Category Archives: Rankings

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 6 Boys Rankings

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.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 5 Boys Rankings

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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.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 4 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

1. Tri-Cities (5-1)
2. Alexander (7-1)
3. Coffee (4-1)
4. North Atlanta (6-2)
5. Brunswick (6-0)
6. Tucker (8-2)
7. Sprayberry (7-0)
8. Cambridge (6-3)
9. Evans (8-0)
10. Lanier (6-2)

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

The top four in Class AAAAAAA remains unchanged. No. 2 Meadowcreek dropped a heartbreaker, having a shot blocked at the buzzer to lose 45-44 against Mountain Brook (AL). No. 3 Wheeler squeezed by Westlake 63-62 in Region 2 play while No. 6 Pebblebrook survived No. 9 East Coweta 63-60, using free throws to ice the game. No. 5 Discovery got revenge against Milton 64-56 while No. 7 Grayson, up two spots, righted the ship with a big second half to blow past Class A-Private No. 3 ELCA at the SportalShowcase 80-71. Deivon Smith earned a Georgia State offer after posting 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks en route to MVP honors.

Class AAAAAA continues to be wide open. No. 1 Tri-Cities escaped Creekside 60-57 while No. 2 Alexander had Houdini acts to slip by Langston Hughes 76-74 and New Manchester in overtime 69-67. The two-time defending state champ, Langston Hughes (3-5), exits the poll after their loss to Alexander and a 60-58 overtime defeat via South Paulding. Following them out is South Cobb (5-4). The Eagles lost at the buzzer to newly ranked No. 7 Sprayberry 59-56 and Redan 53-51 last week. Trailing behind the Yellow Jackets and entering the poll for the first time is No. 10 Lanier. The Longhorns have an imposing frontline and a sharp backcourt paced by the trio of Sion James, Jehloni James and Jalen Surles. Up near the top, No. 3 Coffee blew a 21-4 first quarter lead and lost a classic to Campbell at the SportalShowcase 72-70, unable to corral Terrell Burden who finished with 39 points and the game-winning floater. Jayce Moore was terrific in his own right, the 6-foot-2 unsigned senior bullying his way to 27 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and 1 block. No. 4 North Atlanta had played with fire all season winning close games, but they got burnt by AJ White’s 30 points in a 67-59 loss to Chattahoochee. The Warriors maintain their position however since No. 5 Brunswick has yet to be challenged, their best wins coming over 5-2 Camden County (76-53) and 4-4 Tift County (66-56). Their bout with Coffee in Douglas this Saturday will truly gauge where the Pirates are at.

Even with a 74-65 loss to undefeated Lanier (AL), No. 1 Southwest DeKalb retains their position atop Class AAAAA. Their win over No. 5 Lithonia 56-55 on Tuesday gave the Panthers cushion to withstand Saturday’s loss. No. 2 Buford is inching closer to closing the gap, but their strength of schedule does not come close to what Southwest DeKalb has seen thus far. The Wolves steamrolled 3-9 Huntsville (AL) 83-50 on Saturday, but see the level of competition rise quickly with Class A-Private No. 8 Holy Innocents’ and more importantly, Class 7A No. 3 Wheeler on the menu this week. Defending state champion No. 6 Warner Robins claws its way up two more spots following a 62-51 win over Houston County but more so because Hiram (5-4) and Cedar Shoals (2-4) drop out ahead of them. The Hornets lost all three games last week stumbling against North Paulding in 2OT 68-62, returnee to the poll No. 10 Carrollton 64-40 and Villa Rica 41-32. Cedar Shoals lost 78-73 at winless Dacula to fall out. Carrollton used their win over Hiram as a springboard and outgunned Paulding County 92-76 the following day. Debuting in the Top 10 is No. 9 Statesboro. The Blue Devils have won four-straight, highlighted by a 61-49 win over Class 3A No. 4 Johnson-Savannah. 6-foot-3 junior Zarion Griffin has taken the reigns of the offense, pouring in 17 points per game.

The best team in Class AAAA won their 71st straight game as No. 1 Upson-Lee continued to destroy the opposition. They held Howard to two points in the second half in their 72-27 rout. No. 3 St. Pius X is finding their groove, beating Class 7A No. 8 Newton 56-50, but the Rams were without starters Mike Mathison and Tyrease Brown their best shooter. No. 4 Woodward Academy and No. 5 Henry County flip-flop again after the War Eagles edged the Warhawks 68-58 behind Walker Kessler’s 22 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks. The head-to-head result inches Woodward Academy past Henry County even though the War Eagles ended the weekend on a sour note, losing 66-60 at a much-improved Druid Hills. The bottom of the poll shuffles as well as No. 6 Carver-Columbus moves up a spot after beating No. 9 Shaw 68-63. No. 8 Americus-Sumter is down two positions after a 96-79 blowout loss at Dougherty. Rising to No. 7 is Chapel Hill. The Panthers look like they are for real, outlasting Allatoona 64-62. The backcourt consisting of 5-foot-5 junior Javontae Jackson (15), KJ Doucet (15), Micah Bell (13) and Mike Bell (13) combined for 56 points, Jackson the catalyst with 6 assists and 6 steals.

It took just one loss, but that’s all that was needed for No. 1 GAC to jump back over No. 2 Morgan County for pole position in Class 3A. Since their 0-3 start, the Spartans have been fantastic winning five-straight with their roster back intact. GAC picked up three ho-hum wins against ranked opponents, beating Class A-Private No. 6 Trinity Christian 65-49, No. 5 Dawson County 82-75 and Class 5A No. Lithonia 73-52 as unsigned senior point guard Hunter McIntosh moved into fourth-place on the GAC all-time scoring list. Morgan County lost a tight one against 12-2 Wenonah (AL) 56-53.   No. 3 Cedar Grove won at No. 6 Pace Academy 46-44 after the Knights pummeled Class A-Private No. 8 Holy Innocents’ 74-42.  No. 4 Johnson-Savannah slips a spot after losing 61-49 to newly ranked Class 5A No. 9 Statesboro. No. 7 Hart County loses a little ground after a 46-39 loss at Elbert County. No. 10 Westside-Macon fell 61-55 at No. 9 Central-Macon.

Would you believe me if I told you that Class AA is the deepest classification in the state? It’s true. While there may not be any superpowers loaded with transfers, make no mistake that the Class 2A Top 10 is the toughest to crack week-in and week-out. With upwards of 15 to 20 teams deserving of a ranking, the margin of error is slim. No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins aced their road tests this week, drilling Swainsboro 86-42, escaping Vidalia 55-48 and surviving newly ranked No. 10 Chattooga 50-48 in a SportalShowcase thriller. There is a swap of Indian tribes as Vidalia (6-1) departs and Chattooga is in. You can’t ignore what Chattooga did, weathering a Wolverine onslaught to have a final shot at the buzzer to win the game. Woodville’s press shook the Indians early and Preston Crisp (15 points, 7 rebounds) and Bernard Pelote (11 points, 13 rebounds) hurt Chattooga with their size, but 5-foot-6 Nuk Adams ignited the Indians in the third quarter after trailing by 13 to score 9 of his team-high 12 points in the frame. Adams added 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in the loss. The Indians had a slow start to the season and missed Devin Price in their only two other losses to Tennessee competition that has a combined 16-4 mark. Wins over Armuchee 85-26 and Dade County 100-42 before their hard-fought loss to Woodville-Tompkins has put Chattooga back in the Top 10. Metter (4-1) falls from No. 5 to unranked after losing 78-71 at Jeff Davis. Don’t be surprised to see the Yellowjackets in the rankings later this season. 6-foot-6 Ja’Queze Kirby nearly led an inexperienced group to an upset of Class 6A South Paulding, falling short 75-71. Kirby hanging 30 points, 17 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks in his Metro Atlanta debut. No. 7 Northeast-Macon climbs two spots after knocking off No. 8 Bleckley County 54-42. Debuting in the Top 10 is No. 9 Butler. The Bulldogs have early season wins over Redan 68-60 and Class 5A No. 9 Statesboro 60-45.

Class A-Private will get very interesting as region play starts to heat up. No. 2 Mt. Bethel beat No. 5 Walker 75-62, but the Wolverines move up a rank after No. 6 Trinity Christian suffered a 65-49 loss to Class 3A No. 1 GAC. No. 8 Holy Innocents’ falls another spot after a 74-42 beat down at the hands of Class 3A No. 6 Pace Academy and a 77-57 loss to Columbia (AL). No. 9 Riverside Military rises a spot following a 63-53 win at Wesleyan and a No. 10 Mt. Pisgah 44-39 loss at Whitefield Academy.

No. 1 Wilkinson County is still clinging onto the top position in Class A-Public after losing at newly ranked No. 8 Hancock Central 62-58 before dusting themselves off with a 61-50 win over Class 3A No. 9 Central-Macon. After two down years, the Bulldogs look like they might be back on track under first-year Head Coach Ricky Chatman who replaces Anthony Webb. The Dogs beat No. 10 Greene County 70-61 and their only two losses have come against Baldwin, 68-67 and 67-61. No. 6 Drew Charter is down three spots after losses at Class A-Private No. 4 Greenforest 85-44 and to Maynard Jackson 63-61. Lanier County (3-3) falls out. The Bulldogs have been treading water, losing to Lowndes 52-49 before winning at Telfair County 60-58.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 3 Boys Rankings

sportal

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

1. Tri-Cities (3-1)
2. Alexander (4-1)
3. Coffee (3-0)
4. North Atlanta (5-1)
5. Brunswick (4-0)
6. South Cobb (4-2)
7. Tucker (6-2)
8. Langston Hughes (2-3)
9. Cambridge (4-2)
10. Evans (6-0)

Class AAAAA

1. Southwest DeKalb (4-1)
2. Buford (4-0)
3. Fayette County (5-1)
4. Lithonia (5-2)
5. Eagle’s Landing (2-1)
6. Hiram (5-1)
7. Cedar Shoals (2-3)
8. Warner Robins (3-0)
9. Woodland-Stockbridge (2-3)
10. Columbia (4-1)

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

1. Wilkinson County (0-1)
2. Georgia Military College (2-1)
3. Drew Charter (5-3)
4. Macon County (1-0)
5. Treutlen (2-0)
6. Wilcox County (4-0)
7. Calhoun County (4-0)
8. Lanier County (3-3)
9. Pelham (0-0)
10. Greene County (1-0)

Two new teams crack the Top 10 in Class AAAAAAA for the first time this year, one familiar face and one burgeoning dark horse that has earned its time in the spotlight. No. 7 Newton crushed No. 10 Lambert 88-63 at the North Georgia Showcase, dropping the Longhorns two spots. It was a 30-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter. Armani Harris thoroughly dominated inside, the 6-foot-7 senior hanging 39 points and 11 rebounds, going 20-of-23 from the foul line. Tre Clark added 19 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists while Tyrease Brown netted 17 points as the trio combined for 75 of the Rams’ 88 points. No longer flying under the radar, No. 8 East Coweta is off to their best start in over a decade at 8-0. Playing in the brutal Region 2 with the likes of No. 3 Wheeler, No. 6 Pebblebrook and Westlake (3-3), not to mention 2018 quarterfinalist Campbell, the Indians stamped another signature win by knocking Westlake from the poll with an 88-74 victory. Mandez Jones poured in 32 points as East Coweta tamed the Lions for the first time in their last 17 meetings. The Indians have a blend of potent guard play with Jones teaming with Chris Youngblood and Brandon Stroud, who scored 20 and 15 points respectively along with the move-in of 6-foot-5 forward Zac Hill, who added 15 points in the Westlake win. Friday was no fluke, as the Indians also hold wins over Class 5A No. 3 Fayette County (86-73) and four-time Alabama state champion Carver (68-60). Their next test will come against No. 6 Pebblebrook, who took down Class 6A No. 6 South Cobb 67-59. Making room for Newton and East Coweta in the poll is Westlake and Peachtree Ridge (4-2), the Lions rallying to beat Duluth in overtime 59-54, but falling to Shiloh in double overtime 79-67. Sinking four spots but remaining in the Top 10 is No. 9 Grayson. The Rams were upset by 4-1 Mill Creek in the nightcap of the North Georgia Showcase, 70-58. After trailing 29-19 at the half, the Hawks outscored Grayson 51-29 over the final 16 minutes getting 32 points from the bench led by Sebastian Augustave and Nathan Ward’s 12 points apiece.

Class AAAAAA is a mess right now. Heritage-Conyers (2-2), Mundy’s Mill (4-1) and Dacula (0-5) all depart from the poll. The Patriots lost to rival Rockdale County 51-44, the Tigers looked rusty in a 62-59 loss at Mt. Zion-Jonesboro and the Falcons, the Preseason No. 2 ranked team in back-to-back seasons, has flopped again, this time losing to Duluth 78-57 and in overtime 73-69 to Mountain View to seal their fate. No. 7 Tucker has not played well either, barely escaping 0-6 Forest Park 56-53 before showing small signs of improvement against ML King 61-47. Simply put, the Tigers have played down to the level of competition in the majority of the games they’ve played this season, but still have upside if Coach James Hartry can get his team on the same page. Three weeks into the season, no one has taken a stranglehold of the classification which should lead to plenty of movement in the polls and a fun next three-plus months. No. 2 Alexander missed 20 free throws but somehow managed to survive at Douglas County 69-67, riding former Tiger Malik Battle to 26 points. Earlier in the week Douglas County defeated No. 8 Langston Hughes 56-42, dropping the two-time defending state champs three spots. No. 4 North Atlanta avoided a scare against Riverwood as Campbell-signee Messiah Thompson proved his All-State mettle, hitting a buzzer beater to win 50-49. With the middle of the ranking’s order nearly obliterated there’s been some major movement. No. 5 Brunswick debuts after beating Tift County 66-56. No. 6 South Cobb is up two spots after beating Osborne 66-55 and pushing Class 7A No. 6 Pebblebrook to the limit before losing 67-59. No. 9 Cambridge is into the rankings with their best wins coming against Jefferson 99-89 and Alpharetta 82-64. Surprise from east Georgia, No. 10 Evans sneaks into the Top 10. The Knights had quite the offseason, losing 6-foot-10 center Dylan Cardwell to Oak Hill Academy and seeing 6-foot-7 Dajuante Williams flirt with Evans before ultimately spurning them at the last moment. If the two were still enrolled, the Knights would have opened in the Top 10. 6-foot-5 Chevez Trask however did enroll and he’s provided a physical presence around the rim while Cameron Cabarrus and Christian Chambers lead the Knights from the perimeter. Evans’ signature wins to date have come against North Augusta (SC) 64-52 and rallying to beat Class A-Public No. 2 Georgia Military 65-60.

There was terrible news in Class AAAAA as No. 1 Southwest DeKalb’s Eugene Brown III fractured his tibia against No. 10 Columbia in a 78-47 win. One of the hottest prospects in Georgia, Brown’s season ends with averages of 15.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3 assists while hitting 13-of-25 threes. With the Miller Grove transfer situation still lingering, not many teams have dealt with more adversity on and off the court than the Panthers have. Southwest plays No. 4 Lithonia and Miller Grove this week. No. 3 Fayette County edged Jonesboro 54-52 before clipping Class 4A No. 5 Woodward Academy 57-56. No. 6 Hiram is up three spots following a 3-0 week headlined by a 72-55 win over South Paulding, 6-foot-8 center Nathan Presnell recording 26 points and 15 rebounds. Carrollton (1-2) is out of the rankings after losses to Harris County 57-53 and Class 4A No. 2 Sandy Creek 86-61. Defending state champion No. 8 Warner Robins claws its way into the poll after beating Jones County 55-38.

After spending the entirety of last season and the first three weeks this season chasing right behind No. 1 Upson-Lee in Class AAAA, No. 3 St. Pius X finally relinquishes its grasp of second-place following an 85-64 loss to Class 3A No. 2 GAC. The Golden Lions rebounded with a 59-58 win at Class 3A No. 7 Pace Academy on a Chase Cormier three with six seconds remaining, but No. 2 Sandy Creek is inching closer to the top following an 86-61 demolition of Carrollton. Drexel-signee TJ Bickerstaff is averaging 18 points and 10.2 rebounds while Julian Alexander is scoring 14.5 points a night. Following a season-opening loss to Class 5A No. 3 Fayette County 74-66, the Patriots have won six straight highlighted by wins over Class 5A No. 4 Lithonia and GAC 70-66. Last week they escaped Fayetteville with a 66-57 overtime win at Starr’s Mill. The Patriots return to action next week against red-hot Class 7A No. 8 East Coweta. Below the top three, a lot has changed. No. 4 Henry County is up after No. 5 Woodward Academy lost a nail-biter at Fayette County 57-56. No. 6 Americus-Sumter shoots up four spots following convincing wins over Dougherty 87-58 and at Lee County 81-52. Baldwin (2-2), Westover (0-3) and LaFayette (5-0) exit the poll. Baldwin scored a 64-43 win at Dublin but lost at Class 2A No. 3 Washington County 69-53. Westover has been a massive disappointment, losing again to Lee County 64-54 and getting beat in Region 1 play by Northside-Columbus 59-55. LaFayette’s tradition of soft scheduling hurts them again, not impressing in a 51-41 win over rival Heritage-Catoosa before taking care of Trion 63-37. The Ramblers will likely resurface in the Top 10 later this season as the rest of the poll beats on each other. In at the bottom of the rankings are three teams that have tried to challenge themselves this year. No. 8 Chapel Hill is off to its best start since 2005-06 when the Panthers won 25 games. Michael Bell has provided instant offense for an up-tempo team that is averaging 85 points per game through their first four. Javante Jackson paces a quick defense that loves to trap. The Panthers have quality wins over Class A-Private No. 9 Mt. Pisgah 85-77 and New Manchester 83-77 in overtime. Chapel Hill is already a win away from matching last season’s win total. No. 9 Shaw could throw a monkey wrench into the Region 1 picture as the junior class of Darnell Moran (13.4 ppg), Dylan Harris (10.9 ppg) and Rod Winfrey (9.7 ppg) lead a balanced offense. The Raiders hold nice wins over Harris County 72-59 and Spencer 66-61, while maybe their most impressive result was a 63-51 loss against Class 7A No. 10 Lambert. Following a down year in which they finished just 7-18, No. 10 Thomson looks like they might be ready to return to the statewide picture. The Bulldogs earned wins over traditional Class 2A power Laney (64-59) and Josey (74-48). Seniors Antrone Murphy (17.5 ppg) and Zander Hamilton (17.3 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 1.8 bpg) are off to hot starts.

In Class AAA, No. 2 GAC drilled 14 threes to bury Class 4A No. 3 St. Pius X 85-64. No. 7 Pace Academy is down two spots after losses to Redan 55-50 and St. Pius 59-58. No. 8 Westside-Macon slides two spots after a loss to Class 2A No. 8 Bleckley County 75-74 in overtime. No. 6 Hart County is on the move, climbing three spots after beating Class 7A South Gwinnett 62-61 and outscoring Elbert County 26-11 in the fourth quarter to rally and stun the Blue Devils 55-52. East Hall (3-3) is rosterless on MaxPreps and also out of the rankings after losing a tight one with Duluth at the North Georgia Showcase 51-44. The Vikings are replaced by No. 10 Central-Macon, who opened up the season with a 58-57 win over Class 2A No. 9 Northeast-Macon.

Injuries have helped shake up Class AA. Swainsboro (1-2) exits the Top 10 after losing to newly ranked No. 10 Vidalia 58-42 and at Statesboro 69-58 as the Tigers were without leading scoring Jamil Watkins, Fredrick Seabrough and Jamal Watkins in the losses. The loss of Jamil Watkins is a huge blow, the wing is out 3-4 weeks with a malleolus bone fracture in his ankle. Also out of the poll is Elbert County (1-1) who couldn’t close in a 55-52 loss to Class 3A No. 6 Hart County. Replacing the Blue Devils is upstart No. 8 Bleckley County. First-year Head Coach Garrett Collins has come in from the middle school ranks and has the Royals flourishing at 5-0. Wins over Class 3A No. 8 Westside-Macon (75-74 OT), Class 5A Veterans (65-62) and Class 4A Perry (64-56) all look good. They have a big test on Tuesday as they head to Central Georgia Tech to play No. 9 Northeast-Macon, who beat Class A-Public No. 1 Wilkinson County at the Palace 93-90 before dropping 58-57 to Class 3A No. 10 Central-Macon. No. 6 Glenn Hills rises four spots thanks to a crucial Region 4 victory over Butler 76-69 and a thumping of Harlem 78-50. No. 3 Washington County’s long-awaited season debut went off without a hitch, drilling Johnson County 81-33 before knocking Baldwin from the Class 4A poll with a 69-53 win. It’s likely the biggest week in regular season history for No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins as the Wolverines test their No. 1 ranking at Swainsboro and at No. 10 Vidalia before heading to the SportalShowcase to battle Chattooga. The Wolverines broke the scoreboard in a 100-47 win over Bacon County and are averaging 91.7 points per game.

Class A-Private saw No. 1 St. Francis treat host No. 8 Lakeview Academy rudely in a 76-58 victory. No. 3 ELCA stepped up in a major way, outlasting No. 4 Greenforest 84-83 in overtime behind College of Charleston-signee Trevon Reddish’s 23 points and Kamari Smith’s 18. X-Factor Felix Uadiale posted 13 points and a school-record 28 rebounds. The Chargers turned around and beat No. 5 Trinity Christian 62-53 as Uadiale tallied 19 points and 16 rebounds as an encore performance. No. 7 Holy Innocents’ slips a spot following a 69-65 loss to Hillgrove. Darlington (0-1) is out of the poll and replaced by No. 10 Riverside Military who garners their first-ever Sandy’s Spiel Top 10 ranking. The Eagles beat Darlington 61-55. Isaac Teasley is averaging 20.4 points and 6.4 rebounds while Gainesville transfer Shad Dabney is posting 11 points and 4.4 assists per game as sophomore.

No. 1 Wilkinson County clings onto the top spot in Class A-Public after losing 93-90 at home to Class 2A No. 9 Northeast-Macon, outscored by the Raiders 33-24 in the fourth quarter. No. 6 Wilcox County took it to No. 8 Lanier County 79-61. No. 7 Calhoun County had two close calls, slipping past Chattahoochee County 75-74 and Early County 61-60.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 2 Boys Rankings

sportal

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (3-0)
2. Meadowcreek (3-1)
3. Wheeler (3-1)
4. Discovery (5-1)
5. Grayson (5-1)
6. Norcross (1-2)
7. Westlake (3-2)
8. Lambert (4-0)
9. Pebblebrook (3-1)
10. Peachtree Ridge (3-1)

Class AAAAAA

1. Tri-Cities (2-1)
2. Alexander (2-1)
3. Coffee (1-0)
4. North Atlanta (2-1)
5. Langston Hughes (1-2)
6. Heritage-Conyers (2-1)
7. Tucker (4-2)
8. South Cobb (2-1)
9. Mundy’s Mill (3-0)
10. Dacula (0-3)

Class AAAAA

1. Southwest DeKalb (2-1)
2. Buford (3-0)
3. Fayette County (2-1)
4. Lithonia (4-2)
5. Eagle’s Landing (0-1)
6. Columbia (3-0)
7. Carrollton (1-0)
8. Woodland-Stockbridge (2-2)
9. Hiram (2-1)
10. Cedar Shoals (0-2)

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

1. Woodville-Tompkins (2-0)
2. Therrell (0-2)
3. Washington County (0-0)
4. Thomasville (2-0)
5. Metter (0-0)
6. Swainsboro (1-0)
7. Northeast-Macon (1-1)
8. South Atlanta (1-0)
9. Elbert County (0-0)
10. Glenn Hills (3-0)

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

1. Wilkinson County (0-0)
2. Georgia Military College (1-1)
3. Drew Charter (5-3)
4. Macon County (0-0)
5. Treutlen (1-0)
6. Wilcox County (1-0)
7. Lanier County (2-0)
8. Calhoun County (1-0)
9. Pelham (0-0)
10. Greene County (0-0)

There is some early movement among the Class AAAAAAA Top 10. No. 3 Wheeler has quickly become one of the hottest teams in the state, climbing two spots after scoring wins over GISA superpower Holy Spirit Prep 76-68 in overtime before beating defending Class 3A state champion No. 2 GAC 76-66. The Wildcats benefit from No. 5 Grayson’s first loss of the year. After beating Class 6A No. 10 Dacula 66-54, the Rams lost at the Jared Cook Classic to debutant No. 10 Peachtree Ridge. The Lions have followed the lead of first-year Head Coach Marcus Diggs seamlessly. Peachtree Ridge has wins over Grayson 57-56 and Dacula 90-83. The Lions’ only loss came in wild fashion to No. 8 Lambert 88-80 in overtime after Mitch Ganote forced the extra period off a missed free throw and put-back at the buzzer while Colin Granger scored a career-high 42 points. Out of the rankings is Mountain View (3-1). The Bears fell 51-36 to undefeated Berkmar, who flies under the radar for at least one more week. No. 6 Norcross has yet to win a game against in-state competition, but their 78-64 win over Bishop Snyder (FL) could prove to be a springboard as they try to find chemistry. No. 7 Westlake beat Class 5A No. 4 Lithonia 74-69 before dropping to Holy Spirit Prep 72-61.

Class AAAAAA sees No. 1 Tri-Cities survive another week atop the rankings. The Bulldogs rallied from down 41-19 at the half against No. 4 North Atlanta to ultimately stun the Warriors in overtime 90-81. Tri-Cities wasn’t as fortunate against Class 5A No. 4 Lithonia, losing 76-72. After a humbling season opening loss to national power Mountain Brook (AL), No. 2 Alexander rebounded with a pair of wins at the Spartan Turkey Jam in Birmingham, Alabama. They beat Northridge (AL) 69-52 and Sacred Heart (AL) 72-38. No. 8 South Cobb beat Huntsville (AL) 68-55 following their 74-40 loss to Mountain Brook at the Turkey Jam. No. 5 Langston Hughes survived Class 4A No. 7 Carver-Columbus 86-79 in double overtime behind Tyrel Morgan’s 26 points and 11 rebounds and Patrick Carter Jr.’s 24 points and 5 rebounds. The Panthers dropped a heartbreaker to Class A-Private No. 3 Greenforest 62-60 at Holiday Hoopsgiving. No. 10 Dacula is having déjà vu, digging themselves another early hole to start the season. The offensively talented Falcons sink six spots and are now 0-3 with recent losses coming against Class 7A No. 2 Meadowcreek 66-48 and Class 7A No. 10 Peachtree Ridge 90-83. Minus three starters, two coming off the football field this week, Sequoyah (1-2) could not handle their premature Top 10 ranking. The Chiefs rallied behind Jacksen Greco’s 29 points but fell short against Marietta 68-63. Sequoyah laid an egg the following day vs. Pope, getting blasted 97-54. Once Myles McGee and DJ King return to the court, the Chiefs’ upside can be properly measured. Sequoyah is replaced by No. 9 Mundy’s Mill. The Tigers are off to a quick start with unsigned 6-foot-5 senior wing Rayquan Brown and 6-foot-7 Jordan Black leading the charge. Brown averaged 29.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks through his first two games while Black scored 19 points and 6-foot-5 post DeMarcus Fannin averaged 12.5 points and 12.5 rebounds. Mundy’s Mill’s 80-71 win at Luella is their best to date. They have a favorable schedule heading into their December 8th showdown at the SportalShowcase against South Paulding.

The tug-o-war has begun in Class AAAAA, as No. 1 Southwest DeKalb reclaims the No. 1 ranking after a statement 79-69 win over Class 7A No. 6 Norcross at Holiday Hoopsgiving – without three transfers, Maurice Harvey and Terrence Edwards key starters sitting out. Eugene Brown III caught fire from deep, hitting 7 threes en route to 25 points to pace the Panthers. Brown earned offers from Xavier and Kennesaw State – Yes, Kennesaw State – after the game. KD Johnson piled in 23 points, 8 assists and 5 steals while James Glisson III posted 18 points and 4 steals. No. 2 Buford has been no slouch either. They slide back behind Southwest DeKalb but the Wolves beat South Gwinnett 67-58 and Stephenson 93-45 to win the Parkview Tip-Off Classic. No. 4 Lithonia is up a spot after a busy week. The Bulldogs beat Milton in overtime 70-63, drilled No. 10 Cedar Shoals 57-40 – who tumbles four spots – lost to Class 7A No. 7 Westlake 74-69 and capped off the week with a 76-72 win over Class 6A No. 1 Tri-Cities. After an 0-2 start, No. 8 Woodland-Stockbridge has quickly regained its footing, beating Class 6A No. 7 Tucker 60-59 and Douglass 69-60. Maynard Jackson’s time in the poll was short lived. The Jags (2-2) dropped back-to-back games to Dutchtown 60-47 and newly ranked Class 2A No. 8 South Atlanta 77-41. No. 9 Hiram replaces Maynard Jackson. The reigning semifinalist has re-tooled with 2020 guard JaVyen Brown, a McEachern transfer and 2020 three-point specialist Arshad Crepsac, who also started his high school career at McEachern. Crepsac has seen an increased role offensively this season while 6-foot-8 center Nathan Presnell is still one of Georgia’s best big men. Their only loss came in overtime to Campbell 80-77.

Over in Class AAAA, No. 1 Upson-Lee began their title defense with wins over Taylor County (72-43) and Lamar County (71-38) to run the two-time state champs’ winning streak to 65. No. 2 St. Pius X lost to Mountain Brook (AL) 57-41 after the nationally ranked program drilled Class 6A ranked teams Alexander and South Cobb. No. 3 Sandy Creek edged Class 3A No. 2 GAC 70-66. No. 4 Woodward Academy beat The Heritage School 63-58 as Walker Kessler went for 17 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists and 9 blocks. No. 5 Henry County is up another spot after two more impressive wins. The Warhawks hammered Valdosta 53-26 and knocked off Class A-Public No. 3 Drew Charter 58-42. No. 10 Americus-Sumter handled their business against Lee County 71-63 in their season opener, Josh Lusane posting 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.

After being knocked off their perch in the Class AAA Final Four as No. 2 GAC sank 13 threes, No. 1 Morgan County is finally back on top of the poll. The Bulldogs shined at Holiday Hoopsgiving, beating Class 7A No. 9 Pebblebrook 70-64 and Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis 82-67. The three-headed senior backcourt of Stevin Greene, Tyrin Lawrence and Austin Peay-signee Alec Woodard overwhelmed the opposition. Against Pebblebrook, Woodard finished with 23 points and 5 rebounds while Tyrin Lawrence had 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Greene chipped in 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. In their win over St. Francis, Greene was on fire from deep, the 5-foot-9 point guard dropping in 29 points while Lawrence scored 19 and Woodard netted 17. As everything clicked for the Bulldogs, GAC saw their difficult non-region schedule lend them a 0-3 start. The defending state champs lost 70-66 to Class 4A No. 3 Sandy Creek and to Class 7A No. 3 Wheeler 76-66. Hunter McIntosh poured in 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists against Wheeler, but the absence of 6-foot-5 post Chris Hinton has been glaring inside for the Spartans to start the year. New-look No. 3 Johnson-Savannah opened the season with a 65-53 loss to Lanier (AL) at Holiday Hoopsgiving. Emondre Bowles scored 18 points and Brandon Harris netted 16. No. 6 Westside-Macon is up three spots after beating Pike County 97-52, but more so because of the losses in front of them. No. 7 Dawson County slips a spot after losing to Cumberland Christian 75-64. No. 10 East Hall is down three spots after falling to newly ranked No. 9 Hart County 78-60 at the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic. The Bulldogs earned an 87-77 win over Walnut Grove after losing their tournament opener to Berkmar 73-59. Hart County replaces Redan (1-3), who lost 63-58 to Alpharetta.

There is a new number one in Class AA. No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins earns its first top ranking in school history after punishing Class 6A Bradwell Institute 91-51. All-State guard Preston Crisp dumped in 32 points followed by Bernard Pelote’s 17, Deante Green’s 11 and freshman Alfred Coaxum’s 10. For comparison, Class 6A No. 6 Heritage-Conyers only beat Bradwell 52-39. No. 2 Therrell blew a 64-51 lead heading into the fourth quarter against Class A-Private No. 6 Holy Innocents’ at Holiday Hoopsgiving to lose 91-85 in overtime. 6-foot-5 sophomore Robbie Armbrester was unstoppable inside, hanging 28 points and 18 rebounds while Ra’Sean Frederick added 18 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. The Panthers have one glaring achilles heel however – no shooters. The loss of DeAndre Brown to Holy Spirit Prep was apparent against Holy Innocents’ as Therrell scored 70 points in the paint, 25 points off turnovers, 22 second chance points and 22 fast break points, but the Panthers got just 9 points off the bench, shot 1-of-9 from three (the one coming at the buzzer from Roman Son to force OT) and just 8-of-21 from the foul line. Holy Innocents’ only led for 2 minutes and 24 seconds the entire game. If Therrell can’t find floor spacers or help off the bench, the Panthers could run into trouble against teams that can match their physicality and pack it in and rebound. Elsewhere in the state, Dublin (0-1) and Chattooga (1-2) exit the Top 10. Dublin was defeated by No. 6 Swainsboro 75-63 at home. Chattooga, missing three of their top seven players, have battled a lack of practice and participation stemmed by injuries. They finished 1-2 at the Dalton Invitational with a pair of losses to Tennessee (TN) and Morristown-Hamblen East (TN). Into the poll is longtime heavyweight No. 8 South Atlanta. Expected to go through a rebuilding process, Coach Michael Reddick’s team had none of it as they walloped Class 5A Maynard Jackson 77-41, knocking the Jaguars from the Top 10 after Ja’Quavian Florence dropped 28 points and John Lawton scored 15. Also debuting is No. 10 Glenn Hills, another team expected to have an extreme makeover after graduating a massive class. Juniors 6-foot-7 Eman Jones and 6-foot-5 John Whitehead are developing into two of the area’s best prospects and most exciting players to watch. The Spartans get a big Region 4 test as they host 2-0 Butler on Tuesday.

For another week, Class A-Private will belong to No. 1 St. Francis, but the margin of error is dwindling. The Knights were outgunned by an experienced senior-laden Class 3A No. 1 Morgan County team 82-67. No. 2 Mt. Bethel could have moved into the top spot, but a less than dominant 65-61 win over Miller Grove and a 59-55 loss to Lanier (AL) gives the Knights one more week atop the heap. No. 3 Greenforest played well at Holiday Hoopsgiving, beating Class 6A No. 5 Langston Hughes 62-60 before falling to Class 7A No. 9 Pebblebrook 57-51. No. 6 Holy Innocents’ looked poised to move into the top five after beating Class 2A No. 2 Therrell 91-85 in overtime, but a shaky 52-50 loss to Sacred Heart (AL) keeps them stuck in neutral. Whitefield Academy (1-2) is a casualty this week after losing 57-47 to Hillgrove then a bad 72-37 loss to North Cobb. They are replaced by No. 9 Mt. Pisgah. The Patriots floated near the bottom of the poll early last season but never gained enough traction to stick. James Madison-signee Quinn Richey is averaging 20.3 points and 8 rebounds while Chandler Minton and Chase Tucker both average over 13 points per game in support. 6-foot-7 sophomore Nate Gordon could be developing into a difference maker, averaging 7.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4 blocks early in the season. The Patriots’ best win came to open the year against Centennial in overtime, 77-71.

Moving up a spot in Class A-Public is No. 3 Drew Charter. The Eagles won the North Forsyth Keller Williams Classic Championship by beating Class A-Private No. 8 Lakeview Academy 66-65 and in the title game, Cherokee 59-55 behind Furman-signee Marcus Foster’s 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. No. 2 Georgia Military clings onto their second position after blowing a double-digit lead to Evans, 65-60. No. 5 Treutlen looked like the Vikings of old, running McIntosh County Academy out of the gym 89-50. No. 7 Lanier County beat MCA 71-54.