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GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 11-22

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 6 McEachern 46, 6ANo. 5 Allatoona 43: In a nail biter, McEachern turned a two-point Allatoona lead heading into the fourth quarter into a three-point Indian victory. Isaac Okoro had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Babatunde Akingbola was a difference maker inside with 9 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks. Tre Peoples added 8 points. Mike Johnson led all scorers with 20 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals for Allatoona. Trey Doomes finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. Jeremiah Sanabria gave good minutes with 3 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block.

Hillgrove 73, 6ANo. 9 Alexander 58: DeMierre Black pitched in 25 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals in an upset of Class 6A No. 9 Alexander. Antoine Jones added 9 points and 5 assists in the win. Damion Howell had 14 points and 5 rebounds to lead Alexander. Grant Howard pitched in 10 points and Raheem Fulling had 8.

Mill Creek 71, Stephenson 60: Christian Mancillas earned Cleveland Stroud All-Tournament honors and powered the Hawks to another win, scoring 26 points in the process.

South Gwinnett 76, Woodstock 70: D’onte Torrence filled it up, scoring 25 points and grabbing 8 rebounds to lead the Comets a win at the Parkview Thanksgiving Tournament and to a 3-1 mark. Brent Latham dropped in 18 points as well. Dylin Hardeman led Woodstock in scoring with 16 points and 8 rebounds. Tyreke Johnson was held to 13 points. Quentin Doby scored 12 and Cameron Crowe finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds.

Peachtree Ridge 58, Tucker 56: Fred Payton scored 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds to help the Lions hang on against the Tigers at the Jared Cook Classic. Devin Vassell scored 11 and Shaz Molu, Hirum Maxey and Kris Collins all scored 9 in the win. Jevon Tatum scored a game-high 14 for Tucker while Joseph Collins added 9.

Grayson 60, Discovery 54: Grayson got some early season revenge, knocking off Discovery for the Lanier Thanksgiving Classic Championship. Travis Anderson had 25 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Nick Edwards finished with 10 points and 4 assists while Aaron Rowe did a little bit of everything with 6 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals. Discovery was led by Keshawn Overstreet’s 14 points and 7 rebounds. DJ Young scored 14 and Jaylen Bussey netted 11. Kalu Ezikpe finished with 11 point and 7 rebounds.

Parkview 87, North Springs 81 2OT: Starting a freshman, three sophomores and one junior, Parkview outlasted North Springs to win the Parkview Thanksgiving Tournament Championship. Sophomore Truitt Spencer scored 20, junior Cam Chavers had 17 and freshman Toneari Lane netted 16 to advance the Panthers to 4-0. North Springs junior Vinnie Viana dropped in 33.

South Forsyth 56, Marist 41: Evan Cole scored 19 points and Santhosh Saravanan had 18 to lift the War Eagles.

Marietta 91, Campbell 81 OT: Marietta rallied from down 31-9 at the end of one and down 47-34 at the half to score an improbable comeback victory. Tyree Crankfield, fresh off a school-record 45 points, dropped in 36 more for Campbell. The Blue Devils countered with Kharon Cameron (23) and Fionn Brown (20) to get back in the game. Ramel Keyton scored all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime for Marietta.

Etowah 65, North Gwinnett 49: Adrian Cohen burst out for 17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals in the Eagles’ Jared Cook Classic victory. Julian Baldwin had 14 points, 10 rebounds and 1 block. Lewis Simonson hit five threes en route to 15 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

Class AAAAAA

No. 3 South Paulding 87, Paulding County 53: Georgia State signee Kane Williams displayed his all-around floor game, going for 21 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals in a rout. DJ Jackson tossed in 11 points and 5 assists. JaCori Wilson, one of the top unsigned forwards in the state standing at 6-foot-7, contributed 18 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 4 Langston Hughes 105, Northside-Columbus 65: Langston Hughes took out its frustrations on an unexpecting Northside-Columbus team after leading by just nine at the half. Landers Nolley exploded for 50 points (9 threes) and 7 rebounds while Khalil Cuffee had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Derrick Cook chipped in 18 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists.

No. 7 Dacula 70, Brookwood 64: Arusha Hunter went for 27 points and 12 rebounds as the Falcons dispatched of Brookwood at the Jared Cook Classic. Mekhail Bethea added 17 points and 7 assists while Shayne Buckingham did his work inside, posting 12 points and 8 rebounds. Brookwood was led by Bubba Parham’s 24 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds and Trae Higginbotham’s 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Amari Kelley scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.

No. 8 Alpharetta 70, Johns Creek 53: Jaycee Horn won Progressive Lighting Tournament MVP after pitching in 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals in Alpharetta’s championship game. Ryan Jenei had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Jalen Young chipped in 8 points and 4 steals. Sophomore Brandon Barron contributed 11 points and 6 assists.

Creekview 83, Northview 51: Creekview buried 13 threes to bomb Northview for a 32-point win. Weber Sandlin hit five threes while KJ Jenkins drained four as the backcourt members both netted 18 points. Chandler Wright had 12 points and four blocks.

Harrison 55, Stone Mountain 53: Coach Clay Crump rode a balanced offense to sneak past the Pirates. Tate Coston (14), Chris Brown (11), Justin Matthews (10) and Juwan Owens (8) carried the load offensively.

Apalachee 70, Hebron Christian 62: Derek Miller dominated the paint for Apalachee, finishing with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals and 7 blocks. Omer Ahmed added 12 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. Parker Miller had 8 points and 7 rebounds. Deron Collier scored 9 points and Ethan Morris tallied 5 points, 3 steals and 3 assists.

Winder-Barrow 60, Johnson-Gainesville 48: Marcus Jones scored 18 points and Dwayne Wilson had a 13-point 17-rebound double-double in a loss to the Bulldoggs.

Sprayberry 74, Chapel Hill 73: Rodney Pearson poured in 28 points and Eddie Figueroa finished with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals as the Yellow Jacket’s potent backcourt lifted them to a win at the Marietta Turkey Classic.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Columbia 82, Druid Hills 38: Columbia got back in the win column by overpowering Druid Hills. Lorenzo McGhee had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. Kevon Eskridge went for 11 points and 4 assists while AJ Bey pitched in 11 points, 5 assists and 3 steals.

No. 2 Cedar Shoals 69, Oconee County 34: Charleston Southern signee Phlan Fleming dropped in 21 points while running mate Snipe Hall added 13.

No. 3 Buford 75, Cambridge 51: Alex Jones orchestrated the Wolves to a 24-point victory. Jones finished with 19 points, 8 assists and 5 steals. Tobi Obasanya had 13 points and 5 rebounds. Donell Nixon added 11 points and Austin Panks chipped in 10. David Viti collected 9 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 9 Southwest DeKalb 65, 7ANo. 10 Collins Hill 61 OT: Four players scored in double figures for Collins Hill but the Eagles ran out of juice in the Cleveland Stroud Classic Championship down the stretch after knocking off 5A No. 1 Columbia the night before. Kenny Stanciel (15), Justin Lee, JD Ozoh (12) and Max Clark (11) paced the attack, Stanciel and Lee being selected to the All-Tournament Team. Mandarius Dickerson scored a game-high 17 for Southwest DeKalb as the Panthers used 10 threes to stay ahead of Collins Hill. Quincy Carter scored 13 points and Kadarius Johnson added 12. Tabias Long and Darius Hogan were named to the All-Tournament Team. Dickerson was named Tournament MVP.

No. 10 Riverwood 89, East Jackson 52: Elijah Jenkins scored 17 points and tallied 4 rebounds and 7 assists to power the Raiders. Josh Brown had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Charnchai Chantha chipped in 9 points, 10 assists and 3 steals. Rudy Fitzgibbons added 13 points and Elijah Dudley 18 in the win.

Flowery Branch 85, Chestatee 32: The Falcons used a 42-5 run and a 24-0 third quarter to run Chestatee out of the gym. John Mills had 19 points and Myles Janess produced 15 points and 5 rebounds. Justin Quick and Patsheko Lutumba both scored 11 points apiece. Blake Coxworth chipped in 9 points.

Grady 84, Harris County 76: DJ Brittian ran wild, posting 28 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. Kolby Morton added 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. In the loss, 6-foot-7 post Aquavious Fanning had 20 points and Tailique Williams netted 27.

Starr’s Mill 57, Lanier 55: Zach Pina scored a game-high 17 points to pace the Panthers. Nick Karli added 13 and Drew Hudson scored 10. Lanier’s Adrian Martin was held to 10 points.

Union Grove 52, Walnut Grove 37: Jailen Robinson scored 14 points in a loss.

Class AAAA

No. 5 Henry County 82, Banneker 72: Javon Greene poured in 23 points while Damion Rosser recovered from injury. Casey Armour (13), Josh Steele (10) and Sadonte Lindley (9) all pitched in. Lindley also recorded 7 rebounds, 12 assists and 5 steals. Tre’Von Pope scored 15 and Shamar Karangu had 11 to lead Banneker.

No. 6 LaGrange 75, Houston County 44: Amari Colbert posted 15 points and 8 rebounds in a loss for the Bears. Houston County was held to 30% shooting from the field. LaGrange was led by Quez Jackson’s 12 points and Kenan Gray’s 10.

No. 7 St. Pius 50, Dawson County 36: St. Pius leapt out to a 13-0 lead and led wire-to-wire against Dawson County. Zach Ranson finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Matt Gonzalo notched 6 assists for the Golden Lions. Cullen Reed scored a team-high 17 points for the Tigers.

White County 69, Franklin County 49: John Ward scored a team-high 21 points as White County rolled Franklin County. Clay Dockery netted 15 and Austin Harris scored 11. Jay Lepkoske (10) and Austin Rowland (9) also cracked the scoresheet.

Cartersville 61, Northwest Whitfield 45: Jaylon Pugh poured in 21 and Perignon Dyer netted 20 as the Hurricanes blew by the Bruins. Luke Shiflett powered Northwest with 16 points and 5 steals.

Gilmer 55, Pickens 54: Chase Simmons scored 16 points and pulled down 6 rebounds but the Dragons were defeated by their rival Bobcats. Joseph Gossett had 11 points and Seth Bishop finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds in the loss.

Class AAA

No. 7 Greater Atlanta Christian 69, Jefferson 37: Hunter McIntosh netted 17 points and Air Force signee Charlie O’Briant pitched in 16 as GAC earned third place in the Tabo Tip-Off Tournament held at Jefferson.

Fannin County 61, Hiwassee Dam, NC 42: Clay Ware scored 19 points and Logan Holt had 17 as the Rebels won the ETC Tournament.

North Hall 83, Providence Christian 62: Evan Easton was too much to handle for the Storm, scoring a game-high 30 points. Taylor Hanson (14), Noah Holman (11) and Justin Rabb (10) all cracked double figures as well. Parker Trump led Providence Christian with 18 points followed by Connor Allen’s 12 and Mitchell Miller’s 11.

Class AA

Spartanburg Christian, SC 60, No. 4 Monticello 59: Ashton Bonner went for 24 points and 4 assists in a loss at the Impact Sports Invitational. CJ Adams had 15 points and 6 rebounds.

Washington 59, Jackson County 54: Jackson County received 22 points from Christian Smith in a loss.

Class A-Private

No. 1 Greenforest 67, Mountain View 49: After Mountain View cut the Greenforest lead to 39-30 heading into the fourth quarter, Greenforest put its foot on the gas. Ikey Obiagu finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 8 blocks. Jandan Duggan netted 16 points to go along with his 5 assists. Mohammed Abdulsalem pitched in 12 points and 7 boards. Mike Evans got in on the action with 9 points and 4 assists. Mountain View was led by Spencer Rodgers’ 13 points. Miles Long and Brandon Green both scored 11 points.

No. 6 Lakeview Academy 95, East Hall 79: Lakeview Academy won the Piedmont College Hardwood Classic Championship in convincing fashion. Drew Cottrell was named Tournament MVP after pouring in 31 points in the title game. Tre Gober netted 24 and All-Tournament Team memeber Josh Randolph went for 20 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists. Carter Reeves chipped in 10 points.

                                                                                

GIRLS

 

Class AAAAAAA

North Forsyth 45, No. 7 Cherokee 39: North Forsyth won the Progressive Lighting Holiday Classic on their home floor as the Raiders dispatched of Cherokee. Cassie Markle finished with 16 points and 6 rebounds and Bella Caracciolo chipped in 6 points and 7 rebounds as North Forsyth moves to 6-0.

Class AAAAAA

No. 6 Northview 40, Creekview 27: Northview bounced back at the Progressive Lighting Holiday Classic and placed third with a win over Creekview. Ashlee Austin had 12 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Shannon Titus finished with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 6 blocks. Asjah Innis went for 8 points and 5 assists.

Johns Creek 45, Alpharetta 33: Ashley Alexander led a balanced Gladiator attack with 13 points followed by Sydney Tanguilig and Markeima Lancaster’s 12 apiece to claim fifth place at the North Forsyth Thanksgiving Tournament.

Cambridge 31, Peachtree Ridge 24: Eliza Snyder scored 12 points and Sierra Sieracki had 8 while Raegan Dunwoodie paced the defense with 10 deflections to disrupt the Peachtree Ridge offense. Jalea Gray had 9 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Class AAAAA

No. 6 Warner Robins 53, Valdosta 50: Shynia Jackson posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, as did Le’Terria Mathis with 10 points and 11 rebounds as the Demonettes slipped past Valdosta. Kezia Holmes scored 13 points and Victoria Brown went 6-of-8 from the line in the final two minutes to secure a Warner Robins victory.

No. 9 Loganville 30, 6ANo. 1 Winder-Barrow 29: Loganville grinded away at Winder-Barrow and handed the No. 1 ranked 6A team in the state their second consecutive loss to a Class 5A school. Seniors Daijah Cousins and Destiny Flott  scored 9 apiece for the Red Devils while Imani Arnold and Aryanna Gerald both scored 5. Winder-Barrow star center Olivia Nelson-Ododa was held to just 6 points. Latrice Perkins led the Bulldoggs with 9 points. Jakayala Sullivan and Lexi Maddox both scored 5 in the loss.

Class AAAA

No. 3 North Oconee 50, Clarke Central 47: Emma Weynand scored 16 points and Camryn Williams added 15 as the dynamic duo helped the Lady Titans survive Clarke Central.

St. Pius 58, Dawson County 33: The Tigers fell to 0-4 on the season after a tough slate at the North Forsyth Thanksgiving Tournament. Abi Chatham led Dawson County with 11 points. St. Pius rushed out to a 27-9 lead after one and cruised the rest of the way. Melat Endashaw had 11 points while Macey Carson and Kathryn McKenzie scored 10 apiece and both Leah Middleton and Emma Drash chipped in 8.

Oconee County 39, Cedar Shoals 32: Freshman Sybille Foucart pumped in 21 points to lead the Warriors. Ansley Hart added 7.

Gilmer 64, Pickens 62: Mykenzie Weaver scored 24 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in a loss. Torie Williams pitched in 14 points and Taylor Wigington had 8 points and 5 assists.

Class AAA

No. 1 Johnson-Savannah 49, Brunswick 37: Jacksonville-signee Alexis Pierce carried the Atomsmashers with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals.

No. 4 Calhoun 55, Allatoona 51: Calhoun bounced back from a loss to Rome behind another big game from South Carolina softball signee Jana Johns. She poured in 22 points and 8 rebounds while Ashlyn Barnes netted 12 points. Cassie Henderson grabbed 14 rebounds.

Franklin County 82, White County 64: Ivey Ginn exploded for 32 points. Asia Jones netted 19 and Maddie Moorhead scored 14 in Coach Tony Watkins’ potent offense.

Class AA

Elbert County 36, Jackson County 31: Jackson County fell to Class AA Elbert County. Logan Cook led the Panthers with 11 points.

Class A-Private

No. 9 Lakeview Academy 67, 2ANo. 3 Rabun County 60: Rabun County trailed by 14 early and could never quite get over the hump, losing to Lakeview Academy in the Piedmont College Hardwood Classic Championship. Savanna Scott finished with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Brooke Henricks had 12 points and 4 rebounds while Georgia Stockton pitched in 10 points and 3 steals. Star guard Hanna Grogan carried the Lions with 18 points in the win. Christen Copeland had 14 and Ryann Moody added 12.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Early season “upsets” challenge state rankings

Not even two weeks into the season and holiday tournaments and other non-region games across the state have put the Top 10 rankings to the test. With teams still trying to gain their footing on the young season some games are more of upsets than others. Accolades and preseason rankings have already proven to not matter much once the ball is tipped. Here are a few of the most interesting results from a full Monday of action.

BOYS

Lowndes 64, 2ANo. 2 Thomasville 51
Am I reading this score correctly? If so, Thomasville, who went 28-2 last year, is now 0-2 to start the year after opening as the state’s No. 1 team in Class AA. The Bulldogs were humbled by Class 7A Tift County 75-40 and now drop to Lowndes. Ever since the Bulldogs were smacked in the Elite Eight against Pace Academy 78-48, I just don’t know what to believe anymore, especially without Jordan Willis leading the charge at point. Reggie Perry has been described as a future “NBA Lottery Pick”, but if that’s the case, I don’t understand how the 6-foot-8 Arkansas-commit isn’t carrying this team on his back. Don’t forget 6-foot-9 Titus Wright is also receiving high major offers. No excuses for a 35-point loss and a 13-point loss to a team you should overwhelm with your D-I size. I’m hovering my hand over the panic button because I thought highly of this team last year and this season, only to be left searching for answers.

South Forsyth 70, 5ANo. 10 Riverwood 61
UNCW-signee Evan Cole carried the War Eagles with 39 points while Isaiah Magee added eight. Embry-Riddle signee did the best he could to lift the Raiders, pouring in 26 points. Charnchai Chantha added six points and 10 assists but the 6-foot-8 Cole was too much to handle.

Dorman, SC 86, 2ANo. 4 Monticello 57
This one wasn’t too much of an upset as the South Carolina power rolled over a smaller scrappy Monticello team. Ashton Bonner finished with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. CJ Adams collected 13 points, four assists and six steals. This was a classic learning experience as Monticello entered as a heavy underdog with their enrollment of 700 playing against South Carolina’s largest school, Dorman, who boasts 3,400 students.

7ANo. 10 Collins Hill 54, 5ANo. 1 Columbia 51
A front-end miss of a 1-and-1 helped Collins Hill hold off Columbia in a great game. Top 10 matchups can’t really be considered too much of an upset especially with a higher classification beating a lower one, but still, when a No. 1 team gets beaten, it’s big news.

GIRLS

Hillgrove 66, 7ANo. 8 Brookwood 53
Hillgrove always has talent. They might not be what they once were, but they are still a tough team and let Brookwood know firsthand. Hillgrove’s only losses so far have come to Class 7A No. 1 Norcross and Class A-Private No. 2 Wesleyan. They have already beaten Class 3A No. 5 GAC and now Brookwood. They held Texas A&M-signee N’Dea Jones to 11 points and eight rebounds (she did have six blocks however). With a couple more strong performances, Hillgrove should crack the Top 10 and this one probably won’t end up being a bad loss for Brookwood.

5ANo. 2 Flowery Branch 55, 6ANo. 1 Winder-Barrow 46
This was a great game between evenly matched opponents. Flowery Branch got 12 points and four rebounds from North Georgia-signee Julianne Sutton as she battled the No. 1 ranked post player in the nation, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who finished with a game-high 18 points. Versatile X-factor Taniyah Worth had 11 points, 10 rebounds and three assists while Lexie Sengkhammee scored 10 points and Caroline Wysocki pitched in eight points and six rebounds to take down the Bulldoggs. The two schools will meet twice more, on Nov. 29 at Flowery Branch and Jan. 3 at Winder-Barrow.

Rome 74, 3ANo. 4 Calhoun 65
Rome won 18 games last year but lost by 43 in the first round of state to eventual champion Southwest DeKalb. The battle tested 5A school rode post player Taya Gibson’s 31 points to edge past Calhoun using a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to put it out of reach. Re’tavia Floyd netted 16 to flank Gibson. Calhoun received 25 from Ashlyn Barnes and 23 from Jana Johns in the loss. This one will sting right now, but Rome is a larger school with a good group coming back.

North Forsyth 45, 6ANo. 6 Northview 30
The Titans rose four spots in this week’s poll but quickly saw their Forsyth County nightmares reappear. North Forsyth has now won eight straight against Northview and managed to control the game and play the style they wanted as the Raiders negated the Titans’ size advantage. North Forsyth is 5-0 to begin the year and is on the verge of busting down the door to crack the Class 7A rankings.

 

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 11-18

BOYS

 

Class AAAAAAA

No. 2 Pebblebrook 49, Dillard, FL 40: Xavier signee Elias Harden scored a game-high 16 points and Alabama signee Collin Sexton tossed in 11 to hold off Dillard and Florida State signee RaiQuan Gray’s 15 points.

No. 5 Newton 83, 4ANo. 1 Henry County 67: Jacksonville signee JD Notae scored 17 points and Isaiah Miller and Darvin Jones both had 15 as the Rams overpowered Class AAAA No. 1 Henry County after leading 30-8 after the first quarter and 46-29 at the half. Damion Rosser (New Orleans) led Henry County with 16 points before rolling his ankle. George Mason signee Javon Greene had 13.

Mountain View 76, Evans 43: Mountain View steamrolled Evans at the Evans Tip-off Tournament. Spencer Rodgers scored a team-high 15 points and added 3 steals. Miles Long chipped in 13 points and 4 assists. Uchenna Nwagbara flirted with a double-double, posting 12 points and 9 rebounds. The Bears meet Class AA No. 7 Butler tomorrow morning.

Forsyth Central 57, Lassiter 36: Ethan Hester went for 19 points and 8 rebounds while CJ Smith netted 13 points.

Class AAAAAA

No. 9 Alpharetta 67, North Forsyth 47: Head Coach Jason Dasigner got his first win on the sidelines at Alpharetta. The Raiders led 41-19 at the half behind Brandon Barron’s 20 points. The sophomore finished with 23 on the night. David Swillum chipped in 8 points and 10 rebounds. Carlos Carriere, fresh off the football field, had 10 points and 5 rebounds.

Creekview 74, Brewbaker Tech, AL 69: Creekview’s backcourt powered the Grizzlies. KJ Jenkins scored 18 and Weber Sandlin added 17. Cole Mikes chipped in 16 points and drew two charges. Desmond Williams led Brewbaker Tech with 28 points.

Osborne 64, North Atlanta 53: Latrell Tate went for 18 points and Kaylin Davis poured in a team-high 20 to lift the Cardinals. Jermaine Thompson added 9 points.

Cambridge 50, Walton 45:  Caleb Snyder and Noah Lucas netted 11 points apiece while Ryan Kulaga chipped in 9 points in a Bears win.

River Ridge 70, Pickens 54:  Chris Simmons and Noah Fitzgerald scored 13 apiece while Destin Exinor added 10 to defeat Pickens. The Knights held Pickens scoreless in the third quarter, ballooning a 34-29 halftime lead to a 50-29 advantage. Pickens was led by Joseph Gossett (12) and Zach Goss (10). Blake Gorth had 8 points and 8 rebounds.

Class AAAAA

No. 10 Riverwood 71, Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 36: Senior guard Charnchai Chantha powered the Raiders from his guard position, totaling 16 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals. Josh Brown added 14 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. Rudy Fitzgibbons had 10 points and 7 steals.

Flowery Branch 59, Chattahoochee 38: The Falcons caught fire from deep, sinking 12 total threes on the night and added 15 steals defensively all without Brannon Clark and Dalton Gerdts. Patsheko Lutumba nailed four threes and finished with a team-high 14 points. Both Justin Quick and Caleb Murphy scored 12 points. Blake Coxworth chipped in 5 points and 7 assists.

Walnut Grove 63, Social Circle 25: Jailen Robinson scored 13 points, Dashun Smith scored 12 and RJ Selman chipped in 10 for the Warriors in a season opening win.

South Effingham 83, Groves 61: Derrick Newberry poured in 23 points to lead the Mustangs while Ryan McGee (14) and Makenly Newbill (12) also had strong games.

Class AAAA

Richmond Academy 63, Woodward Academy 38: Vontrez Roberts led 10 Musketeers that scored with 11 points. Moses Williams scored 10, DT Stephens added 8 and Isaiah Williams and Jason Weaver both pitched in 7 points apiece. Junior Malik Poindexter led Woodward with 10 points while Brennan McDaniel added 8 points and 8 rebounds. The War Eagles shot just 24%  and had 16 turnovers.

Class AAA

Redan 62, Monroe Area 54: Tyonn Stuckey went for 21 points, 8 assists and 4 steals in an impressive road win. Tremayne Anderson had 15 points and 8 rebounds. William Littles contributed 11 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.

Class A-Private

No. 5 St. Francis 71, Roswell 53: St. Francis’ youth overwhelmed Roswell. Freshmen Dwon Odom and Chase Ellis had big games. Odom finished with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists while Ellis went for 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Sophomores CJ Riley and Sean Paradise poured in 15 and 13 points respectively. Sophomore guard Miles Herron led all scorers with 24 for Roswell.

Hebron Christian 67, Mt. de Sales 62: John Stewart scored 18 and Connor Almon scored 17 to power the Lions attack. Troy Allen chipped in 11 in the win.

Galloway 82, Providence Christian 59:  A young Providence Christian team received 15 points from Al Dorsey and 13 from Parker Trump in a loss.

GICAAMt. Bethel Christian 71, Paideia 50: Jordan Meka, a 6-foot-7 freshman, collected 16 points and 10 blocks in a GICAA-GHSA early season showdown. Sophomore Coleman Boyd had 19 points and junior Jaquez Gilbert had 17 in the Hoops for the Cure Classic victory.

Class A-Public

(Scrimmage) No. 1 Wilkinson County 107, Central-Macon 105 2OT: In a scrimmage for the ages, No. 1 Wilkinson County held off a game Chargers group. Clarence Jackson went off for 37 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists. Antarius McCoy carried Central-Macon with 38 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Tyrice Paul added 24 in the loss.

                                                                                

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

Dacula 52, North Gwinnett 47: Kandy Brown posted an 11-point, 12-rebound, 11-block triple-double to carry the Falcons past the Lady Bulldogs. Kendall Bollmer netted 20 points and Helena Lee had 13 in the win. Jessica Belcher led North Gwinnett with 12 points while Alanni Brown chipped in 10 points.

Mountain View 52, Greenbrier 32: Kamryn Collins scored 16 points and Alea Spears had 12 in the Bears’ victory in the Wolfpack Tip-off Classic.

Class AAAAAA

No. 8 Sequoyah 58, Woodward Academy 35: Alyssa Cagle scored 11 points, dished out 7 assists and grabbed 6 rebounds. Peyton Satterfield netted 15 points. Gabi Latimer had 6 points and 10 rebounds while Lauren Schletty had 6 points 9 rebounds. Colby Carden chipped in 7 points and 4 assists.

Lovejoy 54, Hampton 10: Taylor Borum outscored the Lady Hornets by herself, tallying 11 points and 6 rebounds.

River Ridge 57, Pickens 43: Pickens dropped their first game of the young year to the Knights. In the loss Shelby Cook had 11 points and 6 rebounds. Mykenzie Weaver had 9 points and 3 steals.

Lanier 60, Landmark Christian 25: Bailey Bassett paced the Longhorns with 14 points and 4 steals. Kalen Surles had 14 points and 6 rebounds.

Class AAAAA

Cass 43, 2ANo. 10 Armuchee 38: The Lady Colonels knocked off Armuchee behind Jana Morning’s 15 points and Payton Stoddard’s 9.

McIntosh 63, New Manchester 50: DeLayne Rotolo dropped 18, Kennedi Miller scored 16 and Samantha Coffey added 12 to lead the Lady Chiefs to a non-region victory.

Class AAAA

No. 4 North Oconee 58, Central Gwinnett 39: Emma Weynand posted 15 points in the Lady Titans victory.

Class AAA

No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 58, Richmond Hill 38: The Atomsmashers rolled behind Jacksonville signee Alexis Pierce who scored 30 points and collected 9 steals and 9 assists.

Class A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 63, 4ANo. 8 Americus-Sumter 26: The defending Class AAAA champs had no shot against the Class A-Private title holders. Kasi Kushkituah (Tennessee) had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks. Olivia Swanston had 13 points and 3 steals. Maya Dodson (Stanford) went for 10 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Western Kentucky signee Nichel Tampa pitched in 10 points, 4 assists and 6 steals.

No. 2 Wesleyan 93, Effingham County 38: Mikayla Coombs finished with 11 points and 9 rebounds as Wesleyan used a balanced onslaught to rip Effingham County. Sutton West had 12 points and 9 rebounds. AC Carter went for 8 points and 12 rebounds and Natalie Armstrong tallied 8 boards.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 11-15

Boys

 

Class AAAAAAA

No. 9 Collins Hill 75, Osborne 66: In a loss, the Osborne Cardinals were led by Latrell Tate’s 20 points. Jermaine Thompson scored 14 and Kaylan Davis added 11. JD Ozoh powered the Eagles with 18 points. Chris Parks recorded 16 points while Max Clark finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Kenny Stanciel produced 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Woodstock 66, Northview 61: The Wolverines rallied from a 28-17 halftime deficit to storm past Northview. Woodstock took its first lead of the second half with 1:32 remaining on a Tyreke Johnson free throw. Johnson, playing with a strained groin, poured in 33 points (16-of-20 FT), 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 7 steals. Running mate Dylin Hardeman scored all 11 points in the second half. Brant Hurter added 8 points, 6 rebounds and 1 block while Cameron Crowe tallied 7 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Northview received 28 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal from junior point guard Justin Brown. Joe Jones added 10 points and 5 rebounds. Zane Patel notched 5 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks in the loss.

Parkview 72, Creekside 55: Parkview earned an impressive road win, defeating the Seminoles by 17. Freshman Toneari Lane dropped a team-high 16 points. Justin Spencer scored 15 while Cam Chavers (12) and Ahmir Langlais (8) also did damage. Creekside was led by 6-foot-8 big man Tyson Jackson, the junior scoring 19.

Discovery 72, Jefferson 31: The Titans rolled behind a balanced attack. Jaylen Bussey canned six threes en route to a team-high 18 points. Junior 6-foot-7 post Kalu Ezikpe totaled 13 points and 11 rebounds. Air Force signee Jaden Stanley went for 11 points and 7 rebounds. DJ Young dished out 6 assists.

Central Gwinnett 93, West Forsyth 55: The Black Knights’ potent backcourt overwhelmed the West Forsyth Wolverines. Jalen Hillery pumped in 30 points while Jalen Morgan added 23 and Spencer Turner managed to score 12 points.

Duluth 90, Drew 71: Adam Flagler paced the Wildcat backcourt with 20 points and 6 rebounds. Jalen Hodges collected 17 points and 5 rebounds. Will Huzzie posted 11 points and 8 rebounds. Christian Kelly netted 11 points and Lamont Smith finished with 6 points and 9 assists.

Forsyth Central 60, Pickens 32: Hunter McDonald scored 14 points and picked up 9 rebounds and 6 assists to lead the Bulldogs over the Dragons. CJ Smith netted 15 points and dished out 6 assists. Ethan Hester added 11 points. Seth Bishop scored 13 points in the loss for Pickens.

Mountain View 55, Archer 37: The Bears raced past the Tigers behind Spencer Rodgers’ 17 points and 5 assists. Miles Long added 11 points and 3 steals while Jalen Hayes notched 9 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.

Pope 83, Kennesaw Mountain 75: Kennesaw Mountain struggled to contain AJ Watson who poured in 31 points and 6 assists to power the Greyhounds.

Roswell 55, South Forsyth 54: Senior RJ Frierson sank a game-winning free throw with :01 second left to propel the Hornets over the War Eagles on the road. Senior James Anderson scored nine of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Miles Herron netted 21 in the win as Roswell advances to 2-0.

Class AAAAAA

(Scrimmage) No. 5 Allatoona 69, Milton 43: Trey Doomes poured in 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in a high profile preseason scrimmage.

No. 6 Heritage-Conyers 70, Lithonia 66: Jordan Thomas scored 17 points in addition to his 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Isaiah Banks finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals. Florida Atlantic signee Byron Abrams went for 16 points, 7 assists and 3 steals. JaQuez Hicks controlled the paint, tallying 8 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals and 5 blocks.

Apalachee 83, Monroe Area 77 OT: Omer Ahmed scored 23 points to lead the Wildcats. Deron Collier and Brandon Bannis both pitched in 9 points apiece. Jamonte Wallace added 8 points and Derek Miller finished with 8 points and 10 rebounds.

Creekview 59, North Cobb 41: Weber Sandlin scored 15 points to help the Grizzlies to an out-of-region win. Chandler Wright grabbed 13 rebounds.

Northgate 87, Ola 68: The Vikings received a game-high 34 points from Treveon Cook.

Class AAAAA

No. 8 Southwest DeKalb 43, Stephenson 41: Josh Archer hit a shot with four seconds left to lift Southwest DeKalb over a scrappy Stephenson bunch. Eugene Brown III led the Panthers with 10 points while Quincy Carter added 9 and Archer produced 8 points and 7 rebounds. Khalil Foster-Scott scored a game-high 14 for Stephenson. Trevon Daniel went for 10 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.

No. 9 Fayette County 75, 4ANo. 2 Sandy Creek 69: Phillip Young finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals to help the Tigers to a statement victory early in the year. Austin Nesmith scored 16 points. Jaylen Holloway totaled 13 points, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. Joshua Dupree chipped in 8 points, 3 steals and 3 blocks while Furman signee Noah Gurley tossed in 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. Three players fouled out for Sandy Creek as the Patriots were hit with 34 team fouls. Evan Jester went for 26 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks in the loss. KJ Wilkins added 12 points and 4 steals, Xavier Brewer netted 11 points and TJ Bickerstaff finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 10 Riverwood 63, 1ANo. 4 Holy Innocents’ 62: Embry-Riddle signee Elijah Jenkins netted 13 points to go with his 9 rebounds and 6 assists in another tight victory over rival Holy Innocents’. Rudy Fitzgibbons went for 15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Charnchai Chantha collected 6 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Senior 6-foot-7 post Josh Brown finished with 8 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. In the loss, Cole Smith scored a game-high 23 points. Richard Surdykowski added 17 points and Jules Erving followed with 14.

Kell 68, Sprayberry 60: Florida Gulf Cost big man Brian Thomas pulled down a 13-point 11-rebound double-double to help the Longhorns to an in county victory. Sayvon Delgado scored a game-high 18 and Jahwan Smith chipped in 10 points and 5 assists. Sprayberry received 15 points from Rodney Pearson and 16 points from Eddie Figueroa.

Flowery Branch 66, East Jackson 33: Caleb Murphy did damage for the Falcons, tossing in a team-high 18 points to go with his 3 steals and 2 blocks. Brannon Clark scored 13 points and collected 4 steals while Blake Coxworth netted 12 points.

Johnson-Gainesville 61, Habersham Central 34: Will Richter got the Johnson Knights off to a good start this year scoring a team-high 16 points. Alex Sims did the dirty work and collected six points in the process.

Class AAAA

No. 3 Upson-Lee 58, Heard County 44: Upson-Lee dominated, opening up a 28-2 first quarter lead before playing the bench for the majority of the game. Tye Fagan dropped in 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks in limited action.

Blessed Trinity 62, Fellowship Christian 32: Ben Shappard and Andy Swade scored 10 points apiece for Blessed Trinity. Russell Dorvee netted a game-high 12. Sophomore CJ Abrams chipped in 9 points as 10 Titans cracked the scoring column. Fellowship was led by Cody Frazer’s 11 points.

Shaw 92, Harris County 68: Jalen Ken poured in 22 points and grabbed three rebounds while Chris Hicks netted 21 points and handed out 3 assists.

Class AAA

(Scrimmage) No. 2 Westside-Macon 88, Locust Grove 36: New look Westside-Macon romped Locust Grove. Xavier signee Kentrevious Jones went for 25 points and 5 rebounds. Greg Holloway, a sleeper that will be highlighted on hypesouth.com, finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Trey Foster had 9 points and 4 assists. Khavon Moore played sparingly in the blow out.

No. 8 Lovett 51, North Atlanta 46 2OT: With eight players missing from the active roster due to the football state playoffs, the Lovett Lions still found a way to win and proved that free throw shooting wins games. Ryan Greer poured in 32 points and went 16-of-24 from the line while as a team the Lions shot 19-of-28. North Atlanta shot just 10-of-27 and had a chance to win in regulation, but sophomore Robert Ghirardini of Lovett buried a three at the buzzer to send it to an extra period. Ghirardini finished with 6 points while Ryan Pate scored 9. North Atlanta was led by Jadin Knight’s 13 points and Emmanuel Roberts’ 10.

Long County 79, Bacon County 70: Terry Smith and Henry Blair powered the Long County Blue Tide. Smith dropped 24 while Blair pumped in 21 points.

Redan 67, Morrow 64: Electric guard play from Tyonn Stuckey and Jibril Wykcoff tenacity helped the Raiders to a nice out of region victory. Stuckey finished with 18 points, 9 assists and 5 steals. Wykcoff went off for 28 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals.

Class AA

No. 4 Monticello 69, Jones County 65: CJ Adams erupted for 29 points and 6 rebounds. Ashton Bonner went for 20 points and 5 rebounds as the Hurricane guards propelled Monticello to a win.

No. 8 Banks County 51, North Hall 45: Gabe Martin scored 18 points and Kahmal Wiley tossed in 12 points to withstand the visiting Trojans. North Hall received 13 points from Taylor Hanson and 12 from Justin Rabb.

Class A-Private

Hebron Christian 74, Social Circle 50:  The Derrick Heberling era got off to a good start, defeating Social Circle by 24. John Stewart and Alex Calvert both netted 13 points. Tanner Welch and Wesley Warbington added 10 points apiece.

Prince Avenue 62, Oglethorpe County 60: Sophomore Mack Simmons sank two big free throws late to seal a victory for the Wolverines. Simmons finished with 18 points. Senior Sam Todd netted a team-high 22.

 

Girls

Class AAAAAAA

Mill Creek 43, 4ANo. 3 West Hall 35: Coming off of a disappointing 13-15 season, Mill Creek picked up its second big win of the season. In the loss Anna McKendree was held to 15 points and 5 rebounds. Macy Passmore pitched in 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Class AAAAAA

No. 10 Northview 57, 7ANo. 9 Woodstock 44: Northview’s size overwhelmed Woodstock. Sophomore Ashlee Austin pitched in 14 points, 15 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block. Maya Richards, also a sophomore, produced 13 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks. Senior Shannon Titus finished with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals and 7 blocks. Woodstock was led by South Alabama signee Devyn Lowe, who scored a game-high 23.

Class AAAAA

McIntosh 51, Newnan 31: DeLayne Rotolo led the Lady Chiefs with a game-high 18 points.

Class AAAA

No. 4 North Oconee 49, 5ANo. 8 Loganville 42: The Lady Titans held off Loganville in a great cross classification Top 10 matchup. Emma Weynand netted 15 points while Camryn Williams chipped in 14 to lead North Oconee.

Pickens 61, Forsyth Central 54: Mykenzie Weaver got the Dragonettes off to a season opening win, scoring 20 points.

 

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Recaps

Final Four Recaps

Class AAAAAA

R3 #1 Westlake 64, R2 #1 Newton 59: No. 2 Westlake trailed No. 8 Newton for most of the game before a 12-5 run closed out the Rams. Chuma Okeke was the difference maker down the stretch for Westlake scoring a team-high 22 points. Jamie Lewis scored 18 points and made big free throws while Danny Lewis (11) and Ronald Bell (10) both cracked double figures. Junior JD Notae led Newton with 22 points. Freshman Ashton Hagans and Jaquan Simms scored 12 apiece while Josh Tukes netted 11. Newton loses just one key starter to graduation and will return big man Dre Butler who missed the second half of the season with a knee injury after leading the team in rebounding.

R3 #2 Pebblebrook 77, R5 #2 Milton 70: Collin Sexton went off for a game-high 35 points to lift No. 7 Pebblebrook to their second straight state championship game where they will meet No. 2 Westlake for the fourth time this season, losing their previous three meetings. Jared Harper for a second consecutive night was keyed in on by the opposing defense and held to 11 points, but this time it was Ole Miss-commit JJ Smith stepping up big with nine of his 20 points in the fourth quarter while Dwight Murray scored 10 on the night. Kenderick Summerour led Milton with 18 points. Harvard signee Chris Lewis finished his high school career with 16 points. Sophomore Justin Brown chipped in 15 points and junior Alex O’Connell was held to 13.

Class AAAAA

R5 #1 Allatoona 48, R8 #1 Cedar Shoals 46: Somehow, someway, No. 2 Allatoona found a way to stay undefeated and make another trip back to Macon. Michael Johnson’s 10 points off the bench sparked Allatoona trailing 29-26 before pouring in eight straight points in the third quarter to take a 34-29 lead over No. 4 Cedar Shoals. None of Johnson’s points were bigger than his two free throws with five seconds left to stun the Jaguars after it looked like Ephraim Tshimanga may have double dribbled while in traffic breaking the press leading to the dish to Johnson where he was fouled. Trey Doomes fouled out with 1:59 remaining and Allatoona up 44-43. Phlan Fleming quickly took advantage on the other end with a tough And-1 reverse layup to take a 45-44 lead, but he missed the free throw. Jerrick Mitchell scored a team-high 15 points and collected three rebounds and three steals for Cedar Shoals, but he could only split a pair of free throws with 1:07 left leaving the door open for Allatoona down 46-44. Coastal Georgia signee Kevin Perry attacked the hole and got hacked, sinking his two free throws giving him a game-high 15 points to tie the game at 46 with 24.6 seconds left and Doomes’ 13 points sitting on the bench. Snipe Hall was fouled with 14 seconds remaining driving baseline but missed the front end of a 1-and-1.  The Buccaneers raced the ball up the floor with Tshimanga and he found Johnson on the right side where he was fouled and calmly sank both free throws. Cedar Shoals’ last look came on a drive and dish corner three, but the shot hit the back iron and bounced out, sending Allatoona back to Macon. Tshimanga scored just four points but grabbed eight rebounds, dished out six assists and collected five steals. Fleming finished with 11 points, six rebounds and four steals.

R6 #1 Miller Grove 72, R4 #1 McIntosh 52: No. 1 Miller Grove proved why it had been ranked No. 1 all year long with a sound defeat of a powerful No. 3 McIntosh team that uncharacteristically struggled to finish inside and missed 13 free throws. A wild first quarter saw McIntosh open the game with a pair of technical free throws after the Wolverines were penalized for dunking pregame. The Chiefs avoided their usual slow start and entered the second quarter tied at 20 but from there it was too much Alterique Gilbert, Aaron Augustin and Raylon Richardson as they unrelentingly attacked the rim and buried outside looks. Miller Grove made seven three-pointers including five in the opening period. The McDonalds All-American and UConn signee Gilbert finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists and four steals. Augustin poured in 18 points, three rebounds and four assists, but the X-factor was Richardson who totaled 17 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks while outplaying Wofford signee Dishon Lowery and Chase Walter inside, an area where the Chiefs had the advantage on paper. Joshua Jackmon slowed down Will Washington, the catalyst of McIntosh’s offense. Washington managed just eight points, five rebounds and four assists while tagging on two blocks. All-time leading scorer Jordan Lyons pumped in 21 points in the final game of his historic career. Lowery added 11 points and 11 rebounds while Walter just two points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Braxton Shaw provided a lift off the bench with two threes and four rebounds but it wasn’t enough to stop Miller Grove from marching back to its second home, Macon, where they face arguably the state’s best defense in No. 2 Allatoona.

Class AAAA

R3 #1 Liberty County 81, R6 #2 Lithonia 68: No. 2 Liberty County raced out to a 16-0 lead stunning the bigger No. 4-ranked Bulldogs and never looked back. Auburn-commit junior guard Davion Mitchell ignited the Panther offense by pouring in a game-high 33 points. Running mate Richard LeCounte, a 5-star UGA football-commit, added 19 as a part of the state’s best junior duo. Will Richardson continued to be a reliable third piece for Coach Julian Stokes, scoring 10 on the night. Lithonia received a team-high 24 from Tyheem Freeman. Jacara Cross added 16 and UTC signee Rodney Chatman netted 12. With the win, Liberty County will now play two-time defending state champion No. 1 Jonesboro, who ended the Panthers’ season 71-43 lat year in the Final Four.

R4 #1 Jonesboro 77, R6 #1 Grady 49: Region 6 got a taste of its own medicine for once this year, taking it on the chin in both semifinal games instead of dealing out the damage like they had all season long. No. 3 Grady’s Bucknell-commit Avi Toomer finished with 17 points in his final game but it wasn’t enough to stop MJ Walker and Tariq Jenkins who both netted 22 points. Eric Lovett added 10. Tykwaan Bryant scored 12 in the loss. No. 1 Jonesboro looks to become the first Class AAAA team to three-peat since Miller Grove did back from 2009-12 before a sixth classification was added and bumped them up to AAAAA.

Class AAA

R8 #1 Morgan County 64, R4 #3 South Atlanta 61: Florida Atlantic signee DeVorious Brown splashed in a three-pointer with one-second left to break No. 6 South Atlanta’s heart and send No. 1 Morgan County to the state championship for the third straight year after trailing the entire game. The Hornets jumped out of the gates quickly, taking an 8-0 lead right away. The Bulldogs regained their footing and trailed 11-8 at the end of one. Just as it seemed Coach Jamond Sims’s Bulldogs shook off their early daze, the Hornets stung them again and sent them into the half down 33-19. South Atlanta extended its lead to 40-25 and looked ready to punch its ticket to Macon, but Jailyn Ingram, Jordan Ford and Alec Woodard had other ideas as they began a furious comeback. A 13-4 run saw Morgan County slice the lead to a 44-38 deficit entering the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs continued to make runs at the Hornets but South Atlanta clung on. Morgan County tied it twice and finally surged ahead with 48.4 seconds left taking a 56-55 lead. Woodard, a freshman, sank two free throws to make it 58-55 with 26.7 seconds remaining before Frank Bailey nailed a three in the corner with seven seconds left to tie it at 58. Morgan County raced down the floor and Woodard hit Brown for the game-winner. Brown finished with just four points but hit the biggest shot of the night. Ingram added 14, Ford scored a team-high 22 and Woodard netted 18 including 12 in the fourth quarter, a perfect 10-for-10 from the line. South Atlanta’s balanced attack saw Orlando Bebee (13), Devonta Pullins (11), Artavious Banks (10) and Korbian Bell (8) all play well for Coach Michael Reddick. Both the boys and girls Morgan County teams will play for the Class AAA state title.

R1 #1 Jenkins 68, R4 #1 Cedar Grove 59: A late rally couldn’t prevent a date with destiny. No. 5 Jenkins will now face No. 1 Morgan County in a rematch of last year’s heart-stopping 62-60 champion in which Eric Johnson floated up a left handed layup with seconds left to crown Jenkins state champions. The Warriors took control early in their game with No.8 Cedar Grove and cruised to a 35-20 halftime lead behind Dimitri Chambers and Trevion Lamar’s 10 points apiece. Cedar Grove began its crawl back into the game by outscoring the Warriors 20-14 in the third quarter and closed to 62-59 after a 6-0 run with 3:20 left, but the Warriors closed the game on a 6-0 run of their own to punch their ticket back to Macon. Lamar and Chambers both finished with a game-high 21. Cedar Grove received 19 points from Makale Carter, 18 from Antonio Reeves and 10 from Devon Barnes.

Class AA

R5 #1 Manchester 63, R4 #2 Monticello 53: The Hurricane finally blew over and No. 10 Manchester punched its ticket to Macon. Demarcus Addie went for a game-high 22 points while Jah’Nile Hill added 14 to win the war of the backcourts. Cadarian Brown netted 11 in the win. For Monticello, Ashton Bonner (12), RJ Whitlock (11) and De’Miria Glover (10) led the charge for Coach BJ Thomas.

R6 #1 Pace Academy 61, R4 #1 Crawford County 51: It’s starting to look like no one is getting in No. 3 Pace Academy’s way. Isaiah Kelly finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks against a tough No. 2 Crawford County frontline. Wendell Carter Jr. hurt his big toe but still finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The high-scoring combination of William Jarrell and Marcal Knolton was held to 11 and 12 points respectively. Pace looks for its first title ever while No. 10 Manchester seeks its second, the Blue Devils’ first coming in 2007.

Class A-Private

#1 Greenforest 78, #4 Stratford Academy 62: It wasn’t easy, but eventually No. 1 Greenforest pulled away from No. 5 Stratford. John Ogwuche finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Justin Forrest added 24 points and six assists. Jandan Duggan chipped in 12 points and five assists off the bench as a third option as part of an already dangerous backcourt. Stratford Academy’s all-time leading scorer Quintez Cephus went out with a bang with 34 points. O’Showen Williams netted 12 and James Mitchell nine.

#2 St. Francis 81, #6 Whitefield Academy 58: The rubber match of this bitter rivalry didn’t go so well for No. 8 Whitefield Academy as No. 2 St. Francis continued to peak at the right time. Three players scored 20+ for Coach Drew Catlett, something Knights fan go used to seeing last year with Malik Beasley (FSU), Kaiser Gates (Xavier) and Kobi Simmons (Arizona). Simmons netted 24 while Anthony Showell added 22 and Chance Anderson 23. Florida A&M signee Brendon Myles went for 23 and Isaiah Hart tallied 21 for the Wolfpack but it wasn’t enough to keep St. Francis from taking another trip to Macon where they will try to defend their state title against No. 1 Greenforest, who they beat 96-81 a year ago.

Class A-Public

#5 Wilkinson County 69, #1 Treutlen 56: Seven-time state champion No. 1 Wilkinson County built an 18-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and continued adding to the lead as they defeated the top-seeded No. 3 Vikings for a return to the A-Public championship in Macon. Wilkinson County took a 35-27 lead into the half and outscored Treutlen 12-10 in the third quarter to increase the lead to double-digits (47-37). In the final frame, Wilkinson County added a 22-19 edge. Wilkinson County will face Hancock Central for the third time this season in the A-Public final. Wilkinson opened its season with a 68-55 win over the Bulldogs but lost the second meeting at Hancock Central 70-62 on Jan. 9.

#7 Hancock Central 68, #2 Turner County 66: It was a wild finish at Valdosta State as the No. 4 Hancock Central boys held off No. 2 Turner County 68-66 for a spot in the A-Public state championship. Hancock Central led 49-46 entering the final quarter, which proved to be a fight to the finish. Phillipe Scott was the hero for Hancock Central as he beat the press, crashed the boards, controlled the pace at the foul line and included the game-winner with eight seconds left. Scott made 8-of-13 attempts from the foul line and netted 10 of Hancock Central’s 19 pints in the final quarter. Hancock Central took a 66-60 lead after a pair of Scott foul shots as just 44 seconds remained on the clock. Deandre Pierce drilled a 3-pointer to cut it to 66-63 and then Scott was fouled but missed both attempts to keep Turner County within a possession. Pierce hit a corner 3-pointer on the next possession, tying it up 66-66 with 14 seconds left. Neither team had a timeout left so Scott took the inbounds and dribbled straight to the rim where he drew the foul and hit the game-winning basket. Scott missed the free-throw but Turner County could not convert with eight seconds left as a desperation shot came up feet short of the rim. Hancock Central meets No. 1 Wilkinson County in an all Region 7 championship.