GHSA Master Schedule of Must See Games

 

                                              November
11/14 – No. 5 SWAC1A vs. No. 8 Heritage-Conyers5A (SWD Showdown II)
11/14 – No. 8 Henry County4A vs. No. 9 Jones County5A (SWD Showdown II)
11/14 – Tucker6A at No. 10 Cedar Shoals5A
11/17 – No. 9 Lakeview Academy1A at No. 4 GAC2A
11/17 – No. 6 Holy Innocents’2A at Riverwood5A
11/20 – No. 10 Rabun County2A at Dawson County3A
11/20 – North Atlanta5A at No. 10 South Atlanta3A
11/20 – No. 10 Columbia4A at No. 1 Lithonia4A
11/21 – Westminster3A vs. No. 5 Sandy Creek4A
11/21 – Cedar Grove3A at No. 2 St. Francis1A
11/21 – Buford4A at Tift County6A
11/21 – No. 8 Henry County4A at No. 9 Newton6A
11/21 – No. 8 Berkmar6A vs. No. 8 Heritage-Conyers5A (Run N’ Shoot Classic)

11/21 – Langston Hughes6A vs. Alpharetta6A

11/21 – No. 1 Greenforest1A vs. Peachtree Ridge6A (Jared Cook Classic)
11/21 – Sequoyah5A vs. Dacula6A (Jared Cook Classic)
11/23 – Buford4A vs. Sequoyah5A (Jared Cook Classic)
11/23 – No. 9 Lakeview Academy1A vs. Stephens County4A (Piedmont College Classic)
11/24 – No. 2 St. Francis1A vs. No. 3 Gainesville5A (Jared Cook Classic)
11/24 – No. 8 Berkmar6A vs. Duluth6A (Jared Cook Classic)
11/24 – No. 4 Whitefield Academy1A vs. Hillgrove6A (Thanksgiving Showcase)
11/24 – No. 4 East Jackson3A at No. 3 Westlake6A
11/24 – No. 7 Warner Robins5A at Perry4A
11/24 – Americus-Sumter4A at No. 4 Allatoona5A
11/24 – No. 6 LaGrange5A at Mundy’s Mill5A
11/27 – No. 2 Jonesboro4A vs. No. 2 Norcross6A
11/27 –No. 2 McIntosh5A vs. Douglas County6A (Holiday Hoopsgiving)
11/27 – No. 6 Holy Innocents’2A vs. Duluth6A (Holiday Hoopsgiving)
11/27 –No. 1 Greenforest1A vs. No. 6 Pebblebrook6A (Holiday Hoopsgiving)
11/28 – No. 2 Norcross6A vs. No. 1 Greenforest1A (Holiday Hoopsgiving)
11/28 – No. 3 Westlake6A vs. No. 2 Pace Academy2A (Holiday Hoopsgiving)
11/28 – Langston Hughes6A at No. 10 Lambert6A (On the Radar Hoops Showcase)
11/28 – Douglas County6A vs. Dacula6A (On the Radar Hoops Showcase)
11/28 – No. 8 Berkmar6A vs. No. 9 Newton6A (On the Radar Hoops Showcase)
11/28 – No. 1 Shiloh6A vs. No. 6 Pebblebrook6A (On the Radar Hoops Showcase)
11/28 – No. 4 East Jackson3A vs. Grayson6A (On the Radar Hoops Showcase)
11/28 – No. 2 St. Francis1A at No. 5 Milton6A (Dai-Jon Parker Classic)
11/28 – No. 1 Lithonia4A vs. No. 3 Morgan County3A (Hardwood Jam Fest)
11/28 – Cairo4A at No. 5 Thomasville2A
11/28 – Riverwood5A at No. 6 Blessed Trinity3A
 
                                                December
12/1 – No. 2 Hancock Central2A at No. 3 Crawford County2A
12/1 – No. 2 McIntosh5A at Mundy’s Mill5A
12/1 – No. 6 Holy Innocents’2A at No. 5 SWAC1A
12/1 – No. 4 Whitefield Academy2A at Houston County5A
12/1 – No. 6 St. Pius4A at No. 9 Grady4A
12/1 – Richmond Hill5A at No. 3 Liberty County4A
12/1 – Dawson County3A at No. 10 Rabun County2A
12/1 – No. 8 Vidalia2A at No. 9 Swainsboro2A
12/1 – No. 3 Gainesville5A at No. 8 Heritage-Conyers5A
12/4 – No. 7 Warner Robins5A at Tift County6A
12/4 – South Paulding5A at No. 4 Allatoona5A
12/4 – No. 7 Callaway3A at No. 7 Greenville1A
12/4 – No. 2 St. Francis1A at No. 4 Whitefield Academy2A
12/4 – No. 8 Stratford Academy1A at Northside-Warner Robins5A
12/4 – No. 2 Hancock Central1A at No. 4 Wilkinson County1A
12/4 – No. 7 St. Anne-Pacelli1A at No. 8 Dooly County1A
12/4 – No. 4 Bainbridge4A at No. 1 Seminole County2A
12/4 – No. 4 GAC2A at No. 6 Holy Innocents’2A
12/4 – No. 3 Morgan County3A at No. 1 Laney3A
12/4 – No. 6 Blessed Trinity3A at No. 10 South Atlanta3A
12/4 – No. 9 Central-Macon3A at Westside-Macon3A
12/4 – No. 10 Columbia4A at No. 6 St. Pius4A
12/5 – Duluth6A at No. 9 Newton6A
12/5 – No. 6 Pebblebrook6A vs. No. 2 St. Francis1A(Basketball Xplosion)
12/5 – Buford4A at No. 3 Morgan County3A
12/5 – No. 1 Greenforest1A vs. No. 2 Pace Academy2A (Basketball Xplosion)
12/5 – No. 3 North Cobb Christian1A at No. 6 Landmark Christian1A
12/5 – No. 9 Grady4A at No. 4 Whitefield Academy1A
12/5 – Mt. Vernon Presbyterian1A at No. 8 Stratford Academy1A
12/5 – No. 1 Calhoun County1A at No. 7 Early County2A
12/5 – No. 2 Hancock Central1A at Greene County2A
12/5 – Southwest DeKalb5A at No. 1 Miller Grove5A
12/8 – No. 3 Gainesville5A at No. 10 Cedar Shoals5A
12/8 – Buford4A at No. 2 St. Francis1A
12/8 – No. 2 Norcross6A at No. 7 Collins Hill6A
12/8 – Georgia Military1A at No. 4 Wilkinson County1A
12/8 – No. 4 GAC2A at No. 2 Pace Academy2A
12/8 – No. 10 Rabun County2A at Stephens County4A
12/8 – No. 3 Morgan County3A at No. 4 East Jackson3A
12/8 – Dawson County3A at No. 8 East Hall3A
12/8 – Cedar Grove3A at No. 10 South Atlanta3A
12/8 – No. 7 Greenville1A at No. 8 Dooly County1A
12/8 – No. 6 Pebblebrook6A at Langston Hughes6A
12/11 – Douglas County6A at Langston Hughes6A
12/11 – No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy1A at No. 7 St. Anne-Pacelli1A
12/11 – Banks County3A at No. 8 East Hall3A
12/11 – Northside-Warner Robins5A at No. 9 Central-Macon3A
12/11 – No. 4 Bainbridge4A at Westover4A
12/11 – No. 9 Grady4A at No. 1 Lithonia4A
12/12 – No. 1 Lithonia4A at No. 6 St. Pius4A
12/12 – No. 7 Worth County4A at No. 4 Bainbridge4A
12/12 – No. 8 Henry County4A at No. 8 East Hall3A
12/12 – No. 2 Jenkins3A vs. No. 8 Berkmar6A (Valhalla Classic)
12/12 – No. 6 LaGrange5A at No. 7 Callaway3A
12/12 – No. 1 Calhoun County1A at No. 6 Randolph-Clay1A
12/15 – No. 7 Early County2A at No. 1 Seminole County2A
12/15 – No. 9 Newton6A at Tucker6A
12/15 – No. 7 Callaway3A at No. 6 LaGrange5A
12/15 – No. 6 Pebblebrook6A at Douglas County6A
12/18 – Apalachee5A at No. 8 Heritage-Conyers5A
12/18 – Stephens County4A at No. 10 Rabun County2A
12/18 – No. 6 Landmark Christian1A at No. 7 St. Anne-Pacelli1A
12/18 – No. 8 Dooly County1A at No. 1 Calhoun County1A
12/18 – No. 5 Turner County1A at No. 7 Greenville1A
12/18 – No. 3 Treutlen1A at No. 9 Portal1A
12/18 – No. 2 Hancock Central1A at Thomson4A
12/19 – No. 5 Thomasville2A at No. 4 Bainbridge4A
12/19 – No. 7 Greenville1A at No. 1 Calhoun County1A
12/19 – No. 5 SWAC1A at No. 2 St. Francis1A
12/19 – No. 6 Blessed Trinity3A vs. South Paulding5A
12/19 – No. 2 McIntosh5A at No. 5 Sandy Creek4A
12/19 – No. 10 Cedar Shoals5A vs. No. 9 Newton6A (Classic City Shootout)
12/19 – McEachern6A vs. Dacula6A (SEBA Hoopfest)
12/21 – No. 10 South Atlanta3A vs. No. 6 LaGrange5A (War Eagle Classic)
12/22 – No. 10 South Atlanta3A vs. Buford4A (War Eagles Classic)
12/22 – No. 1 Calhoun County1A at No. 1 Seminole County2A
12/22 – No. 8 Dooly County1A at No. 8 Stratford Academy1A
12/22 – No. 4 GAC2A at No. 6 St. Pius4A
12/22 – Northside-Warner Robins5A at No. 3 Crawford County2A
12/28 – No. 2 Jenkins3A vs. Buford4A (Grayson Ram Classic)
12/29 – No. 6 Randolph-Clay1A at No. 8 Dooly County1A
12/29 – Thomson4A at No. 1 Laney3A
12/30 – No. 2 Jenkins3A vs. Kennesaw Mountain6A (Grayson Ram Classic)
12/30 – Perry4A at No. 8 Dooly County1A
 
                                               January
1/2 – Taylor County1A at No. 3 Crawford County2A
1/2 – No. 7 Early County2A at No. 1 Calhoun County1A
1/2 – No. 7 Callaway3A at Harris County5A
1/5 – No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy1A at No. 4 Wilkinson County1A
1/5 – No. 4 Bainbridge4A at No. 5 Thomasville2A
1/5 – No. 2 Pace Academy2A at No. 6 Holy Innocents’2A
1/5 – No. 5 Thomasville2A at No. 4 Bainbridge4A
1/5 – Westover4A at No. 7 Worth County4A
1/5 – No. 7 Collins Hill6A at Duluth6A
1/5 – Douglas County6A at No. 3 Westlake6A
1/6 – Douglas County6A at No. 6 Pebblebrook6A
1/8 – Langston Hughes6A at No. 3 Westlake6A
1/8 – No. 5 SWAC1A at No. 1 Greenforest1A
1/8 – No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy1A at No. 8 Stratford Academy1A
1/8 – No. 10 Terrell County1A at No. 1 Calhoun County1A
1/8 – No. 5 Thomasville2A at No. 7 Early County2A
1/8 – Bryan County2A at No. 8 Vidalia2A
1/8 – Westminster3A at No. 6 Blessed Trinity3A
1/9 – No. 1 Laney3A at No. 3 Morgan County3A
1/9 – No. 5 Thomasville2A at No. 1 Seminole County2A
1/9 – No. 3 Crawford County2A at Taylor County1A
1/9 – No. 1 Calhoun County1A at No. 5 Turner County1A
1/9 – No. 4 Whitefield Academy1A at No. 6 Landmark Christian1A
1/9 – No. 2 Jonesboro4A at No. 8 Henry County4A
1/9 – North Atlanta5A at No. 9 Grady4A
1/9 – No. 4 Wilkinson County1A at No. 2 Hancock Central1A
1/9 – No. 4 Wheeler6A at No. 5 Milton6A
1/9 – No. 6 LaGrange5A at Carver-Columbus5A
1/12 – No. 1 Seminole County2A at No. 4 Bainbridge4A
1/12 – Cedar Grove3A at No. 6 Blessed Trinity3A
1/12 – Westside-Macon3A at No. 9 Central-Macon3A
1/12 – No. 1 Lithonia4A at. No. 10 Columbia4A
1/12 – No. 1 Seminole County2A at No. 4 Bainbridge4A
1/12 – No. 3 Liberty County4A at Richmond Hill5A
1/12 – No. 3 Westlake6A at No. 6 Pebblebrook6A
1/12 – No. 1 Shiloh6A at No. 8 Berkmar6A
1/15 – No. 9 Grady4A at No. 6 St. Pius4A
1/15 – No. 6 Holy Innocents’2A at No. 4 GAC2A
1/15 – No. 4 East Jackson3A at No. 3 Morgan County3A
1/15 – No. 4 Allatoona5A at South Paulding5A
1/15 – No. 10 Cedar Shoals5A at No. 8 Heritage-Conyers5A
1/16 – No. 6 Blessed Trinity3A at No. 6 St. Pius4A
1/16 – No. 3 Crawford County2A at Northside-Warner Robins5A
1/16 – Tift County6A at Buford4A
1/16 – Greene County2A at No. 10 Rabun County2A
1/16 – North Cobb6A at No. 3 North Cobb Christian2A
1/16 – No. 8 Dooly County1A at No. 7 St. Anne-Pacelli1A
1/16 – No. 1 Shiloh6A at Dacula6A
1/18 – No. 1 Greenforest1A vs. No. 10 South Atlanta3A (BCB MLK Classic)
1/18 – No. 5 Calhoun3A vs. Buford4A (BCB MLK Classic)
1/18 – No. 3 Westlake6A vs. Columbia4A (BCB MLK Classic)
1/18 – Sequoyah5A vs. No. 8 Berkmar6A (BCB MLK Classic)
1/18 – No. 9 Grady4A vs. North Atlanta5A
1/19 – No. 7 Collins Hill6A at No. 2 Norcross6A
1/19 – No. 6 LaGrange5A at Northside-Columbus5A
1/19 – No. 6 St. Pius4A at No. 10 Columbia4A
1/19 – No. 7 Worth County4A at Westover4A
1/19 – No. 7 Callaway3A at Rockmart3A
1/19 – No. 4 Whitefield Academy1A at No. 2 St. Francis1A
1/19 – No. 2 Hancock Central1A at Aquinas1A
1/19 – Hebron Christian1A at No. 9 Lakeview Academy1A
1/19 – No. 2 Pace Academy2A at No. 4 GAC2A
1/19 – No. 8 East Hall3A at Banks County3A
1/22 – No. 4 Wilkinson County1A at No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy1A
1/22 – No. 8 Dooly County1A at No. 7 Greenville1A
1/22 – No. 2 Jenkins3A at Johnson-Savannah3A
1/22 – No. 9 Jones County5A vs. Houston County5A
1/22 – Langston Hughes6A at No. 6 Pebblebrook6A
1/23 – No. 1 Lithonia4A at No. 1 Miller Grove5A
1/23 – No. 1 Calhoun County1A vs. No. 3 Treutlen1A
1/23 – No. 5 Thomasville2A at Cairo4A
1/23 – No. 9 Swainsboro2A at No. 8 Vidalia2A
1/23 – No. 3 Morgan County3A at Buford4A
1/23 – No. 3 Liberty County4A at Burke County2A
1/23 – Dacula6A at No. 1 Shiloh6A
1/26 – Langston Hughes6A at Douglas County6A
1/26 – No. 1 Lithonia4A at No. 9 Grady4A
1/26 – No. 6 Holy Innocents’2A at No. 2 Pace Academy2A
1/26 – No. 5 SWAC1A at No. 6 Landmark Christian1A
1/26 – No. 8 Stratford Academy1A at No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy1A
1/26 – No. 3 Morgan County3A at Jefferson3A
1/29 – No. 7 Early County2A at No. 5 Thomasville2A
1/29 – No. 3 Liberty County4A at Thomson4A
1/29 – No. 4 Bainbridge4A at No. 7 Worth County4A
1/29 – No. 7 Warner Robins5A at Houston County5A
1/29 – Duluth6A at No. 7 Collins Hill6A
1/29 – No. 3 Westlake6A at Douglas County6A
1/29 – No. 6 St. Pius4A at No. 1 Lithonia4A
1/30 – No. 6 Landmark Christian1A at No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy1A
1/30 – No. 1 Calhoun County1A at No. 10 Terrell County1A
 
                                                February
2/2 – Mt. Vernon Presbyterian1A at No. 6 Landmark Christian1A
2/2 – No. 1 Seminole County2A at No. 5 Thomasville2A
2/2 – No. 6 Blessed Trinity3A at Westminster3A
2/2 – No. 7 Callaway3A at Pepperell3A
2/2 – Mundy’s Mill5A at No. 2 McIntosh5A
2/2 – No. 8 Heritage-Conyers5A at No. 10 Cedar Shoals5A
2/2 – No. 5 Milton6A at No. 4 Wheeler6A
2/2 – No. 8 Berkmar6A at Dacula6A
2/2 – No. 6 Pebblebrook6A at No. 3 Westlake6A
2/5 – No. 3 Westlake6A at Langston Hughes6A
2/5 – Perry4A at No. 7 Warner Robins5A
2/5 – Northside-Columbus5A at No. 6 LaGrange5A
2/5 – No. 1 Seminole County2A at No. 7 Early County2A
2/5 – No. 1 Greenforest1A at No. 6 Landmark Christian1A
2/5 – No. 8 Stratford Academy1A at Mt. Vernon Presbyterian1A
2/5 – No. 9 Lakeview Academy1A at Hebron Christian1A
2/5 – No. 8 Vidalia2A at Bryan County2A
2/5 – No. 10 Rabun County2A at Greene County2A
2/5 – No. 8 Berkmar6A at No. 1 Shiloh6A
2/6 – No. 6 Randolph-Clay1A at No. 1 Calhoun County1A
                                          ***REGION/STATE PLAYOFFS***

Sequoyah Sweeps Preseason Tilt With Langston Hughes

5ASequoyah 78,  6ALangston Hughes 69

Two teams on the precipice of cracking the top ten in their respective classifications met in the War Lodge in a preseason scrimmage. Missed opportunities and runs were the story of the game. Coach Rory Welsh’s 94-feet of pressure defense had the Sequoyah Chiefs on their heels early on, as the Panthers jumped out to an 11-3 lead. Jordan Usher of Sequoyah started out slowly, but found his first points of the game at the 1:41 mark of the first quarter. From that point on, it was all Chiefs.

Sequoyah would go on a 21-2 run to open up a 28-17 advantage mid-way through the second quarter before Khalil Cuffee would quiet the storm and score 11 of his game-high 27 points in the first half. At the break Sequoyah led 36-30 thanks to big second quarters from Cameron Cox, who announced before tip-off he would play his college ball at Navy, and Usher. At the half Cox led all scorers with 13 points while Usher added 8.

Usher defending Cuffee as Coach Welsh looks on
Usher defending Cuffee as Coach Welsh looks on

After trading offensive fouls to start the second half, Cuffee canned three straight three-pointers to take a 39-38 lead. Hunter Gaddis of Sequoyah fought for an offensive rebound and scored a contested putback at the buzzer to give the home-standing Chiefs a 54-51 advantage heading into the decisive final quarter.

Free throws crushed the Panthers’ hopes of winning as Langston Hughes shot just 6-of-14 from the line in the fourth, featuring key misses from Cuffee and Derrick Cook, who combined to go 3-of-10. Sequoyah converted 12-of-17 free throws in the final frame to stem the tide and hold off the Panthers.

Free throws doomed the Panthers
Free throws doomed the Panthers

Turning Point: Langston Hughes fought back from a 66-57 deficit and had a chance to make it 66-63 with just over 2:30 remaining in regulation, but a blown opportunity at a point-blank look turned into a Chiefs fastbreak layup, making it 68-61 with 2:39 to play.

Highlight of the Night: Jordan Usher and Hunter Gaddis punched in back-to-back slams on the fastbreak to give Sequoyah a 64-56 advantage.

My Take: The guard play did not disappoint. Khalil Cuffee looked extremely smooth and should have Division-I colleges knocking at his door. Cameron Cox stole the show in what was an emotional night, committing to Navy. Cox, like Jordan Usher, rebounded from a slow start and scored his first points of the night on a baseline jam. Role players Levi Biddy and Hunter Gaddis get a lot of credit for the W. Derrick Cook did a little bit of everything for the Panthers. I think the early setback will be a good wakeup call for the Panthers as they enter a gauntlet of a regular season schedule. Coach Welsh’s team showed good discipline, they just could not convert from in close or at the line. Give credit to Sequoyah for not folding after a slow first few minutes and bouncing back to give the Panthers a punch in the mouth and take momentum.

Top Performers:

Sequoyah
Cameron Cox – 26 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Jordan Usher – 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
Levi Biddy – 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals
Hunter Gaddis – 10 points, 5 reboundsimage2

Langston Hughes
Khalil Cuffee – 27 points, 3 rebounds
Derrick Cook – 13 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals
Justin Jones – 13 points, 3 reboundsimage1 (3)

Girls

Sequoyah 61, Langston Hughes 43

Two crucial spurts put the Lady Panthers away. Sequoyah led 22-15 at the half and used a 22-to-8 run to gain a 44-23 advantage heading into the fourth. Langston Hughes fought back and cut the Lady Chiefs lead to 49-38 with 3:14 remaining, but a 9-0 run ballooned the lead to 58-38 with 48.8 seconds left ending the comeback bid. Kelley Hartman and the rest of the Sequoyah length hurt the Panthers inside, while Megan Garcia’s three-point shooting and super sophomore Alyssa Cagle’s all-around ball handling and shooting powered the She-Chiefs attack.

1A (Public & Private) Must See Games

Here is a quick rundown on some of the best 1A (Public & Private) matchups between GHSA teams this season:
Class A
11/14 – No. 5 SWAC vs. No. 8 Heritage-Conyers5A (SWD Showdown II)
11/17 – No. 9 Lakeview Academy at No. 4 GAC2A
11/21 – Cedar Grove3A at No. 2 St. Francis
11/21 – No. 1 Greenforest vs. Peachtree Ridge6A (Jared Cook Classic)
11/23 – No. 9 Lakeview Academy vs. Stephens County4A (Piedmont College Classic)
11/24 – No. 2 St. Francis vs. No. 3 Gainesville5A (Jared Cook Classic)
11/24 – No. 4 Whitefield Academy vs. Hillgrove6A (Thanksgiving Showcase)
11/27 –No. 1 Greenforest vs. No. 6 Pebblebrook6A (Holiday Hoopsgiving)
11/28 – No. 1 Greenforest vs. No. 2 Norcross6A (Holiday Hoopsgiving)
11/28 – No. 2 St. Francis at No. 5 Milton6A (Dai-Jon Parker Classic)
12/1 – No. 2 Hancock Central at No. 3 Crawford County2A
12/1 – No. 6 Holy Innocents’2A at No. 5 SWAC
12/1 – No. 4 Whitefield Academy at Houston County5A
12/4 – No. 7 Callaway3A at No. 7 Greenville
12/4 – No. 2 St. Francis at No. 4 Whitefield Academy
12/4 – No. 8 Stratford Academy at Northside-Warner Robins5A
12/4 – No. 2 Hancock Central at No. 4 Wilkinson County
12/4 – No. 7 St. Anne-Pacelli at No. 8 Dooly County
12/5 – No. 1 Greenforest vs. No. 2 Pace Academy2A (Basketball Xplosion)
12/5 – No. 2 St. Francis vs. No. 6 Pebblebrook6A
12/5 – No. 3 North Cobb Christian at No. 6 Landmark Christian
12/5 – No. 9 Grady4A at No. 4 Whitefield Academy
12/5 – Mt. Vernon Presbyterian at No. 8 Stratford Academy
12/5 – No. 1 Calhoun County at No. 7 Early County2A
12/5 – No. 2 Hancock Central at Greene County2A
12/8 – Buford4A at No. 2 St. Francis
12/8 – Georgia Military at No. 4 Wilkinson County
12/8 – No. 7 Greenville at No. 8 Dooly County
12/11 – No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy at No. 7 St. Anne-Pacelli
12/12 – No. 1 Calhoun County at No. 6 Randolph-Clay
12/18 – No. 6 Landmark Christian at No. 7 St. Anne-Pacelli
12/18 – No. 8 Dooly County at No. 1 Calhoun County
12/18 – No. 5 Turner County at No. 7 Greenville
12/18 – No. 3 Treutlen at No. 9 Portal
12/18 – No. 2 Hancock Central at Thomson4A
12/19 – No. 7 Greenville at No. 1 Calhoun County
12/19 – No. 5 SWAC at No. 2 St. Francis
12/22 – No. 1 Calhoun County at No. 1 Seminole County2A
12/22 – No. 8 Dooly County at No. 8 Stratford Academy
12/29 – No. 6 Randolph-Clay at No. 8 Dooly County
12/30 – Perry4A at No. 8 Dooly County
1/2 – Taylor County at No. 3 Crawford County2A
1/2 – No. 7 Early County2A at No. 1 Calhoun County
1/5 – No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy at No. 4 Wilkinson County
1/8 – No. 5 SWAC at No. 1 Greenforest
1/8 – No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy at No. 8 Stratford Academy
1/8 – No. 10 Terrell County at No. 1 Calhoun County
1/9 – No. 3 Crawford County2A at Taylor County
1/9 – No. 1 Calhoun County at No. 5 Turner County
1/9 – No. 4 Whitefield Academy at No. 6 Landmark Christian
1/9 – No. 4 Wilkinson County at No. 2 Hancock Central
1/16 – North Cobb6A at No. 3 North Cobb Christian
1/16 – No. 8 Dooly County at No. 7 St. Anne-Pacelli
1/18 – No. 1 Greenforest vs. No. 10 South Atlanta3A (BCB MLK Showcase)
1/19 – No. 4 Whitefield Academy at No. 2 St. Francis
1/19 – No. 2 Hancock Central at Aquinas
1/19 – Hebron Christian at No. 9 Lakeview Academy
1/22 – No. 4 Wilkinson County at No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy
1/22 – No. 8 Dooly County at No. 7 Greenville
1/23 – No. 1 Calhoun County vs. No. 3 Treutlen
1/26 – No. 5 SWAC at No. 6 Landmark Christian
1/26 – No. 8 Stratford Academy at No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy
1/30 – No. 6 Landmark Christian at No. 10 Tattnall Square Academy
1/30 – No. 1 Calhoun County at No. 10 Terrell County
2/2 – Mt. Vernon Presbyterian at No. 6 Landmark Christian
2/5 – No. 1 Greenforest at No. 6 Landmark Christian
2/5 – No. 8 Stratford Academy at Mt. Vernon Presbyterian
2/5 – No. 9 Lakeview Academy at Hebron Christian
2/6 – No. 6 Randolph-Clay at No. 1 Calhoun County

 

2A Must See Games

Here is a quick rundown on some of the best 2A matchups between GHSA teams this season:

 Class AA

11/17 – No. 6 Holy Innocents’ at Riverwood5A
11/20 – No. 10 Rabun County at Dawson County3A
11/27 – No. 6 Holy Innocents’ vs. Duluth6A (Holiday Hoopsgiving)
11/28 – No. 2 Pace Academy vs. No. 3 Westlake6A (Holiday Hoopsgiving)
11/28 – Cairo4A at No. 5 Thomasville
12/1 – No. 2 Hancock Central1A at No. 3 Crawford County
12/1 – Dawson County3A at No. 10 Rabun County
12/1 – No. 6 Holy Innocents’ at No. 5 SWAC1A
12/1 – No. 8 Vidalia at No. 9 Swainsboro
12/4 – No. 4 Bainbridge4A at No. 1 Seminole County
12/4 – No. 4 GAC at No. 6 Holy Innocents’
12/5 – No. 2 Pace Academy vs. No. 1 Greenforest1A (Basketball Xplosion)
12/8 – No. 4 GAC at No. 2 Pace Academy
12/8 – No. 10 Rabun County at Stephens County4A
12/15 – No. 7 Early County at No. 1 Seminole County
12/18 – Stephens County4A at No. 10 Rabun County
12/19 – No. 5 Thomasville at No. 4 Bainbridge4A
12/22 – No. 4 GAC at No. 6 St. Pius4A
12/22 – Northside-Warner Robins5A at No. 3 Crawford County
1/2 – Taylor County1A at No. 3 Crawford County
1/5 – No. 4 Bainbridge4A at No. 5 Thomasville
1/5 – No. 2 Pace Academy at No. 6 Holy Innocents’
1/8 – No. 5 Thomasville at No. 7 Early County
1/8 – Bryan County at No. 8 Vidalia
1/9 – No. 5 Thomasville at No. 1 Seminole County
1/9 – No. 3 Crawford County at Taylor County1A
1/12 – No. 1 Seminole County at No. 4 Bainbridge4A
1/15 – No. 6 Holy Innocents’ at No. 4 GAC
1/16 – No. 3 Crawford County at Northside-Warner Robins5A
1/16 – Greene County at No. 10 Rabun County
1/19 – No. 2 Pace Academy at No. 4 GAC
1/23 – No. 5 Thomasville at Cairo4A
1/23 – No. 9 Swainsboro at No. 8 Vidalia
1/26 – No. 6 Holy Innocents’ at No. 2 Pace Academy
1/29 – No. 7 Early County at No. 5 Thomasville
2/2 – No. 1 Seminole County at No. 5 Thomasville
2/5 – No. 1 Seminole County at No. 7 Early County
2/5 – No. 8 Vidalia at Bryan County
2/5 – No. 10 Rabun County at Greene County

Faith & Excitement Surround McKissic & Sandy Creek

If you haven’t heard, there is a new sheriff in town leading the Sandy Creek boys program. A new head coach who is a self-proclaimed “Hype-man” for his team. Anthony McKissic has taken the reins of the Patriots after spending eight years at Morrow, coaching the boys for five years and most recently the girls team for three seasons. With his new gig, McKissic inherits a team that went 17-11 in 2014-15 and enters 2015-16 as Class AAAA’s No. 5 ranked team.

McKissic and his family have lived in Peachtree City for the last two years and with his wife already working at Sandy Creek, pouncing at the job opening after Coach Willie Reese left for Meadowcreek, was a no-brainer.

Bringing over a versatility of coaching both boys and girls in the past, there are different approaches that McKissic uses to get the most out of his players.

“There’s a big difference. There’s a different motivating tool when you’re coaching girls. Boys are usually a little bit tougher, getting them to understand using skill,” explained McKissic. “Girls are obviously more skilled than boys, because boys are more athletic and tend not to want to use skill. That’s how the better teams use a mix of athleticism and skill.”

Coach McKissic uses a variety of ways to make sure his players stay fundamentally sound and play the right way. More importantly, he wants to grow men and women as people off the court. He has held a multitude of positions over his coaching career, helping coach football, tennis, cross country and being the lead recruiting coordinator while at Morrow, but possibly his most gratifying job title has been Minister. McKissic is a man of God and leans heavily on his beliefs to not only guide himself, but help others along the way.

“I think that’s the basis of my whole philosophy. I’m just blessed to be at the position that I am and somebody helped me out at a young age and I just try my best to give back to the kids and be a good role model for them and be a leader in the community and in the school.”

His faith has allowed him to touch numerous people around him, players, parents and coaches alike. When it comes to how he leads on the court, McKissic believes he pulls from both ends of the spectrum.

“I would think I am a mix between a players’ coach and a hype-man,” he said. Some coaches play it close to the vest, but McKissic is a strong supporter of making sure the players have fun while striving for the goal of being the best they can.

“I just think that if they play excited and are happy about what they are doing they’ll do it with a lot more passion,” explained the energy filled coach. “The kids are kids. They want to have fun…I think they get a better experience out of it not making it necessarily a job for them. That’s how the kids get burnt out because coaches come in and they want it to be [like a job]. I believe you can work hard and have fun at the same time.”

Hype Machine

Coach McKissic is likely one of the funnest coaches to play for in the state. His advanced knowledge of cutting up videos, making highlight tapes and putting together pictures promoting the team have been littered all throughout social media, making fans at the Creek as excited as they have ever been for an upcoming basketball season, proud to stake claim to the fact that they are “Just a kid from Sandy Creek.”

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One of McKissic’s many graphics

“It’s something that I’ve done since the start of my career,” he said when speaking about his numerous ways of marketing and advertising his teams through social media.

“I use technology as a recruiting piece and a marketing piece to get the guys looked at. A lot of coaches don’t want players using it at all, but I tell them it’s okay to use it as long as you’re mature with it and are being responsible with your social media.

“It’s a tool; you can reach college coaches across the nation with the click of a finger instead of having to send out letters and DVDs. You can just shoot a link to it or shoot out a hype video to the fans and they can get excited about coming to see us play, whereas if we didn’t do that, they might not know what we have here at school.”

Patriot Pride

With hype videos being released to the public, there needs to be a good product on display. Sandy Creek shouldn’t worry about there being a letdown if everyone continues to buy into McKissic’s philosophies.

“They [fans] can expect an exciting and fast paced game. We want to give them something to come back to. We are going to work hard,” stated McKissic.

I may have put a target on the Patriots’ back this season, ranking them No. 5, but it is a challenge and responsibility that the team will embrace.

“The ranking means nothing to us, but, it does put a big target on your back so you have to make sure that you come in and every game play as if you’re respecting the person who gave you the ranking and not disrespecting them by coming out and playing lackadaisical and making it seem like the person didn’t know what they are talking about,” McKissic explained of the Patriots who were eliminated in the first round of the state playoffs last year, 63-46 by 2015-16 preseason No. 6 St. Pius.

“So if you’re going to be the No. 5 team in the state, you need to play like a No. 5 team in the state and not play down to the level of your opponent.”

Minutemen

The Patriots are ranked No. 5 in the state for a reason: good coaching and loads of talent. McKissic had great things to say about everyone on his roster but seven players stood out to me as being potential game-changers night in and night out.CS5eWkQVAAA3GcJ

Seniors Christian Turner, Keith Heard and AJ Freeman will be leaned on heavily to balance the offense.

Turner is a 5-foot-11 guard that is committed to Gardner-Webb.

“He’s a solid point guard. It all flows through him. He controls the ball, he’s not afraid to pass and give up shots to get his teammates involved.”

Heard, a 6-foot-8 power forward, brings length and a high-motor.

“He’s a hard-working kid. He can rebound, he’s big on put-back dunks and he’s a shot blocker.”

Freeman is a guard with good size that often gets overlooked playing alongside other great talent.

“A lot of people aren’t talking about him but he’s a great shooter.”

Juniors Elias Harden and Evan Jester both bring versatility and athleticism. Harden, a four-star wing prospect according to 247Sports, has a chance to be special.

“He’s got offers from about six or seven Division-I schools and he’s just a pure shooter. He’s an athletic kid. He’s gotten a lot better since we’ve been working on him this offseason.

“Jester is another one of those unknown kids,” McKissic told me. At 6-foot-6, his skillset projects well in Sandy Creek’s style of play. “I’m expecting big numbers from him this season on offense and on defense.”

Xavier Brewer will also see plenty of time as a sophomore and freshman guard TJ Bickerstaff has had an exceptional offseason and will fight to see the court.

“We are going to use him [Bickerstaff] kind of to just get his feet wet this year…If you don’t guard him he’ll put up a lot of numbers this season.”

Piecing It Together

With a talented roster expected to do great things this year, the one question mark was would the players be able to mesh with their new coach and form a quick bond heading into the season. Luckily for Sandy Creek fans and possibly bad news for the rest of the state, Coach McKissic feels like everything has gelled quickly.

“I think it was just a match made in Heaven. They are great kids, the community is a great community and I think they bought into it very quick what I was selling, with my main goal for them is just help the kids get scholarships and get looks. I think being that that was my main goal and it wasn’t all about winning, they bought in real quick.”

It takes a special group of kids to get adjusted to a new leader so seamlessly.

“They are just great people, I can say that. The kids are a different kind than the ones I’ve worked with in the past. They are all self-motivated and they all have high GPAs and are very focused…It wasn’t a hard transition.”

The perfect recipe is in place. A fun-loving leader who can keep players motivated with a great group of kids who are hungry to compete and contend for the program’s first-ever state championship. Before long, Sandy Creek might not just be known as a football powerhouse, but a force to be reckoned with come winter time as well.


All Photos Courtesy of Anthony McKissic & Sandy Creek Basketball

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