Category Archives: Rankings

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 6 Boys Rankings

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.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 5 Boys Rankings

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.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 4 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

  1. Langston Hughes (4-2)
  2. Dacula (3-3)
  3. Gainesville (2-4)
  4. Brunswick (7-0)
  5. Bradwell Institute (6-2)
  6. Jonesboro (3-1)
  7. Tri-Cities (5-2)
  8. Coffee (1-2)
  9. Tucker (5-2)
  10. Douglas County (2-2) 

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

 

Snow crippled most of the week’s slate of GHSA basketball with areas surrounding Metro Atlanta accumulating up to seven inches of snow. The state’s higher classifications up north mostly squeezed in one game at best, meaning there weren’t many changes in Class AAAAAAA except for No. 7 Mountain View knocking No. 8 Duluth down three spots with a 54-46 win on Tuesday behind Naheim Alleyne’s game-high 24 points.

In Class AAAAAA, No. 3 Gainesville picked up their first two wins of the season at the Memphis vs. Atlanta Roundball Classic, beating Tennessee’s Cordova 66-57 and Mitchell 61-50. Brent Kelly paced the offense averaging 10 points and 5.5 assists per game. Jarred Rosser scored 19 points and was named MVP in the Red Elephants’ win over Mitchell. No. 4 Brunswick continues to gain momentum down on the coast in Region 2. The Pirates edged No. 5 Bradwell Institute in overtime, 71-69. Brunswick’s next test will be a rematch with No. 8 Coffee, who still won’t have their football players due to the football state championships getting pushed back another week. Region 2’s Effingham County (5-2) exits the poll after their second loss to red-hot Statesboro, 53-50 in double overtime. They are replaced by No. 10 Douglas County who reenters.

No. 7 Statesboro crashes into the Class AAAAA Top 10 following yet another impressive win over Effingham County, sweeping the season series. The Blue Devils claim wins over Class 2A No. 7 Swainsboro 71-36 and Class 6A No. 5 Bradwell Institute 52-44, giving them four wins over ranked opponents already. Their next test comes at the U-Save-It Basketball Classic against Class 4A No. 10 Westover. Also into the poll is No. 9 Lithia Springs. Sophomore guard Anthony Hardy is leading the Lions with over 14 points per game. Lithia Springs doesn’t have a standout victory on its resume yet, but they will have a chance to grab one on Wednesday as they host Region 6 foe No. 8 Maynard Jackson in a battle of unbeatens. Dropping out of the rankings to make way for Statesboro and Lithia Springs is Cedar Shoals (2-4) and Eagle’s Landing (3-1). The Jaguars suffered a 74-48 loss to No. 2 Buford while the Eagles fell in overtime to Stockbridge 70-69, the Tigers climbing up the ranks as a potential Top 10 team. No. 10 Lithonia holds onto the final spot after a 42-41 loss against No. 5 Southwest DeKalb. The Bulldogs’ two losses have come by a combined two points. Elsewhere, No. 6 McIntosh won its Battle of the Bubble over rival Starr’s Mill 64-54.

The Class AAAA showdown between No. 1 Upson-Lee and No. 6 Mary Persons never materialized as Cam Holden was forced to miss the game. The Knights ran all over the Bulldogs, 76-46. No. 2 St. Pius rallied to beat their fourth defending state champion, the GICAA’s Mt. Bethel in overtime 71-70 before splitting at the Memphis vs. Atlanta Roundball Classic, holding off Christian Brothers 53-50 and falling to Lausanne Collegiate, 66-60. Everett Lane dropped 27 against Mt. Bethel and was named MVP in the Golden Lions’ win over Christian Brothers. Region 1 continues to creep up in the poll with No. 4 Carver-Columbus and No. 5 Americus-Sumter while No. 10 Westover crawls back in after Northside-Columbus (5-4) faltered against Hardaway 80-71 and Carver 64-53.

No. 3 Johnson-Savannah and No. 4 Cedar Grove flexed their muscles in their respective wins over Class AAA region rivals. Even with UGA-signee Amanze Ngumezi getting ejected in the first quarter, the Atomsmashers still raced past No. 5 Jenkins 67-54 behind the Bowles boys. The Saints hammered away at No. 10 Pace Academy 48-33, the Knights struggling to score this season. No. 7 Westside-Macon got blown out again by Class 5A No. 1 Warner Robins 86-62, but rebounded with a win over Northeast-Macon 78-68, knocking the Raiders from the Top 10 in Class AA. Dawson County (3-2) departs from the poll after blowing a 17-point halftime lead against Blessed Trinity and losing 68-63. Debuting is Savannah/Region 3’s third team, No. 9 Windsor Forest, who is coming off a 61-59 win at Richmond Hill. The Knights are powered by the backcourt of Benjamin Mitchell, Lamon Page and Zimbabwe Fields.

No. 6 Thomasville suffers their first setback of the season in Class AA, getting knocked off by Top 10 debutant No. 8 Berrien, 65-64 on a Chris Jennings buzzer-beating three, the 5-foot-8 sophomore netting all 18 of his points from beyond the arc. The Rebels are off to a 6-2 start behind Jennings (19.3 ppg), 6-foot-4 senior Darius Tisby (15.1 ppg, 8 rpg) and 6-foot-4 sophomore Jamarquis Johnson (12.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg).  Tisby collected 27 points and 5 steals in the win while draining five of the Rebels’ 14 three-pointers. Berrien replaces Northeast-Macon (4-4) who has now lost three straight. No. 1 Glenn Hills has their biggest test yet in Region 4 as they host Laney on Tuesday. The Wildcats have owned Augusta and will provide a measuring stick for the Spartans’ legitimacy.

Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis blitzed a quality Walker team 83-44. The biggest upset was No. 6 Wesleyan, who falls two spots, losing to No. 7 WD Mohammed 55-47. The Caliphs enter the poll unbeaten behind guards Taqueer Tyler (16.8 ppg, 4 apg) and Ahmad Abdurrahman (16 ppg, 3.4 apg) along with 6-foot-6 senior Siraj Harris inside, who averages 10.6 points, 11 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. Mt. Pisgah (4-3) exits following a 73-66 loss to No. 8 King’s Ridge, the Tigers taking the Patriots’ place.

No. 4 Woodville-Tompkins is officially the team to beat in Region 3 in Class A-Public after taking down No. 5 Montgomery County 67-63. Preston Crisp piled in 25 points in the win. No. 6 Wilkinson County scored a 75-71 win against Class 2A Washington County while No. 8 Hancock Central lost at WaCo 75-71 and fell at Class 4A No. 9 Baldwin 53-40. Treutlen (2-3) departs from the Top 10 after a 109-91 loss to Class 2A No. 5 Dublin. The Vikings are replaced by No. 10 Manchester.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 3 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

  1. Langston Hughes (3-2)
  2. Dacula (2-3)
  3. Gainesville (0-4)
  4. Brunswick (4-0)
  5. Bradwell Institute (5-1)
  6. Coffee (1-1)
  7. Jonesboro (2-1)
  8. Tucker (5-1)
  9. Tri-Cities (4-2)
  10. Effingham County (5-1)

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

  1. Glenn Hills (3-0)
  2. Banks County (3-0)
  3. Thomasville (6-0)
  4. South Atlanta (4-1)
  5. Jeff Davis (4-0)
  6. Dublin (3-1)
  7. Swainsboro (2-2)
  8. Northeast-Macon (4-1)
  9. Washington County (1-0)
  10. Monticello (4-1)

Class A-Private

  1. St. Francis (4-1)
  2. Aquinas (1-1)
  3. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (4-1)
  4. Wesleyan (2-0)
  5. North Cobb Christian (4-1)
  6. Mt. Pisgah (4-2)
  7. Landmark Christian (5-1)
  8. Stratford Academy (1-1)
  9. Mt. Vernon Presbyterian (2-1)
  10. Lakeview Academy (1-3)

Class A-Public

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

The top seven in Class AAAAAAA remain unchanged as everybody handled their business. No. 5 Duluth had the best week with wins over Class 6A No. 3 Gainesville and Discovery (4-3). The Titans drop out of the Top 10 following their 60-55 loss to Duluth. They are replaced by Region 6 foe No. 9 Peachtree Ridge who beat rival No. 10 Collins Hill 75-64 in convincing fashion. A 55-39 win over Lakeside-Evans helps the Eagles cling onto the final spot. Region 6 fills spots No. 5, No. 8, No. 9 and No. 10 and a total of five of the seven teams in the region have already been ranked.

There is a new No. 1 in Class AAAAAA and it is the defending state champions, No. 1 Langston Hughes. The Panthers have won three in a row including blowing out Douglas County (2-2) from the rankings with a 78-43 win and handling Shiloh 61-41 behind Landers Nolley’s 27 points. For another year, there is more drama surrounding No. 3 Gainesville and this time it could be enough to derail the Red Elephants. They were drilled by Duluth 61-43 and will need to recalibrate as soon as possible before the season slips out of reach. No. 4 Brunswick shoots up six spots after defeating No. 6 Coffee 72-60, withstanding Preseason First-Team All-State selection Jayce Moore’s 39-point barrage. The coastal Region 2 now places three teams in the poll with Bradwell Institute holding tight at No. 5 and No. 10 Effingham County making their debut behind 6-foot-4 senior forward Kha’leed Stapleton. The Rebels have wins over two preseason ranked opponents in Class 3A’s Long County (74-52) and Class 2A No. 7 Swainsboro (65-57). No. 9 Tri-Cities slides three spots after losing to Westlake 82-69.

There are a handful of deserving teams waiting to break into the Class AAAAA rankings, but its been a stalemate thus far. No. 1 Warner Robins demolished Class 3A No. 7 Westside-Macon 89-63 behind Georgia State-signee Nelson Phillips’ 36 points and Jacolbey Owens’ 32. No. 7 Cedar Shoals falls four spots after losing to Class 3A No. 1 Morgan County 75-59 and Class 6A No. 2 Dacula 65-57. The Jaguars are now out of the woods with their difficult early non-region schedule, but things don’t get any easier as they open up Region 8 play on Tuesday at No. 2 Buford. Shakeup in Region 5 sees No. 3 Miller Grove rise two spots, No. 4 Columbia four spots and No. 5 Southwest DeKalb drop one spot after the Eagles held off the Panthers 66-64. Josh Taylor had 15 points and 8 rebounds in the win for Columbia while KD Johnson tallied 17 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists for Southwest DeKalb. No. 6 McIntosh inches up a slot after their wild 97-91 overtime win over Lambert where Bruce Carpenter scored a career-high 23 points and Cole Guenther added 22. No. 9 Lithonia, the fourth Region 5 team in the poll, scored a 60-51 win over Class 3A No. 3 Johnson-Savannah behind Ziven Alexander’s 23 points and 6 rebounds.

In Class AAAA, No. 2 St. Pius continued to marvel, hammering Carrollton 74-54 and Class 3A No. 9 Pace Academy 57-39, Everett Lane netting a game-high 18 points against the Knights. Pace Academy is already the third defending state champion the Golden Lions have beaten with Class 6A No. 1 Langston Hughes and Class A-Private’s Greenforest also victims. Don’t look now but Region 1 is invading the Top 10, quietly placing three teams in the poll. No. 5 Carver-Columbus, No. 6 Americus-Sumter and No. 9 Northside-Columbus all look sharp. The Tigers handled Kendrick and Spencer, the Panthers punished Monroe (60-43) and Lee County (68-48) while the Patriots knocked Westover (2-4) from the rankings with a 63-56 road win. Junior guard Jhaquez Anderson is pacing Northside-Columbus with 19.8 points, 5 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 3.8 steals per game while senior Jalen Tucker is contributing 14 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3 steals a night. No. 10 Baldwin is down six spots after losing to newly ranked Class 2A No. 9 Washington County, 72-71. All eyes will be on Tuesday night’s Region 2 showdown between No. 1 Upson-Lee and host No. 4 Mary Persons. Class AAAA’s two best players go toe-to-toe with Cam Holden (30.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.5 steals, 2.3 blocks) leading the upset-minded Bulldogs against Middle Tennessee State-signee Tye Fagan (28.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks).

No. 1 Morgan County is running away from the competition in Class AAA. Junior shooting guard Tyrin Lawrence dumped in 35 points in the Bulldogs’ 75-59 win over Cedar Shoals. The Bulldogs’ early season competition, No. 3 Johnson-Savannah, slips a spot after a 60-51 loss to Lithonia. No. 5 Cedar Grove also sinks a spot after failing to impress with a 56-46 win over 0-6 Lovett. No. 7 Westside-Macon received 34 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks from Khavon Moore in a losing effort against Warner Robins. Westminster (3-3) had a short-lived stay in the Top 10 and is bounced after losses to Stone Mountain 46-44 and Woodward Academy 56-52. Debuting for the first time in years, is No. 10 Dawson County. The Tigers are off to their best start since 2013-14 when they finished 22-8 with a Sweet 16 appearance. Dawson County is loaded with shooters in Jeremiah Crumley, Cullen and Campbell Reed and Ryan Gallenkamp inside. They pushed Class 7A No. 10 Collins Hill to triple overtime in the Tiger Tip-Off Classic before losing 83-76 and bounced back this Friday with a 73-56 win over West Hall.

Class AA Preseason No. 1 Swainsboro finds themselves all the way down at No. 7 after beating Class A-Public No. 7 Wilkinson County 71-56 and Vidalia 52-48 before getting blown out by Statesboro 71-36.  The Tigers opened up last season 0-3 before finding their way to the state title game. Don’t give up on them just yet. No. 1 Glenn Hills took care of business against Richmond Academy, picking up a 68-54 win. Tim Williamson led the way with 21 points while Eric Farmer scored 13 and Timmy Sellers added 8 points. No. 2 Banks County survived a scare on the road at Hart County, who they beat earlier 94-58. The Leopards escaped Hartwell 49-48 thanks to sophomore Carl Cleveland’s 21 points and Dylan Orr’s triple-double of 17 points, 18 rebounds and 11 blocks. Swainsboro wasn’t the only team to tumble this week. No. 6 Dublin is down three spots after losing to Wilkinson County 71-67. Clarence Jackson did not play in his homecoming due to a sprained shoulder. Butler (1-4) and Therrell (4-4) both depart from the rankings after bad weeks. Back into the poll is No. 10 Monticello and debutant No. 9 Washington County, who beat Baldwin 72-71.

Class A-Private’s revolving door of rankings is in full swing as No. 7 Landmark Christian and No. 9 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian take over for Holy Innocents’ (1-4) and King’s Ridge Christian (2-1). The Tigers suffered a 76-44 loss to Milton that was just enough to edge them out of the poll. Landmark Christian made waves with a 90-87 win over No. 8 Stratford Academy. Micah McAllister is averaging over 18 points per game in the War Eagle backcourt. Mt. Vernon Presbyterian gets in thanks to their season opening win at Walker and a 30-point rout of Atlanta International. Their lone loss came to No. 6 Mt. Pisgah 73-58. The Patriots are up three spots but had to forfeit their season-opening 77-51 win over Tallulah Falls due to playing an ineligible player. The loss could hurt them in the long run with the power rankings system. No. 10 Lakeview Academy is holding on by a thread, down four spots after No. 1 St. Francis outclassed the Lions in the second half 83-56. Chase Ellis had 22 points and 8 rebounds while Dwon Odom collected 14 points and 10 assists.

In Class A-Public, the trio of JaQuavius Smith, ZyTavian Hill and Javares Copeland is averaging over 51 points per game for No. 2 Central-Talbotton. No. 5 Woodville-Tompkins is up four spots after snapping No. 10 Treutlen’s 42-game region winning streak, 72-65. For good measure, the Wolverines added a 74-42 thrashing of Portal behind Bernard Pelote’s 23 points and 12 rebounds. Woodville-Tompkins is in the Region 3 driver’s seat along with No. 4 Montgomery County, who is winning by an average of 45 points per game. Pelham (2-1) and Mt. Zion-Carrollton (0-0) drop from the poll. Pelham suffered a 74-72 loss to Mitchell County while the Eagles tip off their season this Tuesday. Into the Top 10 is No. 6 Hancock Central and No. 8 Lanier County. The Bulldogs beat rival No. 7 Wilkinson County 69-65 and their only loss came to Class 4A No. 10 Baldwin, 56-51. Lanier County surges into the statewide picture with a massive 85-57 win over No. 9 Wilcox County.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 2 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

  1. Gainesville (0-3)
  2. Dacula (1-2)
  3. Langston Hughes (0-2)
  4. Coffee (0-0)
  5. Bradwell Institute (3-0)
  6. Tri-Cities (2-1)
  7. Douglas County (1-1)
  8. Jonesboro (0-0)
  9. Tucker (2-1)
  10. Brunswick (1-0)

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

  1. Morgan County (4-0)
  2. Johnson-Savannah (1-0)
  3. Greater Atlanta Christian (3-1)
  4. Cedar Grove (0-2)
  5. Westside-Macon (0-1)
  6. Jenkins (0-1)
  7. Pace Academy (0-0)
  8. Calhoun (0-0)
  9. Dougherty (2-1)
  10. Westminster (2-1)

Class AA

  1. Glenn Hills (1-0)
  2. Banks County (2-0)
  3. Dublin (1-0)
  4. Thomasville (3-0)
  5. South Atlanta (2-1)
  6. Swainsboro (0-1)
  7. Jeff Davis (3-0)
  8. Butler (1-0)
  9. Therrell (4-2)
  10. Northeast-Macon (3-0) 

Class A-Private

  1. St. Francis (2-1)
  2. Aquinas (1-1)
  3. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (1-1)
  4. Wesleyan (1-0)
  5. Stratford Academy (0-0)
  6. Lakeview Academy (1-2)
  7. North Cobb Christian (3-1)
  8. King’s Ridge Christian (2-0)
  9.  Mt. Pisgah (3-1)
  10. Holy Innocents’ (0-3)

Class A-Public

  1. Calhoun County (2-0)
  2. Central-Talbotton (2-0)
  3. Macon County (0-0)
  4. Treutlen (0-0)
  5. Montgomery County (2-0)
  6. Wilcox County (1-1)
  7. Wilkinson County (0-0)
  8. Pelham (0-0)
  9. Woodville-Tompkins (1-1)
  10. Mt. Zion-Carroll (0-0)

Class AAAAAAA sees some shakeup this week. No. 1 McEachern was pushed to the brink by GISA’s Holy Spirit Prep before rallying behind Sharife Cooper’s 14 points in overtime and 27 on the night to win 69-60 at Under Armour’s Hard in the Paint. No. 3 Wheeler fell to Holy Spirit Prep earlier in the week 74-62, but picked up wins over Class 5A No. 3 Cedar Shoals 76-58 and Class 5A No. 2 Buford 78-65. EJ Montgomery averaged 34 points and 14 rebounds against the two Class 5A powers while dropping in 28 points against Holy Spirit Prep. Just like last year, Coach Rick Rasmussen’s No. 4 Newton Rams are off to a blistering start. Ashton Hagans toyed with opponents in their Holiday Hoopsgiving sweep of Class 5A No. 8 Columbia (94-64) and Pebblebrook (87-78), who falls out of the Top 10 along with Shiloh (2-3). Replacing the Falcons (2-1) and Generals are No. 7 Meadowcreek and No. 10 Discovery. The Mustangs drilled Trinity Christian, NC at Hoopsgiving 78-43 before knocking off Class 6A No. 1 Gainesville 62-61. Discovery beat Class 6A No. 2 Dacula 78-75 in overtime at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. Aside from Pebblebrook and Shiloh, Class AAAAAAA’s biggest dropper was No. 6 Grayson, who slides three spots after a nail-biting 67-64 loss to new Class 5A No. 1 Warner Robins. Charleston Southern-signee Travis Anderson scored 18 points and Nick Edwards added 14, but the Rams had no answer for Georgia State’s Nelson Phillips.

The top of Class AAAAAA has struggled against premier competition, but the Top 3 remain unchanged due to the caliber of teams they have played. No. 1 Gainesville is now 0-3 and may open up the season with an ugly mark after the first nine games, but the Red Elephants will still be a force come state playoff time. No. 2 Dacula hasn’t quite seen the national flavor that Gainesville has, but the Falcons have battled some of the state’s best, losing in overtime on two buzzer beaters at the Craig Sager Memorial, 67-65 to Class 3A No. 1 Morgan County and 78-75 to Class 7A No. 10 Discovery. No. 3 Langston Hughes fell to Mountain Brook, AL 59-45, who beat Class 7A No. 2 Norcross 79-62 the day before at Holiday Hoopsgiving. No. 6 Tri-Cities climbs back over No. 7 Douglas County after going 2-0 in Florida, beating Andrew Jackson 67-56 and Providence School 50-47. The Tigers lost a close one to Pebblebrook 79-76. Alpharetta (1-2) tumbles out of the Top 10 following a disappointing start. The Raiders lost to newly ranked Class 3A No. 10 Westminster 62-58. Replacing Alpharetta is defending State Runner-Up No. 10 Brunswick. The Pirates will be tested this Tuesday as they host No. 4 Coffee.

There is a new leader in the clubhouse in Class AAAAA. No. 1 Warner Robins takes over for No. 2 Buford. The Demons beat Grayson 67-64 behind Nelson Phillips’ 14-point fourth quarter, a part of his 27-point, 8-rebounds, 4-assist, 2-block masterpiece. Jacolbey Owens drilled three threes and finished with 17 points. Buford must get healthy. Lipscomb-signee Alex Jones has yet to play, hurting the Wolves’ machine of an offense. After beating Discovery 65-50, Buford fell to Morgan County 57-54 and Wheeler 78-65. Without Jones, Donell Nixon has been forced to take over the primary ball-handling duties. Nixon is a lethal three-point shooter, but instead of sneaking around the perimeter to find his shots off Jones’ assists, Nixon has to make sure everyone gets involved before releasing his three-point barrage. Marcus Watson and Georgia Southern-signee David Viti have been playing at a high clip, but they need the No. 1 2018 point guard in Georgia back on the floor. No. 8 Columbia plummets three spots after laying an egg on the big stage, getting whipped by Newton 94-64. No. 4 Southwest DeKalb rises three spots behind a perfect record at the Memphis Showcase. Starr’s Mill (2-1) takes a quick exit from the poll after losing to undefeated Hoover, AL 52-43. Expect the Panthers to be back in the mix very soon. No. 10 Maynard Jackson gets the nod. Marquavius Carter is averaging 24 points per game while TJ Boykin is putting up 13.8 points and 5.8 rebounds a night. 6-foot-5 sophomore Timipa Ogun has blossomed into a post presence, posting 11 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3 blocks per game for the Jaguars.

The gap between No. 1 Upson-Lee and No. 2 St. Pius may be shrinking. While the Knights have been crushing lesser competition, the Golden Lions have instead decided to test themselves with their early non-region schedule. St. Pius blitzed defending Class A-Private state champion Greenforest 73-52 and have been clicking on all cylinders. Unless someone can step up from the field, don’t be surprised to see the Knights and the Golden Lions on a crash course for a rematch of last year’s thrilling state championship. A team that could throw a monkey wrench into that plan? No. 6 Mary Persons. Cam Holden unleashed a 43-point 17-rebound double-double to open his senior season with a win over Houston County, 82-74. Richmond Academy (3-1) drops from the poll after an 84-67 loss to Lakeside-Evans.  No. 10 Americus-Sumter debuts after wins over Lee County (44-42), Class 3A No. 9 Dougherty (59-57) and Monroe (60-41).

No. 1 Morgan County is racking up the quality wins in Class AAA. Dacula, Buford and Westlake (67-61) have all ran into the buzz-saw from Madison. Tyrin Lawrence and Alec Woodard have brought their game to the next level while Stevin Greene and Anthony Cooper continue to make winning plays. Spots No. 3 through No. 6 all suffered losses. No. 3 GAC fell to Peachtree Ridge in the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic Championship, 68-61. No. 4 Cedar Grove sinks to 0-2 after losing to Milton 66-60. No. 5 Westside-Macon was overmatched against possibly the nation’s best team, Montverde Academy, FL, 103-55 while No. 6 Jenkins couldn’t close out Hoover, AL, 59-58. Long County (1-2) is out of the Top 10 after a tough 74-71 overtime loss to Class 2A No. 7 Jeff Davis. The Blue Tide is replaced by No. 10 Westminster. The Wildcats defeated Pope 67-54 and Alpharetta 62-58 at the Roswell Rotary Honor Air Invitational.

Swainsboro was handled by Effingham County 65-57 to open the season, dropping the Tigers from No. 1 to No. 6 in Class AA. No. 1 Glenn Hills takes over the top spot with a win over Greenbrier 64-57. No. 2 Banks County is the most consistent and most reliable team week in and week out. They thrashed Hart County 94-58 and overwhelmed East Hall 82-72 behind Carl Cleveland’s seven three-pointers en route to 29 points. Dylan Orr added 22 points, 16 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 blocks while Gabe Martin pitched in 13 points and Darius Bonds tallied 9 points and 7 assists. The Leopards’ inside-outside game is the most balanced in the state. Don’t sleep on defending State Champion No. 5 South Atlanta, though. The Hornets stung Westlake 74-70, Jalen Stegall dropping in 30 points with Dre Barnes adding 26. New look No. 3 Dublin got by West Laurens 66-55. Clarence Jackson scored 18 in his debut with the Irish while Kameron Pauldo netted 18 of his own. Laney (3-1) and Monticello (1-1) depart from the rankings. Laney was upset by Greenbrier 71-67 and the Hurricanes were trounced by Jones County, 82-64. Into the Top 10 is No. 9 Therrell and No. 10 Northeast-Macon. Therrell turned heads at the Craig Sager Memorial, barely losing to Morgan County 84-78. The Panthers already have wins over Salem (47-34) and Mays (62-60). They fell to a good Class 4A No. 7 Carver-Columbus team 69-55. Sophomore combo guard Deandre Brown has been a revelation, pouring in over 25 points per game. The Raiders of Northeast-Macon may be coming of age. Ty’ree Gilbert, Cameron Cherry and Darius Dunn are combining to score over 40 points per game in Coach Kevin Grooms’ backcourt. The Raiders picked up a big 65-62 win over a blossoming East Coweta program.

The Class A-Private is getting a little clearer. The most evident take away from Holiday Hoopsgiving? Greenforest (2-2) is no longer Greenforest. The dynasty is over as the Eagles were throttled by St. Pius after opening the game down 20-0. Greenforest can not handle a full court press and for that reason, the Eagles sink from No. 3 in the state to unranked. They have a lot to prove after their poor showings against Grayson and the Golden Lions. Their win over a short-handed Sacred Heart, AL team 81-65 is not enough to save Greenforest from their early fall from grace.  No. 1 St. Francis hangs onto their top spot after a tough loss to Carmel Christian, NC 71-67. No. 2 Aquinas swaps with No. 3 Eagle’s Landing Christian following their 65-40 victory. The Fighting Irish went 23-of-29 from the foul line while Malachi Rhodes and company attempted just three free throws. With Greenforest falling out of the Top 10, winless No. 10 Holy Innocents’ rejoins the picture. With the bottom of Class A-Private still so unsettled with who is for real and who is a pretender, the Golden Bears’ “moral victories” are enough to crack the poll while other schools haven’t seen the same level of competition. They pushed ELCA to the limit before bowing out 68-63. Freshman swingman Garrison Powell impressed enough to pick up an offer from Middle Tennessee State at Holiday Hoopsgiving. Matt Meadows, Josh Smith and Alex Hyatt form a nice mix of veteran leadership and youth that should begin to rack up the wins in region play.

No. 1 Calhoun County is on a mission to win Class A-Public after falling short in the title game a year ago. The Cougars cracked No. 6 Wilcox County 66-39. No. 2 Central-Talbotton rises up a spot over idle No. 3 Macon County following their 78-74 win over Harris County. Coach Lenny Williams’ No. 9 Woodville-Tompkins Wolverines are playing well and will have a great test when they visit Region 3 frontrunner No. 4 Treutlen on Tuesday. The Wolverines nearly upset Class 6A No. 5 Bradwell Institute at the Joe Greene Classic before running out of gas 62-56. Junior Preston Crisp is averaging 15.5 points per game while sophomore Bernard Pelote is tossing in 14.5.