Category Archives: Girls Rankings

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.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 3 Girls Rankings

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Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (6-2)
2. Forest Park (7-0)
3. Northview (4-0)
4. Lanier (7-0)
5. Stephenson (5-3)
6. Douglas County (4-2)
7. Valdosta (4-1)
8. Dacula (6-2)
9. Glynn Academy (3-1)
10. Pope (5-1)

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

There has been a major shuffle in Class AAAAAAA. No. 8 Cherokee sinks five spots after losses to risers No. 4 North Cobb 51-50 and No. 5 Norcross 65-58. The Lady Warriors shoot up six spots while the Lady Blue climb four slots after a perfect 3-0 week, Yamani Paul returning to the court and scoring 11 points against Cherokee. No. 3 McEachern is up three spots following a 69-39 win at North Paulding, but the Lady Indians still need a resume building win. They have Class 3A No. 6 GAC and No. 4 North Cobb on the horizon. No. 1 Collins Hill is holding strong after a 57-41 win at the Wesleyan Showcase over Class 5A No. 3 Southwest DeKalb.

There is no movement in Class AAAAAA. No. 3 Northview edged Class 7A No. 10 North Forsyth 49-40, the Titans holding the Raiders to 11 second half points after North Forsyth drilled seven first half threes. No. 1 Lovejoy raced away from South Carolina powerhouse North Augusta 67-49. No. 9 Glynn Academy suffered a loss, but it was a 60-59 thriller against Class 3A No. 1 Beach.

No. 2 Buford is rounding into shape in Class AAAAA. The Lady Wolves drilled Class 3A No. 10 Morgan County 62-36 and outlasted Parkview 54-46 using their five-in, five-out substitution pattern. Tate Walters scored a game-high 18 points while Preston Reid added 12. No. 5 Harris County slips two spots after a 58-56 loss at No. 6 Carrollton. The Lady Trojans were poised to climb even higher, but they lost focus and were blown out by Brookwood 61-29, freshman Kehinde Obasuyi scoring 18 points in the loss. No. 9 Statesboro sneaks up another spot. The Blue Devils won at Bradwell Institute 44-43 and knocked off Class 2A No. 4 Swainsboro 61-57. Woodland-Stockbridge (3-3) falls out of the poll following a 51-39 loss at No. 4 Eagle’s Landing, who rises one position. Into the rankings is No. 10 Griffin. The Bears cruised against Fayette County 67-43 and their only loss came at Class 4A No. 6 Luella 55-51. Seniors Daisya Reid and Zacoria Berry are averaging 15.7 points and 11.7 points. Junior Averyana Nelson is chipping in 11 points a night.

There is a new top dog in Class AAAA and its No. 1 Carver-Columbus. Just like last year, the Tigers have steamrolled the opposition. They pounded Spencer 102-21 and Harrison 71-41. They get the nod over defending state champ No. 2 Spalding after the Jaguars fell to Class A-Private No. 3 Holy Innocents’ 55-40 and didn’t impress at Fayette County, squeaking out a 47-45 victory. The Tigers and Jaguars also have a mutual opponent: Class 5A No. 4 Eagle’s Landing. Carver won by 18 while Spalding defeated the Eagles by 7. Elsewhere, No. 3 Madison County is in a little bit of trouble after All-State guard Kayla McPherson suffered a concussion in the second quarter of their 64-45 win over Cedar Shoals. The Red Raiders gutted out a 53-48 win over Habersham Central, Old Dominion-signee Jordan Bailey netting 25 points in McPherson’s absence. No. 5 Flowery Branch got revenge with a 59-45 victory over last week’s Class 3A No. 3 Dawson County. No. 8 West Laurens drops a spot after a 66-60 loss to Veterans. No. 9 Marist leaps No. 10 Burke County after beating Pinecrest Academy 59-13 and the Lady Bears getting past Greenbrier 46-36 in their season opener.

In Class AAA it was the Capulets vs. the Montagues, better known as No. 1 Beach vs. No. 2 Johnson-Savannah. Like always, except for the 2017 state finals, it was an instant classic with the Bulldogs holding off the Atomsmashers 55-53 in overtime. Jaida Burgess found Destiny Whitehead for the game-winning layup. Burgess had a team-high 14 points for the Bulldogs while Kaila Rougier had 13. Antalazia Baker, a Woodville-Tompkins transfer, scored a game-high 24 for Johnson while Jasmine Thompson added 12. Up in north Georgia, No. 3 Jefferson moves up another spot after trouncing East Hall 70-34 at the North Georgia Showcase. No. 7 Dawson County slips four spots after losses to Class 4A No. 5 Flowey Branch 59-45 and Class 2A No. 5 Banks County 53-50. Sonoraville (3-2) exits the Top 10 following a 58-54 loss to Ringgold. No. 9 Lovett debuts after a 61-29 win over Redan. No. 10 Morgan County clings onto their spot after a 62-36 loss to Class 5A No. 2 Buford. As they always do, the Bulldogs have scheduled tough, playing three 7A schools prior to their loss to Buford. All tuned up for Region 8 play, Coach Josh Reeves’ Dogs travel to Carnesville to play defending region champion Franklin County who is currently 5-1.

It was another topsy-turvy week in Class AA. No. 1 Dodge County pounded Class A-Public No. 1 Telfair County into submission 88-58 behind Destanee Wright’s 34 points. The meteoric rise of No. 2 Douglass continues, up four more spots. The Lady Astros’ great showings against premier competition looks even better considering Class 7A No. 10 North Forsyth blew past No. 8 Rabun County 66-44, dropping the LadyCats five spots after Douglass lost to the Raiders 51-50. Now back in Class 2A play, the Astros drilled Coretta Scott King 88-5 and dispatched of KIPP Atlanta 54-31. Douglass replaces No. 4 Swainsboro, who sank two spots after losing 61-57 to Class 5A No. 9 Statesboro. Speaking of sinking, Preseason No. 1 Josey (2-3) is out of the poll after losing to No. 3 Laney 51-46. With everyone returning and a handful of transfers in to bolster the roster, the Eagles have failed every test against Top 10 competition going 0-3. No. 5 Banks County climbs four places thanks to wins over East Hall 51-35 and Class 3A No. 7 Dawson County 53-50. GSCU-signee Jaycie Bowen scored 13 points against Dawson County while Heather Vaughan added 11 and Amber Williams had 10. Entering the Top 10 is No. 10 Woodville-Tompkins. The Wolverines’ best win came against Bradwell Institute 52-39 on November 20. They get a chance to prove their legitimacy on Tuesday as they travel to No. 4 Swainsboro.

No. 1 Wesleyan had a record-breaking night in Class A-Private as Nicole Azar hit 8 threes to finish with 33 points and 8 assists in a 91-28 win over St. Pius X. Paige Lyons tallied 24 points, 7 assists and 7 steals while Callie Weaver contributed 16 points and 6 assists. No. 2 St. Francis lost to Hoover (AL) 54-53 and now feels No. 3 Holy Innocents’ closing in, the Golden Bears now healthy after beating last week’s Class 4A No. 1 Spalding 55-40 and Class 7A No. 6 Hillgrove 57-47. Athens Academy (3-3) exits the poll after losing 65-38 to No. 6 Lakeview Academy and 54-41 to No. 4 Stratford Academy. Debuting is No. 10 Mt. Paran, a young team anchored by 6-foot-2 sophomore Savannah Casey. The Eagles went 3-0 last week beating Gordon Central 64-61, Galloway 64-27 and Tallulah Falls 68-42.

No. 1 Telfair County maintains first-place in Class A-Public even after an 88-58 loss to Class 2A No. 1 Dodge County. No. 5 Calhoun County holds tight after a tough 53-36 loss to Class 2A No. 6 Early County. No. 8 Quitman County won 44-38 at Terrell County. Turner County (1-2) is out of the rankings after a bad 45-44 loss to Hawkinsville and a 79-41 loss to No. 1 Telfair County. No. 10 Emanuel County Institute jumps in the mix following a 68-43 win over McIntosh County Academy. Sophomore Prencis Harden exploded for 36 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 2 Girls Rankings

sportal

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (3-2)
2. Forest Park (4-0)
3. Northview (2-0)
4. Lanier (5-0)
5. Stephenson (3-3)
6. Douglas County (1-2)
7. Valdosta (2-1)
8. Dacula (4-2)
9. Glynn Academy (3-0)
10. Pope (2-1)

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

Class AAAAAAA is still trying to sort itself out early on in the season. No. 1 Collins Hill has a hold of the top spot but the pack is closing in. No. 9 Norcross, who drops three more spots, took Collins Hill to double overtime before falling 72-64. The Lady Blue couldn’t ride that momentum as they lost again to Class 6A No. 3 Northview 57-50. No. 3 Cherokee won an ugly low-scoring Keller Williams Classic Championship over host No. 8 North Forsyth 31-28. The Lady Warriors picked up the pace later in the week with an 80-43 rout of Mays. The bottom of the poll sees some teams on the climb after Brookwood (2-2) exits. The Lady Broncos were blown out by Class 5A No. 5 Eagle’s Landing 71-51 and by a young Sequoyah team 69-47. Brookwood’s slide from No. 4 to unranked opens the door for No. 4 Hillgrove and No. 5 Pebblebrook to round out the Top 5. Hillgrove suffered a 59-48 loss to Cherokee but bounced back with a 57-54 win over Class 2A No. 6 Douglass. Pebblebrook took care of Alexander 69-44 before beating Creekside 56-48. No. 6 McEachern rises three spots following a 67-52 win against Parkview while No. 7 Grayson does the same, beating last week’s No. 1 team in Class 3A, the defending state champs Johnson-Savannah 73-62. Debuting in the poll is No. 10 North Cobb. The Warriors have wins over Class 5A No. 9 Arabia Mountain 54-39, Class 4A No. 10 Marist 58-39 and Riverwood 45-24. They put their shiny new ranking on the line as they visit No. 3 Cherokee this Tuesday.

No. 1 Lovejoy lost both games at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Duncanville, Texas, but there is no need to panic in Class AAAAAA just yet. The Wildcats lost to DeSoto (TX) 53-36 and to Duncanville (TX) 43-39 while No. 2 Forest Park continued to make hay back in Georgia, dismantling Newton 49-22. Circle December 8th for not only the SportalShowcase, but for when Lovejoy visits Forest Park. The Panthers have the biggest frontline in Georgia going 6-foot-4, 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-2 with Destiny Thomas (UCF) and super sophomores Sania Feagin and Jasmine Stevens. They will test Lovejoy’s lack of major impactful size in the frontcourt. No. 3 Northview isn’t in the league of Lovejoy or Forest Park yet, but they picked up a 57-50 win over Class 7A No. 9 Norcross behind Asjah Inniss’ 18 points and the trio of Markiema Lancaster (13), Ashlee Austin (12 – Rice) and Maya Richards (10 – Charleston Southern). No. 6 Douglas County sinks two spots after struggling to score in a 43-40 loss to Class 5A No. 7 Woodland-Stockbridge. The Lady Tigers were tied at 30 heading into the fourth quarter before Clemson-signee Amari Robinson left the game and did not return for the final period for an undisclosed reason. She finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 1 block in three quarters of action. No. 5 Stephenson moves into the Top 5, bouncing back from a 60-49 loss to Class A-Private No. 1 Wesleyan to beat Class 3A No. 7 GAC 56-50. No. 7 Valdosta holds tight at No. 7 after losing to Class 5A No. 2 Buford 70-46 but beating Class 3A No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 55-53.

In Class AAAAA, No. 1 Villa Rica held off Class 3A No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 53-43 thanks to Kentucky-signee Deasia Merrill’s 17 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. Just when it looked like No. 2 Buford could be sliding back to the pack, the Wolves earned statement wins over Class 6A No. 7 Valdosta 70-46 and Class 7A No. 7 Grayson 67-58 to prove they are still in the title hunt. No. 4 Southwest DeKalb defeated No. 7 Woodland-Stockbridge 69-57 after the Wolfpack edged Class 6A No. 6 Douglas County 43-40. No. 5 Eagle’s Landing fared well against Class 7A beating Brookwood 71-51 and Lambert 53-19 but struggled against the best in Class 4A losing to No. 2 Carver-Columbus 70-52 and No. 1 Spalding 60-53. No. 8 Carrollton tipped-off their season with a 51-33 drubbing of Fayette County. Lithia Springs (2-2) and Wayne County (2-1) exit the Top 10. The Lions lost to Alexander 47-39 while the Yellowjackets were stung by Class 2A No. 1 Dodge County 62-50. Cracking the poll are No. 9 Arabia Mountain and No. 10 Statesboro. The Rams, anchored by 6-foot Anderson-signee Kennedi Manning and tough combo guard Alina Shoemake, hold wins over Roswell (71-49), Marietta (48-39) and Woodstock (57-54) with their lone loss 54-39 to Class 7A No. 10 North Cobb. Statesboro is coming off a 62-26 win over Cross Creek.

No. 1 Spalding tipped-off their Class AAAA title defense by beating Langston Hughes 54-38 and Class 5A No. 5 Eagle’s Landing 60-53. No. 2 Carver-Columbus answered with a 70-52 victory against Eagle’s Landing. No. 3 Henry County is hitting their groove as well. The Warhawks went 3-0 at the Beach Bash at Gulf Shores and returned home to beat Ramsay (AL) 60-49. 5-foot-9 senior guard Briana Juniel has proven to be an immediate difference maker for Henry County. The transfer from Sacramento already has 1,300+ points in her career and has been picking up major D-I interest. After spending a week out of the poll, No. 6 Luella shoots right back in to replace Baldwin (1-1), who was beat 64-42 by Jones County. Luella scored wins over Dutchtown 56-42 and Class 2A Preseason No. 1 Josey 65-48. Freshman Paris Miller posted 26 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists against Josey while junior Keely Brown has been averaging 21 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals.

Defending Class AAA state champion No. 2 Johnson-Savannah slides one spot after their 1-3 start. The Atomsmashers have tested themselves but have come up short thus far, losing to Class 7A No. 7 Grayson 73-62, Class 6A No. 7 Valdosta 55-53 and to Class 5A No. 1 Villa Rica 53-43. You won’t find a tougher start to the season in Class 3A considering that Johnson now travels to crosstown rival No. 1 Beach on Tuesday. The Atomsmashers come in much more battletested than the Bulldogs who have beaten up on Bradwell Institute 62-52 and May River (SC) 75-39. No. 4 Jefferson shoots up six spots after beating No. 5 Hart County 64-54 to win the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic Championship. Sophomore Livi Blackstock was named tournament MVP after scoring 15 points in the title game in support of freshman Natalia Bolden’s 18. The Dragonettes withstood a 27-point outburst from Western Kentucky-signee Torrion Starks. Inactive Cook (0-0) exits the poll temporarily and is replaced by No. 9 Tattnall County who has wins over New Hampstead 66-35 and at Effingham County 53-44. The Warriors are powered inside by 5-foot-10 senior post Kayla Garrett.

Having a newfound target on their back in Class AA hasn’t gone so well for No. 7 Josey, who sinks four more spots. The Eagles have played pretty good competition, earning a 66-49 win over Class 7A North Gwinnett but losing to Class 4A No. 6 Luella 65-48. Josey opened the season with a 68-43 loss to Class 6A No. 7 Valdosta. The Eagles’ two blow out losses look bad in comparison to No. 6 Douglass who climbs three spots after three losses. No one in Class 2A has even come close to challenging themselves like the Lady Astros have. Even though they went 0-3 last week, no one can say they’ve played as well as the Stros did. Douglass lost 51-50 to Class 7A No. 8 North Forsyth, 57-54 to Class 7A No. 4 Hillgrove and 62-53 to Class 4A No. 5 Flowery Branch. All of Douglass’ pretty losses won’t mean a thing if they can’t handle their business in Class 2A play, but their results point to a team being able to compete with anybody on any given day. Jacksonville State-signee Nekiyah Thompson and the rest of the Astros are more than able to run the table the rest of the regular season. No. 1 Dodge County knocked Class 5A Wayne County from the Top 10 with a 62-50 victory paced by Destanee Wright’s 23 points and Europe Brown’s 19. No. 2 Swainsboro went on the road to crush Dublin 71-35. No. 4 Laney creeps up another spot even after seeing their 64-game winning streak snapped in a blowout loss against North Augusta (SC). No. 3 Rabun County and No. 9 Banks County will have golden opportunities to snag resume building wins at the North Georgia Showcase. Rabun County battles North Forsyth while Banks County takes on Class 3A No. 3 Dawson County.

No. 1 Wesleyan continues to cruise in Class A-Private, beating Class 6A No. 5 Stephenson 60-49 and Class 6A No. 10 Pope 69-42. No. 8 ELCA plummets five spots after a rough start to the season, losing to McMinn Central (TN) 60-46 and Collierville (TN) 74-49 at the Bradley Central Thanksgiving Tournament. The Chargers only had six players available and are dealing with eligibility issues. No. 4 Stratford Academy jumps two spots after wins over No. 9 Athens Academy 70-47 and Prince Avenue 55-35, who exits the poll (0-2) after also losing to Rutland 47-46. Also departing is Landmark Christian (1-3). The War Eagles lost 67-38 to Creekside. Into the rankings are No. 7 Calvary Day and No. 10 Darlington. Calvary Day has been one of the most consistent winners in Class A-Private, posting a 27-3 record a year ago. The Cavaliers have wins over Evans 65-40 and Islands 58-25 to open the year. Darlington has beaten Armuchee 71-40 and Calhoun 52-22.

Class A-Public may have a new title challenger in No. 4 Georgia Military. The Bulldogs were 10-0 to open last year with Deandria Stephens before she lost eligibility. Stephens is back for her sophomore season and has GMC rolling again, upping her average to 18 points per game early on. If she is able to make an impact all season, the Bulldogs are likely to improve upon last year’s 24-4 mark. They have already hammered First Presbyterian Day 63-19 and Tattnall Square 57-24. No. 2 Wheeler County looked human in an ugly 35-32 win over Jeff Davis. Defending champs No. 6 Greenville have wins over Shaw 69-61 and Kendrick 70-42 to highlight their opening week. Bowdon (1-2) exits the poll after losses to Central-Carrollton 46-45 and Bremen 60-55. The Sheryl Brown era is off to a rocky start at Taylor County (0-2). Legendary Head Coach Matt Troutman is gone and so are the wins for the Vikings, losing 59-17 to Heard County and failing to score in the second half against Upson-Lee in a 71-13 disaster. Entering the Top 10 are No. 9 Central-Talbotton and No. 10 Quitman County. Both teams have wins over Jordan, Central cruising 64-33 and Quitman winning 65-46. Central lost 56-42 at Class 5A No. 3 Harris County.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 1 Girls Rankings

sportal

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

1. Lovejoy (3-0)
2. Forest Park (3-0)
3. Northview (1-0)
4. Douglas County (0-1)
5. Lanier (2-0)
6. Stephenson (2-2)
7. Valdosta (1-0)
8. Dacula (2-1)
9. Pope (1-0)
10. Glynn Academy (2-0)

Class AAAAA

1. Villa Rica (2-0)
2. Buford (1-0)
3. Harris County (2-0)
4. Southwest DeKalb (0-0)
5. Eagle’s Landing (0-0)
6. Lithia Springs (1-1)
7. Rome (0-0)
8. Woodland-Stockbridge (1-1)
9. Wayne County (1-0)
10. Carrollton (0-0)

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

1. Wesleyan (2-0)
2. St. Francis (2-0)
3. ELCA (0-0)
4. Holy Innocents’ (0-2)
5. Paideia (3-0)
6. Stratford Academy (0-0)
7. Lakeview Academy (1-1)
8. Athens Academy (2-0)
9. Landmark Christian (0-2)
10. Prince Avenue Christian (0-0)

Class A-Public

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

Just like on the boys side, it’s an early fall from grace in Class AAAAAAA for No. 6 Norcross, who tumbles five spots after getting thumped by Class 6A No. 2 Forest Park 61-33 and losing to Class 6A No. 6 Stephenson 55-53. Much like last season, injuries already have the Lady Blue facing adversity as top posts Tionna Carter and Yamani Paul are hurt. No. 1 Collins Hill rises to the top of the poll following two Top 10 wins over Parkview 81-58 and No. 9 McEachern 62-57. The Panthers (1-1) fall out of the rankings and are replaced by No. 10 Grayson. Double-double machine Jazmin Robinson (Navy track & field signee) has carried the Lady Rams along with Victoria Dames. Grayson scored wins over Class 5A No. 8 Woodland-Stockbridge 65-46 and Class 5A Preseason No. 10 Luella 58-54. In other ranked victories, No. 2 Westlake defeated Stephenson 65-53, No. 4 Brookwood snuck past Class A-Private No. 4 Holy Innocents’ 58-57, No. 5 Hillgrove edged Class A-Private No. 7 Lakeview Academy 64-59 and No. 8 North Forsyth knocked off Class 3A Preseason No. 10 Pace Academy 45-35.

There was a clerical error to open the season in Class AAAAAA. Tucker (0-3) was ranked in the Top 10 without knowledge of all their top players still being suspended from last year’s playoff disqualification. The Tigers have lost their first three games by an average of 44.6 points. They are replaced by No. 10 Glynn Academy. The Red Terrors defeated Ware County 56-47 behind Zoesha Smith’s 38 points and 17 rebounds. Defending state champion No. 1 Lovejoy has rolled so far, winning by an average of 44 points per game, highlighted by a 66-37 dismantling of Campbell, but Region 4 rival No. 2 Forest Park looks like a legitimate title contender after blasting Class 7A Preseason No. 1 Norcross 61-33, No. 6 Stephenson 43-28 and No. 4 Douglas County 42-30. No. 8 Dacula drops four spots after losing to Central Gwinnett 62-56. No. 7 Valdosta climbs three spots following a dominant 68-43 win over Class 2A Preseason No. 1 Josey. No. 3 Northview moves up two spots thanks to a 45-39 win over a shorthanded Class A-Private No. 4 Holy Innocents’.

In Class AAAAA, No. 1 Villa Rica shook off the rust after a close 52-46 win over Heritage-Conyers to beat No. 6 Lithia Springs 75-54 behind Aliyah Hindsman’s 34-point outburst. No. 3 Harris County drilled Dothan (AL) 53-31 as Taziaha Fanning double-doubled with 20 points and 19 rebounds. Decatur (1-2) and Starr’s Mill (0-1) exit the Top 10. The Bulldogs had two tough losses to Class A-Private No. 5 Paideia 56-35 and to No. 8 Woodland-Stockbridge 63-40. The Panthers were dropped by Class 2A No. 9 Douglass 61-49. Into the mix are No. 9 Wayne County and No. 10 Carrollton. The Yellow Jackets beat Brantley County 52-30 to open the season while the Lady Trojans tip off their 2019 campaign against 3-0 Fayette County this Saturday.

No. 2 Carver-Columbus took advantage of an undermanned No. 4 Henry County to earn a 57-45 victory in an early Top 5 showdown in Class AAAA. No. 3 Madison County is up two spots after defeating Mill Creek 76-57. The All-State tandem of Old Dominion-signee Jordan Bailey (35) and Kayla McPherson (33) combined for 68 points. No. 5 Flowery Branch is down two spots after losing to Class 3A No. 4 Dawson County 65-57. Luella (2-1) narrowly slips out of the Top 10 after a 58-54 loss to Class 7A No. 10 Grayson. They are replaced by No. 10 Marist, who scored a pair of Top 10 wins in their opening week by winning at Class 3A Preseason No. 10 Pace Academy 41-32 and at Class A-Private No. 9 Landmark Christian 57-40.

Class AAA Savannah powers No. 1 Johnson-Savannah and No. 2 Beach cruised in their season openers, the Atomsmashers handling Dutchtown 58-31 and the Lady Bulldogs blowing out New Hampstead 68-39. No. 3 Hart County got 27 points from Western Kentucky-signee Torrion Starks and 23 from Nesha Alexander in their 72-50 win at East Hall. No. 4 Dawson County jumps inactive No. 5 Peach County after beating Class 4A No. 5 Flowery Branch 65-57 behind Clemson-signee Kaylee Sticker’s 31 points. Pace Academy (0-3) is a hard luck out after losing to three ranked teams to start the season: 41-32 vs. Class 4A No. 10 Marist, 64-21 vs. Class A-Private No. 1 Wesleyan and 45-35 vs. Class 7A No. 8 North Forsyth. They are replaced by No. 10 Jefferson who rolled Berkmar 70-4.

There is a new No. 1 in Class AA after No. 3 Josey slips two spots following a 68-43 loss to Class 6A No. 7 Valdosta. No. 1 Dodge County will assume the top position as they enter play on Saturday against Class 5A No. 9 Wayne County in their season opener. No. 5 Laney inches closer to the top after beating Grovetown 54-43. No. 7 Fitzgerald defeated Pierce County 62-54 and No. 8 Banks County edged East Hall 47-34. No. 9 Douglass lost 54-53 at Class 7A Marietta but bounced back by knocking Starr’s Mill out of the Class 5A Top 10 with a 61-49 victory.

Two of the three perennial powers in Class A-Private have handled their business with No. 1 Wesleyan beating Pace Academy 64-21 and Sequoyah 66-51 while No. 2 St. Francis kicked off the season with an 84-54 win over Class 3A No. 6 GAC. No. 4 Holy Innocents’ is down a spot after a 0-2 start. The Golden Bears were expected to be a little inexperienced this season but with All-State center Jill Hollingshead and Rachel Suttle unavailable early in the season, the back-to-back state runner-up was unable to get past Class 7A No. 4 Brookwood (58-57) and Class 6A No. 3 Northview (45-39). Once Coach Nichole Dixon can get her cast at full strength, the early season losses could prove valuable in building depth and confidence for her role players and bench come March. No. 5 Paideia is up three spots after winning at Lovett 59-57 and beating Class 5A Preseason No. 8 Decatur 56-35 on the road. No. 9 Landmark Christian tumbles four spots following losses to Class 4A No. 10 Marist 57-40 and Alexander 78-64.

The biggest game in Class A-Public was No. 1 Telfair County stopping evenly matched rival No. 2 Wheeler County for the third straight time dating back to last season, 65-60. Preseason All-State picks Brandy Mackey (25) and India Wells (22) powered the Lady Trojans while the Bulldogs got 27 points from Keyona Mincey in a losing effort.