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GHSA, Girls Basketball

Early Season Surprise Hot Starts (Girls)

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Class AAAAAAA

No. 4 Mill Creek (11-1)
2015-16: 13-15

Mill Creek has forced its way into the conversation as a dangerous team come state tournament time. It will be a two-team race in Region 6 between the Hawks and No. 2 Collins Hill. Though beating the Eagles will be a difficult task, Mill Creek can hang its hat on a handful of strong out-of-region victories highlighted by wins over Class AAAA No. 4 West Hall (43-35), South Forsyth (71-50) and No. 5 Archer (61-51). Seniors Morgan Simmons, Wynter Webb and Kim Forbes along with junior Bridget Mukasa and sophomore Kayla Mulkey compose a potent core for Coach Ashley Phillips. Simmons has more than doubled her scoring output this year, netting over 16 points per game.

Class AAAAAA

Lanier (10-2)
2015-16: 10-17

The Longhorns have already matched last year’s win total with over half of the season remaining. Junior Jamyah Montissol has blossomed into a player to keep an eye on. She leads Lanier with 14.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2 steals per game. She is joined by junior Bailey Bassette who is averaging 11.6 points and 3.5 steals. Lanier is a young team with their top seven scorers all set to return next season. Only Angela Raez logs important minutes as a senior. Sophomores Kalen Surles (9.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.3 apg, 3.8 spg) and Mekala Fuller (8.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3 apg, 2.3 spg) are two pieces Coach Oji Perkins can build around for the long haul.

Class AAAAA

Ware County (8-0)
2015-16: 13-12 

Ware County is a sneaky team in South Georgia with designs on earning a high seed out of Region 2. While Wayne County is the favorite to win the region, the Gators led by sophomore Mataea Boyd could cause some problems. She averages 13.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 steals to pace Ware County whose best win has come against Swainsboro, 49-44. Second in command is 6-foot junior Shondell Vickers who is posting 10.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.

Class AAAA

No. 7 Sandy Creek (7-1)
2015-16: 9-16 

Coach Janie Hodges has come in from Scotland, NC and has proceeded to turn the Lady Patriots around, leading them to a Top 10 ranking in Class AAAA. Sandy Creek’s only loss has come to Class AAAAA No. 7 Villa Rica at the SMI Classic, 67-65. Wins over Marietta (66-65), Hapeville Charter (49-46) and Greenville, SC (66-64) headline the Patriots’ resume and ability to win the close game. Seniors Shanquaylia Stanton, Kasey Toles and Morghan Currie lead the charge with freshman Daija Powell providing a massive lift. Stanton averages 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.6 steals while Toles pitches in 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals. Currie brings a rebounding presence to the table, averaging 9.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals. Powell has a good four years ahead of her. The rookie is posting 11.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks inside.

Class AAA

No. 10 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (10-3)
2015-16: 9-18 

Wins at No. 8 Calhoun (60-50) and Haralson County (61-54) have cemented the Warriors as a threat in Region 6. Senior Jazzmyn Elston and sophomore Macey Gregg power the offense of a team which has already surpassed last year’s win total. Elston is averaging 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.7 steals while Gregg goes for 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.8 steals. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe currently resides atop the region at 5-0 in one of Class AAA’s toughest groupings in the state.

Class AA

Hapeville Charter (8-2)
2015-16: 12-14 

6-foot guard Shekinah Howard has sparked Hapeville Charter in Region 6. Howard has received interest from High Major schools with North Carolina State the latest to check her out. She is averaging 17.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Seniors Gayla Bostic and Taylor Barnett flank her on the attack. Bostic posts 9.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks inside while Barnett chips in 7 points and 5.1 assists. The Hornets’ exceptional size has harassed opponents. 5-foot-11 senior Jada Neal is averaging 4.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.5 blocks while 6-foot-2 freshman Cristany Price is averaging 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. Freshman guard Simone Rowland has brought defense to the perimeter tallying 2.9 steals per game with her 6.1 points. They face a major test on Dec. 28 as the Hornets play Class AAAAAAA No. 4 Mill Creek at the Sweet South Classic.

Class A-Private

Whitefield Academy (6-2)
2015-16: 5-20 

The extreme quality might not be there yet, but the quantity of wins is as Whitefield Academy has already topped last season’s total. The Wolfpack face an uphill climb to make the state playoffs as No. 2 St. Francis, No. 6 Pinecrest Academy, No. 8 Darlington and No. 9 Fellowship Christian all reside in Region 6.

Class A-Public

Johnson County (4-2)
2015-16: 7-20

The win-well could dry up at any moment, but for now the Trojans are off to a solid start. Junior Lexus Wright is averaging 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds while sophomores Shonnetria Ervin (8 ppg) and Janaya Hawkins (6.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg) have helped the cause.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

GHSA Statewide Recap 12-20

BOYS 

Class AAAAAAA

Hudson Catholic, NJ 65, No. 4 Pebblebrook 51: Jahvon Quinerly scored 23 and Luther Muhammad had 16 to lead Hudson Catholic at City of Palms. Collin Sexton scored 22 points for Pebblebrook while Drue Drinnon added 12.

Forsyth Central 55, Blessed Trinity 52: At the Keller Williams Christmas Classic, CJ Smith scored 19 points and dished out 3 assists as the Bulldogs took down Blessed Trinity. Ethan Hester posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Grant Cloud had 6 points and 6 assists.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Jonesboro 65, Neumann Goretti, PA 53: MJ Walker continued to shine on the big stage of City of Palms, netting 32 points. Brandon Walker scored 15 and Jaylon Terrell added 10.

No. 5 Brunswick 66, Vidalia 31: Jalen Jackson scored 13 points for the Pirates. Marcus Scott chipped in 12.

Douglas County 58, Mays 52: Malik Battle scored 16 points and Rodney Lewis had 15 as the Tigers overcame a 21-point Reo Wright night. Clayvon Croom finished with 13 for the Raiders while Horace Wyatt had 8.

River Ridge 54, North Forsyth 43: Destin Exinor had 22 points as River Ridge edged the Raiders.

Forest Park 70, Woodward Academy 62: Sandy’s Spiel Under The Radar Senior Avery Wilson poured in 44 points to carry the Panthers.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Buford 60, 3ANo. 3 Cedar Grove 45: Cedar Grove completed it’s rough two-day stretch at the War Eagle Classic, losing twice. Buford was led by David Viti’s 18 points and 8 rebounds and Marcus Watson’s 16 points and 9 rebounds. Alex Jones finished with 8 points and 7 assists. Jamari Dean led the Saints with 13.

No. 7 Warner Robins 70, Bleckley County 58: Nelson Phillips finished with 25 points and Jacolbey Owens tossed in 14. Bleckley County was led by Dontavian Harris’ 15 points, DJ Lemmon’s 13 and Torenio Davis’ 12.

Flowery Branch 57, Woodstock 56: The Falcons held off the Wolverines at the Keller Williams Christmas Classic at North Forsyth. Blake Coxworth hit Brannon Clark on a back cut with 19 seconds left to take the lead for good. Clark scored 14 to pace the Falcons while Coxworth added 12 and Caleb Murphy scored 11. John Mills chipped in 9. Woodstock was led by Tyreke Johnson’s 25; 22 in the first half. Dylin Hardeman added 12 and Noah Frith posted 11.

Loganville 69, Ola 67: Jamar Moore broke out with 17 points, 20 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 1 block.

Walnut Grove 53, Jackson County 47: Jailen Robinson scored 16 points to pace Walnut Grove. RJ Selman added 12.

Wayne County 58, Dodge County 57: Nick Cummings scored 20 points and RJ Carr added 11 but it wasn’t enough for the Indians to earn a road win.

Class AAAA

No. 2 Upson-Lee 54, Northside-Warner Robins 46: Tye Fagan’s scoring binge rolled on as he sliced and diced his way to 25 points. Travon Walker went for another double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 3 LaGrange 52, Centennial 38: Laperion Perry scored 19 points while Bryan Fanning posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 4 Eastside 68, West Laurens 46: Eastside bounced back from a heartbreaking overtime loss to Class AAA No. 2 Central-Macon at the State Bank Classic at Jones County High School by dispatching of West Laurens. Keiodre Perry netted 18 points while Desmeontay Dyer had 20 and TJ Bush added 14.

Salem 50, No. 6 Westover 47: The Patriots couldn’t overcome 26 turnovers. Kris Gardner finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Jordan “Snow” Brown had 10 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

Henry County 82, 2ANo. 5 Monticello 72: The Warhawks held off Monticello to win the Chuck Miller Classic Championship. Damion Rosser finished with 36 points.

Shaw 80, Hardaway 44: Chris Hicks scored 21 points, Larrie Scott and Devan Porter-Wilson both had 12 and Lincoln Smith added 10 in the Raider victory.

McMinn County, TN 72, Northwest Whitfield 66: The Bruins couldn’t hold onto a 46-42 halftime lead at the North Murray Mistletoe Madness Tournament. Luke Shiflett finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Grant Terrell added 13 points and Paxton Pardee tallied 10 points and 5 assists.

Marist 62, East Jackson 55: Kobe Haley finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in a loss at the Lovett Classic.

Class AAA

No. 2 Central-Macon 85, Jones County 76: Antarius McCoy finished with 21 points and 8 rebounds to advance to the State Bank Classic Championship against Class AAAAA No. 7 Warner Robins. Wanya Thomas netted 15 points and Tyrice Paul pitched in 13 points and 5 assists.

No. 5 Greater Atlanta Christian 61, 4ANo. 8 St. Pius 58 OT: Charlie O’Briant had 17 points. Hunter McIntosh scored 12 with a game-tying three with under a minute left in regulation to force overtime.

No. 9 Calhoun 67, Rome 66 2OT: Calhoun used double overtime to stay undefeated and advance to the championship of the Rome News-Tribune Festival at Georgia Highlands where they will face Class A-Private No. 9 Darlington. Malik Lawrence scored 20 points and sent the game to double overtime with a three as time expired. Kaylan Aker continued his steady work with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Chapin Rierson totaled 17 points and 8 boards.

Lovett 68, Wesleyan 60: Ryan Greer dropped in 26 points and Nick Jackson tossed in 15 to help the Lions win their third straight game.

Sonoraville 66, Murray County 34: The Phoenix got hot from three to earn their eighth win of the year. Brad Wilson scored 21 points off seven threes, Casey Brooks hit four for 12 points and Trent Daniel knocked in three for 11 points for a team-record 16 threes.

Westminster 55, Mary Persons 53: Cam Holden poured in 29 points but it wasn’t enough to knock off Westminster at the War Eagle Classic. Ajay Manocha led the Wildcats with 14 points.

Class AA

No. 10 Putnam County 105, Rabun County 95: Putnam County debuted its new Top 10 ranking in style as Carl Johnson exploded for 46 points (12 threes) and in the process netted the 1,000th point of his career. D’Mario Reid added 23 points and 8 rebounds. For Rabun County, Bailey Fisher went for 39 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

Hapeville Charter 56, Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 39: Jamaure Ezzard scored a game-high 19 points to help Hapeville Charter over Mt. Vernon Presbyterian at the War Eagle Classic. John Traurig had 15 points for the Mustangs.

Class A-Private

No. 2 St. Francis 85, Milton 81: Duke-signee Alex O’Connell poured in 49 points, but Milton’s disappointing season continued. St. Francis’ youth carried the Knights. Sophomore CJ Riley had 28 points. Freshmen Chase Ellis and Dwon Odom both had huge nights. Ellis finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds while Odom went for 19 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals.

No. 8 Holy Innocents’ 65, Decatur 58: Cole Smith scored a team-high 20 points to power the Golden Bears at the War Eagle Classic. Decatur was led by Chalin Hippe’s 14 points and Terrill Hall and Antonio Myrick’s 13 apiece.

Class A-Public

No. 1 Calhoun County 69, Manchester 53: Rashun Williams posted 30 points as the Cougars crunched a fading Manchester team. 


GIRLS 

Class AAAAAAA

Monacan, VA 58, No. 1 Norcross 57: The Lady Blue Devils suffered their first loss of the season at the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational. Vanessa Blagmon scored a game-high 25 points and added 8 rebounds. Tionna Carter and Tehya Lyons both added 8 points. Monacan got 22 points and 5 rebounds from Megan Walker.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Winder-Barrow 65, 1ANo. 1 Wesleyan 60: At the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational, Olivia Nelson-Ododa posted 27 points and 7 rebounds to carry the Lady Bulldoggs over Wesleyan, the Wolves’ first loss of the year. Latrice Perkins added 14, Lexi Maddox 11 and Chellia Watson 10 points. Wesleyan received 24 points and 10 rebounds from Mikayla Coombs. Amaya Register and Jameson Kavel both scored 9 points while Sutton West added 8.

No. 3 Douglas County 67, No. 5 Mays 60: In Region 5’s Top 5 showdown, Douglas County used Arsula Clark’s 26 points to win on the road. Kamiyah Street dropped a game-high 30 for Mays.

Class AAAAA

No. 3 Griffin 61, Decatur 31: Andeija Puckett scored 13 points and Niavanni Flowers added 10 as the Bears rolled at the War Eagle Classic. Decatur was led by Taylor Jones’ 14 points.

No. 5 Warner Robins 78, Chestatee 29: 13-0 Chestatee met 11-0 Warner Robins at the Jones County Christmas tournament. The Demonettes pounded the War Eagles as Chestatee’s inflated record due to a weak schedule was exposed. Victoria Brown scored 14 points and dished out 5 assists. Le’Terria Mathis scored 14 points. Kezia Holmes added 11 points and 2 blocks. Shynia Jackson flirted with a double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds. Courtney Walker chipped in 11 points while Jordan Thomas (8) and Kishara Howard (5) also pitched in.

No. 7 Villa Rica 65, Cedartown 40: Deasia Merrill posted 18 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Jaila Orozco double-doubled with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Alexia Cooley scored 8 points and Tamya Windom had 7.

Class AAAA

Ridgeland 48, Trion 35: Sarah Meadows dropped in 24 points to power Ridgeland at Trion.

Class AAA

No. 8 Calhoun 89, Armuchee 54: Jana Johns led the Yellow Jackets with 23 points and 9 steals. Ashlyn Barnes added 16 points while Ryan Brzozoski (15) and Cassie Henderson (13) both cracked double figures.

Central-Macon 52, Jones County 22: JeNya Wilder had 20 points and 12 rebounds while Tyleia Williams had 13 points and 9 boards as the Lady Chargers advanced to the championship of the State Bank Classic.

Class AA

No. 3 Rabun County 87, Putnam County 46: 12 different players scored for Coach DeeDee Dillard while Putnam County’s nightmare season continued. Tessa Matheson scored 15 points to pace the Wildcats. Brooke Henricks and Jaden Quilliams both scored 14. Georgia Stockton added 10.

No. 4 Dodge County 50, Wayne County 45: Europe Brown scored 12 points and Jurnee Powell finished with 10 as the Indians advanced to 8-1.

Class A-Private

No. 3 Holy Innocents’ 60, LaGrange 30: Kaila Hubbard scored a game-high 20 points followed by Khayla Pointer’s 13 at the War Eagle Classic.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 5 Girls Rankings

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Class AAAAAAA

  1. Norcross (12-0)
  2. Collins Hill (9-0)
  3. McEachern (5-4)
  4. Mill Creek (11-1)
  5. Archer (9-2)
  6. Westlake (7-2)
  7. Newton (8-1)
  8. Colquitt County (8-0)
  9. Lambert (9-0)
  10. Camden County (10-2) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Harrison (9-1)
  2. Winder-Barrow (5-3)
  3. Douglas County (9-2)
  4. Grovetown (8-4)
  5. Mays (5-3)
  6. Sequoyah (10-0)
  7. Lovejoy (9-2)
  8. Northview (10-1)
  9. Jonesboro (6-3)
  10. Stephenson (6-4) 

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

  1. North Oconee (9-1)
  2. Columbus (7-1)
  3. West Hall (6-3)
  4. Cross Creek (6-4)
  5. Carver-Columbus (9-1)
  6. Northwest Whitfield (7-3)
  7. Sandy Creek (7-1)
  8. Jefferson (7-3)
  9. Perry (10-2)
  10. Heritage-Catoosa (10-1) 

Class AAA

  1. Johnson-Savannah (12-0)
  2. Beach (10-1)
  3. Greater Atlanta Christian (9-4)
  4. Monroe (6-0)
  5. Ringgold (8-2)
  6. Hart County (8-1)
  7. Redan (8-2)
  8. Calhoun (8-3)
  9. Franklin County (8-2)
  10. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (10-2) 

Class AA

  1. Laney (6-1)
  2. Model (6-2)
  3. Rabun County (9-1)
  4. Dodge County (7-1)
  5. Vidalia (7-1)
  6. Fitzgerald (2-0)
  7. Heard County (9-2)
  8. Dade County (10-3)
  9. Bryan County (9-1)
  10. Pepperell (6-2) 

Class A-Private

  1. Wesleyan (8-0)
  2. St. Francis (7-1)
  3. Holy Innocents’ (7-1)
  4. Lakeview Academy (7-2)
  5. Landmark Christian (7-3)
  6. Pinecrest Academy (7-1)
  7. Calvary Day (6-2)
  8. Darlington (5-2)
  9. Fellowship Christian (5-3)
  10. Christian Heritage (5-3) 

Class A-Public

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

 

In Class AAAAAAA, No. 3 McEachern returned back to Georgia to crush North Cobb 76-33, handing the Warriors their first loss of the season. Westlake drops one spot after going 1-1 at the She Got Game Classic. The Lions lost to Oakland, TN 52-49, but rebounded with a 48-38 win over Jemison, AL. No. 8 Colquitt County stopped Bainbridge for the second time this year, 29-28. No. 9 Lambert held off North Forsyth 46-40, dropping the Raiders from the Top 10. Replacing them is Camden County. The Wildcats’ only two losses this season have come to out-of-state teams from Florida. They earned a 48-41 win over Class A-Private No. 7 Calvary Day on Friday.

No. 1 Harrison looks like a machine in Region 6-AAAAAA, running up the score and destroying opponents by 51.8 points per game. The only team in the region that stands a chance is No. 6 Sequoyah. The Lady Chiefs are the last unbeaten in the classification. Mays tumbles three spots to No. 5 after running into Class AA No. 1 Laney. The Raiders get a chance to regain their status as a legit title contender when they host No. 3 Douglas County on Tuesday. Grovetown moves up two spots to No. 4 following a 65-63 overtime victory over Class AAAA No. 4 Cross Creek. Tucker is knocked from the rankings by red-hot Region 4 foe No. 10 Stephenson, who debuts. The Jaguars have won six straight and are now tied atop the region standings with No. 7 Lovejoy after beating Tucker 53-50.

Region 8’s reign over Class AAAAA sees Buford take over the top spot after the Lady Wolves traveled to No. 2 Flowery Branch and dispatched of the Falcons 53-44. Buford also scored a 63-44 win over Class AAAA No. 8 Jefferson. In the middle of the poll in Region 7, No. 6 Carrollton edged No. 7 Villa Rica 58-48. The Wildcats rebounded with a 67-65 win over Class AAAA No. 7 Sandy Creek. Star sophomore Deasia Merrill picked up an offer from Georgia Tech in the process.

West Hall now sits at No. 3 in Class AAAA following No. 4 Cross Creek and No. 5 Carver-Columbus losing. Northwest Whitfield rises to No. 6 thanks to a 57-47 win over No. 10 Heritage-Catoosa, the Generals’ first loss of the year. Heritage hangs on tight to No. 10 however due to a strong resume. Baldwin exits the poll instead with a 48-42 loss at Houston County. Replacing the Braves is No. 9 Perry. The Panthers’ only two losses have come against Class AAAAA No. 5 Warner Robins.

The billing of No. 1 vs. No. 2 lived up to the hype in Class AAA and for that reason, there is no movement among the top two as No. 1 Johnson-Savannah stunned No. 2 Beach 45-42 on a Sy’Marieona Williams three at the buzzer. No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian has officially figured things out. They crushed East Hall 70-30. Sneaking up to No. 4 is Monroe. No. 6 Hart County (46-44; Elbert County) and No. 7 Redan (50-37; Morrow) stumbled ahead of them. Ringgold shoots up four spots to No. 5 thanks to a clean week which saw the Tigers knock Haralson County out of the Top 10 with a 60-47 loss. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe was upset by Ridgeland 63-57, sinking the Warriors to No. 10. Creeping back into the poll is No. 9 Franklin County, winners of eight straight.

There is officially a new sheriff in town in Class AA. No. 1 Laney takes over the top spot after they smoked Class AAAAAA No. 5 Mays 85-66. Senior Aubriana Bonner went for 23 points and 7 rebounds, but it’s the re-addition of De’Sha Benjamin that has taken Wildcats to the next stratosphere. The superstar junior hung 33 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals on the Lady Raiders. The dynamic duo is the best in Class AA. No. 2 Model was upended by a surging Christian Heritage team which enters the poll in Class A-Private. The Lady Blue Devils lost 63-52, opening the door for Laney to take over. Fitzgerald falls to No. 6 after the Purple Hurricanes have remained idle. A pair of Indians jump Fitzgerald as No. 4 Dodge County and No. 5 Vidalia are on the move. Dodge County beat Class A-Public No. 9 Wilcox County for the second time, 80-64 at Wilcox. Vidalia head coach Chunk Reid won his 863rd game when he beat Jeff Davis 67-37 to become the all-time winningest girls coach in Georgia high school history. The Indians followed up by handing No. 9 Bryan County their first loss of the year 53-45. Putnam County exits the poll after a 61-57 overtime loss to Twiggs County. Replacing them is No. 10 Pepperell who beat Class AAA No. 8 Calhoun 43-42.

Class A-Private No. 2 St. Francis drilled Class AAAAA No. 4 Southwest DeKalb 58-39 in impressive fashion. With Calvary Day’s dip to No. 7 after losses to ranked teams Camden County and Beach (44-26), Lakeview Academy moves to No. 4. Landmark Christian jumps to No. 5 with a 43-40 win over Stratford Academy who falls out. Our Lady of Mercy also departs after a 54-34 loss to new No. 9 Fellowship Christian and a 43-37 defeat at the hands of Tattnall Square Academy. New to the poll is No. 10 Christian Heritage, who has won three straight including upsetting Class AA No. 2 Model.

In Class A-Public, Wheeler County rises to No. 4 after getting revenge against No. 5 Telfair County, 50-48. Marion County drops from No. 6 to out of the rankings after a 62-44 loss against No. 6 Taylor County. Replacing Marion County is defending state champion No. 10 Turner County. Mylashia Yancey has since graduated, but junior Zakiyah Office and freshman Miya Byrd have looked like stars in her place. Office is averaging 22 points, 13 rebounds and 5.4 steals while Byrd is posting 11.8 points, 11.6 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 7 steals a night.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 5 Boys Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (8-0)
  2. Eagle’s Landing (8-1)
  3. Miller Grove (7-2)
  4. Fayette County (7-1)
  5. Cedar Shoals (9-2)
  6. Southwest DeKalb (8-2)
  7. Warner Robins (7-1)
  8. Riverwood (11-1)
  9. Union Grove (9-2)
  10. Maynard Jackson (8-2) 

Class AAAA

  1. Sandy Creek (5-2)
  2. Upson-Lee (11-0)
  3. LaGrange (7-1)
  4. Eastside (7-1)
  5. Thomson (2-2)
  6. Westover (5-2)
  7. Richmond Academy (7-2)
  8. St. Pius X (6-4)
  9. Perry (10-2)
  10. Burke County (5-0) 

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

 

Norcross dropped its first game of the year at City of the Palms to IMG Academy 62-59 but the Blue Devils retain the top spot in Class AAAAAAA. Not much movement occurred in the poll, but we do have a new No. 9 and No. 10 as Shiloh and Meadowcreek drop out. The Generals lost a head scratcher to Archer 65-61 while Meadowcreek has battled with injuries. The Mustangs fell to No. 1 Norcross 58-46 and to Lanier 58-52. Jamir Chaplin has been out with a cracked fibula, but should return by early January. Back in the poll at No. 9 is Berkmar. The Patriots have won six straight and just beat Lee, AL 56-48 and Allatoona, 65-45, both at The King of the Bluegrass. Sliding in at No. 10 is Peachtree Ridge. The Lions are off to a 7-3 start and defeated Grayson last week 55-47 behind Devin Vassell’s 26 points.

Big games came down to the wire in Class AAAAAA. No. 1 Gainesville found a way to survive on the road at Class AAAA No. 8 St. Pius 70-65, shaking off free throw woes. No. 4 South Paulding was unable to do so, as the Spartans saw a 40-27 fourth quarter lead evaporate at the SEBA Atlanta Hoop Festival, losing to Class A-Private No. 4 North Cobb Christian 51-49. Georgia State-signee Kane Williams couldn’t close the door, going 5-of-10 from the line in the fourth quarter. Continuing their rise up the poll is No. 7 South Cobb. The Eagles have steamrolled Region 6, winning by an average of 25.6 points with junior guard Trevin Wade leading the way pouring in 17.9 points a night. Richmond Hill fell out of the Top 10 after losing to Johnson-Savannah and Class AAA No. 10 Islands, 65-45. Debuting is Lakeside-Evans. The Panthers have won six in a row and have scored wins over Josey (74-67), Laney (77-70) and Glenn Hills (88-83 OT) this season, three of Augusta’s best teams which have spent time in the Top 10. Sophomore guard Kalen Williams leads a three-pronged attack averaging 18.4 points. Senior forward Deon Berrien is posting a double-double at 15.6 points and 12.1 rebounds while senior Kre’Sean Hall is doing the same at 13 points and 10.5 boards.

Miller Grove creeps up to No. 3 in Class AAAAA. The Wolverines have righted the ship and just scored a 57-43 win over Pembroke Pines Charter, FL at the Kreul Classic. Cedar Shoals jumps Southwest DeKalb for No. 5. The Jaguars knocked off Class AAAAAA No. 6 Hertiage-Conyers 52-49. The Panthers of Southwest DeKalb have a tough slate ahead with No. 4 Fayette County at the Peach State Classic and then the following week, Class A-Private No. 1 Greenforest looms at the Tucker Invitational. New Hampstead and Columbia both exit the poll. Columbia was the preseason No. 1, but the magic hasn’t quite returned yet for Dr. Phil McCrary. They were upset by Lithonia 67-53 in a Region 5 shocker. The Phoenix lost to Effingham County 63-58 and to Class AAA No. 8 Jenkins, 54-45. Making their debut are No. 9 Union Grove and No. 10 Maynard Jackson. The Wolverines are 9-2 and have shown they can hang with the big boys, losing to No. 2 Eagle’s Landing 51-47 on Nov. 29. Junior guard Wesley Simpson runs the show. He’s averaging 12.7 points and 6.1 assists. First-year head coach Travis Williams has rode JaQuavius Hayes to a 8-2 mark for the Jaguars. The 6-foot-6 senior is averaging 22.8 points and 14.1 rebounds.

Sandy Creek was upended by undefeated Rickards, FL at the Southern States Classic 77-73, but the Patriots are still No. 1 in Class AAAA. They bounced back with a 69-60 win over Bartlett, TN. No. 2 Upson-Lee took care of business, dispatching over Class A-Public No. 6 Crawford County (71-55) and No. 3 Taylor County (58-52) for the second time each this season. Slick scoring junior Tye Fagan dropped in 28 points against the Eagles and 27 against the Vikings. Travon Walker added 13 points and 23 rebounds while Zyrice Scott went for 17 points in the win over rival Crawford County. St. Pius tumbles four spots to No. 8 after a tiring week saw them fall in overtime against Gainesville, narrowly defeat Stephens County 70-68 and finally run out of gas at SEBA, losing to Hillgrove 52-39. Henry County is the second preseason No. 1 to fall out of the poll this week. The Warhawks sit at 7-5 and were bounced out by new No. 4 Eastside, who rises six spots after a 78-71 victory. Replacing Henry County is No. 10 Burke County. The Bears are 5-0 with their best win coming against Effingham County 81-63. Three seniors lead the team, all scoring in double figures. Quantavious Wilson paces the attack, the 6-foot-6 forward averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

Class AAA is officially a jumbled mess outside of No. 1 Westside-Macon. Rival Central-Macon rises to No. 2 after No. 3 Cedar Grove (67-60; Monroe), No. 4 Pace Academy (76-42; Memphis-East), No. 5 Greater Atlanta Christian (62-47; Discovery) and No. 10 Islands (63-59 Nova, FL) all lost ahead of the Chargers. While the top of the poll faltered, proud programs regained their footing at the bottom. No. 6 Liberty County saw the return of Davion Mitchell and proceeded to hammer Class AAAA No. 5 Thomson, 85-66. No. 7 Morgan County stopped Class AAAAAA No. 9 Dacula 64-57 and No. 8 Jenkins knocked New Hampstead out of the Class AAAAA poll after a 54-45 win. Due to a numbers game, Monroe hasn’t been able to force their way into the Top 10 yet, but the Tornadoes are as dangerous as it gets at 7-1 with a victory over Cedar Grove already.

In Class AA, throw all your favorite Augusta area teams in a hat and pick out a name. That will be the best team that current week, as each school continues to beat each other with parity at an all-time high. No. 7 Josey debuts in the poll after beating No. 8 Butler 60-56, but the Eagles couldn’t fly higher thanks to a loss to Screven County 57-56. Even though the Bulldogs dropped five spots, all wasn’t lost for Butler. They beat No. 9 Laney 75-72 at Laney. The pieces will continue to shuffle around in the wild Region 4 which has already placed four teams in the Top 10. Glenn Hills is the casualty this week, cannibalized by the region. The Spartans lost in overtime to Laney, 61-53. Replacing Glenn Hills is Putnam County. 5-foot-7 senior guard Carl Johnson is pumping in 26.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4.1 steals per game.

Whitefield Academy picked up an impressive 79-53 win over Sacred Heart, AL to move the Wolfpack up to No. 7 in Class A-Private. No. 6 Lakeview Academy suffered two tough losses at the Southern States Classic, losing to Seffner Christian, FL 70-69 and to Rickards, FL 79-65. Tattnall Square Academy falls out after a 63-51 loss to Johnson-Savannah. Tallulah Falls sneaks in at No. 10 thanks to their hot start and veteran laden team.

Wilkinson County was drilled by Baldwin 63-46, dropping the defending champs to No. 4 in Class A-Public. No. 1 Calhoun County and No. 2 Quitman County never got a chance to play due to this ugly scene which resulted in a postponement with major statewide implications now at stake. Taylor County is now No. 3 after a strong showing against Upson-Lee, who has handed them both of their losses. No. 7 Clinch County is looking strong while No. 9 Twiggs County ran into a Putnam County buzz saw, losing twice to the Eagles this week. Montgomery County moves to No. 8 even after their 61-56 loss to Vidalia.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

SEBA Atlanta Hoop Festival recap

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SEBA held its 9th annual Atlanta Hoop Festival at Pope High School. The event, run by William LoPresti, featured five games. I was in the building to check out the first three games of the day. Here are some notes from the action.

Game 1: Duluth 89, Sprayberry 68

 

Junior guard Adam Flagler set a SEBA record, pouring in 43 points. The smooth shooting guard drained 9 threes and didn’t start missing until he took some heat checks late in the game. Flagler has played great this year under Coach Cabral Huff and has definitely put his name on the radar of college coaches. Daylan “DJ” Smith and Jalen Hodges were second and third in command for the Wildcats. Hodges posted 13 points and 7 rebounds as a springy unsigned forward that goes about 6-foot-5. Smith, a junior guard, netted 14. Duluth was without 6-foot-10 sophomore Alex Powell.

Sprayberry saw Eddie Figueroa drop in 26 points before injuring his ankle late in the fourth quarter. The unsigned senior showed nice ball handling and a competitiveness to keep his team in the game for three quarters before Duluth finally ran away with it, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 25-15 in the fourth. Khadim Samb added 8 points and 9 rebounds. Andrew Giles methodically worked his way around the bucket for 10 points.

Top Performers

Adam Flagler poured in a SEBA record 43 points

 

Duluth
Adam Flagler – 43 points (9 threes), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Jalen Hodges – 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
DJ Smith – 14 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Sprayberry
Eddie Figueroa – 26 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 4 steals
Khadim Samb – 8 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Andrew Giles – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block

 

Game 2: Hillgrove 52, No. 4 St. Pius 39

 

St. Pius was held to two points in the second quarter as they saw Hillgrove race ahead to a 31-15 halftime lead. Heavy legs from two wars this week along with a Demeirre Black onslaught was too much to recover from. Black, a 6-foot senior guard, popped off from his first touch. Black was tight off the dribble, getting to the left wing and pulling up for three straight jumpers to open the game. He scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in the first quarter alone. Black plays bigger than his size and uses his quick leaping to crash the glass. He finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 4 steals as Coach Ed Morris’ go-to guy. Trey Stevens provided offense off the bench with 10 points.

The Golden Lions couldn’t hit a shot all game until the fourth quarter when they made a late run, but could never close to within single digits. They hit four threes in the final period but again, it was Black stemming the tide with a hoop. Carson Seramur led St. Pius with 8 points, but they all came in the first quarter. Zach Ranson got off to a slow start, but he battled hard on the glass and finished with 11 rebounds.

Top Performers

Demeirre Black played bigger than his 6-foot frame, dropping 25 points & 14 rebounds

Hillgrove
Demeirre Black – 25 points, 14 rebounds, 4 steals
Trey Stevens – 10 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block

St. Pius
Carson Seramur – 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block
Zach Ranson – 4 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist
Niko Broadway – 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

 

Game 3: No. 4 North Cobb Christian 51, No. 3 South Paulding 49

 

A true stunner as South Paulding saw a 40-27 lead heading into the fourth quarter slip away. The Spartans out-physicaled and out-toughed the Eagles for the majority of the game, but Demiere Brown was a one-man wrecking crew. South Paulding held a 25-16 lead at the half after DJ Jackson buried a three at the buzzer.  Jackson played great for Coach Gil Davis as the floor general picked up the slack scoring 15 points while Ja’Cori Wilson played sporadic minutes with a stomach bug before fouling out with 5 points with South Paulding nursing a 44-34 lead with 5:49 to play.

Upon his departure, North Cobb Christian closed on a 17-5 run to steal a victory away from the Spartans, riding Brown. The powerful 6-foot-6 senior wing poured in 31 points and 14 rebounds, pounding away at South Paulding’s smaller guards. Brown has to find a home at the D-1 level. That strength and diversity of ways to score the ball is something programs across the country must covet. He didn’t settle for too many threes and buttered his bread around the basket today.

South Paulding admittedly took the air out of the ball too soon while dealing with foul trouble and a lack of size. It wasn’t until the 4:57 mark when Hunter Norman tossed an alley-oop to Mo Merritt to make it 44-38 that I actually felt that North Cobb Christian had a chance. The Eagles’ fan base went rabid as all the momentum officially swung into their corner. The Spartans still could have put the game away, but Georgia State-signee Kane Williams couldn’t find his touch from the foul line. He went 5-of-10 in the fourth quarter and 7-of-14 for the game. Aside from his free throw woes, Williams was able to affect the game from the floor. He finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals while getting others involved.

North Cobb Christian got a huge lift down the stretch from Norman, Nate Perrin and Will Crumly. Perrin didn’t play much, but he came off the bench and rattled in a three to make it 47-43 with 3:14 remaining. I warned that Crumly was still dangerous even though he was ice cold for three quarters from deep. Crumly blocked a Williams shot inside and a minute later he drilled a three to bring the score to 49-48 with 1:09 to play. Crumly put the ball on the floor and got to the line and split a pair of free throws to knot the game at 49 with 1:00.

With South Paulding holding for one shot, Parker Berry lost his dribble in front of Norman who pounced on the floor to give the Eagles the ball with 24.9 left.

North Cobb Christian held for one shot and they found Brown on a duck-in in the middle of the lane. He caught it and hit a lefty hook with 1.8 seconds left.

Originally, they let the clock run off. North Cobb Christian stormed the court and mobbed Brown in a dogpile, but after reviewing, the officials put the correct 1.8 seconds left on the clock. The referees had the opportunity to call a technical with the Eagles team running on the floor, but due to the circumstances they let it go.

South Paulding had one last look when freshman Knowledge Ruben heaved from half court, but his shot bounced off the rim leaving the Spartans shell-shocked and the Eagles jubilant.

 

Top Performers

Demiere Brown is a defense’s nightmare. He had 31 points & 14 rebounds.

North Cobb Christian
Demiere Brown – 31 points, 14 rebounds, 1 steal
Mo Merritt – 5 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
Will Crumly – 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks
Chase Savage – 6 points, 1 rebound

South Paulding
Kane Williams – 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals
DJ Jackson – 15 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 3 steals
Drew Shepherd – 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
Ja’Cori Wilson – 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block