Category Archives: Girls Rankings

Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 8 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

1. Westlake (14-0)
2. Collins Hill (16-1)
3. North Cobb (15-0)
4. Norcross (11-7)
5. Cherokee (13-3)
6. Grayson (13-2)
7. Marietta (10-5)
8. Pebblebrook (14-2)
9. North Forsyth (11-4)
10. Colquitt County (11-2)

Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (15-3)
2. Forest Park (15-2)
3. Northview (12-3)
4. Glynn Academy (14-2)
5. Stephenson (10-7)
6. Douglas County (13-4)
7. Dacula (13-3)
8. Valdosta (14-2)
9. New Manchester (14-2)
10. Pope (13-3)

Class AAAAA

1. Villa Rica (15-0)
2. Buford (13-1)
3. Eagle’s Landing (11-3)
4. Harris County (12-3)
5. Southwest DeKalb (13-5)
6. Veterans (14-2)
7. Carrollton (12-5)
8. Locust Grove (12-4)
9. Statesboro (16-1)
10. Jones County (14-3)

Class AAAA

1. Carver-Columbus (15-0)
2. Spalding (12-3)
3. Madison County (16-1)
4. Henry County (16-2)
5. Flowery Branch (13-3)
6. Luella (14-3)
7. Westover (10-2)
8. Marist (11-4)
9. Baldwin (10-4)
10. Perry (8-4)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (12-3)
2. Beach (14-3)
3. Jefferson (14-2)
4. Johnson-Savannah (9-6)
5. Hart County (12-4)
6. GAC (8-8)
7. North Hall (12-4)
8. Tattnall County (11-5)
9. Peach County (9-3)
10. Dawson County (11-6) 

Class AA

1. Dodge County (15-1)
2. Douglass (12-5)
3. Fitzgerald (15-0)
4. Laney (14-1)
5. Bryan County (15-0)
6. Rabun County (13-1)
7. Swainsboro (10-2)
8. Early County (12-1)
9. Banks County (13-3)
10. Washington County (12-3)

Class A-Private

1. Wesleyan (16-0)
2. St. Francis (9-3)
3. Holy Innocents’ (8-6)
4. ELCA (10-3)
5. Lakeview Academy (12-4)
6. Paideia (13-1)
7. Mt. Paran (12-1)
8. Stratford Academy (14-1)
9. Calvary Day (12-3)
10. Darlington (10-3)

Class A-Public

1. Marion County (12-0)
2. Georgia Military College (8-1)
3. Telfair County (11-3)
4. Greenville (16-1)
5. Wheeler County (10-4)
6. Calhoun County (13-2)
7. Clinch County (7-2)
8. Central-Talbotton (8-3)
9. Dooly County (10-3)
10. Wilcox County (10-4)

 

There are some changes near the bottom of the poll in Class AAAAAAA. No. 8 Pebblebrook falls three spots after a 60-51 loss at Rockdale. No. 5 Cherokee benefits the most this week, rising four spots after scoring two road wins against Walton 79-45 and River Ridge 63-29. No. 7 Marietta moves up three spots behind Cherokee thanks to a No. 9 North Forsyth loss to Roswell 55-52, dropping the Raiders two spots as they couldn’t overcome the absence of leading scorer Ansley Allen. Mill Creek (12-5) exits the Top 10 with losses on the road against Duluth 47-42 and Class 4A No. 5 Flowery Branch 62-47. Debuting in the poll is No. 10 Colquitt County, who survived Camden County 62-58 in double overtime. Junior Janiah Ellis has taken over the reins of the offense, upping her production from 7.8 points and 3.5 rebounds a year ago to 22.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game.

Class AAAAAA sees no movement as the state’s best team and best backcourt made a statement at the She Got Game Classic as No. 1 Lovejoy pounded Class A-Private No. 3 Holy Innocents’ 64-46. The Wildcats drilled 11 threes and the Golden Bears had no answers for juniors Genesis Bryant (16 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals) and Anaya Boyd (15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 5 blocks). At the bottom of the poll, No. 9 New Manchester avoided a trap game at Langston Hughes, pulling out a 52-48 victory.

No. 1 Villa Rica holds tight in Class AAAAA after a 51-45 win at Rome. No. 3 Eagle’s Landing crawls ahead of No. 5 Southwest DeKalb after the Panthers dropped to Dillard (FL) 57-45 and Class 4A No. 2 Spalding 54-45. No. 9 Statesboro is down three spots following a 69-62 loss at Class 2A No. 7 Swainsboro, the Blue Devils’ first defeat of the season. No. 4 Harris County knocked Warner Robins (9-5) from the Top 10 with a 45-42 win. Also out of the poll is Wayne County (11-2) who lost 49-32 at Ware County. Two new teams debut in No. 8 Locust Grove and No. 10 Jones County. The Wildcats have won six-straight with their latest triumph coming at Union Grove 52-51, but more impressively Locust Grove won the Mary Persons Christmas Tournament by beating Class 2A No. 1 at the time Douglass 69-62, Upson-Lee 70-57 and Monticello 63-58. Star senior point guard Zamiya Passmore is averaging 23.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 4.1 steals. Jones County enters the rankings with wins over Dutchtown 56-31 and at Upson-Lee 45-33 last week.

The best player in Georgia regardless of classification, grade or position is Class AAAA No. 3 Madison County’s sophomore point guard Kayla McPherson. She is the best girls player I’ve watched over the past four years; she is a mini-Asia Durr and she will be in the WNBA if she continues to improve at the rate she is going. The 5-foot-7 dynamo torched Class 3A No. 5 Hart County for 64 points – a school-record – in the Red Raiders’ 93-68 victory. McPherson didn’t rack up the points against a nobody school, she did it against one of the best in their respective classification with a D-I point guard in Torrion Starks (Western Kentucky) and it wasn’t a layup line blow out. It was a 63-52 game before McPherson unleashed the knockout blow with 20 points in the fourth quarter. She finished with 64 points (11 threes), 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal. And-1s, step-back threes, impossible finishes, slick dribbling and great court vision, McPherson is mixtape lore and must-watch entertainment before she heads to college. Offensively, the Red Raiders are a two-man show with McPherson and Old Dominion-signee Jordan Bailey who dumped in 17 points and 16 rebounds, but having the best player in the state on their team makes Madison County a legitimate title contender if McPherson stays hot come February and March. Elsewhere in the state, No. 2 Spalding beat Josey 51-40 and Class 5A No. 5 Southwest DeKalb 54-45. No. 5 Flowery Branch took care of last week’s Class 7A No. 8 Mill Creek 62-47. Northwest Whitfield (14-3) drops out of the rankings after losing at the buzzer to Coahulla Creek 46-44. They are replaced by No. 9 Baldwin, who finally resurfaces after a 70-40 win at Richmond Academy. Unsigned senior guard Crystal Corley is averaging 16.1 points and 5.4 rebounds.

No. 3 Jefferson rallied from down 28-14 in the second quarter to eventually score a crucial Region 8-AAA victory over No. 5 Hart County 66-61 as both teams chase No. 1 Morgan County in the classification’s toughest region. The Bulldogs couldn’t bounce back from their loss to the Dragons as they fell on the road against Class 4A No. 3 Madison County 93-68, nearly outscored by sophomore sensation Kayla McPherson who dropped 64 points. In the loss, Western Kentucky-signee Torrion Starks played well with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals while 6-foot sophomore Taniya Alexander gobbled up 20 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals. No. 4 Johnson-Savannah hosts No. 2 Beach this Tuesday with a chance to get some revenge for their 55-53 overtime defeat back in late November. No. 10 Dawson County sinks four spots following a 63-56 loss at Cherokee Bluff. Rutland (11-5) wasn’t as lucky, as their third straight loss drops them from the poll. The Hurricanes were beat by returnee No. 9 Peach County 48-43 and fell at Kendrick 54-51.

In Class AA, No. 1 Dodge County finally got the monkey off their back by beating East Laurens 88-80 after the Falcons swept the Squaws last season. No. 7 Swainsboro handed Class 5A No. 9 Statesboro their first loss of the season, 69-62. No. 8 Early County spanked Class A-Public No. 6 Calhoun County 52-25. No. 10 Washington County slips one spot after losing 46-35 to Southwest-Macon who now gets a crack at Dodge County to prove their legitimacy in not only Region 3, but statewide. The Patriots were blasted at home by the Squaws in their first meeting 63-27.

There is no movement in Class A-Private. No. 1 Wesleyan defeated Dillard (FL) 63-57 at the She Got Game Classic. No. 2 St. Francis turned back No. 7 Mt. Paran 59-42 on the road. No. 3 Holy Innocents’ lost 64-46 to Class 6A No. 1 Lovejoy at the She Got Game Classic. No. 6 Paideia survived at Galloway 58-56. No. 10 Darlington held off North Murray 41-36.

Turner County (10-5) couldn’t survive a week in the Class A-Public poll, losing to falling No. 10 Wilcox County 66-63 and rising No. 7 Clinch County 64-52. Wilcox County is down three spots after suffering a 61-26 beatdown at the hands of debutant No. 9 Dooly County, who is streaking, winners of nine-straight. The Bobcats avenged their 37-32 season-opening loss at Wilcox County in dominating fashion.

Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 7 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

1. Westlake (12-0)
2. Collins Hill (15-1)
3. North Cobb (12-0)
4. Norcross (11-7)
5. Pebblebrook (13-1)
6. Grayson (12-1)
7. North Forsyth (10-3)
8. Mill Creek (12-3)
9. Cherokee (11-3)
10. Marietta (10-5) 

Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (13-3)
2. Forest Park (14-2)
3. Northview (10-3)
4. Glynn Academy (13-2)
5. Stephenson (9-7)
6. Douglas County (11-4)
7. Dacula (11-3)
8. Valdosta (13-2)
9. New Manchester (12-2)
10. Pope (11-3)

Class AAAAA

1. Villa Rica (13-0)
2. Buford (10-1)
3. Southwest DeKalb (13-3)
4. Eagle’s Landing (10-3)
5. Harris County (10-3)
6. Statesboro (15-0)
7. Veterans (12-2)
8. Carrollton (10-5)
9. Wayne County (11-1)
10. Warner Robins (7-4)

Class AAAA

1. Carver-Columbus (14-0)
2. Spalding (9-3)
3. Madison County (14-1)
4. Henry County (16-2)
5. Flowery Branch (12-3)
6. Luella (12-3)
7. Perry (8-3)
8. Westover (8-2)
9. Northwest Whitfield (14-2)
10. Marist (9-4)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (11-3)
2. Beach (14-3)
3. Jefferson (13-2)
4. Hart County (12-2)
5. Johnson-Savannah (7-6)
6. Dawson County (10-5)
7. GAC (7-8)
8. North Hall (11-4)
9. Tattnall County (10-5)
10. Rutland (11-3)

Class AA

1. Dodge County (13-1)
2. Douglass (12-5)
3. Fitzgerald (13-0)
4. Laney (11-1)
5. Bryan County (14-0)
6. Rabun County (10-1)
7. Swainsboro (8-2)
8. Early County (10-1)
9. Washington County (11-2)
10. Banks County (11-3)

Class A-Private

1. Wesleyan (14-0)
2. St. Francis (7-3)
3. Holy Innocents’ (8-5)
4. ELCA (9-3)
5. Lakeview Academy (11-4)
6. Paideia (11-1)
7. Mt. Paran (11-0)
8. Stratford Academy (11-1)
9. Calvary Day (10-3)
10. Darlington (8-3)

Class A-Public

1. Marion County (10-0)
2. Georgia Military College (7-1)
3. Telfair County (9-3)
4. Wheeler County (9-3)
5. Greenville (14-1)
6. Calhoun County (11-1)
7. Wilcox County (9-3)
8. Central-Talbotton (8-2)
9. Clinch County (5-2)
10. Turner County (10-3)

 

Two new number ones grace the top of the polls in our final ranking of 2018.

There was limited movement in Class AAAAAAA. No. 1 Westlake was 2-0 at the Big South Shootout, beating last week’s Class 3A No. 1 Beach 60-46 and last week’s Class 4A No. 10 Burke County 54-30. No. 2 Collins Hill won the Deep South Classic scoring wins over Archer 82-26, Class 3A No. 7 GAC 66-45 and in the championship, host Brookwood 49-42. No. 3 North Cobb shined at the Big South Shootout demolishing Burke County 52-27 and dispatching of Roswell 58-43. While the Lady Warriors might not have the same star power as Westlake and Collins Hill, Head Coach John Speeney demands the best from his girls and he often gets it, the backcourt powered by steady juniors Azonya Austin and three-point shooter Sydney Thomas. No. 5 Pebblebrook moves up a spot after beating No. 10 Marietta 33-27 for the Campbell Holiday Classic Championship. In out of state play, No. 4 Norcross went 1-2 at the Naples Holiday Shootout, No. 7 North Forsyth went 2-1 at the Carolina Invitational and No. 9 Cherokee swept through the Windermere Prep Rock Holiday Classic in Orlando while No. 8 Mill Creek finished 2-1.

With a newfound target on their back in Class AAAAAA, No. 4 Glynn Academy could not repeat last week’s success and drops one spot after losing 61-47 to Class 3A No. 9 Tattnall County 61-47 at the Vidalia Holiday Classic. No. 5 Stephenson is also down a spot after an 0-3 week at the USMC BallN Prep Holiday Invitational in Alabama. No. 7 Dacula rises a position following a 2-1 showing at the Carolina Invitational beating William Blount (TN) 52-31 and handing South Carolina power Goose Creek their first loss of the season 53-45, before falling to Hoover (AL) 63-39. Suspensions lead to a depleted Lanier (11-3) dropping from the poll after two bad losses to Monroe Area 34-23 and Stephens County 51-28. The Longhorns are replaced by re-entry No. 10 Pope. The Greyhounds won their Hounds Holiday Hoops Classic Championship by beating Hillgrove 51-47.

Facing their biggest test of the season, Class AAAAA No. 1 Villa Rica routed host Class 6A No. 9 New Manchester in their holiday tournament championship 57-37. Kentucky-signee Deasia Merrill dropped 29 points while Aliyah Hindsman added 11 points. Over at the BallN Prep Invitational in Alabama, No. 3 Southwest DeKalb went 2-1, highlighted by a 43-39 win over 20-2 Hazel Green (AL). At the same event, No. 8 Carrollton lost to Wenonah (AL) 55-42 and in OT to Anniston (AL) 57-51 before beating Midfield (AL) 44-37, dropping the Trojans one spot this week. No. 4 Eagle’s Landing posted a 2-1 showing at the Tampa Bay Invitational. Back in Georgia at the Sweet South Classic at Morgan County, No. 7 Veterans edged Class 4A No. 6 Luella 59-53 before eventually falling to Class 3A No. 1 Morgan County 69-55 in the title game.

Class AAAA saw No. 3 Madison County suffer its first loss of the year at the Deep South Classic, losing to host Brookwood 70-55. The Red Raiders bounced back with an 85-72 win over Class 3A No. 7 GAC. No. 4 Henry County flew through the Chuck Miller Classic and finished with a strong 68-42 win against Parkview. No. 5 Flowery Branch is hitting its stride, the Lady Falcons winning their fourth consecutive Lanierland title, drilling Class 3A No. 8 North Hall in the finals 48-23. Down in South Georgia, No. 8 Westover defeated GISA power Westwood 58-48 before splitting at the Vereen Rehab Christmas Shootout in Colquitt County, beating Rome 54-53 and losing to the host Packers 61-49. Out of the poll is Burke County (4-5). The Lady Bears have lost five-straight games and were trounced at the Big South Shootout by Class 7A No. 3 North Cobb 52-27 and Class 7A No. 1 Westlake 54-30. Replacing Burke County is returnee No. 10 Marist. The War Eagles went 2-1 at the Panama City Beach Bash last week.

We have a new number one in Class AAA as No. 1 Morgan County has climbed from No. 10 in Week 3 to the top spot after winning their Sweet South Classic, beating Class 5A No. 7 Veterans in the title game 69-55. No. 2 Beach slips a spot after hard-fought losses at the Big South Shootout to Georgia’s elite, Class 7A No. 1 Westlake 60-46 and Class A-Private No. 2 St. Francis 57-45. Up one spot is No. 4 Hart County who won their McDonald’s Shootout Championship, escaping No. 6 Dawson County 64-62 behind Western Kentucky-signee Torrion Starks’ 33 points and Taniya Alexander’s 26 points and 18 rebounds. Ringgold (11-3) slips from the poll after a 1-2 showing in tournament play, losing to Medina (OH) 47-44 and to Mukwonago (WI) 63-30 with a win against Steinbrenner (FL) 61-34 in between. Reappearing is No. 9 Tattnall County. The Warriors toppled Class 6A No. 4 Glynn Academy 61-47 at the Vidalia Christmas Classic before faltering against newly ranked Class 2A No. 9 Washington County 59-50.

The margin for error is getting slim atop Class AA as No. 1 Dodge County retakes the throne after No. 2 Douglass fell to Locust Grove 69-62 at the Mary Persons Christmas Classic. The Squaws won the Metter Christmas Championship by drilling South Effingham 107-63 and Southeast Bulloch 55-31. Breaking into the Top 3 is No. 3 Fitzgerald. The Lady Canes blasted Putnam County (9-3) at the Ronalda Pierce Classic, booting the War Eagles from the Top 10 after sitting at No. 7. Fitzgerald showed no mercy against traditional 3A power Peach County either, pounding the Trojans 72-41, good enough to leapfrog over No. 4 Laney and No. 5 Bryan County who both had perfect weeks. No. 8 Early County had a great week in South Georgia, knocking two Class A-Public teams from the Top 10, beating Mitchell County 81-50 and Pelham 55-41. Replacing Putnam County in the poll is No. 9 Washington County, who has patiently waited their turn. At the Vidalia Christmas Classic, the Golden Hawks defeated Camden County 55-54, Long County 69-10 and Class 3A No. 9 Tattnall County 59-50. Sophomore Miracle Parker is averaging 18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3 steals while junior Destinee Ellison is pouring in 16.8 points a night.

In Class A-Private, No. 1 Wesleyan rolled to a Carolina Invitational Championship beating Fort Dorchester (SC) 53-38, North Marion (WV) 68-35 and Bullitt East (KY) 51-35. No. 2 St. Francis took care of Class 3A No. 2 Beach at the Big South Shootout 57-45. No. 3 Holy Innocents’ finished 2-1 at the Naples Holiday Shootout. No. 4 ELCA climbs two spots following a 3-0 week. Rice-signee India Bellamy is averaging 21.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3 steals and 1.9 blocks while Polish sensation Weronika Hipp is posting 20.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals.

No. 1 Marion County tallied a 3-0 mark at the Muscogee County Christmas Tournament, beating Hardaway 58-40 in their final game to represent Class A-Public. Pelham (6-3) and Mitchell County (8-3) both depart after sharing losses to Class 2A No. 8 Early County. No. 5 Greenville scored a 56-53 win over debutant No. 9 Clinch County. The Panthers turned around and beat Mitchell County 68-65. Also making their way into the poll is No. 10 Turner County, winners of nine-straight. Their 65-63 victory against Putnam County last week is their signature win to date.

Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 6 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

1. Westlake (10-0)
2. Collins Hill (12-1)
3. North Cobb (10-0)
4. Norcross (10-5)
5. Grayson (12-1)
6. Pebblebrook (10-1)
7. North Forsyth (8-2)
8. Mill Creek (10-2)
9. Marietta (8-4)
10. Cherokee (8-3) 

Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (13-3)
2. Forest Park (12-1)
3. Glynn Academy (11-1)
4. Stephenson (9-4)
5. Northview (10-3)
6. Douglas County (11-4)
7. Lanier (10-1)
8. Dacula (9-2)
9. Valdosta (10-2)
10. New Manchester (10-1)

Class AAAAA

1. Villa Rica (10-0)
2. Buford (10-1)
3. Southwest DeKalb (11-2)
4. Eagle’s Landing (8-2)
5. Harris County (8-3)
6. Statesboro (12-0)
7. Carrollton (9-3)
8. Veterans (10-1)
9. Wayne County (10-1)
10. Warner Robins (7-4)

Class AAAA

1. Carver-Columbus (13-0)
2. Spalding (8-2)
3. Madison County (12-0)
4. Henry County (14-2)
5. Flowery Branch (8-3)
6. Luella (10-2)
7. Perry (8-3)
8. Westover (6-1)
9. Northwest Whitfield (14-2)
10. Burke County (4-3)

Class AAA

1. Beach (14-1)
2. Morgan County (8-3)
3. Jefferson (11-1)
4. Johnson-Savannah (7-6)
5. Hart County (9-2)
6. GAC (6-6)
7. Dawson County (8-4)
8. Ringgold (10-1)
9. North Hall (9-3)
10. Rutland (11-3)

Class AA

1. Douglass (10-4)
2. Dodge County (11-1)
3. Laney (10-1)
4. Bryan County (12-0)
5. Fitzgerald (11-0)
6. Rabun County (7-1)
7. Putnam County (9-1)
8. Swainsboro (8-2)
9. Early County (7-1)
10. Banks County (9-3)

Class A-Private

1. Wesleyan (11-0)
2. St. Francis (6-3)
3. Holy Innocents’ (6-4)
4. Lakeview Academy (9-3)
5. Paideia (11-1)
6. ELCA (6-3)
7. Mt. Paran (11-0)
8. Stratford Academy (8-1)
9. Darlington (7-1)
10. Calvary Day (9-3)

Class A-Public

1. Marion County (6-0)
2. Georgia Military College (7-1)
3. Telfair County (9-3)
4. Wheeler County (9-3)
5. Greenville (11-1)
6. Calhoun County (11-1)
7. Wilcox County (8-3)
8. Central-Talbotton (8-2)
9. Pelham (5-2)
10. Mitchell County (7-1)

 

A late surge just before Christmas leads to defending state champion No. 1 Westlake taking over the top spot in Class AAAAAAA, usurping No. 2 Collins Hill. The Lions dispatched of Class 6A No. 6 Douglas County 57-33 and Class 5A No. 3 Southwest DeKalb 60-37 in impressive fashion to win the Peach State Classic championship. The Eagles had a clean 3-0 week at the War Lodge Invitational beating Sequoyah 79-56, Class 3A No. 2 Morgan County 54-48 and South Forsyth 99-40. Senior Katherine Fourie drilled 8 threes against Sequoyah en route to 30 points and followed up with a 9-three encore against the War Eagles. No. 6 Pebblebrook leapfrogs inactive No. 7 North Forsyth following their 63-62 win over Class 5A No. 7 Carrollton.  No. 3 North Cobb edged No. 9 Marietta 49-39, but the Blue Devils still hold tight ahead of No. 10 Cherokee, who defeated Creekview 51-43 on the road.

Over in Myrtle Beach at the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational, Class AAAAAA No. 1 Lovejoy went 3-1 with their lone loss coming to Riverdale (TN) 47-33. No. 5 Northview finished 1-2 at the event, losing to Southeast Raleigh 53-41, who Lovejoy defeated 48-42. But the most impressive performance came back in Georgia on another coast as nobody in the state rose their stock more than No. 3 Glynn Academy. The Terrors explode up six spots after a statement week. Glynn Academy scored wins over Richmond Hill 44-39, last week’s Class A-Private No. 7 Calvary Day 49-36, last week’s Class 3A No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 68-64 and Class 3A No. 1 Beach 49-46 – their opponents boasting a combined 42-12 record. Coach Sharnesha Smith has rode 2020 5-foot-11 forward Zoesha Smith, the High Major recruit averaging 18.1 points and 12.6 rebounds.

The lone casualty in Class AAAAA is Arabia Mountain (12-3). The Rams were beat 50-36 at No. 3 Southwest DeKalb. Replacing Arabia Mountain is debutant No. 10 Warner Robins. The Demonettes went 3-0 at the Bear Brawl Classic, beating three ranked teams on their way to the title at Houston County. They beat last week’s Class 3A No. 6 Peach County 67-48, last week’s Class 4A No. 9 West Laurens 63-44 and in the title game Class 4A No. 7 Perry 49-48.

No. 1 Carver-Columbus represented Class AAAA well as they went 3-0 to win the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina, escaping Bishop O’Connell (VA) 48-46 in the title game. No. 3 Madison County got 43 points from Kayla McPherson in their thrilling 74-72 win at Class 3A No. 5 Hart County to remain undefeated. West Laurens (10-4) slides out of the poll after a 3-2 week, losing to Northside-Warner Robins 48-47 and newly ranked Class 5A No. 10 Warner Robins 63-44 with a win over Class A-Public No. 4 Wheeler County 54-50 sandwiched in between. No. 9 Northwest Whitfield makes their first appearance in the Top 10 following a 2-1 showing at Mistletoe Madness. Undersized 5-foot-8 post Jada Griffin is averaging 19.9 points and 8.6 rebounds.

Even though they suffered their first loss of the year to Class 6A No. 3 Glynn Academy, No. 1 Beach is still the team to beat in Class AAA. Before their loss they notched a 40-37 win over Camden County. Up another spot is No. 2 Morgan County. The Lady Dogs went 2-1 at the War Lodge Invitational with dominant wins over Alpharetta 60-33 and Cambridge 78-30 with a loss to last week’s Class 7A No. 1 Collins Hill 54-48 in between victories. Peach County (6-3) sinks from the Top 10 after a 1-2 showing at the Bear Brawl, losing to Class 5A No. 10 Warner Robins 67-48 and Class A-Public No. 4 Wheeler County 50-48. Even though the results weren’t up to par with the Trojans’ expectations, Da’Nasia Shaw was sensational, averaging 31 points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals and 5 blocks to win tournament MVP. Peach County is replaced by Region 4 foe No. 10 Rutland. The Hurricanes suffered a tough loss to Class A-Private No. 8 Stratford Academy 40-32 but before that, they earned a huge win against Class A-Public No. 2 Georgia Military College 45-42, outscoring the Bulldogs 15-4 in the fourth quarter to storm back. Sophomore Kayla Shines tallied 21 points and 14 rebounds. The 6-foot post is averaging 10.5 points and 8.4 rebounds on the season while senior BreAsia Davis is the eye of the storm with 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 4.3 steals a night.

Not liking their No. 2 ranking in Class AA, No. 2 Dodge County took out their frustrations on opponents last week, beating a good Washington County team 73-64 before smashing Class A-Public No. 3 Telfair County for the second time this season 87-60, Destanee Wright scoring 31 points and Europe Brown netting 27 on her way to her 1,000th career point. No. 3 Laney survived on the road at Class 4A No. 10 Burke County 61-60. No. 9 Early County slips two spots after suffering their first loss of the year to Bainbridge 49-39. No. 8 Swainsboro is up a spot after a nice 54-51 win at Tattnall County.

In Class A-Private, No. 2 St. Francis went 1-2 at the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational, losing to the No. 2 ranked team in the nation Bishop McNamara (MD) 74-43. Back home, No. 3 Holy Innocents’ knocked off Class 7A No. 4 Norcross 65-54. No. 4 Lakeview Academy climbs two spots to hit their glass ceiling after beating No. 5 Paideia 47-45 and losing to Lakeside-DeKalb 52-49 at the Storm Classic held at Providence Christian Academy. No. 6 ELCA is down a spot after losing to Class A-Public No. 2 Georgia Military College 63-61. No. 7 Mt. Paran and No. 8 Stratford Academy rise two spots after No. 9 Darlington took a 50-39 loss to Model to knock them from the unbeatens while No. 10 Calvary Day lost 49-36 to Class 6A No. 3 Glynn Academy and 66-49 to Camden County.

No. 2 Georgia Military College fell 45-42 to Class 3A No. 10 Rutland but climbs two spots in Class A-Public thanks to their 63-61 win over Class A-Private No. 6 ELCA. No. 3 Telfair County falls as spot after an 87-60 loss to Class 2A No. 2 Dodge County. No. 4 Wheeler County had wins over Peach County 50-48 and Jeff Davis 60-41, but fall one position after a 54-50 loss to West Laurens.  No. 5 Greenville annihilated No. 9 Pelham 76-47. Bowdon (8-3) drops from the poll after a 46-44 loss to undefeated Class 4A Central-Carrollton. Debuting in the rankings is first-year Head Coach Monte Killins and No. 10 Mitchell County. Sophomore Anyla Bell is averaging 9 points and 4 assists while senior Ayanna Dennard helps balance the attack with 8.4 points per game.

Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 5 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

1. Collins Hill (9-1)
2. Westlake (7-0)
3. North Cobb (9-0)
4. Norcross (9-4)
5. Grayson (9-1)
6. North Forsyth (8-2)
7. Pebblebrook (7-1)
8. Mill Creek (10-2)
9. Marietta (8-3)
10. Cherokee (7-3)

 Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (10-2)
2. Forest Park (11-1)
3. Stephenson (8-4)
4. Northview (9-1)
5. Douglas County (8-3)
6. Lanier (9-1)
7. Valdosta (8-1)
8. Dacula (9-2)
9. Glynn Academy (7-1)
10. New Manchester (9-1)

Class AAAAA

1. Villa Rica (9-0)
2. Buford (8-1)
3. Southwest DeKalb (8-1)
4. Eagle’s Landing (8-2)
5. Harris County (7-1)
6. Statesboro (11-0)
7. Carrollton (6-2)
8. Arabia Mountain (12-2)
9. Veterans (9-1)
10. Wayne County (8-1)

Class AAAA

1. Carver-Columbus (9-0)
2. Spalding (8-2)
3. Madison County (11-0)
4. Henry County (11-1)
5. Flowery Branch (7-1)
6. Luella (10-2)
7. Perry (6-2)
8. Westover (6-0)
9. West Laurens (7-2)
10. Burke County (4-2)

Class AAA

1. Beach (12-0)
2. Johnson-Savannah (5-5)
3. Morgan County (5-2)
4. Jefferson (8-1)
5. Hart County (7-1)
6. Peach County (4-1)
7. GAC (6-6)
8. Dawson County (6-3)
9. Ringgold (9-1)
10. North Hall (7-3)

Class AA

1. Douglass (9-4)
2. Dodge County (8-1)
3. Laney (9-1)
4. Bryan County (11-0)
5. Fitzgerald (10-0)
6. Rabun County (6-1)
7. Early County (7-0)
8. Putnam County (8-1)
9. Swainsboro (6-2)
10. Banks County (7-2)

Class A-Private

1. Wesleyan (10-0)
2. St. Francis (5-1)
3. Holy Innocents’ (5-4)
4. Paideia (8-0)
5. ELCA (5-2)
6. Lakeview Academy (6-2)
7. Calvary Day (7-1)
8. Darlington (5-0)
9. Mt. Paran (8-0)
10. Stratford Academy (6-1)

Class A-Public

1. Marion County (5-0)
2. Telfair County (7-2)
3. Wheeler County (7-2)
4. Georgia Military College (6-0)
5. Calhoun County (8-1)
6. Greenville (10-1)
7. Pelham (4-1)
8. Wilcox County (7-3)
9. Bowdon (7-2)
10. Central-Talbotton (5-2)

The top four in Class AAAAAAA has begun to stabilize as No. 3 North Cobb and No. 4 Norcross are indeed for real. The Lady Warriors knocked McEachern (2-3) from the Top 10 with a 50-40 victory while the Lady Blue are healthy and streaking, winning eight-straight highlighted by a 63-56 win over Class 5A No. 2 Buford at the Hawks-Naismith Holiday Classic, Myra Strickland pouring in 25 points while now healthy Yamani Paul scored 15 and Auburn-signee Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu added 12 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals. No. 10 Cherokee is freefalling, sinking five spots after a 49-48 loss on Lemon Street against debutant No. 9 Marietta. 5-foot-2 Eva Knox snuck in for an offensive rebound off a missed free throw and scored the game-winning layup with seven seconds left to shock the Lady Warriors. Following Marietta into the poll for the first time is No. 8 Mill Creek who replaces Brookwood (6-5), the Lady Broncos’ inconsistent play plaguing them again in losses to Central Gwinnett 53-44 and Class A-Private No. 1 Wesleyan 58-40. Mill Creek polished off another perfect week, beating North Gwinnett 44-34, Discovery 58-45 and Lambert 64-34, Kayla Mulkey netting 16 points in the win.

Region 4-AAAAAA is the strongest region in the state regardless of classification. No. 1 Lovejoy survived No. 3 Stephenson 45-40, while No. 2 Forest Park did damage at the She Got Game Classic in Washington, D.C., beating St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) 47-38 and nationally ranked Long Island Lutheran (NY) 33-28. Outside of Region 4, No. 4 Northview dropped Pope (8-3) from the rankings with a 50-43 win, the Greyhounds also losing at Alpharetta 48-45. No. 5 Douglas County lost 60-53 to Class 7A No. 2 Westlake, but rebounded with a 47-43 win over newly ranked No. 10 New Manchester, the Jaguars’ first loss of the season.

Class AAAAA No. 2 Buford edged Class A-Private No. 3 Holy Innocents’ 48-45 before running out of gas against surging Class 7A No. 4 Norcross 63-56, Tate Walters netting 24 points in defeat. No. 8 Arabia Mountain sinks two spots after a tough loss to a red-hot Roswell team, 58-54. No. 7 Carrollton rises a spot thanks to a 60-48 Region 7 victory over Rome (5-2), who slides out. Griffin (6-2) also slips out of the Top 10 after a hard-fought 50-44 loss to Class 4A No. 2 Spalding. Debuting in the poll is No. 9 Veterans while No. 10 Wayne County reenters, both teams avenging their lone losses to ranked opponents. The Warhawks took down Class 4A No. 7 Perry on the road 58-46. Veterans is powered by 6-foot junior Stacie Jones (15.4 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 1.2 bpg), junior Tamia Luckey (12.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3 apg, 3.4 spg) and senior Madison Perez (12.4 ppg). The Yellowjackets toppled last week’s Class 2A No. 1 Dodge County 54-33.

Defending Class AAAA state champ No. 2 Spalding earned wins over Griffin 50-44 and Class 3A No. 7 GAC 47-45, star 6-foot junior Corriana Evans posting 20 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks. No. 3 Madison County saw Kayla McPherson return from her concussion and save the day to remain unbeaten, swooping in to score 31 points in the Red Raiders’ 64-62 nail-biter over Winder-Barrow. No. 10 Burke County falls a spot after losing to South Carolina powerhouse North Augusta 61-49 and to Josey 33-27.

The top of Class AAA sees major shifts as No. 3 Morgan County leaps five spots after upsetting No. 4 Jefferson 60-52, dropping the Lady Dragons two spots.  No. 2 Johnson-Savannah is nearing full strength as freshman Zoriah Mobley made her high school debut, finishing with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Region 7 has been a roller coaster with No. 8 Dawson County and No. 7 GAC going up and down all year. The Lady Tigers lost 58-55 to region foe and debutant No. 10 North Hall while the Lady Spartans beat North Hall 61-54 and Lumpkin County 48-42 but lost 47-45 to Class 4A No. 2 Spalding in a valiant comeback effort. Lovett (6-2) and Tattnall County (7-3) exit the Top 10. The Lions were smashed by Marist 64-17 while Tattnall County lost 74-54 to Bradwell Institute. Making their first appearance in the poll is legendary Head Coach Margaret Stockburger and No. 9 Ringgold. The Lady Tigers scored a 66-51 win at North Murray last week.

A 77-50 win over Class A-Public No. 8 Wilcox County wasn’t enough to save No. 2 Dodge County from falling out of the top spot in Class AA after losing 54-33 to Class 5A No. 10 Wayne County. Taking their place on the throne is No. 1 Douglass, the Lady Astros continuing to prove to be one of the premier small school teams in Georgia by winning at Class 5A 8-3 Maynard Jackson 53-51. No. 4 Bryan County springs up five spots after scoring dynamo Olonna Rawls erupted for 44 points and 10 rebounds in a 68-64 win over No. 9 Swainsboro, who tumbles five places. No. 5 Fitzgerald moves up two places after a 77-59 win over last week’s Class A-Public No. 1 Telfair County. No. 6 Rabun County turned the tables on No. 10 Banks County, rallying from down 14 at the half to shock the Lady Leopards at home 61-58 behind Laken Stiles’ 16 points and Brooke Henricks’ 15. While the LadyCats climb two spots, Banks County sinks five after the Lady Leopards were also knocked off at newly ranked No. 8 Putnam County 46-44. The War Eagles replace tough-luck Woodville-Tompkins (10-1) who recorded a flawless 3-0 week, illuminating just how deep Class 2A really is.

There are no changes to the poll this week as No. 1 Wesleyan continues to pile on wins in Class A-Private while No. 2 St. Francis waits and hopes that All-State guard Savannah Samuel, gets her eligibility cleared after attempting to play at her third school in three years. The Wolves dissected Brookwood 58-40 behind Callie Weaver’s 21 points and 7 rebounds. AC Carter tacked on 13 points and 9 rebounds while Izzy Larsen double-doubled with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks. No. 3 Holy Innocents’ suffered a 48-45 loss to Class 5A No. 2 Buford.

We have a new number one in Class A-Public as No. 1 Marion County rises two spots following a revenge 71-70 win at No. 6 Greenville in a state title rematch. No. 2 Telfair County lost hold on the classification after a 77-59 loss at Class 2A No. 5 Fitzgerald. No. 5 Calhoun County knocked Quitman County (6-2) out of the Top 10 with a 76-27 spanking. Debuting in the poll is No. 9 Bowdon. Coming off an Elite Eight season, new Head Coach Jan Fendley has the Red Devils at 7-2 coming off wins over Cleburne County (AL) and Gordon Lee.

Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 4 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

1. Collins Hill (7-1)
2. Westlake (5-0)
3. North Cobb (7-0)
4. Norcross (6-4)
5. Cherokee (7-2)
6. Grayson (6-1)
7. North Forsyth (5-2)
8. McEachern (2-2)
9. Pebblebrook (7-1)
10. Brookwood (5-3)

Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (9-2)
2. Forest Park (8-1)
3. Stephenson (7-3)
4. Northview (6-1)
5. Douglas County (6-2)
6. Lanier (8-1)
7. Valdosta (6-1)
8. Dacula (7-2)
9. Glynn Academy (5-1)
10. Pope (8-1)

Class AAAAA

1. Villa Rica (7-0)
2. Buford (6-0)
3. Southwest DeKalb (7-1)
4. Eagle’s Landing (6-2)
5. Harris County (7-1)
6. Arabia Mountain (10-1)
7. Statesboro (9-0)
8. Carrollton (4-2)
9. Rome (4-1)
10. Griffin (5-1)

Class AAAA

1. Carver-Columbus (7-0)
2. Spalding (6-2)
3. Madison County (9-0)
4. Henry County (9-1)
5. Flowery Branch (5-1)
6. Luella (8-2)
7. Perry (5-1)
8. Westover (5-0)
9. Burke County (4-0)
10. West Laurens (5-2)

Class AAA

1. Beach (9-0)
2. Jefferson (7-0)
3. Johnson-Savannah (3-5)
4. Hart County (5-1)
5. Dawson County (5-2)
6. Peach County (3-1)
7. Lovett (5-1)
8. Morgan County (3-2)
9. GAC (4-5)
10. Tattnall County (5-2)

Class AA

1. Dodge County (6-0)
2. Douglass (6-4)
3. Laney (7-1)
4. Swainsboro (5-1)
5. Banks County (7-0)
6. Early County (6-0)
7. Fitzgerald (7-0)
8. Rabun County (3-1)
9. Bryan County (8-0)
10. Woodville-Tompkins (7-1)

Class A-Private

1. Wesleyan (8-0)
2. St. Francis (4-1)
3. Holy Innocents’ (4-3)
4. Paideia (8-0)
5. ELCA (4-2)
6. Lakeview Academy (4-2)
7. Calvary Day (6-1)
8. Darlington (4-0)
9. Mt. Paran (7-0)
10. Stratford Academy (6-1)

Class A-Public

1. Telfair County (5-1)
2. Wheeler County (6-2)
3. Marion County (2-0)
4. Georgia Military College (3-0)
5. Calhoun County (5-1)
6. Greenville (8-0)
7. Pelham (1-0)
8. Quitman County (6-1)
9. Central-Talbotton (3-1)
10. Wilcox County (5-2)

Powder Springs did not fare well in Class AAAAAAA last week as Hillgrove (4-4) drops from the Top 10 and No. 8 McEachern tumbles five spots. The Hawks were bounced from the poll after losses to Campbell 55-54 and at No. 5 Cherokee 54-37, the Warriors climbing three spots. McEachern lost to a young up-and-down Class 3A No. 9 GAC 56-54 at home. No. 3 North Cobb is the best team in Cobb County right now. The Warriors move into the Top 3 after edging No. 9 Pebblebrook 44-38, the Falcons slipping two spots in the process but proving they can play with the state’s elite. No. 6 Grayson is up three positions. They defeated Class 5A No. 9 Rome 74-58 behind freshman Catherine Alben’s 23 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Also on the move is No. 7 North Forsyth, who beat Archer 47-22 and escaped Roswell 65-63 in overtime. Resurfacing in the poll is No. 10 Brookwood. The Broncos fell 67-65 to No. 4 Norcross and then hammered Meadowcreek 71-11.

The No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in Class AAAAAA lived up to the hype as No. 1 Lovejoy survived a furious No. 2 Forest Park comeback to win in overtime 58-56. The Wildcats led 35-13 at the half but a 22-4 fourth quarter allowed the Panthers to force OT. The two juggernauts should meet three more times if everything goes according to plan. No. 6 Lanier is down two spots after losing to Class 4A No. 5 Flowery Branch 63-61. No. 4 Northview slides out of the Top 3 after an 18-point loss to Class 5A No. 2 Buford. No. 7 Valdosta picked up some big wins down south, holding off Colquitt County 55-54 and winning at Lowndes 56-46.

The separation gets smaller and smaller in Class AAAAA between No. 1 Villa Rica and No. 2 Buford. The Wildcats scored a big 58-51 win at No. 8 Carrollton but the Wolves notched an even bigger victory, racing past Class 6A No. 4 Northview 58-40. Climbing the ladder is No. 6 Arabia Mountain and No. 7 Statesboro, both up two spots. The Blue Devils beat Brunswick 57-41 but more impressively, knocked off Class 3A No. 3 Johnson-Savannah 73-57.

In Class AAAA, No. 4 Henry County defeated No. 6 Luella 76-67. Brianna Juniel dumped in 25 points while Paris Mullins scored 18. Keely Brown had 27 in the loss. No. 5 Flowery Branch took down Class 6A No. 6 Lanier 63-61, Ashley Scott scoring 24 points while Caroline Wysocki netted 16 and Ashley Woodroffe had 15. Out of the Top 10 is Marist (4-2). The War Eagles were upset by St. Pius X 41-32. Entering the poll for the first time is No. 7 Perry. The Panthers are red-hot, beating No. 10 West Laurens 56-54, Upson-Lee 70-62 and Class 3A No. 6 Peach County 33-27 in Fort Valley. The three opponents Perry toppled have a combined 16-4 record. 5-foot-6 senior guard Asjah Harrell has been the engine, pouring in 25.6 points per game, the state’s second-highest recorded scoring average.

For the first time since last season, two Savannah teams don’t fill the top two spots in Class AAA. No. 3 Johnson-Savannah lost again to tough competition, this time falling to Class 5A No. 7 Statesboro 73-57. Up to the Top 2 is No. 2 Jefferson. The Lady Dragons have showed no signs of slowing down under first-year Head Coach Greg Brown, who has successfully brought his winning ways over from Northwest Whitfield. The Dragonettes blasted Monroe Area 73-42 and Apalachee 65-40. Jefferson has yet to play a single-digit game, their closest coming back on November 20 in a 64-54 win over No. 4 Hart County, who picked up a pair of wins last week against Jackson County 86-35 and at Elbert County 54-53. No. 5 Dawson County made a statement in Region 7 and statewide by beating No. 9 GAC 75-67 behind Shyla Sheffield’s 22 points off the bench. The Lady Tigers avoided a letdown the next night, using a 25-8 fourth quarter to rally past White County 66-51, Clemson-signee Kaylee Sticker scoring 23 points. GAC is down three spots. The Spartans have been all over the map with their performances. They lost at Gainesville 76-73 before losing to Dawson County and then winning on the road at Class 7A No. 8 McEachern 56-54. Freshman guard Kaleigh Addie is a budding star and has been Coach Lady Grooms’ best player, averaging 13.4 points per game. Fellow freshman Jaci Bolden scored 16 points including the game-winning layup to stun McEachern as the Spartans overcame a 12-point halftime deficit.

There is no movement in Class AA. No. 1 Dodge County did what Dodge County does – win. They dispatched of Class A-Public No. 2 Wheeler County 62-52. Destanee Wright is averaging 24.4 points and 7.4 rebounds while Europe Brown is netting 17 points a night to pace the Squaws. No. 4 Swainsboro turned back No. 10 Woodville-Tompkins 68-57 before taking down Class 3A No. 10 Tattnall County 63-55. No. 6 Early County is 6-0 behind superstar sophomore 6-foot-3 Makayla Timpson and 5-foot-9 Ta’ziaya Jones. Timpson is averaging a modest 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 blocks while the improvement of Jones has been vast, averaging 17.5 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 3 Holy Innocents’ is rounding into form in Class A-Private. The Golden Bears knocked off Class 4A No. 2 Spalding 59-45 on the road. No. 10 Stratford Academy plummets six spots after a 56-49 loss to Elite Scholars. No. 4 Paideia moves up a spot after wins over Prince Avenue 62-38 and WD Mohammed 58-20. The Pythons have the highest scoring backcourt in Georgia between junior Christina Walker (24.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 steals) and UNC-Asheville signee Kai Carter (22.8 points). No. 5 ELCA rises three spots after a 55-22 win over Tattnall Square.

Defending Class A-Public state champion No. 6 Greenville is smokin’ thanks to a potent group of freshmen and sophomores. Sophomores JaBrica Leslie (20.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 steals) and Shabrica Leslie (18.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 steals) have led the charge while freshman Amanda Ogletree is chipping in 13.2 points a night. Emanuel County Institute (2-1) exits the Top 10 after a 44-25 loss to Savannah Christian. No. 10 Wilcox County slides in. The Patriots won at Echols County 51-50 before losing 66-52 to No. 1 Telfair County. No. 2 Wheeler County lost to Class 2A No. 1 Dodge County 62-52, but beat Class A-Private No. 7 Calvary Day 51-47.