GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Mid-Season Teams to Watch

3 Comments

On the Bubble – Teams on the verge of entering the Top 10
Bullish – Teams surging towards the postseason
Spoiler – Teams that aren’t locks to make the playoffs but could play spoiler down the stretch

Class AAAAAAA

On the Bubble

Mountain View (13-5): The Bears have already matched their school-record in wins. Junior guards Spencer Rodgers and Miles Long have elevated their play and have been leaders for Coach BJ Roy. Outside of a 67-49 loss to Class A-Private No. 1 Greenforest, the Bears’ four losses have come by a combined 21 points. Mountain View is in the thick of things in Region 6 with an opportunity to clinch their first postseason berth.

Bullish

No. 7 Tift County (14-1): The sex appeal might not be there in South Georgia, but the heart, toughness and overall winning culture is. The Blue Devils’ only loss came by 32 points to nationally ranked Montverde Academy, Fl. Senior 6-foot-6 forward PJ Horne is fully healthy from an ACL tear that ended his season a year ago and is playing at a high level down in Tifton, averaging 23.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, already hanging 25 and 21 points in blowout wins of Class AA No. 6 Thomasville, who boasts 6-foot-8 Arkansas-commit Reggie Perry and 6-foot-9 sophomore Titus Wright. 

Spoiler

Milton (4-8): Injuries and players not yet eligible have mucked up Milton’s record, but don’t count the Eagles out of storming back and winning Region 5. Each team has played just one game in the region and if things go according to plan, Milton should quickly turn their sub-.500 record around. Duke-signee Alex O’Connell has been among the state’s leading scorers. Once Milton is at full strength, O’Connell’s scoring burden won’t be as heavy, making the Eagles a dangerous team come February.

Class AAAAAA

On the Bubble

Effingham County (11-4): Effingham County spent time in the poll last year, but hasn’t broken through just yet. The Rebels’ resume is highlighted by two narrow victories over Class AAAAA No. 8 New Hampstead. Senior Jaden Rodriguez is averaging 20.7 points while junior Kha’leed Stapleton is adding 15.7 points. Region 2 looks to have stiff competition with No. 8 Brunswick as the frontrunner with Richmond Hill also playing good ball.

Bullish

No. 6 South Cobb (12-2): South Cobb has opened some eyes this year but in all reality, it probably shouldn’t be unexpected. The Eagles clawed their way to a 15-11 (6-8 Region) record last season in Region 3, the strongest region in the state with state championship participants Pebblebrook and Westlake. Junior guard Trevin Wade has taken over the role of go-to guy left by his older brother Trey. Wade is averaging 18.4 points per game while 6-foot-8 senior Ralueke Orizu is posting 12 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks a night. South Cobb is in the driver’s seat in Region 6 at 6-0 with a crucial 54-45 victory at Allatoona under their belt.

Spoiler

Mays (6-6): The Raiders have been all over the map, looking very good and very bad at times this season in Region 5, making them the perfect dark horse to get hot and play party crasher come region tournament time. The athletes and raw talent are there in seniors Reo Wright and Clayvon Croom along with 6-foot-6 junior guard Horace Wyatt. Mays entered the playoffs last year as a No. 3 seed with an under .500 record but managed to dance their way to the Elite Eight.

Class AAAAA

On the Bubble

Flowery Branch (13-3): The veteran Falcons and their stable of steady guards have Flowery Branch off to their best start since 2007-08. Flowery Branch’s only three losses have come against Top 3 teams. They played No. 1 Buford (66-54) and No. 3 Cedar Shoals (63-50) tight up until the fourth quarter before running out of steam. Their only bad loss came against Class AAAAAA No. 1 Gainesville 80-55. The one thing that escapes the Falcons is a true resume building win. They have two more cracks to earn one, but they won’t come easy as they are on the road against Cedar Shoals and Buford. Seniors Brannon Clark and John Mills along with juniors Justin Quick and Blake Coxworth must find a way to slay the dragons in Class AAAAA.

Bullish

No. 8 New Hampstead (10-4): The Phoenix have bounced in and out of the Top 10 but now entering the five-team Region 2, expect New Hampstead to take off. Senior guard Oronte Anderson is a dynamic scorer that averages over 20 per game. New Hampstead is loaded with experience as fellow seniors 6-foot-6 Xavier Jones and guard Calvin Turner provide second and third scoring options. Last year the fourth-seeded Phoenix stunned Upson-Lee, winners of 17-straight, in the first round 82-66 behind Anderson’s 32 points.

Spoiler

Lithonia (6-10): It’s been a rebuilding year for Coach Wallace Corker’s Bulldogs who went to the Final Four last year. Lithonia has played a difficult schedule but has already played the role of spoiler and has pushed some of the state’s best to the limit. The ‘Dogs have already beaten 12-3 Roswell (59-55), 8-5 Johnson-Savannah (70-64) and No. 9 Columbia (67-53) while coming up short against Class AAAAAA No. 5 Heritage-Conyers (70-66), No. 10 Southwest-DeKalb (47-44), Class AAAAAAA No. 2 McEachern (56-45), No. 2 Eagle’s Landing (47-38) and No. 5 Fayette County (61-59).

Class AAAA

On the Bubble

Stephens County (11-3): Stephens County has spent time in the Top 10 already this season and are on the verge of breaking through for good after winning six straight. The Indians’ only losses have come to 10-4 Seneca, SC 55-39 (who they beat seven days later 60-30), Class AAAAAA No. 9 Dacula 72-59 and St. Pius 70-68 who has been ranked as high as No. 4 this season. Pius and Stephens County will battle for the Region 8 title and don’t be shocked to see both of them in the Top 10 in a few weeks. The Indians have good pieces highlighted by 6-foot-7 post Deundra Singleton and guard Nunu Walker.

Bullish

No. 3 Henry County (12-5): Preseason No. 1 Henry County is starting to get hot, winning six in a row. If the Warhawks can navigate through the potential pitfalls of a very deep Region 4 and come away with the region title, they will be very scary in the state tournament, but currently they sit behind No. 5 Eastside (4-0) and Woodward Academy (3-1). D-I signees Javon Greene and Damion Rosser have averaged 22.1 and 20.3 points per game respectively. The only question is; will the Warhawks get enough stops on a nightly basis to go far in the state tournament?

Spoiler

North Clayton (5-8): It has been a rollercoaster season for North Clayton, who has spent a bulk of the year bouncing around the Top 10. A brutal schedule has led to the Eagles dropping three straight. Right now it looks like there are five teams fighting for four spots in Region 4. The Eagles are 2-2 in region play and host No. 5 Eastside in a crucial showdown this week. North Clayton will always cause problems with 6-foot-8 Lipscomb-signee Ahsan Asadullah anchoring the Eagles inside, averaging 14.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

Class AAA

On the Bubble

Calhoun (10-2): Calhoun’s reign of regular season dominance came to an end when King’s Ridge snapped their 48-game winning streak, but the Yellow Jackets are still the bully on the block for now in Region 6. Their main challenger is 12-2 Sonoraville who is also 5-0 in region play. Calhoun has spent time in the poll and has a good chance to win out, even though their region games haven’t been blowouts like years past. The well-coached bunch led by Vince Layson relies on seniors Chapin Rierson (15.2 ppg, 8 rpg, 2.3 bpg), Malik Lawrence (13.5 ppg) and Rhett Abernathy (10 ppg) to carry the load with juniors Kaylan Aker (8.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and Porter Law (4.3 rpg, 6 apg, 2.9 spg) playing expanded roles.

Bullish

No. 5 Islands (10-3): Now in Year 7, Islands has staked claim to being the best team in Savannah outside of Class AAAAA No. 8 New Hampstead who has stiffed them twice in overtime, 83-76 and 79-77. Wins over Effingham County (78-72), No. 8 Jenkins (75-72), Richmond Hill (65-45) and most recently 11-2 Pope to win the Westminster Holiday Classic 70-54, are most impressive. The Sharks have a potent backcourt led by sophomore Trae Broadnax (20.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg), all-time leading scorer and three-point marksman Justin Cave (20.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.8 apg) and fellow senior Hugh Durham (10.6 ppg). Islands’ biggest weakness is a lack of impactful height.

Spoiler

Crisp County (6-7): The Cougars opened up in the Top 10 and quickly departed and haven’t sniffed the poll since. Over in Region 1, they still remain a threat in the small five-team region. Senior guard Quentavious Dean has been on a scoring binge, averaging 23.3 points per game. Ijon Owens adds 15.6 points. If the roster composed of 10 seniors and five juniors hits their stride, they could be a tough first round opponent for a higher seed come tournament time if the Cougars earn a spot.

Class AA

On the Bubble

Early County (10-2): I flirted with putting Early County in the Top 10 this week but now after their 72-69 win over Class A-Public No. 1 Calhoun County, the Bobcats are a near lock to debut. Early County has won 10 straight now, avenging an 80-75 Game 2 loss at Calhoun County. They are scheduled to play Northview, AL on Saturday, who beat them 87-73 to open the year. In their other nine wins this season, the Bobcats have crushed opponents by an average of 29.6 points. It will be interesting to see what they do against Region 1 foes No. 6 Thomasville and 5-0 Fitzgerald.

Bullish

No. 1 South Atlanta (12-1): It’s probably taking the easy way out, but there’s no one I’m higher on in Class AA than South Atlanta. The Hornets have beaten big time competition across the state picking up five wins against teams that have been ranked. Their only loss came against Crestwood, SC 79-68. Devonta Pullins’ sharp shooting along with 6-foot-8 lefty Tyler Thornton inside make the Hornets the clear cut favorite to win in all in Class AA.

Spoiler

Northeast-Macon (4-11): The Raiders look a year away from cracking the postseason, but a trio of young guards may hold the key to success over the next few years. Sophomores Darius Dunn and Ty’ree Gilbert have picked up where they left off as freshmen. Dunn is pouring in 19.8 points per game while Gilbert is adding 19.5. Freshman Cameron Cherry is third on the team at 7.7 points.

Class A-Private

On the Bubble

Tattnall Square Academy (7-3): After opening in the Top 10 to begin the season, it looks like the Trojans have designs on resurfacing in the rankings. A 62-52 win over Class A-Public No. 5 Wilkinson County is not only a resume builder, but a very important region victory. Senior Calvin Slaughter dropped in nine of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter to edge the Warriors while big men Jimmy Marshall added 10 points and 12 rebounds and Sean Brown chipped in 13 points and 7 rebounds.

Bullish

No. 2 North Cobb Christian (11-3): I’m officially a believer in North Cobb Christian. No one has been able to stop Demiere Brown, a 6-foot-6 bull-in-a china shop with the ball in his hands. Brown is averaging around 25 points per game and has dominated in every game I’ve seen. If Brown can get consistent help from 6-foot-9 shooter Will Crumly, 6-foot-8 post Mo Merritt and both Myles Hamilton and Hunter Norman, the Eagles could be in business.

Spoiler

Wesleyan (6-8): In Year 1 as head coach, Adam Griffin has the Wolves playing good basketball and currently 3-1 in Region 5. Senior Sean McDonough has had a breakthrough season as a 6-foot-4 stretch forward while junior guard Christian McLean is a lethal scorer. The Wolves don’t have any huge wins yet, but they have plenty of chances down the stretch to catch some good teams.

Class A-Public

On the Bubble

Randolph-Clay (8-3): The Red Devils have picked up their play and are riding a three-game winning streak. Their only losses have come against No. 1 Calhoun County (74-50), No. 2 Quitman County (65-59) and No. 7 Clinch County (73-68). A veteran core of seniors Trajan Evans, Kevin Brown and Rahemn Price along with juniors Marquavious Watson and James Mock have some tough-nosed basketball brewing in Cuthbert.

Bullish

No. 2 Quitman County (11-1): Quitman County has just 1-win against a team over .500 in Randolph-Clay. Their only loss came to 10-3 Eufaula, AL 55-54. Quitman enters the tougher part of their schedule moving forward and will visit Pelham this weekend, but even the 4-1 in region Hornets have lost four-straight games. Quitman County’s showdown with No. 1 Calhoun County looms later in the season. The Hornets average an exciting 78.2 points per game paced by their explosive guards, junior Shahee Billings (20 ppg, rpg, 8 apg, 4 spg) and senior JaDarian Gibbs (15 ppg, 7 rpg, 4 apg). Sophomore Laqueveus “Spud” Nelson is the best of the group, pouring in over 24 points a night.

Spoiler

Bowdon (5-8): The postseason is out of reach for the Red Devils but senior Octavius Meadows and junior Zach Ledbetter are making the most out of their seasons. Meadows, 6-foot-5, is averaging 18.9 points and 5.5 rebounds. Ledbetter is adding 15.3 points. In a deep and difficult region, the Red Devils have opportunities to surprise opponents.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 1-3

Class AAAAAAA

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

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

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

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

Class AAAAAA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Class AAAAA

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

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

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

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

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

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

Class AAAA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Class AAA

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

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

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

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

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

Class AA

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

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

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

Class A-Private

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

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

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

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

Class A-Public

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


GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

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

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

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

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

Class AAAAA

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

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

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

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

Class AAAA

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

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

Class AAA

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

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

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

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

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

Class AA

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

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

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

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 7 Girls Rankings

5 Comments

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 7 Boys Rankings

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Class AAAAAAA

  1. Newton (13-0)
  2. McEachern (12-0)
  3. Pebblebrook (7-5)
  4. Norcross (13-3)
  5. Wheeler (10-4)
  6. Westlake (8-5)
  7. Tift County (13-1)
  8. Berkmar (11-5)
  9. Collins Hill (13-3)
  10. Discovery (12-5)

Class AAAAAA

  1. Gainesville (13-0)
  2. South Paulding (12-1)
  3. Jonesboro (10-4)
  4. Langston Hughes (9-4)
  5. Heritage-Conyers (9-3)
  6. South Cobb (12-2)
  7. Alpharetta (15-1)
  8. Brunswick (11-2)
  9. Dacula (9-4)
  10. Alexander (10-4)

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (11-2)
  2. Eagle’s Landing (10-2)
  3. Cedar Shoals (12-2)
  4. Warner Robins (11-3)
  5. Fayette County (11-5)
  6. Miller Grove (9-6)
  7. Union Grove (11-3)
  8. New Hampstead (10-4)
  9. Columbia (9-5)
  10. Southwest DeKalb (10-6)

Class AAAA

  1. Sandy Creek (8-3)
  2. Upson-Lee (15-0)
  3. Henry County (12-5)
  4. Richmond Academy (12-3)
  5. Eastside (9-4)
  6. LaGrange (11-2)
  7. Carver-Columbus (11-3)
  8. Burke County (8-3)
  9. Perry (11-3)
  10. Baldwin (8-4) 

Class AAA

  1. Westside-Macon (9-3)
  2. Greater Atlanta Christian (10-4)
  3. Liberty County (8-5)
  4. Morgan County (8-3)
  5. Islands (10-3)
  6. Pace Academy (4-7)
  7. Central-Macon (10-2)
  8. Jenkins (9-6)
  9. Cedar Grove (5-4)
  10. Dougherty (9-4)

Class AA

  1. South Atlanta (12-1)
  2. Josey (12-2)
  3. Dublin (7-4)
  4. Monticello (8-5)
  5. Laney (10-3)
  6. Thomasville (6-5)
  7. Therrell (9-5)
  8. Chattooga (11-1)
  9. Putnam County (10-3)
  10. Banks County (9-4)

Class A-Private

  1. Greenforest (10-2)
  2. North Cobb Christian (10-3)
  3. Southwest Atlanta Christian (7-5)
  4. St. Francis (11-3)
  5. Aquinas (9-1)
  6. Holy Innocents’ (6-4)
  7. Lakeview Academy (8-4)
  8. Whitefield Academy (8-5)
  9. Tallulah Falls (13-0)
  10. Darlington (8-3)

Class A-Public

  1. Calhoun County (9-0)
  2. Quitman County (11-1)
  3. Taylor County (7-2)
  4. Treutlen (11-0)
  5. Wilkinson County (8-3)
  6. Wilcox County (10-2)
  7. Clinch County (10-1)
  8. Central-Talbotton (8-3)
  9. Crawford County (8-4)
  10. Trion (8-3)

It was a make or break week full of holiday tournaments across the country as contenders and pretenders separated themselves from the field. Newton officially takes over the No. 1 spot in Class AAAAAAA after shutting down the best player in the country, Zion Williamson of Spartanburg Day, SC, in the second half to rally and win the Farm Bureau Classic Championship 73-64. The young Indians of No. 2 McEachern are certifiably terrifying after beating No. 5 Wheeler in the Tournament of Champions National Division Championship 77-67 behind sophomore Isaac Okoro’s 25 points and seven rebounds. Slipping to No. 4 is Norcross who lost in the Fab Four Championship of the Tournament of Champions to No. 3 Pebblebrook 77-69 after Collin Sexton poured in 32 points to fuel the Falcons. No. 9 Collins Hill had its ups and downs at the Lake City Classic, losing to Class AAAAA No. 4 Warner Robins 55-45, beating Hale County, AL and falling to Class AAAAAA No. 4 Langston Hughes at the buzzer 74-73. Peachtree Ridge drops out after a respectable 2-2 showing at The Kingdom of the Sun. Entering for the first time in school history is No. 10 Discovery. The second-year program has won seven straight including winning their own Christmas tournament, beating Monroe Area 73-55 in the championship.

No. 1 Gainesville is simply scary in Class AAAAAA. Without D-I prospect KJ Buffen still, the Red Elephants demolished the field at the 57th Lanierland, romping its way to the title in the most dominant fashion the event has ever seen. They won by an average of 37 points, highlighted by a 104-67 blowout of Class A-Private No.7 Lakeview Academy and a 88-38 destruction of East Hall in the finals. There is a new No. 2 in South Paulding. No. 3 Jonesboro has played a national schedule and have played extremely well, but the Spartans have been as consistent as it gets and they were rewarded by winning the Lake City Classic Smile Generation Bracket, getting revenge against Class A-Private No. 2 North Cobb Christian in the championship 70-64. Along the way South Paulding also stopped Hale County 46-44 and Warner Robins 62-55. Unsigned 6-foot-7 senior wing JaCori Wilson averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds and was named overall tournament MVP. As good as Wilson was, No. 4 Langston Hughes’ Landers Nolley was the best player in the gym. He averaged 28.6 points per game as the Panthers finished 2-1, losing in the first round to Auburn, AL and 6-foot-10 Mississippi State-signee Garrison Brooks 75-63, but bouncing back to beat Allatoona 62-53 and Collins Hill on a Nolley buzzer beater. No. 5 Heritage-Conyers, No. 6 South Cobb, No. 7 Alpharetta and No. 10 Alexander all took care of business, winning their respective holiday tournaments. Heritage crushed the field at the Newnan Holiday Classic. South Cobb took home the Tournament of Champions American Division Championship by beating Doral Academy, FL 47-39. Alpharetta hoisted the trophy at the Deep South Classic while Alexander won the Lake City Classic Mellow Mushroom Bracket Championship, beating Carrollton 73-56. Lakeside-Evans was replaced by Alexander after losing to Grovetown 69-66.

Buford dropped two tough games at the Arby’s Classic, but the Wolves retain the No. 1 spot in Class AAAAA. Ever since their loss to Buford, No. 3 Cedar Shoals has been red hot winning eight straight. They beat Class AAA No. 4 Morgan County for the second time this year, beating them in the Sweet South Classic at Morgan County 57-48 to win the championship. Miller Grove struggled on the big stage at Tournament of Champions and finished 1-3, dropping them three spots to No. 6. Fayette County and Warner Robins both have tough tournaments as well, but the Demons’ win over Collins Hill and close losses to South Paulding and Auburn at the Lake City Classic are stomachable. Southwest DeKalb tumbles to No. 10 following a 1-2 showing at the Tucker Shootout, losing to Brainerd, TN (53-42) and Class A-Private No. 1 Greenforest (92-69). Riverwood falls out after losing both their games at the Lake City Classic. Replacing them is No. 9 Columbia. The Eagles went 3-1 at T.O.C. with a 88-86 double overtime victory over Class A-Private No. 4 St. Francis and a 86-66 victory over Grayson.

There are two clear cut front runners in Class AAAA as of now: No. 1 Sandy Creek and No. 2 Upson-Lee. The Patriots had a spectacular showing at the Arby’s Classic going 3-1 while Upson-Lee went to LaGrange and won the Toyota Classic, beating the formerly No. 3 ranked LaGrange Grangers 68-50 while taking a 61-31 lead into the fourth quarter. The loss sinks LaGrange three spots. Tye Fagan was marvelous with 31 points in the drubbing and was rewarded by taking an unofficial visit to MTSU today. Don’t look now, but No. 3 Henry County is starting to surge. They went a perfect 3-0 at the Tucker Shootout, winning three shootouts highlighted by an 86-84 win over Class AA No. 7 Therrell. Americus-Sumter and North Clayton don’t survive the week. The Eagles went 0-3 at Tucker while Americus-Sumter suffered a bad loss to Northview 66-61 and were beat by Class AAAAAAA No. 7 Tift County 71-55. Debuting are No. 7 Carver-Columbus and No. 10 Baldwin. The Tigers won back-to-back impressive games against Alabama’s Lanett (95-77) and Central (83-77). Already in just Year 2, Buck Harris has turned the Braves into statewide contender. They have scored wins over Class AA No. 9 Putnam County (65-46), Class A-Public No. 5 & defending state champs Wilkinson County (63-46) and now just won the Antebellum Christmas Classic, drilling Creekside in the finals 52-34. The Braves face their toughest stretch in region play as they visit No. 4 Richmond Academy and Thomson this week with a home game looming against No. 8 Burke County on the 10th.

No. 6 Pace Academy continued its poor play on the national circuit with a 1-2 showing at the Beach Ball Classic. The Knights slip a spot in the Class AAA poll. Islands is on the move, peaking at No. 5 after beating Pope 70-54 in the championship of the Westminster Holiday Tournament. No. 7 Central-Macon had an interesting performance at the Lake City Classic going 2-1 with an opening round loss to Hillgrove. The Chargers earned wins over Riverwood and Morrow in the later rounds. Calhoun saw its 48-game regular season winning streak snapped with a loss to King’s Ridge Christian at the Antebellum Classic 65-40. They were beat back-to-back by Maynard Jackson the following day, the first string of consecutive losses since Dec. 18 & 19 in 2014. The Yellow Jackets and Johnson-Savannah Atomsmashers both exit the poll. Johnson came up north and had a poor showing at T.O.C. going 0-3. Reentering the poll is No. 8 Jenkins who went 3-1 at T.O.C. Following them is Dougherty who debuts at No. 10.

Laney leaps four spots to No. 5 in Class AA after a 62-59 win at Thomson. Therrell and Thomasville both slip while No. 3 Dublin is hot with their second 1-point win over Wilkinson County, this time at the Palace 54-53. No. 8 Chattooga won their Christmas Tournament with a 60-57 victory over Cartersville. Callaway exits the Top 10 after a 3-3 start and a 69-66 loss to Villa Rica. Back in the mix is No. 10 Banks County who has won six straight.

Demiere Brown of No. 2 North Cobb Christian is as good as any scorer in the state and is in my opinion the toughest cover in the state in Class A-Private. He poured in 27.3 points per game as the Eagles finished second at the Lake City Classic. They defeated Allatoona in overtime 70-68 and held off Auburn 55-51 to make it to the finals where they fell to South Paulding in a SEBA Hoop Festival rematch, 70-64. No. 1 Greenforest received a scare from Holy Spirit Prep 55-52, but the Eagles went 3-0 at the Tucker Shootout. The freshmen and sophomore-laden No. 4 St. Francis Knights went 1-3 at T.O.C. with their three losses by a combined five points, losing to Columbia in 2OT 88-86, Lakewood, SC 75-74 in OT and Douglas County 60-58. King’s Ridge’s victory over Calhoun couldn’t propel them to an Antebellum Classic Championship as they sunk in their final two games losing 46-45 to Creekside and 43-41 to Marist and dropping from the poll in the process. Replacing them is No. 10 Darlington.

Calhoun County continues to roll in Class A-Public. They knocked Montgomery County out of the Top 10 with their 72-51 rout. No. 7 Clinch County took care of the Eagles as well, 71-65 after falling to Turner County in the Ronalda Pierce Holiday Hoopfest Championship 77-70. Replacing Montgomery County is No. 10 Trion, who debuts.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Tye Fagan, No. 2 Upson-Lee officially announce their statewide legitimacy in destruction of No. 3 LaGrange

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No. 2 Upson-Lee 68, No. 3 LaGrange 50

In the LaGrange Toyota Classic Championship, No. 2 Upson-Lee (15-0) faced its biggest test yet: No. 3 LaGrange (11-2) in a bandbox gymnasium harkening back to decades and decades of success with four state title banners hanging on the walls. Over the past three seasons, both teams have seen the wins pile up. Upson-Lee gained relevancy back in 2014-15 as a No. 4 seed in the Class AAAA playoffs, taking a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight. Last season the Knights rolled off 17-straight wins heading into the playoffs but were upset in the first round by New Hampstead. Fast forward to present day, the Knights marched into the Championship game with a chance to make a statement – and they did.

From the opening tip, the Knights and junior wing Tye Fagan were locked in. The potent 6-foot-3 lefty who averages upwards of 24 points per game banked in a baseline three to open the game from the right corner and from there the rout was on.

Laperion Perry, LaGrange’s senior leader at guard, knocked in a three to answer as it looked like a back-and-forth game was in store, but instead it was just a Fagan coming out party. He scored 10 points in the first quarter and got help from senior Michael Smith and sophomore Zyrice Scott throughout. Smith picked up a steal and bucket to help the Knights go up by seven as the game quickly started to slip away from the Grangers with the quarter ending with the Knights ahead 19-9.

Upson-Lee’s quick start proved to be the haymaker and knockout punch in the first round. LaGrange never got off the mat as they saw the lead balloon to 31-16 after a Fagan jumper,

and even higher following a Scott triple.

Scott, a baby-faced sophomore who is nowhere near done growing and maturing, played like a grizzled vet alongside Fagan, dropping in 16 points and collecting five rebounds and four steals. The two powered the Knights to a 36-20 halftime lead, Fagan with 20 points by himself as the Granger fans were at a loss for words with the gym buzzing about the opening 16 minutes.

Things got uglier and uglier as the Fagan show entered its second act. He netted nine more points and drilled his second three of the game in the process.

Entering the fourth quarter Upson-Lee and Head Coach Darrell Lockhart called the dogs off up 61-31. Fagan exited the game with 2:05 left with the Knights up 28, finishing with a game-high 31 points.

Covan Huzzie scored 12 points all in the fourth quarter for the Grangers to make the score more palatable including a three at the buzzer. Bo Russell played hard and finished with 11 points, but Perry and 6-foot-6 Bryan Fanning were held to six and four points respectively.

My Take

When I started this website, I did it for fun and because I wanted to cover the entire state the way it deserves to be covered. With the state being as good as it is – it’s the best in the entire nation – it’s a darn shame that there will always be a handful of fringe D-I/II kids who have major college talent but don’t get enough exposure to have the opportunity to play basketball at a high level. Not every kid like this has to go D-I or deserves to be, but their name needs to be out there for colleges to at least acknowledge their presence and do their due diligence and at the bare minimum take five minutes out of their day to watch a video clip of a player. With that being said, players like Tye Fagan are what high school basketball and Sandy’s Spiel are all about. Thomaston, Ga. is far from the glitz and glam of Metro Atlanta, but boy do they have a special team at Upson-Lee, fueled by Fagan, a nearly straight-A student and a habitual winner. Fagan was a man amongst boys against a very good high school program in LaGrange. Fagan made LaGrange look like they didn’t even belong on the same floor as the Knights and that’s against very good high school players like Laperion Perry, Bryan Fanning, Bo Russell and more. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap and that’s what everyone in the crowd did for Fagan. From his opening three-pointer, the lefty was on a mission. He showed the full arsenal, slipping his way to the basket, taking the ball in the low post, hitting two threes and even finishing with his right hand in traffic twice. Defensively he blocked shots and played the passing lanes. He along with sophomores Zyrice Scott and 6-foot-6 defensive end with an Alabama offer, Travon Walker, know nothing but winning. The core has gone somewhere around the record of 125-8 since they all started playing together and the group won the 16U USSSA National Championship this year with the locally based Middle Georgia Supersonics, going a perfect 6-0 in the tournament, winning by an average of 29.5 points per game. The scary part is the trio has one more year together and they will only get better. Scott is a rock solid point guard and Walker sucks up rebounds and has soft hands and good feet on the block. He admittedly said he didn’t play well after the game but he still contributed five points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Senior Michael Smith is a crucial fourth scoring option. The shooter knocked down three triples on the night. Upson-Lee’s biggest issue come state tournament time will be their depth. If any of the big three get in foul trouble, there will be problems. Outside of Walker, there isn’t a ton of height inside for Coach Lockhart. If this isn’t the year for a state title run, next year has a very real possibility of being it, as long as the Knights can develop one or two more players around their core. Expect the Knights to be in a gym near you this time next year in a major holiday tournament…

LaGrange is a much better team than they showed. They were just shell-shocked by Upson-Lee and I fully expect Coach Mark Veal to use the game as a teaching moment and to build momentum heading into an interesting region schedule. They host No. 1 Sandy Creek on January 13, a game with enormous statewide implications. The score will of that game will be something everyone will want to keep an eye on. There wasn’t much to pull from against Upson-Lee other than Bo Russell playing extremely hard all night and Kenan Grey being a load inside, but even he was held to four points along with Bryan Fanning as they ran into Walker inside.

Top Performers

Upson-Lee
Tye Fagan – 31 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Zyrice Scott – 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
Michael Smith – 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Travon Walker – 5 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks

LaGrange
Covan Huzzie – 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal
Bo Russell – 11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
Laperion Perry – 6 points, 1 assist, 3 steals

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