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Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Home is where the heart is: No. 8 Cartersville withstands No. 4 Sandy Creek’s late charge

No. 8 Cartersville 94, No. 4 Sandy Creek 88 OT

After taking a 15-point loss on the chin against No. 3 LaGrange (20-2, 9-0) and in danger of falling out of the Region 5-AAAA race, No. 8 Cartersville (15-4, 6-2) bowed up to No. 4 Sandy Creek (14-6, 6-2) and rode the home atmosphere to a critical overtime victory.

The Patriots opened the game with one defensive mission in mind: stop Jaylon Pugh. The left-handed junior guard poured in 23 points in an 86-80 loss against Sandy Creek back on Jan. 10. KJ Wilkins and others switched off face-guarding Pugh and held him to three points in the first quarter.

Sandy Creek took an 11-8 lead off a Jarred Godfrey steal and assist to Eric Williams and led 19-14 after one quarter.

 

Chris Porter came off the bench and sank two threes in the first half to help Sandy Creek grab a 26-19 lead at the 5:59 mark, but Cartersville began to chip away thanks to heavy Patriot foul trouble. The Hurricanes got into the double bonus with 5:54 left and surged ahead, taking 40-33 advantage into the half after a 21-7 run. Pugh keyed the attack, scoring 11 of his game-high 26 in the frame including back-to-back threes late.

In the third quarter, Cartersville’s onslaught continued, as did the foul calls on Sandy Creek. Just 2 minutes and 6 seconds into the second half, the Patriots already saw a 5-to-1 foul discrepancy. Forward Isaac Gridley started to find baskets around the rim as Sandy Creek hesitated to body up the post. He scored nine of his 15 points in the third quarter while TJ Horton sliced and diced the Patriot defense.

Horton, one of Cartersville’s many football players on the roster, netted nine of his 20 points in the quarter, a majority of them coming from downhill charges to the rim while breaking Sandy Creek’s press.

As the Hurricanes were searching for the knockout punch, Wilkins played rope-a-dope. The senior guard scored 10 of Sandy Creek’s 19 points in the period as the Patriots entered the fourth quarter trailing 62-52.

Things got wild.

Down 67-54 with 6:48 left in regulation, Sandy Creek’s press finally cracked Cartersville. Wilkins and 6-foot-7 senior Evan Jester fueled the comeback. Wilkins scored 12 of his team-high 24 points in the quarter while Jester added 11 of his 22.

Sandy Creek sparked an 8-0 run capped by a Jester slam dunk, but the questionable officiating bit the Patriots again. A referee came screaming into the play to T-up Jester for “hanging” on the rim, resulting in Pugh sinking two free throws to push the lead back to seven at 69-62 at the 6:05 mark.

https://twitter.com/LobCitySouth/status/826301429782560768

The tide was stemmed momentarily, but the Patriots kept pushing on. Cartersville clung onto an 80-78 lead with 57.8 seconds left after the Patriots closed in on a Williams put-back. Jester came away with a steal and lay-in to knot the game at 80 and the Patriots forced another turnover to take over possession with 49.8 seconds remaining; Jester pleading to Coach Anthony McKissic to hold for one shot after Sandy Creek called timeout.

The Patriots attempted to hold for one shot but lost possession, handing the ball back to Cartersville and sending JKobe Orr to the line with 5.3 seconds to play after a loose ball foul.

Orr missed both free throws and Kameron Miller’s half court heave was off target, sending the game to overtime.

In overtime, Wilkins began to cramp less than two minutes in. Miller fouled out, one of three Patriots to do so, with 1:57 left. Pugh pushed the lead to 89-86 at the 1:30 mark. Jester got a bucket and a foul but missed the free throw with 29.9 seconds remaining and Cartersville up 90-88. Pugh deflected a late three-point attempt and Trase Fezzia sank three free throws to ice the game, Cartersville going 27-of-42 from the line while Sandy Creek shot 19-of-27.

 

My Take

It sucks for the players, but the story of this game was the officiating. Sandy Creek didn’t get many calls throughout the game but when the technical foul was assessed to Evan Jester, it was pretty much the last straw and from that point on, you knew it would take a miracle for Sandy Creek to pull this one out. Aside from the abhorrent officiating, Cartersville’s tough-nosed guards did what they had to do. Jaylon Pugh cemented himself as a real deal guard and one of the best in North Georgia. He sank three three-pointers on the night and his lefty touch was deadly from all over the floor. He played closer in overtime with six points. TJ Horton played a whale of a game, especially in the third quarter. He thrived in the open court and made good decisions with the ball. Cartersville’s physical guards gave Sandy Creek some fits. Trase Fezzia was an emotional leader on the floor and his free throws late were huge. Isaac Gridley balanced the Hurricanes offense with a great spark in the third quarter after scoring just two points in the first half. Perignon Dyer had seven points at the half but was kept in check in the second half. With all their key pieces except for Fezzia set to return next year, Cartersville will be a stingy competitor in Class AAAA for at least another year, especially at home.

Sandy Creek was up against it tonight but hats off to them for even forcing overtime. Evan Jester was quiet in the first half with eight points and one rebound but turned it on in a big way in the fourth quarter. Eric Williams rebounded at a high clip and gave the Patriots some much needed second chance buckets. KJ Wilkins was phenomenal in the second half, hitting threes and burring mid-range jumpers en route to netting 22 of his 24 points after halftime. It’s a shame that he cramped up in overtime. He did not score in the extra period. Sandy Creek’s quality depth was definitely tested tonight. Chris Porter shot very well in the first half and little man Kameron Miller is a bundle of energy. The 5-foot-6 guard is an aggressive on-ball defender but he even flashed in a major way with his creativity with the ball, constantly getting into the lane and hanging in the air to find open perimeter shooters.

Top Performers

Cartersville
Jaylon Pugh – 26 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
TJ Horton – 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Isaac Gridley – 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block
Trase Fezzia – 13 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals
JKobe Orr – 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Perignon Dyer – 9 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Sandy Creek
KJ Wilkins – 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Evan Jester – 22 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Eric Williams – 11 points, 12 rebounds, 1 steal
TJ Bickerstaff – 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Chris Porter – 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal
Jarred Godfrey – 7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
Kameron Miller – 4 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Spielin' & Dealin' Podcast

Spielin’ & Dealin’: The Georgia High School Basketball Podcast (Ep. 1)

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Welcome to Episode 1 of Spielin’ & Dealin’: The Georgia High School Basketball Podcast.

S&D will be recorded and released each Thursday afternoon as myself and producer/moderator Rameen Forghani tell you everything you need to know about what’s going on in the Peach State.

In Episode 1 we cover Boys & Girls Rankings, what you missed on Tuesday night, Rameen’s Q&A and a preview of this weekend’s top games. We close each episode with our 1-On-1 segment. Joining us this week is head coach of the Class AAAAAA No. 1 ranked South Paulding Spartans, Gil Davis.

Spielin’ & Dealin’ is available on Podbean and also on iTunes for mobile download in the near future.  Please subscribe to both. Enjoy!

 

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 1-24

BOYS 

Class AAAAAAA

No. 1 Newton 91, Grayson 65: Ashton Hagans finished with 15 points, 11 assists and 4 rebounds as Newton sliced and diced Grayson. JD Notae piled in 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists. Isaiah Miller had 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists. Josh Tukes added 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Darvin Jones and Dante Johnson scored 7 apiece.  In the loss Grayson received 12 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block from Kenyon Jackson.  Gerald Buncum had 4 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. Travis Anderson was held to 9 points on 10 shot attempts.

No. 3 Pebblebrook 104, Campbell 88: Collin Sexton poured in 53 points in the Falcons’ shootout. Campbell received 27 points from Donovan Grant, 23 from Tyree Crankfield and 14 from Kiya Randolph.

No. 4 Norcross 63, Lakeside-DeKalb 27: Kyle Sturdivant had 17 points and Lance Thomas added 11 points. Malachi Martin chipped in 9 points and Brandon Boston finished with 8. Cameron Starkes led the Vikings with 9 points.

No. 8 Wheeler 78, No. 5 Westlake 63: Wheeler bowed up and dominated from the opening tip, racing out to a 31-10 first quarter lead. Darius Perry led the way with 23 points.

No. 7 Berkmar 68, Central Gwinnett 56: Zach Cooks tallied 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Jay Estime netted 15 points.

No. 10 Roswell 66, Walton 59: Sophomore Miles Herron scored 20 points and senior James Anderson chipped in 18 as the newly ranked Hornets survived a scare from Walton.

Hillgrove 82, Kennesaw Mountain 62: Demierre Black powered the Hawks with 23 points. Antoine Jones added 15 points while Justin Davidson (12) and Miles Jaynes (11) cracked double digits.

Milton 69, South Forsyth 64: Milton overcame Evan Cole’s 29 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks to earn a Region 5 victory. Santhosh Saravanan added 17 in the loss. Alex O’Connell had 21 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists in the win. Christian Wright had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists. Jordan Yates scored 12. Ulryic Linton had 11 poitns and 6 rebounds.

North Forsyth 60, Forsyth Central 48: Connor Stephenson netted 17 points to lead the Raiders. CJ Smith had 25 points in the loss.

Brookwood 56, Meadowcreek 51: The Broncos rallied from down eight in the fourth quarter to capture their fourth win in a row. Bubba Parham dropped in 24 points and Trae Higginbotham added 16.

Mill Creek 50, North Gwinnett 33: Mill Creek’s strong play of late continued as Christian Mancillas and Chris Birch each scored 13 points. Freshman Kendall Latney added 10 points.

Woodstock 64, Lassiter 50: Tyreke Johnson finished with 22 points and 5 assists. Cameron Crowe added 10 points and Dylin Hardeman went for 9 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Noah Frith chipped in 8 points. Christian Jackson led Lassiter with 17 points.

Class AAAAAA

No. 1 South Paulding 72, Mays 61: Ja’Cori Wilson hung 19 points and 13 rebounds while Kane Williams finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Drew Shepherd added 13 points and 6 steals.

No. 2 Gainesville 82, Habersham Central 28: Twins Jarred and Jarrel Rosser scored 15 apiece to lead the Red Elephants. Mike White had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Maurice Hector pitched in 11 points. Bailey Minor returned to the lineup with 5 points.

No. 3 Jonesboro 58, Stephenson 54: The Cardinals won a nailbiter at Stephenson behind MJ Walker’s 25 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Jaylon Terrell added 11 points. Dashaun Ellerbe had 11 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists.

No. 6 Alpharetta 56, Chattahoochee 54: Brandon Barron led the Raiders with 14 points and Ellis Merriweather added 12 points in the win. Ryan Jenei and Carlos Carierre netted 10 apiece.

No. 9 Heritage-Conyers 73, Greenbrier 45: Jordan Thomas scored 15 points while Isaiah Banks added 12 points and 3 rebounds. Byron Abrams finished with 9 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. Avante Lederer had 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals while JaQuez Hicks added 4 points and 12 rebounds.

No. 10 Alexander 85, Northgate 41: Rod Rapley finished with 14 points and 7 assists while Damion Howell posted a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Grant Howard had 13 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Chris Lunsford and Cameron Armstrong scored 12 apiece.

Allatoona 59, Harrison 58: Trey Doomes finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assists and 2 steals to survive the upset-minded Hoyas. Tobi Adeyeye posted 13 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Cambridge 40, North Atlanta 38: Sophomores Bryce Boutelle and Kamar Robertson led the Bears past North Atlanta. Boutelle scored 12 points followed by Robertson’s 11.

Osborne 65, Sprayberry 50: LaTrell Tate went off, going for 34 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals to power the Cardinals.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 74, Flowery Branch 61: Slick junior guard Alex Jones carried Buford, exploding for 37 points (18 in 4Q; 14-14 FT), 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Donell Nixon added 16 points and Tobi Obasanya had 12. The Wolves shot 25-of-27 from the line to ice the game after leading 63-59 late. Flowery Branch went 6-of-7 from the line. Brannon Clark had 20 points and 4 rebounds. John Mills pumped in 21 in the loss. Justin Quick contributed 8 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals.

No. 2 Cedar Shoals 61, Walnut Grove 38: Jai’Vanni McDavis led the Jags with 16 points. Stavion Stevenson pitched in 14 points and Phlan Fleming added 10. Dashun Smith netted 13 points in the loss.

No. 3 Warner Robins 76, Harris County 67: Jacolbey Owens scored 18 points to lead the Demons. Jaydon Norman and Jam’l Dillard both scored 12 points. Nelson Phillips added 10. Riqueito Leonard scored a game-high 21 for the Tigers followed by Tailique Williams’ 18.

No. 4 Fayette County 61, McIntosh 49: Kahmonnie Willis had 18 points, 3 assists and 2 steals. Phillip Young posted 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Noah Gurley added 10 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks. Jaylen Holloway produced 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Austin Nesmith finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists.

No. 5 Columbia 67, Lithonia 55: Jalen Cobb finished with 24 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists to lead the Eagles. Kevon Eskridge had 15 points and 3 assists. Reyhan Cobb added 7 points and 9 rebounds. Joshua Taylor chipped in 6 points and 11 rebounds.

Bainbridge 62, 2ANo. 3 Thomasville 45: Jeremiah Davis scored 14 points while Maleke Lurry added 13 and Milton Gayle netted 12 to upset the Bulldogs. Arkansas-commit Reggie Perry was held to 12 points in the loss.

Southwest DeKalb 41, Chamblee 40: The Panthers survived the Bulldogs on Senior Night. Kadarius Johnson scored 13 points to lead the way. Jalen Lee added 7 and James Glisson scored 6.

Druid Hills 65, Arabia Mountain 60: In the loss the Rams were paced by Jamal Middleton’s 16 points. Jaelin Simpson had 11 and Jordan Sterling scored 10.

Starr’s Mill 69, Morrow 43: Drew Hudson scored a team-high 23 points in the win.

Kell 100, East Paulding 57: Caelon Ball (18), Savvon Delgado (16), Cameron Marshall (15) and Wayne Bryant (13) all scored in double figures.

Riverwood 65, Grady 56: Elijah Jenkins poured in 20 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Josh Brown had a big double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds. Rudy Fitzgibbons added 9 points and 2 steals. Charnchai Chantha finished with 4 points and 6 assists.

Decatur 57, North Springs 43: Chalen Hippe led the Bulldogs with 15 points. Uriah Pickens-Roberts (12), Mikhail Johnson (11) and TJ Myrick (11) all cracked double digits.

Lithia Springs 76, Banneker 44: Anthony Hardy paced the Lions with 21 points followed by Ceaunte Zachery’s 16. Brandon Trowel led Banneker with 14.

Loganville 60, Clarke Central 56: Jamar Moore had 7 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block while Akil Covington netted 8 points to help the Red Devils to a region victory.

Class AAAA

No. 1 Upson-Lee 70, West Laurens 37: The Knights used a balanced offense to overwhelm West Laurens. Four players scored in double figures led by Tye Fagan’s 13. Travon Walker (12), Zyrice Scott (12) and Mikey Smith (10) all did damage.

No. 2 Henry County 55, No. 10 Salem 52: Javon Greene had 17 points and Damion Rosser scored 12 as the Warhawks picked up their 10th straight win. Kovi Tate added 10 points. Salem was led by Brandon Smith’s 19 and Denzel Bryan’s 12.

No. 3 LaGrange 67, No. 8 Cartersville 52: Laperion Perry produced 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists to carry the Grangers to a massive Region 5 victory. Bo Russell added 13 points and 7 rebounds. Gabe Duckett dropped in 14 points. Cartersville received 16 points from Jaylon Pugh and 12 from Isaac Gridley.

No. 4 Sandy Creek 103, Chapel Hill 77: Evan Jester posted 28 points and 10 rebounds. Jarred Godfrey had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. TJ Bickerstaff pumped in 16 points, 5 steals and 2 blocks. Chris Porter finished with 11 points and Eric Williams scored 10. KJ Wilkins collected 8 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

No. 7 Richmond Academy 66, Burke County 65: Moses Williams scored 21 points followed by DT Stephens’ 19 and Jason Weaver’s 13.

North Clayton 66, Luella 55: Ahsan Asadullah scored 20 points and Yaya Diaby added 12. Alex Quaynor netted 11 in the win. Luella was led by KJ Jones’ 25 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals.

Westover 66, Carver-Columbus 62: Kris Gardner had 20 points. Jamarea Grier added 14 points and 3 assists.

North Oconee 49, Jefferson 32: Jasper Gibson scored 11 points in the loss.

Heritage-Catoosa 80, Pickens 61: Hunter Hermann posted 17 points and 5 rebounds for the Dragons. Zach Goss had 9 points and 4 rebounds. Keinyuan Hooks tallied 7 points, 6 assists, 4 steals and 1 block in the loss.

Blessed Trinity 52, West Hall 38: Coach Patrick Hughes picked up win No. 51 at Blessed Trinity. Sophomore CJ Abrams netted a game-high 24 points while senior Kyle Swade pitched in 14 points. West Hall was led by Xzavier Reed’s 20 points.

St. Pius X 58, Madison County 44: Carson Seramur scored 13 points and Matt Gonzalo added 13 points and 5 assists.

Central, AL 82, Shaw 64: Lincoln Smith powered in 25 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. Chris Hicks scored 12 points and both Larrie Scott and Devan Porter-Wilson netted 10 apiece.

Class AAA

No. 1 Westside-Macon 72, Peach County 35: Khavon Moore finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Samone Reed added 13 points and 4 steals. Gregory Holloway pitched in 12 points and 9 rebounds.

East Hall 74, No. 2 Greater Atlanta Christian 57: Luke Cooper drained 24 points, Sedrion Morse dropped 17 and Mahki Brown added 16 as the Vikings stunned the Spartans in Rabbittown to take a share of first place in Region7.

No. 8 Cedar Grove 63, Stone Mountain 59: Devon Barnes collected 17 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Jamari Dean had 8 points and 12 rebounds. Blake Austin added 12 points and 2 steals. Jadon Hazelwood chipped in 8 points and 5 rebounds. Marcus Reid had 8 points, 7 assists and 5 steals.

Lovett 73, McNair 54: Lance Beck splashed in 6-of-9 three-pointers off the bench for 18 points to lift the Lions to a road victory. Lovett trailed 2-0 to start the game and never trailed again. The Lions led 45-20 at the half. Lovett hit 11-19 from 3-point range. Ryan Greer added 17 points as nine different Lovett players scored.

Calhoun 60, Adairsville 48: Chapin Rierson scored a team-high 14 points. Rhett Abernathy and Malik Lawrence scored 13 apiece. Kaylan Aker added 12 points and 6 rebounds. Porter Law tallied 11 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals.

Dawson County 73, Fannin County 48: Cullen Reed and Joseph Cronin both scored 14 points for the Tigers. Jeremiah Crumley added 13 points and Ryan Gallenkamp posted 7 points and 7 rebounds.

North Hall 66, Union County 52: Alden Lewallen scored 19 points in the win.

Monroe Area 74, East Jackson 60: Kobe Haley had 25 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block in the loss.

Class AA

No. 4 Laney 67, No. 5 Butler 64 OT: Donald Henley Jr. scored 25 points to pace the Wildcats while Butler received 15 points apiece from Will Lambert and DeAndre Barton.

Monticello 73, Rabun County 66: Ashton Bonner went for 32 points and 7 rebounds while CJ Adams added 20 points and 4 assists to Monticello’s explosive backcourt. Malik Crawford posted 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Washington County 71, Dodge County 49: Nick Cummings scored 16 points in the loss while RJ Carr added 11.

Glenn Hills 59, Jefferson County 58: Jeff Cabarrus scored 18 points and Timmy Sellers produced a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Spartans.

Class A-Private

No. 1 Greenforest 78, Elite Scholars 43: Justin Forrest had 16 points while Victor Enoh added 15.

No. 2 North Cobb Christian 83, Mt. Zion-Carroll 81 2OT: North Cobb Christian somehow survived the visiting Eagles. CJ Ackles dropped in 28 points and TJ Cagle had 24 in the loss. Jace Jordan netted 10.

No. 3 Southwest Atlanta Christian 64, Wesleyan 59: Christian McLean went off for 36 points as the visiting Wolves nearly scored their biggest win of the season. JD Kavel netted 9 points and Grant Frerking pitched in 8.

No. 5 Aquinas 83, Taliaferro County 35: Jelani Shakir finished with 18 points, 11 assists and 6 steals while Tre Gomillion added 18 points, 15 rebounds and 3 steals. Dajuan Hill had 13 points and 7 rebounds. George Welch chipped in 9 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 7 Lakeview Academy 59, No. 8 Tallulah Falls 51: The Lions handed the Indians their first loss of the season and in the process cemented themselves as still the team to beat in Region 8. Josh Randolph went for 15 points and 8 rebounds. Adam Cottrell scored 13 points. Evan Pitts grabbed 8 rebounds.

No. 10 Whitefield Academy 60, Fellowship Christian 59: Cody Frazer scored 22 points in the loss.

Paideia 47, WD Mohammed 35: Sam Smith had 7 points in the win for the Pythons.

Class A-Public

Bowdon 72, Excel Christian 34: Octavius Meadows poured in 24 points. Chris Parker added 12 and Zach Ledbetter chipped in 11.

Lincoln County 83, Lake Oconee Academy 33: Everyone scored for the Red Devils led by Ahmad Rand’s 18 points and 7 blocks. Maciah Gunby had 16 points and Javon Reid totaled 14 points and 4 steals. Zae Gartell tacked on 12 points and 4 steals.

                                                      

GIRLS 

Class AAAAAAA

No. 5 Brookwood 40, Meadowcreek 35: Kierra Adams had 15 points and 5 rebounds while Hunter Thacker added 9 points and 6 rebounds in the win.

No. 6 Lambert 58, West Forsyth 35: Jaleah Greene finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds for the Longhorns. M.E. Craven had 9 points and 5 steals. Mandy Clarke added 8 points, 3 assists and 3 steals. Molly Williams pitched in 8 points. In the loss Ella Madson scored 8 points. Kalie Schlegel finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Carsen Parker had 5 steals to go with her 4 points.

No. 10 Newton 71, Grayson 50: Jurnee Smith dropped in 26 points to steer Newton to a Region 8 victory.

North Forsyth 58, Central Forsyth 20: Ansley Allen poured in 15 points and 3 steals off the bench for the Raiders. Cassie Markle posted 13 points and 7 rebounds.

South Forsyth 61, Milton 39: Zoe Maisel scored 14 points and Emily Dreslinski had 12 for the War Eagles. Mari Jonassen chipped in 10.

Class AAAAAA

No. 3 Lovejoy 42, No. 7 Tucker 37: Amber Thornton scored 15 points and Genesis Bryant pitched in 13 points to keep the Wildcats undefeated in Region 4 play.

Johns Creek 65, Pope 59: Samantha Breslow and Ashley Alexander scored 16 apiece to carry a balanced scoring attack for the Gladiators. Sydney Tanguilig added 14 points and Jillian Davis netted 12.

Alexander 70, Northgate 27: Shacara Clark and Andria Thomas dropped in 13 points apiece in the win.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 51, No. 2 Flowery Branch 46: Taniyah Worth finished with 16 points and 17 rebounds and Ashley Woodroofe netted 10 points but it wasn’t enough to overcome Buford.

No. 6 Carrollton 58, No. 8 Villa Rica 52: For the second time this season, the Wildcats couldn’t solve Carrollton in Region 7. Deasia Merrill finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the loss. Emerald Parham had 12 points and 5 assists. Jaila Orozco was held to 10 points. April Battle posted 15 rebounds and 6 blocks in defeat.

No. 9 Eagle’s Landing 52, Jones County 37: Ashley Foster led the newly ranked Eagles with 15 points. Jaleah Storr and Kiera Howard both finished with 7 points.

Cass 55, Hiram 33: Jana Morning scored 14 points followed by Chanel Clemmons and Kyla Michienzi’s 12 apiece. Esmeralda Thomas added 7.

Starr’s Mill 61, Morrow 58: Kelly Kozusko posted 8 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocks while Alice Anne Hudson dropped in a team-high 21 points to lead the Panthers.

Class AAAA

Jefferson 55, No. 1 North Oconee 48: Abbie Franklin and McKenzie Tyner scored 20 points apiece to power the Dragons into sole possession of first place in Region 8 and a statement victory over the top ranked Titans. In the loss Camryn Williams had 19 points and Emma Weynand scored 13.

No. 4 West Hall 55, Blessed Trinity 31: Macy Passmore scored the 1,000th point of her career in the Spartans victory. Anna McKendree netted 18 and Avery Prather scored 16. Kinsey Wilson tacked on 7 points.

No. 7 Heritage-Catoosa 76, Pickens 54: Mykenzie Weaver had 26 points and 6 rebounds in the loss. Torie Williams chipped in 6 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

St. Pius X 44, Madison County 40: Macey Carson scored a go-ahead basket with under a minute and Leah Middleton hit two free throws with seven seconds left to beat Madison County 44-40. Carson scored 14 and Kathryn Mckenzie added 11 in the win. Madison County’s Jordan Bailey tied the game at 40 with two of her 18 points with two minutes to play. Adryana Maxwell scored 11 for the Red Raiders.

Class AAA

No. 1 Beach 66, Southeast Bulloch 37: Judasia Hills finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Freshman Madison Evans pitched in 12 points and 6 steals. Maryyana Page chipped in 12 points and 5 rebounds.

No. 8 Calhoun 56, Adairsville 33: Jana Johns double-doubled with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Ryan Brzozoski had 15 points and Ashlyn Barnes notched 14 points and 7 steals.

Westminster 41, Pace Academy 31: Maya Longacre recorded 17 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Wildcats.

Dawson County 69, Fannin County 47: Kaylee Sticker scored 21 points to lead the Tigers. Abi Chatham netted 16, Anna Lowe scored 13 and Marlie Townley chipped in 9.

Class AA

No. 2 Dodge County 66, Washington 34: Jurnee Powell scored 20 points and Haley Holloway hit three three-pointers en route to 13 points.

No. 3 Rabun County 80, Monticello 39: Georgia Stockton finished with 20 points and 3 steals to pace the Wildcats. Savanna Scott had 16 points, 7 assists and 6 steals. Tessa Matheson added 10 points and 5 rebounds while Brooke Henricks posted 10 points and 4 rebounds.

No. 4 Model 75, Gordon Central 37: Victaria Saxton scored 19 points while Bailey Upton added 14 and Taylor Owens, Libby Upton and Natalie Davis all scored 8 to power the Blue Devils. Gordon Central was led by Cara Crump’s 10 points and Chloe Ferguson’s 8.

Class A-Private

Athens Academy 53, Providence Christian Academy 31: Gabby Mastandrea netted a game-high 18 points for the Spartans. Jarrett Kemp finished with 11 points and 16 rebounds. Kate Williams pitched in 10 points.

Fellowship Christian 63, Whitefield Academy 48: Junior Cameron Swartz surpassed the 1,000-point barrier by pouring in 43 points.

Class A-Public

No. 2 Telfair County 70, No. 9 Treutlen 46: India Wells pumped in 24 points and NyAsia Howard netted 14 in the Trojans win.

No. 3 Woodville-Tompkins 74, Claxton 24: Savanna Walker scored 21 points and Jasmine Grayson added 14 points, 5 assists and 5 steals.  Algeria Scott and Antalazia Baker chipped in 11 and 10 points respectively.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 10 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Norcross (19-2)
  2. McEachern (14-6)
  3. Collins Hill (16-2)
  4. Archer (16-4)
  5. Brookwood (15-5)
  6. Lambert (18-2)
  7. Mill Creek (17-3)
  8. Colquitt County (15-4)
  9. Marietta (16-4)
  10. Newton (16-4) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Harrison (17-3)
  2. Winder-Barrow (14-5)
  3. Lovejoy (18-2)
  4. Douglas County (19-3)
  5. Grovetown (15-6)
  6. Northview (17-3)
  7. Tucker (15-4)
  8. Stephenson (14-6)
  9. Mays (10-7)
  10. Gainesville (13-5) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (17-1)
  2. Flowery Branch (16-3)
  3. Southwest DeKalb (18-4)
  4. Griffin (19-0)
  5. Maynard Jackson (16-1)
  6. Carrollton (18-1)
  7. Warner Robins (18-1)
  8. Villa Rica (19-1)
  9. Eagle’s Landing (18-3)
  10. Harris County (16-3) 

Class AAAA

  1. North Oconee (17-2)
  2. Cross Creek (17-4)
  3. Columbus (15-3)
  4. West Hall (16-5)
  5. Northwest Whitfield (16-4)
  6. Americus-Sumter (16-3)
  7. Heritage-Catoosa (19-2)
  8. Carver-Columbus (15-4)
  9. Sandy Creek (14-4)
  10. Henry County (15-5) 

Class AAA

  1. Beach (18-1)
  2. Johnson-Savannah (19-1)
  3. Greater Atlanta Christian (12-6)
  4. Haralson County (18-3)
  5. Monroe (15-3)
  6. Franklin County (15-4)
  7. Hart County (17-3)
  8. Calhoun (16-4)
  9. Ringgold (15-5)
  10. Peach County (14-3) 

Class AA

  1. Laney (19-1)
  2. Dodge County (17-2)
  3. Rabun County (19-1)
  4. Model (15-5)
  5. Vidalia (17-3)
  6. Fitzgerald (13-2)
  7. Bryan County (14-3)
  8. Heard County (16-4)
  9. Hapeville Charter (14-5)
  10. Banks County (13-6) 

Class A-Private

  1. St. Francis (16-4)
  2. Holy Innocents’ (21-1)
  3. Wesleyan (17-3)
  4. Lakeview Academy (16-4)
  5. Calvary Day (16-3)
  6. Pinecrest Academy (14-3)
  7. Landmark Christian (15-3)
  8. Darlington (14-5)
  9. Stratford Academy (13-4)
  10. First Presbyterian Day (13-4)

Class A-Public

  1. Pelham (16-1)
  2. Telfair County (17-1)
  3. Woodville-Tompkins (17-3)
  4. Wheeler County (17-2)
  5. Greenville (17-3)
  6. Mitchell County (15-3)
  7. Hancock Central (13-3)
  8. Marion County (16-4)
  9. Treutlen (13-5)
  10. Macon County (13-6)

The top three in Class AAAAAAA remains unchanged, but under them there has been major movement. Archer climbs to No. 4 after beating South Gwinnett 55-42, who beat No. 10 Newton 64-58. The Rams slide five spots following their loss to the Comets and a 72-59 MLK Day loss to Fayette County. Mill Creek slips three spots to No. 7 after losing 54-47 to No. 5 Brookwood and 64-42 to No. 3 Collins Hill. Westlake and Tift County both fall out. The Lions (15-6) were upset by North Clayton 50-49 while the Blue Devils (15-6) beat Class AA No. 6 Fitzgerald 55-42, but were part of Lowndes’ boys-girls sweep at the Palace, 46-41. Reentering the Top 10 is No. 8 Colquitt County and No. 9 Marietta. The Packers were road warriors in South Georgia, beating Lowndes in 2OT 78-71 and Camden County 53-36. The Blue Devils stopped North Paulding 69-59 and will run into buzz-saw No. 2 McEachern this Friday. The Indians knocked Marietta from the poll two weeks ago when they beat the Blue Devils 70-38.

In Class AAAAAA, Douglas County slips to No. 4 after a bad 50-46 loss against Columbia at the MLK Classic. Lovejoy rises to No. 3 after beating No. 8 Stephenson 40-37 and Jonesboro 50-46. The Wildcats get a chance to score another resume building win as they visit No. 7 Tucker on Tuesday. The Tigers earned a 43-40 victory over Jonesboro and won at Forest Park 62-52 this past week. No. 6 Northview crushed Chattahoochee (14-5) in a Region 7 showdown 68-43. The Cougars exit the poll after their loss to the Titans and a 48-45 loss to Johns Creek. In just his first year on the job, head coach Kirk Call has successfully turned the Gladiators program around. The former Parkview leader has seen Johns Creek improve from 6-19 to 15-6 this year. Along with Chattahoochee, Creekview (15-7) also exits the poll after a 52-46 loss at Woodstock. No. 10 Gainesville reappears while No. 9 Mays is back in the poll after a long hiatus. The Raiders are gearing up for another postseason run and are now 10-7 riding a five game winning streak.

Buford suffered their first loss of the year against Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis 53-45, but the Wolves still retain their No. 1 ranking in Class AAAAA. They scored wins at Loganville 47-35 and against Class AAAA No. 4 West Hall, 61-33. No. 3 Southwest DeKalb destroyed a good Arabia Mountain team in Region 5 action, 63-29. No. 7 Warner Robins held off No. 10 Harris County 51-49 on the road. After the loss, Harris County rebounded with a 44-42 victory over Bainbridge, knocking the Bearcats from the poll. Bainbridge also lost to Veterans 52-38. No. 6 Carrollton hosts No. 8 Villa Rica on Tuesday with first-place in Region 7 on the line. Cracking the poll, finally, is No. 9 Eagle’s Landing.

Cross Creek climbs up to No. 2 in Class AAAA after Carver-Columbus sinks all the way to No. 8. The Tigers lost to No. 3 Columbus 77-53 and at No. 6 Americus-Sumter 62-52. No. 5 Northwest Whitfield looks to stay perfect in Region 6 as they visit No. 7 Heritage-Catoosa. No. 1 North Oconee will have their hands full as they host Jefferson. Both teams are 5-0 in Region 8.

The stage is set in Class AAA as No. 1 Beach visits No. 2 Johnson-Savannah on Friday with the No. 1 ranking up for grabs in Round 3. It is the rubber match after the Atomsmashers beat Beach 45-42 on the road before losing in overtime to the Bulldogs 62-56 in the Memorial Health Holiday Classic Championship. Haralson County jumps up to No. 4 after handling No. 8 Calhoun 74-55 to pick up their 13th straight win. Franklin County survived Morgan County 66-61 and now sits at No. 6. Redan (13-4) was blown out at Lovett 49-28 and goes from No. 4 to unranked. The Raiders are replaced by No. 10 Peach County who has won 11-straight and is currently 8-0 in Region 4.

A pair of Wildcats are streaking in Class AA. No. 1 Laney has won 18 in a row while No. 3 Rabun County has reeled off 17-straight. No. 4 Model was drilled at Class A-Private No. 3 Wesleyan 81-46 and No. 6 Fitzgerald fell at Tift County 55-42, but both teams hold onto their rankings and are not punished for going out and playing premier competition. Swainsboro (12-6) drops out of the rankings after a 38-34 loss at Statesboro. The Tigers are replaced by the Leopards of No. 10 Banks County.

There is a new No. 1 in Class A-Private, even though none of the top nine teams in the state lost a game. No. 1 St. Francis edges past No. 2 Holy Innocents’ as the two match quality win for quality win. The Golden Bears went on the road and beat Class AAA No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian 86-70 while the Knights handed Class AAAAA No. 1 Buford their first loss of the year at the ginormous Buford City Schools Arena, 53-45. The Knights take over the top spot thanks to their Buford win but more importantly, their undefeated record in the state of Georgia. The Golden Bears’ lone loss came against Class AAAAAAA No. 2 McEachern at Holiday Hoopsgiving, 78-71. Even though the result was months ago, the win at Buford does just enough to push the Knights ahead with their unblemished GHSA record also in mind. While it is a three team race with St. Francis, Holy Innocents’ and No. 3 Wesleyan, one of the best-of-the-rest teams, No. 6 Pinecrest Academy rode star Margaret Metz to a few more wins. Metz, the new all-time leading scorer in Paladin history, poured in 42 points in a 59-47 win at Fellowship Christian on Tuesday. No. 8 Darlington and their all-time leading scorer, Wofford-signee Anna Claire Atha, knocked Christian Heritage from the rankings with a 60-56 victory. Atha poured in 33 points and now has 2,015 for her career. Replacing Christian Heritage is No. 10 First Presbyterian Day, who returns after outscoring Tattnall Square Academy 23-4 in the fourth quarter to win 50-41 on the road. Kate Patterson dropped in 27 points.

If there was any doubt who the best team in Class A-Public is, there shouldn’t be anymore. No. 1 Pelham pummeled defending state runner-up Terrell County 70-19. No. 3 Woodville-Tompkins will attempt to beat Class A-Private No. 5 Calvary Day for a third time this Friday at Calvary. No. 4 Wheeler County went to No. 9 Treutlen and drilled the Vikings 55-38. Treutlen falls four spots. Taylor County (13-5) is replaced by No. 10 Macon County after the Bulldogs crushed the Vikings for the second time this season. Macon County won at home 67-35 on Dec. 22 and won this past week at Taylor County 57-39. The Bulldogs are now 11-2 in Region 4.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 10 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Newton (21-0)
  2. McEachern (18-0)
  3. Pebblebrook (12-6)
  4. Norcross (16-5)
  5. Westlake (13-8)
  6. Lowndes (17-3)
  7. Berkmar (16-6)
  8. Wheeler (15-5)
  9. Lambert (18-3)
  10. Roswell (17-3)

Class AAAAAA

  1. South Paulding (19-1)
  2. Gainesville (19-1)
  3. Jonesboro (16-4)
  4. Langston Hughes (15-5)
  5. Richmond Hill (17-3)
  6. Alpharetta (21-1)
  7. South Cobb (15-4)
  8. Lakeside-Evans (15-4)
  9. Heritage-Conyers (13-4)
  10. Alexander (15-5)

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (17-2)
  2. Cedar Shoals (18-3)
  3. Warner Robins (17-3)
  4. Fayette County (16-5)
  5. Columbia (13-5)
  6. Miller Grove (12-7)
  7. Stockbridge (15-6)
  8. New Hampstead (14-5)
  9. Maynard Jackson (15-5)
  10. Eagle’s Landing (15-5)

 Class AAAA

  1. Upson-Lee (20-0)
  2. Henry County (15-5)
  3. LaGrange (18-2)
  4. Sandy Creek (13-5)
  5. Americus-Sumter (15-4)
  6. Baldwin (14-6)
  7. Richmond Academy (17-4)
  8. Cartersville (14-3)
  9. Perry (16-4)
  10. Salem (14-5)

Class AAA

  1. Westside-Macon (15-3)
  2. Greater Atlanta Christian (15-4)
  3. Liberty County (13-5)
  4. Pace Academy (10-8)
  5. Jenkins (15-7)
  6. Morgan County (14-5)
  7. Central-Macon (15-4)
  8. Cedar Grove (10-5)
  9. East Hall (13-6)
  10. Dougherty (14-5)

Class AA

  1. South Atlanta (18-1)
  2. Dublin (15-4)
  3. Thomasville (12-6)
  4. Laney (14-4)
  5. Butler (13-5)
  6. Josey (15-5)
  7. Banks County (15-4)
  8. Chattooga (18-1)
  9. Putnam County (15-5)
  10. Heard County (16-4) 

Class A-Private

  1. Greenforest (15-5)
  2. North Cobb Christian (18-3)
  3. Southwest Atlanta Christian (12-6)
  4. St. Francis (19-3)
  5. Aquinas (17-1)
  6. Holy Innocents’ (13-5)
  7. Lakeview Academy (14-5)
  8. Tallulah Falls (19-0)
  9. Tattnall Square Academy (12-5)
  10. Whitefield Academy (12-7)

Class A-Public

  1. Calhoun County (15-1)
  2. Quitman County (15-1)
  3. Treutlen (18-0)
  4. Turner County (16-5)
  5. Wilkinson County (14-5)
  6. Randolph-Clay (13-3)
  7. Macon County (14-5)
  8. Taylor County (13-3)
  9. Hawkinsville (13-8)
  10. Clinch County (15-4)

It was a seismic week of upsets in the state of Georgia. At the Peachtree Corners Invitational held at Norcross High School, the Peach State went 0-5. To make matters worse, a whopping seven Top 10 ranked Class AAAAAAA teams lost leading to the biggest shakeup in the poll to date. Gone are Tift County (19-2), Collins Hill (15-5) and Discovery (14-7). The Blue Devils were upset at home by new No. 6 Lowndes, 60-58, behind Octavious Fudge’s 29 points. Thanks to the wild week, the Vikings debut above bluebloods No. 7 Berkmar and No. 8 Wheeler who suffered bad losses. Berkmar beat Meadowcreek 61-56 but was stunned by Brookwood 57-51. Wheeler looked awful against Greensboro Day, NC at PTC, losing 56-36. The Wildcats were held to three points in the first quarter and saw the Bengals close on a 24-8 run. Collins Hill falls out after losing to Effingham County 51-43 and in overtime to Mill Creek 68-67. The Hawks were the ultimate spoiler, also adding a 57-54 victory over Discovery to knock the Titans out of the Top 10. Entering the poll alongside Lowndes for the first time is No. 9 Lambert and No. 10 Roswell. The Longhorns are no stranger to being ranked but after losing Connor Mannion (Navy) and Ross Morkem (North Georgia), it took some time for Lambert to fully establish themselves as a Top 10 team. They took sole control of Region 5 with a 77-72 win over Milton. Roswell has come out of nowhere in Region 4 and has raced to a 6-0 region mark. The Hornets have grinded teams out, allowing just 44.9 points per game while leaning on sophomore Miles Herron and senior James Anderson to power the offense, averaging 13 and 12 points per game respectively. Norcross lost to Bishop O’Connell, VA at PTC 63-58 but rise thanks to their strong showing and an earlier win at the Music City Classic. No. 5 Westlake survived at Campbell 67-63, but couldn’t do so against 9-10 North Clayton on the Eagles’ alumni night, losing 62-53 as Keondre Kennedy powered North Clayton with 21 points. No. 1 Newton stayed perfect by crushing Zion Williamson and Spartanburg Day, SC at the BCB MLK Classic 96-75 and turning an 11-point halftime deficit into an 82-73 win at Class A-Private No. 3 Southwest Atlanta Christian. No. 2 McEachern cruised as well, stomping Class A-Private No. 7 Lakeview Academy along with No. 10 Whitefield Academy.

No. 3 Jonesboro is getting healthy in Class AAAAAA. After escaping Tucker with a 66-64 win, the Cardinals finally got 6-foot-6 junior Jamari Smith back. Smith missed the first 18 games with a concussion but has immediately made an impact, posting 20 points and seven rebounds against Lovejoy and 22 points and six boards against Mundy’s Mill. No. 1 South Paulding had two scares, rallying to beat Douglas County on the road in overtime 96-94 after trailing by eight with 40 seconds left in regulation. The Spartans then edged Tri-Cities 54-50 on the road. Langston Hughes regains the No. 4 spot as they jump No. 5 Richmond Hill. The Panthers picked up two big wins against ranked opponents, beating Class AAA No. 5 Jenkins 77-70 at the BCB MLK Classic and No. 10 Alexander, 57-50. No. 2 Gainesville rolled Dacula 79-53 to take a commanding hold of Region 8. The Red Elephants followed up with a 78-68 victory over Dawson Christian Academy without leading scorer Bailey Minor and KJ Buffen.

Union Grove (16-5) and Flowery Branch (16-4) exit the Class AAAAA rankings. The Wolverines were stopped by Dutchtown 65-52 while the Falcons saw No. 2 Cedar Shoals rip off a 25-0 run to put them away, 72-44. No. 7 Stockbridge debuts after winning 7-straight including a Jan. 3 road win at Union Grove 74-67 and yesterday’s 65-61 statement victory against No. 10 Eagle’s Landing, who is starting to leak oil in Region 4. Maynard Jackson resurfaces at No. 9. They beat Riverwood 69-51.

Class AAAA almost saw a devastating loss for No. 1 Upson-Lee. The Knights had to use three overtimes to survive 3-win Griffin 75-68. Before the Bears game, the Knights stopped No. 9 Perry 58-52. No. 2 Henry County hosts No. 10 Salem on Tuesday after blitzing Eastside 76-45. Salem lost at Woodward Academy 58-50. Richmond Academy tumbles four spots to No. 7 after getting blown out by No. 6 Baldwin, 52-31. The Braves are back in the Top 10 and are joined by fellow returnee, No. 5 Americus-Sumter after the Panthers blew out Carver-Columbus 76-55, dropping the Tigers from No. 6 to unranked. Carver also lost to rival Columbus 64-61. St. Pius’ stint in the Top 10 was short lived. The Golden Lions were stunned in overtime by Oconee County 61-60 on a buzzer beater. St. Pius however did collect themselves and earned a 56-39 victory at Stephens County. All eyes shift to No. 4 LaGrange on Tuesday as they host No. 8 Cartersville in a critical Region 5 showdown.

It was revenge week in Class AAA. Khavon Moore put on a show for No. 1 Westside-Macon. The star point-forward dropped a school-record 53 points along with 13 rebounds and 7 assists in front of Ohio State. Before his historic game against Kendrick, the Seminoles got payback against rival No. 7 Central-Macon, beating the Chargers 60-55. No. 3 Liberty County got revenge as well, destroying Long County and kicking the Blue Tide from the Top 10 with a 121-82 victory. No. 4 Pace Academy did the same, avenging an earlier loss to No. 8 Cedar Grove (without Wendell Carter) 69-52 now at full strength. New No. 9 East Hall will look for the same as they host No. 2 Greater Atlanta Christian on Tuesday for a chance to take a share of first-place in Region 8. The Vikings lost in their first meeting 71-62. It was a nightmarish week for Islands, who has now lost three straight games and plummets out of the poll at 13-7. The Sharks were stunned by 6-13 Southeast Bulloch, 77-58. No. 5 Jenkins made things worse by bullying around their main competition 74-55 which led to a heated confrontation between head coaches Bakari Bryant and Karl DeMasi. Rivalries are alive and well in Savannah. With Islands’ departure, Dougherty slides back in at No. 10.

Region 4-AA goes spots 4 through 6 with No. 4 Laney, No. 5 Butler and No. 6 Josey. Laney handed Glenn Hills (13-7) a 59-55 home loss after Butler edged the Spartans 67-60 and dropped them from the poll. The Bulldogs took a bite out of Josey as well, beating the Eagles 67-61, defending their home court. No. 7 Banks County is continuing to control Region 8. They earned a 70-67 win at Monticello. The region inserts another team back into the Top 10 in No. 9 Putnam County. The War Eagles are now 15-5 after finishing 3-23 just a season ago. No. 10 Heard County sneaks back into the poll as well after Early County’s fall from grace spirals on. The Bobcats (13-5) lost 60-55 at Terrell County.

Class A-Private No. 1 Greenforest couldn’t get over the hump in a 46-43 loss to DeMatha, MD at PTC. No. 2 North Cobb Christian knocked Darlington out of the Top 10 with a 76-54 loss. No. 3 Southwest Atlanta Christian almost slayed the dragon known as Newton, but fell short. The Warriors did however hold off No. 6 Holy Innocents’ 71-68. No. 7 Lakeview Academy and No. 8 Tallulah Falls finally do battle in Region 8 as the undefeated Indians host the Lions on Tuesday. No. 9 Tattnall Square Academy completed a sweep of Class A-Public No. 5 Wilkinson County, beating the Warriors 56-55 at The Palace to cement themselves as a Top 10 player in Class A-Private.

Class A-Public’s No. 2 Quitman County has a chance to make amends as they travel to Eufala, AL to face the only team that has beaten them this year (55-54) on Monday. No. 4 Turner County jumps six spots after beating Crisp County 63-55 on the road, dropping Irwin County from the rankings with a 74-68 loss and beating No. 10 Clinch County 76-74. Macon County creeps back into the rankings at No. 7 after picking up three wins against ranked opponents. The Bulldogs beat Irwin County (79-76), Central-Talbotton (58-51) and No. 8 Taylor County (62-35). Central-Talbotton fell out of the rankings while the Vikings sink five spots. Replacing Central-Talbotton is No. 9 Hawkinsville. The Red Devils are back in the poll for the first time since Week 2. They have won 7-straight and host Taylor County on Friday.