Class AAAAAA

1. Westlake (14-2)
2. Norcross (17-2)
3. Wheeler (15-5)
4. Tift County (19-2)
5. Newton (17-2)
6. Pebblebrook (13-7)
7. McEachern (16-3)
8. Shiloh (14-4)
9. Dacula (14-4)
10. Grayson (16-3)

Class AAAAA

1. Miller Grove (19-2)
2. Allatoona (19-0)
3. McIntosh (17-2)
4. Gainesville (13-4)
5. Cedar Shoals (20-2)
6. Riverwood (20-1)
7. South Paulding (16-3)
8. Warner Robins (13-2)
9. Southwest DeKalb (18-3)
10. Effingham County (18-3)

 Class AAAA

1. Jonesboro (17-3)
2. Lithonia (15-4)
3. St. Pius (17-3)
4. Grady (18-2)
5. Liberty County (17-1)
6. Eagle’s Landing (19-1)
7. Upson-Lee (16-3)
8. Thomson (14-3)
9. Worth County (15-3)
10. Sandy Creek (14-5)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (15-4)
2. South Atlanta (16-4)
3. Calhoun (18-0)
4. Laney (18-2)
5. Jenkins (16-3)
6. Central-Macon (18-2)
7. Westminster (17-2)
8. Callaway (11-3)
9. Banks County (18-2)
10. Johnson-Savannah (15-5)

Class AA

1. Thomasville (20-1)
2. Seminole County (15-4)
3. Crawford County (17-2)
4. Pace Academy (9-9)
5. Vidalia (18-3)
6. Lovett (13-4)
7. Dublin (17-3)
8. Chattooga (19-1)
9. Holy Innocents’ (14-5)
10. Swainsboro (12-6)

Class A-Private

1. Greenforest (18-2)
2. North Cobb Christian (15-3)
3. SWAC (12-8)
4. St. Francis (13-7)
5. Whitefield Academy (13-7)
6. Lakeview Academy (17-4)
7. Our Lady of Mercy (14-3)
8. Stratford Academy (13-4)
9. King’s Ridge (12-5)
10. Walker (12-5)

Class A-Public

1. Hancock Central (13-4)
2. Wilkinson County (14-5)
3. Treutlen (16-2)
4. Turner County (16-5)
5. Taylor County (14-6)
6. Atkinson County (15-4)
7. Calhoun County (12-8)
8. Randolph-Clay (15-7)
9. Central-Talbotton (13-8)
10. Lincoln County (11-5)

Snow and ice wrecked most of the week’s action, but that still didn’t stop Class AAAAAA from seeing some major changes. It had been over five years since No. 8 Shiloh had lost back-to-back region games before the Generals were shocked by Central Gwinnett 61-58 on Tuesday. They have now fallen six spots in the past two weeks. No. 5 Newton is the main beneficiary of the movement, as the Rams continue to rise. No. 4 Tift County suffered a major blow with leading scorer and rebounder Preston Horne tearing his ACL and now being out for the year. Fred Lloyd has stepped up in his absence. No. 2 Norcross caught a raw deal because of the weather, having to miss their own tournament the Peachtree Corners Invitational and see its field of games shrink from five games to two and have the tournament be held at St. Pius instead. The Blue Devils did however pick up a big win on Tuesday, surviving at home against Collins Hill (16-3), 50-48, in the process knocking the Eagles out of the top ten. Rayshaun Hammonds once again caused problems for Collins Hill, posting 20 points and 11 rebounds. Kenny Stanciel gave the Eagles a big lift with a career-high 20 points while TeShaun Hightower (3) and Kai Lambert (1) were held to a combined four points. Coming off a 76-74 win over Berkmar, No. 10 Grayson finds itself back in the poll.

Everything went chalk for the most part in AAAAA. No. 8 Warner Robins used a Jacolbey Owens three-pointer at the buzzer to knock off rival Northside-Warner Robins 60-57 and hand Coach Jamaal Garman his 100^th career win. No. 10 Effingham County continued to make a statement in Region 3 with a 72-66 win over defending state champion Brunswick. The Pirates had won 9-straight before the loss. No. 3 McIntosh held off Morrow 68-63 behind Jordan Lyons’ 25 points. No. 1 Miller Grove’s DeKalb County rematch with ^4ANo. 2 Lithonia was snowed out and will not be made up.

No. 7 Upson-Lee took care of business against Perry 72-62, to take a share of first-place in Region 2-AAAA and advance its winning streak to 10 games. Senior O’Qualon Harris (17.2 ppg) and sophomore Ty Fagan (17.9 ppg) have powered the Knights this season. No. 9 Worth County earned another good win against Westover, 70-63. Walnut Grove (17-3) slips out of the top ten after a two-game losing streak, the Warriors’ most recent loss coming to Henry County 84-68. Replacing them is No. 10 Sandy Creek, who defeated Woodward Academy 70-54 last week.

AAA saw a state title contender emerge as No. 2 South Atlanta led wire-to-wire against ^1A-PrivateNo. 1 Greenforest at the Blue Collar Basketball MLK Showcase, earning a 62-57 win. Jenkins falls three spots to No. 5 following a 66-59 loss to Johnson-Savannah, who debuts in the polls at No. 10. No. 4 Laney moves up a spot with an 80-60 beat down of Westside-Augusta, who now tumbles out of the top ten.

Class AA’s most dynamic player, Jordan Harris (UGA) of No. 2 Seminole County, went off for 47 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks and six three-pointers and six dunks in a 86-62 win over Berrien. Without teammate Anfernee King suited up to play, Harris had no problem taking full control of the game. No. 5 Vidalia lost 62-58 to new No. 10 Swainsboro and falls two slots. Pace Academy now holds the No. 4 ranking and is .500, but has won 7 of 8 games. GAC just misses staying in the top ten following a 42-39 loss to Pace. No. 7 Dublin has quietly worked its way up the rankings and has won 10-straight.

If there were ever a chance for a team to unseat No. 1 Greenforest in Class A-Private, it would have been after the Eagles loss to South Atlanta, but that did not happen. No. 5 Whitefield Academy finally slayed the dragon that is their arch-nemesis No. 4 St. Francis, 75-73. Isaiah Hart and Brendon Myles had monster games for the Wolf Pack. Hart finished with 37 points, five assists and two blocks while Myles went for 25 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. St. Anne-Pacelli (13-7) finally slips out of the top ten after holding strong the first nine weeks. Losses to Marion County 76-64 and Central-Talbotton 88-79 did the Vikings in. Both they and Hebron (14-6) fall out. The Lions only lasted one week in the poll before being thumped by No. 6 Lakeview Academy 65-48 and Tallulah Falls 67-53. No. 9 King’s Ridge and No. 10 Walker make an appearance in the top ten. Walker returns for the first time since Week 3 when it started 5-1. King’s Ridge debuts and has played well this year. The Tigers have won 4-straight and still have 7-foot center Tolu Jacobs waiting in the wings to become eligible and potentially change the landscape of A-Private.

In Class A-Public, No. 1 Hancock Central completes its ascension to the top of the state following No. 3 Treutlen’s 66-51 loss to No. 7 Calhoun County, knocking the Vikings from their perch. After a 5-5 start, Coach Tasha Kimble’s No. 4 Turner County Rebels are red-hot, winning 11 in a row including demolishing Hawkinsville 70-48 and No. 6 Atkinson County 82-46.  The Rebels have won their last five games by an average of 33.8 points. No. 9 Central-Talbotton enters the top ten for the first time following wins over Hawkinsville and St. Anne-Pacelli.

Class AAAAAA

1. Westlake (13-2)
2. Norcross (16-2)
3. Wheeler (13-5)
4. Tift County (17-2)
5. Shiloh (14-3)
6. Newton (16-2)
7. Pebblebrook (12-7)
8. McEachern (15-3)
9. Dacula (13-4)
10. Collins Hill (16-2)

Class AAAAA

1. Miller Grove (17-2)
2. Allatoona (18-0)
3. McIntosh (16-2)
4. Gainesville (11-3)
5. Cedar Shoals (19-2)
6. Riverwood (19-1)
7. South Paulding (15-3)
8. Warner Robins (12-2)
9. Southwest DeKalb (16-3)
10. Effingham County (15-3)

Class AAAA

1. Jonesboro (16-3)
2. Lithonia (14-4)
3. St. Pius (16-2)
4. Grady (16-2)
5. Liberty County (15-1)
6. Eagle’s Landing (18-1)
7. Upson-Lee (15-3)
8. Walnut Grove (17-2)
9. Thomson (14-3)
10. Worth County (12-3)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (15-3)
2. Jenkins (15-2)
3. Calhoun (16-0)
4. South Atlanta (14-4)
5. Laney (15-2)
6. Central-Macon (16-2)
7. Westminster (17-2)
8. Callaway (9-3)
9. Westside-Augusta (10-2)
10. Banks County (17-2)

Class AA

1. Thomasville (18-1)
2. Seminole County (13-4)
3. Vidalia (16-2)
4. Crawford County (14-2)
5. Pace Academy (7-8)
6. Lovett (12-4)
7. Chattooga (18-1)
8. GAC (12-7)
9. Dublin (14-3)
10. Holy Innocents’ (13-5)

Class A-Private

1. Greenforest (17-1)
2. St. Francis (13-5)
3. North Cobb Christian (14-3)
4. SWAC (11-8)
5. Lakeview Academy (15-4)
6. Our Lady of Mercy (13-3)
7. Whitefield Academy (11-7)
8. St. Anne-Pacelli (13-5)
9. Stratford Academy (12-3)
10. Hebron Christian Academy (14-4)

Class A-Public

1. Treutlen (15-1)
2. Hancock Central (12-4)
3. Wilkinson County (12-5)
4. Atkinson County (13-3)
5. Turner County (12-5)
6. Taylor County (10-6)
7. Lincoln County (11-4)
8. Hawkinsville (9-5)
9. Randolph-Clay (13-6)
10. Calhoun County (10-7)

If there was ever any question as to if No. 1 Westlake deserved the top spot in Class AAAAAA, there shouldn’t be anymore. The Lions picked up a 76-70 win at No. 7 Pebblebrook to remain undefeated in Region 3 and more importantly, the state of Georgia. Chuma Okeke and Ronald Bell posted double-doubles with 19 points and 15 rebounds and 18 points and 16 rebounds respectively as they exploited the smaller Falcons. Auburn signee Jared Harper was held in check with just 23 points. Shiloh slips three spots to No. 5 after suffering their first in-state regular season loss since Feb. 7, 2014 (Archer) as No. 9 Dacula scored a huge 66-57 win at home and in the process finds itself back in the top ten. The Generals falling three spots isn’t meant to be a harsh punishment or to say Shiloh isn’t one of the state’s elite teams, it is just a credit to how well Norcross, Wheeler and Tift County are playing, making the slightest of slip ups costly. No. 6 Newton has hung around the bottom of the poll but has never dropped out and now finds itself cracking the glass ceiling and a spot away from being in the top five. Coach Rick Rasmussen’s Rams crushed Alcovy 120-51 behind Jaquan Simms’ career-high 30 points, JD Notae’s 24 and freshman Ashton Hagans’ 16 points and 10 assists. They followed it up on Saturday by spanking North Oconee 75-37. Grayson (15-3) slips out of the rankings due to Dacula’s impressive win and a 69-61 loss to Brookwood (13-5). The Broncos are in fifth-place in Region 8 with a 5-4 mark, but have impressive wins over Berkmar, White County, Johns Creek, ^2ANo. 8 GAC, Heritage-Conyers and Grayson, making them one of the most dangerous teams in the state that has yet to hold a top ten ranking. Teams on the bubble of making the poll including Lambert (17-2), Johns Creek (17-2), Brookwood, Grayson and others, will have an eye on what No. 10 Collins Hill does on Tuesday at No. 2 Norcross. The Blue Devils blitzed the Eagles for a 93-72 win earlier in the year and another lopsided loss may knock Collins Hill from their perch in the poll.

Region 5’s finest went at it again in AAAAA and once again it was No. 2 Allatoona coming up big and extending its region dominance to 66-straight wins (now 67 after win over Lithia Springs on Saturday). The Bucs fended off host No. 7 South Paulding 53-44 after blasting them at home on Dec. 18, 65-46. Ephraim Tshimanga and Trey Doomes were too much up top. Tshimanga finished with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals while Doomes went for 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals. Kane Williams of South Paulding was held to 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists. 6-foot-7 forward Ja’Cori Wilson scored 21 in the losing effort. No. 4 Gainesville steps into the limelight with a chance to make a statement in the state of Georgia as they play at ^6A No. 3 Wheeler, the defending state champs, on MLK Day. The game was an in-season pick up after the Red Elephants lost three games due to their out of state mishap in Kentucky. Gainesville’s record may be 11-3, but they have only lost one game to Brentwood Academy (TN) in the King of the Bluegrass tournament while their other two losses came via forfeit in Lanierland. No. 5 Cedar Shoals won a thrilling game late Friday night against Heritage-Conyers, 54-51, after taking their first lead with just 6:06 left in regulation. Snipe Hall scored a game-high 16 points to lead the way while Phlan Fleming added 11. The loss was Heritage’s third straight. The Patriots (15-4) were ranked as high as No. 5 this year and were No. 7 last week, but losses to Rockdale County in overtime, Brookwood 96-68 and now Cedar Shoals has seen the talented group tumble out. Replacing them is No. 10 Effingham County, who debuts in the rankings. The Rebels have eight wins by six points or less and their three losses have come by a total of 10 points. They are in first-place in Region 3 at 8-0, but have four teams hot on their tracks, highlighted by defending state champion Brunswick (15-4) who has now won eight straight.

Spots 2-4 in Class AAAA belong to Region 6. No. 3 St. Pius jumps two spots after getting revenge against No. 4 Grady, 62-50 at the X-Dome. Christian Merrill scored a game-high 17 points, Jakob Spitzer posted 12 points, seven rebounds and three blocks and Kerney Lane notched 13 points to knock off Grady. Bucknell-commit Avi Toomer was held to 16 points in the loss. With the win, the Golden Lions now have a chance at a region title in the log-jammed standings. As it stands today, Grady is now tied (hold tie-breaker) at 11-1 with No. 2 Lithonia, while St. Pius slides in at 10-2. No. 6 Eagle’s Landing rallied from down 25-7 to edge No. 8 Walnut Grove 69-61. Freshman Chris Hood got hot and scored 23 in the win for the Eagles. No. 7 Upson-Lee has won nine in a row and hosts Perry (10-7, 7-0) on Friday to take first-place from the Panthers, who beat the Knights 68-63 earlier in the year for Upson-Lee’s only Region 2 loss. Sandy Creek (13-5) peaked at No. 5 early in the season but now finds itself on the outside looking in after a loss to Whitewater 56-54 sees them fall from No. 8 to unranked. Replacing the Patriots is No. 10 Worth County. The Rams opened the year at No. 7 but fell from the top ten in Week 4 and hadn’t returned until this week. Unsigned 6-foot-5 forward Brandon Moore has put up beastly numbers next to 6-foot-8 Auburn signee Anfernee McLemore. Moore went for 32 points and 10 rebounds in a 60-59 win over Monroe. He and McLemore make up most likely the toughest post duo in the state as Moore averages 22.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while McLemore posts 15.2 points, 12.8 rebounds and 6.3 blocks through 12 games.

East Jackson (9-8) had a chance to prove it could hang with AAA No. 1 Morgan County, but once again it was the Bulldogs taking a bite out of the Eagles for a 75-56 win. Colin Hubbard recapped the action as Florida Atlantic commits Jailyn Ingram and DeVorious Brown were too much for the young birds. Something you haven’t heard in years: No. 5 Laney has dropped two of its last three games. Josey (7-8) upset the Wildcats 66-55 on Saturday led by Donald Jordan’s 17 points. No. 6 Central-Macon won a classic over Southwest-Macon (13-5) in double overtime, 80-76. Derrick Evans (23 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists) and juniors Kentravious Jones (19 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks) and Anterious McCoy (26 points, 8 rebounds) were too much for the Patriots and have formed possibly the most potent inside-out trio in the classification. The two hottest teams in the state? No. 3 Calhoun and No. 7 Westminster are both riding 16-game winning streaks. The Yellow Jackets buzzed Murray County 74-44 to remain undefeated. Ray Reeves poured in 24 points while Jireh Wilson (12) and Chapin Rierson (11) also scored in double figures for Coach Vince Layson’s always balanced attack.

In Class AA, No. 2 Seminole County swaps places with No. 1 Thomasville after an 82-69 slip to Bainbridge. Expect Seminole County and Thomasville to battle for No. 1 all season long. The two Region 1 foes meet again on Feb. 2, at Thomasville, the second to last game of the season. No. 3 Vidalia rises a spot after No. 4 Crawford County lost 98-80 to Northside-Warner Robins. The Indians also earned their rise by beating Long County 76-65 at Long County, knocking the Blue Tide (14-5) from the rankings temporarily. No. 5 Pace Academy might not be above .500, but they are peaking now that they are in Region 6 play. They dropped No. 6 Lovett 53-40 this past week. No. 10 Holy Innocents’ clings onto the top ten, but barely after taking a 77-37 thrashing at now No. 8 GAC. The Golden Bears have been banged up and the Spartans (7-1 in region) have found a new lease on life after some addition by subtraction, losing two of their best players. Early County instead of Holy Innocents’ drops from the rankings from No. 7 after a bad loss to Brooks County, 68-67. The Trojans are just 7-10 overall this season. No. 9 Dublin debuts in the poll after taking down Swainsboro 65-56 and are riding a seven-game win streak. On Tuesday the Fighting Irish host Houston County, who handed Dublin their first loss of the season 88-77 on Dec. 4.

No. 2 St. Francis is finally hitting its stride in Class A-Private. Kobi Simmons poured in 34 points at the HoopHall Classic to defeat Lone Peak (UT) 94-92 in double overtime. Chance Anderson added 24 in the win. The win is a big one as Lone Peak is one of two out-of-state teams that has handed 5A No. 1 Miller Grove a loss, 73-71 at the FreeTaxUSA.com Shootout earlier this season. After the game, Simmons announced that he will be heading to Arizona to play college basketball, ending the long courtship of the 5-star guard. He and Alterique Gilbert of Miller Grove both were selected Sunday night to play in the McDonald’s All-American game. Elsewhere in the state, newly minted No. 10 Hebron Christian has a chance to pick up a signature win over No. 5 Lakeview Academy. Lakeview currently is 7-0 in Region 8 while Hebron is 6-0. The two teams meet at Lakeview on Tuesday.

Class A-Public’s hottest team outside of No. 1 Treutlen is No. 2 Hancock Central, who rides an eight-game win streak. No. 5 Turner County is also red-hot, rising five spots on its seven-game winning streak. No. 9 Randolph-Clay has fallen six spots after losses to Stewart County and Early County. Mitchell County (9-6) drops out of the top ten after losses to Westover and Quitman County. No. 10 now belongs to defending state champion Calhoun County. The Cougars have won three in a row and are 8-3 in Region 1.

Class AAAAAA

1. Westlake (9-2)
2. Shiloh (12-2)
3. Norcross (14-2)
4. Wheeler (11-5)
5. Tift County (15-2)
6. McEachern (13-2)
7. Pebblebrook (12-6)
8. Newton (13-2)
9. Grayson (14-2)
10. Collins Hill (14-2)

Class AAAAA

1. Miller Grove (15-2)
2. Allatoona (15-0)
3. McIntosh (13-2)
4. Gainesville (9-3)
5. Cedar Shoals (16-2)
6. South Paulding (14-2)
7. Heritage-Conyers (15-2)
8. Riverwood (16-1)
9. Warner Robins (10-2)
10. Southwest DeKalb (15-3)

Class AAAA

1. Jonesboro (13-3)
2. Grady (15-1)
3. Lithonia (12-4)
4. Liberty County (12-1)
5. St. Pius (13-2)
6. Eagle’s Landing (15-1)
7. Walnut Grove (16-1)
8. Sandy Creek (12-4)
9. Upson-Lee (13-3)
10. Thomson (12-3)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (13-3)
2. Jenkins (12-2)
3. Laney (14-1)
4. Calhoun (13-0)
5. South Atlanta (12-4)
6. Central-Macon (13-2)
7. Westminster (14-2)
8. Callaway (7-3)
9. Westside-Augusta (7-2)
10. Banks County (15-2)

Class AA

1. Seminole County (12-3)
2. Thomasville (16-1)
3. Crawford County (13-1)
4. Vidalia (14-2)
5. Holy Innocents’ (12-4)
6. Lovett (11-3)
7. Early County (12-3)
8. Pace Academy (5-8)
9. Chattooga (16-1)
10. Long County (13-3)

Class A-Private

1. Greenforest (15-1)
2. St. Francis (10-5)
3. North Cobb Christian (12-3)
4. St. Anne-Pacelli (11-4)
5. SWAC (8-8)
6. Lakeview Academy (13-3)
7. Whitefield Academy (10-7)
8. Our Lady of Mercy (10-3)
9. Stratford Academy (10-3)
10. Tattnall Square Academy (11-3)

Class A-Public

1. Treutlen (12-1)
2. Hancock Central (9-4)
3. Randolph-Clay (12-4)
4. Wilkinson County (9-5)
5. Atkinson County (11-2)
6. Taylor County (9-5)
7. Lincoln County (9-3)
8. Hawkinsville (9-4)
9. Mitchell County (9-4)
10. Turner County (9-5)

After nearly a month long layoff, Class AAAAAA’s No. 1 Westlake returned to the hardwood and picked up two Region 3 wins. The Lions held off UNC signee Brandon Robinson and Douglas County 65-59 before edging Langston Hughes 76-61. Chuma Okeke came up big for Westlake, finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds and three assists vs. Douglas County while Robinson poured in 21. Danny Lewis added 22 points and Jamie Lewis 14 points and nine assists for the Lions. In Friday’s win over Langston Hughes, it marked the first time this year Okeke played against his former school. No. 4 Wheeler dropped Milton 71-60 behind a balanced attack. Georgia Tech signee Romello White posted 22 points and eight rebounds. Cam Jordan and Darius Perry scored 19 and 18 points respectively. No. 7 Pebblebrook is red-hot and jumps up three spots. The Falcons rallied from down 87-74 with 4:43 left against Douglas County to force overtime and eventually win in two extra periods, 111-107 in a game of the year nominee. Collin Sexton dropped 44 points. Pebblebrook hosts No. 1 Westlake this Tuesday.

No.  9 Grayson makes its first appearance in the top ten this season after defeating Dacula 73-69, in turn taking their place in the poll. Austin Dukes scored 27 points to lead the Rams and Tre Sconiers recorded 14 points, 15 rebounds, two steals and four blocks. On Friday, Grayson had an opportunity to improve its resume even more with a crack at No. 2 Shiloh, but the upset-minded Rams fell short 80-73.

No. 2 Allatoona is now the lone undefeated team in Class AAAAA after Camden County lost to Effingham County 77-63 and slipped out of the top ten. Replacing the Wildcats is a familiar face, No. 10 Southwest DeKalb. The Panthers have won six straight and are quickly closing in on a rematch with No. 1 Miller Grove. No. 7 Heritage-Conyers falls a spot following a 73-66 overtime loss to Rockdale County. No. 9 Warner Robins stopped rival Northside-Warner Robins in front of a sold out crowd, 65-58. Donovan Brown finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds on the road to carry the load with star guard Marquez Callaway missing the game due to playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Class AAAA saw No. 4 Liberty County thump No. 10 Thomson 100-53. The statement win helps the Panthers jump back over No. 5 St. Pius. Thomson falls one spot only. No. 6 Eagle’s Landing moves up two spots and leaps over region foe No. 7 Walnut Grove. The Eagles knocked off Henry County 96-83 on Tuesday, drilled 13-3 Eastside 76-49 on Friday and outlasted Stockbridge 84-78 on Saturday. No. 1 Jonesboro survived a scare from Henry County on Saturday, 70-65 in overtime. MJ Walker exploded for 33 points to pace the Cardinals. Damion Rosser netted 28 points and Javon Greene 23 in the loss for the Warhawks.

Down goes Frazier! The AAA heavyweight No. 3 Laney finally lost a game to who else but No. 1 Morgan County, the same team that ended the Wildcats’ season in the semifinals last year. The Bulldogs won 65-63 behind Devorious Brown’s 27-point outburst.  Jailyn Ingram, who is heading to Florida Atlantic along with Brown, added 14 points and freshman Alec Woodard chipped in 13. Zep Jasper (College of Charleston) finished with 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals while Christian Keeling (Charleston Southern) posted 21 points and 10 rebounds for Laney. No. 10 Banks County resurfaces in the top ten after wins over Lumpkin County, 69-65 and Buford, 60-50.

I took a 217 mile trip down to South Georgia to see Class AA’s finest: No. 3 defending state champs Seminole County hosting undefeated No. 1 Thomasville. In the end, it was the championship duo of Jordan Harris (UGA) and Anfernee King that proved to be too much for the bigger and more balanced Bulldogs, combining for 49 points in the Indians’ 71-65 win in front of a raucous crowd. With the win, Seminole County regains the No. 1 spot in the state while Thomasville slides to No. 2. A string of close calls finally caught up to the battle-tested Bulldogs. Before their loss at Seminole County, last week Thomasville had beaten Bainbridge 63-61 and won at No. 7 Early County, 79-76. Region 1 looks like a force to be reckoned with come tournament time.

Two Region 6 teams drop out in Wesleyan and GAC, but two replace them with No. 6 Lovett and No. 8 Pace Academy. Currently Lovett owns sole possession of first place in the region with a 5-0 mark. The Lions hold wins over No. 5 Holy Innocents’ and just beat Wesleyan and GAC back-to-back on Friday and Saturday, knocking them both from the poll. On Friday Lovett gets to prove its record as they visit Pace Academy, a sleeping giant that has now won three in a row and hold a 4-1 mark in region play. Tomorrow in Southeast Georgia, No. 10 Long County hosts No. 4 Vidalia in a crucial Region 2 measuring stick game. Also keep an eye on Region 3’s Swainsboro (7-5, 3-0). The Tigers have played some tough competition out of region and are much better than their record shows. They are riding a five-game winning streak and may re-enter the poll sooner rather than later.

More of the same occurred in Class A-Private: Madness and business as usual. On the business side of things, No. 1 Greenforest dispatched of No. 5 SWAC, 81-58. The madness occurred with No. 2 St. Francis holding on against King’s Ridge (9-5), 72-71. Kobi Simmons became the Knights’ all-time leading scorer last week and surpassed the 2,000-point barrier. Landmark Christian tumbled out of the top ten with a 9-5 record and losses to Paideia in overtime 71-61 and No. 7 Whitefield Academy, 91-62. No. 9 Stratford Academy takes the War Eagles’ place in the rankings after dropping No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy, 67-58. Also, Quintez Cephus made SportsCenter with his thunderous baseline throw down against First Presbyterian Day.

Class A-Public sees No. 2 Hancock Central leap all the way from No. 9 thanks to five straight wins including victories over No. 7 Lincoln County and No. 4 Wilkinson County on Saturday, 70-62. No.5 Atkinson County continues to rise in the rankings while No. 8 Hawkinsville slips four spots following a 67-59 loss to Greenville. No. 9 Mitchell County and No. 10 Turner County replace Terrell County and Wilcox County. The Green Wave is riding a two-game skid while Wilcox County is on a three-game losing streak.

Class AAAAAA

1. Westlake (7-2)
2. Shiloh (9-2)
3. Norcross (12-2)
4. Wheeler (8-5)
5. Tift County (13-1)
6. McEachern (10-2)
7. Collins Hill (13-1)
8. Newton (10-2)
9. Dacula (10-2)
10. Pebblebrook (9-6)

Class AAAAA

1. Miller Grove (12-2)
2. Allatoona (12-0)
3. McIntosh (11-2)
4. Gainesville (6-1)
5. Cedar Shoals (14-2)
6. Heritage-Conyers (13-1)
7. Camden County (12-0)
8. South Paulding (11-2)
9. Riverwood (14-1)
10. Warner Robins (8-2)

Class AAAA

1. Jonesboro (10-3)
2. Grady (12-1)
3. Lithonia (10-4)
4. St. Pius (11-2)
5. Liberty County (9-1)
6. Walnut Grove (13-1)
7. Sandy Creek (9-4)
8. Eagle’s Landing (12-1)
9. Thomson (10-2)
10. Upson-Lee (11-3)

Class AAA

1. Laney (12-0)
2. Jenkins (10-2)
3. Morgan County (10-3)
4. South Atlanta (10-2)
5. Calhoun (10-0)
6. Central-Macon (10-2)
7. Westminster (11-2)
8. Callaway (5-2)
9. Southwest-Macon (10-3)
10. Westside-Augusta (5-2)

Class AA

1. Thomasville (14-0)
2. Crawford County (10-1)
3. Seminole County (9-3)
4. Holy Innocents’ (10-3)
5. Vidalia (11-2)
6. Early County (8-2)
7. GAC (8-6)
8. Macon County (9-3)
9. Wesleyan (8-3)
10. Chattooga (14-1)

Class A-Private

1. Greenforest (13-1)
2. St. Francis (8-5)
3. North Cobb Christian (9-3)
4. SWAC (7-7)
5. St. Anne-Pacelli (8-4)
6. Landmark Christian (8-3)
7. Lakeview Academy (8-3)
8. Whitefield Academy (7-7)
9. Tattnall Square Academy (10-2)
10. Our Lady of Mercy (7-3)

Class A-Public

1. Treutlen (9-1)
2. Wilkinson County (8-3)
3. Randolph-Clay (10-4)
4. Hawkinsville (7-3)
5. Taylor County (8-4)
6. Atkinson County (8-2)
7. Lincoln County (7-3)
8. Terrell County (8-6)
9. Hancock Central (6-4)
10. Wilcox County (7-5)

The Lake City Classic at Allatoona High School separated some pretenders from contenders as of now in Class AAAAAA. McEachern entered ranked No. 10 but after a strong showing in the tournament and a second-place finish, the Indians move up to No. 6. They thrashed last week’s No. 6 Lambert (13-2) 73-37 causing the Longhorns to fall out of the poll. Lambert quickly rebounded however with a blowout of last week’s No. 8 Milton (9-5) by a final of 93-67. The final result was eye opening after the Eagles had lost to ^5ANo. 3 McIntosh 74-68. Milton completed its 0-3 week at the tournament by dropping a 70-59 decision to ^1A-Private No. 3 North Cobb Christian, 70-59 and in the process tumbled out of the top ten. McEachern not only routed Lambert, but scored an impressive overtime victory over McIntosh 75-68 in the semifinals before falling to Allatoona 64-61. Freshman Isaac Okoro finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and three blocks while Darius Jones poured in 20 points to lead the Indians over McIntosh.

No. 3 Norcross and No. 4 Wheeler both fell to out-of-state opponents while No. 5 Tift County suffered its first loss of the season in the Arby’s Classic championship in Bristol, Tennessee to Wayne (OH) without second leading scorer Preston Horne who injured his knee earlier in the tournament. No. 8 Newton won the Yuletide Classic championship behind the play of Dre Butler (All-Tournament Team) and JD Notae (Tournament MVP).  A flock of Falcons, No. 9 Dacula and No. 10 Pebblebrook, both re-emerge in the top ten. Dacula finished 3-1 at the Kingdom of the Sun tournament in Florida. In their next game they clash with 12-1 Grayson in a crucial Region 8 meeting. Pebblebrook has played a heavy national schedule including seven of their 15 games coming against out-of-state competition. The Falcons return to Region 3 play battle-tested and already 5-0. Auburn signee Jared Harper and Collin Sexton have transformed into the most potent backcourt in the state, both averaging well over 20 points a night for Coach George Washington.

No. 1 Miller Grove continued its steady dominance this year in Class AAAAA by capturing the Chick-Fil-A Invitational championship at Tucker High School. En route to raising the trophy, the Wolverines clawed away ^4ANo. 3 Lithonia 60-47 and beat Tucker in the championship on their home floor, 80-61. No. 2 Allatoona remained perfect by winning the Lake City Classic on their home court. Wins over North Cobb Christian, Berkmar and McEachern have the Buccaneers as hot as anybody in the state. Coach Markus Hood’s matchup zone and the stifling defense of Trey Doomes and Ephraim Tshimanga have the Bucs looking like a good bet to make another deep run in state. No. 5 Cedar Shoals continued to make a statement as well and built to its already impressive resume. The Jaguars won the Sweet South Classic and picked up wins over ^1A-Private No. 4 SWAC, 48-44 and ^3ANo. 3 Morgan County 61-59 along the way. In the championship victory over the Bulldogs, Phlan Fleming hit a basket with one second left to capture the crown. Fleming finished with 27 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals and was named tournament MVP. No. 10 Warner Robins is back in the rankings after LaGrange dropped to new ^4ANo. 10 Upson-Lee, 77-65.

A familiar face takes over No. 1 in AAAA. Two-time defending state champion Jonesboro reaches the top of the poll for the first time this season after a third-place showing in the MaxPreps Holiday Classic. MJ Walker pumped in 38 points in the third-place game victory over Bishop Gorman (NV), 65-64. No. 2 Grady relents its hold on the top spot after a narrow loss to Jefferson Davis (AL), 67-61. No. 4 St. Pius quietly continues its ascension up the polls after losing to Grady and No. 3 Lithonia. The Golden Lions swept their way to winning the St. Pius X Christmas Classic and drilled Blessed Trinity in the finals, 67-38. Henry County (9-4), who peaked at No. 4 in the state, has dropped out of the top ten following their third straight loss. Stockbridge (6-5) won at Henry County 86-71 on Saturday. Virgil Fields finished with 29 points, six assists and 13 rebounds while Jadon Davis added 37 points and six assists to drop the Warhawks.

In AAA, No. 2 Jenkins moves up one spot after a tough No. 3 Morgan County loss in the Sweet South Classic championship. No. 4 South Atlanta blasted Sequoyah at the Farm Bureau Insurance Classic in Spartanburg, South Carolina 82-54. Artavious Banks led the way with 25 points. No. 5 Calhoun impressed many on its way to winning the SmileGeneration.com bracket at the Lake City Classic. On Saturday, the Yellow Jackets had to deal with an up-and-coming contender in Region 6, Coahulla Creek (12-3). Down 39-35 entering the fourth, Calhoun outscored the Colts 25-13 on the road to secure a 60-52 win. Jireh Wilson and Kaelan Riley, both football signees, were huge as Wilson finished with 31 points and six rebounds while Riley posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. No. 7 Westminster debuts in the poll after a huge 65-43 win over ^1A-Private No. 4 SWAC and an 11-2 start behind Will Benson, Philip Jones and Mikael Sampson. No. 10 Westside-Augusta also debuts in the top ten following a Banks County (12-2) 42-40 loss to a shorthanded ^6ANo. 7 Collins Hill in the Commerce Christmas Tournament championship. The Patriots get the slight nod over the Leopards. Westside’s only two losses have come to No. 1 Laney by a combined seven points. Speaking of Laney, the Wildcats held on to beat ^4ANo. 9 Thomson, 62-58 at home behind Christian Keeling’s 23 points and Zep Jasper’s 20.

No. 1 Thomasville has emerged as the class of AA after sweeping through the Thomasville Hoopfest to win the title.  Elsewhere in the classification, there have been road bumps. No. 2 Crawford County lost its first game to Manchester 63-61. No. 3 Seminole County is riding a two-game losing skid after falling to Boyd Anderson (FL) and Valdosta at the Thomasville Hoopfest, two teams Thomasville defeated. No. 5 Vidalia lost its first two games of the season as well to Richmond Academy and Brunswick. One team that is trending upwards is No. 4 Holy Innocents’. They jump up two spots following a perfect 3-0 championship run at the Pensacola Catholic Crusader Christmas Tournament. The Golden Bears return home to host Pace Academy. The Knights have played a national schedule and have paid dearly, dropping from No. 2 to unranked at 2-8 overall. No. 10 Chattooga at 14-1 makes an entry into the state picture.

Class 1A-Private and Public are still trying to sort themselves out. Outside of No. 1 Greenforest, 1A-Private looks like anyone’s ball game. No. 4 SWAC has dropped three straight with losses to Cedar Shoals, Stone Mountain and Westminster. No. 7 Lakeview has fallen to East Hall and North Hall back-to-back while No. 8 Whitefield Academy limped to 1-2 at the Lake City Classic with losses to Kell and Hillgrove in the SmileGeneration.com bracket.

1A-Public has seen No. 2 Wilkinson County start to make a move. They continue to rise following a 57-54 win over Stratford Academy (8-3) on Saturday. No. 9 Hancock Central held off a furious comeback from No. 7 Lincoln County to win 69-64 after leading by 22 at the half. In the loss rapidly rising ’17 prospect, 6-foot-7 Ahmad Rand, posted another triple-double with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 11 blocks.

Class AAAAAA

1. Westlake (7-2)
2. Shiloh (6-2)
3. Norcross (10-1)
4. Wheeler (6-3)
5. Tift County (10-0)
6. Lambert (11-0)
7. Collins Hill (10-1)
8. Milton (9-2)
9. Newton (7-2)
10. McEachern (8-1)

Class AAAAA

1. Miller Grove (9-2)
2. McIntosh (9-1)
3. Allatoona (9-0)
4. Gainesville (6-1)
5. Heritage (10-1)
6. Cedar Shoals (11-2)
7. Riverwood (13-0)
8. Camden County (12-0)
9. LaGrange (9-1)
10. South Paulding (8-1)

Class AAAA

1. Grady (11-0)
2. Jonesboro (8-2)
3. Lithonia (8-3)
4. Liberty County (6-1)
5. St. Pius (8-2)
6. Walnut Grove (10-1)
7. Sandy Creek (7-3)
8. Eagle’s Landing (12-1)
9. Henry County (9-3)
10. Thomson (9-1)

Class AAA

1. Laney (11-0)
2. Morgan County (8-2)
3. Jenkins (7-2)
4. South Atlanta (9-1)
5. Calhoun (6-0)
6. Central Macon (8-2)
7. East Hall (7-3)
8. Callaway (4-2)
9. Southwest Macon (9-3)
10. Banks County (10-1)

Class AA

1. Thomasville (10-0)
2. Crawford County (8-0)
3. Seminole County (8-1)
4. Vidalia (10-0)
5. Early County (6-1)
6. Holy Innocents’ (7-3)
7. GAC (6-4)
8. Long County (8-2)
9. Macon County (7-2)
10. Wesleyan (7-2)

Class A-Private

1. Greenforest (11-1)
2. SWAC (6-4)
3. St. Francis (9-3)
4. Lakeview Academy (8-1)
5. North Cobb Christian (8-1)
6. St. Anne-Pacelli (7-3)
7. Whitefield Academy (6-5)
8. Landmark Christian (8-3)
9. Our Lady of Mercy (7-3)
10. Tattnall Square Academy (7-2)

Class A-Public

1. Treutlen (7-0)
2. Randolph-Clay (10-2)
3. Wilkinson County (6-2)
4. Taylor County (8-2)
5. Lincoln County (5-1)
6. Hawkinsville (7-3)
7. Atkinson County (7-2)
8. Terrell County (5-5)
9. Wilcox County (7-4)
10. Hancock Central (5-4)

Class AAAAAA sees no movement, but that will be sure to change after a week full of monster matchups. Lake City Classic at Allatoona High School will be hosting top programs from across the state, highlighted by nine ranked teams of which three are in 6A. No. 8 Milton squares off against ^5A No. 2 McIntosh Monday afternoon at 4:00 P.M. while No. 6 Lambert and No. 10 McEachern meet afterwards at 5:30 P.M. with a chance to vastly improve their stock.

No. 3 Allatoona moves up one spot in AAAAA after winning the Rumble at the Ridge in Kentucky, where the Bucs knocked off some of the best programs in the state, scoring wins of 65-64 over Hopkinsville (No. 5 in all of Kentucky) after trailing by 10 with 1:28 left, 65-60 against Polaski Southwestern (No. 14) and 54-43 in the championship over host Pleasure Ridge Park. The play of Trey Doomes and Ephraim Tshimanga continue to dismantle opposing offenses with their pressure defense up front. LaGrange slips one spot following a loss to ^3A No. 4 South Atlanta, 65-50 at the War Eagle Classic. Southwest DeKalb is replaced by No. 10 South Paulding, who debuts in the top ten. The Panthers dropped 72-70 to Morrow at the Peach State Classic which set up the Spartans to join the picture. Coach Gil Davis has the Spartans playing tough defense and finding easy baskets on offense. Junior guard Kane Williams is the straw that stirs the drink. He finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals in a 54-49 win over Blessed Trinity at the SEBA Hoopfest on Dec. 19, their last game. He along with 6-foot-7 junior Ja’Cori Wilson and lunch pail and hard hat big man Anthony Brown, make South Paulding a dangerous team.

Henry County tumbles from No. 4 in AAAA to No. 9 after consecutive losses to Whitewater 68-55 and Fayette County 63-50. St. Pius cracks the top five thanks to an impressive win over ^2A No. 7 GAC, 46-45 without leading scorer Kerney Lane and brother Everett. Christian Merrill came up big in their absence and scored 14 points including the game-winning floater. Jakob Spitzer played big inside and pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds.

Entering the season Region 6 put four teams in the top ten; three remain, but it looks as if a new region is beginning to flex its muscle as one of the best. Region 4 places four teams in the ranking with one on the precipice of making it five. No. 2 Jonesboro, No. 6 Walnut Grove, No. 8 Eagle’s Landing and No. 9 Henry County are all dangerous teams, but don’t forget about Eastside who is now 12-2 and riding an 11-game winning streak including, winning the Washington County Christmas tournament with a 72-69 win over a tough Effingham County team. Eagle’s Landing has stayed hot themselves winners of 7-straight featuring a 66-52 win over Whitewater to win the Chuck Miller Holiday Classic at Henry County.

In Class AAA, No. 4 South Atlanta jumps over No. 5 Calhoun after an impressive 65-50 win over LaGrange. Banks County falls from No. 6 to No. 10 after being upset by North Hall, 67-66. No. 7 East Hall is hitting its stride at 7-3 and meets ^1A-Private No. 4 Lakeview Academy in a rematch in the first round of Lanierland. The Lions handed the Vikings their worst loss of the season in game number two of the year, 87-69 to win the Piedmont College Hardwood Classic. No. 1 Laney continues to find ways to win after trailing nearly every game deep into the second half. The Cardiac Cats rallied to beat Cross Creek 84-76, Westside 62-60 and Richmond Academy 55-51, stunning the Musketeers for the second time this year by outscoring them 25-12 in the final period. On Tuesday the Wildcats host ^4A No. 10 Thomson, led by RJ Johnson and San Antonio Brinson. It will be the biggest test of the season for both programs.

The fall from grace for Pace Academy has been completed as the Knights drop out of the AA top ten at 2-5. This serves as a wakeup call, much like what current ^3A No. 2 Morgan County received following a bad loss to Cherokee. Pace has played a national schedule which has hurt them. The talent is there but the results haven’t been yet. Expect the Knights to make hay once they settle into region play and resurface in the top ten sooner rather than later behind Wendell Carter Jr. While the Knights fall out, they are replaced by a surprise team in Region 6, the Wesleyan Wolves. After finishing 11-14 last year, the Wolves are off to a hot 7-2 start and just scored their biggest win of the season, a 60-56 victory over ^1A-Private No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy. Wesleyan has now won 7-straight after a 0-2 start.

The seemingly unbeatable 1A-Private No. 1 Greenforest Eagles met their match in the Chick-fil-A Classic championship, losing to Hammond (SC), 70-58. Ikey Obiagu was unavailable to play after hurting his hand. The Eagles fell into an early second half hole and could not climb out of it, struggling to contain UNC-commit Seventh Woods. No. 2 SWAC also fell at the CFA Classic, losing to Gray Collegiate Academy (SC), 79-73. No. 4 Lakeview Academy has won 8-straight following a season opening loss to GAC. With a favorable schedule ahead, look for the Lions to rack up the wins and win Region 8 if they can hold off Hebron Christian (8-2), who looks like the prime competition right now.

Not much change occurs in 1A-Public aside from Terrell County dropping two spots to No. 8 and both No. 6 Hawkinsville and No. 7 Atkinson County rising.