Category Archives: Rankings

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 11 Boys Rankings

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.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 10 Boys Rankings

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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.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 9 Boys Rankings

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.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 8 Boys Rankings

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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.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 7 Boys Rankings

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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).