Region/State tournament requests [2:00]
No. 2 East Coweta [3:45]
No. 1 Jefferson girls climb to top [10:28]
Can someone beat Savannah’s powers in Class 3A? [13:21]
Will the Class 2A state champion come from outside of Augusta? [16:47]
Class 2A girls state bracket preview [24:40]
1. McEachern (18-0)
2. East Coweta (21-1)
3. Grayson (19-2)
4. Meadowcreek (17-4)
5. Discovery (18-3)
6. Norcross (15-7)
7. Pebblebrook (14-7)
8. Newton (15-5)
9. Wheeler (15-7)
10. Berkmar (15-5)
1. Coffee (18-2)
2. Chattahoochee (19-3)
3. Tri-Cities (16-5)
4. Douglas County (15-5)
5. Lakeside-Evans (18-2)
6. Alexander (16-7)
7. South Cobb (14-5)
8. North Atlanta (16-5)
9. South Paulding (15-7)
10. Sprayberry (17-3)
1. Buford (17-2)
2. Fayette County (18-3)
3. Eagle’s Landing (15-3)
4. Lithonia (15-7)
5. Southwest DeKalb (16-6)
6. Woodland-Stockbridge (16-3)
7. Kell (17-4)
8. Jonesboro (13-8)
9. Lithia Springs (15-5)
10. Carrollton (13-7)
1. Upson-Lee (19-1)
2. Sandy Creek (16-3)
3. St. Pius X (18-2)
4. Henry County (21-1)
5. Carver-Columbus (16-3)
6. Americus-Sumter (14-3)
7. Baldwin (13-7)
8. Woodward Academy (12-8)
9. Marist (14-7)
10. Salem (13-6)
1. Morgan County (19-1)
2. GAC (15-4)
3. Dawson County (17-4)
4. Hart County (15-5)
5. Pace Academy (14-6)
6. Johnson-Savannah (14-6)
7. Westside-Macon (15-5)
8. Central-Macon (15-5)
9. Monroe (14-5)
10. Windsor Forest (18-4)
1. Woodville-Tompkins (21-0)
2. Therrell (16-6)
3. South Atlanta (16-5)
4. Northeast-Macon (17-3)
5. Elbert County (18-2)
6. Vidalia (18-3)
7. Spencer (16-3)
8. Washington County (14-5)
9. Glenn Hills (18-3)
10. Thomasville (17-3)
1. St. Francis (16-4)
2. Mt. Bethel (15-4)
3. Greenforest (14-4)
4. ELCA (13-6)
5. Walker (14-5)
6. Holy Innocents’ (11-9)
7. Wesleyan (15-5)
8. Lakeview Academy (15-5)
9. Riverside Military (15-4)
10. Trinity Christian (9-10)
1. Calhoun County (20-0)
2. Hancock Central (16-3)
3. Treutlen (19-1)
4. Terrell County (17-2)
5. Wilcox County (17-2)
6. Irwin County (14-2)
7. Greene County (15-5)
8. Wilkinson County (11-9)
9. Pelham (13-4)
10. Marion County (14-3)
Class AAAAAAA dominated the country again to prove the best basketball in the nation from top to bottom is played in Georgia, with Class 7A possibly being the deepest classification in the United States. No. 1 McEachern won the Bass Pros Tournament of Champions Championship by beating Springfield Catholic (MO) 75-42, Shadow Mountain (AZ) 73-61 and rallying to beat Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) in overtime in the title game 50-46 behind Sharife Cooper’s 20 points and Auburn-signee Isaac Okoro’s 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. No. 6 Norcross upset Roselle Catholic (NJ) 75-55 to hand the No. 11 ranked team in the nation their first loss of the season. The Blue Devils had their best week of the season and might finally be turning the corner and reaching their potential. They hammered both Parkview (80-42) and Brookwood (65-39) before winning at the Spalding HoopHall Classic with Brandon Boston’s 26 points leading the way. The bad news for McEachern and Norcross is that life gets much tougher back home believe it or not. No. 2 East Coweta jumps three teams and has cemented themselves as elite and a team that should garner nationwide attention. The Indians avenged their lone loss by beating No. 7 Pebblebrook 67-62 in OT before escaping Westlake, rallying from down 14 in the second half to win on the road 81-76. East Coweta finished the week with a thrilling 71-66 OT win at No. 9 Wheeler after leading 46-25 at the half before surviving a furious comeback. Outside of the vaunted Region 2, No. 8 Newton fell two spots following losses to No. 3 Grayson 70-61 and to Class 3A No. 1 Morgan County 56-51.
No. 2 Chattahoochee won their Top 3 Class AAAAAA showdown with No. 8 North Atlanta 64-56, sinking the Warriors six spots and taking control of Region 7. No. 3 Tri-Cities had a perfect week in Region 5, scoring wins over No. 9 South Paulding 66-50, New Manchester 86-71 and Langston Hughes 80-67. Sequoyah (16-5) drops out of the Top 10 after losing 78-64 to No. 7 South Cobb and nearly giving away a game to rival Cherokee, surviving 73-72. The Chiefs (9-3) are now stuck in third-place in Region 6 behind South Cobb (12-1) and returnee No. 10 Sprayberry (11-1) who blasted River Ridge 72-54 and Dalton 93-64.
In Class AAAAA, the spotlight was too bright for No. 2 Fayette County as their reign over Class 5A lasts just one week, slipping back to number two after a 62-52 loss to debutant No. 8 Jonesboro, who has now quietly won eight-straight games, allowing 42.3 points per game over their winning streak. No. 1 Buford returns to pole position after beating rival Clarke Central 67-43 and demolishing Walnut Grove 75-37. No. 5 Southwest DeKalb falls out of the Top 3 for the first time all season after losing to No. 4 Lithonia 75-62 and barely winning at Miller Grove 52-51. The Bulldogs are up three spots and have a chance to secure a No. 1 seed heading into the Region 5 tournament. Warner Robins (15-5), Statesboro (17-5) and Jones County (14-7) all slide out of the poll, giving us a new 8 through 10. The Demons were knocked off by Harris County 44-43, Statesboro was blown out by New Hampstead 67-46 and the Greyhounds were pounded by No. 3 Eagle’s Landing 77-52. Returning to the rankings is No. 9 Lithia Springs and No. 10 Carrollton. The Lions won two nail-biters against North Springs 62-61 and at Riverwood 62-57 and now have their work cut out for them against Class 6A No. 4 Douglas County who beat them 106-103 in their first meeting. Carrollton has won five-straight with their latest win coming at Cass 64-58. The Trojans will attempt to slow down Rome and prolific scorer Caleb Byrd this Tuesday.
The bottom of Class AAAA is becoming a barren wasteland with limited options worthy enough to crack the Top 10 with a handful of weak resumes. Thomson (14-4) falls out after losing 55-52 at Richmond Academy and narrowly defeating East Jackson 57-54. No. 9 Marist makes their first appearance in the Top 10 and will try to stick. The War Eagles have handled their business in an improved but still average Region 7. Last week’s three victories were highlighted by wins over White County 62-49 and Chestatee 79-40. First-place in the region is on the line at Blessed Trinity this Tuesday, who Marist beat 65-45 earlier in the season as one of their few signature wins. Marist’s respectable losses to powers Class 3A No. 5 Pace Academy (56-44), No. 3 St. Pius X (62-49) and Class 3A No. 2 GAC (64-51) are the War Eagle’s most reassuring results. Speaking of No. 3 St. Pius X, they kicked Cedar Grove from the Class 3A rankings with a 68-51 win. No. 4 Henry County is eagerly awaiting a slip up from the Top 3 as they continue to impress, beating No. 8 Woodward Academy 57-50, No. 10 Salem 66-60 and Hampton 60-40. No. 5 Carver-Columbus is playing great basketball as well, winning at Dougherty 79-71 and sweeping No. 6 Americus-Sumter in OT, 52-49.
No. 1 Morgan County and No. 2 GAC handled their business in Class AAA Top 4 bouts this past week and feel like virtual locks to meet in the state finals as they have separated themselves from the rest of the classification. The Bulldogs mauled No. 4 Hart County 70-53 on the road and then traveled to Class 7A No. 8 Newton to score a 56-51 win behind Tyrin Lawrence’s 26 points. The Spartans swept No. 3 Dawson County 72-60 with Hunter McIntosh pouring in 27 points while Clifton Baskerville (14), Belmont-signee Ben Sheppard (12) and Chris Hinton (11) combined for 37 points. No. 7 Westside-Macon climbs two spots after dropping No. 8 Central-Macon three slots with a 54-52 win over the Chargers. The Seminoles followed up with a 103-59 thrashing of Kendrick while Central-Macon lost to Class 2A No. 4 Northeast-Macon 54-52. Jefferson (13-7) is out of the poll after a 75-65 loss at Franklin County while Cedar Grove (11-7) was put out of their misery with losses to Class 4A No. 3 St. Pius X 68-51 and Redan 61-48, the Saints losing seven of their last nine games after starting 9-0. No. 9 Monroe sneaks into the Top 10 for the first time, coming out of the yucky four-team Region 1, which has a combined record of 21-36 outside of the Tornadoes’ 14-5 mark. Monroe very well may be a one-and-done candidate but a season sweep of Westover (69-36; 73-68), a 69-49 win over Early County and a tight 70-64 loss at Class A-Public No. 4 Terrell County might show that the Tornadoes aren’t just beating up on bad competition. They get their biggest test of the year on MLK Day against Class 4A No. 6 Americus-Sumter. Drama is afoot in Savannah. No. 6 Johnson-Savannah moves up a spot after beating Jenkins 65-44, but first-year Head Coach Rico Campbell will be hoping for some addition by subtraction as shot-hunter Shamar Jones has left the program after averaging a second-best 14.9 points per game. The Atomsmashers tried to load the deck with transfers but it has proven to be a combustible mix. With Jones leaving, 6-foot-6 junior Brandon Harris will likely get more shot attempts and will have to warrant all his High Major D-I offers and prove that his summer wasn’t just a flash in the pan. He holds averages of 10.4 points and 5.3 rebounds. No. 10 Windsor Forest breaks into the Top 10 for the first time this season and is the landing spot for Shamar Jones if he is somehow ruled eligible. At 18-4, its hard to believe the Knights still don’t have a signature win and have only beaten three teams with a winning record, their best win coming against 11-7 New Hampstead 68-47 back on December 22! 6-foot-3 senior Zim Fields averages 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.5 steals while 5-foot-10 sophomore Shamar Norman nets 15 points a night. If Jones is ruled eligible, it will be interesting to see whether he affects team chemistry as their rematch with Johnson-Savannah looms next Tuesday. Only the Atomsmashers and Knights have winning records in the nine-team Region 3.
The polar opposite of the Savannah area basketball in Class 3A is reflected in the special season that Class AA No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins is having. The Wolverines destroyed Swainsboro 81-47 and outlasted No. 6 Vidalia 53-50. No. 4 Northeast-Macon clipped Class 3A No. 8 Central-Macon 54-52. No. 10 Thomasville tumbles three spots after suffering an 83-68 loss at Class A-Public No. 9 Pelham. No. 8 Washington County moves up two positions after wins at Bleckley County 78-75 and at Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin 68-61, Jamarius Dixon (21) and Jarden Maze (20) combining for 41 points against the Braves.
The Top 5 remains unchanged in Class A-Private even after No. 2 Mt. Bethel’s 76-71 OT win at No. 1 St. Francis to split the season series, withstanding a 38-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist barrage from Xavier-commit Dwon Odom. The Knights hold onto the top spot barely thanks to a little bit stronger of a schedule and six Top 10 wins to Mt. Bethel’s five. The Eagles defeated No. 5 Walker 54-44 before taking down the Knights. No. 3 Greenforest edged No. 10 Trinity Christian 57-48, dropping the Lions two spots. No. 6 Holy Innocents’ rises three spots and have now won seven-straight games including beating No. 7 Wesleyan 59-54 on the road. Region 8 gets interesting this week as No. 8 Lakeview Academy battles No. 7 Wesleyan at the BCB MLK Showcase, but more importantly, meets the new and improved No. 9 Riverside Military Eagles on Friday. The Lions will need to play better after squeaking out a 57-56 win at Prince Avenue.
Here they come. The most feared team in Class A-Public and winners of three-straight state championships and five of the last six, No. 8 Wilkinson County is back in the Top 10 and have won six-straight games, their latest coming in a whipping of Macon County (12-5) 71-40, drilling the Bulldogs in Montezuma and knocking them out of the poll. Also out of the rankings is Georgia Military (9-5) continuing the theme of Region 7’s best being a revolving door. The Bulldogs lost at home to No. 7 Greene County 48-39 and then lost at Washington-Wilkes 58-56. Greene County turned around and were beat by Region 7 frontrunner No. 2 Hancock Central 62-55. The Bulldogs from Sparta then annihilated Washington-Wilkes 80-40. Outside of the Region 7 mayhem, No. 4 Terrell County rises two spots and are in hot pursuit of Region 1 leader No. 1 Calhoun County. The Greenwave beat Early County 67-63 and edged No. 9 Pelham 71-68 after the Hornets busted up Class 2A No. 10 Thomasvile 83-68. Pelham rebounded with a 53-50 win at Chattahoochee County. There’s a new threat in Region 2 as No. 6 Irwin County surges into the poll, winning 11-straight to debut. The Indians defended home court against No. 5 Wilcox County 71-66.
No. 1 McEachern 50, Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) 46 : The Indians rallied to win the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions championship. Sharife Cooper finished with 20 points. Auburn-signee Isaac Okoro had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
No. 5 East Coweta 71, No. 9 Wheeler 66 OT: Up 21 points at the half, East Coweta used overtime to sweep the Wildcats. Christopher Youngblood had 24 points and Brandon Stroud scored 17. Fermandez Jones and Zac Hill netted 10 points apiece.
No. 7 Norcross 75, Roselle Catholic (NJ) 55: Brandon Boston scored 26 points in the upset.
Parkview 63, Cedar Shoals 61: In the loss, Quincy Canty had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Johnson added 14 points and 8 rebounds.
No. 3 Chattahoochee 96, Dunwoody 75: AJ White (31), Cam Sheffield (21), Franklin Bailey (17) and Grant Van Beveren (16) overpowered Dunwoody.
No. 8 South Paulding 67, New Manchester 64: Sha’mi Shields finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 2 steals. Chandler Travis added 18 points and 4 rebounds. Shane Gibson tacked on 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks.
Mundy’s Mill 79, BEST Academy 40: Chris Lango (16), Rayquan Brown (15), Jordan Black (15), Demarcus Fannin (10) and Jalen Thrash (9) balanced the Tigers’ offense.
Cambridge 80, Johns Creek 50: Matt Cleveland (24), Kamar Robertson (22) and Bryce Boutelle (16) overwhelmed Johns Creek.
Pope 60, Alpharetta 51: Ross Shepherd scored 20 points while Ryan Billig had 8 points and 15 rebounds.
Loganville 58, George Walton Academy 46: In the loss Brelan Holston scored 11 points. Amari Gill had 11 points and 8 rebounds. Noah Hicks chipped in 8 points and 6 assists.
Paulding County 64, Woodland-Cartersville 60: Kevin Brown (18), Jervon Morris (14) and Trell Evans (10) paced the Patriots. Woodland got 22 points from Hunter Johnson and 17 from Dawson Wilkins.
Stockbridge 61, Lovejoy 52: Trillis Brown scored 15 points, Khobe Comer 11, Jevon McDonald 9 and Davian Johnson scored 8 in the win. In the loss, Marlon Brownfield had 19 points. Fred Williams scored 10 points.
Johnson-Gainesville 51, West Hall 50: Wade Pearce scored 17 points and Jesse Harbin had 16.
Miller Grove 68, Tucker 63: In the loss, Nick Watson scored 24 points. Jermontae Hill had 15 and Dartmouth-signee Nate Ogbu had 9 points.
Rome 91, East Paulding 86: Caleb Byrd and Jaylen Nelson dropped 27 points apiece in the win. Sean Rutledge had 28 points in the loss. Azer Tidor netted 15 points and Ravon Melon had 10.
Wayne County 66, Pierce County 55: Anthony Grant exploded for 35 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks. Marcus Trice had 12 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Dre Johnson added 8 points and 10 rebounds.
Cass 58, Villa Rica 50: Jacquez Fountain scored 25 points while Andrew Glaze had 14. Jeffrey Dudley led Villa Rica with 19 points. Demarcus Blount scored 7.
Lithia Springs 62, Riverwood 57: Anthony Hardy poured in 34 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Harris County 67, Manchester 63: Tailique Williams scored 18 points and AJ Spencer had 16. Marcus Dumas (12) and Calvon Harris (10) both cracked double figures.
No. 4 Henry County 60, Hampton 40: Semaj Rice had 18 points while Lay Davis and Jaylon Stapleton scored 12 apiece. Stapleton added 4 steals.
Shaw 53, Columbus 49: Greg Grant had 13 points and 5 rebounds while Darnell Moran scored 9 points. Trey Lee and Brandon Murphy added 8 points apiece. Wason Davis tallied 6 points and 5 rebounds.
Marist 74, Flowery Branch 48: Cody Gaynes (17) and John Teanor (16) carried the War Eagles.
Cartersville 61, Cedartown 47: Isaac Gridley and Amari Orr scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Westover 69, Northside-Columbus 47: Jordan Brown finished with 18 points, 9 assists and 4 steals while Mike Isler Jr. had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. AJ Jackson chipped in 10 points, 6 assists and 3 steals.
No. 1 Morgan County 56, 7ANo. 6 Newton 51: Tyrin Lawrence scored 26 points followed by Austin Peay-signee Alec Woodard’s 15 points and Stevin Greene’s 12.
Southeast Bulloch 85, Screven County 46: The Yellowjackets had 28 assists. Ryan Swanson tossed in 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Janard Mike had 16 points and 6 assists. Khristian Clark tacked on 15 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Bryce Stephens scored 10 points.
Calhoun 56, Dalton 38: Xaxton Goodson had 13 points followed by Gage Maffetone and Davis Allen’s 12 apiece. Jake Prather scored 5 points.
No. 4 Northeast-Macon 54, 3ANo. 5 Central-Macon 52: Ty’Ree Gilbert (18), Cam Cherry (17) and Darius Dunn (10) led the Raiders. The Chargers got 17 points from Quay Primas. Harold Thompkins (10), Cam Collier (8) and Tony Card (7) helped out.
No. 10 Washington County 68, 4ANo. 7 Baldwin 61: Jamarius Dixon had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Jarden Maze scored 20 points. Jawan Dukes chipped in 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Ivory Williams tacked on 6 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals.
Chattooga 80, Rockmart 48: Back at full strength, the Indians rolled Rockmart to get revenge after losing to the Yellowjackets without two starters. Malachi Mack scored 18 points and Nuk Adams had 17 in the win. Jamarious Mosteller (13), Malachi Jackson (12) and Clayton Johnson (10) all broke double digits.
No. 2 Mt. Bethel 76, No. 1 St. Francis 72 OT: In the loss Xavier-commit Dwon Odom had 38 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Jusaun Holt posted 11 points and 9 rebounds. Chase Ellis chipped in 9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Jordan Brown scored 7 points.
No. 5 Walker 71, Mt. Paran 41: Chandler Baker finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Chris Newell had 17 points and 4 assists. Burke Chebuhar tacked on 15 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Omar Cooper had 8 assists.
Darlington 51, Excel Christian 43: Tate Ratledge scored 14 points while Patrick Shelley had 12. Andrew Land (10) and Barrick Wade (9) also contributed offensively. In the loss, Rayshawn Womack scored 14 points and Josiah Mosley had 10. Evan Lee netted 8 points.
Mt. Pisgah 77, King’s Ridge 56: James Madison-signee Quinn Richey poured in 35 points. Nate Gordon scored 11 points followed by JoJo Peterson and Garrett Sutherland’s 7 points apiece.
St. Anne-Pacelli 71, Baker County 31: Ian Mathews scored 27 points.
Brookstone 48, Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 45: In the defeat, Jordan Wicker chipped in 11 points and 9 rebounds. Alex Morge had 8 points and 4 rebounds.
Galloway 68, Elite Scholars 54: Will Winn scored 15 points and Anthony Arrington had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Quentin Alterman finished with 11 points and 3 assists. Mark Sguilaro collected 9 points and 7 rebounds.
No. 10 Greene County 73, Warren County 65: DJ Wright scored 23 points. Quon Robbins had 19 and C’Darius Kelley pitched in 14 points.
The King’s Academy 48, Cornerstone Prep 45: Caden Palmer netted 18 points.
No. 1 Westlake 58, 5ANo. 2 Buford 51: Trailing 36-24 at the half and 42-41 after three quarters, Raven Johnson helped the Lions claw their way back at Buford. Johnson finished with 23 points, 7 rebounds (all in the second half), 1 assist, 4 steals and 2 blocks. 6-foot-3 junior post Lydia Freeman was the X-Factor with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks. Carlyse Hooks had 7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks while Snoop Turnage added 6 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Casey Jones led Buford with 12 points on 4 threes. Blair Wallis (10) and Tatum Ozment (7) balanced the offense while Ebony Grant and Tate Walters scored 6 points apiece.
No. 4 Cherokee 68, Sequoyah 60: North Georgia-signee Lacie McCoy scored 17 points followed by Kate Johnson’s 14 and Ashlyn Andrus’ 10. Olivia Herrera and Sydne Watts scored 9 points apiece. Brown-signee Sydney Rosant tossed in 27 points for Sequoyah.
No. 5 Grayson 70, 6ANo. 5 Stephenson 69: Catherine Alben had 19 points and 6 assists, including the game-winning free throw. Victoria Dames netted 16 points. Nadia Howard posted 10 points, 4 assists and 5 steals.
Forsyth Central 64, Blessed Trinity 55: Jillian Brentz netted 25 points. Ansley Carver had 8 in the win.
No. 3 Northview 54, North Atlanta 7: Rice-signee Ashlee Austin scored 20 points. Markiema Lancaster netted 12 and Charleston Southern-bound forward Maya Richards posted 11 points.
No. 4 Glynn Academy 64, Camden County 38: Zoesha Smith dumped in 33 points and 20 rebounds. Chmayia Miller scored 21 points.
ML King 81, Carver-Atlanta 24: Ashlynn Greene scored 18 points and Alaija Coates had 17. Daziya Hairston netted 15 points and Keke Dash scored 11 points.
Johns Creek 44, Cambridge 33: Jillian Davis scored 11 points. Ahmia Childs (9) and Wilnie Joseph (8) paced the offense.
Dalton 63, Calhoun 51: Lauren Parker posted 19 points.
Pope 59, Alpharetta 58 OT: Teya Holloman hit the game winner and finished with 18 points. Cheyenne Holloman netted 15 points. Kara McKiernan and Abby McKinney scored 11 points apiece.
No. 1 Villa Rica 71, Cass 47: Kentucky-signee Deasia Merrill pumped in 25 points. Dekyia Cofield scored 17 points and Aliyah Hindsman added 10.
Paulding County 56, Woodland-Cartersville 33: Rajah Drummond (14), Destine Lovejoy (12) and Faith Lovejoy (12) carried the Patriots. Madgie Robinson scored 10 points in the loss while Ansley Evans scored 7 points.
No. 2 Henry County 67, Hampton 13: Briana Juniel scored 15 points followed by Paris Mullins’ 12. Janiya Jones and A’Maiya Jackson each scored 10 points.
No. 3 Flowery Branch 64, Marist 48: Ashley Woodroffe had 25 points followed by Ashlee Locke’s 12. Caroline Wysocki and Ashley Scott scored 11 apiece.
No. 6 West Laurens 54, East Laurens 39: MaKayla Murray went for 21 points, 10 rebounds, 7 steals and 2 blocks. Calmela Mack tallied 13 points. Jakerra Wilbur finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and 1 block. MaKayla Kemp added 4 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals.
No. 8 Harris County 58, Manchester 33: Taziaha Fanning scored 15 points. Sydney Stewart had 14 points and Jherni Carter-Ransom had 7.
North Clayton 54, Eastside 47: T’Mya Parker finished with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks. Denetra Sneed collected a triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 steals.
Hardaway 65, Cairo 56: Ji’Mia Cobb netted 20 points, hitting 6 threes.
LaGrange 46, Central-Carrollton 42: Zaria Russell scored 16 points. Carmen McGhee had 12 points and 9 rebounds.
Cedartown 46, Cartersville 45: Qiana Watson scored 15 points while Keke Turner and Tamera Beeman scored 10 apiece. In the loss, Haley Johnson scored 11 points. Lehla Thomas had 9.
Southeast Whitfield 48, Adairsville 34: McKenna Lentych dropped 20 points. In the loss, Breeana Wilson scored 16 points. Nakiyah Washington added 7.
No. 1 Morgan County 68, Newton 57: Miranda Powell scored 25 points while Tamia Benford netted 22 in the win. Lou Reid scored 11.
North Murray 47, Darlington 43: Sarah Plemons scored 18 points to lead the Mountaineers while Tenley Gladson and Baylee Gable scored 12 apiece.
No. 3 Fitzgerald 89, Brooks County 35: Trinity Jones finished with 20 points, 6 assists and 4 steals. Hayleigh Ross had 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Melodie Freeman scored 12 points. Keyara Boone tallied 12 points, 2 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks.
Rockmart 71, Chattooga 59: Keyarah Berry scored 36 points. Desiree Dasani had 13 points and Megan Little scored 10.
Temple 40, Pepperell 38: Tori Chivers had 20 points and 3 steals. Ruby Collins and Esther Jacobson each had 5 points and 10 rebounds.
No. 1 Wesleyan 70, Centennial 31: Nicole Azar scored 23 points. Izzy Larsen had 15 points and 19 rebounds. AC Carter tallied 13 points and 3 blocks. Alyssa Phillip had 9 points and 8 rebounds while Callie Weaver dished out 7 assists.
No. 6 Mt. Paran 63, Walker 17: Kara Dunn (16), Savannah Casey (14), Katelyn Dunning (8) and Jasiah Washington (8) powered the Eagles.
Prince Avenue 40, Athens Christian 21: Karlee Armstrong scored 16 points while Maddi Britt had 7 and Noelle Hynes tacked on 6.
King’s Ridge 57, Mt. Pisgah 24: Sophie Smith had 21 points, 3 assists and 5 steals. Carly Fahey tallied 12 points, 3 assists and 9 steals. Jada Green collected 10 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks.
The Sidelines [0:36]
No. 2 Grayson vs. No. 6 Newton preview [4:32]
No. 6 Lakeside-Evans runs Augusta [7:03]
No. 3 Buford’s surprising loss [11:19]
1-seed analysis [13:51]
Class A/7A Power Rankings [23:55]
1. McEachern (14-0)
2. Grayson (16-2)
3. Meadowcreek (16-4)
4. Discovery (17-3)
5. East Coweta (18-1)
6. Newton (14-3)
7. Norcross (12-7)
8. Pebblebrook (13-6)
9. Wheeler (14-6)
10. Berkmar (14-5)
1. Coffee (15-2)
2. North Atlanta (14-4)
3. Chattahoochee (16-3)
4. Tri-Cities (13-5)
5. Douglas County (13-5)
6. Lakeside-Evans (16-2)
7. Sequoyah (14-4)
8. South Paulding (13-6)
9. Alexander (14-7)
10. South Cobb (12-5)
1. Fayette County (16-2)
2. Southwest DeKalb (15-5)
3. Buford (15-2)
4. Eagle’s Landing (13-3)
5. Woodland-Stockbridge (14-3)
6. Kell (15-4)
7. Lithonia (13-7)
8. Warner Robins (12-4)
9. Statesboro (16-4)
10. Jones County (14-6)
1. Upson-Lee (16-1)
2. Sandy Creek (14-3)
3. St. Pius X (16-2)
4. Henry County (18-1)
5. Carver-Columbus (13-3)
6. Americus-Sumter (13-2)
7. Baldwin (11-6)
8. Thomson (13-3)
9. Woodward Academy (11-7)
10. Salem (11-5)
1. Morgan County (16-1)
2. GAC (13-4)
3. Dawson County (16-3)
4. Hart County (14-4)
5. Central-Macon (14-3)
6. Pace Academy (12-6)
7. Johnson-Savannah (13-6)
8. Jefferson (13-6)
9. Westside-Macon (13-5)
10. Cedar Grove (11-5)
1. Woodville-Tompkins (19-0)
2. Therrell (14-6)
3. South Atlanta (14-5)
4. Northeast-Macon (14-3)
5. Elbert County (16-2)
6. Vidalia (17-2)
7. Thomasville (15-2)
8. Spencer (15-3)
9. Glenn Hills (17-3)
10. Washington County (11-5)
1. St. Francis (14-3)
2. Mt. Bethel (13-4)
3. Greenforest (12-4)
4. ELCA (11-6)
5. Walker (12-4)
6. Wesleyan (14-4)
7. Lakeview Academy (13-5)
8. Trinity Christian (8-9)
9. Holy Innocents’ (8-9)
10. Riverside Military (13-4)
1. Calhoun County (18-0)
2. Hancock Central (13-3)
3. Treutlen (16-1)
4. Wilcox County (16-1)
5. Georgia Military College (8-3)
6. Terrell County (14-2)
7. Macon County (11-3)
8. Pelham (11-3)
9. Marion County (11-3)
10. Greene County (13-4)
There is officially a new bully on the block in Class AAAAAAA as Region 2’s No. 5 East Coweta rises a spot after a dominant week which featured wins over Campbell 95-49, No. 9 Wheeler 81-78 and Washington 89-57. Unsigned senior guard Fermandez Jones went for 26 points, 5 assists and 4 steals while 6-foot-6 junior swingman Brandon Stroud finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in the Indians’ thrilling win over Wheeler, who sinks four spots after also losing at No. 8 Pebblebrook 68-67. The Falcons turned around at lost to Westlake 70-63. Region 2 is cutthroat, as is the entire classification but East Coweta has all the pieces to make a deep state playoff run and could be this year’s Meadowcreek as a dark horse to win it all. Elsewhere, the Jimmies & Joes won out against the X’s & O’s as No. 1 McEachern escaped rival Marietta 80-72, pulling away late. No. 4 Discovery had nice wins on the road against Peachtree Ridge 58-51 and Mountain View 61-41. Coach Rick Rasmussen won his 300th game at No. 6 Newton, beating rival Eastside 74-65 in a back-and-forth game. The Rams won at Shiloh 63-54 earlier in the week. No. 7 Norcross held off host No. 10 Berkmar 65-60, the close defeat keeping the Patriots in the poll.
Class AAAAAA revolves around Region 5 yet again. The cannibalization has begun, shaking up the entire state with four teams from Region 5 fitting into the Top 10. No. 5 Douglas County debuts in the poll after dropping No. 8 South Paulding five spots with a 72-60 defeat and beating New Manchester 67-62. The Spartans lost 50-45 to Creekside before falling to Douglas County which started their slide. No. 4 Tri-Cities is up two spots thanks to their resume but even the Bulldogs had a rocky week, barely beating Mays 62-58 before losing 64-58 to a suddenly hot Langston Hughes team that is only 8-10 but winners of three-straight including upsetting No. 9 Alexander on Tuesday 73-68 in 2OT. The Cougars were also stunned by Mays 47-43 which sinks them five spots. The jumbled-up region picture is as followed: No. 4 Tri-Cities (13-4, 9-1), No. 5 Douglas County (13-5, 8-2), No. 8 South Paulding (13-6, 7-3), unranked Langston Hughes (8-10, 6-4) and No. 9 Alexander (13-7, 7-5). Once again, whoever ends up winning Region 5 will be an odds-on favorite to be playing for a state title come March. The antithesis of Region 5 is Region 3. As the Sandy’s Spiel polls have warned all season long, Evans (17-1) isn’t quite the team to beat in the Augusta area just yet as they were bounced from the poll after a 67-56 loss to rival No. 6 Lakeside-Evans. The Panthers got 22 points from Kalen Williams and 19 from Tyshun Briscoe in the win. Following the Knights out of the rankings is Sprayberry (15-3), who has come back down to earth going 3-3 in their last six games. The Yellow Jackets had an ugly 67-63 win against 5-13 Harrison before falling flat against No. 10 South Cobb 91-75. The Eagles, winners of five-straight, are back in the poll and hold first-place in Region 6 at 10-1. Sprayberry stands at 9-1 while No. 7 Sequoyah, up two spots, is 8-2. The Chiefs travel to Austell on Tuesday to try and avenge an 82-74 loss.
We have a new number one in Class AAAAA as the upset of the year took place at Buford Arena as 9-8 Loganville shocked the state with a 59-54 win at No. 3 Buford. Jamar Moore (16), Akil Covington (12) and Sheldon Arnold (11) paced a fearless Red Devil team. Rising to the top spot is No. 1 Fayette County. The Tigers survived a hard-fought game with Starr’s Mill 57-46 and beat Whitewater 83-62. The long-awaited showdown between No. 4 Eagle’s Landing and No. 5 Woodland-Stockbridge was put on hold after tragedy struck the Eagle’s Landing community. Lithia Springs (13-5) drops from the Top 10 after back-to-back losses to Maynard Jackson 86-81 and Grady 63-57. Keep an eye on Maynard Jackson as 6-foot-7 junior center Darius Gaddy has transferred from Wheeler to follow his former coach and expects to play immediately. No. 8 Warner Robins resurfaces after commanding victories over Veterans 70-42 and Bainbridge 56-39.
Class AAAA No. 1 Upson-Lee had to use overtime to outlast Class 5A No. 10 Jones County 68-65. No. 4 Henry County has the second-longest winning streak in the classification, running it up to 13 with wins over North Clayton 71-58 and at Luella 66-55. They host Top 10 returnee No. 9 Woodward Academy on Tuesday. The War Eagles have won four in a row and are now healthy, beating Eastside 64-52 and Druid Hills 62-44, Walker Kessler going for 27 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 7 blocks against the Red Devils. Druid Hills tried to throw a monkey wrench into the Region 4 picture as they and Eastside both beat No. 10 Salem. The Seminoles lost 65-63 at Druid Hills and 46-45 at Eastside before beating Class 2A No. 4 Northeast-Macon 68-61 to cling onto another week in the Top 10. No. 5 Carver-Columbus edged No. 6 Americus-Sumter 72-67 to jump two spots. No. 7 Baldwin is up a spot after another up-and-down week, beating Burke County 73-50 and newly ranked Class 3A No. 9 Westside-Macon 65-61 before losing at Wilkinson County 65-64. Departing the poll is Denmark (15-4). A 65-62 loss to Marist cut the Danes’ stay short. Formerly ranked Chapel Hill has some major explaining to do as its been reported by multiple sources that Coach Ken Austin has lost his job after multiple violations.
No. 3 Dawson County took care of East Hall 86-74 now setting up a massive Region 7-AAA rematch with No. 2 GAC on Tuesday in Norcross. The Spartans won round one with the Tigers 82-75 back on December 7th. Region 5 has blown a tire as both No. 6 Pace Academy and No. 10 Cedar Grove struggle to find their form. The Knights are down two spots after beating Cedar Grove 52-45 but losing to Lovett 54-43. The Saints have now lost five of their last seven after a 9-0 start to the season. Down two more spots, Cedar Grove won at Towers 59-36 before losing 50-40 to Tucker. Thursday may be their last gasp in the Top 10 as they travel to Class 4A No. 3 St. Pius X. Outside of Region 5, No. 8 Jefferson lost a trap game to 5-12 Monroe Area 52-51 at home, dropping the Dragons three spots. Kendrick (12-5) is out of the Top 10 after losing to No. 5 Central-Macon 63-46 and getting beat by a terrible 3-18 Russell County (AL) team 79-77, who the Cherokees beat 66-26 in their first meeting. Reappearing in the Top 10 is No. 9 Westside-Macon, who takes over for their Region 4 rival. The Seminoles defeated Rutland 86-75 and Mary Persons 81-75 with a loss at Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin 65-61 sandwiched in between.
No. 7 Thomasville slips two spots in Class AA after a 58-53 loss at Berrien. No. 3 South Atlanta moves up a spot after destroying Hapeville Charter 58-28, McNair 76-25 and Carver-Atlanta 81-30 while No. 4 Northeast-Macon beat Bleckley County 56-45 but fell to Class 4A No. 10 Salem 68-61 at the Sweet South Shootout at Morgan County. No. 9 Glenn Hills jumps No. 10 Washington County following a key 71-68 win at Butler. The Golden Hawks took care of Dublin 64-44.
Number one and number two were almost knocked off in Class A-Private, which could have led to some interesting developments but alas, the better teams won. Dwon Odom had 22 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals including the game-winning layup at the buzzer to push No. 1 St. Francis past No. 5 Walker 57-55. Junior wing Chandler Baker carried the Wolverines with 30 points. No. 2 Mt. Bethel survived a mind-numbing Mt. Pisgah team 66-64. Seemingly having momentum to return to the Top 10 after a narrow defeat to a Class A-Private favorite, the Patriots instead laid an egg and were demolished by Mt. Paran 64-43 the following day. Christian Heritage (14-2) was struck by reality as their soft schedule came back to haunt them, losing to Bowdon 80-69 and North Cobb Christian 75-51. Replacing the Lions is No. 10 Riverside Military. The Eagles beat Towns County 67-54 before a twin killing in Dawg Country, winning at Athens Christian 65-46 and at Athens Academy 57-49.
There are no changes in Class A-Public. No. 1 Calhoun County continued to roll winning at No. 7 Macon County 74-65. No. 2 Hancock Central was just as impressive, beating No. 5 Georgia Military 74-61 and beating Aquinas 50-45. The Bulldogs of GMC turned around and eviscerated the Irish 84-52 behind Malik Foston (30), Jalen Milner (25) and Armanius White’s 20 points and 10 rebounds. No. 3 Treutlen won at Dooly County 53-45 before smacking rival Montgomery County 93-57 on the road as junior guard Kameron Jordan finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds and 9 steals. No. 4 Wilcox County held off Lanier County on the road 78-76 behind junior Desmond Tisdol’s 31 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. For the second time in two weeks, No. 9 Marion County defeated Chattahoochee County 68-58.
