Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (24-2)
2. Norcross (24-3)
3. Newton (24-3)
4. Pebblebrook (24-2)
5. Peachtree Ridge (23-4)
6. Meadowcreek (21-6)
7. Mountain View (21-5)
8. Etowah (23-2)
9. Tift County (20-6)
10. Grayson (19-6)

Class AAAAAA

1. Gainesville (20-6)
2. Langston Hughes (22-5)
3. Stephenson (21-5)
4. Douglas County (21-6)
5. Brunswick (24-3)
6. Coffee (18-7)
7. Jonesboro (20-8)
8. Bradwell Institute (19-7)
9. Tri-Cities (19-9)
10. South Cobb (18-8)

Class AAAAA

1. Buford (23-4)
2. Warner Robins (23-3)
3. Lithonia (22-6)
4. Miller Grove (19-7)
5. Stockbridge (22-6)
6. Columbia (19-9)
7. Eagle’s Landing (21-6)
8. Starr’s Mill (19-7)
9. Clarke Central (22-6)
10. Maynard Jackson (24-2)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (26-0)
2. St. Pius X (24-3)
3. Sandy Creek (22-5)
4. Westover (21-6)
5. Baldwin (21-6)
6. Americus-Sumter (24-3)
7. Salem (20-6)
8. Mary Persons (23-4)
9. Woodward Academy (19-8)
10. Carver-Columbus (20-8)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (26-1)
2. Johnson-Savannah (24-2)
3. Greater Atlanta Christian (23-3)
4. Cedar Grove (21-6)
5. Jenkins (21-5)
6. Central-Macon (21-5)
7. Cook (18-9)
8. Westside-Macon (18-10)
9. Pace Academy (16-11)
10. Dawson County (18-9)

Class AA

1. Therrell (18-7)
2. Laney (25-3)
3. Dublin (22-3)
4. Glenn Hills (24-2)
5. Thomasville (23-3)
6. Jeff Davis (21-7)
7. South Atlanta (23-4)
8. Swainsboro (20-6)
9. Banks County (24-4)
10. Washington County (17-8)

Class A-Private

1. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (25-3)
2. Christian Heritage (26-2)
3. St. Francis (24-3)
4. North Cobb Christian (21-6)
5. Aquinas (23-5)
6. Greenforest (15-11)
7. Stratford Academy (18-7)
8. Holy Innocents’ (15-9)
9. Mt. Vernon Presbyterian (17-10)
10. Lakeview Academy (20-7)

Class A-Public

1. Wilkinson County (22-6)
2. Calhoun County (26-2)
3. Manchester (20-6)
4. Montgomery County (24-3)
5. Central-Talbotton (21-3)
6. Woodville-Tompkins (24-3)
7. Lanier County (24-3)
8. Georgia Military College (23-3)
9. Terrell County (19-9)
10. Wilcox County (21-7)

Everything you need to know about this week’s rankings can be sorted out HERE. Stay tuned for this year’s #FebruaryFrenzy Bracket Challenge which will be hosted by sportalspace. The brackets will be able to all be submitted electronically without the hassle of printing/scanning/emailing them to me.

But for a semi-quick recap of a phenomenal week of Region Tournament hoops, here we go.

In Class AAAAAAA, No. 2 Norcross used a Kyle Sturdivant buzzer-beater to stun No. 6 Meadowcreek. Even with their two heart-breaking losses to Norcross, expect the Mustangs to be a trendy pick to make the Final Four this year. No. 4 Pebblebrook won Region 2 on a Grant Howard floater at the buzzer to beat Wheeler and win their 22^nd game in a row. If you listened to Spielin’ & Dealin’ before the season, my prediction on defending state champion No. 9 Tift County was right on the money. The Blue Devils won their region and eclipsed the 20-win mark and now debut in the Top 10 for the first time all season – uh-oh.

No. 9 Tri-Cities has started to fall apart in Class AAAAAA and will have a tough first round game against Region 6 champion and debutant No. 10 South Cobb. The Bulldogs are 2-4 in their last six games, sliding into the four-spot in Region 5. Their two wins over that span have come by a combined three points against 9-17 South Paulding and 13-12 Mays. If they can regain their mid-season form, Tri-Cities is a threat for a deep run, if not, it will be a massively disappointing year.

The already lopsided-on-paper matchup between Region 5 and Region 6 in Class AAAAA just got that much more unfair. No. 4 Miller Grove and No. 6 Columbia fall to the 3 and 4 seeds, meaning the very vocal Jaguars of No. 10 Maynard Jackson have an opportunity to prove themselves a title contender if they can beat Columbia.

Class AAAA sees Cartersville (19-6) drop from the Top 10 with a Region 5 Championship loss to No. 3 Sandy Creek. No. 4 Westover won the competitive Region 1 title over No. 6 Americus-Sumter while No. 9 Woodward Academy edged No. 7 Salem in overtime for the Region 4 crown after 6-foot-10 Walker Kessler hit a late three to send the game to the extra period. The War Eagles are an interesting group with an imposing front court, but their limited backcourt could be what ultimately hinders them.

No. 1 Morgan County survived the scare of a lifetime at Emmanuel College as they outlasted Hart County 71-68 in 2OT, the last region tournament game to finish in the GHSA. The Bulldogs from Hart County have gone toe-to-toe with Morgan County twice now out of their three meetings. Hart County draws East Hall in Round 1, which should be an interesting matchup. No. 2 Johnson-Savannah is rolling with a 72-59 win over No. 5 Jenkins. Windsor Forest (15-10) went from No. 10 in the state to not even making the big dance. Two-time defending state champion No. 9 Pace Academy has crept their way into the Top 10. Yale-signee Isaiah Kelly struggles with consistency against other formidable post players, but with the right draw and some outside shooting, Pace could scare some teams in state.

Scheduling tough pays off in the end. Hopefully this isn’t the end just yet for No. 1 Therrell, who grabs the top spot in Class AA in the final week of the season. The Panthers beat No. 7 South Atlanta for the third-time in the Region 6 Championship, 80-73. Therrell is loaded with freshmen and sophomores and might be on the verge of becoming Atlanta’s next small school powerhouse. No. 4 Glenn Hills crumbled when the pressure was on, submitting to the much smaller No. 2 Laney Wildcats. No. 3 Dublin was edged by No. 10 Washington County 61-60 in the Region 3 Championship. No. 8 Swainsboro picked the wrong time to have the wheels fall off, finishing as the 4-seed in Region 2 after going 14-0 during the regular season in region play. They are now pitted against No. 5 Thomasville. It may sound crazy, but give the slight edge to Swainsboro. Thomasville struggles against good guard play, but if the Tigers get in foul trouble, the Bulldogs could overwhelm them with their size.

My, my, my. Yes, there is a new title contender in Class A-Private. After holding serve at No. 1 the entire season, St. Francis drops to No. 3. The state was sent notice by the boys from Dalton as No. 2 Christian Heritage defeated the Knights 64-62, leading wire-to-wire, then routed No. 4 North Cobb Christian 71-47 to win the Region 6 title. Christian Heritage has size across the board, going 6-3, 6-4, 6-5 and topped off by 6-foot-7 matchup nightmare Christian Koneman, who eliminated any buckets at the rim for St. Francis. Plucky guards Zach Gentry and Sam Dindoffer are small, but Dindoffer is a big shot taker and maker, hitting St. Francis up for 27 points. After taking down one No. 1 team already, Christian Heritage and the rest of the state has their targets set on No. 1 ELCA. The Chargers have put it all together and won the Region 5 title over a much-improved No. 6 Greenforest team 66-54.

Class A-Public also has a new No. 1. Instead of a surprise like Christian Heritage, it’s who always rises to the top at this time of year: No. 1 Wilkinson County. Wins over Class A-Private No. 5 Aquinas and No. 8 Georgia Military in the Region 7 Championship give the Warriors all the momentum. Elsewhere, No. 3 Manchester lost their first game on the court this year to No. 5 Central-Talbotton.

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (22-2)
2. Norcross (22-3)
3. Newton (22-3)
4. Pebblebrook (22-2)
5. Peachtree Ridge (21-4)
6. Mountain View (19-4)
7. Meadowcreek (20-5)
8. Grayson (18-5)
9. Collins Hill (20-4)
10. Etowah (21-2) 

Class AAAAAA

1. Gainesville (18-6)
2. Langston Hughes (20-5)
3. Douglas County (19-5)
4. Stephenson (18-5)
5. Jonesboro (18-7)
6. Tri-Cities (18-7)
7. Bradwell Institute (18-6)
8. Brunswick (22-3)
9. Cambridge (23-1)
10. Coffee (16-7) 

Class AAAAA

1. Buford (21-4)
2. Warner Robins (21-3)
3. Miller Grove (18-6)
4. Columbia (18-7)
5. Eagle’s Landing (19-5)
6. Stockbridge (20-5)
7. Statesboro (20-4)
8. Lithonia (19-6)
9. Clarke Central (20-5)
10. Starr’s Mill (17-7) 

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (24-0)
2. St. Pius X (22-3)
3. Americus-Sumter (23-2)
4. Sandy Creek (20-5)
5. Baldwin (19-6)
6. Salem (19-5)
7. Westover (19-6)
8. Carver-Columbus (18-7)
9. Mary Persons (22-3)
10. Cartersville (18-5) 

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (24-1)
2. Johnson-Savannah (22-2)
3. Greater Atlanta Christian (21-3)
4. Jenkins (20-4)
5. Cedar Grove (18-6)
6. Central-Macon (19-5)
7. Cook (16-9)
8. Westside-Macon (16-9)
9. Pierce County (18-7)
10. Windsor Forest (15-9)

Class AA

1. Glenn Hills (23-1)
2. Dublin (21-2)
3. Therrell (16-7)
4. Swainsboro (20-4)
5. South Atlanta (21-3)
6. Laney (22-3)
7. Thomasville (21-3)
8. Elbert County (21-3)
9. Jeff Davis (18-7)
10. Banks County (21-4) 

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (23-2)
2. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (22-3)
3. Aquinas (21-4)
4. Lakeview Academy (19-6)
5. North Cobb Christian (19-5)
6. Stratford Academy (17-5)
7. Greenforest (13-10)
8. Holy Innocents’ (14-8)
9. Christian Heritage (22-2)
10. Mt. Vernon Presbyterian (16-9)

Class A-Public

1. Manchester (18-5)
2. Woodville-Tompkins (23-2)
3. Calhoun County (23-2)
4. Montgomery County (21-3)
5. Wilkinson County (19-6)
6. Lanier County (22-3)
7. Central-Talbotton (19-3)
8. Georgia Military College (21-2)
9. Pelham (21-4)
10. Clinch County (16-6)

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (20-2)
2. Norcross (19-3)
3. Newton (20-3)
4. Pebblebrook (19-2)
5. Peachtree Ridge (18-4)
6. Mountain View (18-4)
7. Meadowcreek (15-5)
8. Duluth (16-6)
9. Wheeler (15-6)
10. Grayson (16-5)

Class AAAAAA

1. Gainesville (16-6)
2. Langston Hughes (19-5)
3. Tri-Cities (17-5)
4. Stephenson (15-5)
5. Douglas County (16-5)
6. Jonesboro (15-7)
7. Bradwell Institute (16-6)
8. Brunswick (19-3)
9. Cambridge (20-1)
10. Coffee (14-7)

Class AAAAA

1. Buford (19-4)
2. Warner Robins (19-3)
3. Miller Grove (16-6)
4. Columbia (16-7)
5. Eagle’s Landing (17-5)
6. Stockbridge (18-5)
7. Lithonia (16-5)
8. Statesboro (18-4)
9. Clarke Central (17-5)
10. Woodland-Stockbridge (16-5)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (22-0)
2. St. Pius X (20-3)
3. Americus-Sumter (20-2)
4. Sandy Creek (17-5)
5. Mary Persons (21-2)
6. Westover (17-5)
7. Baldwin (17-6)
8. Salem (16-5)
9. Carver-Columbus (18-6)
10. Cartersville (16-4)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (22-1)
2. Johnson-Savannah (19-2)
3. Greater Atlanta Christian (19-3)
4. Jenkins (18-4)
5. Cedar Grove (15-6)
6. Central-Macon (16-5)
7. Pierce County (16-6)
8. Long County (15-8)
9. Windsor Forest (14-8)
10. Westside-Macon (14-9)

Class AA

1. Glenn Hills (20-1)
2. Dublin (18-2)
3. South Atlanta (18-2)
4. Swainsboro (18-3)
5. Laney (19-3)
6. Thomasville (19-3)
7. Therrell (13-7)
8. Elbert County (19-3)
9. Jeff Davis (16-7)
10. Banks County (19-4)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (20-2)
2. Aquinas (19-3)
3. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (19-3)
4. Stratford Academy (16-4)
5. Lakeview Academy (17-6)
6. North Cobb Christian (18-5)
7. Holy Innocents’ (12-7)
8. Mt. Vernon Presbyterian (16-6)
9. Greenforest (11-10)
10. Christian Heritage (19-2)

Class A-Public

1. Manchester (20-0)
2. Woodville-Tompkins (20-2)
3. Calhoun County (20-2)
4. Montgomery County (18-3)
5. Central-Talbotton (17-3)
6. Wilkinson County (16-6)
7. Lanier County (20-3)
8. Macon County (17-4)
9. Pelham (18-4)
10. Terrell County (16-6)

The contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pretenders as we enter our final full week of regular season basketball before the region tournaments tip-off. In Class AAAAAAA, four-star wing Charles Smith IV has made an immediate impact for No. 1 McEachern. It took a buzzer-beating three from Kyle Sturdivant for No. 2 Norcross to beat a Jamir Chaplin-less No. 7 Meadowcreek 64-63. There was more madness in Region 6 as Collins Hill (18-4) falls out of the Top 10 after having their win over Discovery on January 20 overturned and replayed, losing 45-44. The Eagles bounced back and beat the Titans 61-49, but lost to No. 6 Mountain View 60-57. The Bears also beat No. 5 Peachtree Ridge 56-48 before losing in the Lions’ Den 68-57. Sandwiched in between their duels with the Bears, Peachtree Ridge beat Shiloh 49-44. Those same Generals beat No. 10 Grayson 54-53 following the Rams loss to No. 3 Newton 71-69, dropping Grayson five spots. Returning to the poll is No. 9 Wheeler. The Wildcats won at Westlake 54-49 and now play No. 4 Pebblebrook at the Cobb Civic Center on Friday night.

Class AAAAAA No. 1 Gainesville steamrolled Lanier 74-43. Unranked Mays played role of spoiler this week, beating No. 5 Douglas County 67-55 and nearly upsetting No. 2 Langston Hughes, 42-40. No. 3 Tri-Cities is up a spot after handling their business, beating Alexander on Senior Night 55-49 and dumping Westlake 66-55. No. 4 Stephenson climbs two spots following their 51-49 win against Tucker and a 54-51 victory over Southwest DeKalb. No. 6 Jonesboro is also on the move after beating Tucker 53-44. No. 7 Bradwell Institute lost 68-57 at Effingham County, the Rebels’ first Region 2 win of the year. No. 8 Brunswick tumbles three more spots. The Pirates rallied yet again to beat Glynn Academy 60-56 after trailing 40-28 entering the fourth, but ran out of magic against Liberty County, getting blown out 86-69. No. 9 Cambridge held off a plucky North Atlanta team in overtime 63-62 to remain perfect in Region 7. Even with their 64-59 loss on Senior Night to Tift County, No. 10 Coffee retains their Top 10 ranking. The Trojans passed the eye-test, with athletes all over the floor. 2019 6-foot-7 lefty Mackenzie McFatten dominated the smaller Blue Devils with 18 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 blocks. All-State guard Jayce Moore was held to 9 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Tift County’s unsigned senior guard Montae Terrell stole the show with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks.

No. 1 Buford were road warriors this week in Class AAAAA, winning at Flowery Branch 60-46 and edging newly ranked No. 9 Clarke Central 81-73. No. 3 Miller Grove sent Southwest DeKalb (14-9) out of the poll with a heart-breaking 35-34 loss. No. 4 Columbia skyrockets five spots after drilling No. 7 Lithonia on the road 59-39 and going 3-0 to win the Alaska Airlines Classic Championship. No. 6 Stockbridge climbs four spots after the mayhem ahead of them and beating Class 4A No. 8 Salem 63-54. All the talk about Villa Rica (18-1) and Maynard Jackson (20-2) playing weak schedules came to roost as both teams are out of the polls after suffering losses. Villa Rica lost at Hiram 63-57, while Riverwood bounced the Jaguars 77-69. No. 8 Statesboro and No. 10 Woodland-Stockbridge replace them. Woodland hosts No. 5 Eagle’s Landing on Tuesday.

In Class AAAA, No. 2 St. Pius X and No. 5 Mary Persons survived scares against lesser opponents, the Golden Lions escaping Madison County 63-57 and the Bulldogs leaving Howard with a 76-69 win. No. 7 Baldwin sinks three spots after their 60-57 loss to Burke County. No. 8 Salem is down three spots following a 63-54 loss to Class 5A No. 6 Stockbridge. No. 4 Sandy Creek is starting to put it all together, crushing No. 10 Cartersville 78-52 and LaGrange 67-45, to leap five spots. The Hurricanes are down three positions as they were also upset at Troup County 65-62. No. 6 Westover rises two slots after beating returnee No. 9 Carver-Columbus 68-63. The Tigers bounced back with an 81-41 shellacking of Northside-Columbus. Out of the poll is Woodward Academy (14-7). The War Eagles lost at Eastside 60-47 and at Henry County 56-49.

Down in Savannah, No. 2 Johnson-Savannah took the season lead on No. 4 Jenkins with a 67-60 win in Class AAA, jumping the Warriors in the poll. No. 3 GAC cracks the Top 3 after beating East Hall 64-51 and overwhelming Dawson County 67-33. No. 5 Cedar Grove sent Towers (13-7) packing as the Saints beat the Titans 70-59. Towers also lost 62-48 to Redan after beating them 73-56 earlier in the week. No. 6 Central-Macon moves up four spots thanks to a 61-56 win over No. 10 Westside-Macon. No. 7 Pierce County cracks to Top 10 with an 88-82 overtime win against No. 8 Long County. No. 9 Windsor Forest is down three spots after losing 84-83 at Islands.

No. 2 Dublin has a stiff test in Class AA as they host Washington County, who beat them 73-72 in their first meeting. The Irish are coming off wins at Northeast-Macon 76-66 and at Bleckley County 65-59. No. 4 Swainsboro knocked off returnee No. 9 Jeff Davis 73-56 and got revenge against Effingham County who beat them to open the season 65-57, by stopping the Rebels 78-66. The Yellow Jackets of Jeff Davis are back in the poll after taking out Vidalia (16-7) at home, 57-49.  No. 8 Elbert County defeated No. 10 Banks County 61-56.

Class A-Private saw No. 9 Greenforest, back from the grave, shock No. 3 ELCA 69-56 behind Christian Jackson’s 26 points and Jaylyn Clark’s 17. In Region 6A, No. 6 North Cobb Christian avoided a major letdown, outlasting Bowdon 68-67 in overtime. No. 10 Christian Heritage wasn’t as lucky, falling 52-49 at Trion and slipping three spots. No. 8 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian beat Galloway 66-32 and thumped WD Mohammed 71-28, shooting the Caliphs out of the rankings. WD Mohammed also lost in overtime to Paideia 48-45. The Mustangs now travel to a vocal No. 7 Holy Innocents’ on Tuesday.

In Class A-Public, No. 4 Montgomery County hammered rival Treutlen 85-60 at Brewton-Parker. No. 7 Lanier County sinks two spots after a 61-50 loss at Clinch County. No. 6 Wilkinson County has owned No. 8 Macon County over the past two years, stabbing the Bulldogs again with a painful 75-74 overtime loss, dropping Macon County two spots and rising the Warriors three positions. Wilcox County (17-5) exits the Top 10 after a 78-77 loss at Dooly County. No. 10 Terrell County gets their first crack at the rankings.

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (14-2)
2. Norcross (16-2)
3. Pebblebrook (16-2)
4. Mountain View (16-2)
5. Newton (15-3)
6. Meadowcreek (13-3)
7. Grayson (13-3)
8. Peachtree Ridge (14-3)
9. Collins Hill (16-2)
10. Wheeler (11-7)

Class AAAAAA

1. Langston Hughes (15-4)
2. Gainesville (11-6)
3. Brunswick (17-1)
4. Tri-Cities (14-4)
5. Douglas County (13-4)
6. Stephenson (12-5)
7. Jonesboro (13-6)
8. Cambridge (17-1)
9. Bradwell Institute (13-5)
10. Coffee (9-6)

Class AAAAA

1. Warner Robins (14-2)
2. Buford (15-3)
3. Miller Grove (12-6)
4. Southwest DeKalb (13-6)
5. Lithonia (15-4)
6. Villa Rica (16-0)
7. Maynard Jackson (17-1)
8. Stockbridge (13-4)
9. Statesboro (14-3)
10. Eagle’s Landing (13-5)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (18-0)
2. St. Pius X (16-2)
3. Mary Persons (17-1)
4. Westover (13-4)
5. Americus-Sumter (15-2)
6. Salem (14-4)
7. Cartersville (12-2)
8. Baldwin (13-5)
9. Carver-Columbus (15-4)
10. Sandy Creek (12-5)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (17-0)
2. Jenkins (12-3)
3. Johnson-Savannah (13-2)
4. Greater Atlanta Christian (14-3)
5. Westside-Macon (9-7)
6. Cedar Grove (12-6)
7. Central-Macon (12-3)
8. Windsor Forest (11-6)
9. Dawson County (13-4)
10. Towers (11-5)

Class AA

1. Glenn Hills (16-0)
2. Thomasville (15-2)
3. South Atlanta (15-2)
4. Dublin (13-2)
5. Elbert County (16-2)
6. Swainsboro (12-3)
7. Washington County (10-5)
8. Laney (13-3)
9. Therrell (11-7)
10. Banks County (16-3)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (15-2)
2. Aquinas (16-3)
3. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (15-2)
4. Christian Heritage (16-0)
5. Stratford Academy (10-4)
6. Mt. Vernon Presbyterian (11-4)
7. Lakeview Academy (11-5)
8. North Cobb Christian (13-5)
9. Holy Innocents’ (10-7)
10. Drew Charter (8-8)

Class A-Public

1. Manchester (14-0)
2. Woodville-Tompkins (15-2)
3. Calhoun County (16-2)
4. Montgomery County (13-3)
5. Central-Talbotton (14-2)
6. Wilcox County (13-3)
7. Lanier County (15-2)
8. Pelham (13-3)
9. Macon County (12-3)
10. Wilkinson County (11-6)

We have two new No. 1 teams this week, but in Class AAAAAAA, No. 1 McEachern is still the team to beat. There has been some major shuffling below the Indians, however. No. 9 Collins Hill drops six spots after getting swept by returnee, No. 8 Peachtree Ridge, 54-49. The Lions raced past the Eagles, outscoring them 17-7 in the final quarter with Florida State-signee Devin Vassell dropping in 23 points. Collins Hill’s inability to beat Peachtree Ridge has opened up a half-game lead in Region 6 for No. 4 Mountain View, just ahead of the Lions. The Bears have quietly won 11-straight games but have a murderer’s row to finish the regular season; luckily for them all at home. Mountain View hosts Duluth (13-6), Peachtree Ridge, Collins Hill and Discovery (9-9) over their final four games. No. 6 Meadowcreek shut down EJ Montgomery and No. 10 Wheeler 59-47, sending the Wildcats down three positions. No. 3 Pebblebrook survived a tough road week, winning at South Cobb 80-74 and at Westlake 69-59. No. 5 Newton dispatched of Class 3A No. 5 Westside-Macon 86-70 at the Covington News Super 8 Showcase. Falling out of the Top 10 is Etowah (16-2). The Eagles were upset in overtime by Walton, 43-38.

No. 1 Langston Hughes was upset on Tuesday night in Region 5-AAAAAA play at Alexander 70-66, but retains their top position since Landers Nolley did not play. Nolley, however, made up for lost time by hanging 31 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals in a 69-58 win at No. 4 Tri-Cities, and followed up with a 50-point outburst in a 78-56 win at Creekside. No. 2 Gainesville could never quite pull away from Lanier (13-5) even after leading 47-29 after three quarters and eventually holding on for a 57-46 win. The Longhorns exit the poll and are replaced by No. 10 Coffee. The Trojans have won 5-straight, including a 53-47 win over Lowndes. Coffee is 7-3 since football season ended. Also out of the poll is Dacula (10-7). The Falcons have been one of the state’s biggest disappointments with three future D-I players and a Columbus State-signee on the roster. They were upset by Mill Creek 53-49. Breaking back into the Top 10 for the first time since Week 5 is No. 6 Stephenson. The Jaguars beat No. 7 Jonesboro in overtime 65-58. Down four spots is No. 9 Bradwell Institute. The Tigers have not found consistency this year, losing to Glynn Academy 63-54.

Following No. 2 Buford’s unforeseen 65-64 loss at Cedar Shoals, No. 1 Warner Robins regains control of Class AAAAA. No. 3 Miller Grove continues to turn back competition in Region 5, beating No. 4 Southwest DeKalb in overtime, 63-58. No. 5 Lithonia visits Southwest DeKalb on Tuesday.  No. 6 Villa Rica continues to slip by, beating 3-13 East Paulding 77-72, 10-7 Cass 54-43 and 10-8 Kell 53-51. No. 8 Stockbridge knocked Woodland-Stockbridge (12-5) out of the Top 10, 76-69 at Woodland. Columbia (11-7) also tumbles out of the rankings following a 73-72 loss to Arabia Mountain. Reentering are No. 9 Statesboro and No. 10 Eagle’s Landing. The Blue Devils blew out Ware County on the road 64-45 while the Eagles won at Union Grove 62-38 and beat Dutchtown 70-63.

If No. 3 Mary Persons can’t contend with No. 1 Upson-Lee in Region 2-AAAA, the classification is shaping up to be relatively drama-free come state tournament time. Cam Holden will need a monster game if the Bulldogs are to shock the nation. Holden piled in 46 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in Mary Persons’ 92-76 win against Northside-Warner Robins and was suspended for their 76-46 loss at home against the Knights. No. 2 St. Pius X blasted Wesleyan 67-33 on the road. No. 4 Westover has won 11-straight and took advantage of a tired No. 5 Americus-Sumter team that won a 125-122 six overtime game against No. 9 Carver-Columbus the night before. The Patriots beat the Panthers 68-63 at Westover. No. 10 Sandy Creek plummets seven spots. Much like last year, the Patriots just can’t seem to play up to their full potential for the entire season. They lost 62-58 at No. 7 Cartersville and fell at LaGrange 50-49, putting themselves in a hole in Region 5.

No. 1 Morgan County scored a pair of 68-47 Region 8-AAA wins over East Jackson and Monroe Area (10-6), who has lost four in a row and falls out of the Top 10. No. 2 Jenkins turned back No. 8 Windsor Forest for the second time this year 61-57, but did not impress in a 61-52 win over Peach County at the Covington News Super 8 Showcase. No. 4 Greater Atlanta Christian proved the Sandy’s Spiel Rankings are the only polls you should ever go by, crushing an overwhelmed Union County team 70-39 on the road. No. 6 Cedar Grove suffered a very bad loss at Lovett, 47-45, dropping the Saints two spots. Pierce County (12-4) did not last long in the Top 10, losing to Ware County 55-48. Back into the poll is No. 9 Dawson County, who beat Union County 48-45. Debuting is No. 10 Towers. The Titans beat Pace Academy 79-77 and now visit Cedar Grove on Tuesday.

The pressure was too much for No. 7 Washington County in Class AA as the Golden Hawks wilted and dropped four spots after losses to Dodge County 65-59 and to Southwest-Macon 47-45. Over half the roster was sick with the flu, saving the Golden Hawks from falling completely out of the Top 10. No. 3 South Atlanta earned a pair of wins at the MLK Inspire Classic, beating Northeast (FL) 73-65 and Fleming Island (FL) 74-56. No. 4 Dublin took care of Northeast-Macon 82-67 but will have their hands full on Friday as they welcome hard-charging Bleckley County. The Royals are 13-3 under first-year head coach Randall Owens after finishing 16-13 a year ago. Multi-sport star 6-foot-4 Torenio Davis is a freakish athlete that is averaging 16.2 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks. No. 10 Banks County drops another spot after the Leopards still can’t find their swagger. The Leopards blew out Region 8 opponents last year, but had to hold on for a 70-66 win over the 3-13 Oglethorpe County Patriots on Saturday.

Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis clocked King’s Ridge Christian 65-45 and Mt. Pisgah 79-35. It didn’t take long for last week’s new faces in the poll to falter. Walker (12-4) drops out after barely beating Pinecrest Academy in overtime 64-62 and losing at Galloway 58-52. Landmark Christian (10-7) has lost 3-straight, sinking out of the Top 10. Taking their place is debutant No. 10 Drew Charter. First-year head coach James Williams has guided the Eagles to 4-straight wins, highlighted by a 79-71 win over Greenforest, a 74-60 victory against Landmark Christian and a 61-51 win over Fulton Leadership Academy. No. 8 North Cobb Christian returns after a 68-63 overtime win against Allatoona. No. 5 Stratford Academy beat Class A-Public No. 10 Wilkinson County in overtime, 74-65. No. 6 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian beat Riverwood 72-59 for the first time in four years, moving the Mustangs up two spots. No. 9 Holy Innocents’ roller coaster season continued, taking a tough loss to Liberty County 78-74 at the Covington News Super 8 Showcase.

We have a new No. 1 and a completely changed Top 10 outside of spots No. 8 and No. 9 in Class A-Public. Road warriors No. 1 Manchester bowed up, taking the top spot away from No. 5 Central-Talbotton in a hostile environment 66-54 and then outlasting No. 9 Macon County 74-73, an hour and 15 minutes away from home. Central-Talbotton has lost all momentum, losing to Harris County 40-38 as well. No. 7 Lanier County slips four spots after losing at No. 6 Wilcox County 75-69, the Patriots rising four spots. No. 10 Wilkinson County falls three positions after losses to Stratford Academy and Class 4A No. 8 Baldwin, 64-51. No. 4 Montgomery County cracks the Top 5 after beating rival Treutlen 93-87 behind Jahleel Wilson’s 32 points, Daveaun Coglin’s 27 and Shaw Robinson’s 22.