GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 1 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Westlake (1-0)
  2. McEachern (2-0)
  3. Collins Hill (1-0)
  4. Norcross (2-1)
  5. Colquitt County (2-0)
  6. Newton (3-0)
  7. North Forsyth (2-0)
  8. Cherokee (1-0)
  9. Brookwood (1-0)
  10. South Gwinnett (3-0) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Northview (1-0)
  2. Winder-Barrow (1-0)
  3. Lovejoy (2-0)
  4. Harrison (0-1)
  5. Sequoyah (0-0)
  6. Douglas County (1-0)
  7. Creekview (0-0)
  8. Mays (0-0)
  9. Forest Park (1-1)
  10. Alpharetta (1-0) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (1-0)
  2. Flowery Branch (2-0)
  3. Eagle’s Landing (1-0)
  4. Carrollton (0-1)
  5. Arabia Mountain (1-0)
  6. Southwest DeKalb (0-1)
  7. Bainbridge (0-0)
  8. Villa Rica (0-0)
  9. Maynard Jackson (1-0)
  10. Dutchtown (0-0) 

Class AAAA

  1. Carver-Columbus (1-0)
  2. Spalding (2-0)
  3. Henry County (2-0)
  4. Luella (4-0)
  5. Jefferson (0-1)
  6. Northwest Whitfield (0-0)
  7. Madison County (0-1)
  8. West Hall (2-0)
  9. LaGrange (0-0)
  10. Baldwin (1-0) 

Class AAA

  1. Greater Atlanta Christian (3-0)
  2. Beach (0-0)
  3. Central-Macon (0-0)
  4. Johnson-Savannah (0-0)
  5. Franklin County (1-0)
  6. Monroe (1-0)
  7. Dawson County (1-0)
  8. Haralson County (0-0)
  9. Hart County (1-0)
  10. Lovett (2-1) 

Class AA

  1. Laney (0-0)
  2. Rabun County (1-0)
  3. Fitzgerald (1-0)
  4. Model (1-0)
  5. Swainsboro (0-0)
  6. Banks County (0-0)
  7. Putnam County (1-0)
  8. Dodge County (0-0)
  9. Berrien (1-0)
  10. Bleckley County (1-0) 

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

Much like on the boys side, Class AAAAAAA’s top teams were dominant. No. 1 Westlake drilled Sandy Creek 65-19, No. 2 McEachern beat Stephenson 77-65 and blew past Class 5A No. 6 Southwest DeKalb 73-52 at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic while No. 3 Collins Hill dismantled Riverwood 91-7. No. 4 Norcross suffered a 64-51 loss to Class 3A No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian but remains in the four-spot after beating Tucker 63-52 and Class 6A No. 4 Harrison 63-50. Coach Angie Hembree has not been on the sidelines yet this season as she battles with health issues. No. 9 Brookwood moves down one spot after struggling with ML King, 52-43. Lambert (1-1) slides out of the Top 10 for now after losing a tough 48-41 game to Class 5A No. 3 Eagle’s Landing at the Johns Creek Gladiator Showcase. The Longhorns are replaced by No. 10 South Gwinnett The Comets are 3-0 with wins over Duluth (47-37), Grovetown (54-36) and Miller Grove (49-29).

No. 2 Winder-Barrow didn’t necessarily open their season with an overly impressive start, the Class AAAAAA power struggling to score in a 35-24 win over Central Gwinnett at the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic. Chellia Watson dumped in 15 points to lead the Lady Doggs. UConn-signee Olivia Nelson-Ododa is still trying to regain her form after dislocating her knee cap last season. The Doggs see a respected Mill Creek team in Round 2 today.  No. 6 Douglas County breezed by Tri-Cities 88-33 behind Amari Robinson’s 18 points. The Tigers face a stiff challenge today against Norcross at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic. No. 9 Forest Park drops one spot after losing at Parkview 51-50, blowing a 39-28 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Nonetheless, 6-foot-3 freshman post Sania Feagin has been impressive to start the year. She had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks in a 62-27 rout of North Clayton before adding on 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks against the Panthers.

Michigan State-signee Tory Ozment said the goal for No. 1 Buford is to repeat in Class AAAAA this year. The Lady Wolves looked sharp in their 71-31 win over Duluth at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament, Ozment leading the way with 15 points. Ebony Grant added 11 while Air Force-signee Audrey Weiner netted 9. Region 8 rival No. 2 Flowery Branch shook off the rust with a 67-40 win at Chestatee and a 55-47 victory against No. 4 Carrollton, Alabama-signee Taniyah Worth going for 23 points and 7 rebounds while Caroline Wysocki, a junior that might be taking her game to the next level, finished with 19 points, 5 assists and 9 steals.

In Class AAAA, No. 2 Spalding has gotten a lift from freshman guard Kierstyn Milner. The spark plug is averaging 19 points per game for the 2-0 Jaguars.  No. 4 Luella jumps No. 5 Jefferson after the Dragons were upset by Class 3A No. 7 Dawson County. The Lions did damage at the Hoops 4 A Cure Classic, pouring on a 78-40 win over Milton highlighted by Kamya Hollingshed’s 27 points and 12 rebounds. Keely Brown added 24 and Zaria Bankston netted 15. Hollingshed nailed 12 threes in the Lions two weekend wins.

There is a new No. 1 in Class AAA, but it’s no fault of defending state champion No. 2 Beach who hasn’t started their season yet.  No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian has made a statement behind Auburn’s Robyn Benton and Hofstra’s Caria Reynolds. The Spartans, who boast four D-I signees (Taylor Sutton – MTSU; MaryMartha Turner – Wofford), have already beaten Norcross (64-51), Woodward Academy (87-36) and Milton (98-15). Their firepower will be on display today against Southwest DeKalb. Near the bottom of the poll, Coach Steve Sweat was at it again, guiding his No. 7 Dawson County squad to a 68-56 win over Jefferson. No. 9 Hart County jumps into the rankings after beating Class 4A No. 7 Madison County 54-51. Inactive Cedar Grove (0-0) drops out of the rankings for now. No. 10 Lovett remains anchored in the final spot after losing in overtime to Class 2A No. 4 Model, but beating Class A-Private No. 5 Landmark Christian 56-37.

No. 4 Model was Class AA’s biggest mover, up two spots after beating Lovett 63-59 in overtime. South Carolina-signee Victaria Saxton was unstoppable inside, exploding for 32 points and 21 rebounds, outbattling Stanford-signee, guard Jenna Brown who had 21 points. Model’s only apparent competition in Region 7, Dade County (0-2) exits from the poll after losing at Collinsville, AL 42-28 and to Ringgold 62-50. Replacing the preseason No. 7 team is No. 10 Bleckley County. Jahnaria Brown is back in the fold as a versatile forward. She helped the Royals to a 46-19 win over Hawkinsville.

The race for style points in Class A-Private is officially on, as No. 1 Holy Innocents’, No. 2 Wesleyan and No. 3 St. Francis took turns boat-racing their opponents. The Golden Bears drubbed Archer 68-38, the Wolves beat Whitewater 68-33 and the Lady Knights blew out Brewbaker Tech and Carver, AL by an average of 47.5 points at the Hoops 4 A Cure Classic. Climbing two spots to No. 4, is Fellowship Christian. Colorado-signee Cameron Swartz poured in a career-high 45 to lead the Paladins past No. 10 Pinecrest Academy, 57-49.

There were no changes in Class A-Public. No. 2 Telfair County and No. 3 Wheeler County were scheduled to play on Saturday, but no score has been posted. (If you know the score or if the game was even played, please contact me.)

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 1 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. McEachern (1-0)
  2. Norcross (3-0)
  3. Grayson (2-0)
  4. Wheeler (1-1)
  5. Newton (2-0)
  6. Duluth (2-0)
  7. Collins Hill (2-0)
  8. Shiloh (1-1)
  9. Mountain View (1-1)
  10. Pebblebrook (1-0) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Gainesville (0-1)
  2. Dacula (1-0)
  3. Langston Hughes (0-1)
  4. Coffee (0-0)
  5. Bradwell Institute (1-0)
  6. Douglas County (1-0)
  7. Tri-Cities (0-1)
  8. Jonesboro (0-0)
  9. Tucker (1-1)
  10. Alpharetta (0-1) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (1-0)
  2. Warner Robins (1-0)
  3. Cedar Shoals (1-0)
  4. Miller Grove (1-1)
  5. Columbia (1-0)
  6. Eagle’s Landing (0-0)
  7. Southwest DeKalb (1-1)
  8. McIntosh (1-0)
  9. Starr’s Mill (1-0)
  10. Lithonia (2-1) 

Class AAAA

  1. Upson-Lee (1-0)
  2. St. Pius X (2-0)
  3. Sandy Creek (2-1)
  4. Baldwin (0-2)
  5. Cartersville (0-0)
  6. Mary Persons (0-0)
  7. Carver-Columbus (1-0)
  8. Stephens County (1-0)
  9. Richmond Academy (2-0)
  10. Westover (0-2)

Class AAA

  1. Morgan County (1-0)
  2. Johnson-Savannah (1-0)
  3. Greater Atlanta Christian (2-0)
  4. Cedar Grove (0-1)
  5. Westside-Macon (0-0)
  6. Jenkins (0-0)
  7. Pace Academy (0-0)
  8. Calhoun (0-0)
  9. Dougherty (1-0)
  10. Long County (1-1) 

Class AA

  1. Swainsboro (0-0)
  2. Glenn Hills (0-0)
  3. Banks County (0-0)
  4. Dublin (0-0)
  5. Thomasville (2-0)
  6. South Atlanta (1-1)
  7. Jeff Davis (2-0)
  8. Laney (2-0)
  9. Monticello (1-0)
  10. Butler (1-0) 

Class A-Private

  1. St. Francis (2-0)
  2. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (0-0)
  3. Greenforest (1-1)
  4. Aquinas (0-0)
  5. Wesleyan (1-0)
  6. Stratford Academy (0-0)
  7. Lakeview Academy (0-1)
  8. North Cobb Christian (1-1)
  9. King’s Ridge Christian (2-0)
  10. Mt. Pisgah (2-0) 

Class A-Public

  1. Calhoun County (1-0)
  2. Macon County (0-0)
  3. Central-Talbotton (1-0)
  4. Treutlen (0-0)
  5. Wilcox County (1-0)
  6. Montgomery County (1-0)
  7. Wilkinson County (0-0)
  8. Pelham (0-0)
  9. Woodville-Tompkins (0-0)
  10. Mt. Zion-Carroll (0-0)

 

There weren’t too many surprises during the first week and a half of Class AAAAAAA basketball, with No. 1 McEachern, No. 2 Norcross and No. 3 Grayson all getting off to hot starts. The Indians pushed past No. 4 Wheeler 71-59, the Blue Devils trounced Class 5A No. 4 Miller Grove 87-61 before stopping Class 6A No. 1 Gainesville 74-62 and the Rams blitzed Class A-Private No. 3 Greenforest, 101-59. Both No. 5 Newton and No. 6 Duluth climb two spots while No. 7 Collins Hill is the biggest mover, up three slots. No. 8 Shiloh and No. 9 Mountain View both slip three spots. The Generals lost to Class 4A No. 3 Sandy Creek 73-68 while the Bears saw a lead slip away to Miller Grove at the Jared Cook Classic, losing 47-45. Meadowcreek (2-1) started the season hot with blowout wins over defending state champion Tift County (70-46) and Rockdale County (57-14) but the Mustangs were tripped up and out-toughed by No. 10 Pebblebrook, who takes their place in the poll after a 57-52 win at the On The Radar Tip-Off Classic behind DJ Murray’s 24 points.

Class AAAAAA had a week to forget as six preseason Top 10 teams lost. With that being said, there just weren’t enough results and teams ready to leap into the poll to replace more than just Cambridge (1-1), who beat Walton 67-55 but got thrashed by Peachtree Ridge and Florida State-signee Devin Vassell’s 27 points in a 78-43 loss at the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic. No. 1 Gainesville narrowly holds onto their top spot after losing to Norcross and seeing Region 8 foe No. 2 Dacula unable to blow past Harris County, winning by a modest 12 points at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. Defending state champion No. 3 Langston Hughes clings onto their Top 3 ranking after Landers Nolley’s 23 points wasn’t enough to beat Class 4A No. 2 St. Pius at the Jared Cook Classic. With all of the losses, No. 5 Bradwell Institute and No. 6 Douglas County benefit the most. Khalyn Weekely made a statement in his first GHSA game, pouring in 35 points as Bradwell Institute drilled Liberty County 84-73 after leading by as many as 30. Douglas County debuts in the poll after beating No. 7 Tri-Cities in overtime 83-77. Cam Copeland and Rickey Clark combined for 41 points in the Tigers backcourt while Ernest Randle posted a triple-double inside. Tri-Cities did not have 6-foot-7 post Zachary Morgan and the difference-maker is not listed on the team roster. If he is no longer with the Bulldogs, Tri-Cities’ upside takes an enormous hit.

No. 2 Warner Robins survived a scare in Class AAAAA, outlasting Stockbridge 78-75. Georgia State-signee Nelson Phillips finished with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and 4 blocks while Jacolbey Owens dropped in 21 points. Future Georgia State teammate Kavonte Ivery went for 29 points for the Tigers. No. 3 Cedar Shoals also escaped with a win, beating Oconee County 47-42 at the Andy Landers Classic. The only movement in the rankings come at the bottom of the poll with No. 9 Starr’s Mill swapping spots with No. 10 Lithonia. The Panthers are 1-0 with a win over Cherokee 58-22, while Lithonia sits at 2-1, bouncing back from a tough 79-78 loss against Greenforest at the Southwest DeKalb Showdown to beat Heritage-Conyers 56-48 and Dawson Christian Academy 81-45.

Class AAAA state runner-up No. 2 St. Pius is clicking on all cylinders. The Golden Lions punished Blessed Trinity 67-41 at the X-Dome before icing Langston Hughes at the Jared Cook Classic 67-58 behind Matt Gonzalo’s 23 points and Everett Lane’s 9-for-9 free throw shooting and 19 points. No. 3 Sandy Creek and No. 4 Baldwin maintain their positions in the poll. The Patriots lost at rival Fayette County 67-65 but followed up with a big 73-68 win over Shiloh thanks to Jarred Godfrey’s 23 points and Xavier Brewer’s 18 points and 7 rebounds. The Braves dropped two close games to Flora, SC 52-49 and Class 3A No. 2 Johnson-Savannah in overtime, 81-79. Salem (2-2) and Woodward Academy (0-2) both tumble out of the Top 10, the Seminoles sinking all the way from No. 6 after bad losses to Hiram (43-38) and at Therrell (47-34) while the previously No. 8 ranked War Eagles got thumped by quality competition, losing to Class 3A No. 3 GAC 61-35 and GISA’s Trinity Christian 67-54. Replacing them is No. 7 Carver-Columbus and No. 8 Stephens County. The Tigers stunned Class 6A No. 9 Tucker 72-60 behind AJ Watts’ 22 points while the Indians demolished Class 3A preseason No. 7 East Hall at the Jared Cook Classic 90-53 with Ty Nails dropping 30 points and big man DeUndra Singleton going for 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. No. 10 Westover is already on the ropes after fizzling in two packed games, losing to Class 2A No. 5 Thomasville 70-56 and Class 3A No. 9 Dougherty 62-58, blowing a 31-17 halftime lead to the Trojans.

Both No. 1 Morgan County and No. 2 Johnson-Savannah had to rely on herculean efforts from their stars to win their season openers in Class AAA. Alec Woodard (36) and Tyrin Lawrence (25) combined for 61 points in the Bulldogs’ 84-78 victory over Therrell at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. The Atomsmashers used a Shamar Jones game-winner to sneak past Baldwin in overtime, 81-79. Georgia-signee Amanze Ngumezi hung 23 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks on the Braves. No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian rises a spot over No. 4 Cedar Grove following the Saints’ 54-46 loss to Berkmar. East Hall (0-1) is replaced in the Top 10 by No. 9 Dougherty after the Vikings lost by 37 to Stephens County and the Trojans rallied to knockoff Westover behind Middle Tennessee State-signee Carlos Curry’s 13 points, 10 rebounds and 9 blocks.

The biggest news coming out of Class AA isn’t from any of last week’s games, but instead the transfer of Class A-Public First Team All-State selection Clarence Jackson to No. 4 Dublin, who moves up two spots without playing a game. Jackson leaves Wilkinson County with two state championships under his belt to join his home school where he will team up with First Team All-State point guard Kameron Pauldo. The Irish instantly become a favorite to win the state title with the 6-foot-6 forward now in the picture. Elsewhere, No. 5 Thomasville defeated Westover by 14 and Tift County by eight. Defending state champion No. 6 South Atlanta slides two spots after taking an eye-opening 84-62 beating from Lambert at the On The Radar Tip-Off Classic.

Boy oh boy, Class A-Private isn’t what it used to be. Uncertainty and question marks have surrounded the class all offseason and they have come to a head early in the season. It’s tough to shake off the lopsided scrimmage scores against higher classifications, but they will have to be thrown out the window. Nonetheless, this is likely the weakest the classification has been in five years. No. 1 St. Francis has taken care of business in the regular season and looks comfortable with the target on their back. They aren’t as talented as the days of Kobi Simmons, Malik Beasley and Kaiser Gates, but the Knights are still young and dangerous. They handled Brewbaker Tech, AL 84-70 and Pinson Valley, AL 83-72 at the Hoops 4 A Cure Classic. Sophomores Dwon Odom, Chase Ellis and Sam Hines have come up big. Defending two-time state champion No. 3 Greenforest drops one spot but could be headed for an even deeper slope if they can’t get their act together. They opened up with a come from behind 79-78 win over Lithonia but all momentum was lost as Grayson harassed them into a devastating 42-point loss at the Jared Cook Classic, 101-59. No. 5 Wesleyan got past Hebron Christian 77-67 thanks to Christian McLean’s 34 points. No. 7 Lakeview Academy and No. 8 North Cobb Christian both suffered losses, the Lions to Lanier 72-62 and the Eagles to Alexander, 62-59. No. 9 King’s Ridge Christian hasn’t overly impressed, but the Tigers are still 2-0 after beating Paideia (51-41) and Brookstone (54-49). Holy Innocents’ (0-1) departs from the poll, but they should be back very soon. The young Golden Bears lost to rival Riverwood 66-50, but freshman Garrison Powell was a bright spot with 17 points. They are replaced by the Quinn Richey-led No. 10 Mt. Pisgah Patriots, who hammered Tallulah Falls 77-51 and Chestatee 80-47. We will know infinitely more about Class A-Private at Holiday Hoopsgiving. No. 2 ELCA plays Holy Innocents’ and No. 4 Aquinas. St. Francis and Greenforest will also be in action.

As usual, there is not much going on in Class A-Public early in the season, but there is some drama. No. 1 Calhoun County destroyed Hawkinsville 98-26. No. 7 Wilkinson County drops three spots with Clarence Jackson transferring and Dr. Aaron Geter’s ethics under major scrutiny as the Class A-Public dynasty may be on the verge of implosion. No. 5 Wilcox County beat Crisp County 83-73 and No. 6 Montgomery County moves up after beating Wheeler County 93-41.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 11-18

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 2 Norcross 74, 6ANo. 1 Gainesville 62: Kyle Sturdivant scored 20 points to best KJ Buffen’s 21 for the Red Elephants. The Blue Devils led wire-to-wire, opening up with a 26-5 lead after the first quarter.

No. 3 Wheeler 75, Mt. Bethel 57: EJ Montgomery finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds to lead the Wildcats. Austin Johnson posted 14 points and 5 rebounds. Roscoe Eastmond had 11 points and 8 assists. Isaac Martin scored 12 points, Isaiah Holt 7 and Brandon Younger tallied 5 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Jordan Meka led Mt. Bethel with 19 points and 6 rebounds while Jaquez Gilbert had 13 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 4 Grayson 101, A-PrivateNo. 2 Greenforest 59: The Grayson press completely unraveled Greenforest at the Jared Cook Classic. Charleston Southern-signee Travis Anderson had a team-high 20 points and 4 assists. Nick Edwards scored 17 and DJ Williams added 15. Kenyon Jackson, fresh off the football field, pitched in 11 points.

No. 7 Newton 97, Heritage-Conyers 84: Ashton Hagans ignited a 97-point night, going for 24 points, 7 assists and 3 steals. Tre Clark finished with 20 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. Tyrease Brown netted 16 points to go with his 3 assists and 2 steals. Dre Butler added 14 points and Armani Harris had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Juwan Johnson scored 8 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Heritage was led by Ryan Clements’ 24 points. Trelan Scott (16), Samaje Jones (13) and Josh Archer (12) each found double digits. Adrian Boykin added 9 points.

No. 8 Duluth 72, Brewbaker Tech, AL 42:  Will Huzzie paced the Wildcats with 19 points while Adam Flagler netted 13. Christian Kelly and Trent Gordon scored 8 apiece.

Pebblebrook 57, No. 9 Meadowcreek 52: DJ Murray shined on the big stage with 24 points to power Pebblebrook to a big win at the On The Radar Tip-Off Classic. Emmanuel Collier scored 13 points while Jamir Chaplin had 12 points and 5 rebounds in the loss for the Mustangs. Dequarius Nicholas finished with 10 points.

Discovery 57, Carver, AL 49: Kalu Ezikpe posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. Jaylen Bussey scored 16 points and London Riley and Ian Hardy each scored 8. Leslie Nkereuwem added 11 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Berkmar 54, 3ANo. 3 Cedar Grove 46: Ben Soumahoro went for 17 points and 5 rebounds. Tony Johnson added 12 points and 8 rebounds.  Jamari Dean double-doubled for the Saints with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Jordan Hill tallied 11 points and 6 rebounds.

Peachtree Ridge 78, 6ANo. 10 Cambridge 43: Florida State-signee Devin Vassell lit up the Bears with 27 points.

Hoover, AL 59, Etowah 48: Tusculum-signee Adrian Cohen finished with 17 points and 4 assists while Jaxon Etter went for 15 points and 6 rebounds in the loss.

Marietta 78, Arabia Mountain 65: Jordan Sterling scored 19 points and Cameron Robinson pitched in 10, but it wasn’t enough for the Rams.

Mill Creek 65, Winder-Barrow 37: Kendall Latney netted 12 points and Matthew McDowell tossed in 11 in the Hawks’ win at the Tabo’s Thanksgiving Tournament.

Parkview 70, Redan 60: Ahmir Langlais collected 20 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks to power Parkview inside. Chris Conner netted 18. Devrit Gros scored 10. Freshman point guard Javen Smith dropped in 33 points and 6 assists for Redan.

Kennesaw Mountain 69, Forsyth Central 62: Josh Strong netted 24 points followed by Jalyn McCreary’s 17 and Jordan Barnes’ 14.

South Gwinnett 64, Johns Creek 58: Freshman Max Harris had 11 points and 2 rebounds in the Comets’ victory. Johns Creek received 14 points and 7 rebounds from Jack Greenslit.

Milton 66, Sacred Heart, AL 60: Christian Wright finished with 17 points and 6 assists as the Eagles continued their hot start to the season. JP McGhee added 12 points and 9 rebounds while Donaven Hairston had 10 points, 5 assists and 8 steals. Victor Wilson scored 20 for Sacred Heart.

North Paulding 55, Woodland-Bartow 34: Dylan Sloss scored 12 points and Kevin Worth added 10 in the Wolfpack win.

Woodstock 63, River Ridge 61: Columbus State-signee Dylin Hardeman erupted for a Woodstock-record 43 points to lead the Wolverines. River Ridge got 14 points from Chris Williams, 13 from Jameel Ndiaye, 11 from Kobe Braddock and 10 from Matt Robbins in the loss.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Dacula 73, Harris County 61: Brenden Tucker piled in 23 points and 4 rebounds. Mekhail Bethea put up 18 points and 4 rebounds. Arusha Hunter added 17 and Quincy Ademokoya tossed in 14 in his GHSA debut.

No. 9 Bradwell Institute 84, Liberty County 73:  Khalyn Weekley’s GHSA debut opened with a bang, dropping 35 points and leading the Tigers to an easy victory after leading by as many as 30 points.

Lanier 72, A-PrivateNo. 6 Lakeview Academy 62: Alex Walker and Sean Foster scored 15 apiece to carry the Longhorns to an early season upset. Adrian Martin dropped in 14 points.

Alexander 62, A-PrivateNo. 7 North Cobb Christian 59: Brady Spence tallied 13 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks to control the paint inside. Chris Lunsford had 11 points and 3 assists. Jaylon Brown produced 10 points, 5 assists and 6 steals while Julius Porter added 9 points.

Brunswick 96, Ware County 71: Daquan Humphreys (21) and Marcus Scott (20) combined for 41 points in the blowout.

Lakeside-Evans 84, Josey 77: Kalen Williams pumped in 40 points and 11 rebounds to slice and dice the Eagles. Tucker Gilbert added 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Mundy’s Mill 54, Griffin Christian 50: The Tigers picked up another win at the Hampton Tip-Off Classic. Kirshon Thrash netted 14 points while John Coats chipped in 13. Jalen Thrash tagged on 10 points.

Chattahoochee 69, Lassiter 50: Will Bracknell knocked in 22 points while Grant VanBeveren did his damage inside with 17 points. Freshman AJ White netted 12.

Lovejoy 67, Luella 47: Jamal Reynolds paced the Wildcats with 12 points followed by Malcom Rouse’s 9. Jerrod Means had 7 points and 8 rebounds. Fernandez Watson tallied 6 points and 12 rebounds while Cameron Jenkins netted 6 points.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 77, Lakeside-DeKalb 45: The Wolves rolled the Vikings at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. Georgia Southern-signee David Viti dropped in a game-high 18 points. Donnell Nixon netted 13. Bobby Miller scored 12 points followed by Brandon Green and Ashton Young’s 11 apiece. Damon Davis led the Vikings with 16 points. Elwood Moore added 10.

No. 2 Warner Robins 78, Stockbridge 75: Kavonte Ivery pumped in 29 points and Elijah Austell added 24, but the upset-minded Tigers fell just shy of completely shaking up the Class AAAAA rankings.

No. 3 Cedar Shoals 47, Oconee County 42: JaiVanni McDavid tallied 13 points and 6 rebounds while KeiVaziay Ball went for 11 points and 4 rebounds in the win.

No. 4 Miller Grove 47, 7ANo. 6 Mountain View 45: The Wolverines rallied to score an opening night victory at the Jared Cook Classic. Lorenzo Anderson led Miller Grove with 19 points. Kevin Paige added 8 points and Terrence Edwards scored 5. Maurice Harvey held Troy-signee Spencer Rodgers to 10 points on two made field goals and five free throws.

No. 7 Southwest DeKalb 74, Central Gwinnett 55: KD Johnson dropped in 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals to pace the Panthers. James Glisson III had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks. Eugene Brown III added 14 points and 7 rebounds and DJ Brittian tagged on 11 points and 3 steals in the win.

No. 9 Lithonia 81, Dawson Christian Academy 45: Christian Parker had 10 points and 6 rebounds while Eric Gaines added 8 points and 5 assists in the win. Luke Chism paced Dawson Christian Academy with 20 points and 5 assists.

No. 10 Starr’s Mill 58, Cherokee 22: Drew Hudson led the way with 18 points followed by 14 points from Julian Lynch. Carson Langham and Jake Bishop scored 10 apiece.

Lithia Springs 56, Sprayberry 40: Christian Horton (16), Karee Anderson (11), Quan Purifoy (11) and Terrence Ashford (9) helped the Lions past the Yellowjackets. Sprayberry was led by Micah McCuen’s 11.

Fayette County 64, Newnan 60: JeKobe Coleman went for 21 points, 2 assists and 3 steals in the win. Ricky Knight Jr. added 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Josh Dupree collected 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals.

Veterans 68, Hapeville Charter 65: Marquez Crews scored 16 points but it wasn’t enough for Hapeville Charter to knock off Veterans. Davin Quinones netted 14 points, Jamaure Ezzard had 11 and Jerrold Colbert chipped in 9 in the loss.

Paulding County 61, North Cobb 57: Tyron Summerour finished with 16 points while Mike Seymour added 12 to help lift the Patriots. Keon Sedgewick had 9 points and 8 rebounds. Jeremiah Reed posted 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Walnut Grove 57, Northview 56: Dominique Duke finished with 19 points and Carter Selman scored 13 as the Warriors picked up a first round win at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament.

Flowery Branch 63, Apalachee 62: Justin Quick dropped in 28 points as the Falcons held on against the Wildcats. Patsheko Lutumba scored 16. Flowery Branch held Apalachee scoreless over the final 1:10.

Bainbridge 58, Creekside 40: Jaylen Jones netted 23 points in the Bearcat victory.

Class AAAA

No. 1 Upson-Lee 64, Druid Hills 36: Middle Tennessee State-signee Tye Fagan went for 24 points and Travon Walker totaled 15 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks.

No. 2 St. Pius 67, 6ANo. 3 Langston Hughes 58: Matt Gonzalo hit up Langston Hughes for 23 points while Everett Lane went 9-of-9 from the line to finish with 19 points and ice the game. Virginia Tech-signee Landers Nolley was held to 23 points.

No. 3 Sandy Creek 73, 7ANo. 5 Shiloh 68: Jarred Godfrey hung 23 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists in a statement win for the Patriots. Xavier Brewer added 18 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks while TJ Bickerstaff netted 13 points to go with his 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Elias King scored 24 for Shiloh. Toneari Lane finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds while Shamarie McCleod had 12 points.

GISATrinity Christian 67, No. 8 Woodward Academy 54: Jamir Williams poured in 31 points to carry Trinity Christian past the War Eagles and Walker Kessler’s monster 32-point 12-rebound 9-block game.

Carver-Columbus 72, 6ANo. 6 Tucker 60: Jevon Tatum scored 27 points and grabbed 6 rebounds and Nick Watson added 14 points but it wasn’t enough to avoid the upset. The Tigers saw an early 19-8 advantage slip away. AJ Watts netted 22 for Carver while Xaiyhir Jacobs chipped in 14 points and 9 rebounds in the impressive win.

Stephens County 90, 3ANo. 7 East Hall 53: DeUndra Singleton was too much inside, posting 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. Ty Nails went for 30 points in the win. Luke Cooper scored 17 in the loss.

Thomson 66, Cass 56:  Aubrey Ivey and Zander Hamilton scored 17 apiece to pace the Bulldogs.

Henry County 90, Pike County 42: Wisdom Uboh scored 21 points followed by Josh Steele’s 17 in the Warhawk rout. Casey Armour contributed 13 points.

Pickens 61, Gilmer 51: Joseph Gossett had 20 points and 5 rebounds while Zach Goss went for 14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in the win. Seth Bishop tacked on 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and one block.

Jefferson 66, Douglass 52: The host Dragons picked up a win at the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic behind Jasper Gibson’s 30 points.

Class AAA

No. 1 Morgan County 84, Therrell 78: Alec Woodard pumped in 36 points to pace the Bulldogs in a wild game at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. Tyrin Lawrence notched 25 points and Stevin Greene tagged on 17 points. Cameron Fortson scored 12 for Therrell while 2020 guard Deandre Brown exploded for 36.

No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 81, 4ANo. 4 Baldwin 79 OT: Georgia-signee Amanze Ngumezi was too much inside for the Braves, posting 23 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks in a narrow victory. Shamar Jones hit the game-winner in overtime.

No. 9 Long County 56, Southeast Bulloch 37: Stephan Hugley led a balanced scoring attack with 13 points. Henry Blair, Terry Smith and Khy Collins all scored 9 points. Ryheim Izzard (7) and Christian Bass (5) also chipped in.

Dougherty 62, 4ANo. 7 Westover 58: The Trojans rallied from down 31-17 at the half to race past Westover in front of a capacity crowd. Middle Tennessee State-signee Carlos Curry fueled the comeback with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 9 blocks. Jordan “Snow” Brown dropped in 24 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals for the Patriots.

Class AA

No. 7 Jeff Davis 75, Brantley County 50: Ja’Queze Kirby and the Jackets got the best of Jaylin Williams and Brantley County. Kirby had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Northeast-Macon 88, Twiggs County 65: Darius Dunn and Ty’Ree Gilbert poured in 21 points apiece while Cameron Cherry dropped 20. Kendall Green contributed 11 points.

Class A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 83, Pinson Valley, AL 72: The Knights picked up another win at the Hoops 4 A Cure Classic behind Chase Ellis’ 16 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists. Dwon Odom finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Sam Hines added 14 points and 6 rebounds. CJ Riley tacked on 13 points and 4 assists while Sean Paradise went for 7 points and 12 rebounds.

Providence Christian Academy 56, Mt. Paran 53: Al Dorsey exploded for a career-high 28 points while Mitchell Miller sank four clutch free throws to ice the game. Joey Niswonger scored 21 to lead Mt. Paran while also collecting 6 rebounds. Alex Elliott posted an 11-point 10-rebound double-double.

Class A-Public

 

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 2 McEachern 73, 5ANo. 6 Southwest DeKalb 52: Victoria Agyin pitched in 16 points to pace the Indians at the Parkview Kickoff Classic. Georgia Tech-signee Jasmine Carson scored 14 and Jewel Smalls netted 13.

No. 4 Norcross 63, 6ANo. 4 Harrison 50: Junior Myra Strickland poured in 25 points in the Blue Devils win at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic. Harper Vick led the Hoyas with 18.

No. 8 Brookwood 52, ML King 43: The Broncos overcame foul trouble to slip past the Lions. Mariah Callaway netted a team-high 18 points followed by Kierra Adams’ 13.

Mill Creek 46, Chamblee 29: Bridget Mukasa netted 15 points.

Grayson 56, Douglass 43: Bianca Fizouaty had 20 points and 5 rebounds. Jazmine Robinson double-doubled with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Lassiter 55, Chattahoochee 20: Julie Vitale scored 11 points and Wambui Chege chipped in 10 in the win.

North Cobb 54, South Cobb 42: Azonya Austin finished with 17 points and 5 assists at the Marietta Turkey Classic. Sydney Solomon had 9 points and 12 rebounds. Jodi Mullins led South Cobb with 17 points.

Walton 66, Stone Mountain 55: Emma Landroche pumped in 31 points for the Lady Raiders at the Apalachee Thanksgiving Invitational.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Winder-Barrow 35, Central Gwinnett 24: Chellia Watson scored 15 points to lead the Lady Doggs in a low scoring game.

No. 3 Lovejoy 69, Starr’s Mill 38: Genesis Bryant led the Wildcats with 16 points followed by Kaziah Terrell’s 14. Anaya Boyd and J’Auana Robinson scored 11 apiece.

Lanier 70, East Hall 53: Georgia State-signee Carly Winters netted 21 points and Macy Thomas scored 12 but it wasn’t enough to stop Lanier.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 71, Duluth 31: Michigan State-signee Tory Ozment scored 15 points in the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. Ebony Grant added 11 points while Air Force-signee Audrey Weiner and Preston Reid each scored 9.

No. 2 Flowery Branch 55, No. 4 Carrollton 47: Alabama-signee Taniyah Worth finished with 23 points and 7 rebounds. Caroline Wysocki hung 19 points, 5 assists and 9 steals.

No. 3 Eagle’s Landing 48, 7ANo. 10 Lambert 41: Ashley Foster poured in 22 points and Jaleah Storr 9 in the win.

Union Grove 52, Apalachee 41: Amaya Baker (16), Jada Burkett (13) and Abbey Stacy (7) led the Wolverines in scoring.

Class AAAA

Stephens County 69, Tallulah Falls 34: Tykia Thompson scored 12, Nana Eades added 11 and Sara Bailey chipped in 9.

Pickens 48, Gilmer 47: Torie Williams had 17 points, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Mykenzie Weaver added 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals and hit the game-winner. Mackenzie Hampton tallied 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

Chestatee 69, Osborne 39: Lindsey Caudell poured in 26 points for the War Eagles. Maggie McNair added 12 points.

Class AAA

Hart County 54, 4ANo. 6 Madison County 51: Torrion Starks finished with 22 points to spark the Bulldogs. Shakendra Grove scored 11 and Taniyah Alexander pitched in 10 points.

Class AA

No. 2 Rabun County 76, Towns County 29: Georgia Stockton went off for 28 points, 3 assists and 4 steals. Jordan Haban added 11 points and 4 steals. Kaitlin Coleman had 8 points and 14 rebounds while Natalie Nix had 9 points and 5 rebounds.

Jeff Davis 52, Brantley County 32: Stephanie Rumph picked up a huge double-double, going for 27 points and 10 rebounds.

Social Circle 44, Johnson-Gainesville 28: Kenny Velasquez and Chelsea Reece scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, in the loss.

Class A-Private

Mt. Paran 47, Providence Christian Academy 27: Lauryn Manion collected 8 points, 3 rebounds and 8 steals in the win. Ashley Johnson, Catherine Etheridge and Savannah Casey all scored 8 points as well.

Class A-Public

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 11-17

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

Kennesaw Mountain 79, Chattahoochee 50: The Jalyn McCreary-era kicked off with a bang as the Preseason First Team All-State selection hung 19 points and 10 rebounds in his varsity debut. Josh Strong picked up where he left off last season with 14 points and 4 assists.

Rockdale County 69, Loganville 63: After scoring only 13 points against No. 9 Meadowcreek, the Bulldogs bounced back behind Sayvon Traylor’s 30 points.  In the loss Jamar Moore had 23 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks. Akil Covington had 15 points and 3 rebounds for the Red Devils.

Milton 75, Dawson Christian 49: Christian Wright pumped in 37 points and JP McGhee totaled 8 points and 14 rebounds in the Eagle win.

Class AAAAAA

Lakeside-Evans 109, Augusta Christian 82: The Panthers steamrolled the SCISA’s Lions, proving again that the best basketball is played in the GHSA. Kalen Williams went for 34 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. TyShun Briscoe added 18 points, 3 rebounds and 5 steals. Tucker Gilbert posted 16 points and 13 rebounds. Brad Hilley tallied 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

Mundy’s Mill 65, Luella 41: Jordan Black (16) and John Coats (12) combined for 28 points in the Tiger victory.

Creekview 70, North Forsyth 50: KJ Jenkins poured in 29 points to lift the Grizzlies.

North Atlanta 80, Osborne 39: The new look Warriors received 17 points and 8 assists from Messiah Thompson in a 41-point rout. Desmond Thomas scored 17 points and Vallon Toussant pitched in 4 points and 15 rebounds. Josh Johnson scored 12. Jarmaine Miles led the Cardinals with 20 points.

Pope 68, Sprayberry 61: Jackson Baylark finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 8 blocks. Josh Luttrell drilled five threes en route to an 18-point performance. Micah Paulk added 15. Sprayberry saw Micah McCuen go for 25 points and 9 rebounds while Idaho-signee Khadim Samb had 12 points and 7 rebounds.

Lovejoy 50, Decatur 41: Jamal Reynolds scored 18 points and Omari Callahan added 11 in the Wildcats win; Coach Quantavias Allen’s first at the helm of Lovejoy. Freshman Travon Smith scored 15 for Decatur while Chalin Hippe netted 9.

Class AAAAA

No. 5 Columbia 90, Henry County 72: Josh Taylor collected 22 points, 18 rebounds and 4 blocks as the Warhawks had no answer inside. Lorenzo McGhee tallied 26 points and 9 rebounds. Keondre Kennedy netted 20.

No. 8 McIntosh 97, New Manchester 62: The Chiefs routed New Manchester using a balanced onslaught. Naj Ashley-Emory scored 18 points while Cole Guenther led the way with 20 points, 4 steals and 4 blocks. Chaz Hardin chipped in 15 points and Zach Pina netted 12.

Lithia Springs 91, Chapel Hill 55: The Lions got 18 points from Keyshawn Phillips and 12 from Terrence Ashford in the win.

Stockbridge 78, Washington 54: Kavonte Ivery powered in 25 points and Trillis Brown added 11 for the Tigers. Kaelon Hinton, Davian Johnson and Elijah Austell all added 10.

Cass 56, Hephzibah 47: Carter Hedden (15), Ashton Burley (13) and Justice Hayes (10) all cracked double figures in the Colonels’ win at the Evans Hoopfest Tip-Off Tournament. Ethan Carter chipped in 9 points.

Class AAAA

North Clayton 69, Forest Park 54: Joseph Wimbley netted a game-high 18 points as the Eagles used a 24-6 third quarter to surge past the Panthers. Xavier Valley (14), Jermaine Lattimore Jr. (12), Jaimonnie Watkins-Causey (8) and Christopher Williams (8) all had strong nights scoring the ball.  Fabian Hill led Forest Park with 16 points followed by Jayden Walker’s 9.

Spalding 49, Troup County 40: Jay Jefferson went for 23 points and 5 assists, but it wasn’t enough to deny the Jaguars an early season victory.

Class AAA

Union County 48, Gilmer 34: Pierson Allison scored 10 points as the Panthers outscored the Bobcats 33-6 in the second half.

Franklin County 80, Habersham Central 54: Micah Roebuck got buckets with 26 points and Malique Combs tacked on 16 as the Lions cruised. Zach Gay added 11 points.

Class AA

Class A-Private

No. 1 St. Francis 84, Brewbaker Tech, AL 70: The No. 1 ranked Knights opened up the season at the Hoops 4 A Cure Classic and received 22 points from Dwon Odom in a winning effort. Chase Ellis added 20 and Sam Hines chipped in 15 points.

Galloway 41, Providence Christian Academy 36: The Storm came up short in a low scoring affair. Al Dorsey netted 9 points in the loss.

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

Class AAAAAA

No. 8 Forest Park 62, North Clayton 27: Freshman post Sania Feagin had her way inside with 15 points. Sarah Matthews scored 12 and Jasmine Stevens added 11 points. Jada Showers and Jasmine Holcombe scored 8 apiece to pace the Eagles in the loss.

River Ridge 40, North Paulding 31: Savannah Samuel dropped in 16 points followed by Faith Arthur’s 15 to beat the Wolfpack.

Pope 63, Sprayberry 47: Cheyenne Holloman scored a team-high 18 points to power Pope. Abby McKinley chipped in 14 points and Teya Holloman netted 11.

Class AAAAA

Class AAAA

No. 3 Henry County 63, Columbia 25: Auburn-signee Brook Moore scored 16 points and Janaya Wadsworth tacked on 14 in the win. Shontrice Austin had 11 for Columbia.

Class AAA

Union County 44, Gilmer 39: The Panthers used a 10-1 run to race past the Bobcats. Aubree Pack scored a team-high 15 points including the go-ahead three-pointer with 2:28 left. Andelin Hill tossed in 9 points.

Class AA

Class A-Private

Class A-Public

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Spielin' & Dealin' Podcast

Spielin’ & Dealin’ Ep. 34: Bartow Sports Zone season preview

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Kyle Sandy joined Bartow Sports Zone to preview the 2017/18 GHSA high school basketball season. Bartow Sports Zone is a weekly, sports-talk radio show hosted by Charles Wilson airing Fridays 7-9am on WBHF-Cartersville (100.3FM/AM1450). The show features local coaches and sports personalities. The complete episode of Friday’s podcast can be located on Podomatic. Visit Bartow Sports Zone online for the latest episodes and all things Bartow County sports.

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