GHSA, GHSA Basketball

12-12 Top Games Preview

IMG_7921No. 1 Lithonia (5-2) at No. 6 St. Pius (5-1)

The No. 1 ranked Bulldogs visit the No. 6 ranked Golden Lions in a crucial Region 6-AAAA showdown. Both teams along with No. 5 Grady have emerged as the front runners to win one of the state’s toughest regions. Grady visits Lithonia on Friday with a chance to extend their lead on the rest of the region after already knocking off St. Pius, 51-50. Even after back-to-back losses to Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC) and 3ANo. 3 Morgan County 44-41, Lithonia has maintained its No. 1 ranking all season. The addition 6-foot-7 forward Jacara Cross from Cedar Grove has seemingly put the Bulldogs over the top as a legitimate state title contender. Cross is coming off a 19-point, 10-rebound performance in an 85-52 blowout victory over Chamblee on Tuesday. His versatility to score inside and out coupled with the rest of a talented senior class makes Lithonia a diverse team that can get stops and get out and run while also being able to score in the half court. Tyheem Freeman scored 22 points on Tuesday while Rodney Chatman finished with 13 points, nine assists and five rebounds. Tyleen Patterson is another important guard and Derious Wimberly is an experienced body inside. St. Pius will counter with leading scorer, senior forward Kerney Lane. The 6-foot-6 southpaw leads the Golden Lions in scoring with over 21 points per game. His ability to drive the lane and hit the open jumper makes him tough to stop. In a 33-30 slugfest victory over Columbia on Dec. 4, Lane drilled a three at the buzzer to secure the victory and fend off the Eagles. He scored 24 of his team’s 33 points and doesn’t shy away from taking big shots. He receives help from another talented forward, Christian Merrill. Inside, 6-foot-7 Jakob Spitzer must play well. He has shown flashes this season of being a threat down low, but consistency is the one aspect he must find in order to take not only his game, but the Golden Lions to the next level. His play inside against Cross will be an important matchup to keep an eye on.

IMG_7923No. 9 LaGrange (5-0) at No. 8 Callaway (2-0)

5ANo. 9 LaGrange plays the first of a home-and-away tilt against 3ANo.8 Callaway on the road. LaGrange is still looking to hit its stride under first-year Head Coach Mark Veal. Junior LaPerion Perry was hampered at the beginning of the season due a fractured toe he suffered while playing football, but he has begun to work his way back into shape. He joins Rico Smith, an explosive guard who has produced games of 36 and 31 points already in the early season. In Tuesday’s 55-51 win over Whitewater, he scored a team-high 18 points to keep the Grangers undefeated. Mike Hardy, Qua Epps and Alex Dantzler are all capable scorers in the guard heavy lineup. A pair of 6-foot-6 forwards, Kenan Gray and Bryan Fanning, help balance the offensive attack. Fanning finished with 12 points Tuesday night. Callaway is another team that relies on its quick and feisty guards to harass opponents into turnovers which lead to easy buckets. Last year the Cavs were one of the highest scoring teams in AAA, averaging 79 points per game. Junior combo guard Braylon Sanders paces the attack with 18.5 points per game. Dre Martin has poured in 16 points in both games while 6-foot-4 forward Joe Brown is averaging 14 per game. Earnest Patillo is another dangerous threat and scored 17 points in the Cavs’ 75-62 season opening win against Greenville to lead the team.

IMG_7922Harrison (4-2) vs. Houston County (2-2)

On Nov. 3 I released my Sandy’s Spiel Super Sleepers (https://sandysspiel.com/sandys-spiels-super-sleepers/) for the 2015-16 season, and low and behold, two of them meet at the East Hall Showcase tournament. Harrison has played well this season as they battle for a top four seed out of Region 4-AAAAAA. On Tuesday the Hoyas dropped a close one, 69-68 at Hillgrove. Austin York is the team’s captain and go-to player. He is 6-foot-4 and has good feet inside, showing an ability to score down low with a variety of moves. York also likes to step outside and shoot the three when open, and is a steady defender, always eager to give his body up to draw a charge. Ryan Boler is another hard working post player that does the dirty work inside for Coach Clay Crump. Tate Coston, Chris Brown and Juwan Owens all do nice things from their guard positions and help keep the offense flowing. They will be tested by 2-AAAAA’s Houston County Bears, a dangerous team that continues to grow under Coach Stephen Walls. Zion Johnson, DL Hall, Jaylon Golds and Amari Colbert are all strong guards that can score the ball and defend. They will be put to the test on Friday at No. 8 Warner Robins, but it won’t be their first challenge of the year. After dropping the season opener to the nearly unstoppable Khavon Moore and Westside-Macon 64-41, a week later they quickly rebounded and defeated them at home, 78-75 in overtime. Three days later they fell to 1ANo. 4 Whitefield Academy 55-50. Last Friday the Bears beat Dublin 88-77 behind some big performances. Johnson scored 18 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out five assists. Hall went for a team-high 25 points and 12 rebounds while Golds gave Coach Walls another all-around floor game, collecting 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Javion Johnson and Marquis Traylor are two athletic big men that complement the Bears’ strong guard play and make them a complete team.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Recaps

12-8 Recaps & Scores

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Class AAAAAA

No. 1 Westlake 85, South Cobb 58: The Lions were led by 35 points via guard Danny Lewis to blow by South Cobb on the road for a Region 3 victory.

No. 4 Norcross 93, No. 6 Collins Hill 72: The Blue Devils’ size and guard play was too much for shorthanded Collins Hill to overcome. Rayshaun Hammonds scored 25 points to do the frontcourt damage while Kyle Sturdivant, Jordan Goldwire and Dalvin White chipped in 19, 17 and 16 points respectively. The Eagles, who were without their starting point guard Max Clark and backup Dez Howard due to injury, received a game-high 31 points from TeShaun Hightower. AJ Cheeseman scored 11 points and Kai Lambert netted nine.

No. 7 Lambert 64, Chattahoochee 57: Connor Mannion continued his rampant pace, going for 29 points and 22 rebounds. Tanner Hall and Ross Morkem both chipped in 11 points apiece to remain undefeated.

No. 9 Dacula 69, South Gwinnett 68 OT: Dacula came back from down 11 points with four minutes to play to force overtime and prove why they deserve a top ten ranking. The Falcons gutted out a win behind Derek St. Hilaire’s 25 points and Kevon Tucker’s 18 points, who fouled out. Juwan white scored 12 and freshman point guard Mekhail Bethea added 10 big points in the win.

Berkmar 72, Grayson 46: Berkmar picked up a statement win at home behind Darius Harrison and Jay Estime. Harrison finished with 20 points and eight rebounds while Estime poured in 22 points.

Brookwood 70, Archer 63: Brookwood continued to use a balanced attack to score another Region 8 victory. Micah Kinsey did it all, scoring 22 points, grabbing seven rebounds, dishing four assists and collecting four steals. Big man Amari Kelly posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Sean Agnant added 10 points and three assists.

McEachern 51, Marietta 40: McEachern outscored Marietta 18-to-4 in the fourth quarter to race past the upstart Blue Devils. Darius Jones led the way with 24 points while AJ Jones pitched in 16. Clay Croom had a big game on the glass, pulling down 12 rebounds.

Duluth 62, Peachtree Ridge 55: Adam Flagler finished with 16 points and five assists to pace the Wildcats in a Region 7 victory. Javis Diaz added 13 and Jalen Hodges netted 14 in the win. The Lions were led by Milz Tatum’s 15 points.

Pebblebrook 67, Langston Hughes 57: For the first time this season, Pebblebrook flexed its defensive muscle and showed that they can lock an opponent down after allowing 96 and 101 points in its past two games. Coming off a 40-point performance, Collin Sexton remained hot offensively with a game-high 28 points and nine rebounds. Jared Harper scored 17 points and dished out five assists. JJ Smith continued his solid all-around play with 14 points and 11 rebounds to go with two steals. Langston Hughes falls to 6-2. The Panthers were led by Derrick Cook’s 15 points and Khalil Cuffee’s 12.

Milton 70, Etowah 54:  Alex O’Connell went for 25 points and eight rebounds while Harvard signee Chris Lewis finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds to win in the battle of Eagles.

Northview 66, West Forsyth 58: Garrett Stewart scored 21 points and Jeremiah Shields added 15 for the Titans to pick up a region victory. West Forsyth was led by Jay Magee’s 20 points and John Patterson’s 17-point, 12-rebound double-double.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Miller Grove 82, MLK 35: Colin Young sank six three-pointers en route to 26 points to lead all scorers. The Wolverines shared the ball extremely well with Alterique Gilbert scoring 15 points and handing out 10 assists, and Aaron Augustin finishing with 13 points, 14 assists and eight steals. Big man Raylon Richardson scored nine points and hauled in eight rebounds. Owen Clark led MLK with 11 points.

No. 2 Gainesville 80, No. 5 Cedar Shoals 77 2OT: The Red Elephants pulled yet another game out of the fire to remain undefeated and atop the ever competitive Region 8-AAAAA. Cedar Shoals led 34-25 at the half as Gainesville did not start D’Marcus Simonds for assumed disciplinary reasons. The Red Elephants trailed the entire game but continued to chip away, even after the host Jaguars would continue to extend the lead to double digits. In the end, Simonds got the visiting Elephants over the hump and collected their second region victory after trailing at the half. He scored a game-high 40 points – 27 in the second half and 15 in the fourth – and was aided by Tae Turner’s 16. Stavion Stevenson paced the Jaguars with a big first half and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Jerrick Mitchell chipped in 18 points, six assists and four steals  and Greg Smith, Snipe Hall and Phlan Fleming all scored 12 apiece.

No. 3 McIntosh 74, Drew 56: Jordan Lyons scored a game-high 27 points as the Chiefs were able to cool off the high-scoring Drew offense. Chase Walter added 13 points and Braxton Shaw 12, while Dishon Lowery pulled down 15 rebounds and blocked five shots. Will Washington collected 10 assists on the night.

No. 4 Allatoona 56, Alexander 46: Ephraim Tshimanga powered the Bucs to a region victory with 22 points, five rebounds and five steals. Trey Doomes scored 12 points and collected five rebounds and five assists as well. Dylon Ramsey chipped in 10 points and four rebounds.

No. 6 Heritage 75, Winder-Barrow 24: Both Makyle Wilkerson and Byron Abrams netted 14 points to power the Patriots. Jordan Thomas added 11 while Isaiah Banks and Marquis Davis chipped in nine and eight points respectively.

No. 7 Riverwood 64, Cambridge 52: Kohl Roberts dominated the paint with 12 points and 19 rebounds to lift the Raiders to a 10-0 start. Elijah Jenkins continued to show off his improved stroke shooting 7-of-9 from deep and finishing with 27 points.

No. 9 LaGrange 55, Whitewater 51: Rico Smith went for 18 points and Bryan Fanning stepped up with 12 to help the Grangers move onto 5-0 to start the season.

No. 10 Southwest DeKalb 69, Druid Hills 54: TiQuan Lewis helped keep the Panthers undefeated and moved to 6-0 after scoring a team-high 14 points. Nathaniel Ambersley and Keith Gilmore notched 12 points apiece.

Apalachee 59, Loganville 46: Kamar Baldwin posted a double-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists to lead the Wildcats. Jabari Hill and Omer Ahmed picked up the slack with 11 points apiece.

Discovery 83, North Hall 59: Andrew Moore scored a team-high 20 points and Brian Liles added 15 to help the first-year program to yet another win. The Titans have been a pleasant surprise and now sit at 7-3. DJ Young and Jaden Stanley both added nine points while JeVonte Gordon chipped in seven.

South Paulding 59,Villa Rica 31: Ja’Cori Wilson went for 25 points and 10 rebounds in the Spartan victory. Anthony Brown also posted a double-double, scoring 12 points and collecting 10 rebounds.

Clarkston 40, Dunwoody 32: AJ McNeil scored 13 points to lead the Angoras. Maawiya Musa chipped in 12, using the deep ball, and Su Su Entongwe finished with 10 points to hold off Dunwoody.

Class AAAA

No. 1 Lithonia 87, Chamblee 52: Tyheem Freeman scored 22 points and Jacara Cross finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds to blow by Chamblee in the battle of the Bulldogs. Rodney Chatman added 13 points, nine assists and five rebounds in the rout.

No. 3 Henry County 76, Riverdale 67: The Warhawks held on at home behind big games once again from Javon Greene and Damion Rosser. Greene finished with 26 points and five rebounds while Rosser flirted with a triple-double, going for 22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.

No. 5 Grady 61, Stone Mountain 60: Another game, another narrow victory for Grady. The win is already their fourth 1-point win as the Knights advance to 7-0. Avi Toomer scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds while Christian Bryant continued his strong play with 20 points and five assists.

No. 6 St. Pius 70, Cross Keys 18: The Golden Lions were able to get younger players some valuable minutes in the romp of Cross Keys. A pair of sophomores led St. Pius in scoring. Christian Mattei scored 16 points and Everett Lane, younger brother of the season’s leading scorer Kerney Lane, added 10 points.

Heritage-Catoosa 70, Pickens 47: Dylan Bice scored 19 points and Hunter Erickson added 17 to overwhelm the visiting Dragons.

Northwest Whitfield 78, Cartersville 67: Luke Shiflett and Paxton Pardee both scored 18 points to pace the Bruins out of Tunnel Hill.

Perry 68, Upson-Lee 63: Damion Bagley scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Chris Clerkley scored six, pulled in 11 rebounds and blocked two shots. Willie Walters added 10 points and Evan Lassiter 11 in the comeback.

Class AAA

No. 3 Morgan County 52, No. 4 East Jackson 45: Morgan County held on against East Jackson and for at least one more meeting, proved they are still the team to beat in Region 8. Travis Anderson led East Jackson’s trio of talented sophomore guards with 22 points in the loss.

No. 7 Calhoun 65, Ringgold 41: The Yellow Jackets passed their first test of the season with a blowout win. Fresh off the gridiron, Kaelan Riley scored 25 points and seven rebounds in the Calhoun season opener. Chapin Rierson finished with 14 points and nine rebounds in the win.

No. 9 East Hall 74, Dawson County 57: Tylor Brown’s career-high 29 points paced the Vikings in a lopsided victory. Triston Cooper added 12 points and Jacquen Hopkins netted 13 to round out the scoring.

Central-Macon 70, No. 10 Southwest Macon 61: Starting guard Aaron Ridley missed the game with a stress fracture in his back, and the lack of his presence proved costly as the Patriots dropped a region game. In the defeat, Nick Hargrove Jr. finished with 27 points and seven rebounds to go with his four assists. Justin Slocum posted a double-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks.

Blessed Trinity 50,Washington 32: Jackson Svete scored 13 points and John Michael Bertrand added 12 to lead the Titan charge. Known for its grinding defense, Blessed Trinity held Washington scoreless in the first quarter and allowed only seven first half points. Mynome Bell led Washington with 10 points.

Sonoraville 70, Adairsville 62: Wil Walraven poured in a game-high 29 points to help the Phoenix rise over Adairsville. Jaeden Irving and Brad Wilson also played well, scoring 15 points and 10 points.

Class AA

No. 1 Seminole County 94, Mitchell County 73: Jordan Harris scored 41 points again, and added eight assists, seven rebounds and six steals to add to his legacy in south Georgia. Anfernee King went for 27 points, eight assists, seven steals and five boards.

No. 5 GAC 55, No. 2 Pace Academy 49: The Spartans officially announced their presence as a threat to contend for the Region 6 title after sending Pace Academy to a 0-3 start. Garrett Covington powered the attack with 20 points and received great balanced play from his teammates. Brian Coffey Jr. returned from an injured knee to add nine points while Jacob Hoffman and Hunter McIntosh added 10 and 11 points respectively.

No. 6 Holy Innocents’ 74, Hapeville Charter 50:  Cole Smith remained hot with 22 points. Jules Erving added 18 for the Golden Bears.

Benedictine 68, Bryan County 63 OT: Tyleek Collins scored 21 points to power the Cadets in a thriller. Terry Tolbert added 16 points while Chase Marini and Cooper Marini added 12 and 10 points respectively.

Class A

No. 2 St. Francis 67, Buford 65: Coach Eddie Martin gets closer and closer to earning a signature victory at Buford. The Knights held on against the Wolves behind 21 Kobi Simmons points. Anthony Showell and Chance Anderson scored 18 and 11 points respectively. Sahil Patel finished with 12 points for Buford. Will Springer sank four threes en route to a 14 point night. Alex Jones chipped in 13 points in the loss.

No. 3 North Cobb Christian 56, Trion 27: Demiere Brown scored 12 points and snatched 10 rebounds to lead North Cobb Christian. Will Crumly controlled the glass with 13 rebounds of his own.

No. 4 Whitefield Academy 75, No. 9 Walker 57: Brendon Myles posted another double-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals to lead the Wolfpack. Isaiah Hart finished with 18 points and five steals while Malik Jones added 10 points.

No. 6 Lakeview Academy 66, Union County 33: The Lions received 15 points and 10 rebounds from Carter Reeves to blow by Union County. Drew Cottrell and Josh Randolph both scored 12 points while Daniel Fadool and Jack Blackburn both notched six assists.

No. 7 St. Anne-Pacelli 71, Central-Talbotton 55:  Tre Sudberry and Armon Prophet continued their strong play for the Vikings. Sudberry scored a team-high 22 points with five assists, two blocks and four steals while Prohpet finished with 18 points, 12 assists and seven steals. Triston Wells also chipped in 12 points.

GIRLS

Class AAAAAA

No. 4 South Forsyth 68, Habersham Central 37: Maryland signee Sarah Myers led the way with a game-high 19 points. Emily Dreslinski and Caroline Diem scored 11 and 10 points respectively in the win.

No. 8 Tucker 73, Rockdale County 36: Morgan Collins scored 12 points while Jayla Morrow and Chiqueria Cook both added nine. Morrow also collected three assists and three steals. Cook pulled down nine rebounds.

Duluth 34, Peachtree Ridge 30: Freshman Torey Walker led the Lady Cats to an important region win, scoring 14 points at home.

Class AAAAA

No. 2 Sequoyah 77, Cass 44: The She-Chiefs routed host Cass behind Lauren Hartman’s 21 points and seven rebounds. Both Kelley Hartman and Emily Seres scored 11 points while Megan Garcia and Peyton Satterfield pitched in nine apiece. Alyssa Cagle finished with eight points, five rebounds and seven assists.

McIntosh 42, Drew 24: DeLayne Rotolo powered the Lady Chiefs with 17 points. Savannah Soles added 10 and Maddie Emmet netted six in the victory.

North Springs 49, Forsyth Central 41: Julie Richards went for 26 points and 11 rebounds, but the Lady Dawgs were unable to rally back for the win after a slow start.
Class AAAA

No. 3 Marist 42, Columbia 18: Ansley Goss powered a balanced War Eagle attack with 16 points and six assists. Dominique Oden dazzled on both ends with 14 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Annabelle Farabaugh added 10 points.

St. Pius 47, Cross Keys 25: 11 players scored for the Golden Lions led by Hannah Jones’ 10 points. Mai Vy Madden scored seven points and Leah Middleton finished with six. Cross Keys was led by Kahniya McField’s 12 points and Yuyan Ke’s nine points.
Class AAA

No. 3 Dawson County 62, East Hall 55 2OT: No. 3 Dawson County survived in 2OT against an extremely good Lady Vikings team. Karlie Bearden scored 18 of her game-high  24 points in the second half including a three-pointer with just over 30 seconds left to send the game to overtime. Haley Burgess scored 10 points. East Hall was led by Carly Winters’ 20 points, coming off six three-pointers. Kylah Mize netted 19 in the defeat

Sonoraville 61, Adairsville 35: Becca Cheeks poured in 22 points and Taryn Hickey added 12 to pick up the region victory.

Brantley County 57, Toombs County 42: Joann Gomez scored 14 points and Demetria Jones chipped in 10 points, but  the Lady Bulldogs fell to 1-6 on the season.

 

Boys Finals

Allatoona 56, Alexander 46
Apalachee 59, Loganville 46
Bainbridge 81, Colquitt County 68
Berkmar 72, Grayson 46
Blessed Trinity 50, Washington 32
Brookwood 70, Archer 63
Calhoun 65, Ringgold 41
Central-Macon 70, Southwest 61
Clarke Central 58, Lanier 41
Clarkston 40, Dunwoody 32
Dacula 69, South Gwinnett 68
Discovery 83, North Hall 59
Douglas County 77, Newnan 65
Duluth 62, Peachtree Ridge 55
East Hall 74, Dawson County 57
Eastside 73, Griffin 61
Effingham County 55, Statesboro 53
Fellowship Christian 46, Pinecrest Academy 42
Gainesville 80, Cedar Shoals 77
Grady 61, Stone Mountain 60
Greater Atlanta Christian 55, Pace Academy 49
Habersham Central 56, South Forsyth 36
Henry County 76, Riverdale 67
Heritage-Catoosa 70, Pickens 47
Heritage-Conyers 72, Winder-Barrow 24
Hiram 67, Paulding County 50
Holy Innocents’ 74, Hapeville Charter 50
Jordan 70, Peach County 46
LaGrange 55, Whitewater 51
Lakeview Academy 66, Union County 33
Lambert 64, Chattahoochee 57
Lithonia 87, Chamblee 52
Lovejoy 60, Lakeside-DeKalb 55
Lumpkin County 73, Franklin County 46
McEachern 51, Marietta 40
McIntosh 76, Drew 54
Mill Creek 47,Meadowcreek 45
Miller Grove 82, M. L. King 35
Milton 70, Etowah 54
Morgan County 52, East Jackson 45
New Manchester 104, East Paulding 79
Norcross 93, Collins Hill 72
North Clayton 57, Towers 56
North Cobb Christian 56, Trion 27
Northview 66, West Forsyth 58
Northwest Whitfield 78, Cartersville 67
Pebblebrook 67, Langston Hughes 57
Perry 68, Upson-Lee 63
Pope 56, Woodstock 50
Redan 61, Arabia Mountain 49
Riverwood 64, Cambridge 52
Rome 86, Woodland-Cartersville 54
Roswell 54, Lassiter 48
Salem 47, Flowery Branch 28
Shiloh 75, Central Gwinnett 47
South Atlanta 58, Cedar Grove 49
South Paulding 59, Villa Rica 31
Southwest DeKalb 69, Druid Hills 54
St. Anne Pacelli 71, Central-Talbotton 55
St. Francis 67, Buford 65
St. Pius X 70, Cross Keys 18
Vidalia 96, Long County 76
Westlake 85, South Cobb 58
Westside-Augusta 60, Lakeside-Evans 51
White County 80, Towns County 52
Whitefield Academy 75, Walker 57

Girls Finals

Alexander 54, Allatoona 50
Alpharetta 40, North Forsyth 38
Americus-Sumter 80, Dougherty 29
Archer 32, Brookwood 25
Banks County 77, West Hall 71
Bleckley County 58, Putnam County 49
Bowdon 47, Mt. Zion, Carroll 28
Bradwell Institute 42, Richmond Hill 41
Brantley County 57, Toombs County 42
Brunswick 58, Ware County 31
St. Francis 51, Buford 48
Centennial 41, Johns Creek 36
Clarke Central 68, Lanier 51
Collins Hill 57, Norcross 54
Colquitt County 36, Bainbridge 26
Cross Creek 65, Greene County 29
Dawson County 62, East Hall 55
Duluth 34, Peachtree Ridge 30
Dunwoody 56, Clarkston 18
Eagles Landing Christian 63, First Presbyterian 41
Effingham County 58, Statesboro 40
Fellowship Christian 49, Pinecrest Academy 41
Flowery Branch 66, Salem 18
Gainesville 48, Cedar Shoals 26
Grayson 41, Berkmar 35
Haralson County 59, Temple 28
Harrison 49, Hillgrove 44
Hart County 57, Jackson County 33
Heritage-Catoosa 64, Pickens 46
Hiram 72, Paulding County 12
Jeff Davis 63, Bacon County 18
Jefferson 33, Oconee County 7
Johnson-Savannah 62, Southeast Bulloch 23
Kennesaw Mountain 49, Osborne 47
Lakeside-Evans 41, Westside-Augusta 37
Lakeview Academy 54, Union County 30
Lovejoy 57, Lakeside-DeKalb 29
Lovett 56, Rabun Gap 46
Marist 42, Columbia 18
McEachern 65, Marietta 56
McIntosh 42, Drew 24
Mill Creek 65, Meadowcreek 16
Milton 63, Etowah 47
Morgan County 55, East Jackson 24
New Manchester 51, East Paulding 33
North Clayton 54, Towers 40
North Springs 49, Forsyth Central 41
Northwest Whitfield 65, Cartersville 30
Prince Avenue 40, Oglethorpe County 31
Ringgold 59, Calhoun 33
Riverwood 43, Cambridge 34
Rome 57, Woodland-Cartersville 26
Roswell 44, Lassiter 24
Sequoyah 77, Cass 44
Shiloh 44, Central Gwinnett 38
Social Circle 50, Athens Academy 42
Sonoraville 61, Adairsville 35
South Effingham 58, Metter 21
South Gwinnett 53, Dacula 46
Southwest DeKalb 60, Druid Hills 17
St. Pius X 47, Cross Keys 25
Stone Mountain 45, Grady 42
Stratford Academy 41, George Walton Academy 31
Tucker 73, Rockdale County 36
Wesleyan 80, KIPP Atlanta Charter 31
West Forsyth 58, Northview 43
Wilcox County 37, Mt. de Sales 28
Winder-Barrow 60, Heritage-Conyers 34
Woodstock 55, Pope 39

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

12-8 Top Games Preview

Norcross-CHillNo. 4 Norcross (4-1) at No. 6 Collins Hill (4-0)
The power struggle atop Region 7-AAAAAA officially begins as two early favorites to win the crown do battle. The Eagles nipped Norcross in their first meeting early last year 70-68 before the Blue Devils went on a rampage and finished 13-1 in the region. Size has always been a crucial advantage for Norcross with 6-foot-8 towers Rayshaun Hammonds and Lance Thomas, who can score inside and out. But this year, the Eagles have added some imposing size of their own down low. AJ Cheeseman is a 6-foot-6 power forward that has signed to play at New Orleans. Chris Parks is only a sophomore, but he is a big active body at 6-foot-5 and can mix it up with the longer Blue Devils. Kai Lambert, JD Ozoh and TeShaun Hightower must be X-factors and hit open shots for Collins Hill if they want to slow down Norcross, who features strong guard play of their own in Kyle Sturdivant, Jordan Goldwire and Chris Curlett.

Gaines-CedarNo. 2 Gainesville (3-0) at No. 5 Cedar Shoals (7-0)
Region 8-AAAAA has quietly blossomed into one of the best regions in the entire state behind Gainesville, Cedar Shoals and No. 6 Heritage, not to mention the always ready to take over a game, Butler signee Kamar Baldwin of Apalachee. This matchup will be the Jaguars first major test of the season. Gainesville has defeated 2A No. 2 St. Francis (without Kobi Simmons) 70-58 at the Jared Cook Classic and rallied from down 11 at the half to knock off Heritage, 85-79 last week. Georgia State signee D’Marcus Simonds poured in 26 points in the comeback while Bailey Minor added 20. The Red Elephants have plenty of pieces and can beat teams in a variety of ways. KJ Buffen is a blossoming star forward, Tae Turner is a Lakeview Academy transfer and Messiah Dorsey and Xavier Bledson have both hit big shots over their career. Phlan Fleming is usually the focal point of the offense for Cedar Shoals from his wing position, but Snipe Hall, Jerrick Mitchell and big man Stavion Stevenson have brought the Jags to the next level with their balanced play.

Pace-GACNo. 5 GAC (4-3) at No. 2 Pace Academy (0-2)
Don’t let the record fool you. Pace may be winless but they have held on tight to their No. 2 ranking for good reason. A 7-point loss to 6A No. 1 Westlake and a 56-44 loss this past weekend at Adidas Xplosion to 1A No. 1 Greenforest are as good of losses as you can get. Class of 2017 No. 1 overall player according to many pundits, Wendell Carter Jr., is a beast inside at 6-foot-10. He can handle the ball, shoot from the outside, protect the paint and may be the state’s best rebounder. Shooters Zack Kaminsky and Caleb Holifield are lethal from the outside while Isaiah Kelly brings an active 6-foot-8 body inside to pair with Carter. GAC is working its way back to full strength. Leading scorer Brian Coffey Jr. will try to give it a go at point guard after injuring his knee last week. Garrett Covington can do everything with the basketball and causes matchup problems from his off-guard position. Jacob Hoffman came down with an ankle injury in a 75-67 overtime win over rival No. 6 Holy Innocents, but when healthy, he is one of the best shooters in the state. Freshman guard Hunter McIntosh is tough to rattle as shown when he poured in 27 points in Coffey’s absence. Charlie O’Briant stands 6-foot-8 and will be a game-time decision after a severe laceration to his lip. He and big man Chris Hinton, 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, will need to put a body on Carter the entire game and try to push him outside like Greenforest did successfully.

Grayson-BerkmarGrayson (5-0) at Berkmar (3-3)
There is a long line of talented teams waiting to crack the top ten in Class AAAAAA. Berkmar opened there, but quickly dropped out. Grayson now might be the next in line to seize the opportunity. Some of the best guards in the state will be going head-to-head in this Gwinnett County Region 8 slugfest. Austin Dukes and Alphonso Willis is a pair of lethal senior guards for Coach Geoffrey Pierce’s team. Dukes scored 23 points and handed out five assists in a 58-52 win over Centennial. There also is some balance behind these two guards. Trey Sconiers, Kenyon Jackson and Hafeez Anifowoshe are all important contributors scoring and rebounding the ball. Berkmar relies of Indiana-commit Al Durham to cook up offense. The lanky yet smooth southpaw can drive the lane and burry deep threes. Running mates Jay Estime, Darius Harrison, Josh Faulkner, Leroy Jones IV and Lane Foster make the Patriots extremely deep on the perimeter.

Hughes-PebblePebblebrook (3-4) at Langston Hughes (6-1)
Make no bones about it, Region 3-AAAAAA is the most athletic and exciting region in the state bar none. Expect the points to drop at a neck breaking pace and get your popcorn ready because there will be highlights galore night in and night out, especially when Pebblebrook rolls into town. At 3-4, the Falcons are much better than their record shows and are loaded with D-1 talent in Auburn signee Jared Harper, Collin Sexton and JJ Smith. Those three are the straws that stir the drink. They like to run-and-gun and pull up for deep threes, but they can be susceptible to breakdowns on defense. Harper averages over 30 points per game and Sexton went for 40 points in a 96-94 heartbreaking loss to 2A No. 2 St. Francis at Adidas Xplosion, in which the guards forgot to rotate back on Harper’s shot with 8 seconds left, allowing St. Francis to pitch the ball ahead for an uncontested Kobi Simmons dunk with 1.1 seconds remaining. Coach Rory Welsh likes to run his inverted flex offense which can pick teams apart if they aren’t fundamentally sound on defense. Junior guard Khalil Cuffee has D-1 written all over him. He may not be as flashy as his counterparts, but his steady game and his pure three-point stroke make him hard to stop. He is averaging 18.4 points per game and gets help from Derrick Cook (16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists) and Justin Jones (10.6 points). Isaiah Green can be an X-factor with his toughness inside and his knack for doing the dirty work.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 3 Rankings

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Class AAAAAA

  1. Westlake (5-1)
  2. Shiloh (4-2)
  3. Wheeler (4-1)
  4. Norcross (4-1)
  5. Tift County (5-0)
  6. Collins Hill (4-0)
  7. Lambert (7-0)
  8. Newton (5-1)
  9. Dacula (4-0)
  10. Douglas County (6-1)

Class AAAAA

  1. Miller Grove (4-1)
  2. Gainesville (3-0)
  3. McIntosh (5-1)
  4. Allatoona (2-0)
  5. Cedar Shoals (7-0)
  6. Heritage (7-1)
  7. Riverwood (9-0)
  8. Warner Robins (3-1)
  9. LaGrange (4-0)
  10. Southwest DeKalb (6-0)

Class AAAA

  1. Lithonia (4-2)
  2. Jonesboro (3-2)
  3. Henry County (5-0)
  4. Liberty County (2-1)
  5. Grady (6-0)
  6. St. Pius (4-1)
  7. Sandy Creek (7-2)
  8. Bainbridge (1-2)
  9. Worth County (3-1)
  10. Walnut Grove (4-1)

Class AAA

  1. Laney (5-0)
  2. Jenkins (2-1)
  3. Morgan County (4-2)
  4. East Jackson (3-2)
  5. South Atlanta (4-1)
  6. Cedar Grove (3-0)
  7. Calhoun (0-0)
  8. Callaway (1-0)
  9. East Hall (3-1)
  10. Southwest-Macon (4-0)

Class AA

  1. Seminole County (2-0)
  2. Pace Academy (0-2)
  3. Crawford County (3-0)
  4. Thomasville (7-0)
  5. GAC (4-3)
  6. Holy Innocents’ (4-2)
  7. Vidalia (5-0)
  8. Swainsboro (2-2)
  9. Lovett (4-0)
  10. Early County (2-1)

Class A-Private

  1. Greenforest (6-0)
  2. St. Francis (5-2)
  3. North Cobb Christian (5-0)
  4. Whitefield Academy (2-3)
  5. SWAC (3-3)
  6. Lakeview Academy (3-1)
  7. St. Anne-Pacelli (3-1)
  8. Landmark Christian (4-2)
  9. Walker (5-1)
  10. Stratford Academy (0-0)

Class A-Public

  1. Wilkinson County (1-1)
  2. Treutlen (3-0)
  3. Hancock Central (4-2)
  4. Calhoun County (2-2)
  5. Randolph-Clay (5-0)
  6. Taylor County (3-1)
  7. Dooly County (1-1)
  8. Greenville (1-1)
  9. Terrell County (4-2)
  10. Turner County (1-2)

The Class AAAAAA picture is slowly starting to clear up as we enter into the heart of December. No. 1 Westlake suffered its first loss of the season to the nation’s No. 1 team Montverde (FL), 76-54, but the Lions remain atop the class. Before the loss, Westlake did defeat Oak Ridge (FL), 67-63. No. 2 Shiloh was the fourth Georgia team (Wheeler, Pebblebrook) with a shot at knocking off Montverde but they also lost 72-55. Elsewhere in the state, No. 5 Tift County continued its quiet rise, jumping No. 6 Collins Hill to crack the top five. The Blue Devils defeated 5A No. 8 Warner Robins 70-55. The bottom of the poll saw some movement as Pebblebrook (3-4) and Milton (4-2) dropped out. Pebblebrook continues to be possibly the most exciting team to watch in the entire state, but they rely on outscoring teams to win. A 104-101 overtime comeback over Campbell was a thrilling victory. On Saturday however, at the Adidas Xplosion, the Falcons fell to 2A No. 2 St. Francis 96-94 on a Kobi Simmons breakaway dunk with 1.1 seconds left after Auburn signee Jared Harper missed a shot with eight seconds left and the other guards forgot to rotate back on defense. Pebblebrook is extremely talented with Harper and Collin Sexton, who scored 40 in the loss, but it is the little things like not getting back on defense that is holding Coach George Washington’s team back right now. Milton exits the poll after failing to impress and eking out a 61-59 win over Pope.

No. 9 Dacula and No. 10 Douglas County make their first appearances. Dacula has raced out to a 4-0 start and handed Douglas County its only loss of the season at the On the Radar Showcase, 78-72. The Falcons replace Pebblebrook as birds of prey in the top ten. Wofford signee Kevon Tucker is averaging 26.3 points per game and is one of the best scorers Gwinnett County has ever seen. Fellow senior Derek St. Hilaire has been just as good, pouring in 23 points on average. Demari Edwards is a nice third fiddle averaging 9.3 points per game. The one thing that is a glaring weakness that some teams may be able to exploit is the Falcons’ lack of height. Tucker and Shayne Buckingham are listed as Dr. Russ Triaga’s tallest players at 6-foot-4. Douglas County makes the poll after a 6-1 start highlighted by a signature victory over 5A No. 3 McIntosh at Holiday Hoopsgiving, 84-81. UNC signee Brandon Robinson is making his case for Mr. Basketball by averaging 29 points per game.

Still knocking on the door to crack the top ten is 5-0 Grayson. In Saturday’s 58-52 win over Centennial, Austin Dukes scored 23 points and handed out five assists. Trey Sconiers posted 17 points and eight rebounds while Kenyon Jackson protected the paint with 10 points, seven rebounds and six blocks. Add those three along with big-time scorer Alphonso Willis and the Rams are as dangerous as it gets in Class 6A.

No. 2 Gainesville survived in an early season clash of titans in Region 8-AAAAA against No. 6 Heritage. The Red Elephants rallied from down 11 at the half to stun the Patriots 85-79 behind D’Marcus Simonds’ 26 points and Bailey Minor’s 20. No. 5 Cedar Shoals rises three spots to give Region 8 the No. 2, 5 and 6 teams in the state. The Jaguars have a colossal showdown with Gainesville this Tuesday. Defending state champion Brunswick, tumbles out of the top ten. Losses to Camden County 87-84 in 2OT and Coffee, 54-53, are tough to swallow after losing a ton from last year’s title team. No. 10 Southwest DeKalb replaces Brunswick behind the play of Keith Gilmore. The senior forward is averaging 17.2 points and 6.8 rebounds for the undefeated Panthers. No. 7 Riverwood continues its sneaky climb. Kohl Roberts is powering the Raiders yet again with 15.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 4.2 blocks per game. South Paulding (3-0) looks like it has designs on entering the top ten sooner rather than later. Keep an eye on Statesboro. The Blue Devils are off to a hot start at 4-0 and have wins over three ranked teams: Current 2A No. 8 Swainsboro 61-47, current 4A No. 4 Liberty County 75-74 and former 1A-Public No. 9 Portal.

Some interesting play has gone on in Class AAAA. Lithonia and Jonesboro remain No. 1 and No. 2, but No. 3 Henry County has vaulted three spots into the top three. No. 5 Grady is 6-0 and has three wins over ranked opponents: 67-66 over No. 7 Sandy Creek on Nov. 27 and most recently against No. 6 St. Pius last Tuesday 51-50 and 1A-Private No. 4 Whitefield Academy, 66-55. One score line turned a lot of heads as the Knights blasted Cross Keys 125-31. Coach Brian Weeden kept the foot on the gas pedal, allowing Bucknell-commit Avi Toomer to go for 52 points, eight rebounds and nine steals. No. 8 Bainbridge falls four spots. The Bearcats lost 68-60 to 2A No. 1 Seminole County without star player and UGA-signee Tyree Crump. Crump then returned against Dougherty, but the Trojans handed the full strength Bearcats a bad loss, 78-75. Bainbridge blew a 12-point halftime lead as Jaylen Taylor went for 17 points to fend off Crump’s 26. Walnut Grove checks in at No. 10 as Region 4’s third team (Jonesboro, Henry County) in the top ten. The Warriors suffered their first loss of the season last week, 58-52 to Jonesboro.

Class AAA remains an enigma. One thing is for certain however: Laney finds ways to win.  The Wildcats came back from steep double-digit deficits twice last week to rally and win 77-72 over Richmond Academy in overtime and 65-64 against Morgan County. Zep Jasper and Christian Keeling have carried the Cats during their time of doubt and have kept them undefeated. Blessed Trinity falls out of the rankings after a 5-2 start. They are replaced by Southwest Macon, who is enjoying a resurgence behind a high-powered offense. Justin Slocum at 6-foot-6 is anchoring the paint averaging 25 points and 11.8 rebounds a night. Transfer Nick Hargrove has continued his exciting play in the GHSA, scoring 20.5 points and handing out 4.3 assists per game. Fellow junior Aaron Ridley and freshman Jordan Slocum have both been major contributors as well.

No. 2 Pace Academy (0-2) holds its ranking in AA after a winless start. Losses to 6A No. 1 Westlake by seven and most recently 56-44 to 1A-Private No. 1 Greenforest are both good losses. Both Westlake and Greenforest are considered to be two of the best teams in the state regardless of classification. No. 3 Crawford County tipped off its season with three wins including a 98-86 win over 1A-Public No. 3 Hancock Central. No. 5 GAC swaps spots with No. 6 Holy Innocents’ again after a 75-67 win in overtime at HIES without two starters including leading scorer Brian Coffey Jr. and 6-foot-8 center Charlie O’Briant. No. 8 Swainsboro fell to No. 7 Vidalia 59-58, but recorded a 52-50 overtime win over 1A-Public No. 1 Wilkinson County. A team to keep watch for is Monticello. The Hurricanes may only be 3-2, but both losses came to 5A No. 6 Heritage. Monticello was blown out on Nov. 20, 83-39, but lost by just four, 58-54, in the rematch this Saturday. The Hurricanes have wins over Greene County, Jones County and Warren County this season.

In 1A-Private, St. Francis continues to gel, get better and most importantly, healthier as the season moves on. Wins over new No. 9 Walker 88-52, No. 4 Whitefield Academy 60-55 and Pebblebrook 96-94 are all nice victories. North Cobb Christian continues to play well at No. 3, defeating No. 8 Landmark Christian 70-58. Tattnall Square Academy drops out after being routed by Paideia. Walker takes over in the poll behind Harvard bound big man Robert Baker. He is averaging 26.7 points, 14.8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.7 steals and 2 blocks per game.

Class 1A-Public remains muddled. Wilkinson takes over No. 1 after an overtime loss to 2A No. 8 Swainsboro and a 68-55 win against No. 3 Hancock. Former No. 1, Calhoun County, suffered a bad loss to Stewart County 44-37 and now finds itself at No. 4. Taylor County debuts at No. 6 after wins against Upson-Lee 68-55 and 1A-Private No. 7 St. Anne-Pacelli, 73-51.

 

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

2015 Adidas Xplosion Full Games

I was able to jump on the SUVtv broadcast for the final three games of Adidas Xplosion at Wheeler High School.  SUVtv is the authority in broadcasting  live sporting events at the high school level. Please visit thesuvtv.com and follow @SUVtv, @MarqBurnettSUV, @Jhillsman and @Colin_Ritsick on Twitter.

Lee (AL) 87, No. 2 Jenkins 82

No. 6 SWAC 66, Johnson-Savannah 63

Peachtree Ridge 74, Kell 70

No. 1 Greenforest 56, No. 2 Pace Academy 44

No. 2 St. Francis 96, No. 7 Pebblebrook 94

No. 3 Wheeler 74, Walton 50

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