streak up to 72 games in Class AAAA, beating two-time defending Class 6A state champion Langston Hughes 56-48, withstanding a career-day from PJ Carter, who netted 8 threes en route to 28 points. Five-star 6-foot-6 UGA defensive end Travon Walker was unstoppable inside, carrying the Knights with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks. Zyrice Scott had 11 points, 9 assists and 4 steals. No. 2 Sandy Creek tripped against Class 7A No. 8 East Coweta 68-62 but righted their wrongs by surviving Dacula 110-106 in triple overtime as Drexel-signee TJ Bickerstaff piled in 32 points and 22 rebounds. No. 3 St. Pius X is rounding into form, picking up wins over Marietta 75-73, Hoover (AL) 59-57 and Milton minus Donaven Hairston, 69-64. Senior point guard Matt Gonzalo scored 16 points in the win over Milton. No. 10 Woodward Academy sinks six spots after going 1-2 without five-star 7-foot center Walker Kessler. Kessler along with four other contributors left the War Eagles short-handed in losses to newly ranked No. 8 Salem 67-63 and Class 3A No. 7 Pace Academy 58-51. Following Salem into the rankings is No. 7 Baldwin. The Braves have found their footing after a slow start and have won four in a row. Their most impressive win came at newly minted Class A-Public No. 1 Hancock Central 67-61 while also earning wins over last week’s Class 5A No. 6 Warner Robins 62-57 and former Class A-Public No. 1 Wilkinson County 76-58, two defending state champs. Shaw (8-3) and Thomson (8-1) depart. Shaw was upended by No. 5 Carver-Columbus 76-63 while Thomson lost at Class A-Public No. 1 Hancock Central 74-46.

The two-horse race in Class AAA is getting interesting as No. 1 GAC continues to flourish, beating North Hall 84-48, Lumpkin County 94-41 and Class 6A No. 3 North Atlanta 63-55, while No. 2 Morgan County held on to beat East Jackson 66-61 and Jefferson 70-63. No. 10 Liberty County falls two spots as Jaden Young endured an injury-filled week. The Panthers defeated Tattnall County on the road 57-45, but loss to Richmond Hill 50-46. Westside-Macon (7-3) narrowly drops from the poll after an 85-84 loss to Kendrick. Reentering is No. 9 East Hall who scored a 76-64 win at Cherokee Bluff.

It was a bad week to be from Augusta in Class AA. Glenn Hills (9-1) and Butler (8-2) both drop out, the Spartans falling from No. 5 and the Bulldogs from No. 9. Glenn Hills cannot shake Laney even when the Wildcats are having a down year at 6-4. The Spartans lost 72-63 and have gone 6-12 against Laney since the 2011-12 season. Last year’s 2-2 mark was soured, losing their final two meetings including in the region championship. Butler, who looked like one of the teams to beat in an ever-evolving Region 4, lost 54-53 at 3-5 Jefferson County. The CSRA is replaced by No. 9 Elbert County and No. 10 Vidalia. The Blue Devils are back on track, getting 28 points and 14 rebounds from AJ James in an 81-38 destruction of Oglethorpe County while Vidalia went into Hazlehurst and beat Jeff Davis 69-60. In the middle of the rankings, No. 5 Northeast-Macon climbs two spots after beating Wilkinson County 69-59 and freefalling Hiram 52-45. No. 6 Washington County drops three spots after beating No. 7 Bleckley County 57-52 but struggling away from home without the whistle losing 78-57 to Class A-Public No. 1 Hancock Central.

The rankings held in Class A-Private as No. 1 St. Francis edged No. 2 Mt. Bethel in the first of many classics, 70-68. CJ Riley went off for 25 points while Xavier-commit Dwon Odom had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. No. 5 Walker barely hangs onto their spot after a rough 65-61 loss at Mt. Paran, but rebounding to defeat No. 7 Mt. Pisgah 64-63, the Patriots climbing three spots even with the loss. No. 10 Holy Innocents’ and Trinity Christian (4-6) have disappointed. The Golden Bears mercifully put a stop to their four-game losing streak by beating Starr’s Mill 66-57. Holy Innocents’ has played tough competition and now must string together wins to prove it was worth it. The Lions have not transitioned as well as expected, dropping from the Top 10. Trinity Christian has played a difficult schedule as well, but a bad 49-42 loss to 5-7 Westminster was the final nail in their current rankings coffin. They are replaced by No. 9 Christian Heritage, the only unbeaten team left in Class A-Private. The Lions just keep winning, even after losing All-State 6-foot-7 forward Christian Koneman (GCSU) and Sam Dindoffer to graduation from a 27-3 team that captured the No. 2 ranking heading into the playoffs last season. Coach Tyler Watkins’ core of AJ Kent and Evan Lester along with Hardin Chambless and Zach Gentry has carried the Lions.

Class A-Public has been turned upside down as three-time defending state champion Wilkinson County (1-5) goes from No. 1 to unranked. Losses on the road to Warner Robins (59-50), Class 2A No. 5 Northeast-Macon (69-59) and Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin (76-58) seal their fate, with a thumping on the horizon at the hands of Class 4A No. 1 Upson-Lee looming. Shooting up from No. 8 to the top is No. 1 Hancock Central. The Bulldogs are officially back, drilling Class 2A No. 6 Washington County 78-59 and knocking Thomson from the Class 4A polls with their first loss, 74-46. The Bulldogs also have wins over Greene County 70-61 and Wilkinson County 63-59. No. 3 Greene County climbs seven spots after taking down No. 6 Georgia Military 62-49, dropping the Bulldogs four spots. Following Wilkinson County out of the rankings is Drew Charter (5-6). The Eagles have lost five-straight games with their latest loss coming against Cherokee Bluff 70-60. Debuting in the poll is No. 9 Terrell County. The Greenwave beat Webster County 100-28 and Mitchell County 89-49 and now battle No. 4 Wilcox County on Tuesday at the Class A Power Classic. No. 8 Macon County tumbles five spots after losing 55-52 to Schley County. The biggest surprise in Class A-Public is No. 10 Chattahoochee County. Coach Stacy Masten has already matched the Panthers’ win total from the last two seasons combined at 8-2. Heading into the season, Chattahoochee County compiled a record of 13-63 over the previous three years, but behind the play of junior De’Andre Masten, the Panthers have shocked the state. Masten is averaging 14.7 points and has helped Chattahoochee County to wins over Randolph-Clay 53-47, Miller County 62-42 and at Seminole County 68-60.