GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 2 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

Class AAAAAAA sees some shakeup this week. No. 1 McEachern was pushed to the brink by GISA’s Holy Spirit Prep before rallying behind Sharife Cooper’s 14 points in overtime and 27 on the night to win 69-60 at Under Armour’s Hard in the Paint. No. 3 Wheeler fell to Holy Spirit Prep earlier in the week 74-62, but picked up wins over Class 5A No. 3 Cedar Shoals 76-58 and Class 5A No. 2 Buford 78-65. EJ Montgomery averaged 34 points and 14 rebounds against the two Class 5A powers while dropping in 28 points against Holy Spirit Prep. Just like last year, Coach Rick Rasmussen’s No. 4 Newton Rams are off to a blistering start. Ashton Hagans toyed with opponents in their Holiday Hoopsgiving sweep of Class 5A No. 8 Columbia (94-64) and Pebblebrook (87-78), who falls out of the Top 10 along with Shiloh (2-3). Replacing the Falcons (2-1) and Generals are No. 7 Meadowcreek and No. 10 Discovery. The Mustangs drilled Trinity Christian, NC at Hoopsgiving 78-43 before knocking off Class 6A No. 1 Gainesville 62-61. Discovery beat Class 6A No. 2 Dacula 78-75 in overtime at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. Aside from Pebblebrook and Shiloh, Class AAAAAAA’s biggest dropper was No. 6 Grayson, who slides three spots after a nail-biting 67-64 loss to new Class 5A No. 1 Warner Robins. Charleston Southern-signee Travis Anderson scored 18 points and Nick Edwards added 14, but the Rams had no answer for Georgia State’s Nelson Phillips.

The top of Class AAAAAA has struggled against premier competition, but the Top 3 remain unchanged due to the caliber of teams they have played. No. 1 Gainesville is now 0-3 and may open up the season with an ugly mark after the first nine games, but the Red Elephants will still be a force come state playoff time. No. 2 Dacula hasn’t quite seen the national flavor that Gainesville has, but the Falcons have battled some of the state’s best, losing in overtime on two buzzer beaters at the Craig Sager Memorial, 67-65 to Class 3A No. 1 Morgan County and 78-75 to Class 7A No. 10 Discovery. No. 3 Langston Hughes fell to Mountain Brook, AL 59-45, who beat Class 7A No. 2 Norcross 79-62 the day before at Holiday Hoopsgiving. No. 6 Tri-Cities climbs back over No. 7 Douglas County after going 2-0 in Florida, beating Andrew Jackson 67-56 and Providence School 50-47. The Tigers lost a close one to Pebblebrook 79-76. Alpharetta (1-2) tumbles out of the Top 10 following a disappointing start. The Raiders lost to newly ranked Class 3A No. 10 Westminster 62-58. Replacing Alpharetta is defending State Runner-Up No. 10 Brunswick. The Pirates will be tested this Tuesday as they host No. 4 Coffee.

There is a new leader in the clubhouse in Class AAAAA. No. 1 Warner Robins takes over for No. 2 Buford. The Demons beat Grayson 67-64 behind Nelson Phillips’ 14-point fourth quarter, a part of his 27-point, 8-rebounds, 4-assist, 2-block masterpiece. Jacolbey Owens drilled three threes and finished with 17 points. Buford must get healthy. Lipscomb-signee Alex Jones has yet to play, hurting the Wolves’ machine of an offense. After beating Discovery 65-50, Buford fell to Morgan County 57-54 and Wheeler 78-65. Without Jones, Donell Nixon has been forced to take over the primary ball-handling duties. Nixon is a lethal three-point shooter, but instead of sneaking around the perimeter to find his shots off Jones’ assists, Nixon has to make sure everyone gets involved before releasing his three-point barrage. Marcus Watson and Georgia Southern-signee David Viti have been playing at a high clip, but they need the No. 1 2018 point guard in Georgia back on the floor. No. 8 Columbia plummets three spots after laying an egg on the big stage, getting whipped by Newton 94-64. No. 4 Southwest DeKalb rises three spots behind a perfect record at the Memphis Showcase. Starr’s Mill (2-1) takes a quick exit from the poll after losing to undefeated Hoover, AL 52-43. Expect the Panthers to be back in the mix very soon. No. 10 Maynard Jackson gets the nod. Marquavius Carter is averaging 24 points per game while TJ Boykin is putting up 13.8 points and 5.8 rebounds a night. 6-foot-5 sophomore Timipa Ogun has blossomed into a post presence, posting 11 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3 blocks per game for the Jaguars.

The gap between No. 1 Upson-Lee and No. 2 St. Pius may be shrinking. While the Knights have been crushing lesser competition, the Golden Lions have instead decided to test themselves with their early non-region schedule. St. Pius blitzed defending Class A-Private state champion Greenforest 73-52 and have been clicking on all cylinders. Unless someone can step up from the field, don’t be surprised to see the Knights and the Golden Lions on a crash course for a rematch of last year’s thrilling state championship. A team that could throw a monkey wrench into that plan? No. 6 Mary Persons. Cam Holden unleashed a 43-point 17-rebound double-double to open his senior season with a win over Houston County, 82-74. Richmond Academy (3-1) drops from the poll after an 84-67 loss to Lakeside-Evans.  No. 10 Americus-Sumter debuts after wins over Lee County (44-42), Class 3A No. 9 Dougherty (59-57) and Monroe (60-41).

No. 1 Morgan County is racking up the quality wins in Class AAA. Dacula, Buford and Westlake (67-61) have all ran into the buzz-saw from Madison. Tyrin Lawrence and Alec Woodard have brought their game to the next level while Stevin Greene and Anthony Cooper continue to make winning plays. Spots No. 3 through No. 6 all suffered losses. No. 3 GAC fell to Peachtree Ridge in the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic Championship, 68-61. No. 4 Cedar Grove sinks to 0-2 after losing to Milton 66-60. No. 5 Westside-Macon was overmatched against possibly the nation’s best team, Montverde Academy, FL, 103-55 while No. 6 Jenkins couldn’t close out Hoover, AL, 59-58. Long County (1-2) is out of the Top 10 after a tough 74-71 overtime loss to Class 2A No. 7 Jeff Davis. The Blue Tide is replaced by No. 10 Westminster. The Wildcats defeated Pope 67-54 and Alpharetta 62-58 at the Roswell Rotary Honor Air Invitational.

Swainsboro was handled by Effingham County 65-57 to open the season, dropping the Tigers from No. 1 to No. 6 in Class AA. No. 1 Glenn Hills takes over the top spot with a win over Greenbrier 64-57. No. 2 Banks County is the most consistent and most reliable team week in and week out. They thrashed Hart County 94-58 and overwhelmed East Hall 82-72 behind Carl Cleveland’s seven three-pointers en route to 29 points. Dylan Orr added 22 points, 16 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 blocks while Gabe Martin pitched in 13 points and Darius Bonds tallied 9 points and 7 assists. The Leopards’ inside-outside game is the most balanced in the state. Don’t sleep on defending State Champion No. 5 South Atlanta, though. The Hornets stung Westlake 74-70, Jalen Stegall dropping in 30 points with Dre Barnes adding 26. New look No. 3 Dublin got by West Laurens 66-55. Clarence Jackson scored 18 in his debut with the Irish while Kameron Pauldo netted 18 of his own. Laney (3-1) and Monticello (1-1) depart from the rankings. Laney was upset by Greenbrier 71-67 and the Hurricanes were trounced by Jones County, 82-64. Into the Top 10 is No. 9 Therrell and No. 10 Northeast-Macon. Therrell turned heads at the Craig Sager Memorial, barely losing to Morgan County 84-78. The Panthers already have wins over Salem (47-34) and Mays (62-60). They fell to a good Class 4A No. 7 Carver-Columbus team 69-55. Sophomore combo guard Deandre Brown has been a revelation, pouring in over 25 points per game. The Raiders of Northeast-Macon may be coming of age. Ty’ree Gilbert, Cameron Cherry and Darius Dunn are combining to score over 40 points per game in Coach Kevin Grooms’ backcourt. The Raiders picked up a big 65-62 win over a blossoming East Coweta program.

The Class A-Private is getting a little clearer. The most evident take away from Holiday Hoopsgiving? Greenforest (2-2) is no longer Greenforest. The dynasty is over as the Eagles were throttled by St. Pius after opening the game down 20-0. Greenforest can not handle a full court press and for that reason, the Eagles sink from No. 3 in the state to unranked. They have a lot to prove after their poor showings against Grayson and the Golden Lions. Their win over a short-handed Sacred Heart, AL team 81-65 is not enough to save Greenforest from their early fall from grace.  No. 1 St. Francis hangs onto their top spot after a tough loss to Carmel Christian, NC 71-67. No. 2 Aquinas swaps with No. 3 Eagle’s Landing Christian following their 65-40 victory. The Fighting Irish went 23-of-29 from the foul line while Malachi Rhodes and company attempted just three free throws. With Greenforest falling out of the Top 10, winless No. 10 Holy Innocents’ rejoins the picture. With the bottom of Class A-Private still so unsettled with who is for real and who is a pretender, the Golden Bears’ “moral victories” are enough to crack the poll while other schools haven’t seen the same level of competition. They pushed ELCA to the limit before bowing out 68-63. Freshman swingman Garrison Powell impressed enough to pick up an offer from Middle Tennessee State at Holiday Hoopsgiving. Matt Meadows, Josh Smith and Alex Hyatt form a nice mix of veteran leadership and youth that should begin to rack up the wins in region play.

No. 1 Calhoun County is on a mission to win Class A-Public after falling short in the title game a year ago. The Cougars cracked No. 6 Wilcox County 66-39. No. 2 Central-Talbotton rises up a spot over idle No. 3 Macon County following their 78-74 win over Harris County. Coach Lenny Williams’ No. 9 Woodville-Tompkins Wolverines are playing well and will have a great test when they visit Region 3 frontrunner No. 4 Treutlen on Tuesday. The Wolverines nearly upset Class 6A No. 5 Bradwell Institute at the Joe Greene Classic before running out of gas 62-56. Junior Preston Crisp is averaging 15.5 points per game while sophomore Bernard Pelote is tossing in 14.5.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 11-21

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 2 Norcross 70, A-PrivateNo. 7 Lakeview Academy 44: Drew Cottrell led the Lions with 20 points and both Holden Cooper and Jack Blackburn scored 6 apiece in the loss.

No. 6 Duluth 66, Lanier 64: The Wildcats held on at the Jared Cook Classic behind Will Huzzie’s 19 points and 13 rebounds. Adam Flagler added 14 points and Christian Kelly netted 11. Alex Walker led the Longhorns with 14 points followed by Adrian Martin’s 13.

No. 9 Mountain View 64, Brookwood 54: The Bears rode Miles Long’s perfect 7-of-7 shooting (5-of-5 threes) and 19 points to a win at the Jared Cook Classic. Naheim Allenye finished with 17 points while Alex Wesig added 12 points and 6 ebounds and Troy-signee Spencer Rodgers netted 10. Tony Johnson poured in 25 points in the loss.

No. 10 Pebblebrook 79, 6ANo. 6 Douglas County 76: Malik Battle scored 18 point and Rickey Clark and Rodney Lewis netted 16 apiece but the Tigers could clip the Falcons.

Discovery 78, 6ANo. 2 Dacula 75: The Titans picked up a signature win at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament thanks to two buzzer-beating threes that stunned the Falcons for the second straight night. Jaylen Bussey bounced home a three to send the game to OT before London Riley’s dagger sealed it. Old Dominion-signee Kalu Ezikpe finished with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. Bussey added 20 and Jayden Walker collected 14 points and 5 rebounds. Leslie Nkereuwem had 10 points, 12 rebounds and 1 block. Dacula was led by Mekhail Bethea’s game-high 29 points and 4 rebounds. Brenden Tucker scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half before fouling out in overtime, scoring all five of Dacula’s points after the score was knotted up at 70 following regulation. Arusha Hunter had 10 points and 5 rebounds. Quincy Ademokoya added 6 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Shayne Buckingham, fresh off the football field, posted 5 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks off the bench.

Peachtree Ridge 68, 3ANo. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian 61: The Lions won the Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic behind Devin Vassell’s 25 points. Hunter McIntosh scored 29 in the loss with Roy Dixon (11) and Ben Sheppard (10) also cracking double digits.

Mill Creek 77, Jefferson 76: Kendall Latney scored 19 points to lead the Hawks past Jasper Gibson’s 36 for the Dragons. Matthew McDowell finished with 16 points and hit the game-winning layup at the buzzer.

Archer 59, Wando, SC 36: Malik Sproles scored 15 points as the Tigers won the Parkview Tip-Off Classic. Brent Smith followed with 13 points and 7 rebounds, while Zion McCray rounded out the scoring with 10 points and 5 rebounds.

Etowah 60, North Forsyth 47: Jaxon Etter scored 17 points and took three charges. Nick Nagy added 13 points.

Woodstock 74, Chattahoochee 68: Columbus State-signee Dylin Hardeman’s scoring rampage continued with 35 points. Jaden Rakestraw added 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 blocks. Sid Mesumbe had 13 points, 5 rebounds and 5 charges taken. Will Allen netted 7. Will Bracknell scored 27 for Chattahoochee while Cameron Sheffield added 20. Freshman point guard AJ White dropped in 12 points.

Campbell 44, Science Hill, TN 42: The Spartans advanced to the Dalton Invitational championship game behind a buzzer-beating 12-footer from Kiya Randolph, who scored 20 points.

Lakeside-DeKalb 74, Harris County 58: Damon Davis led the Vikings with 24 points while Elwood Moore added 17.

South Gwinnett 65, Harrison 63: Zawdie Jackson scored 13 of his team-high 15 points in the fourth quarter, including a layup with 14.6 seconds left that lifted South Gwinnett to the Paisley Bracket Championship at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament. Dejuan Horn added 9 points for the Comets.

Class AAAAAA

Stephenson 74, Redan 64: Bryce Lattimer (19) and Drevion Evans (18) combined for 37 points in the Jaguars win. Freshman Javen Smith continued his hot start with 18 points and 6 assists for the Raiders. Siah Gray had 19 points, 5 assists and 3 steals.

Allatoona 58, North Gwinnett 46: The Jared Cook Classic wrapped up with Allatoona using a 13-0 run to start the game to bury the Bulldogs. Chima Ogboi collected 14 points and 7 steals while Tobi Adeyeye double-doubled with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Devan Dixon added 10 points and 5 steals while Jeremiah Sanabria scored 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. North Gwinnett was led by Cam Rowland’s 16.

Cambridge 73, Brookwood 54: Bryce Boutelle sparked the Bears with 21 points. Kyler Ingram posted 14 points and both Matt Cleveland (12) and David Banks (10) cracked double figures.

Northview 50, Osborne 47:  Joe Jones powered the Titans with 19 points followed by Matt Davis’ 9.

Johns Creek 71, New Creation Christian Academy 46: Nathan Gauthreaux had 22 points and Jack Greenslit scored 14 for the Gladiators. Neil Ilenrey (12) and Will Penland (11) cracked double figures.

Apalachee 77, Hebron Christian 62: Spencer Bernstein got his first victory as head coach of the Wildcats. Brandon Bannis went for 26 points and 5 assists while Derek Miller hung 21 points and 16 rebounds. Deron Collier scored 15 points and dished out 6 assists. AJ Millbrooks added 9 points.

Class AAAAA

No. 5 Cedar Shoals 75, North Oconee 48: Now cleared to play, Athens Christian-transfer Tyler Johnson starred with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists. Keivaziay Ball added 12 points and Quincy Canty collected 8 points and 7 rebounds.

No. 10 Lithonia 71, Fellowship Christian 46: Demitrius Collins had 11 points and 4 rebounds for the Bulldogs while Ziven Alexander added 10 points and 7 boards.

Cass 48, South Paulding 43: The Colonels grinded out a win against South Paulding behind Justice Hayes’ 13 points and Ashton Burley’s 10. Ethan Carter chipped in 9. Cam Armstrong broke out for the Spartans, scoring 22 points. Ron Gibson added 8.

Arabia Mountain 56, Furtah Prep 50: N’Kyzie Hawkins scored 17 while Ta’Kari Rodgers-Olive had 11. Jordan Sterling added 9 in the win.

Walnut Grove 61, Owego Free Academy, NY 46: The Warriors won third-place in the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament Paisley Bracket behind six first quarter threes that set the tone. Dominique Duke was instant offense, netting 16 points off the bench. RJ Selman added 15 and Jailen Robinson finished with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. Nick Jones was active and aggressive slashing, posting 10 points and 8 rebounds. Carter Selman finished with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. Owego Free Academy was led by Kobe Bogart’s 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Will Donovan pitched in 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals.

Union Grove 41, Flowery Branch 39: GCSU-signee Wesley Simpson led the charge for the Wolverines with 15 points. Justin Quick produced 17 points and 5 rebounds but the Falcons were unable to beat the Wolverines. JJ Greene had 8 points in the loss while Blake Coxworth and Patsheko Lutumba had 6 apiece.

Bainbridge 60, Peach County 44: Wayne Kyles led the Bearcats with 15 points followed by Jeremiah Davis’ 12 and David Smart’s 11.

Lithia Springs 82, Paulding County 73: The Lions won the Paulding County Thanksgiving Hoopfest by beating the host school. Terrence Ashford (15), Christian Horton (14), Chance Ellison (13), Omarion Smith (11) and Karee Anderson (10) all cracked double figures for the Lions. The Patriots were paced by KJ Shade and Tyron Summerour’s 16 points.

Loganville 94, Jackson County 79: The Red Devils surged past the Panthers in the Bankers Classic behind Jamar Moore’s 28 points and 21 rebounds.

Clarke Central 87, Oconee County 55: Jaiquez Smith came off the bench to tally 15 points and 5 assists, sparking the Gladiators.

New Hampstead 58, Glynn Academy 57: Santana Young scored 15 points in the loss.

Class AAAA

No. 10 Westover 71, Early County 65: The Patriots avoided an 0-3 start thanks to Jordan “Snow” Brown’s 24 points.

Lafayette 78, Bowdon 43: Jon Morgan posted 23 points and 10 rebounds while Alex Kelehear had 18 points and 6 assists in the win. Dee Southern added 14 points and 16 rebounds.

Pickens 70, Fannin County 46: Joseph Gossett had 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals to lead the Dragons. Seth Bishop added 15 points and 8 rebounds. Keinyuan Hooks finished with 10 points, 12 assists and 5 steals. Hunter Hermann added 12 points.

Shaw 80, East Coweta 77: Lincoln Smith double-doubled with 28 points and 15 rebounds to power the Raiders. Kam Parker had 15 points.

Class AAA

No. 1 Morgan County 57, 5ANo. 1 Buford 54: Without Alex Jones, the Wolves were unable to close out Morgan County in the inaugural Craig Sager Memorial Tournament Plaid Bracket Championship. Tyrin Lawrence provided the energy for the Bulldogs with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Stevin Green chipped in 13 points and 4 rebounds while Anthony Cooper glided around the rim for 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks. Alec Woodard, the tournament MVP, finished with 10 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists. Buford was paced by Marcus Watson’s 23 points and 8 rebounds. David Viti started out hot with two threes, but foul trouble eventually cooled him off. He finished with 12 points and 5 rebounds. Donell Nixon had 8 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

Westminster 62, 6ANo. 10 Alpharetta 58: Ryan Jenei poured in 32 points (8 threes) and 9 rebounds but it wasn’t enough to hold off Westminster. The Wildcats got 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists from Carter Oesterling while Paris Howland chipped in 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Cameron Foster went for 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Union County 58, Towns County 51: A 16-6 third quarter run helped spring the Panthers past Towns County. Patrick Baggett paced Union County with 16 points (4 threes) while Crawford Colwell tagged on 13. The Indians received a game-high 22 points from Logan Cowart.

East Jackson 65, Social Circle 37: The Eagles won the Tanger Thanksgiving tournament thanks to Kobe Haley’s 15 points and 10 points from tournament MVP Tay Howard.

Class AA

No. 3 Banks County 94, Hart County 58: Carl Cleveland went for 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Leopards. Dylan Orr added 17 and Gabe Martin netted 11. Darius Bonds scored 10 points and dished out 7 assists.

Lamar County 75, Jackson 66: 6-foot-4 senior guard Dallas Ogletree erupted for 36 points to power the Trojans. Josiah Stewart added 11 as Lamar County trailed 36-35 at the half before hanging a 26-point third quarter to steal momentum.

Class A-Private

No. 8 North Cobb Christian 63, North Cobb 60: Kevin Hester posted a 16-point, 18-rebound double-double in the loss.

No. 10 Mt. Pisgah 67, Lovett 62: Jabiri Smith had 22 points and 5 rebounds while Quinn Richey added 18 in the win. Jojo Peterson chipped in 12 points and 4 rebounds. Crawford Schwieger led Lovett with 24 points (5 threes) and 6 assists. Lance Beck hit four threes and finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds.

Prince Avenue Christian 60, Oglethorpe County 42: Dalton Meeler powered home 33 points for the Wolverines.

Walker 73, Providence Christian Academy 50:  Burke Chebuhar pumped in 23 points to pace the Wolverines. Darius Garvin and Chandler Baker each scored 11 points. Omar Cooper added 8. Al Dorsey scored 14 points and Luke Matthews had 10 in the loss.

Class A-Public

No. 9 Woodville-Tompkins 76, Heard County 17: The Wolverines blitzed the Braves at the Joe Greene Classic at Beach High School. Sophomore guard Bernard Pelote scored 18 points and junior Preston Crisp sunk 13 points. Charleston Willingham had 20 points and Deante Green added 7.

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 4 Norcross 67, A-PrivateNo. 9 Lakeview Academy 31: Devyn Wilson and Yamani Paul each scored 10 points to lead Norcross.

No. 7 North Forsyth 55, Hillgrove 53 OT: Catherine Shope scored 19 points and Cassie Markle double-doubled with 15 points and 11 rebounds in the Progressive Lighting Holiday Classic.

Grayson 65, Valdosta 58: The Wildcats gave Grayson everything they could handle, but Jazmin Robinson was just too much. The strong forward posted 19 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Kendra Hutchinson scored 11 of her 16 points in the second half and added 3 rebounds and 3 steals. Bianca Fizoutay collected 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Valdosta was led by Jy’mya Johnson’s 15 points and Asia Harrison’s 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. Nia Allen tallied 7 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 1 block.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Winder-Barrow 63, 4ANo. 5 Jefferson 55 OT: The Lady Doggs held on in overtime behind Olivia Nelson-Ododa’s 22 points and Latrice Perkins’ 18. Jazmin Allen scored 17 for the Dragons.

No. 4 Harrison 60, 5ANo. 6 Southwest DeKalb 54: Harper Vick and Sarah Woghiren scored 16 and 15 points, respectively to lead the Hoyas at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic. Mae Willis added 9 points and 5 rebounds. UAB-signee Audrey Jordan collected 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Lanier 68, 3ANo. 7 Dawson County 52: Kaylee Sticker’s 33 points wasn’t enough to slow down Class 6A dark horse Lanier from capturing the Tiger Classic Championship. The 4-0 Longhorns received 18 points apiece from Bailey Bassette and Jamyah Montissol. Makala Fuller followed with 11 points, while Kalen Surles finished with 9 points.

Cambridge 41, Chamblee 35: Audrey Smith had 15 points and 12 rebounds to pace the Bears. Raegan Dunwoodie finished with 10 points, 4 steals and 7 deflections. Chamblee was led by Trinity Edwards’ 19.

Alpharetta 68, Pebblebrook 43: The Raiders won the Roswell Rotary Invitational behind 23 points from Sydnie Ward and 16 apiece from Jalyn Tillerson and Kendall Phillips.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 57, A-PrivateNo. 1 Holy Innocents’ 45: Michigan State-signee Tory Ozment collected 19 points and 5 assists as the Lady Wolves pulled away down the stretch. Air Force-signee Audrey Weiner drilled 13 points and Ebony Grant added 6 points and 7 rebounds. Georgia-signee Kaila Hubbard paced Holy Innocent’s with 15 points while Jada Farrell tacked on 14 and Penn-signee Kennedy Suttle had 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

No. 3 Eagle’s Landing 60, 4ANo. 7 Madison County 50: Ashley Foster paced the Eagles with 17 points followed by Jaleah Storr’s 14. Reyonna Hopkins scored 12 and Kiera Howard tossed in 11 in the balanced attack.

Class AAAA

No. 6 Northwest Whitfield 62, Rome 56: Jada Griffin powered the Lady Bruins with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals to sneak past Rome. Rylee Maret scored 9 points while Hallie Brooker and Nicole Bates each scored 8. Tamiya Griffin led the Wolves with a game-high 25 points in the loss.

No. 8 West Hall 65, Social Circle 24: Anna McKendree was named tournament MVP following a 34-point outburst in the East Jackson Thanksgiving Tournament championship. Kinsey Wilson pitched in 10 points and was named to the All-Tournament team.

Burke County 50, Calvary Day 38: Quin’deja Hamilton pumped in 23 points while Kianni Westbrook put in 19 in the win.

Stephens County 71, East Jackson 33: Tykia Thompson dumped in 22 points while Treasure Lone added 10 in the win. Ranajah Verdell and Nana Eades chipped in 9 apiece. Kenzie Whitehead led East Jackson with 19 points.

Pickens 53, Fannin County 29: Mykenzie Weaver dropped 22 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals to pace the Dragonettes. Torie Williams scored 13 points and handed out 3 assists. Mackenzie Hampton tallied 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks.

Class AAA

East Hall 69, A-PublicNo. 4 Woodville-Tompkins 51: Georgia State-signee Carly Winters poured in 18 points at the Joe Greene Classic at Beach High School. Tessa Rider scored 13, Maggie Griffin 10 and Macy Thomas and Jenny Lopez netted 9 points apiece.

Union County 60, Towns County 55 OT: Towns County erased a 19-point deficit using a 25-2 run to take control but Bailey Daniel sent the game to overtime where the Panthers won it. Aubree Pack led the Panthers with 14 points while Kennedi Henson netted a game-high 26 points Towns County.

Sonoraville 51, Cartersville 32: Maliyah Parks scored 14 in the win while Emma Garland added 8 and Harlieh Chastain pitched in 6.

Class AA

No. 2 Rabun County 57, Habersham Central 31: Georgia Stockton led the offensive charge with 16 points and 4 steals. Laken Stiles added on 13 points and 4 steals while Jaden Quilliams had 8 points and 11 rebounds. Kaitlin Coleman produced 8 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals.

No. 6 Banks County 79, 3ANo. 9 Hart County 63: Maddie Thomas (24), Allison Smith (20) and Jaycee Bowen (11) combined for 55 points as the Lady Leopards pulled away late. Hart County was led by Torrion Starks and Shakendra Grove’s 18 points apiece. Taniya Alexander chipped in 11.

No. 8 Dodge County 85, Warner Robins 71: Destanee Wright scored 24 points, Europe Brown 23 and Nessa Mitchell 20 in the high scoring affair. Shauna Cooley added 12.

Bryan County 60, Portal 28: Shelby Gunn had 19 points and 5 rebounds while Olonna Rawls added 15 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Alation Easaon and Kelsey Leggett netted 6 apiece.

Class A-Private

No. 2 Wesleyan 78, 6ANo. 1 Northview 59: A 15-0 run to open the game doomed the Titans. Old Dominion-signee Amaya Register set the tone and finished with 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. AC Carter outdueled Maya Richards inside with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. Furman-signee Sutton West had 14 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Ashlee Austin carried Northview with a career-high 31 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 blocks. Eden Sample added 12 points, 5 rebounds and 1 block. Asjah Inniss battled foul trouble and finished with 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.

No. 6 Stratford Academy 63, Athens Academy 37: Gabby Mastandrea scored 8 points in the loss while Greer Moseley chipped in 7 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 8 Prince Avenue Christian 72, Oglethorpe County 22: Ansley Hall poured in 21 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 10 steals. Millican Jarrett added 19 and Kalin Cartey netted 10 points. Madison Britt (9) and Caroline Hill (6) also scored.

Walker 54, Providence Christian Academy 41: Madelyn Levy scored a game-high 20 points for the Storm in the defeat.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 11-20

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 4 Wheeler 76, 5ANo. 3 Cedar Shoals 58: The Jaguars lacked size, but their physicality pushed Wheeler to the brink. The Wildcats led 51-47 after three before riding EJ Montgomery’s 15-point fourth quarter to victory at the Jared Cook Classic. The 6-foot-10 Montgomery was unstoppable, posting 33 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocks. Isaiah Holt scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. Brandon Younger collected 6 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals. Jaire Eastmond scored 2 points and handed out 7 assists. Demetrius Glenn led Cedar Shoals with 14 points off the bench to go with his 5 rebounds. Quincy Canty had 12 points and 9 rebounds. Jai’Vanni McDavid added 12 points and Keivaziay Ball netted 10.

No. 7 Collins Hill 86, South Forsyth 51: The Eagles rolled the War Eagles behind Chris Parks and Justin Lee’s 23 point nights. Mandarius Dickerson added 15. Isaiah Magee (11) and Jared Riley (10) led South Forsyth.

No. 8 Shiloh 58, 5ANo. 4 Miller Grove 55: Elias King went for 18 points and 4 rebounds to help the Generals win an ugly game. Kendall Lewis had 13 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks while Darius Garcia chipped in 8 points and 3 assists. Toneari Lane had 4 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Miller Grove was led by Kevin Paige’s 14 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Lorenzo Anderson collected 13 points, 3 assists and 5 steals. Maurice Harvey added 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals while TJ Stargell had 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals in his homecoming.

Etowah 70, Riverwood 53: Adrian Cohen pumped in 22 points to lead the Eagles. Jaxon Etter added 16  while Nick Nagy (12) and Carter Ingersoll (10) both cracked double figures.

Brookwood 59, Winder-Barrow 52: Chris Smalls scored 15 points followed by Justin Randle’s 13 to pace the Broncos. Toju Etiwe had 11 and Taj Adams and Amari Kelley scored 9 apiece.

Walton 81, Arabia Mountain 68: Cameron Robinson scored 17 points and N’Kyzie Hawkins chipped in 14, but the Rams failed to get past the Raiders. Jordan Sterling had 9 in the loss. Jordan Krueger led Walton with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists.

Lambert 78, South Paulding 71: Austin Deckard dropped in 24 points to hold off the Spartans. Damon Stoudamire Jr. finished with 17 points and Jordan McIlwain added 11. South Paulding was led by Tank Withers’ 26 points and 10 rebounds. Cam Armstrong scored 12 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Chandler Travis pitched in 13 points and 9 rebounds.

Campbell 65, East Hamilton, TN 50: Brandon Deravine posted 22 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks for the Spartans. Terrell Burden had 10 points, 8 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Kiya Randolph scored 14 points and Donovan Grant produced 8 points and 8 rebounds. Quan Carpenter added 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals.

Archer 55, Woodland-Stockbridge 54: The Tigers advanced to the Parkview Tip-Off Classic Championship vs. Wando, SC after slipping past the Wolfpack. Brent Smith netted 15 points to lead the way while Shakim Jenks added 11. Justin Edmondson and Malik Sproles scored 10 apiece.

Roswell 57, West Ashley, SC 55: Miles Herron’s two free throws with 2.9 seconds left clinched a semifinal victory and a date with Gray Collegiate in the championship of the Rotary Honor Air Invitational. Herron finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Kolby Wade scored 11 points and Ryan Brennan tallied 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Randall Litmon led West Ashley with 20 points and 9 rebounds.

Wando, SC 80, Parkview 71: Ahmir Langlais’ 25 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks weren’t enough to overcome Wando’s 28 points from Brandon Kinloch, 18 from Tristan Freeling and 12 from Ty Buncum.

Peachtree Ridge 73, Jefferson 34: Florida State-signee Devin Vassell pumped in 21 points to lead the Lions past the Dragons, setting up a championship match-up at Tabo’s Tip-Off Classic against Class AAA No. 3 GAC. Jasper Gibson scored 10 points in the loss for Jefferson.

Class AAAAAA

No. 5 Bradwell Institute 62, A-PublicNo. 9 Woodville-Tompkins 56: Khalyn Weekley pumped in 24 points as the Tigers survived the Wolverines. Preston Crisp powered Woodville-Tompkins with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Bernard Pelote scored 11.

No. 9 Tucker 69, North Gwinnett 57:  The Tigers were tied at 47 after three quarters before finally finding a way to slow down the Bulldog barrage, North Gwinnett hitting five threes in the third quarter and eight for the game. Jevon Tatum paced Tucker with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Nick Watson drilled six threes en route to 20 points and 4 rebounds. Nate Ogbu tallied 14 points and 7 rebounds inside while Brandon Pope picked up 11 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists. North Gwinnett got 15 points from Cam Rowland to go with his 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Chandler Johnston hit four threes and finished with 14 points. Jordan Young had 10 and Connor McCormick posted 9 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks.

No. 10 Alpharetta 53, Blessed Trinity 41: RJ Pass notched 11 points and 6 assists as the Raiders used an 18-4 third quarter advantage to shake the Titans. Ryan Jenei chipped in 10 points and 7 rebounds. Ben Shappard led Blessed Trinity with 17 points and 6 rebounds.

Harrison 55, Walnut Grove 51 OT: Jailen Robinson and Dominique Duke scored 11 apiece but the Warriors fell to the Hoyas at the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament.

Mundy’s Mill 64, Veterans 49: Kirshon Thrash dumped in 21 points followed by Jordan Black’s 18 and John Coats’ 16 to beat Veterans.

Valdosta 61, Bainbridge 55: Jaylen Jones and Desmond Thomas scored 14 apiece in the loss.

Stephenson 78, ML King 43: Drevion Evans (17) and Bryce Lattimer (16) combined for 33 points in the win at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic.

Johns Creek 58, Osborne 39: Jack Greenslit scored 17 points to pace the Gladiators. Neil Ilenrey added 13 points and Will Penland netted 10. Nate Gauthreaux  tagged on 9 points and 5 assists. Osborne was led by Matthew Smith’s 11 and Jarmaine Miles’ 9.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 65, Discovery 50: With Alex Jones sidelined, Buford still found a way to dispatch of Discovery and advance to the Craig Sager Memorial Tournament championship game. Georgia Southern-signee David Viti came up big with 16 points while Marcus Watson added 14. Donell Nixon came away with 12 points.

No. 9 Starr’s Mill 52, Marist 49: Drew Hudson scored 17 points to avoid an early season let down.

No. 10 Lithonia 71, A-PrivateNo. 10 Mt. Pisgah 60: Eric Gaines exploded for 38 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Tasim Sams had 11 in the win. Quinn Richey and Chase Tucker had 15 apiece for the Patriots.

Lithia Springs 61, Alexander 59: Jaquavius Turner netted 13 points and Anthony Hardy scored 11 to lift the Lions. Chris Lunsford scored 15 to pace Alexander.

Paulding County 87, North Paulding 78: Tyron Summerour went for 22 points and Jeremiah Reed scored 20 to push the Patriots to a high scoring victory to advance to the Patriots Hoopsgiving Classic championship where they will face Lithia Springs.  Mike Seymour added 12 points and 7 assists in the win.

Class AAAA

No. 1 Upson-Lee 78, Henry County 50: Tye Fagan dropped 23 points to pace the Knights in a Final Four rematch. Zyrice Scott, Travon Walker and Cameron Traylor all scored 11 points. Jarrett Adderton netted 9. Henry County was led by Josh Steele’s 8 points.

Hiwassee Dam, NC 59, Pickens 58: Zach Goss scored 16 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in the loss. Joseph Gossett posted 14 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Tucker Lowe pitched in 12 points.

Class AAA

No. 1 Morgan County 67, 6ANo. 2 Dacula 65 OT: The Bulldogs stunned Dacula as Alec Woodard hit a leaner three to tie it with 12 seconds left and then scored the game-winning layup as time expired. Woodard had 28 in the win.

No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian 71, Mill Creek 70 OT: Hunter McIntosh poured in 27 points as the Spartans survived a pluck Hawks team. Roy Dixon scored 17 points while Ben Sheppard tossed in 16.

Dawson County 58, Dunwoody 46: Jeremiah Crumley posted 20 points and 5 assists while Cullen Reed totaled 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the win. Campbell Reed had 11 points and Ryan Gallenkamp notched 5 points and 10 rebounds.

Westminster 67, Pope 54: Paris Howland had 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists to set the tone for Westminster. Carter Oesterling added 10 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Chance Hausman scored 13. Pope was led by Jackson Baylark’s 15 points and 6 rebounds. Khi Wilson added 11 points and 6 assists.

Class AA

No. 7 Jeff Davis 74, 3ANo. 10 Long County 71 OT: Ja’Queze Kirby was the key to victory for the Yellow Jackets, hanging 23 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Kirese Manley scored 16 while Chandler Davenport and John Jackson added 9 and 8 points, respectively.

Social Circle 70, Lumpkin County 53: Antonio Dorsey poured in 25 points and Ennis Woolfork added 20. Chief Jennings scored 11 points to help the Redskins.

Class A-Private

No. 7 Lakeview Academy 72, Rabun County 47: Griffin Sewell and Drew Cottrell poured in 20 points apiece in the Lions win at the Piedmont College Hardwood Classic. Adam Cottrell scored 11 in support.

Providence Christian Academy 59, Mt. de Sales 52: Luke Matthews had a career-high 16 points and Al Dorsey and Connor Allen had 11 apiece in the win.

Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 69, Walker 64: Marques Frye scored 17 points. Will Mitchem tacked on 14 and Alex Holiday had 12. Burke Chebuhar scored 16 for Walker followed by Chandler Baker’s 14 and Darius Garvin’s 13.

Class A-Public

 

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 1 Westlake 64, No. 9 Brookwood 48:  The Lions finally pulled away from the Broncos after taking a 42-36 lead into the fourth quarter. Texas Tech-signee Taylor Hosendove finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. Freshman point guard Raven Johnson came off the bench to provide 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Simone Lett had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 5 blocks. Brookwood was led by junior Kierra Adams’ 9 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Mariah Calloway collected 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Jana Williams scored 8 points and Selma Kulo tallied 6 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks. Malia Grace chipped in 7 points and 4 rebounds.

No. 2 McEachern 61, Stephenson 56: It took them 31 minutes, but the Lady Indians relied on their championship pedigree to find a way to rally past Stephenson in a back and forth game which saw the Jaguars lead after every quarter. State championship hero Victoria Agyin scored back-to-back baskets with less than a minute to go to give McEachern the lead for good. Agyin finished with 15 points while Georgia Tech-signee Jasmine Carson scored all 11 of her points in the second half. Kemia Ward battled foul trouble and totaled 10 points and 4 blocks. Stephenson was led by Kassidy Broussard’s game-high 18 points, 3 assists and 4 steals. Nikki Culbreath sank four threes and finished with 14 points.

No. 4 Norcross 69, 6ANo. 6 Douglas County 39: The Blue Devils blew out the Tigers at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic behind Morgan Robinson’s 20 points, Devyn Wilson’s 14 points and 4 assists and Myra Strickland’s 13 points. Amari Robinson led Douglas County with 20 points.

No. 8 Cherokee 57, No. 7 North Forsyth 47: Etowah-transfer Sydne Watts double-doubled with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks to lead the Warriors inside. Laiken Wade had 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Lacie McCoy tallied 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Ashlyn Andrus collected 9 points and 4 rebounds.

Class AAAAAA

No. 1 Northview 49, 5ANo. 3 Eagle’s Landing 43: Ashlee Austin was the difference maker with 17 points to push the Lady Titans past the Eagles. Eden Sample (11) and Maya Richards (10) combined for 21. Reyonna Hopkins (12), Kiera Howard (11) and Ashley Foster (10) led the Eagles scoring attack.

No. 3 Lovejoy 95, Hampton 37: Genesis Bryant (20), Anaya Boyd (16), Mariah Spain (15), Avanna Preston (14) and J’Auana Robinson all cracked double figures in the blow out.

No. 4 Harrison 49, 7ANo. 6 Newton 40: The Lady Hoyas came up big at the Parkview Tip-Off Classic, riding a balanced scoring attack to knock off Newton. Sarah Woghiren (10), Audrey Jordan (9) and Easytn King (7) paced Harrison.

No. 5 Sequoyah 52, Johns Creek 30: Sydney Rosant picked up the slack for the Lady Chiefs, scoring a game-high 18 points while Alyssa Cagle was held scoreless. Emily Seres added 12 points and 8 rebounds.

Class AAAAA

Class AAAA

No. 3 Henry County 79, Upson-Lee 44: Auburn-signee Brooke Moore drained 21 points in the Warhawk blowout. Amaiya Jackson (13), Janiya Jones (11) and Janaya Wadsworth (10) all cracked double digits. Lashae Traylor and Alonzea Montgomery led the Knights with 9 points apiece.

No. 5 Jefferson 55, Morgan County 37: Mariah Starks paced the Dragons with 15 points. Lou Reid scored 11 for the Bulldogs.

No. 6 Northwest Whitfield 78, Adairsville 28: Rylee Maret and Jada Griffin scored 17 apiece to power the Lady Bruins to an easy win at the Border Wars Thanksgiving Tournament.

No. 8 West Hall 55, Stephens County 42: Anna McKendree piled in 32 points and Kinsey Wilson had 13 to lead the Spartans.The Lady Indians received 11 points from Treasure Lone in the loss while Tykia Thompson (7) and Nana Eades (6) also chipped in.

White County 65, Coahulla Creek 50:  Freshman Dasha Cannon led four Warriors in double figures with 13 points. Sophomores Bentley Cronic and Naomi Crumley scored 12 and 10 points, respectively. Senior Rachel Gearing added 10 as well.

Burke County 61, Statesboro 33: Quin’deja Hamilton ignited Burke County with 29 points. Kianni Westbrook provided 12 points.

Class AAA

No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian 81, 5ANo. 6 Southwest DeKalb 37: The Spartans back their brand new No. 1 state ranking with a demolition of Southwest DeKalb. Hofstra-signee Caria Reynolds led the way with 20 points while Auburn’s Robyn Benton scored 17 and Kennedi Williams netted 14. Middle Tennessee State-signee Taylor Sutton posted 13 points.

No. 2 Beach 58, East Hall 38: Tatiannya Morris had 15, Kailia Rougier 14 and Jabrekia Bass added 12 for the Bulldogs. East Hall was led by Carly Winters’ 15 points and Tessa Rider’s 7.

No. 7 Dawson County 73, Dunwoody 30: Kaylee Sticker led the Tiger onslaught with 24 points. Anna Lowe added 10 while Chloe Bennett netted 9 and Kati Brady scored 8. Calli Watson and Sophia d’Oliveria pitched in 7 apiece.

Class AA

No. 2 Rabun County 62, A-PrivateNo. 9 Lakeview Academy 52: The Lady Cats turned back a furious comeback by the Lions to win at the Piedmont College Hardwood Classic. Rabun County led by 16 at the half before Lakeview Academy cut the lead to one with 4 minutes remaining. Jordan Haban led the Lady Cats with 17 points. Jordan Quilliams had 11 points and 9 rebounds. Laken Stiles added 9 points, 2 assists and 2 steals. Georgia Stockton tallied 6 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

No. 3 Fitzgerald 73, Brantley County 28: Kirstin Crook had 14 points, 6 assists and 5 steals in the win. Keyara Boone led the way with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Hayleigh Ross scored 10 points.

No. 8 Dodge County 64, Rutland 35: Nessa Mitchell scored 18 points followed by Destanee Wright’s 13 to lead Dodge County. Shauna Coley added 12 and Europe Brown netted 9.

Class A-Private

No. 2 Wesleyan 62, Lambert 49: Old Dominion-signee Amaya Register orchestrated the offense with 17 points and 6 assists. Freshman Paige Lyons netted 16 and AC Carter chipped in 11 points. Furman-signee Sutton West grabbed 11 rebounds.

Athens Academy 38, Tattnall Square 35: Greer Moseley scored 13 points, Rose Bone 10 and Gabby Mastandrea had 8 in the win.

Class A-Public

 

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.

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