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.

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (11-2)
2. Norcross (14-2)
3. Collins Hill (15-1)
4. Pebblebrook (14-2)
5. Mountain View (14-2)
6. Newton (12-3)
7. Wheeler (10-6)
8. Grayson (11-3)
9. Meadowcreek (12-3)
10. Etowah (14-1)

Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

1. Buford (12-2)
2. Warner Robins (13-2)
3. Miller Grove (10-6)
4. Southwest DeKalb (12-5)
5. Lithonia (14-4)
6. Villa Rica (13-0)
7. Maynard Jackson (15-1)
8. Columbia (9-6)
9. Stockbridge (11-4)
10. Woodland-Stockbridge (11-4)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (16-0)
2. St. Pius X (13-2)
3. Sandy Creek (11-3)
4. Mary Persons (14-1)
5. Americus-Sumter (13-1)
6. Westover (10-4)
7. Salem (12-4)
8. Carver-Columbus (14-3)
9. Cartersville (10-2)
10. Baldwin (10-5)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (15-0)
2. Jenkins (9-3)
3. Johnson-Savannah (10-2)
4. Cedar Grove (10-5)
5. Greater Atlanta Christian (12-3)
6. Westside-Macon (8-6)
7. Central-Macon (10-3)
8. Windsor Forest (10-5)
9. Pierce County (10-3)
10. Monroe Area (10-3)

Class AA

1. Glenn Hills (14-0)
2. Thomasville (14-2)
3. Washington County (9-3)
4. South Atlanta (12-2)
5. Dublin (11-2)
6. Elbert County (14-2)
7. Laney (11-3)
8. Swainsboro (10-3)
9. Banks County (13-3)
10. Therrell (9-7)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (12-2)
2. Aquinas (13-3)
3. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (13-2)
4. Christian Heritage (14-0)
5. Stratford Academy (8-4)
6. Holy Innocents’ (9-6)
7. Walker (10-3)
8. Mt. Vernon Presbyterian (8-4)
9. Lakeview Academy (8-5)
10. Landmark Christian (10-4)

Class A-Public

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

No new teams crack the Top 10 in Class AAAAAAA. No. 1 McEachern dropped to DeMatha, MD 73-63 at the Cancer Research Classic while No. 7 Wheeler fell 75-62 to Webster Grove, MO. The Wildcats scored wins over Duluth (59-57) and Westlake (94-77) before making the trip to West Virginia. No. 4 Pebblebrook went 2-0 at the Prep Hoops Florida Sun Bash. No. 5 Mountain View is up a spot after beating Mt. Bethel Christian 67-53 and Clarke Central 53-42. No. 8 Grayson tumbles three spots after losing to Shiloh 62-58, before rebounding with a 51-43 win over Stephenson.

No. 1 Langston Hughes helped send No. 7 Douglas County down three spots in Class AAAAAA after beating them 78-67, Landers Nolley ejected with 3:30 left in the third quarter. The Tigers saw a 24-point lead slip away the next day against Alexander, losing 80-78 in overtime. No. 2 Gainesville shoots up three spots and has officially found their groove, winning six-straight after their brutal 3-6 start. The Red Elephants took care of Class 5A No. 2 Warner Robins 94-81 at the Big South Classic and then blasted No. 8 Dacula 96-74. Gainesville has a chance to run the table the rest of the season. Their biggest test will come on January 20 at Class 5A No. 1 Buford. No. 3 Brunswick defeated Glynn Academy 57-45, knocking the Terrors (11-6) from the poll. Glynn Academy also lost in quadruple overtime to Richmond Hill 74-66. They are replaced by first-timer No. 10 Lanier. The Longhorns have a chance prove their mettle this Tuesday as they host Gainesville. The trio of Adrian Martin, Alex Walker and Sion James has helped first-year head coach Branden Mayweather guide the Longhorns to their best start in school history.

It looks like nobody is ready yet to grab ahold of Region 5-AAAAA from No. 3 Miller Grove. Just when you think the rest of the region has finally caught up with the Wolverines, the Purple Pedigree finds a way to win. Miller Grove beat No. 5 Lithonia 47-34 and No. 8 Columbia 56-50. Columbia is reeling after suffering an 81-75 loss at Chamblee and have now sunk five spots. Statesboro (12-3) and McIntosh (9-3) both exit the poll. Statesboro falls over five spots after a bad 67-51 loss at Tattnall County. McIntosh was run out of the gym by Class 4A No. 3 Sandy Creek 76-53 and followed up with a 53-50 loss to Morrow before beating Fayette County for the first time in a decade. A pair of Region 4 rivals enter the Top 10 in No. 9 Stockbridge and No. 10 Woodland-Stockbridge. The Tigers earned a 53-41 win over Sandy Creek at the Big South Shootout. Georgia State-signee Kavonte Ivery is averaging 19.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.9 steals and 1 block for Stockbridge. Woodland is coming off a 63-59 win over Union Grove.

Class AAAA is feeling much more stable than last year’s merry-go-round. No one drops from the rankings for another week, but that may change soon. No. 3 Sandy Creek has a massive Region 5 tilt at No. 9 Cartersville on Tuesday, and we all know what happened last time the Patriots trekked up north. The Hurricanes are coming off a strong 64-60 win at LaGrange. No. 7 Salem earned wins over Central Gwinnett (68-62) and Marietta (67-56). No. 10 Baldwin slides down three positions following their 81-74 loss at Class 3A No. 6 Westside-Macon.

In Class AAA, No. 1 Morgan County survived a scare from Hart County on the road. Missing Stevin Greene and Tyrin Lawrence, the Bulldogs rallied from down 36-25 at the half to beat Hart County 62-53. No. 4 Cedar Grove added another impressive win onto their resume, beating Class 5A No. 10 Woodland-Stockbridge 64-63 in overtime. Dawson County (12-4) departs from the Top 10. The Tigers had a great 94-91 overtime win against East Hall, but had no legs left in a disappointing 63-57 loss the following day to Forsyth Central. Into the rankings for the first time is No. 9 Pierce County.

Outside of No. 1 Glenn Hills, everything in Class AA has been thrown into the spin-cycle. Last week’s No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 teams all lost, leading to a wild new outlook. No. 3 Washington County shoots up seven spots after beating No. 5 Dublin 73-72, dropping the Irish two spots. No. 4 South Atlanta is also down two slots after a 71-67 loss to newly ranked No. 10 Therrell. The Panthers were ranked earlier this season and have had an up and down year. The main reason for their streakiness and modest 9-7 record? A brutal non-region schedule that has seemingly prepared them for the long run. Out of their seven losses, only one (at BEST Academy 49-48) has come against a Class AA school. Albeit a bad loss to BEST, expect Therrell to handle their business next time they see them. The Panthers have lost to Class 3A No. 1 Morgan County 84-78, Class 5A No. 3 Miller Grove 78-50, Class 6A No. 4 Tri-Cities 86-77, Class 7A Rockdale County 87-83, Class 6A Tucker 67-62 and Class 6A Heritage-Conyers 71-65. Sophomore guard Deandre Brown, freshman forward Robbie Armbrester and sophomore point guard Roman Son make up a strong core. Making way for Therrell is Jeff Davis (11-4). The Yellow Jackets fell to Long County 70-56. The biggest dropper this week is No. 9 Banks County, who had a miserable week. The Leopards are down five spots after losing to No. 6 Elbert County 61-50 and to North Hall 44-38. All of a sudden, the Blue Devils, winners of 13-straight, are in the driver’s seat in Region 8.

If you thought Class 2A was crazy, the purge has officially begun in Class A-Private with a massive overhaul which includes four new teams in the Top 10. King’s Ridge Christian (10-4), Wesleyan (5-6), North Cobb Christian (10-5) and WD Mohammed (7-3) are all on the chopping block. King’s Ridge goes from No. 4 to unranked after losing 40-35 to debutant No. 7 Walker and to Fellowship Christian 50-48. The Walker Wolverines have won 7-of-8 with their only loss coming out-of-state. Led by a trio of sophomores, 6-foot-4 Burke Chebuhar averages 15.5 points and 8.2 rebounds. Chandler Baker collects 13.3 points and 6 rebounds while the forgotten Cooper bother, Omar, averages 9.9 points and 5.4 assists to pace the offense. Wesleyan exits the Top 10 after beating returnee No. 8 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 57-54, but dropping to streaking No. 6 Holy Innocents’ 50-47 and getting drilled by Woodward Academy 56-37. The Mustangs of Mt. Vernon climb back into the rankings thanks to a 56-36 win over WD Mohammed. The Caliphs also lost in double overtime to Galloway 69-66. Holy Innocents’ has finally turned their earlier close losses into close victories as the young team is learning how to win. The Golden Bears have won five in a row with wins over Marietta (68-66), Milton (77-71), at Lovett (77-60), at Wesleyan (50-47) and at Mt. Vernon (60-56). Freshman Garrison Powell is averaging 15.9 points per game. North Cobb Christian saw its fate sealed with a wild 100-99 quadruple overtime loss to No. 4 Christian Heritage. The Lions have put the rest of the state on notice that they are officially here to compete. Unsigned 6-foot-7 forward Christian Koneman, the No. 13 ranked big man in the GHSA, hung 38 points and 22 rebounds on the Eagles while teammate Sam Dindoffer tallied 29 points, 10 rebounds and 9 steals. No. 5 Stratford Academy rises five spots thanks to all the chaos in front of them while No. 9 Lakeview Academy remerges into the Top 10 following a 66-55 win over Prince Avenue Christian.

In Class A-Public, No. 1 Central-Talbotton handled Brookstone 69-48 and now hosts No. 2 Manchester this Friday. No. 3 Lanier County bashed Berrien 67-47 on the road and will visit No. 10 Wilcox County on Tuesday. No. 6 Montgomery County falls a spot after a 60-59 loss at Vidalia. No. 5 Calhoun County moves up two slots following a 66-52 win at No. 8 Pelham.

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (11-1)
2. Norcross (12-2)
3. Collins Hill (14-1)
4. Pebblebrook (11-2)
5. Grayson (10-2)
6. Mountain View (12-2)
7. Newton (10-3)
8. Wheeler (8-5)
9. Etowah (12-1)
10. Meadowcreek (11-3)

Class AAAAAA

1. Langston Hughes (11-3)
2. Brunswick (13-1)
3. Tri-Cities (12-3)
4. Douglas County (10-2)
5. Gainesville (7-6)
6. Dacula (6-5)
7. Bradwell Institute (10-4)
8. Jonesboro (8-5)
9. Cambridge (12-1)
10. Glynn Academy (10-4)

Class AAAAA

1. Buford (10-2)
2. Warner Robins (11-1)
3. Columbia (8-3)
4. Lithonia (14-3)
5. Statesboro (11-2)
6. Miller Grove (8-6)
7. Southwest DeKalb (10-5)
8. Villa Rica (11-0)
9. Maynard Jackson (13-1)
10. McIntosh (8-1)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (16-0)
2. St. Pius X (11-2)
3. Sandy Creek (8-2)
4. Mary Persons (12-1)
5. Americus-Sumter (12-1)
6. Westover (8-4)
7. Baldwin (8-4)
8. Salem (10-4)
9. Carver-Columbus (13-3)
10. Cartersville (7-2)

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (11-2)
2. Aquinas (10-3)
3. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (12-2)
4. King’s Ridge Christian (9-2)
5. Christian Heritage (12-0)
6. Wesleyan (4-4)
7. Landmark Christian (9-3)
8. North Cobb Christian (7-4)
9. WD Mohammed (6-1)
10. Stratford Academy (6-4)

Class A-Public

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

2017 is in the books! There was nowhere to run and hide this Christmas as holiday tournaments across the state tested teams and separated the pretenders from the contenders. In Class AAAAAAA, No. 4 Pebblebrook springs up five spots after winning the Peach Bracket at the Tournament of Champions Classic (TOC) at Wheeler. The Falcons beat No. 5 Grayson 71-52 and Blanche Ely, FL in the championship 76-73. Canisius-commit Mervin James was a breakout star for the Falcons, hanging 24 points and 11 rebounds against the Rams. No. 2 Norcross finished 3-0 at the FBI Classic, No. 3 Collins Hill won the Cleveland County Christmas Tournament going 3-0, No. 6 Mountain View went 3-0 at the Go Southern Beach Blowout and No. 9 Etowah captured the TOC Blue Bracket Championship by beating Milton 57-33, Impact Christian, FL 54-36, Class 5A No. 7 Southwest DeKalb 58-42, and in the championship game, Class 5A No. 4 Lithonia 37-36.

Class AAAAAA No. 1 Langston Hughes went 2-1 at TOC, losing to Blanche Ely 60-55, but bouncing back with wins over Marshall, VA 54-51 and Sacred Heart, AL 94-73. No. 6 Dacula tumbles four spots after going 1-2 at the Lake City Classic. The Falcons’ inability to get stops on defense was glaring, even though they managed to put a tournament-best three players on the All-Tournament team, Brenden Tucker, Arusha Hunter and Quincy Ademokoya, all averaging over 16 points per game. They blew out Marianna, FL 68-51, but lost to Class A-Private No. 2 Aquinas 86-81 in 2OT and Class 3A No. 4 Cedar Grove 74-50. No. 2 Brunswick, the reigning state runner-up, reaches a new peak after going 3-0 at the McDonald’s Invitational at Tift County. The Pirates rallied to beat South Cobb 54-53 and defeated Lake Minneola, FL 54-47 and Tift County 61-55. No. 5 Gainesville steamrolled their way to the Lanierland championship for the second year in a row, beating East Hall 96-73 in the title game. No. 8 Jonesboro struggled at TOC, losing to Holy Spirit Prep 66-50, Class 7A No. 10 Meadowcreek 64-57 and Pace Academy 39-36 after beating Class 5A No. 6 Miller Grove in overtime 45-43. Coffee (5-6) falls out after losses to Leon, FL 55-46 and Colquitt County 72-62. The Trojans are replaced by debutant No. 10 Glynn Academy. The Terrors picked up a 74-49 win over Class 2A No. 7 Swainsboro at the Gentleman’s Classic.

No. 1 Buford regains control of Class AAAAA after sweeping their way to the Kingdom of the Sun Championship, beating Vanguard, FL 75-54 in the title game. The Wolves have not lost a game since Lipscomb-signee Alex Jones’ return to the lineup. No. 2 Warner Robins fell victim to the state’s hottest team, Class 4A No. 1 Upson-Lee in the Lake City Classic Championship, 84-73. The Demons finished 3-1 at the LCC, earning wins over Hillgrove (79-49), Class 3A No. 4 Cedar Grove (60-59) and Class A-Private No. 2 Aquinas (70-62). Jacolbey Owens and Georgia State-signee Nelson Phillips were phenomenal, Owens the biggest stock riser at the guard position at the event. The sure-fire D1 talent buried eight three-pointers against Aquinas – once a weakness in his arsenal. If the grades are there, Owens is a no-brainer at the Mid-Major level. No. 4 Lithonia rises two spots after getting revenge against Greenforest 70-48 and losing in the TOC Blue Bracket Championship to Etowah 37-36. No. 6 Miller Grove and No. 7 Southwest DeKalb had rollercoaster rides at TOC. The Wolverines lost in overtime to Jonesboro and got blown out by Class 7A No. 5 Grayson 68-48. The Panthers beat Class A-Private No. 3 ELCA 51-50 and Lambert 69-58, but lost to Class 7A No. 9 Etowah 58-42 and to Greenforest 52-44. No. 5 Statesboro leaps five spots thanks to the chaos above them. Eagle’s Landing (9-4) had a poor showing at the Lee County Roundball Classic, losing to Boyd Anderson, FL 46-42 and to Class 4A No. 9 Carver-Columbus 66-58, leading to the Eagles’ departure from the Top 10. They are replaced by undefeated No. 8 Villa Rica.

It’s now 48-straight wins for Class AAAA No. 1 Upson-Lee, as the Knights officially enter the state’s loft as one of the elites. Winning the Lake City Classic Championship is as good as it gets in holiday hoops, the Knights surviving a gauntlet, beating Millbrook, NC 66-62, Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis 80-65, Alabama’s Class 7A No. 1 Huffman 72-63 and Class 5A No. 2 Warner Robins in the title game, 84-73. MTSU-commit Tye Fagan was unstoppable throughout the tournament, garnering MVP honors after averaging 26.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 blocks. He collected 33 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 6 blocks in the championship game, outplaying Georgia State’s Nelson Phillips. Travon Walker was dominant inside as well, the 6-foot-6 junior making the All-Tournament team with averages of 16.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game including 18 points and 16 rebounds in the Middle Georgia championship. No. 2 St. Pius X won their Christmas Classic with an impressive 58-38 win over New York’s Canisius. No. 5 Americus-Sumter captured the Lee County Roundball Classic Championship by beating Jeff Davis, AL 60-59. No. 10 Cartersville sinks five spots after a 1-2 showing at the Lake City Classic. The Canes were held scoreless for the first 10:34 against Allatoona in an ugly 42-33 loss. They rebounded with a 77-64 win over Class A-Private No. 8 North Cobb Christian, but wasted a monstrous nine three-pointer effort from Furman’s Jaylon Pugh in their 70-63 loss to Millbrook.

Class AAA No. 4 Cedar Grove impressed at the Lake City Classic following an ugly 45-40 win over Alexander to open. The Saints lost 60-59 to Class 5A No. 2 Warner Robins, but beat Class 6A No. 6 Dacula 74-50 before dropping to Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis 69-61. Jamari Dean was the breakout player of the tournament, picking up multiple offers headlined by a James Madison bid, his first D1 school. Dean was fabulous inside, averaging 22.2 points and 11.9 rebounds. The unsigned 6-foot-6 senior forward rebounded everything in his area, using his electric second leap. He showed range extending to the three-point line and finished through contact inside on the low block. He solidified himself as a D1 recruit. As the Saints impressed, Region 5 rival Pace Academy (5-6) continued to struggle and dropped back out of the rankings. The Knights lost to Sacred Heart, AL, Wheeler and Shiloh before edging Class 6A No. 8 Jonesboro 39-36 at TOC. Pace is replaced by first-timer No. 9 Central-Macon. The Chargers had a challenging week, but managed to score a 49-47 win over Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin.

In Class AA, No. 1 Glenn Hills thumped Class 6A No. 10 Glynn Academy 75-41.  No. 2 South Atlanta finished 3-0 at the First State Bank Shootout. No. 3 Dublin got its revenge in an emotional 77-75 win at Class A-Public No. 8 Wilkinson County, Clarence Jackson’s official homecoming. No. 7 Swainsboro slips two spots as they were trounced again by a bigger school, Glynn Academy winning 74-49, highlighting a glaring divide between the Tigers and No. 1 Glenn Hills. Chattooga (10-2) and Metter (10-2) exit the Top 10. The Indians lost in their tournament championship to Cass 54-43 while Metter was drilled by Class 6A No. 7 Bradwell Institute 73-40. Into the poll is red-hot No. 9 Elbert County and returnee No. 10 Washington County. The Blue Devils have won 10-straight while the Golden Hawks beat Marist 69-56 and Class 3A No. 9 Central-Macon 63-54.

No. 1 St. Francis retains their spot atop Class A-Private after a 3-1 showing at the Lake City Classic. A 69-61 win over Class 3A No. 4 Cedar Grove is their best while grinding out a 57-55 win over Allatoona’s matchup zone is never easy. No. 3 ELCA rebounded from a 51-50 loss to Class 5A No. 7 Southwest DeKalb to win the Red Bracket Championship at TOC, beating Holy Innocents’ 75-35 in their rematch and handling Heritage School 52-44 and North Atlanta 52-45 in the title game. Greenforest (5-7) is out of the Top 10 again after a 70-48 loss to Class 5A No. 4 Lithonia. A 52-44 win against Southwest DeKalb shows promise however. The Eagles are replaced by No. 10 Stratford Academy. The Eagles finished 2-1 at the Tattnall Square Holiday Classic and are slowly starting to play better.

The only change in Class A-Public is No. 9 Macon County swapping places with No. 10 Wilcox County following the Bulldogs’ impressive 3-0 week at the Alvin Copeland Christmas Classic, beating Mundy’s Mill (73-60), First Presbyterian Day (74-41) and Northeast-Macon (80-56).

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (9-1)
2. Grayson (8-1)
3. Norcross (9-2)
4. Collins Hill (11-1)
5. Mountain View (9-2)
6. Wheeler (6-3)
7. Newton (8-2)
8. Meadowcreek (9-2)
9. Pebblebrook (7-2)
10. Etowah (8-1) 

Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

1. Warner Robins (8-0)
2. Buford (6-2)
3. Columbia (6-2)
4. Miller Grove (7-3)
5. Southwest DeKalb (8-3)
6. Lithonia (11-2)
7. McIntosh (6-0)
8. Eagle’s Landing (8-2)
9. Maynard Jackson (11-0)
10. Statesboro (8-2) 

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (12-0)
2. St. Pius X (8-2)
3. Sandy Creek (7-2)
4. Mary Persons (9-1)
5. Cartersville (6-0)
6. Westover (8-4)
7. Baldwin (6-3)
8. Americus-Sumter (9-1)
9. Salem (10-4)
10. Carver-Columbus (11-2) 

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (9-0)
2. Jenkins (7-2)
3. Johnson-Savannah (8-2)
4. Cedar Grove (5-3)
5. Greater Atlanta Christian (7-3)
6. Westside-Macon (5-5)
7. Monroe Area (8-0)
8. Windsor Forest (8-3)
9. Dawson County (8-2)
10. Pace Academy (4-3) 

Class AA

1. Glenn Hills (9-0)
2. South Atlanta (8-1)
3. Dublin (8-1)
4. Banks County (10-1)
5. Swainsboro (6-2)
6. Thomasville (10-2)
7. Jeff Davis (7-2)
8. Chattooga (8-1)
9. Metter (9-1)
10. Laney (10-3) 

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (8-1)
2. Aquinas (8-1)
3. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (9-1)
4. King’s Ridge Christian (8-2)
5. Christian Heritage (9-0)
6. Wesleyan (2-3)
7. Landmark Christian (9-3)
8. North Cobb Christian (6-2)
9. WD Mohammed (6-1)
10. Greenforest (3-6)

Class A-Public

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

After a glucose level of 900 and an 18-hour stint in urgent care, the show must go on as Holiday Hoops are heating up the cold winter months. In Class AAAAAAA, No. 1 McEachern finished 3-1 at the City of Palms, taking home third-place after scoring wins over Ranney School, NJ (77-57), Hudson Catholic, NJ (83-81 OT) and Simeon, IL (56-54). The emergence of Sharife Cooper has officially grown to the national level, the sophomore point guard exploding for 42 points including the game-winner against Hudson Catholic. No. 2 Grayson held off Discovery 66-62, No. 3 Norcross rallied in the second half to beat Holy Spirit Prep 75-65, No. 7 Newton got its revenge against Tift County 67-45, No. 8 Meadowcreek took care of Class 4A No. 3 Sandy Creek 59-51 and No. 9 Pebblebrook survived Campbell in overtime, 83-81, to round up the rest of this week’s notable action. Duluth (8-4) exits the Top 10 after an 82-80 loss to Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis at the Hawks-Naismith Holiday Classic. Replacing the Wildcats is No. 10 Etowah. The Eagles have won 8-straight following their season-opening 59-48 loss to Alabama power Hoover. They next tip against Milton on Wednesday, an interesting matchup as Coach Jason Dasinger squares off against Etowah predecessor Allen Whitehart.

Region 5 reigns yet again in Class AAAAAA, as No. 1 Langston Hughes, No. 4 Tri-Cities and No. 5 Douglas County are all rolling. The Panthers overwhelmed Class A-Private No. 10 Greenforest at the Hawks-Naismith Holiday Classic 79-60. The Bulldogs captured the Peach State Classic Championship by beating No. 7 Jonesboro 83-67 and the Tigers cruised with wins over Mays and Northside-Warner Robins. Stephenson (9-3) bows out of the rankings after a 44-42 loss to Enumclaw, WA. The Jaguars are replaced by the Shane’s Rib Shack tournament champions, No. 10 Cambridge. The Bears outlasted Clarke Central in triple overtime 86-80 before beating Rutland in the title game 78-62.

The DeKalb County Region 5-AAAAA showed well yet again with No. 4 Miller Grove beating Allatoona 51-39, No. 5 Southwest DeKalb drilling Class 3A No. 8 Windsor Forest 90-69 and No. 6 Lithonia winning the New Manchester Toys for Tots tournament 80-68 over Kennesaw Mountain. Woodland-Stockbridge (8-3) exits the poll after a 55-50 loss to red-hot Region 4 foe No. 8 Eagle’s Landing. The Eagles stole a 57-51 win at the X-Dome against Class 4A No. 2 St. Pius after trailing by 19 points at the half, solidifying their place back in the Top 10.

It wasn’t easy, but No. 1 Upson-Lee extended its winning streak to 44 games in Class AAAA by capturing the City of Palms Signature Series championship, beating Kaukauna, WI 79-67 and Corbin, KY in the title game 73-71, rallying from a 14-point second half deficit. Middle Tennessee State-signee Tye Fagan ignited the comeback with 34 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals while Travon Walker collected 12 points and 21 rebounds. No. 4 Mary Persons went 2-0 at the War Eagle Classic, dumping Forest Park and Westminster. No. 5 Cartersville won the Rome News-Tribune championship 40-28 over Rome.

No. 2 Jenkins clocked rival No. 3 Johnson-Savannah 88-52 in Class AAA to win the Memorial Health Holiday Classic. No. 4 Cedar Grove holds onto their position after wins over Westlake (62-49) and Pinson Valley, AL (84-78) with a 68-67 loss to Class 6A No. 7 Jonesboro sandwiched in between at the Peach State Classic. No. 7 Monroe Area is up two spots after a 63-53 win at Marist. Dougherty (8-4) slips from the poll after a 91-63 loss to Class 4A No. 8 Americus-Sumter. The Trojans are replaced by the two-time defending state champion No. 10 Pace Academy Knights. Pace picked up wins over Episcopal School of Jacksonville and Lincoln, FL at the Providence School Christmas tournament, losing to Providence 44-28 to wrap up the event.

No. 1 Glenn Hills continues to hold serve in Class AA, beating No. 10 Laney 49-46 to win the Holiday Roundball Classic Championship. No. 4 Banks County is down two spots after an 84-65 loss to Apalachee. No. 2 South Atlanta went unblemished at the Nashville vs. Atlanta Challenge while No. 3 Dublin won the Kreul Classic Championship, 61-59 over Taravella, FL. Berrien (8-5) tumbles out of the statewide picture with losses at Pierce County 72-68 and at Lowndes 62-58. The Rebels are replaced by debutant No. 9 Metter. The Tigers’ only loss this season came against No. 7 Jeff Davis, 74-73.

Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis tacked on an 82-80 win over Duluth at the Hawks-Naismith Holiday Classic while No. 3 ELCA pounded No. 10 Greenforest 80-64. Surging five spots is No. 4 King’s Ridge Christian. The Tigers handled No. 7 Landmark Christian 79-56 and beat The King’s Academy 73-49 for the Storm Classic Championship. Freshman Sutton Smith was named MVP. Landmark Christian is without leading rebounder and only post presence Aaron Northcutt for the rest of the season with an injury. No. 5 Christian Heritage has a chance to prove themselves worthy of a Top 5 ranking as they host No. 8 North Cobb Christian next week. No. 6 Wesleyan has lost three straight games, their latest coming against GICAA juggernaut Mt. Bethel Christian, 55-46.

Class A-Public is in full mayhem mode. Outside of No. 1 Central-Talbotton, everything you thought you knew about the classification is in doubt. No. 2 Manchester’s meteoric rise continues, unranked three weeks ago to now sitting near the top after wins over Dooly County 68-53 and Treutlen 71-53.  No. 3 Lanier County flexed its muscle and beat No. 4 Woodville-Tompkins 59-55 to rise four spots. No. 7 Calhoun County plummets four more slots after losing 94-91 in overtime to No. 5 Montgomery County. However, the Cougars bounced back with an 88-63 blowout of No. 10 Macon County. No. 6 Pelham is up three spots thanks to a 69-66 win over Montgomery County.

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (6-0)
2. Grayson (7-1)
3. Norcross (8-2)
4. Collins Hill (9-1)
5. Mountain View (7-2)
6. Wheeler (6-3)
7. Newton (7-2)
8. Meadowcreek (7-2)
9. Pebblebrook (6-2)
10. Duluth (7-3)

Class AAAAAA

1. Langston Hughes (6-2)
2. Dacula (5-3)
3. Brunswick (9-1)
4. Tri-Cities (9-2)
5. Gainesville (2-5)
6. Jonesboro (5-1)
7. Douglas County (5-2)
8. Bradwell Institute (8-3)
9. Stephenson (8-2)
10. Coffee (2-4) 

Class AAAAA

1. Warner Robins (7-0)
2. Buford (5-2)
3. Columbia (6-2)
4. Miller Grove (6-3)
5. Southwest DeKalb (7-3)
6. Lithonia (9-2)
7. McIntosh (6-0)
8. Maynard Jackson (10-0)
9. Statesboro (7-2)
10. Woodland-Stockbridge (7-2) 

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (7-0)
2. Johnson-Savannah (8-1)
3. Jenkins (6-2)
4. Cedar Grove (3-2)
5. Greater Atlanta Christian (6-2)
6. Westside-Macon (4-3)
7. Windsor Forest (8-2)
8. Dougherty (8-3)
9. Monroe Area (7-0)
10. Dawson County (6-2) 

Class AA

1. Glenn Hills (6-0)
2. Banks County (7-0)
3. South Atlanta (7-1)
4. Dublin (7-1)
5. Thomasville (9-1)
6. Swainsboro (6-2)
7. Chattooga (6-0)
8. Jeff Davis (7-2)
9. Laney (7-2)
10. Berrien (7-3) 

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (7-1)
2. Aquinas (6-1)
3. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (8-1)
4. Wesleyan (2-2)
5. North Cobb Christian (6-2)
6. Christian Heritage (8-0)
7. Greenforest (3-4)
8. Landmark Christian (6-2)
9. King’s Ridge Christian (5-2)
10. WD Mohammed (6-1) 

Class A-Public

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

Hold on tight, Week 5 has the most movement we’ve seen all year. Top teams couldn’t avoid upsets and now heading into region play, the best of the best are starting to square off. In Class AAAAAAA, No. 1 McEachern held off No. 10 Duluth 82-66 at the SEBA Hoop Festival. The Wildcats ran out of gas after trailing 51-47 heading into the fourth quarter. Isaac Okoro couldn’t be stopped, posting 32 points and 11 rebounds while super sophomore Sharife Cooper added 26 points and 5 assists. The Indians’ size gave Duluth some issues with Babatunde Akingbola collecting 11 points, 9 rebounds and 6 blocks. Adam Flagler paced the Wildcats with 18 points followed by Will Huzzie’s electric 15 points and 7 rebounds. No. 3 Norcross was stunned in overtime by Lakeside-DeKalb (4-5) by a score of 56-55, Damon Davis hitting the game-winner and finishing with 17 points. No. 2 Grayson rises three spots after handling their business, knocking off No. 7 Newton 74-73, Archer 68-49 and Class 6A No. 5 Gainesville 65-63 in overtime. Vaulting up six spots is red-hot No. 4 Collins Hill. The Eagles scored wins over No. 5 Mountain View 49-48 and Duluth 54-50. The Bears of Mountain View still rose two spots thanks to their nail-biting wins over Discovery 46-45 and Newton in overtime, 66-65. No. 6 Wheeler slips three spots after a 71-68 home loss to No. 9 Pebblebrook, who rejoins the Top 10 replacing Peachtree Ridge (9-1) who suffered their first loss of the season to Etowah 49-46, the Eagles sneaking up the list of valid contenders at 8-1.

In Class AAAAAA, no one is playing better than the defending state champs, No. 1 Langston Hughes. If you didn’t believe me when I said Virginia Tech-signee Landers Nolley is the state’s most unstoppable scorer, maybe you’ll believe me now. He hung 51 on Mays in a 75-66 win and followed up with 40 points and 8 rebounds in an outstanding 63-58 win over Holy Spirit Prep. No. 2 Dacula hasn’t clicked on all cylinders just yet, but the Falcons picked up a pair of wins over South Gwinnett in overtime 61-54 and Pope 68-53 at the SEBA Hoop Festival. Dr. Russ Triaga has stepped down as head coach, leading to assistant Byron Wilson sliding over a seat to take over his dream job. No. 3 Brunswick rises a spot after beating No. 10 Coffee 64-61. The Trojans are out of excuses now with their football players finally back on the court. If they don’t take off right away, they will have to work their way back into the Top 10. They had a heartbreaking buzzer-beater loss to Tift County 54-52, courtesy of the Blue Devils’ Marquavius Johnson. In the loss, Jayce Moore dumped in 20 points, matching Montae Terrell’s 20 for Tift. No. 4 Tri-Cities creeps up three spots after wins over New Manchester (83-71), South Paulding (73-59), Eagle’s Landing (68-56) and Marietta in overtime (74-70). No. 5 Gainesville is down two more spots, desperately trying to finish out their brutal 9-game stretch to start the season. Battling suspensions, the Red Elephants nearly escaped Class 7A No. 2 Grayson, but lost in overtime 65-63. Sitting at 2-5 overall, Gainesville is 0-4 vs. GHSA opponents; their only wins coming at the Memphis vs. Atlanta Roundball Classic. Tucker (7-3) falls out of the poll following a 54-40 loss to debutant No. 9 Stephenson. The Jaguars have now won 8-straight games behind their dynamic guard play of Bryce Latimer and Drevion Evans.

Though they might not have a state title favorite right now, Region 5-AAAAA is loaded with potential Final Four teams. No. 3 Columbia moves up a spot after losing to No. 6 Lithonia 53-52, but beating rival No. 4 Miller Grove 60-58. Lithonia jumps four spots thanks to their win. No. 5 Southwest DeKalb sees no movement after beating Class 6A No. 3 Brunswick 58-44, but losing to Class 3A No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 62-55 at the Memorial Health Holiday Classic. Elsewhere in the classification, No. 8 Maynard Jackson remained undefeated by helping knock Lithia Springs (7-3) out of the rankings, surviving on the road in overtime 69-64. The Lions have now lost three straight games, suffering losses at Banneker 88-82 and to Cass 52-48. Leading scorer Anthony Hardy has missed the last two games with an injury. Replacing Lithia Springs is No. 10 Woodland-Stockbridge. The Wolfpack make their first appearance in the Top 10. They hold wins over Stockbridge 67-66 and Class 6A’s newly ranked Stephenson 70-65. The junior backcourt of Curtis Perdue and Jalen Mason is leading the way. Perdue is averaging 15.3 points while Mason, the Miller Grove transfer, is tallying 12.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per night.

No. 1 Upson-Lee is winning by an average of 40.8 points per game in Class AAAA. They trashed Taylor County 69-11 and at one point had allowed only four points deep into the third quarter. They will finally get their first test of the season on Wednesday down at the City of Palms. The Knights meet Kaukauna High School out of Wisconsin. Jordan McCabe, a West Virginia-signee and YouTube sensation, will likely be the best player Upson-Lee has ever played against in a high school game. No. 2 St. Pius trounced Stephens County (7-1) and dropped the Indians from the Top 10. It wasn’t just their 79-65 loss to the Golden Lions that forced the Indians out, but it was their lackluster 60-57 win over 2-7 Habersham Central that sealed their fate. They had beaten the Raiders 91-48 at Stephens County on December 1.  The Indians however aren’t the only team that struggled this week. Region 1’s No. 9 Americus-Sumter and No. 10 Carver-Columbus are down four and six spots, respectively. Carver suffered a bad 56-52 loss to Class 2A Spencer (4-4) while Americus-Sumter was defeated by Northside-Columbus 58-56. No. 5 Cartersville benefits and jumps up three spots to their preseason position after finally opening the season and doing so with two impressive wins over Paulding County (76-54) and at Calhoun (54-27).  No. 6 Westover is hot on their tail, moving up four spots with wins over Early County (81-72), Class 5A No. 9 Statesboro (69-51) and Glynn Academy (68-59). Replacing the aforementioned Stephens County Indians is preseason No. 6, No. 8 Salem. The Seminoles have finally found their groove, having to do so without Heritage-Conyers transfer Avante Lederer who is lost for the season with an injury. Seniors Tehjuan Powell and Tabias Long are carrying the load. Powell is averaging 17.9 points per game while Long is totaling 11.4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals on average. Junior point guard Montez Swann is providing 10 points per game and is the team’s leading three-point shooter.

Savannah is rising in Class AAA. No. 2 Johnson-Savannah beat Class 5A No. 5 Southwest DeKalb 62-55 while No. 3 Jenkins beat up Class 6A No. 8 Bradwell Institute 75-47 and edged No. 7 Windsor Forest 72-62, the Knights still moving up two spots in the process. No. 5 Greater Atlanta Christian is down three spots as they continue to struggle how to solve Coach Joe Dix’s East Hall Vikings. The Vikes are only 2-4 but they have now won three-straight games dating back to last season against GAC following their 88-74 victory in Valhalla. Perennial powers Calhoun (1-2) and Pace Academy (2-2), the defending two-time state champs, exit the Top 10. The Yellow Jackets suffered a bad loss at Model 62-53 and then were outmatched by Class 4A No. 5 Cartersville 54-27 at home. Pace Academy faces a tough stretch ahead and will need to find a leader to carry them through their early two-game losing streak which has been prolonged due to snow postponements. Into the poll is No. 9 Monroe Area and No. 10 Dawson County. The Hurricanes are 7-0 under long-time legend Bolling Dubose, who coached for over 40 years at Jefferson before landing the job in Monroe. Their last three wins have come against Social Circle (61-38), at Apalachee (61-60) and Winder-Barrow (73-60). 6-foot-7 senior forward Elijah Goodman is averaging 15.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.3 blocks. Juniors Isaiah Glasper (14.3 ppg) and Michael Gray (9.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.7 bpg) are playing well along with senior stat sheet stuffer Devin Sheats, the 6-foot-4 wing averaging 7.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Dawson County has rebounded nicely after blowing a 17-point halftime lead against Blessed Trinity and have now won three in a row behind Cullen Reed, Jeremiah Crumley and Campbell Reed.

In Class AA, No. 8 Jeff Davis is down four spots following a 62-59 loss at Vidalia and a 66-54 loss to No. 6 Swainsboro. No. 4 Dublin is rolling, heading to the championship game at the Kreul Classic. Monticello (5-3) and Washington County (4-2) are rolling, but in the wrong direction following the Hurricanes’ losses to Thomson 71-66 and at Elbert County 75-64. The Golden Hawks were tripped up by Northeast-Macon 52-51. Into the poll are familiar faces No. 9 Laney and No. 7 Chattooga. Laney pushed No. 1 Glenn Hills to the brink 62-61 while Chattooga has blasted their opponents in North Georgia. The Indians are led by 5-foot-5 junior point guard “Nuk Nuk” Adams. The speed merchant is averaging a team-high 19 points per game off the bench, pacing Chattooga’s relentless attack.

Class A-Private is seeing No. 1 St. Francis and No. 3 ELCA start to rack up the quality wins. The Knights drilled Southwest Atlanta Christian 93-32 and then beat No. 4 Wesleyan 62-52; the Wolves rising two spots due to No. 5 North Cobb Christian losing to Paulding County 83-74 and No. 8 Landmark Christian slipping three spots following a 97-63 drubbing at the hands of Class 3A No. 5 GAC. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy took care of No. 9 King’s Ridge Christian 77-54 and stomped Drew Charter 88-35. They will host defending two-time state champion No. 7 Greenforest on Friday. The Eagles are back in the Top 10 after beating No. 10 WD Mohammed 64-50. Jaylyn Clark is averaging 17.3 points to pace Greenforest while Christian Jackson is netting 16.7 points and grabbing 6 rebounds a night. Exiting the poll is Stratford Academy (2-3) and Mt. Vernon Presbyterian (4-2). Stratford took two tough losses in Florida while the Mustangs faltered against Whitefield Academy 54-46. Making their first appearance in the Top 10 is North Georgia’s No. 6 Christian Heritage. The Lions haven’t played the toughest schedule in Dalton, but they have handled their business thus far. If they can get out of Chickamauga with a win on Friday at Gordon Lee, they will likely have a Top 10 showdown with North Cobb Christian on January 5. 6-foot-7 forward Christian Koneman is the star of the Lions. He played his travel ball with the Atlanta All-Stars, seeing elite competition over the spring and summer months. The veteran group turns to Zach Gentry at point guard and three-point threat Sam Dindoffer on the wing. AJ Kent brings some athleticism at the swingman spot while freshman Evan Lester is a post presence.

Stop the presses. We have a new No. 1 in Class A-Public. No. 1 Central-Talbotton has been a juggernaut this year and now get the No. 1 title to go along with it. The Hawks beat Dooly County 75-68 behind Tayne Smith’s 29 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and ZyTavian Hill’s 29 points and 14 rebounds. No. 3 Calhoun County loses their grip on Class A-Public after getting upset by No. 6 Manchester 53-49. JahNile Hill took it to USF-signee Rashun Williams, pouring in 23 points while the Blue Devils held Williams to 11. Manchester jumps four spots. No. 2 Woodville-Tompkins’ rise continues following their 64-39 win over Beach. No. 4 Montgomery County bumps up one spot after an impressive 92-74 thumping of Vidalia behind Daveuan Coglin’s 31 points. No. 8 Macon County is reeling, tumbling five spots after losing to No. 5 Wilkinson County 69-61. Keep an eye on No. 7 Lanier County. The Bulldogs are quietly putting together a nice resume, adding wins over Turner County (59-41), 3A Islands (53-46) and 5A New Hampstead (58-51). Hancock Central (5-4) departs from the poll after a 67-56 loss to Greene County. No. 9 Pelham is back thanks to a 79-76 win over Terrell County.