Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 2 Fayette County sweeps No. 2 Sandy Creek behind 14 threes; Richard second half heroics

5ANo. 2 Fayette County 72, 4ANo. 2 Sandy Creek 71

TJ Bickerstaff free throw

Since picking up their first win of the year back on November 13th at Sandy Creek 74-66, road bumps have been few and far between for Class 5A No. 2 Fayette County (14-2). On Friday night, the Tigers had a chance to earn a season sweep of their cross-town rival Class 4A No. 2 Sandy Creek (10-3) in front of a nearly packed house. The game started and ended with star forward TJ Bickerstaff at the foul line.

The Patriots got off to a quick start, leading before a second even ticked off the clock as Drexel-signee TJ Bickerstaff sank two technical free throws after Fayette County was T’d up during warmups. The Patriots led 8-1 with 6-foot-8 sophomore Jabari Smith using a soft jump hook around the rim, but Fayette County regained their composure with 6-foot-4 senior point guard Terrell Bradley – back from an early season suspension – getting into the paint and finishing.

Coach Jon-Michael Nickerson turned to his bench early and inserted 6-foot-5 sophomore Deshon Proctor into the game, who paid dividends right away with six first quarter points including a slam off a Bickerstaff assist with 1:40 left to play to give Sandy Creek a 16-13 edge.

Twenty seconds later however, Bickerstaff would pick up his second foul and head to the bench.

At the end of one, Sandy Creek led 18-16 after Kingston Calhoun knocked down a three with 37 seconds left from Bradley to slice into the lead.

Bickerstaff checked back into the game at the 6:38 mark before picking up his third foul just 17 seconds later and he would check out with 5:55 on the clock and sit the rest of the half with his Patriots leading 20-19.

Fayette County went on a 5-0 spurt with Bickerstaff benched, JeKobe Coleman drilling his third three of the game as the Tigers picked apart the Patriot zone.

The Tigers had another 6-0 mini-run sparked by Joshua Dupree, who chased down a layup attempt on the fast break to pin it on the backboard then trailed the play heading the other way as Bradley found him open for a transition three to make it 29-25 before Ricky Knight Jr. cashed in on his own three to push the lead to 32-25 with 1:43 left in the second quarter.

Like a game of tug of war, it was Sandy Creek’s turn to pull on the rope as Julian Alexander and Smith scored late to trim the deficit to 34-32 heading into halftime.

The Patriots scored the first four points of the second half to nudge ahead 36-34, but at the 6:23 mark Bickerstaff was whistled for his fourth foul on a charge and was banished back to the bench.

The depth and the well-rounded play of Sandy Creek shined in Bickerstaff’s absence as Proctor continued to pose a problem for the guard-oriented lineup of Fayette County, receiving a dish from Alexander and powering home a two-handed flush to give the Patriots some cushion with 5 minutes to play in the third quarter now up 42-36.

Just when it looked like Sandy Creek would gain separation, Fayette County’s three-point barrage started to bomb from deep. The Tigers went on an 8-0 run with Knight hitting back-to-back threes in the right corner to give Fayette County a 44-42 lead at the 3:34 mark.

With the Patriot zone now concerned about the outside shooting of Fayette County – the Tigers hitting 14 threes on the night – the middle of the zone was wide open for 6-foot-4 sophomore William Richard to score two of his 16 second half points up close.

Sandy Creek responded on offense with Alexander scoring six of his 12 points in the quarter and Keith Williams III breaking loose for eight points, nailing two threes. The Patriots finished with a flurry as Proctor banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer to give Sandy Creek a 57-52 lead after three quarters with their star player having played less than 10 minutes.

Bickerstaff re-entered the game at the 6:50 mark and immediately demanded the ball on a post-up and went to the line where he split a pair of free throws.

Following a scoreless first half, Richard netted eight points including two threes as Fayette County regained the lead with 5:05 to play, 65-63.

Back and forth the two rivals went over the final five minutes.

Sandy Creek got a third dunk from Proctor as the Patriots moved ahead 69-68 at the 3:05 mark.

Trying to nurse a one-point lead with less than two minutes to play, Alexander’s cross court pass was intercepted by Knight and finished on the other end to give the Tigers a 70-69 lead with 1:33 to play.

The Patriots responded by dumping it down low to Bickerstaff who made a strong move toward the middle of the paint to take back a 71-70 lead with 1:12 remaining.

On the other end, Richard scored his 16th and final point off the bench to give Fayette County the lead for good with less than a minute to play.

The Patriots got a bad look at the basket with 28.1 seconds left and had to foul twice to send Coleman to the line. The three-point sniper missed the front end of the one-and-one and gave the ball back to Sandy Creek now with 17.5 left on the clock.

Sandy Creek drove and dropped off to Proctor who was body-checked but no whistle came. The ball squirted loose and in a wild scramble the Patriots temporarily regained possession before a kickball was called and Sandy Creek had the ball out of bounds with 5.6 seconds remaining.

Coach Nickerson got the ball into the hands of Bickerstaff who drew a foul and was sent to the line for two free throws with 1.8 seconds left on the clock. Bickerstaff missed the first and after a timeout, missed the second as the Tigers held on in dramatic fashion to sweep the season series.

My Take

Friday night was one of the best games of the season. The largest lead of the game was seven points for both teams while there were too many lead changes to keep up with. Fayette County is the real deal in Class 5A and a legitimate state title contender with how they shoot the three. They banged in 14 threes and destroyed the Patriots zone. Fayette County’s guards are interchangeable with everyone standing between 6-foot-0 and 6-foot-4 and all able to stroke the deep ball as five players connected from distance. 6-foot-4 senior point guard Terrell Bradley has found his groove after serving his suspension. He’s got great size for the lead guard position and has a nice touch when whipping the ball inside. His length even led to three blocked shots. Fayette County might not have one sure-fire D-I prospect but they have a ton of mouth-watering D-II and JUCO options that can help programs quickly. 6-foot-3 senior Josh Dupree is a bouncy glue guy that can affect the game on both ends, 6-foot junior JeKobe Coleman is a lethal three-point shooter along with 6-foot-2 senior Ricky Knights Jr., both canning five three-pointers. The biggest difference maker however was 6-foot-4 sophomore William Richard who came off the bench and scored all 16 of his points in the second half. Richard doesn’t really have a position, but he plays anywhere from three through five for Coach Andre Flynn. His activity on the glass, his soft touch inside and his ability to step outside and hit the three makes him the perfect compliment in the Tigers’ guard-oriented lineup. Fayette County has the talent to run the table the rest of the regular season and position themselves for a deep run in Class 5A.

In the loss, there were good takeaways for Sandy Creek. Their depth was key with 6-foot-5 sophomore Deshon Proctor leading the way with 15 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. He is a man-child inside with his strength and he looked a lot more comfortable playing around the basket than he did in the summer. Similar to Proctor is 6-foot-8 sophomore Jabari Smith who looked like a completely different player than when I last saw him at Carrollton over the summer months. Smith showed toughness with his slender frame, playing with his back to the basket. He scored on a pretty baby hook to ignite his night and showed that he could put the ball on the floor and hit the three. His five blocked shots around the rim were key as well. Smith has a high ceiling with his skillset and it was nice to see him not fall in love with his guard skills and stand on the three-point line. 6-foot-3 senior Julian Alexander had a nice spurt in the third quarter but went scoreless in the fourth. He’s a solid all-around scorer that should be in the mix for D-II schools. Junior guard Keith Williams III had a quiet first half but he had an important eight-point stretch in the third quarter. It was a nightmarish night for Drexel-signee TJ Bickerstaff who could never find a flow in the game. With foul trouble hampering his play, he had a chance to save the day at the end but it wasn’t in the cards. I was surprised with how much zone Sandy Creek played against such a potent outside shooting team. The Patriots had some weak close outs and a few mental breakdowns on rotations which hurt them.

Top Performers

Fayette County
Ricky Knight Jr. – 22 points (5 threes), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
JeKobe Coleman – 17 points (5 threes), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
William Richard – 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Terrell Bradley – 8 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks

Sandy Creek
Deshon Proctor – 15 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Jabari Smith – 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 block
Julian Alexander – 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Keith Williams III – 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
TJ Bickerstaff – 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Record-breaking 18 threes shoot No. 5 Chattahoochee past Cambridge

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No. 5 Chattahoochee 98, Cambridge 84

Chattahoochee vs. Cambridge basketball

Winners of five-straight heading into Thursday’s crucial Region 7-AAAAAA showdown, No. 5 Chattahoochee (13-3, 5-2) entered play as possibly Class 6A’s hottest team, debuting in the Top 10 after clawing their way to a Blue Bracket Championship at the Tournament of Champions last week. Cambridge (10-6, 6-2) made the 9-mile drive from Milton to Alpharetta with something to prove after getting ran out of the gym and the state rankings two weeks ago by No. 7 Sequoyah 109-80.

In an up-for-grabs region, both teams came out hot trading blows to start with UGA Head Coach Tom Crean in attendance. There were hardly any whistles or stoppages in play as the game fluidly saw Chattahoochee hold a slim 13-12 lead to start before the Cougars embarked on a historic night.

AJ White hit one of his seven threes to give Chattahoochee a 19-14 lead.

Cam Sheffield followed up with a three of his own before Grant Van Beveren scored inside for Chattahoochee’s final hoop of the quarter as the Cougars led 24-19 after one.

In the first quarter alone, the Cougars nailed six threes – a foreboding sign as Chattahoochee would burry a school-record 18 threes on the night.

Cambridge tried to play a 1-3-1 zone to start the second quarter but poor rotations led to even more open shooters as Chattahoochee grew their lead to 32-22.

Star sophomore Matt Cleveland glided his way to the basket for two of his 12 first half points, but the Cougars still led 35-26.

The onslaught continued as the Cougars pulled away.

White and Franklin Bailey went back-to-back from deep to make it a 43-26 game at the 3:26 mark. At the half Chattahoochee held a commanding 53-36 lead, knocking down 13 threes as Sheffield (18), White (17) and Bailey (12) all reached double figures and combined for all 13 trifectas.

Tired of peppering the Bears from beyond the arc, Coach Chris Short began to pound it inside to Van Beveren where Cambridge had no defensive answers either. The 6-foot-6 senior scored eight quick points and pushed the lead to 70-44 with 2:43 left in the third. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Cougars led 74-52 behind 16 three-pointers.

Bryce Boutelle tried to spark Cambridge with consecutive threes, scoring 11 of his 21 points in the final frame but the hole was too deep to climb out of. The Bears turned over the Cougars with their press and trimmed the lead to 80-66 with 4:28 remaining, but Chattahoochee would answer as Van Beveren closed the door on a comeback with nine points down the stretch.

Bailey hit Chattahoochee’s final three-ball of the night to extend the lead to 91-72 before coasting to a dominant 98-84 rout at home.

My Take

I got to witness Chattahoochee at their absolute best. When they are hitting threes like they did last night they are tough to beat, but even with 18 made threes they did only win by 14 points. The Cougars are heavily reliant on the perimeter shot. AJ White has to be in the discussion for best pound-for-pound scoring point guard in the 2021 class. He never shies away from an open look and he was nearly automatic tonight, nailing 7 threes and scoring 25 points. Just like a lot of great guards around the state, his biggest deterrent come recruitment time will be his 5-foot-8 height. Someone who doesn’t have a problem with size is 6-foot-6 junior wing Cam Sheffield. He’s a good-looking D-I prospect that can hit the long ball (5 threes) but also put the ball on the deck and get to the hoop. He had 26 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. I highlighted junior shooting guard Franklin Bailey back in May at SportalSlam and he has carried his sharpshooting momentum into the high school season. Bailey is a one-dimensional player right now, but he is dang good at that dimension, sinking 6 threes to finish with 18 points. Bailey is a lethal floor stretcher that has burned opponents that have decided to key in on slowing down White and Sheffield and have neglected to find Bailey on the three-point line. Bailey can be a streaky shooter however and if he is cold that is when Grant Van Beveren is possibly the most important piece for the Cougars. With the amount of three-pointers attempted and made by the Cougars, it’s amazing to realize the 6-foot-6 senior was still able to dominate when he touched the ball, posting an efficient 23 points and 11 rebounds. Van Beveren is a workhorse that does the dirty work inside for Chattahoochee. His ability to score with his back to the basket and rebound at a high clip is what makes the Cougars more than just a jump shot loving team. My concern with Chattahoochee is their extreme lack of depth. Out of their 98 points scored, 92 of them came from Sheffield (26), White (25), Van Beveren (23) and Bailey (18). Outside of those four, there are no offensive threats and only six players played in the first half. If White, Sheffield or Van Beveren sustain an injury or get in serious foul trouble, the Cougars could be in trouble against a team that has depth, athletes and can defend full court.

Cambridge was very disappointing tonight with their lack of defensive effort. Even with Kamar Robertson back, the Bears just didn’t have enough to dig in and get stops. Allowing a team to hit 18 threes – many not contested very well – is inexcusable. They will need to go back to the drawing board after allowing 207 points in their last two games against Top 10 opponents. Matthew Cleveland put together a nice game in front of UGA Head Coach Tom Crean, posting 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. He was steady throughout. Unsigned senior Kamar Robertson scored 22 points with eight coming in the fourth quarter. He added 4 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals. Bryce Boutelle like Robertson, got hot in the fourth quarter with 11 points. He’s a nice scorer that should garner D-III interest. 6-foot-6 junior center Sola Adebisi is long and athletic. He showed that he could knock down the 15-footer from the elbow and blocked three shots. He did not rebound all that well, but most of the time the Bears were getting the ball out of the net.

Top Performers

Chattahoochee
Cam Sheffield – 26 points (5 threes), 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block
AJ White – 25 points (7 threes), 4 rebounds, 5 assists
Grant Van Beveren – 23 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Franklin Bailey – 18 points (6 threes), 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 block
David McDaniel – 6 points, 1 rebound

Cambridge
Matthew Cleveland – 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Kamar Robertson – 22 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals
Bryce Boutelle – 21 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Sola Adebisi – 8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 blocks

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Basketball

2018-19 Mid-Season Storylines

2019 is here and we have reached the midway point of the GHSA basketball season. It’s time for some mid-season awards and storylines to track the rest of the year.

Biggest Surprise

Boys: Currently ranked No. 8 in Class 7A, East Coweta (14-1) has emerged as a Region 2 title contender and a legitimate threat to take a deep run in state. The Indians will be battle-tested if they make the state tournament which will be no cakewalk as No. 5 Wheeler, No. 9 Pebblebrook, Westlake and Campbell all loom. The Indians have already surpassed last year’s 13-win mark and have seen major contributions from 2019 6-0 G Mandez Jones (18.3 ppg), 2020 6-6 W Brandon Stroud (17.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2.2 spg, 1.2 bpg) and 2020 6-4 G Christopher Youngblood (15.4 ppg, 8 rpg). The addition of 2019 6-5 PF Zac Hill (9 ppg, 10.1 rpg) and the play of set-up man 2019 PG 5-9 Derrick Emory (3.7 ppg, 6.8 apg, 3.6 spg) make East Coweta tough to slow down.

Girls: Following a 9-15 season in Year 1 under Coach David Dowse, Lumpkin County has compiled a 13-3 record with just eight girls on the roster. While they haven’t quite secured their signature win in Region 7-AAA yet, the Lady Indians have proven to be able to hang in with some of the state’s best, losing to No. 7 GAC 48-42 and No. 6 Dawson County 58-55. Sophomore Isabel Davenport and senior Mackenzie Pulley have carried the load offensively.

Don’t Sleep On…

Boys: There have been a handful of teams that have taken their L’s in non-region play, trying to prepare for the bigger picture. All of the defending Class A-Public state champ Wilkinson County’s losses have come against teams that have spent time in the Top 10. Sitting at 3-8, don’t count out Region 7-A’s most feared team. The talent is there but the wins haven’t been for Cedar Shoals (6-7) who is closing in on last year’s 10-win total. Juniors 6-foot-6 Quincy Canty and 6-foot-1 Tyler Johnson look like future D-I players while Demetrius Glenn, another 2020 guard, is a three-point marksman. The Jaguars will not be an easy out come February.

Girls: Once the class of Cobb County and the state’s most dominant program, McEachern (4-7) has come back to earth. They Indians are better than what their record suggests, going 2-4 against out of state competition but they still have a lot of work to do to crawl back into the Top 10 in Class 7A. A 50-40 loss to No. 3 North Cobb was a sobering reality that the Indians are no longer the best team in their own region or county, but with most of their speed bumps in the rearview mirror, don’t count out McEachern as they gear up for another playoff run.

Knock, Knock

Boys: The Top 10 is a crowded picture in each classification and Pope (11-3) might be first in line to barge down the door in Class 6A. The Greyhounds sit at 5-1 in an improved Region 7 and hold wins over No. 5 Chattahoochee (81-70) and No. 7 Sequoyah (97-54), one of Region 6’s frontrunners. Ugly losses to 4-11 Lassiter (66-63) and Cambridge (70-45) have held the Greyhounds back. Seniors Micah Paulk and Ryan Billig pace a senior-laden group.

Girls: Jones County (12-3) holds two wins over No. 10 Warner Robins and has beaten previously ranked Woodland-Stockbridge and Baldwin along with a tough Locust Grove group. Another clean week could propel the Greyhounds into the Top 10 if anyone falters in Class 5A. Down in Class 2A, Model (11-3) has transitioned to life after Victaria Saxton quite well. The Blue Devils won the Rome News-Tribune Christmas Tournament by beating Class A-Private No. 10 Darlington 50-39 and previously ranked in Class 5A Rome 55-48.

 

Mid-Season Statistical Leaders

*Reported to MaxPreps

BOYS

GRADE/NAME SCHOOL POINTS PER GAME
JR Keundre Campbell Webster County 29.4
SR Chris Parker Bowdon 27.0
SR Malik Foston GMC 26.5
SR Terrell Burden Campbell 25.1

 

GRADE/NAME SCHOOL REBOUNDS PER
SR Justin Jackson Dougherty 13.4
JR Shontavian Manuel Bleckley County 13.1
SR Zeff Felton Dooly County 12.9
SR Zac Cole Southeast Whitfield 12.4

 

GRADE/NAME SCHOOL ASSISTS PER GAME
SR Jordan Brown Westover 7.9
JR Donovan Shipp Sequoyah 7.8
JR Omar Cooper Walker 7.8
JR Dwon Odom St. Francis 7.1

 

GRADE/NAME SCHOOL STEALS PER GAME
JR Terrele Barnes Jordan 6.4
JR KD Johnson Southwest DeKalb 4.7
JR Tailique Williams Harris County 4.5
JR CJ Johnson Lanier County 4.5

 

GRADE/NAME SCHOOL BLOCKS PER GAME
JR Walker Kessler Woodward Academy 5.4
SO Omarion Smith Douglas County 4.3
SR Jahleel Roundtree Burke County 3.7
FR TJ Grant Veterans 3.1

 

 

GIRLS

*Reported to MaxPreps

GRADE/NAME SCHOOL POINTS PER GAME
SR Gracie Brunel Lanier County 26.8
JR Olonna Rawls Bryan County 24.7
FR Sydney Bowles Woodward Academy 24.4
SR Tomiyah Alford Lamar County 24.0

 

GRADE/NAME SCHOOL REBOUNDS PER
SO Alayshia Dixon Wilcox County 16.1
SO Sacha Washington Parkview 15.4
SO Nuriyah Slaton Greenville 13.7
FR Layla Hood Elite Scholars Academy 13.6

 

GRADE/NAME SCHOOL ASSISTS PER GAME
SR Zamiya Passmore Locust Grove 7.4
JR Mya Byrd Turner County 6.2
SO Ty’Shemia Bunkley Central-Talbotton 5.5
JR Lacy Robins Statesboro 4.8

 

GRADE/NAME SCHOOL STEALS PER GAME
SR Tomiyah Alford Lamar County 7.8
SR Denetra Sneed North Clayton 7.6
JR Jada Showers North Clayton 6.5
JR Deasia Ford Americus-Sumter 6.5

 

GRADE/NAME SCHOOL BLOCKS PER GAME
SO Nuriyah Slaton Greenville 5.3
SR Emily Greek Thomas County Central 4.9
SO Sania Feagin Forest Park 4.3
JR Ke’mya Whitlock Berkmar 4.1

 

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.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 7 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern (10-0)
2. Grayson (13-2)
3. Meadowcreek (13-3)
4. Discovery (13-3)
5. Wheeler (14-4)
6. Norcross (10-5)
7. Newton (10-3)
8. East Coweta (14-1)
9. Pebblebrook (11-4)
10. Berkmar (12-4)

Class AAAAAA

1. Coffee (10-2)
2. North Atlanta (10-4)
3. Alexander (11-4)
4. South Paulding (12-4)
5. Chattahoochee (12-3)
6. Tri-Cities (10-4)
7. Sequoyah (11-3)
8. Evans (14-0)
9. Lakeside-Evans (13-2)
10. Sprayberry (12-2)

Class AAAAA

1. Buford (11-1)
2. Fayette County (13-2)
3. Southwest DeKalb (12-5)
4. Eagle’s Landing (10-3)
5. Woodland-Stockbridge (10-3)
6. Kell (11-3)
7. Lithonia (11-6)
8. Jones County (12-3)
9. Warner Robins (9-3)
10. Lithia Springs (13-3)

Class AAAA

1. Upson-Lee (12-1)
2. Sandy Creek (10-2)
3. St. Pius X (13-2)
4. Henry County (15-1)
5. Americus-Sumter (11-1)
6. Chapel Hill (7-3)
7. Baldwin (8-4)
8. Carver-Columbus (9-3)
9. Salem (10-3)
10. Thomson (11-2)

Class AAA

1. Morgan County (13-1)
2. GAC (10-4)
3. Dawson County (12-3)
4. Hart County (11-3) 
5. Cedar Grove (10-2)
6. Pace Academy (11-5)
7. Central-Macon (11-3)
8. Johnson-Savannah (8-6)
9. Jefferson (10-5)
10. Kendrick (10-3)

Class AA

1. Woodville-Tompkins (14-0)
2. Therrell (11-5)
3. Northeast-Macon (10-2)
4. South Atlanta (11-5)
5. Thomasville (11-1)
6. Vidalia (14-1)
7. Elbert County (11-2)
8. Bleckley County (10-5)
9. Spencer (10-3)
10. Washington County (9-4)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (10-3)
2. Mt. Bethel (7-4)
3. ELCA (7-5)
4. Greenforest (9-4)
5. Walker (9-3)
6. Mt. Pisgah (9-5)
7. Wesleyan (9-4)
8. Christian Heritage (11-0)
9. Lakeview Academy (9-5)
10. Riverside Military (9-3)

Class A-Public

1. Calhoun County (12-0)
2. Hancock Central (8-3)
3. Treutlen (11-1)
4. Greene County (10-3)
5. Wilcox County (11-1)
6. Georgia Military College (6-2)
7. Pelham (7-2)
8. Terrell County (10-2)
9. Chattahoochee County (12-2)
10. Macon County (9-2)

 

The final ranking of 2018 sees elite competition both in-state and out lead to another week that has separated the teams with inflated records from the teams that have challenged themselves.

The Tournament of Champions shook up Class AAAAAAA as No. 2 Grayson rockets up five spots after winning the Peach Championship by beating Class 6A No. 2 North Atlanta 64-56, John Marshall (VA) 71-54 and defending state champion No. 3 Meadowcreek in the title game 55-51, getting their long-awaited revenge after being eliminated 57-55 by the Mustangs in last year’s Final Four. No. 5 Wheeler shined on their home floor, beating Langston Hughes 72-71, Class 5A No. 3 Southwest DeKalb 79-66 and Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis 82-64 to win the Apple Championship at TOC. No. 7 Newton rises two spots after dismantling Class 3A No. 2 GAC 81-57 and beating Southwest DeKalb 82-77 with a loss to St. Francis 70-68 sandwiched in between. Unsigned seniors Armani Harris and Tre Clark both earned All-Tournament selections. Winning the Red Bracket Championship at TOC was debutant No. 10 Berkmar. The Patriots beat Heritage-Conyers 61-55, Trinity Christian 51-47, Class 3A No. 6 Pace Academy 56-50 and avenged an earlier loss in the season to Shiloh (11-4) by beating the Generals 63-58 in the championship and replacing them in the rankings. Over in South Carolina at the Chick-fil-A Classic, No. 6 Norcross went 1-2, dropping three spots after losses to Salesian College Prep (CA) 50-40 and Roman Catholic (PA) 72-62.

Class AAAAAA is still trying to decipher who is for real and who is not quite ready for the big stage. No. 2 North Atlanta had a 2-1 showing at TOC, losing to Class 7A No. 2 Grayson 64-56 before defeating Class 3A No. 8 Johnson-Savannah 58-53 and Lakewood (SC) 74-60, Campbell-signee Messiah Thompson dropping 43 points and 6 assists. No. 6 Tri-Cities drops four spots after going 2-2 at TOC with losses to Holy Innocents’ 61-50 and Miller Grove 57-55. No. 3 Alexander moves up three positions after winning their first three games at the Lake City Classic to set up a title match with Class 5A No. 6 Kell on Monday. The Cougars beat Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin 67-50, Class 5A No. 4 Eagle’s Landing 51-50 and Evangelical Christian (TN) 58-41. No. 10 Sprayberry sinks six spots after losing to newly ranked No. 5 Chattahoochee 67-66 and Heritage-Conyers 77-73 at TOC. The Cougars have put it all together, winning five straight games now. Chattahoochee stole the show at TOC, beating Class 4A No. 6 Chapel Hill 87-63, Sprayberry and in the Blue Bracket Championship, Class A-Private No. 4 Greenforest 93-90 in 5OT, Franklin Bailey winning MVP with 17 points while AJ White and Cameron Sheffield both earned All-Tournament honors. Dropping out of the poll to make room for the Cougs is Brunswick (8-5). The Pirates went 1-2 at the Tift County McDonald’s Invitational losing to Lincoln (FL) 49-44 and Norland (FL) 66-59.

No. 1 Buford suffered their first loss of the season at the Arby’s Classic falling to nationally ranked Carmel Christian (NC) 67-62, but wins over Tennessee 51-45 and Cardinal Newman (SC) 55-44 keep the Wolves at No. 1 in Class AAAAA. No. 2 Fayette County scored a win over Mountain View 87-78 at the Big South Shootout before surviving Creekside 70-68. No. 3 Southwest DeKalb beat Bishop Snyder (FL) 70-67 but fell to Class 7A No. 5 Wheeler 79-66 and Class 7A No. 7 Newton 82-77. No. 6 Kell is streaking, up three spots. The Longhorns will play for the Lake City Classic Championship on Monday against Class 6A No. 3 Alexander. Kell gutted their way to wins over Class 3A No. 5 Cedar Grove 61-46, Class A-Private No. 3 ELCA 55-54 and Class 2A No. 2 Therrell 67-63.

Two through four in Class AAAA continue to impress. No. 2 Sandy Creek knocked off Westlake 66-62 at the Big South Shootout behind Keith Williams III’s 19 points and 6 rebounds. Julian Alexander added 15 points while Drexel-signee TJ Bickerstaff tallied 13 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists and Jabari Smith collected 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. No. 3 St. Pius X won their Christmas Classic Championship in thrilling fashion, edging Loyola Blakefield (MD) in overtime 72-68, Niko Broadway winning MVP. No. 4 Henry County won the Chuck Miller Classic in dominating fashion, blowing out previously ranked Westside-Macon 88-68 behind Josh Steele’s 6 threes and 30 points. The team to beat in Region 1 might be No. 5 Americus-Sumter. The Panthers rocked No. 8 Carver-Columbus 80-54 and then beat Class 3A No. 7 Central-Macon 49-48 to win the Lee County Roundball Classic, unsigned 6-foot-7 forward Joshua Lusane winning MVP for the second consecutive year. No. 6 Chapel Hill is up three spots after a 2-1 finish at TOC highlighted by a 56-55 win over Cedar Shoals. Woodward Academy (9-7) finally drops out of the poll after continuing to tread water, losing to Oak Ridge (TN) 61-56. They are replaced by returnee No. 10 Thomson, who got revenge against last week’s Class A-Public No. 1 Hancock Central, beating the Bulldogs 55-52.

The see-saw of Class AAA tips in No. 1 Morgan County’s favor as the Bulldogs regain control of the top spot after cruising to the Sweet South Classic Championship, beating Apalachee 72-61, Class A-Public No. 4 Greene County 91-56 and Druid Hills 68-58. No. 2 GAC’s eight game winning streak was snapped abruptly at TOC, losing 81-57 to Class 7A No. 7 Newton.  The Spartans got back on track however with wins over Blanche Ely (FL) 62-52 and Bishop Snyder (FL) 65-45. No. 5 Cedar Grove is down two spots after struggling at the Lake City Classic, losing to Class 5A No. 6 Kell 61-46 for their first loss of the season and then to Class 5A No. 9 Warner Robins 68-50. Since their loss to Class 2A No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins, No. 8 Johnson-Savannah has temporarily lost their mojo. The Atomsmashers have dropped four straight games and went 0-3 at TOC to sink two more spots. They fell to John Marshall (VA) 60-53, Class 6A No. 2 North Atlanta 58-53 and Class 5A No. 7 Lithonia 67-58. Out of the poll is Westside-Macon (10-4). The Seminoles were hammered by Class 4A No. 4 Henry County in the Chuck Miller Classic Championship 88-68. Debuting in the Top 10 is No. 9 Jefferson, the third team from Region 8 to crack the rankings following No. 1 Morgan County and No. 4 Hart County. The Dragons won the InnisFree Hotels Beach Basketball Championship in Pensacola, FL beating North Sand Mountain (AL) 82-72, St. Stanislaus (MS) and Fleming County (KY) 68-34. Donsha Gaither (16) and Jacob Radaker (10) combining for 26 points in the title game and both making the All-Tournament Team.

In Class AA, No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins handled their business at the Big South Shootout, beating Class A-Private No. 7 Wesleyan 57-45 and Morrow 55-40. Out of the Wolverines’ perfect 14 games, opponents have cracked the 50-point mark just three times. No. 2 Therrell went 2-1 at the Lake City Classic and plays Evangelical Christian (TN) in the third-place game on Monday. The Panthers survived Dacula 74-72 and Mill Creek 67-65 before falling short against Class 5A No. 6 Kell 67-63. No. 4 South Atlanta slips one spot after their fourth straight loss. The Hornets went 0-3 at the Hoodies Classic, losing to elite competition. No. 3 Northeast-Macon picked up a nice 53-47 win over a reeling Drew Charter team at the Big South Shootout. No. 7 Elbert County won the Christmas in Commerce Championship, defeating Monroe Area 66-44, Stephens County 74-60 and Eastside in the title game, 52-40. Unsigned 6-foot-3 senior AJ James won tournament MVP, averaging 24 points and 12 rebounds while posting 20 & 10 in the championship. Glenn Hills (14-3) and Chattooga (6-6) depart from the poll. The Spartans were beat by Swainsboro 63-51 while the Indians got a taste of Bartow County’s best home court advantage, losing at the Storm Center to Cartersville 73-63. Making their first appearance in the Top 10 is No. 9 Spencer. The Greenwave lost 54-51 to Auburn, but bounced back with big wins over Lanett (AL) 68-55 and Central (AL) 64-63. Following the wave is No. 10 Washington County. The Golden Hawks won the Florida First Coast Classic Championship 89-65 over Hamilton County (FL), Jamarius Dixon exploding for 40 points.

The top five in Class A-Private remains unchanged. No. 1 St. Francis beat Blanche Ely (FL) 82-77 and Class 7A No. 7 Newton 70-68 before falling to Class 7A No. 5 Wheeler in the title game of TOC. No. 2 Mt. Bethel has gone 2-1 at the Arby’s Classic so far with wins over Sullivan East (TN) 55-47 and Orem (UT) 59-54. No. 3 ELCA had a 2-1 week at the Lake City Classic with wins over Etowah 61-44 and Mill Creek 76-59 but losing to Class 5A No. 6 Kell 55-54. No. 4 Greenforest tallied victories against United Faith Christian Academy (NC) 68-60, Cedar Shoals 54-47 and Heritage-Conyers 85-59 before losing a classic in 5OT to newly ranked Class 6A No. 5 Chattahoochee 93-90. Trinity Christian (6-9) sinks out of the Top 10 again after getting swept at TOC by Class 7A No. 10 Berkmar 51-47, Miller Grove 57-51 and North Gwinnett 56-55. The Lions join Holy Innocents’ as two of the classification’s most talented teams that are both unranked due to overscheduling, which will hurt their Power Rating seeding come tournament time. Climbing back into the poll is No. 10 Riverside Military.

Following a 55-52 loss to Class 4A No. 10 Thomson, No. 2 Hancock Central relents its grip on the top spot in Class A-Public as lone undefeated No. 1 Calhoun County takes over. No. 5 Wilcox County endured its first loss of the season and drops two spots following a 73-64 defeat to Worth County. No. 7 Pelham had a nice 56-40 win over Early County before losing to Lowndes 54-50. No. 9 Chattahoochee County got a quality win against Schley County 71-65. No. 10 Macon County tumbles two spots after a 65-57 loss to Irwin County.

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