Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

1. Greenforest (10-0)
2. SWAC (6-3)
3. St. Francis (7-3)
4. Whitefield Academy (6-4)
5. Lakeview Academy (8-1)
6. North Cobb Christian (8-1)
7. Tattnall Square Academy (7-1)
8. St. Anne-Pacelli (7-3)
9. Landmark Christian (8-3)
10. Our Lady of Mercy (6-3)

Class A-Public

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

The top six in Class AAAAAA remain unchanged, but the final four spots saw some shuffling. No. 7 Collins Hill moves up two spots after Newton and Dacula lost. No. 8 belongs to Milton after seven straight wins. The Eagles have won their past three games by an average of 39 points. Without Harvard signee Chris Lewis against Alpharetta, Milton won 93-54 and received 27 points from Alex O’Connell. Kendrick Summerour added 21, Justin Brown 18 and Kyrin Galloway 10 in the rout. No. 9 Newton continues to cling onto a top ten spot. Just when you think they will fall out after a 57-56 loss to Tucker in which the Rams missed 11 free throws, Coach Rick Rasmussen’s team rebounded with a huge 56-53 win over ^5ANo. 6 Cedar Shoals at the Classic City Shootout at Clarke Central thanks to Jaquan Simms’ game-high 16 points. The No. 10 slot goes to McEachern, who edged out Dacula 84-76 in double overtime at the SEBA Hoopfest and in the process knocked them from the top ten. AJ Jones finished with 25 points, four rebounds and five assists while Darius Jones added 17 in the win. Freshman forward Isaac Okoro made his presence felt with 16 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Dacula was powered by Derek St. Hilaire’s 30 points and Wofford signee Kevon Tucker’s 18. Douglas County drops from the poll after a 96-80 loss to Pebblebrook. The Falcons are now 8-4 and 5-0 in Region 3 and are knocking on the door to re-emerge in the top ten.

Fayette County was home to a colossal showdown between top ten teams in ^4ANo. 8 Sandy Creek and AAAAA’s No. 2 McIntosh. In the end, it was the Chiefs blowing away host Sandy Creek, 69-51, and moving back up to No. 2 in the state. Unsigned point guard Will Washington was masterful with 25 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Wofford signee Dishon Lowery finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and four blocks and Furman signee Jordan Lyons captured the McIntosh all-time scoring record on the boys side with a three-pointer on the first play of the game. Lyons finished with 13 points and now has 1,930 over his career, surpassing Jeff Sheppard’s record of 1,919. Elias Harden of Sandy Creek scored 25 points, but Gardner-Webb signee Christian Turner was held to 11 points and seven rebounds from his point guard position. No. 8 LaGrange defeated ^3ANo. 8 Callaway for the second time in a three-day span, 63-60. Southwest DeKalb clings on to No. 10 after hard fought losses to No. 1 Miller Grove 76-69 and ^1A-Private No. 4 Whitefield Academy, 53-52. Former No. 9 Warner Robins was blown out by ^3ANo. 7 Central-Macon 81-64 Monday afternoon at the Washington County Christmas Tournament. Replacing the Demons is No. 9 Camden County. The Wildcats are 11-0 and coming off a 74-69 win over ^1A-Public No. 2 Randolph-Clay, the Red Devils’ only loss of the season.

The bottom of Class AAAA saw a shakeup with two new teams debuting. Perry lost 47-42 to Choctawhatchee (FL) and 64-56 against Bleckley County while Monroe fell to South Cobb 72-55, thus dropping the two teams from No. 9 and No. 10 respectively. In steps No. 9 Thomson and No. 10 Eagle’s Landing.  The undefeated Thomson Bulldogs are winning by a margin of 32 points per game. In their latest rout, a 99-51 win over Jefferson County, Radaren Johnson finished with 21 points, five rebounds, four assists and six steals while San Antonio Brinson, a transfer from Aquinas, added 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks. No. 10 Eagle’s Landing has received big contributions from underclassmen, but senior leader Jordan Lewis has been the heart and soul of the team. He is averaging a team-high 16.8 points per game and 3.5 steals. In the Eagles’ only loss of the season, a 75-61 defeat to No. 2 Jonesboro, Lewis scored 21 points.

Some teams from Macon in Region 2-AAA are trying to make a case for the top ten. Central-Macon goes from being unranked to No. 7 after drilling Warner Robins 81-64. No. 9 Southwest-Macon has two of the most explosive scorers in Middle Georgia. Justin Slocum is averaging 23.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. Nick Hargrove Jr. is pouring in 21.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. One unranked Macon squad is Westside-Macon at 9-3. The Seminoles are led by possibly the best sophomore in the entire country, 6-foot-8 forward Khavon Moore. He is averaging 21.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 3.3 steals and 2.5 blocks a night. They meet Houston County for the third time this season at the Bear Brawl on Monday night. The two teams have split their first two meetings. Elsewhere in AAA, No. 10 East Hall returns to the rankings after knocking off Lumpkin County 73-63.

A new No. 1 takes over Class AA, in Thomasville. The Bulldogs have an impressive resume and are undefeated after taking down Tyree Crump and Bainbridge, 85-70.  Seminole County slips to No. 3 following an 84-81 loss to No. 6 Early County. It will be a mad dash to win Region 1 with Seminole County, Early County and Thomasville all having to play each other twice this year. No. 8 Macon County enters the poll thanks to an impressive 75-70 win over ^1A-Public No. 4 Taylor County. No. 9 Long County debuts in the top ten after an 8-2 start, coming off a 6-22 record in 2014-15.

Lovett falls out of the rankings after a bad loss to Woodstock, 67-55. Soon to follow them might be another Region 6 team. No. 10 Pace Academy has not played well this year. Early close losses to ^6A No. 1 Westlake and ^1A-Private No. 1 Greenforest looked like promising results, but a loss to rival No. 4 GAC and to Lower Richland (SC) on Saturday has the Knights lucky to stay in top ten contention. Pace lost 66-55 to Lower Richland, who is now just 3-7 on the season. The 1-4 Knights rode Wendell Carter Jr., the top ranked junior in the nation to a big game, but it wasn’t enough as the Diamond Hornets, whose tallest player stands just 6-foot-4 to Carter’s 6-foot-11, were able to earn the victory at the Chick-fil-A Classic.

In Class A-Private, No. 2 SWAC took down No. 3 St. Francis, 74-68. De’Andre Ballard went off for 42 points to outduel Kobi Simmons’ 28. No. 4 Whitefield Academy moves up three spots after edging North Clayton 87-80 in 2OT and ^5ANo. 10 Southwest DeKalb, 53-52.  No. 6 North Cobb Christian slips three spots after blowing a 16-point halftime lead against Sprayberry at the SEBA Hoopfest. Starting point guard Nick Fleming has been out with a fractured elbow. No. 8 St. Anne-Pacelli remains in the top ten after a statement victory over No. 9 Landmark Christian. The Vikings used 35 points from Tre Sudberry to get past the War Eagles.

Class A-Public’s hottest team besides No. 1 Treutlen is No. 5 Lincoln County. Ahmad Rand posted three straight triple-doubles before seeing his streak broken in the Lincoln County Christmas Tournament championship. The Red Devils captured the crown with a 55-50 win over North Oconee. Zach Crite led the way with 15 points while Rand was named Tournament MVP and finished with 12 points and seven blocks in the title game.

Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

1. Miller Grove (7-2)
2. Gainesville (5-0)
3. McIntosh (6-1)
4. Allatoona (4-0)
5. Cedar Shoals (9-1)
6. Heritage (9-1)
7. Riverwood (12-0)
8. LaGrange (6-0)
9. Warner Robins (5-1)
10. Southwest DeKalb (8-0)

Class AAAA

1. Grady (9-0)
2. Jonesboro (6-2)
3. Lithonia (6-3)
4. Henry County (7-1)
5. Liberty County (3-1)
6. Sandy Creek (7-2)
7. St. Pius (6-2)
8. Walnut Grove (6-1)
9. Perry (6-1)
10. Monroe (5-2)

Class AAA

1. Laney (5-0)
2. Morgan County (6-2)
3. Jenkins (3-2)
4. Calhoun (2-0)
5. South Atlanta (6-2)
6. North Clayton (5-1)
7. Callaway (2-1)
8. Banks County (7-0)
9. Lumpkin County (8-1)
10. Southwest Macon (6-1)

 Class AA

1. Seminole County (5-0)
2. Crawford County (6-0)
3. Thomasville (8-0)
4. GAC (6-3)
5. Vidalia (8-0)
6. Pace Academy (1-3)
7. Lovett (6-1)
8. Early County (4-1)
9. Holy Innocents’ (5-3)
10. Temple (6-1)

Class A-Private

1. Greenforest (8-0)
2. St. Francis (7-2)
3. North Cobb Christian (7-0)
4. SWAC (5-3)
5. Lakeview Academy (6-1)
6. Landmark Christian (7-2)
7. Whitefield Academy (4-4)
8. Our Lady of Mercy (6-2)
9. Tattnall Square Academy (5-1)
10. St. Anne-Pacelli (5-2)

Class A-Public

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

No new faces appear in the state’s largest classification. Westlake holds onto No. 1 overall even after an out-of-state loss to Memphis East, 70-58. No. 3 Norcross swaps with No. 4 Wheeler after blowing out Collins Hill 93-72, who sinks three spots to No. 9. Rayshaun Hammonds was too much inside for the Eagles as he posted 25 points. Kyle Sturdivant, Jordan Goldwire and Dalvin White all had big games as well, scoring 19, 17 and 16 points respectively. Collins Hill was without starting point guard Max Clark (dislocated shoulder) and backup point guard Dez Howard (broken wrist). TeShaun Hightower scored a game-high 31 in the loss. No. 8 Dacula picked up three road wins in Region 8. On Tuesday the Falcons survived South Gwinnett in overtime, 69-68. They rallied from down 11 points with four minutes to play to force overtime. Derek St. Hilaire scored 25 while Kevon Tucker added 18 before fouling out. On Saturday things were a little easier with a 74-64 win at Central Gwinnett. Tucker poured in 33 points and 11 rebounds. St. Hilaire finished with 14 points and six rebounds while Gary Bishop sank 10 points.

Two surprising hot starts this season come via Johns Creek (8-0) and Mountain View (6-3).  The Gladiators are off to their best start in school history in search of their first ever winning season. A trio of seniors have played huge roles. Mark Lancaster powers the offense with 16.4 points and 5.4 rebounds. Mason Henkel adds 13.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and Ian Joseph chips in 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists on average. Mountain View has already tied their win total from a year ago (6-20), and are finally seeing their youth pay off. They defeated ^2ANo. 7 Lovett 60-57. The Bears have received a major boost from freshmen Brandon Green and Donnell Nixon. The 5-foot-6 Nixon led Mountain View with 20 points in a 63-53 win over Whitewater and scored a team-high 14 against Lovett. Sophomores Kevin Kayongo and Spencer Rodgers both scored in double figures against the Lions.

No. 1 Miller Grove holds onto the top spot in Class AAAAA after losing to Lone Peak (UT), 73-71 at the FreeTaxUSA.com Shootout on Saturday. No. 2 Gainesville pulled yet another game out of the fire to remain undefeated and atop the ever competitive Region 8-AAAAA, defeating No. 5 Cedar Shoals 80-77 in 2OT after trailing 34-25 at the half. GSU signee D’Marcus Simonds scored a game-high 40 points – 27 in the second half and 15 in the fourth – off the bench and was aided by Tae Turner’s 16. Stavion Stevenson paced the Jaguars with a big first half and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Jerrick Mitchell chipped in 18 points, six assists and four steals and Greg Smith, Snipe Hall and Phlan Fleming all scored 12 apiece.

No. 8 LaGrange moves up one spot after dropping ^3A No. 7 Callaway, 80-68. The duo of Rico Smith (31) and a healthy LaPerion Perry (20) combined for 51 points and a handful of highlights. No. 10 Southwest DeKalb is still undefeated at 8-0 and will have a chance to shake the state as they visit No. 1 Miller Grove on Tuesday. The Panthers have an average margin of victory of 26.3 points per game this year and are eager to make a statement.

Unranked Effingham County (7-2) and Camden County (8-0) have gotten off to quick starts. Effingham defeated Statesboro 55-53 and got revenge over Swainsboro, 57-55 after losing 66-65 on Nov. 28. Deshaun Wilkenson is averaging 17.4 points per game while three other Rebels are scoring in double figures. Camden County has been powered by Ballard Logan (15.6 point, 6.1 rebounds) and Jaylen Smallwood (15.5 points, 9 rebounds).

There is no more denying No. 1 Grady as the Knights jump four spots to crown Class AAAA after four wins against ranked teams and a 62-52 win at previous No. 1 Lithonia, who falls to No. 3. The lightning quick guard play of Christian Bryant (19 points, 3 steals), Avi Toomer (16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals) and DJ Brittian (10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals) was too much for the Bulldogs who received 15 points apiece from Tyleen Patterson and Tyheem Freeman in the loss. Lithonia quickly rebounded the next night and won at No. 7 St. Pius, 55-44 behind 18 points from Jacara Cross and Freeman. Rodney Chatman scored nine points and handed out nine assists in the Region 6 victory.

Bainbridge (3-3) falls from the polls even after defeating Worth County (5-2) who also drops out. Perry makes an appearance at No. 9 thanks to the play of Damion Bagley and Georgia State signee, big man Chris Clerkley. No. 10 Monroe debuts in the poll and at 5-2, has not lost to a team in Georgia yet.

What is there to say about AAA other than it is anybody’s ballgame? Three teams have been replaced in the ever evolving class. East Jackson (3-4) falls from No. 4 to out of the top ten after being upset by upstart Jackson County (5-3), 67-63. No. 3 Jenkins slips a spot after losing 70-62 to Berkmar at the Valhalla Classic. No. 6 North Clayton debuts after beating former No. 6 Cedar Grove, 52-48. No. 7 Banks County enters the top ten after defeating last week’s No. 9, East Hall, 73-68. The final newcomer to the poll is No. 9 Lumpkin County. Coach Jeff Steele keeps on winning no matter where the location. The Indians are off to an 8-1 start in Steele’s first year with the program after leading Johnson-Gainesville to a school-record 29-1 mark last season. Lumpkin finished just 9-20 in 2014-15, but behind a new found explosive offense led by Jack Howard, Brandon and Jacob Zarate and Zach Pulley, the Indians are well deserving of a top ten ranking in the topsy-turvy AAA. One team that has also incurred a great turnaround has been Coahulla Creek. The Colts are now 10-1 after a 14-11 season last year.

The top three of Seminole County, Crawford County and Thomasville aren’t the perennial powers people in the Metro Atlanta area might be familiar with, but they are all dangerous teams that deserve respect. They are a combined 19-0 to begin the season. No. 6 Pace Academy finally won its first game of the season after a 0-3 start, capped by No. 4 GAC defeating them at Pace, 55-49. No. 7 Lovett notched a 67-63 win over No. 9 Holy Innocents’.

In Class A-Private, Whitefield Academy plummets from No. 4 to No. 7 after losing to King’s Ridge (7-2), 63-55. No. 5 Lakeview Academy continues to ride Carter Reeves inside and receive great passing from Daniel Fadool. Drew Cottrell, Tre Gober and Josh Randolph are also key pieces to Coach Todd Cottrell’s success. No. 8 Our Lady of Mercy and No. 9 Tattnall Square Academy both join the top ten. Tattnall picked up a 59-58 overtime win over No. 10 St. Anne-Pacelli.

Much like in AAA, Class A-Public is wild with No. 1 Treutlen and No. 2 Randolph-Clay taking over the top spots. The Red Devils of Randolph Clay beat defending state champion No. 8 Calhoun County 70-63. No. 7 Lincoln County enters the poll behind a pair of 6-foot-7 big men. Ahmad Rand was unstoppable for the Red Devils in a 78-72 win over Josey. He scored 23 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and swatted away 14 shots to post a triple-double. Zach Crite added a double-double of his own with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

1. Miller Grove (4-1)
2. Gainesville (3-0)
3. McIntosh (5-1)
4. Allatoona (2-0)
5. Cedar Shoals (7-0)
6. Heritage (7-1)
7. Riverwood (9-0)
8. Warner Robins (3-1)
9. LaGrange (4-0)
10. Southwest DeKalb (6-0)

Class AAAA

1. Lithonia (4-2)
2. Jonesboro (3-2)
3. Henry County (5-0)
4. Liberty County (2-1)
5. Grady (6-0)
6. St. Pius (4-1)
7. Sandy Creek (7-2)
8. Bainbridge (1-2)
9. Worth County (3-1)
10. Walnut Grove (4-1)

Class AAA

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

Class AA

1. Seminole County (2-0)
2. Pace Academy (0-2)
3. Crawford County (3-0)
4. Thomasville (7-0)
5. GAC (4-3)
6. Holy Innocents’ (4-2)
7. Vidalia (5-0)
8. Swainsboro (2-2)
9. Lovett (4-0)
10. Early County (2-1)

Class A-Private

1. Greenforest (6-0)
2. St. Francis (5-2)
3. North Cobb Christian (5-0)
4. Whitefield Academy (2-3)
5. SWAC (3-3)
6. Lakeview Academy (3-1)
7. St. Anne-Pacelli (3-1)
8. Landmark Christian (4-2)
9. Walker (5-1)
10. Stratford Academy (0-0)

Class A-Public

1. Wilkinson County (1-1)
2. Treutlen (3-0)
3. Hancock Central (4-2)
4. Calhoun County (2-2)
5. Randolph-Clay (5-0)
6. Taylor County (3-1)
7. Dooly County (1-1)
8. Greenville (1-1)
9. Terrell County (4-2)
10. Turner County (1-2)

The Class AAAAAA picture is slowly starting to clear up as we enter into the heart of December. No. 1 Westlake suffered its first loss of the season to the nation’s No. 1 team Montverde (FL), 76-54, but the Lions remain atop the class. Before the loss, Westlake did defeat Oak Ridge (FL), 67-63. No. 2 Shiloh was the fourth Georgia team (Wheeler, Pebblebrook) with a shot at knocking off Montverde but they also lost 72-55. Elsewhere in the state, No. 5 Tift County continued its quiet rise, jumping No. 6 Collins Hill to crack the top five. The Blue Devils defeated 5A No. 8 Warner Robins 70-55. The bottom of the poll saw some movement as Pebblebrook (3-4) and Milton (4-2) dropped out. Pebblebrook continues to be possibly the most exciting team to watch in the entire state, but they rely on outscoring teams to win. A 104-101 overtime comeback over Campbell was a thrilling victory. On Saturday however, at the Adidas Xplosion, the Falcons fell to 2A No. 2 St. Francis 96-94 on a Kobi Simmons breakaway dunk with 1.1 seconds left after Auburn signee Jared Harper missed a shot with eight seconds left and the other guards forgot to rotate back on defense. Pebblebrook is extremely talented with Harper and Collin Sexton, who scored 40 in the loss, but it is the little things like not getting back on defense that is holding Coach George Washington’s team back right now. Milton exits the poll after failing to impress and eking out a 61-59 win over Pope.

No. 9 Dacula and No. 10 Douglas County make their first appearances. Dacula has raced out to a 4-0 start and handed Douglas County its only loss of the season at the On the Radar Showcase, 78-72. The Falcons replace Pebblebrook as birds of prey in the top ten. Wofford signee Kevon Tucker is averaging 26.3 points per game and is one of the best scorers Gwinnett County has ever seen. Fellow senior Derek St. Hilaire has been just as good, pouring in 23 points on average. Demari Edwards is a nice third fiddle averaging 9.3 points per game. The one thing that is a glaring weakness that some teams may be able to exploit is the Falcons’ lack of height. Tucker and Shayne Buckingham are listed as Dr. Russ Triaga’s tallest players at 6-foot-4. Douglas County makes the poll after a 6-1 start highlighted by a signature victory over 5A No. 3 McIntosh at Holiday Hoopsgiving, 84-81. UNC signee Brandon Robinson is making his case for Mr. Basketball by averaging 29 points per game.

Still knocking on the door to crack the top ten is 5-0 Grayson. In Saturday’s 58-52 win over Centennial, Austin Dukes scored 23 points and handed out five assists. Trey Sconiers posted 17 points and eight rebounds while Kenyon Jackson protected the paint with 10 points, seven rebounds and six blocks. Add those three along with big-time scorer Alphonso Willis and the Rams are as dangerous as it gets in Class 6A.

No. 2 Gainesville survived in an early season clash of titans in Region 8-AAAAA against No. 6 Heritage. The Red Elephants rallied from down 11 at the half to stun the Patriots 85-79 behind D’Marcus Simonds’ 26 points and Bailey Minor’s 20. No. 5 Cedar Shoals rises three spots to give Region 8 the No. 2, 5 and 6 teams in the state. The Jaguars have a colossal showdown with Gainesville this Tuesday. Defending state champion Brunswick, tumbles out of the top ten. Losses to Camden County 87-84 in 2OT and Coffee, 54-53, are tough to swallow after losing a ton from last year’s title team. No. 10 Southwest DeKalb replaces Brunswick behind the play of Keith Gilmore. The senior forward is averaging 17.2 points and 6.8 rebounds for the undefeated Panthers. No. 7 Riverwood continues its sneaky climb. Kohl Roberts is powering the Raiders yet again with 15.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 4.2 blocks per game. South Paulding (3-0) looks like it has designs on entering the top ten sooner rather than later. Keep an eye on Statesboro. The Blue Devils are off to a hot start at 4-0 and have wins over three ranked teams: Current 2A No. 8 Swainsboro 61-47, current 4A No. 4 Liberty County 75-74 and former 1A-Public No. 9 Portal.

Some interesting play has gone on in Class AAAA. Lithonia and Jonesboro remain No. 1 and No. 2, but No. 3 Henry County has vaulted three spots into the top three. No. 5 Grady is 6-0 and has three wins over ranked opponents: 67-66 over No. 7 Sandy Creek on Nov. 27 and most recently against No. 6 St. Pius last Tuesday 51-50 and 1A-Private No. 4 Whitefield Academy, 66-55. One score line turned a lot of heads as the Knights blasted Cross Keys 125-31. Coach Brian Weeden kept the foot on the gas pedal, allowing Bucknell-commit Avi Toomer to go for 52 points, eight rebounds and nine steals. No. 8 Bainbridge falls four spots. The Bearcats lost 68-60 to 2A No. 1 Seminole County without star player and UGA-signee Tyree Crump. Crump then returned against Dougherty, but the Trojans handed the full strength Bearcats a bad loss, 78-75. Bainbridge blew a 12-point halftime lead as Jaylen Taylor went for 17 points to fend off Crump’s 26. Walnut Grove checks in at No. 10 as Region 4’s third team (Jonesboro, Henry County) in the top ten. The Warriors suffered their first loss of the season last week, 58-52 to Jonesboro.

Class AAA remains an enigma. One thing is for certain however: Laney finds ways to win.  The Wildcats came back from steep double-digit deficits twice last week to rally and win 77-72 over Richmond Academy in overtime and 65-64 against Morgan County. Zep Jasper and Christian Keeling have carried the Cats during their time of doubt and have kept them undefeated. Blessed Trinity falls out of the rankings after a 5-2 start. They are replaced by Southwest Macon, who is enjoying a resurgence behind a high-powered offense. Justin Slocum at 6-foot-6 is anchoring the paint averaging 25 points and 11.8 rebounds a night. Transfer Nick Hargrove has continued his exciting play in the GHSA, scoring 20.5 points and handing out 4.3 assists per game. Fellow junior Aaron Ridley and freshman Jordan Slocum have both been major contributors as well.

No. 2 Pace Academy (0-2) holds its ranking in AA after a winless start. Losses to 6A No. 1 Westlake by seven and most recently 56-44 to 1A-Private No. 1 Greenforest are both good losses. Both Westlake and Greenforest are considered to be two of the best teams in the state regardless of classification. No. 3 Crawford County tipped off its season with three wins including a 98-86 win over 1A-Public No. 3 Hancock Central. No. 5 GAC swaps spots with No. 6 Holy Innocents’ again after a 75-67 win in overtime at HIES without two starters including leading scorer Brian Coffey Jr. and 6-foot-8 center Charlie O’Briant. No. 8 Swainsboro fell to No. 7 Vidalia 59-58, but recorded a 52-50 overtime win over 1A-Public No. 1 Wilkinson County. A team to keep watch for is Monticello. The Hurricanes may only be 3-2, but both losses came to 5A No. 6 Heritage. Monticello was blown out on Nov. 20, 83-39, but lost by just four, 58-54, in the rematch this Saturday. The Hurricanes have wins over Greene County, Jones County and Warren County this season.

In 1A-Private, St. Francis continues to gel, get better and most importantly, healthier as the season moves on. Wins over new No. 9 Walker 88-52, No. 4 Whitefield Academy 60-55 and Pebblebrook 96-94 are all nice victories. North Cobb Christian continues to play well at No. 3, defeating No. 8 Landmark Christian 70-58. Tattnall Square Academy drops out after being routed by Paideia. Walker takes over in the poll behind Harvard bound big man Robert Baker. He is averaging 26.7 points, 14.8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.7 steals and 2 blocks per game.

Class 1A-Public remains muddled. Wilkinson takes over No. 1 after an overtime loss to 2A No. 8 Swainsboro and a 68-55 win against No. 3 Hancock. Former No. 1, Calhoun County, suffered a bad loss to Stewart County 44-37 and now finds itself at No. 4. Taylor County debuts at No. 6 after wins against Upson-Lee 68-55 and 1A-Private No. 7 St. Anne-Pacelli, 73-51.

Class AAAAAA

1. Westlake (4-0) [d. ^3ANo. 5 East Jackson 94-70, IMG Academy (FL) 71-54, ^2ANo. 2 Pace 79-72]
2. Shiloh (2-1) [d. Grissom (AL) 66-33, Pebblebrook 68-63, L. Southwind (TN) 82-76]
3. Wheeler (1-1)
4. Norcross (3-1) [d. ^4ANo. 2 Jonesboro 70-65, L. ^1ANo. 1 Greenforest 77-48]
5. Collins Hill (3-0) [d. Central Gwinnett 62-52, Olympic (NC) 73-52, Concord Academy (NC) 61-50]
6. Tift County (4-0) [d. McEachern 56-48, Tucker 65-54]
7. Pebblebrook (1-3) [L. ^1ANo. 1 Greenforest 87-59, No. 1 Shiloh 68-63]
8. Lambert (4-0) [d. North Gwinnett 63-60, Hardaway 79-41, Langston Hughes 72-65]
9. Milton (2-2) [L. Arlington Country Day (FL) 80-68, ^1ANo. 2 St. Francis 86-81]
10. Newton (2-1) [d. Berkmar 62-58]

Class AAAAA

1. Miller Grove (3-0) [d. Columbus (MS) 64-54]
2. Gainesville (1-0) [d. ^1ANo.2 St. Francis 70-58]
3. McIntosh (2-1) [L. Douglas County 84-81, d. IMG Academy (FL) 61-53]
4. Allatoona (1-0) [d. Americus-Sumter 67-55]
5. Heritage (5-0) [d. Discovery 80-47]
6. Brunswick (2-0) [d. Johnson-Savannah 57-54, Wayne County 72-59]
7. Warner Robins (3-0) [d. Perry 85-55]
8. Cedar Shoals (4-0) [d. Creekside 67-52, Tri-Cities 62-56]
9. Riverwood (6-0) [d. West Forsyth 64-49, ^2ANo. 6 GAC 51-40, ^3ANo. 9 Blessed Trinity 58-50]
10. LaGrange (2-0) [d. Newnan 63-59, Mundy’s Mill 87-72]

Class AAAA

1. Lithonia (2-2) [L. Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC) 72-53, ^3ANo. 3 Morgan County 44-41]
2. Jonesboro (0-2) [L. ^6ANo. 4 Norcross 70-56, Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC) 52-51]
3. Liberty County (1-0)
4. Bainbridge (0-0)
5. St. Pius (3-0) [d. Decatur 54-56]
6. Henry County (3-0)
7. Grady (3-0) [d. No. 8 Sandy Creek 67-66, Mays 76-59]
8. Sandy Creek (4-2) [d. Griffin 91-51, L. No. 7 Grady 67-66, Wasatch Academy (UT) 97-72]
9. Fayette County (3-0) [d. Walton 67-60]
10. Worth County (2-1)

Class AAA

1. Laney (2-0) [d. Grovetown 102-71]
2. Jenkins (1-0) [d. Creekview 74-67]
3. Morgan County (3-1) [d. Hampton 71-27, Stone Mountain 71-54, ^4ANo.1 Lithonia 44-41]
4. South Atlanta (2-0)
5. East Jackson (2-2) [L. ^6ANo.1 Westlake 94-70, Grayson 72-68, d. Huntsville (AL) 83-78]
6. Calhoun (0-0)
7. Cedar Grove (1-0)
8. Callaway (0-0)
9. Blessed Trinity (3-1) [d. Chapel Hill 50-46, L. ^5ANo.9 Riverwood 58-50]
10. East Hall (2-1) [d. Rabun County 84-63, Paideia 68-54, L. ^1ANo. 8 Lakeview Academy 87-69]

Class AA

1. Seminole County (0-0)
2. Pace Academy (0-1) [L. ^6ANo.1 Westlake 79-72]
3. Crawford County (0-0)
4. Thomasville (5-0) [d. Lowndes 70-69, Bay (FL) 63-36, Cairo 70-24]
5. Holy Innocents’ (2-1) [d. Duluth 61-60, Sacred Heart (AL) 64-62]
6. GAC (3-2) [d. River Ridge 66-47, L. ^5ANo. 9 Riverwood 51-40]
7. Vidalia (2-0) [d. West Laurens 85-48]
8. Early County (1-0) [d. Quitman County 80-46]
9. Swainsboro (1-1) [d. Effingham County 66-65]
10.  Lovett (2-0)

Class A-Private

1. Greenforest (5-0) [d. Lee (AL) 87-46, ^6ANo. 7 Pebblebrook 87-59, ^6ANo. 4 Norcross 77-48]
2. St. Francis (2-2) [L. ^5ANo. 2 Gainesville 70-58, d. ^6ANo. 9 Milton 86-81]
3. North Cobb Christian (3-0) [d. Woodland 82-28, Coahulla Creek 68-44, Darlington 74-41]
4. Whitefield Academy (1-1) [d. Hillgrove 64-54]
5. Landmark Christian (4-0) [d. Jackson 84-57]
6. SWAC (2-2)
7. St. Anne-Pacelli (1-0) [d. Strong Rock 77-30]
8. Lakeview Academy (2-1) [d. Stephens County 67-57, ^3ANo.10 East Hall 87-69]
9. Stratford Academy (0-0)
10. Tattnall Square Academy (0-0)

Class A-Public

1. Calhoun County (1-0) [d. Miller County 82-45]
2. Hancock Central (3-0) [d. Putnam County 78-72, Baldwin 65-57]
3. Treutlen (0-0)
4. Wilkinson County (0-0)
5. Turner County (0-0)
6. Randolph-Clay (2-0)
7. Greenville (0-0)
8. Dooly County (0-0)
9. Portal (0-0)
10. Terrell County (1-2) 

The depth of quality teams in Class AAAAAA continues to make it tough. With only a handful of games played, each team is still trying to sort itself out and find its identity. One team that has had no problem so far has been No. 1 Westlake (4-0) who takes over the top spot over No. 2 Shiloh (2-1) by the slightest of margins. This past week the Lions have blown out ^3ANo. 5 East Jackson, 94-70 and IMG Academy (FL), 71-54 before rallying to beat the No. 1 ranked prospect in the Class of 2017, Wendell Carter Jr. and his ^2ANo. 2 Pace Academy Knights in the finale of Holiday Hoopsgiving, 79-72. Chuma Okeke and Jamie Lewis continued to be superstars for Coach Darron Rodgers’ team. Okeke went for 24 points, 11 rebounds and six steals while Lewis dropped in 22 points to complete the comeback after trailing 41-30 at the half.  Shiloh’s lone loss came to Southwind (TN) 82-76, but quickly rebounded at the On the Radar Hoops Showcase, downing No. 7 Pebblebrook 68-63 in a back and forth game. No. 4 Norcross (3-1) slips a spot after a 77-48 loss to ^1ANo. 1 Greenforest Christian. Collins Hill (3-0) and Tift County (4-0) rise to No. 5 and No. 6 respectively after the Eagles picked up a pair of wins in North Carolina and Tift added quality notches to its belt, beating McEachern 56-48 and Tucker 65-54. No. 9 Milton (2-2) slips four spots after falling to Arlington Country Day (FL) 80-68 and ^1ANo. 2 St. Francis, 86-81. No. 10 Newton (2-1) continues to cling onto a top ten spot after defeating Berkmar 62-58. Douglas County (3-1) looked like they would enter the polls after defeating ^5ANo. 3 McIntosh 84-81, but Dacula (3-0), who might not be out of the top ten for much longer, turned them back with a 78-71 win behind Derek St. Hilaire’s 29 points and Kevon Tucker’s 22. Grayson (3-0) is also off to a hot start and came from behind to beat East Jackson 72-68. In the win Alphonso Willis scored 23 and Austin Dukes dropped 20 points, all in the second-half, to lead the charge.

In Class AAAAA, No. 1 Miller Grove (3-0) held on against Columbus (MS) in the Lighthouse Classic for a 64-54 win. No. 2 Gainesville (1-0) defeated ^1ANo. 2 St. Francis 70-58 in the Jared Cook Classic while Kobi Simmons sat out with a bad ankle. No. 3 McIntosh (2-1) matches its loss total from all of last season after splitting in Holiday Hoopsgiving, losing to Douglas County by three, but rebounding to beat IMG Academy (FL), 61-53. Will Washington, Jordan Lyons and Dishon Lowery were all sensational for the Chiefs. Lowery pulled down 35 rebounds all together in the two-day stint while Lyons averaged 25 points and Washington 17.5 points. No. 5 Heritage (5-0) jumps No. 6 Brunswick (2-0) after an impressive start to the season. No. 9 Riverwood (6-0) forces its way into the rankings and jumps both No. 10 LaGrange (2-0) and Southwest DeKalb (4-0) after already knocking off three top ten teams. The Raiders have beaten ^2ANo. 5 Holy Innocents’ 54-46, ^2ANo. 6 GAC 51-40 and ^3ANo. 9 Blessed Trinity 58-50.

The top of Class AAAA saw some vulnerability and shaky play, but No. 1 Lithonia (2-2) and No. 2 Jonesboro (0-2) hold serve and aren’t penalized for early losses. The Bulldogs were drilled by Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC) 72-53 at ATL Hardwood Jam Fest and fell to ^3ANo. 3 Morgan County, 44-41. Jonesboro also struggled at Jam Fest, but played well, losing to ^6ANo. 4 Norcross 70-65 and Wesleyan Christian Academy 52-51. The Cardinals might be deserving of the No. 1 spot with how close they played both teams, especially WCA compared to how Lithonia played them, but I could not place a winless team over Lithonia just yet. Consider them 1A and 1B at this point of the season, while No. 3 Liberty County (1-0) and No. 4 Bainbridge (0-0) have yet to really kickoff their seasons and won’t face the quality of competition the Cardinals and Bulldogs will throughout the season. No. 5 St. Pius (3-0) remained undefeated against a much improved Decatur team. The Golden Lions rallied behind Kerney Lane’s career-high 31 points to secure the win at the X-Dome. No. 7 Grady (3-0) moves up two spots after knocking off No. 8 Sandy Creek (4-2), 67-66. Bucknell commit Avi Toomer has caught fire for the Knights and has posted three straight double-doubles. He went for 38 points and 12 rebounds to defeat the Patriots who were paced by Elias Harden’s 15. No. 9 Fayette County (3-0) debuts in the polls behind 6-foot-7 junior forward Noah Gurley, who leads the Tigers in scoring at 20 per game while grabbing 7.7 rebounds. He has improved by leaps and bounds after appearing in 22 games last season and when he averaged just 2.1 points.

The wake-up call served to Morgan County (3-1) a week ago must have worked. The Bulldogs opened the season ranked No. 3 in Class AAA before going unranked after a bad loss to Cherokee. Coach Jamond Sims’ group has rebounded and are back at No. 3 after drilling Hampton 71-27 and Stone Mountain 71-54. The big win came against ^4ANo. 1 Lithonia 44-41 at ATL Jam Fest. Defense has turned the early season woes around as in their three wins the Bulldogs have allowed just 40.6 points per game. They face their toughest test yet on 12/4 as they visit No. 1 Laney (2-0). No. 2 Jenkins (1-0) struggled out of the gates by beating Creekview 74-67 in overtime in the Dai Jon Parker Classic. No. 5 East Jackson (2-2) falls two spots after losing to ^6ANo.1 Westlake and Grayson. Central-Macon (0-0) was bounced out of the poll to make room for Morgan County’s reemergence.

Pace Academy (0-1) holds on to their No. 2 ranking in Class AA after falling 79-72 to ^6A No. 1 Westlake. Wendell Carter Jr. fouled out in the fourth quarter which allowed the Lions to storm back for the victory on a 15-5 run with Carter out. He finished with 20 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks in the loss. No. 4 Thomasville (5-0) drilled Cairo 70-24 on Saturday. No. 10 Lovett (2-0) makes an appearance in the top ten.

Class A-Private might be home to the best team in the entire country. No. 1 Greenforest (5-0) left fans in awe at Holiday Hoopsgiving, destroying both ^6ANo. 7 Pebblebrook 87-59 and ^6ANo. 4 Norcross, 77-48. No. 2 St. Francis (2-2) holds onto their ranking thanks to an 86-81 win over ^6ANo.9 Milton at the Dai Jon Parker Classic. The Knights’ 70-58 loss to ^5ANo. 2 Gainesville at the Jared Cook Classic was without Kobi Simmons. In Class A-Public, No. 2 Hancock Central (3-0) defeated up-and-coming Baldwin 65-57. The Bulldogs face ^2ANo. 3 Crawford County (0-0) on Tuesday.