Category Archives: Girls Basketball

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 1-3

Class AAAAAAA

No. 3 Pebblebrook 86, Newnan 44: Fresh off a win over Norcross, Pebblebrook steamrolled Newnan. Collin Sexton had 25 points and 7 rebounds while Elias Harden finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals. Drue Drinnon posted a 10-point 10-assit double-double. Jared Jones had 6 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocks.

No. 7 Tift County 60, 2ANo. 6 Thomasville 28: The Blue Devils crushed Thomasville for the second time this season. The Bulldogs have no answer for Fred Lloyd and PJ Horne. Lloyd scored 22 and Horne added 21.

Peachtree Ridge 55, 6ANo. 9 Dacula 54: The Lions weathered an early 17-2 deficit to rally back and stun Dacula at home. Caleb Holifield scored 13 and Kris Collins scored 11.

Mountain View 74, Marietta 64: The Bears tied the school-record in wins as they advanced to 13-5 overall. Spencer Rodgers dropped 22 points and Miles Long pitched in 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 South Paulding 70, New Manchester 68: South Paulding escaped a trap game at home, surviving New Manchester. Kane Williams had 25 points and 7 rebounds. Ja’Cori Wilson dumped in 20 points and 12 rebounds. DJ Jackson scored 10 points and Tank Withers added 8 off the bench. Clint Bentley powered New Manchester with 19 points.

No. 5 Heritage-Conyers 92, Alcovy 49: Jordan Thomas scored 17 points and grabbed 3 rebounds to lead the Patriots. Isaiah Banks had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Byron Abrams added 5 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Ryan Clements went for 9 points and 3 rebounds. 13 out of 14 Patriots scored on the night.

No. 8 Brunswick 75, Beach 58: Kymani Dunham had 16 points and 6 blocks to anchor the Pirates inside. Dereck Lampkin scored 13 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Danijah Gammage added 12 points and Daquan Humphreys scored 14.

Harrison 74, Sprayberry 50: Tate Coston (18), Chris Brown (17) and Justin Matthews (15) led a balanced scoring attack. Braxton Peterson added 10 rebounds and 4 blocks.

River Ridge 69, Creekview 68: Destin Exinor’s breakout senior season continued as the hardworking post finished with 22 points. Christopher Williams had 14 points and Noah Fitzgerald scored 11.

Osborne 67, Sequoyah 54: LaTrell Tate pumped in 29 points and 8 rebounds to carry the Cardinals past the Chiefs.

Dalton 64, Northwest Whitfield 62: Luke Shiflett finished with 30 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals in the loss. Caleb Curry had 9 points and 9 rebounds.

Tucker 74, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 43: TreJohn Taylor scored 17 points in the loss.

Class AAAAA

Stockbridge 75, No. 7 Union Grove 67:  Quintus Evans scored 20 points, Kavonte Ivery had 19 and Rae Cox netted 14 to lead the Tigers to an upset.

Flowery Branch 56, Winder-Barrow 43: John Mills poured in 19 points while Blake Coxworth added 13 points and 6 rebounds to help the Falcons recover from a sluggish start. Justin Quick finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks while Brannon Clark tallied 7 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

Lanier 46, Walnut Grove 34: RJ Selman scored 11 points in the loss.

Kell 60, Rome 52: CJ Henderson netted 15 points to lead all Longhorns. Demetris Page had 10 points. Savvon Delgado added 9 and Jahwan Smith scored 8. Cameron Lockett rounded out the scoring with 7 as Kell advanced to 10-3 overall and 4-0 in Region 7 play.

Paulding County 102, East Paulding 95: The Patriots beat East Paulding at their own game behind junior Tyron Summerour’s 32 points and 11 rebounds. Tommy Robinson finished with 13 points and 18 rebounds while Michael Seymour added 10 points and 6 assists.

South Effingham 61, Groves 56: Derrick Newberry and Ryan McGee scored 15 apiece while Amari Gaines added 10 points to help the Mustangs past Groves.

Class AAAA

McIntosh 73, No. 1 Sandy Creek 66: In Peachtree City’s biggest rivalry, Cole Guenther shined, scoring 22 points to stun the Patriots. Joseph Cummings scored 15 points and Chaz Hardin had 13 points and 12 assists in the win while Bruce Carpenter had 8 points.

No. 4 Richmond Academy 64, No. 10 Baldwin 57 OT: Moses Williams (20), DT Stephens (21) and Jason Weaver (10) carried the Musketeers past Baldwin after receiving a Jacobi Wood layup to tie the game and force OT.  The Braves were led by Donte Justice (13) while both Torez Hicks and Brenden Robertson scored 11 apiece.

No. 6 LaGrange 79, Central-Carroll 64: Laperion Perry bounced back with 23 points, 6 assists and 4 steals. Bo Russell had 14 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 9 Perry 68, Crisp County 61: Damion Bagley scored 17 points while Jake Smith added 13. Jabari Rucker chipped in 12 in the win. Crisp County was powered by Quantavious Dean’s 22 points.

Blessed Trinity 55, Westminster 50: Blessed Trinity defended its home court and survived a 13-point night from Paris Howland of Westminster. Mikael Sampson had 10 in the loss. Ben Shappard scored a game-high 23 for the Titans. CJ Abrams added 13. Blessed Trinity went 18-of-23 from the line in the fourth quarter to ice the game.

Sonoraville 69, Pickens 62: Bryce Waters led the Phoenix with 22 points while Wil Walraven (17) and Brad Wilson (13) also contributed. Blake Gorth scored 23 points and 9 rebounds. Hunter Hermann had 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Cartersville 48, Cedartown 44: Jaylon Pugh netted 22 points to lead the Hurricanes past an upset-minded Cedartown group on the road.

Class AAA

No. 1 Westside-Macon 71, Southwest-Macon 63: Westside survived a plucky bunch from Southwest in a crosstown rivalry. Khavon Moore scored 27 points and had 11 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks to lead the Seminoles, helping Westside outscore Southwest 26-16 in the fourth quarter to pull away. Trey Foster scored 14 and had 4 assists and 9 steals and Terric Allen had 12. Samone Reed chipped in 10 points. Southwest was led by Aaron Ridley’s 27 points and Jordan Slocum’s 11.

No. 7 Central-Macon 71, Pike County 51: Antarius McCoy had 17 points to lead the Chargers. Tyrice Paul added 16 points and 9 assists, building off his All-Tournament selection at the Lake City Classic. Kylan Hill had 13 points and 9 rebounds. Wanya Thomas (11) and Dewan Owens (8) both chipped in.

Jackson County 68, Commerce 58: Christian Smith scored 14 points in the win for the Panthers. Tristan Boyer netted 18 in the loss for the Tigers.

North Hall 60, Dawson County 55 OT: The Trojans moved to 10-7 overall on the season after edging the Tigers. Alden Lewallen scored 14 points and Evan Easton had 11 to lead the way.

Hart County 67, East Jackson 64: Zay Clark scored 23 points to lift Hart County. Kobe Haley scored 18 and Jace Bonds netted 17 to lead the Eagles.

Class AA

No. 4 Monticello 67, Oglethorpe County 53: Malik Crawford scored 17 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for the Hurricanes. Matthew Lawson netted a team-high 18 points and Ashton Bonner scored 11.

Elbert County 57, No. 9 Putnam county 40: The Blue Devils upset Putnam County behind AJ James’ 21 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. Five other players finished with 6 points for Elbert County.

Dodge County 69, Northeast-Macon 62: Nick Cummings (20), Demarcus Caines (19) and Demonte Ivey (14) led the way.

Class A-Private

No. 4 St. Francis 63, Fellowship Christian 29: Dwon Odom had 16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals to lead the Knights. CJ Riley scored 11. Wallace Tucker had 8 points. Sean Paradise posted 8 points and 6 rebounds while Chase Ellis notched 4 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists.

No. 5 Aquinas 74, Taliferro County 33: Tre Gomillion went for 31 points, 18 rebounds and 2 blocks in the rout. Trent Bowdre had 11 points and 6 assists. Jelani Shakir added 10 points, 6 assists and 4 steals. Dajuan Hill finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds.

No. 6 Holy Innocents’ 84, Lovett 83 OT: Richard Surdykowski made a putback with 20 seconds left to give the Golden Bears the lead for good.

No. 7 Lakeview Academy 74, Hebron Christian 69: Josh Randolph went for 25 points and 11 rebounds to hold off Hebron Christian. Evan Pitts added 13 points while KJ Millwood and Tre Gober scored 10 apiece.

Class A-Public

Lincoln County 78, Lake Oconee Academy 23: Maciah Gunby fueled the Red Devils with 26 points and 8 assists. Javon Reid posted 16 points and 8 rebounds.            


GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

Lassiter 35, North Paulding 31 OT: Taylor Smith and Grace Karas scored 9 apiece to lift the Trojans. Jordan Isaacs had 15 for North Paulding.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Winder-Barrow 53, 5ANo. 2 Flowery Branch 45: Winder-Barrow finally got its long awaited revenge against Flowery Branch after dropping to them twice earlier in the year. Taniyah Worth did everything she could to carry the Falcons, posting 30 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Lexie Sengkhammee added 10 points. Olivia Nelson-Ododa led the Bulldoggs with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

No. 7 Sequoyah 70, Osborne 39: Alyssa Cagle dropped 19 points to lead all scorers followed by Colby Carden’s 12 points and 7 rebounds.

Dacula 45, Peachtree Ridge 27: Alyssa Criscolo scored a team-high 16 for the Falcons. Kandy Brown added 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. Helena Lee scored 10 points and Chelsey Able finished with 7.

Creekview 41, River Ridge 28: Kennedy Cater led the Grizzlies with 16 points while Allison Luly added 12.

Class AAAAA

No. 4 Griffin 60, Spalding 36: Andeija Puckett hung 22 points and 14 rebounds to power the Bears. TyLeslie Johnson added 9 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 10 McIntosh 49, 4ANo. 8 Sandy Creek 44: Rylee Calhoun paced McIntosh with 17 points. DeLayne Rotolo added 15 and Savannah Soles chipped in 9.

Dutchtown 60, Jones County 39: Asia White scored 18 points in the win.

Cass 57, Woodland-Cartersville 23: Kyla Michienzi scored 17 points and Jana Morning finished with 9 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. Sharia Wade scored 8 and Ayleah Curtis had 7.

Class AAAA

No. 6 Northwest Whitfield 55, Dalton 41: Holly Heath scored a team-high 11 points to lead the Bruins. Nicole Bates, Bria Clemmons and Rylee Maret all scored 8 points. Hallie Brooker tossed in 7.

Pickens 62, Sonoraville 58: Torie Wilson had 15 points while Mykenzie Weaver posted 13 points, 4 assists and 2 steals to lead the Nettes. Mackenzie Hampton netted 8.

Class AAA

No. 1 Beach 60, Brunswick 51: Judasia Hill scored 14 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Madison Evans scored 14 points and Tatiannya Morris had 13 points and 4 steals. Maryanna Page contributed 9 points and 11 rebounds. Ja’Brekia Bass collected 4 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

No. 10 Central-Macon 57, Pike County 47: Jada Clowers finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks to anchor the Chargers. Tyleia Williams went for 16 points and 6 rebounds. JeNya Wilder scored 10 points and collected 4 steals. Jada Jackson hit three three-pointers for 9 points.

Franklin County 63, Morgan County 45: Mya Jones finished with a game-high 26 points while Asia Jones added 25. Ivey Ginn posted a 10-point 10-rebound double-double for the Tigers.

Jackson County 54, Commerce 31: Logan Cook scored a game-high 14 points for the Panthers. Marae Carruth scored 8 for the Tigers.

North Hall 55, Dawson County 44: Abi Chatham and Calli Watson both scored 8 points in the loss.

Class AA

No. 2 Rabun County 71, Stephens County 37: Tessa Matheson finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds. Hallie Reeves pitched in 12 points and 7 steals. Brooke Henricks added 11 points and 8 rebounds.

No. 3 Dodge County 60, Northeast-Macon 21: Tierra Hamilton outscored NE-Macon with her 25-point outburst.

No. 4 Fitzgerald 62, Coffee 43: Shalynn Thornton finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds while Kirstin Crook had 14 points and 5 assists. T’Kayshza King 11 points. Keyara Boone went for 7 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks inside.

No. 7 Dublin 72, Johnson County 39: Alexus Carr and Kesijah Wilcher scored 18 apiece to pace the Irish. Terrionna Rozier netted 14 and Jessica Hollis tossed in 12.

Class A-Private

No. 4 Greenville 68, Schley County 31: Brittany Davis poured in 36 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Class A-Public

No. 5 Woodville-Tompkins 62, PrivateNo. 7 Calvary Day 58: Antalazia Baker had 17 points and 6 steals for the Wolverines. Jazmin Grayson added 12 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 7 Girls Rankings

5 Comments

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Norcross (15-1)
  2. McEachern (9-5)
  3. Collins Hill (13-1)
  4. Mill Creek (14-1)
  5. Archer (11-3)
  6. Newton (10-2)
  7. Brookwood (11-4)
  8. Westlake (10-5)
  9. Lambert (12-2)
  10. Marietta (12-3) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Harrison (11-2)
  2. Winder-Barrow (8-4)
  3. Douglas County (13-2)
  4. Lovejoy (12-2)
  5. Grovetown (10-5)
  6. Stephenson (10-5)
  7. Sequoyah (11-2)
  8. Northview (12-3)
  9. Forest Park (11-4)
  10. Gainesville (8-3) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (11-0)
  2. Flowery Branch (12-2)
  3. Southwest DeKalb (12-4)
  4. Griffin (13-0)
  5. Warner Robins (13-0)
  6. Maynard Jackson (11-1)
  7. Carrollton (11-1)
  8. Villa Rica (12-1)
  9. Harris County (10-2)
  10. McIntosh (10-2) 

Class AAAA

  1. North Oconee (12-2)
  2. Carver-Columbus (13-1)
  3. West Hall (11-4)
  4. Cross Creek (11-4)
  5. Columbus (9-3)
  6. Northwest Whitfield (9-4)
  7. Americus-Sumter (11-2)
  8. Sandy Creek (8-3)
  9. Heritage-Catoosa (14-2)
  10. Henry County (11-5) 

Class AAA

  1. Beach (11-1)
  2. Johnson-Savannah (12-1)
  3. Greater Atlanta Christian (10-4)
  4. Hart County (12-2)
  5. Redan (9-2)
  6. Ringgold (11-4)
  7. Calhoun (12-3)
  8. Haralson County (10-3)
  9. Monroe (9-3)
  10. Central-Macon (8-3) 

Class AA

  1. Laney (12-1)
  2. Rabun County (13-1)
  3. Dodge County (10-2)
  4. Fitzgerald (7-0)
  5. Model (9-4)
  6. Vidalia (9-3)
  7. Dublin (7-3)
  8. Dade County (10-4)
  9. Bryan County (9-2)
  10. Hapeville Charter (9-4) 

Class A-Private

  1. Holy Innocents’ (12-1)
  2. St. Francis (8-4)
  3. Wesleyan (10-2)
  4. Pinecrest Academy (8-2)
  5. Lakeview Academy (11-4)
  6. Landmark Christian (9-3)
  7. Calvary Day (9-2)
  8. Tattnall Square Academy (8-4)
  9. Stratford Academy (8-3)
  10. Christian Heritage (6-4) 

Class A-Public

  1. Pelham (10-0)
  2. Wheeler County (12-1)
  3. Telfair County (10-1)
  4. Greenville (10-2)
  5. Woodville-Tompkins (11-3)
  6. Treutlen (8-3)
  7. Wilcox County (8-4)
  8. Taylor County (8-3)
  9. Macon County (6-3)
  10. Marion County (8-3) 

 

As they did on the boys side, holiday tournaments have tested some of the state’s best girls programs and in the process have both helped and hurt teams’ momentum heading into the heart of region play as the calendar year flips over to January 2017. In Class AAAAAAA, No. 2 McEachern overtakes No. 3 Collins Hill after the Indians went 4-1 in the Sandra Meadows Classic while the Eagles were blown out by national powerhouse Riverdale, TN 73-35 at the State Farm Classic. Mill Creek holds strong at No. 4 and looks like the best non-national team in the state behind the top three who travel all over the country. The Hawks continued to dominate in Georgia, winning the Sweet South Classic with victories over Hapeville Charter 61-49 and Spalding 56-43. Brookwood closed 2016 with authority, winning the Deep South Classic beating three teams that have been ranked over the course of the year in North Forsyth (47-44), Franklin County (66-49) and No. 9 Lambert (55-42). Hillgrove and Colquitt County fall out and are replaced by the Longhorns and first time entry into the Top 10, Marietta. Hillgrove lost to Lambert 53-50 at the Deep South Classic while Colquitt County lost to both Valdosta and Monroe. Marietta scored a 49-39 win over Creekview at the Campbell Holiday Classic before falling to Douglas County 77-58.

Mays has lost five straight games and now sits at 5-7 an unranked in Class AAAAAA. The Raiders have played a difficult schedule, going 0-3 at the SoCal Holiday Prep Classic and will need to regain their footing once they return to Georgia which is more than doable. Lovejoy rises to No. 4 as No. 5 Grovetown slipped against Cross Creek 57-51 at the Monterrey Christmas Classic. No. 3 Douglas County defeated No. 7 Sequoyah at the Campbell Holliday Classic 56-45. The Lady Chiefs also dropped to Creekview 36-33. Joining Mays on the unranked circuit is Jonesboro. The Cardinals finished 1-2 at the Grayson Ram Classic, losing 64-44 to Buford and 37-36 to Rockdale County. No. 9 Forest Park and No. 10 Gainesville crack the poll. Forest Park debuts after a 2-1 showing at the Balln Prep Invitational. The Red Elephants opened the year ranked but quickly fell out. They are back in after a 2-1 Lanierland, beating Chestatee 56-44, losing to West Hall 59-50 and defeating Lakeview Academy 65-55.

Region 8-AAAAA cruised in their respective tournaments with No. 1 Buford going 3-0 at the Grayson Ram Classic and No. 2 Flowery Branch winning Lanierland for the second straight season, beating West Hall 59-50 in the title game. Arabia Mountain stumbled against Spalding 47-37 and beat Hapeville Charter 41-35 but it wasn’t enough to hold off No. 10 McIntosh who makes a Top 10 appearance after winning the Mary Persons Tournament Championship and beating Perry 47-37.

Carver-Columbus is up to No. 2 in Class AAAA after a strong showing at the Balln Prep Invitational, but North Oconee still clings onto No. 1 with a 2-1 trip at the Carolina Invitational. No. 4 Cross Creek knocked off Grovetown 57-51, but West Hall still has the slight advantage over the Razorbacks for the No. 3 spot after beating East Hall (51-39) and Gainesville at Lanierland. Perry and Jefferson don’t survive the final week of 2016. Perry lost to McIntosh while Jefferson went 1-2 at the Carolina Invitational. No. 9 Heritage-Catoosa and No. 10 Henry County climb back into the poll. The Warhawks finished 2-1 at the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational. Keep an eye on unranked Burke County (7-4). The Bears picked up wins over ranked Class A-Private programs Tattnall Square Academy and Stratford Academy at the Tattnall Christmas Tournament. Burke County hosts Cross Creek tomorrow in both teams’ first Region 3 contest of the season.

In AAA, No. 6 Ringgold went 1-2 at the Beech Christmas Tournament while No. 4 Hart County earned two wins at the 9th annual McDonald’s Shootout before falling to Greenville, SC 75-44. Monroe slips three spots following losses to Rickards, FL (51-39) and Colquitt County (67-45). Central-Macon debuts at No. 10. The Lady Chargers are 8-3 coming off a Greenville Classic Championship, beating Class A-Public No. 4 Greenville 48-42.

Class AA has seen No. 5 Model not fully hit their stride yet. They went 1-2 at the Disney KSA event, losing to Pope 49-43 in the process. Dodge County hangs tight at No. 3 after a strong showing at the Volume Hyundai Classic at GSCU, losing in the championship to Class AAAAA No. 6 Maynard Jackson 54-50. No. 4 Fitzgerald moves up two spots and No. 7 Dublin moves up three spots while Heard County drops out after losses to LaGrange 43-37 and Troup County 44-24. No. 9 Bryan County sneaks back in the Top 10 at 9-2.

Holy Innocents’ claims No. 1 in Class A-Private as No. 2 St. Francis hasn’t been as dominant on the national circuit as they were last year, this time losing to Mercer County, KY 77-72. No. 5 Lakeview Academy disappointed at Lanierland going 1-2. They beat North Hall in the opening round 68-54, but were beat by Flowery Branch 70-48 and Gainesville 65-55. Fellowship Christian departs from the rankings after losing to Pickens and Gilmer at the Fannin County Christmas Tournament. No. 9 Stratford Academy jumps into the picture following a 50-34 win over Macon County.

Speaking of Macon County, after skyrocketing up to No. 6 last week in Class A-Public, their first week in the poll, the Bulldogs have dropped three straight and now find themselves at No. 9. They went 0-3 at the Tattnall Square tournament losing to Stratford, Fairview Christian Academy, TN and Carver-Atlanta. No. 2 Wheeler County went to Vidalia and won their tournament, beating the Class AA No. 6 in the process 68-56. Terrell County falls out after a 54-51 loss to Westover. Marion County takes a hold of No. 10.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 6 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Norcross (15-1)
  2. Collins Hill (12-0)
  3. McEachern (5-4)
  4. Mill Creek (11-1)
  5. Archer (9-2)
  6. Westlake (9-3)
  7. Newton (8-1)
  8. Hillgrove (7-4)
  9. Colquitt County (9-2)
  10. Brookwood (8-4) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Harrison (9-1)
  2. Winder-Barrow (8-4)
  3. Douglas County (10-2)
  4. Grovetown (8-4)
  5. Mays (5-4)
  6. Sequoyah (10-0)
  7. Lovejoy (9-2)
  8. Northview (11-1)
  9. Stephenson (8-4)
  10. Jonesboro (7-4) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (8-0)
  2. Flowery Branch (9-2)
  3. Southwest DeKalb (10-3)
  4. Griffin (13-0)
  5. Warner Robins (13-0)
  6. Carrollton (9-0)
  7. Maynard Jackson (9-1)
  8. Villa Rica (11-1)
  9. Arabia Mountain (9-0)
  10. Harris County (10-2) 

Class AAAA

  1. North Oconee (10-1)
  2. West Hall (9-3)
  3. Carver-Columbus (11-1)
  4. Cross Creek (8-4)
  5. Columbus (7-2)
  6. Northwest Whitfield (7-3)
  7. Sandy Creek (7-1)
  8. Jefferson (8-3)
  9. Perry (10-2)
  10. Americus-Sumter (8-2) 

Class AAA

  1. Beach (11-1)
  2. Johnson-Savannah (12-1)
  3. Greater Atlanta Christian (10-4)
  4. Ringgold (10-2)
  5. Hart County (10-1)
  6. Monroe (8-1)
  7. Redan (8-2)
  8. Calhoun (11-3)
  9. Franklin County (8-2)
  10. Haralson County (8-3) 

Class AA

  1. Laney (9-1)
  2. Model (8-2)
  3. Dodge County (8-1)
  4. Rabun County (11-1)
  5. Vidalia (8-1)
  6. Fitzgerald (6-0)
  7. Heard County (10-2)
  8. Dade County (10-3)
  9. Hapeville Charter (8-2)
  10. Dublin (5-2)

Class A-Private

  1. St. Francis (8-3)
  2. Holy Innocents’ (9-1)
  3. Wesleyan (10-2)
  4. Lakeview Academy (10-2)
  5. Pinecrest Academy (8-2)
  6. Landmark Christian (9-3)
  7. Calvary Day (9-2)
  8. Fellowship Christian (5-3)
  9. Christian Heritage (6-4)
  10. Tattnall Square Academy (6-3) 

Class A-Public

  1. Pelham (10-0)
  2. Wheeler County (9-1)
  3. Greenville (9-1)
  4. Telfair County (9-1)
  5. Woodville-Tompkins (10-3)
  6. Macon County (6-0)
  7. Treutlen (7-3)
  8. Taylor County (7-2)
  9. Terrell County (6-2)
  10. Wilcox County (7-4)

 

Over in South Carolina, the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational was as good as it gets with a handful of Georgia powers in attendance. One of those state championship favorites was Class AAAAAAA No. 1 Norcross, who went 3-1 with their lone loss coming to eventual tournament champion Monacan, VA 58-57.  Along the way the Lady Blue Devils knocked off Wesleyan 58-53. Back in Georgia, No. 6 Westlake and No. 9 Colquitt County were tested at the Peach State Classic. The Lions went 2-1 with a win over Colquitt 45-42. The Packets finished 1-2 with losses to Southwest DeKalb and Westlake. Lambert and Camden County drop out. The Wildcats shouldn’t have been ranked last week as there was an error on MaxPreps saying they beat Calvary Day when they actually lost 48-41. Replacing Camden County is No. 8 Hillgrove. The record isn’t sexy, but the Hawks have played a tough non-region schedule and head into a stingy Deep South Classic field with host No. 10 Brookwood, who reappears in the poll after a 55-46 victory over Lambert. The Broncos draw North Forsyth in Round 1 of the tournament, a great matchup between two Top 10 worthy squads.

The Olivia Nelson-Ododa tour went to the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational and nearly captured the championship. Class AAAAAA No. 2 Winder-Barrow went 3-1, beating Wesleyan 65-60 and falling to Monacan in the finals 54-49. In the loss Nelson-Ododa finished with 16 points and 22 rebounds. In Region 5 play, No. 3 Douglas County held off No. 5 Mays at Mays 67-60. Mays holds firm at No. 5 even with the loss due to strength of schedule. The two square off again on January 7. Stephenson leaps Jonesboro for No. 9 in the state after the Cardinals were tripped up by Holy Innocents’ 53-39 at the War Eagle Classic.

Class AAAAA is shaping up to be tons of fun with No. 1 Buford as the early favorite. They crushed Morgan County 74-17 heading into the holiday break. Southwest DeKalb jumps Griffin for No. 3 in the state. The Panthers won the Peach State Classic beating Tucker (52-46), Colquitt County (60-51) and No. 7 Maynard Jackson 72-58 in the title game. Jackson moves up after beating Westlake 46-38. The Jaguars likely would have been ranked much higher to start the year if I knew that Southwest Atlanta Christian’s two best seniors (6-foot-5 Dominique Banks & 5-foot-7 Tiamya Butler) had transferred to Jackson. In effect, SACA would have never been ranked to open the year. No. 5 Warner Robins hosts No. 10 Harris County on January 6.

It’s now nine straight wins for No. 2 West Hall heading into Lanierland. The Spartans won the Holidays on the Hardwood Championship in North Carolina over Cherokee, NC 76-71. No. 3 Carver-Columbus pounded No. 5 Columbus 69-53, dropping them three spots in the Class AAAA poll. Heritage-Catoosa departs the rankings after a 60-45 loss to Ringgold and is replaced by No. 10 Americus-Sumter, who drilled Monroe 61-40 at the Phoebe Sumter Shootout, the Tornadoes first loss of the year.

No. 1 Beach and No. 2 Johnson-Savannah will battle for Region 3-AAA supremacy all season long and even though it wasn’t a region game, it was Beach’s turn to stun the Atomsmashers. The Bulldogs won the Memorial Health Holiday Classic Championship in overtime 62-56 just six days after losing 45-42 on a buzzer beater to Johnson. The Bulldogs take ahold of No. 1 and will see Johnson for the third time on January 27. No. 4 Ringgold had a strong week, beating Christian Heritage 56-37 and Heritage-Catoosa, their rival, 60-45. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe drops out after losing to Heritage-Catoosa 68-43. Replacing them is No. 10 Haralson County, who knocked Pepperell out of the AA poll with a 60-39 victory.

No. 2 Model is starting to heat up in Class AA, beating Darlington 56-47 and Rome 60-54. Dodge County leaps Rabun County for No. 3 due to more resume building wins, their most recent coming at Wayne County 50-45. Bryan County and Pepperell exit the Top 10. Bryan County was upset by Long County while the Dragons have dropped three straight by double digits. Entering is No. 9 Hapeville Charter and No. 10 Dublin. The Hornets have some sting and are a team to keep an eye on with a High Major player leading the way.

There’s shuffling along the top of Class A-Private with St. Francis reclaiming No. 1 even after two losses at the Nike Tournament of Champions. The Knights have played the toughest schedule in the state and are still a force in Georgia. Holy Innocents’ climbs up to No. 2 after a clean week with a win over Jonesboro. Wesleyan went 2-2 at the CresCom Invitational, their only two losses coming to GHSA opponents in Winder-Barrow and Norcross. Darlington has lost two in a row and is out of the rankings, replaced by No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy.

No. 1 Pelham is a monster in Class A-Public, beating Tift County 40-38 just to show their dominance from the state’s smallest classification. Below Pelham there were some state-changing results. Wheeler County jumps up two spots to No. 2 following No. 3 Greenville and No. 9 Terrell County’s losses. Greenville was upset by Cook 73-71, but rebounded with an 81-75 win over Turner County, knocking the Rebels from the poll.  Terrell County lost to Taylor County 49-41; not a terrible result at first glance. But the Greenwave fall six spots to No. 9 and Taylor County drops two spots to No. 8 after the Vikings were demolished by No. 6 Macon County 67-35, who debuts in the Top 10. The Bulldogs are officially a problem led by junior Jasmine Larry who is posting 23.4 points, 5.8 assists and 5.8 steals per game. Ranking just ahead of the ‘Dogs is Woodville-Tompkins. They defeated Calvary Day 49-47. Treutlen holds at No. 7 after a 64-59 win over No. 10 Wilcox County and a 64-62 loss to No. 4 Telfair County.

GHSA, Girls Basketball

Early Season Surprise Hot Starts (Girls)

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Class AAAAAAA

No. 4 Mill Creek (11-1)
2015-16: 13-15

Mill Creek has forced its way into the conversation as a dangerous team come state tournament time. It will be a two-team race in Region 6 between the Hawks and No. 2 Collins Hill. Though beating the Eagles will be a difficult task, Mill Creek can hang its hat on a handful of strong out-of-region victories highlighted by wins over Class AAAA No. 4 West Hall (43-35), South Forsyth (71-50) and No. 5 Archer (61-51). Seniors Morgan Simmons, Wynter Webb and Kim Forbes along with junior Bridget Mukasa and sophomore Kayla Mulkey compose a potent core for Coach Ashley Phillips. Simmons has more than doubled her scoring output this year, netting over 16 points per game.

Class AAAAAA

Lanier (10-2)
2015-16: 10-17

The Longhorns have already matched last year’s win total with over half of the season remaining. Junior Jamyah Montissol has blossomed into a player to keep an eye on. She leads Lanier with 14.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2 steals per game. She is joined by junior Bailey Bassette who is averaging 11.6 points and 3.5 steals. Lanier is a young team with their top seven scorers all set to return next season. Only Angela Raez logs important minutes as a senior. Sophomores Kalen Surles (9.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.3 apg, 3.8 spg) and Mekala Fuller (8.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3 apg, 2.3 spg) are two pieces Coach Oji Perkins can build around for the long haul.

Class AAAAA

Ware County (8-0)
2015-16: 13-12 

Ware County is a sneaky team in South Georgia with designs on earning a high seed out of Region 2. While Wayne County is the favorite to win the region, the Gators led by sophomore Mataea Boyd could cause some problems. She averages 13.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 steals to pace Ware County whose best win has come against Swainsboro, 49-44. Second in command is 6-foot junior Shondell Vickers who is posting 10.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.

Class AAAA

No. 7 Sandy Creek (7-1)
2015-16: 9-16 

Coach Janie Hodges has come in from Scotland, NC and has proceeded to turn the Lady Patriots around, leading them to a Top 10 ranking in Class AAAA. Sandy Creek’s only loss has come to Class AAAAA No. 7 Villa Rica at the SMI Classic, 67-65. Wins over Marietta (66-65), Hapeville Charter (49-46) and Greenville, SC (66-64) headline the Patriots’ resume and ability to win the close game. Seniors Shanquaylia Stanton, Kasey Toles and Morghan Currie lead the charge with freshman Daija Powell providing a massive lift. Stanton averages 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.6 steals while Toles pitches in 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals. Currie brings a rebounding presence to the table, averaging 9.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals. Powell has a good four years ahead of her. The rookie is posting 11.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks inside.

Class AAA

No. 10 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (10-3)
2015-16: 9-18 

Wins at No. 8 Calhoun (60-50) and Haralson County (61-54) have cemented the Warriors as a threat in Region 6. Senior Jazzmyn Elston and sophomore Macey Gregg power the offense of a team which has already surpassed last year’s win total. Elston is averaging 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.7 steals while Gregg goes for 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.8 steals. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe currently resides atop the region at 5-0 in one of Class AAA’s toughest groupings in the state.

Class AA

Hapeville Charter (8-2)
2015-16: 12-14 

6-foot guard Shekinah Howard has sparked Hapeville Charter in Region 6. Howard has received interest from High Major schools with North Carolina State the latest to check her out. She is averaging 17.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Seniors Gayla Bostic and Taylor Barnett flank her on the attack. Bostic posts 9.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks inside while Barnett chips in 7 points and 5.1 assists. The Hornets’ exceptional size has harassed opponents. 5-foot-11 senior Jada Neal is averaging 4.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.5 blocks while 6-foot-2 freshman Cristany Price is averaging 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. Freshman guard Simone Rowland has brought defense to the perimeter tallying 2.9 steals per game with her 6.1 points. They face a major test on Dec. 28 as the Hornets play Class AAAAAAA No. 4 Mill Creek at the Sweet South Classic.

Class A-Private

Whitefield Academy (6-2)
2015-16: 5-20 

The extreme quality might not be there yet, but the quantity of wins is as Whitefield Academy has already topped last season’s total. The Wolfpack face an uphill climb to make the state playoffs as No. 2 St. Francis, No. 6 Pinecrest Academy, No. 8 Darlington and No. 9 Fellowship Christian all reside in Region 6.

Class A-Public

Johnson County (4-2)
2015-16: 7-20

The win-well could dry up at any moment, but for now the Trojans are off to a solid start. Junior Lexus Wright is averaging 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds while sophomores Shonnetria Ervin (8 ppg) and Janaya Hawkins (6.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg) have helped the cause.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 12-20

BOYS 

Class AAAAAAA

Hudson Catholic, NJ 65, No. 4 Pebblebrook 51: Jahvon Quinerly scored 23 and Luther Muhammad had 16 to lead Hudson Catholic at City of Palms. Collin Sexton scored 22 points for Pebblebrook while Drue Drinnon added 12.

Forsyth Central 55, Blessed Trinity 52: At the Keller Williams Christmas Classic, CJ Smith scored 19 points and dished out 3 assists as the Bulldogs took down Blessed Trinity. Ethan Hester posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Grant Cloud had 6 points and 6 assists.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Jonesboro 65, Neumann Goretti, PA 53: MJ Walker continued to shine on the big stage of City of Palms, netting 32 points. Brandon Walker scored 15 and Jaylon Terrell added 10.

No. 5 Brunswick 66, Vidalia 31: Jalen Jackson scored 13 points for the Pirates. Marcus Scott chipped in 12.

Douglas County 58, Mays 52: Malik Battle scored 16 points and Rodney Lewis had 15 as the Tigers overcame a 21-point Reo Wright night. Clayvon Croom finished with 13 for the Raiders while Horace Wyatt had 8.

River Ridge 54, North Forsyth 43: Destin Exinor had 22 points as River Ridge edged the Raiders.

Forest Park 70, Woodward Academy 62: Sandy’s Spiel Under The Radar Senior Avery Wilson poured in 44 points to carry the Panthers.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 60, 3ANo. 3 Cedar Grove 45: Cedar Grove completed it’s rough two-day stretch at the War Eagle Classic, losing twice. Buford was led by David Viti’s 18 points and 8 rebounds and Marcus Watson’s 16 points and 9 rebounds. Alex Jones finished with 8 points and 7 assists. Jamari Dean led the Saints with 13.

No. 7 Warner Robins 70, Bleckley County 58: Nelson Phillips finished with 25 points and Jacolbey Owens tossed in 14. Bleckley County was led by Dontavian Harris’ 15 points, DJ Lemmon’s 13 and Torenio Davis’ 12.

Flowery Branch 57, Woodstock 56: The Falcons held off the Wolverines at the Keller Williams Christmas Classic at North Forsyth. Blake Coxworth hit Brannon Clark on a back cut with 19 seconds left to take the lead for good. Clark scored 14 to pace the Falcons while Coxworth added 12 and Caleb Murphy scored 11. John Mills chipped in 9. Woodstock was led by Tyreke Johnson’s 25; 22 in the first half. Dylin Hardeman added 12 and Noah Frith posted 11.

Loganville 69, Ola 67: Jamar Moore broke out with 17 points, 20 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 1 block.

Walnut Grove 53, Jackson County 47: Jailen Robinson scored 16 points to pace Walnut Grove. RJ Selman added 12.

Wayne County 58, Dodge County 57: Nick Cummings scored 20 points and RJ Carr added 11 but it wasn’t enough for the Indians to earn a road win.

Class AAAA

No. 2 Upson-Lee 54, Northside-Warner Robins 46: Tye Fagan’s scoring binge rolled on as he sliced and diced his way to 25 points. Travon Walker went for another double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 3 LaGrange 52, Centennial 38: Laperion Perry scored 19 points while Bryan Fanning posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 4 Eastside 68, West Laurens 46: Eastside bounced back from a heartbreaking overtime loss to Class AAA No. 2 Central-Macon at the State Bank Classic at Jones County High School by dispatching of West Laurens. Keiodre Perry netted 18 points while Desmeontay Dyer had 20 and TJ Bush added 14.

Salem 50, No. 6 Westover 47: The Patriots couldn’t overcome 26 turnovers. Kris Gardner finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Jordan “Snow” Brown had 10 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

Henry County 82, 2ANo. 5 Monticello 72: The Warhawks held off Monticello to win the Chuck Miller Classic Championship. Damion Rosser finished with 36 points.

Shaw 80, Hardaway 44: Chris Hicks scored 21 points, Larrie Scott and Devan Porter-Wilson both had 12 and Lincoln Smith added 10 in the Raider victory.

McMinn County, TN 72, Northwest Whitfield 66: The Bruins couldn’t hold onto a 46-42 halftime lead at the North Murray Mistletoe Madness Tournament. Luke Shiflett finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Grant Terrell added 13 points and Paxton Pardee tallied 10 points and 5 assists.

Marist 62, East Jackson 55: Kobe Haley finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in a loss at the Lovett Classic.

Class AAA

No. 2 Central-Macon 85, Jones County 76: Antarius McCoy finished with 21 points and 8 rebounds to advance to the State Bank Classic Championship against Class AAAAA No. 7 Warner Robins. Wanya Thomas netted 15 points and Tyrice Paul pitched in 13 points and 5 assists.

No. 5 Greater Atlanta Christian 61, 4ANo. 8 St. Pius 58 OT: Charlie O’Briant had 17 points. Hunter McIntosh scored 12 with a game-tying three with under a minute left in regulation to force overtime.

No. 9 Calhoun 67, Rome 66 2OT: Calhoun used double overtime to stay undefeated and advance to the championship of the Rome News-Tribune Festival at Georgia Highlands where they will face Class A-Private No. 9 Darlington. Malik Lawrence scored 20 points and sent the game to double overtime with a three as time expired. Kaylan Aker continued his steady work with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Chapin Rierson totaled 17 points and 8 boards.

Lovett 68, Wesleyan 60: Ryan Greer dropped in 26 points and Nick Jackson tossed in 15 to help the Lions win their third straight game.

Sonoraville 66, Murray County 34: The Phoenix got hot from three to earn their eighth win of the year. Brad Wilson scored 21 points off seven threes, Casey Brooks hit four for 12 points and Trent Daniel knocked in three for 11 points for a team-record 16 threes.

Westminster 55, Mary Persons 53: Cam Holden poured in 29 points but it wasn’t enough to knock off Westminster at the War Eagle Classic. Ajay Manocha led the Wildcats with 14 points.

Class AA

No. 10 Putnam County 105, Rabun County 95: Putnam County debuted its new Top 10 ranking in style as Carl Johnson exploded for 46 points (12 threes) and in the process netted the 1,000th point of his career. D’Mario Reid added 23 points and 8 rebounds. For Rabun County, Bailey Fisher went for 39 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

Hapeville Charter 56, Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 39: Jamaure Ezzard scored a game-high 19 points to help Hapeville Charter over Mt. Vernon Presbyterian at the War Eagle Classic. John Traurig had 15 points for the Mustangs.

Class A-Private

No. 2 St. Francis 85, Milton 81: Duke-signee Alex O’Connell poured in 49 points, but Milton’s disappointing season continued. St. Francis’ youth carried the Knights. Sophomore CJ Riley had 28 points. Freshmen Chase Ellis and Dwon Odom both had huge nights. Ellis finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds while Odom went for 19 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals.

No. 8 Holy Innocents’ 65, Decatur 58: Cole Smith scored a team-high 20 points to power the Golden Bears at the War Eagle Classic. Decatur was led by Chalin Hippe’s 14 points and Terrill Hall and Antonio Myrick’s 13 apiece.

Class A-Public

No. 1 Calhoun County 69, Manchester 53: Rashun Williams posted 30 points as the Cougars crunched a fading Manchester team. 


GIRLS 

Class AAAAAAA

Monacan, VA 58, No. 1 Norcross 57: The Lady Blue Devils suffered their first loss of the season at the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational. Vanessa Blagmon scored a game-high 25 points and added 8 rebounds. Tionna Carter and Tehya Lyons both added 8 points. Monacan got 22 points and 5 rebounds from Megan Walker.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Winder-Barrow 65, 1ANo. 1 Wesleyan 60: At the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational, Olivia Nelson-Ododa posted 27 points and 7 rebounds to carry the Lady Bulldoggs over Wesleyan, the Wolves’ first loss of the year. Latrice Perkins added 14, Lexi Maddox 11 and Chellia Watson 10 points. Wesleyan received 24 points and 10 rebounds from Mikayla Coombs. Amaya Register and Jameson Kavel both scored 9 points while Sutton West added 8.

No. 3 Douglas County 67, No. 5 Mays 60: In Region 5’s Top 5 showdown, Douglas County used Arsula Clark’s 26 points to win on the road. Kamiyah Street dropped a game-high 30 for Mays.

Class AAAAA

No. 3 Griffin 61, Decatur 31: Andeija Puckett scored 13 points and Niavanni Flowers added 10 as the Bears rolled at the War Eagle Classic. Decatur was led by Taylor Jones’ 14 points.

No. 5 Warner Robins 78, Chestatee 29: 13-0 Chestatee met 11-0 Warner Robins at the Jones County Christmas tournament. The Demonettes pounded the War Eagles as Chestatee’s inflated record due to a weak schedule was exposed. Victoria Brown scored 14 points and dished out 5 assists. Le’Terria Mathis scored 14 points. Kezia Holmes added 11 points and 2 blocks. Shynia Jackson flirted with a double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds. Courtney Walker chipped in 11 points while Jordan Thomas (8) and Kishara Howard (5) also pitched in.

No. 7 Villa Rica 65, Cedartown 40: Deasia Merrill posted 18 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Jaila Orozco double-doubled with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Alexia Cooley scored 8 points and Tamya Windom had 7.

Class AAAA

Ridgeland 48, Trion 35: Sarah Meadows dropped in 24 points to power Ridgeland at Trion.

Class AAA

No. 8 Calhoun 89, Armuchee 54: Jana Johns led the Yellow Jackets with 23 points and 9 steals. Ashlyn Barnes added 16 points while Ryan Brzozoski (15) and Cassie Henderson (13) both cracked double figures.

Central-Macon 52, Jones County 22: JeNya Wilder had 20 points and 12 rebounds while Tyleia Williams had 13 points and 9 boards as the Lady Chargers advanced to the championship of the State Bank Classic.

Class AA

No. 3 Rabun County 87, Putnam County 46: 12 different players scored for Coach DeeDee Dillard while Putnam County’s nightmare season continued. Tessa Matheson scored 15 points to pace the Wildcats. Brooke Henricks and Jaden Quilliams both scored 14. Georgia Stockton added 10.

No. 4 Dodge County 50, Wayne County 45: Europe Brown scored 12 points and Jurnee Powell finished with 10 as the Indians advanced to 8-1.

Class A-Private

No. 3 Holy Innocents’ 60, LaGrange 30: Kaila Hubbard scored a game-high 20 points followed by Khayla Pointer’s 13 at the War Eagle Classic.