Kyle Sandy gives his take on results from around some of the GHSA’s biggest Christmas tournaments.
Lake City Classic [1:54]
Big South Shootout [12:23]
Class 4A Boys Update [17:31]
Girls Rundown:
7A [21:02]
6A [23:07]
5A [24:26]
4A [25:14]
3A [26:14]
2A [28:08]
A-Private [30:03]
A-Public [32:00]
1. Westlake (10-0)
2. Collins Hill (12-1)
3. North Cobb (10-0)
4. Norcross (10-5)
5. Grayson (12-1)
6. Pebblebrook (10-1)
7. North Forsyth (8-2)
8. Mill Creek (10-2)
9. Marietta (8-4)
10. Cherokee (8-3)
1. Lovejoy (13-3)
2. Forest Park (12-1)
3. Glynn Academy (11-1)
4. Stephenson (9-4)
5. Northview (10-3)
6. Douglas County (11-4)
7. Lanier (10-1)
8. Dacula (9-2)
9. Valdosta (10-2)
10. New Manchester (10-1)
1. Villa Rica (10-0)
2. Buford (10-1)
3. Southwest DeKalb (11-2)
4. Eagle’s Landing (8-2)
5. Harris County (8-3)
6. Statesboro (12-0)
7. Carrollton (9-3)
8. Veterans (10-1)
9. Wayne County (10-1)
10. Warner Robins (7-4)
1. Carver-Columbus (13-0)
2. Spalding (8-2)
3. Madison County (12-0)
4. Henry County (14-2)
5. Flowery Branch (8-3)
6. Luella (10-2)
7. Perry (8-3)
8. Westover (6-1)
9. Northwest Whitfield (14-2)
10. Burke County (4-3)
1. Beach (14-1)
2. Morgan County (8-3)
3. Jefferson (11-1)
4. Johnson-Savannah (7-6)
5. Hart County (9-2)
6. GAC (6-6)
7. Dawson County (8-4)
8. Ringgold (10-1)
9. North Hall (9-3)
10. Rutland (11-3)
1. Douglass (10-4)
2. Dodge County (11-1)
3. Laney (10-1)
4. Bryan County (12-0)
5. Fitzgerald (11-0)
6. Rabun County (7-1)
7. Putnam County (9-1)
8. Swainsboro (8-2)
9. Early County (7-1)
10. Banks County (9-3)
1. Wesleyan (11-0)
2. St. Francis (6-3)
3. Holy Innocents’ (6-4)
4. Lakeview Academy (9-3)
5. Paideia (11-1)
6. ELCA (6-3)
7. Mt. Paran (11-0)
8. Stratford Academy (8-1)
9. Darlington (7-1)
10. Calvary Day (9-3)
1. Marion County (6-0)
2. Georgia Military College (7-1)
3. Telfair County (9-3)
4. Wheeler County (9-3)
5. Greenville (11-1)
6. Calhoun County (11-1)
7. Wilcox County (8-3)
8. Central-Talbotton (8-2)
9. Pelham (5-2)
10. Mitchell County (7-1)
A late surge just before Christmas leads to defending state champion No. 1 Westlake taking over the top spot in Class AAAAAAA, usurping No. 2 Collins Hill. The Lions dispatched of Class 6A No. 6 Douglas County 57-33 and Class 5A No. 3 Southwest DeKalb 60-37 in impressive fashion to win the Peach State Classic championship. The Eagles had a clean 3-0 week at the War Lodge Invitational beating Sequoyah 79-56, Class 3A No. 2 Morgan County 54-48 and South Forsyth 99-40. Senior Katherine Fourie drilled 8 threes against Sequoyah en route to 30 points and followed up with a 9-three encore against the War Eagles. No. 6 Pebblebrook leapfrogs inactive No. 7 North Forsyth following their 63-62 win over Class 5A No. 7 Carrollton. No. 3 North Cobb edged No. 9 Marietta 49-39, but the Blue Devils still hold tight ahead of No. 10 Cherokee, who defeated Creekview 51-43 on the road.
Over in Myrtle Beach at the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational, Class AAAAAA No. 1 Lovejoy went 3-1 with their lone loss coming to Riverdale (TN) 47-33. No. 5 Northview finished 1-2 at the event, losing to Southeast Raleigh 53-41, who Lovejoy defeated 48-42. But the most impressive performance came back in Georgia on another coast as nobody in the state rose their stock more than No. 3 Glynn Academy. The Terrors explode up six spots after a statement week. Glynn Academy scored wins over Richmond Hill 44-39, last week’s Class A-Private No. 7 Calvary Day 49-36, last week’s Class 3A No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 68-64 and Class 3A No. 1 Beach 49-46 – their opponents boasting a combined 42-12 record. Coach Sharnesha Smith has rode 2020 5-foot-11 forward Zoesha Smith, the High Major recruit averaging 18.1 points and 12.6 rebounds.
The lone casualty in Class AAAAA is Arabia Mountain (12-3). The Rams were beat 50-36 at No. 3 Southwest DeKalb. Replacing Arabia Mountain is debutant No. 10 Warner Robins. The Demonettes went 3-0 at the Bear Brawl Classic, beating three ranked teams on their way to the title at Houston County. They beat last week’s Class 3A No. 6 Peach County 67-48, last week’s Class 4A No. 9 West Laurens 63-44 and in the title game Class 4A No. 7 Perry 49-48.
No. 1 Carver-Columbus represented Class AAAA well as they went 3-0 to win the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina, escaping Bishop O’Connell (VA) 48-46 in the title game. No. 3 Madison County got 43 points from Kayla McPherson in their thrilling 74-72 win at Class 3A No. 5 Hart County to remain undefeated. West Laurens (10-4) slides out of the poll after a 3-2 week, losing to Northside-Warner Robins 48-47 and newly ranked Class 5A No. 10 Warner Robins 63-44 with a win over Class A-Public No. 4 Wheeler County 54-50 sandwiched in between. No. 9 Northwest Whitfield makes their first appearance in the Top 10 following a 2-1 showing at Mistletoe Madness. Undersized 5-foot-8 post Jada Griffin is averaging 19.9 points and 8.6 rebounds.
Even though they suffered their first loss of the year to Class 6A No. 3 Glynn Academy, No. 1 Beach is still the team to beat in Class AAA. Before their loss they notched a 40-37 win over Camden County. Up another spot is No. 2 Morgan County. The Lady Dogs went 2-1 at the War Lodge Invitational with dominant wins over Alpharetta 60-33 and Cambridge 78-30 with a loss to last week’s Class 7A No. 1 Collins Hill 54-48 in between victories. Peach County (6-3) sinks from the Top 10 after a 1-2 showing at the Bear Brawl, losing to Class 5A No. 10 Warner Robins 67-48 and Class A-Public No. 4 Wheeler County 50-48. Even though the results weren’t up to par with the Trojans’ expectations, Da’Nasia Shaw was sensational, averaging 31 points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals and 5 blocks to win tournament MVP. Peach County is replaced by Region 4 foe No. 10 Rutland. The Hurricanes suffered a tough loss to Class A-Private No. 8 Stratford Academy 40-32 but before that, they earned a huge win against Class A-Public No. 2 Georgia Military College 45-42, outscoring the Bulldogs 15-4 in the fourth quarter to storm back. Sophomore Kayla Shines tallied 21 points and 14 rebounds. The 6-foot post is averaging 10.5 points and 8.4 rebounds on the season while senior BreAsia Davis is the eye of the storm with 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 4.3 steals a night.
Not liking their No. 2 ranking in Class AA, No. 2 Dodge County took out their frustrations on opponents last week, beating a good Washington County team 73-64 before smashing Class A-Public No. 3 Telfair County for the second time this season 87-60, Destanee Wright scoring 31 points and Europe Brown netting 27 on her way to her 1,000th career point. No. 3 Laney survived on the road at Class 4A No. 10 Burke County 61-60. No. 9 Early County slips two spots after suffering their first loss of the year to Bainbridge 49-39. No. 8 Swainsboro is up a spot after a nice 54-51 win at Tattnall County.
In Class A-Private, No. 2 St. Francis went 1-2 at the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational, losing to the No. 2 ranked team in the nation Bishop McNamara (MD) 74-43. Back home, No. 3 Holy Innocents’ knocked off Class 7A No. 4 Norcross 65-54. No. 4 Lakeview Academy climbs two spots to hit their glass ceiling after beating No. 5 Paideia 47-45 and losing to Lakeside-DeKalb 52-49 at the Storm Classic held at Providence Christian Academy. No. 6 ELCA is down a spot after losing to Class A-Public No. 2 Georgia Military College 63-61. No. 7 Mt. Paran and No. 8 Stratford Academy rise two spots after No. 9 Darlington took a 50-39 loss to Model to knock them from the unbeatens while No. 10 Calvary Day lost 49-36 to Class 6A No. 3 Glynn Academy and 66-49 to Camden County.
No. 2 Georgia Military College fell 45-42 to Class 3A No. 10 Rutland but climbs two spots in Class A-Public thanks to their 63-61 win over Class A-Private No. 6 ELCA. No. 3 Telfair County falls as spot after an 87-60 loss to Class 2A No. 2 Dodge County. No. 4 Wheeler County had wins over Peach County 50-48 and Jeff Davis 60-41, but fall one position after a 54-50 loss to West Laurens. No. 5 Greenville annihilated No. 9 Pelham 76-47. Bowdon (8-3) drops from the poll after a 46-44 loss to undefeated Class 4A Central-Carrollton. Debuting in the rankings is first-year Head Coach Monte Killins and No. 10 Mitchell County. Sophomore Anyla Bell is averaging 9 points and 4 assists while senior Ayanna Dennard helps balance the attack with 8.4 points per game.
1. McEachern (10-0)
2. Meadowcreek (11-2)
3. Norcross (9-3)
4. Discovery (13-3)
5. Wheeler (11-4)
6. Pebblebrook (10-2)
7. Grayson (10-2)
8. East Coweta (14-1)
9. Newton (8-2)
10. Shiloh (9-3)
1. Coffee (8-1)
2. Tri-Cities (8-2)
3. North Atlanta (8-3)
4. Sprayberry (10-0)
5. South Paulding (12-4)
6. Alexander (8-4)
7. Sequoyah (11-3)
8. Evans (11-0)
9. Lakeside-Evans (11-2)
10. Brunswick (7-3)
1. Buford (9-0)
2. Fayette County (11-2)
3. Southwest DeKalb (11-3)
4. Eagle’s Landing (8-2)
5. Woodland-Stockbridge (7-3)
6. Lithonia (9-5)
7. Jones County (12-3)
8. Lithia Springs (11-2)
9. Kell (8-3)
10. Warner Robins (7-2)
1. Upson-Lee (12-1)
2. Sandy Creek (9-2)
3. St. Pius X (10-2)
4. Henry County (12-1)
5. Carver-Columbus (7-2)
6. Americus-Sumter (8-1)
7. Baldwin (7-2)
8. Salem (9-2)
9. Chapel Hill (5-2)
10. Woodward Academy (7-6)
1. GAC (8-3)
2. Morgan County (10-1)
3. Cedar Grove (9-0)
4. Dawson County (10-2)
5. Hart County (9-2)
6. Johnson-Savannah (8-3)
7. Pace Academy (9-4)
8. Central-Macon (8-2)
9. Kendrick (8-2)
10. Westside-Macon (8-3)
1. Woodville-Tompkins (12-0)
2. Therrell (9-4)
3. South Atlanta (11-2)
4. Northeast-Macon (9-2)
5. Thomasville (8-1)
6. Vidalia (11-1)
7. Elbert County (8-2)
8. Bleckley County (10-5)
9. Glenn Hills (12-2)
10. Chattooga (6-5)
1. St. Francis (8-2)
2. Mt. Bethel (5-3)
3. ELCA (5-4)
4. Greenforest (6-3)
5. Walker (9-3)
6. Trinity Christian (5-6)
7. Mt. Pisgah (9-5)
8. Wesleyan (8-3)
9. Christian Heritage (8-0)
10. Lakeview Academy (7-4)
1. Hancock Central (8-2)
2. Calhoun County (12-0)
3. Wilcox County (11-0)
4. Treutlen (9-1)
5. Greene County (8-2)
6. Georgia Military College (6-2)
7. Pelham (6-1)
8. Macon County (9-1)
9. Terrell County (8-2)
10. Chattahoochee County (10-2)
Our final week of games before Christmas wrapped up with the nation’s longest winning streak falling, cross-classification warfare and state dominance across borders – welcome to just another week of GHSA basketball.
For the first time this season there is no movement but Class AAAAAAA stole nationwide headlines as No. 1 McEachern mauled its way to a City of Palms championship while No. 4 Discovery beat Class 5A No. 4 Eagle’s Landing 62-48 but more importantly ended Class 4A No. 1 Upson-Lee’s 75-game winning streak, 75-57, Hasahnn Reynolds pouring in 27 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. The Indians proved once again that the best TRUE high school basketball in the country belongs in Georgia as the pride of Powder Springs beat Miami Christian, FL (71-48), Paul VI, VA (59-52), Mountain Brook, AL (50-29) and Imhotep Charter, PA (68-47). Sharife Cooper earned MVP honors of the tournament after going for 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the championship while Jared Jones (Northwestern) and Isaac Okoro (Auburn) both made the All-Tournament Team. No. 3 Norcross scored a 64-60 win over Class 6A No. 6 Alexander while No. 5 Wheeler and No. 6 Pebblebrook both went 2-1 against out of state competition.
No. 2 Tri-Cities defeated Region 5 foe No. 6 Alexander 70-65, but both teams hold their spots in Class AAAAAA. No. 5 South Paulding suffered two heartbreakers, seeing a 38-31 lead heading into the fourth quarter evaporate against Class 2A No. 2 Therrell in a 50-47 loss and then melting down in double overtime against Marietta 73-65. While the top six remain unchanged, the bottom of the poll has two newcomers after Mundy’s Mill (11-3) fell to Class 5A No. 3 Southwest DeKalb 66-53 and Class A-Private No. 3 ELCA 63-53. Back in the Top 10 for the first time since Week 1 is No. 7 Sequoyah. The Chiefs clicked on all cylinders at the War Lodge Invitational beating The King’s Academy 73-54, Class 2A No. 10 Chattooga 92-70 and running a Kamar Robertson-less Cambridge (10-5) out of the gym and out of the rankings with a 109-80 blitzing. Still trying to get 100% healthy, the Chiefs have gone 10-1 since getting Myles McGee and DJ King off the football field and unbeaten since Ayden Watson shook off the cobwebs in his first game of the season, Sequoyah’s last loss against South Cobb. Replacing Cambridge is No. 9 Lakeside-Evans. The Panthers shutdown Peachtree Ridge 47-39 before losing to North Augusta (SC) 67-58. All-State guard Kalen Williams is averaging 20.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists while three-point specialist Tyshun Briscoe is netting 18.5 points per game. No. 10 Brunswick slides down three spots after getting swept at the City of Palms by La Crosse Central (WI) 70-57 and Glens Falls (NY) 80-65, giving up 59 points to Syracuse-commit Joe Girard III.
Back atop the heap in Class AAAAA is No. 1 Buford. It was another easy week for the Wolves in comparison to the rest of the top three, beating Banks County 73-26 and Archer 66-56. No. 3 Southwest DeKalb drops two spots after beating Mundy’s Mill 66-53 but losing to new No. 2 Fayette County 67-65. The Tigers also clipped Class A-Private No. 3 ELCA 65-54 at the Peach State Classic but ultimately fell to Westlake in the championship 79-68. Statesboro (9-3) sinks from the poll after losses to Dougherty 75-60 and Westover 48-44. Carrollton (7-4) also drops following losses to debutant No. 9 Kell 80-75 and Class 2A No. 2 Therrell 64-61. The Longhorns climb into the poll behind a blend of veterans and youth, seniors Justin Perry and CJ Henderson teaming with sophomore Najhae Colon and freshman Scoota Henderson to play key roles. Following Kell into the rankings is defending champ No. 10 Warner Robins, who resurfaces after pounding Perry 84-52 and defeating Class 2A No. 8 Bleckley County 67-52.
All good things must come to an end as No. 1 Upson-Lee’s 75-game winning streak came to an end against Class 7A No. 4 Discovery 75-57, but the Runnin’ Knights still top Class AAAA. There is no movement in the classification but No. 4 Henry County did grind out a Holiday Round Ball Classic championship in Augusta by beating Class 2A No. 9 Glenn Hills 65-52. Walker Kessler is back healthy for No. 10 Woodward Academy, who split a pair of games at the War Eagle Classic, losing to Zachary (LA) 57-40 but rebounding with a 59-53 win over Miramar (FL).
Class AAA saw No. 2 Morgan County steal the show at the Palmetto Winter Classic taking care of Ridgeview (SC) 89-87, Holly Springs (NC) 60-58 and Blythewood (SC) 77-66 en route the championship. No. 6 Johnson-Savannah falls two spots after losing their Savannah showdown with Class 2A No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins 66-58. East Hall (7-6) exits the Top 10, losing three-straight to South Carolina competition while Liberty County (5-3) also is gone following a 72-70 loss at Swainsboro. Region 4 deploys first-timer No. 9 Kendrick and returnee No. 10 Westside-Macon to fill the poll. The Cherokees are a win away from matching last year’s win total and are closing in on their best finish since 2013-14. They outlasted Jordan in overtime 90-82. The Seminoles bounced back with a 74-50 win at Pike County.
No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins’ reign over Savannah has officially begun if it hadn’t already before last week, the Wolverines proving the best team on the coast resides in Class AA as they closed on a 12-3 run to race past Class 3A No. 6 Johnson-Savannah in the Memorial Health Holiday Classic championship 66-58. Preston Crisp (17), Charleston Willingham (14), Bernard Pelote (13) and Deante Green (11) all scoring in double figures. No. 2 Therrell is still hot on Woodville’s track however. The Panthers survived No. 3 South Atlanta 54-52 without Robbie Armbrester and then proceeded to earn a second-place finish back at full strength at the Carrollton Christmas Classic, knocking the host Trojans off 64-61 and Class 6A No. 5 South Paulding 50-47 before falling to Oxford (AL) 76-64 in the title game. No. 5 Thomasville slips two spots after losing to PK Yonge (FL). No. 6 Vidalia climbs four positions with wins over Tattnall County 60-37 and Montgomery County 58-36. No. 8 Bleckley County drops a spot but clings onto a Top 10 position after beating Jeff Davis 72-70 but suffering losses to Veterans 68-63, Class 5A No. 10 Warner Robins 67-52 and Houston County 68-54, the trio combining for a record of 25-8. Also hanging on by a thread is No. 10 Chattooga. The Indians had hard fought losses to Alpharetta 54-47 and Class 6A No. 7 Sequoyah 92-70 at the War Lodge Invitational before bouncing back with a 56-54 win over The King’s Academy. The Indians’ 50-48 loss to No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins back at the SportalShowcase has served as a buoy for Chattooga, keeping them afloat in the Top 10. Washington County (6-4) isn’t as lucky, as they went 0-3 at the Savannah River Christmas tournament, blowing a double-digit lead against North Augusta (SC) to lose 80-79 in overtime and then getting beat by South Carolina’s Silver Bluff 64-57 and South Aiken 57-54. Reappearing from the CSRA is No. 9 Glenn Hills. The Spartans squeaked out wins over Clarke Central 53-48 and Tift County 62-57 before falling in the title game at the Roundball Holiday Classic to Class 4A No. 4 Henry County 65-52.
The top four in Class A-Private has clearly separated itself from the rest of the pack, but the rest is a jumbled mess with teams beating each other weekly. No. 1 St. Francis is above the mayhem and notched a 71-60 win vs. Mountain View. No. 5 Walker holds onto their spot but were beaten by newly ranked No. 8 Wesleyan 71-62. No. 6 Trinity Christian is right back in the poll following their 62-50 win over No. 7 Mt. Pisgah. Riverside Military (9-3) narrowly exits the Top 10 after a 76-60 loss to Denmark while Holy Innocents’ (2-7) is officially gone after a misreported score led to the Golden Bears stealing another week in the poll after they actually lost to Starr’s Mill 66-57.
The Class A Power Classic has shifted Class A-Public as expected. No. 2 Calhoun County rises three spots after taking care of Drew Charter 74-69 and knocking off No. 4 Treutlen 79-72. No. 3 Wilcox County, the only other unbeaten, escaped No. 9 Terrell County 81-79. No. 5 Greene County falls back two spots with a 58-54 loss to Clarke Central. No. 7 Pelham got by Lanier County 69-63 while No. 8 Macon County won a nail-biter at Dooly County 48-46.
Class 2A No. 8 @ChattoogaHoops vs. Class 6A @ahsraidersbball and N.C. A&T signee @hoopstar_2019 pic.twitter.com/BRRPjZCVLX
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
Playing one of the toughest schedules in Class AA and by far the most strenuous out of the North Georgia mountains instead of hiding and padding their record like so many other schools have in the past, No. 8 Chattooga (5-4) has made a concerted effort to test themselves, not for Region 7 play but for the big picture – the state tournament. The undersized Indians were back on the road Thursday afternoon making the 69-mile drive to the War Lodge Invitational at Sequoyah where they battled Alpharetta (8-4), a Class AAAAAA school starting to find its groove.
With 5-foot-6 Jundraius “Nuk” Adams benched to start the game, Alpharetta took advantage of the smaller offense-less Indians by jumping out to an 8-2 lead behind a Kalik Brooks And-1 and threes from North Carolina A&T-signee Brandon Barron and Machi Sibblies. 6-foot-5 junior Josh Spencer made his season debut after an ankle sprain and broken finger sidelined him for the first 11 games and quickly made an impact inside with his rebounding and defense.
At the end of one, Alpharetta led 14-4, but much like at the SportalShowcase against No. 1 Woodville-Tompkins, once Adams entered the game and hit his first shot, the wheels began to turn for the Indians. Back-to-back Adams hoops cut the score to 17-9 at the 6:46 mark before Jamarious Mosteller banked in a jumper to make it 22-14.
2Q; 4:52@ahsraidersbball 22
No. 8 @ChattoogaHoops 14The bank is open for @jumpman20_ #WarLodgeInvitational pic.twitter.com/qLRyooYd9v
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
As the Indians inched closer and closer, the backcourt of Barron and Brooks held them at arm’s reach. Saddled with foul trouble in the first quarter, Brooks went 4-of-4 from the line while Barron nailed his second three and added a layup to combine for nine of the Raiders’ 14 second quarter points.
With 1:15 remaining in the half, Jayden Stephens cleaned up a Barron miss and made the score 26-17.
2Q; 1:15@ahsraidersbball 26
No. 8 @AllOnChattooga 17Jayden Stephens with the put back#WarLodgeInvitational pic.twitter.com/4xsXTL5r72
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
Alpharetta entered the half up 28-20 but Coach Jared Groce made adjustments to find more open looks for Chattooga as the Indians sparked a 5-0 run with Mosteller finishing inside to trim the lead to 28-25 at the 6:05 mark.
3Q; 6:05@ahsraidersbball 28
No. 8 @ChattoogaHoops 25@jumpman20_ cuts the lead to three. @DarrinSmith66 @AllOnChattooga #WarLodgeInvitational pic.twitter.com/aWOnMalIkE
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
Adams scored to make it 33-27 with 1:57 remaining but the Raiders stole momentum heading into the fourth quarter closing on a 7-2 run ignited by a Barron assist to Kyle Hulsman in the corner for three and capped by a Barron layup before Clayton Johnson hit a late layup to send the game into the final frame with the Indians trailing 40-29.
End 3Q@ahsraidersbball 40
No. 8 @ChattoogaHoops 29@RaiderSport closes on a 7-2 run.@hoopstar_2019 with a layup before a @Claytonj_10 answer. #WarLodgeInvitational pic.twitter.com/FdveWctbg1— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
The Raiders led 42-31 at the 6:38 mark following a Barron fast break dunk, bouncing the ball to himself and throwing it down with Johnson on his hip.
Johnson answered back with a hoop of his own, but Spencer wore down the smaller Indians on the offensive glass, garnering another rebound and put-back to edge the lead out to 44-36 with 4:40 to play.
4Q; 4:40@ahsraidersbball 44
No. 8 @ChattoogaHoops 36The return of Josh Spencer has been huge. Another nice rebound and finish. #WarLodgeInvitational pic.twitter.com/stBjqz5jLV
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
Thirty-seven seconds later, not knowing he had four fouls, Johnson fouled out at half court leaving the Indians without one of their top scorers down the stretch, Johnson finishing his night with 12 points.
Trying to claw their way to a one possession game, Chattooga got burnt twice in a 36-second span by Hulsman who drilled back-to-back threes to give the Raiders a comfortable 52-42 lead with 2:23 remaining.
4Q; 2:23@ahsraidersbball 52
No. 8 @ChattoogaHoops 42Another crushing three from Kyle Hulsman. He’s got 3 threes in the second half. #WarLodgeInvitational pic.twitter.com/Q37qMHmqJt
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
Tre Flowers gave Chattooga one last breath when he knocked down his second three of the night to bring the deficit to 52-45 with 1:47 to play, but Stephens scooped up a loose ball and laid it up to push the lead back out to nine to officially put the game out of reach.
4Q; 1:20@ahsraidersbball 54
No. 8 @ChattoogaHoops 45Canada Jayden Stephens scores off a loose ball #WarLodgeInvitational pic.twitter.com/sB41iOzyO6
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
Alpharetta has their best basketball coming over the next few months now that they are healthy. Josh Spencer was a major lift inside and once he gets his conditioning and feel back, he will be an important piece that can battle in the paint for Coach Eric Blair. Brandon Barron was steady throughout and played a great floor-game finishing with a game-high 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, leading the Raiders in all categories. His quickness and athleticism helped him slice into the lane at will and his two three-pointers helped stretch the defense. Speaking of stretching the defense, Kyle Hulsman looked like Robert Horry, nailing crushing threes in the second half. His nine points were the difference late in the game. Kalik Brooks sat for a majority of the first half with foul trouble but he was productive when on the floor and earned rave reviews from the Indians after the game. His length gave them fits on defense but it was his slithery ability to maneuver into the lane for layups which got him going.
Chattooga’s inability to score in the first quarter came back to haunt them. Nuk Adams is so important for their offensive flow, he is their engine. Without Adams buckets are hard to come by, but once he sees his first shot drop, it energizes the entire team. Having a streaky 5-foot-6 point guard as their best shot creator can be tough at times, but the Indians playing against teams with great length will prepare them for the state tournament where they won’t have to worry about too many lineups that can start four players over 6-foot-4. Clayton Johnson played a very nice game offensively with 12 points and hit two timely threes. Having his three-point shot calibrated helps the Indians space the floor and allow Adams to create shots for others. Lefty Tre Flowers stepped up with eight points and nailed two threes while Jamarious Mosteller impacted the game on both sides of the ball. The Indians needed more production from their forwards Malachi Mack and Devin Price who combined for three points. Mack rebounded the ball well in the first half and finished with three blocks, but Price could never find a niche to impact the game like he usually does. The Indians have proven they can compete with bigger and better teams and that they aren’t just another prototypical North Georgia team that feasts on cupcakes. They are a serious threat come February. Chattooga’s lack of true full-time basketball players may hurt them down the stretch, but their competitiveness and athleticism will keep them in every game, especially in Class 2A.
Alpharetta
Brandon Barron – 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
Kalik Brooks – 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Kyle Hulsman – 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
Josh Spencer – 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks
Jayden Stephens – 5 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal
Machi Sibblies – 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal
Chattooga
Nuk Adams – 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Clayton Johnson – 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Jamarious Mosteller – 11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
Tre Flowers – 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Malachi Mack – 2 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks
Not at full strength yet, @AthleticsEP looking for a big win over @PCPatriotsports who is without Jervon Morris pic.twitter.com/WRT50ZqPFi
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
In front of two vocal student sections that lacked a filter, Paulding County (12-1) put their nearly pristine record on the line against cross town Region 7-AAAAA rival East Paulding (6-5), who is already two wins away from their most victories in a season since 2012-13 under new Head Coach JW Cantrell. Even with the clear size, skill and athletic advantage it wasn’t until the four-minute mark of the fourth quarter that the Patriots were finally able to put away an upset-minded Raider group.
The Patriots entered Wednesday night without one of the state’s top scorers, Jervon Morris (24.9 ppg) who was suspended for disciplinary reasons. Even without Morris, Paulding County played their trademark up-tempo style and pressed the full length of the court.
East Paulding traded buckets with Paulding County as Azer Tidor, a 20+ point-per-game scorer got to the rack early for six points in the opening frame.
1Q; 5:01@AthleticsEP 5@PCPatriotsports 4
Azer Tidor slices in for a bucket. He leads the Raiders in scoring at 20+ ppg pic.twitter.com/n45oYCcmSx
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
Tidor never got into a clean flow however as the Paulding County press harassed East Paulding and picked up eight of their 30 steals in the first quarter to set the tone while John Cook capitalized on the other end, the athletic 6-foot-5 forward scoring nine points to give the Patriots a 22-19 lead after one.
Missing star post Sean Rutledge, Coach Cantrell turned to Cole Brown who provided a spark in the second quarter scoring and rebounding the ball, but Paulding County continued to stretch the lead, going on a 10-4 run to make it 32-23 at the 4:32 mark, Cook scoring eight points during the stretch.
With the Patriots having the ability to bury opponents in a flash, the Raiders responded with a 7-0 run of their own, Silas Johnson Jr. knocking down a three and Ravon Melon finishing two And-1s, but missing both free throw attempts to make it 32-30 with 3:03 left in the first half.
As East Paulding tried to make a game of it, Paulding County punched back with their defensive pressure suffocating the Raiders. Keon Sedgwick capped a 7-2 run which pushed the lead out to 39-32.
2Q; 1:41@PCPatriotsports 39@AthleticsEP 32
Keon Sedgwick with the hoop pic.twitter.com/c7aK1BRiuC
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
At the half Paulding County led 44-39 playing at a Patriot pace. By the break, Cook had already dumped in 20 points and the free throw advantage for the aggressive Patriots started to balloon, going 11-of-20 from the line while East Paulding shot 1-of-6, both teams leaving crucial points at the line.
The Patriots popped East Paulding right out of the gate in the third, swarming for easy steals – Sedgwick, Corleone Thomas and Jamal McIver at the forefront of the pressure which made the score 50-41 after two Sedgwick pull-ups. But once again, East Paulding wouldn’t lay down, cutting the lead back to three before a Thomas layup in traffic made it 52-47 at the 4:48 mark.
3Q; 4:48@PCPatriotsports 52@AthleticsEP 47
It’s been non-stop action. Neither coach has called timeout. Every time it looks like the Raiders will break, they come back.
Corleone Thomas gets a bucket to extend the Patriot lead. pic.twitter.com/alQqjpSWW8
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
The Raiders cut the lead to 58-54 but in the blink of an eye, a Trell Evans three and a McIver steal and layup grew the Patriot advantage to 63-54 with 1:13 remaining before settling with a 67-56 lead heading into the fourth quarter after closing the third on a 9-2 run, Evans netting 11 points in the period.
With East Paulding seemingly on the ropes, the Raiders struck a 9-1 run to trim the score to 68-65 at the 6:20 mark following a Johnson three and put-back.
The three-point deficit would be as close as the Raiders would get as Cook unleashed an onslaught in the final six minutes after failing to score in the third. The senior piled in 12 of his game-high 32 points in the deciding quarter as the Patriots ripped off a 13-2 run to put the game out of reach, making it 81-67 with 3:10 left to play.
4Q; 3:52@PCPatriotsports 78@AthleticsEP 67
Could this be the KO punch? John Cook with his first points of the half after 20 in this first. Nails a three then gets this And-1 put back. pic.twitter.com/JosTZtAZgk
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) December 20, 2018
In the fourth quarter the Patriots went 7-of-19 from the line, taking more attempts than the Raiders did the entire game going 9-for-18. Paulding County finished 20-of-42 from the line but the story was East Paulding’s inability to handle the press and Cook’s knockout fourth that closed the game 90-77 in favor of the visitors.
Paulding County was impressive with their overall length, athleticism and aggressiveness. They are the type of team that will overwhelm bad teams and feast on weaker competition which they have done so this year. They may run into trouble when they play disciplined teams with good guard play or teams that can control the tempo and play in the half court. Their lone loss came against Carrollton who had the competency to handle ball pressure and elected to run with them, winning 92-76. Either way, the Patriots are an exciting group to watch and they should be able to secure another state tournament berth and have a ton of natural talent. The details surrounding the suspension of Jervon Morris aren’t pretty if true, but if and when he’s allowed back on the court, it gives Coach Kevin Hammitt another potent scorer. John Cook was great for the Patriots tonight. After three years of chasing stability, he has found it and showed the type of talent he has finishing with 32 points (5 threes), 7 rebounds and 5 steals. He could be a good fit at the JUCO level. Sparkplug Trell Evans stepped up in a big way with his speed and tenacity. His third quarter helped Paulding County extend its lead with Cook going scoreless. The length of Corleone Thomas and Keon Sedgwick led to 13 combined steals. Sedgwick played the role of swiss army knife, collecting 9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 7 steals and 2 blocks. He’s a wiry and lively player, always getting involved in plays. He had lightning quick hands that led to easy poke aways and showed a nice pull-up jumper.
The fact that East Paulding was able to hang around until the four-minute mark was quite impressive. Outmanned, the Raiders had to scrap all throughout the night and punished the Patriots on the glass, outrebounding the bigger and more athletic visitors 58 to 32. The Raiders were horrendous against the press and all but neutralized their large rebounding advantage however. A lack of a true point guard was apparent as the Patriots bullied them with their pressure leading to 30 Paulding County steals. 6-foot-2 senior Azer Tidor had a quiet 20 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block if that’s even possible. Tidor was steady throughout, scoring six points in the first, third and fourth quarters. The 6-foot-2 combo guard is a nice sleeper prospect that doesn’t play AAU. He’s got a good feel for the game and didn’t get too flustered with the aggressive Patriot defense. He liked to pull-up from the elbow but also showed the ability to finish at the basket. He could help out a small college looking for a reliable option on the wing. Silas Johnson Jr., a 6-foot-3 senior, hit three three-pointers en route to 15 points and 8 rebounds. The lefty isn’t much of a ball handler, but he’s long and can help stretch the floor and rebound. The Raiders will be adding one of the best players in the region this January as 6-foot-5 junior post Sean Rutledge will be eligible. He is a game-changing presence with his ability to score with his back to the basket and will give Coach JW Cantrell a very talented inside-out duo with Tidor on the perimeter. East Paulding’s best basketball is on the horizon as they look to shatter last year’s 8-win mark.
Paulding County
John Cook – 32 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 steals, 1 block
Trell Evans – 20 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Corleone Thomas – 17 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals
Keon Sedgwick – 9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 7 steals, 2 block
Kevin Brown – 7 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Jamal McIver – 5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 7 steals
East Paulding
Azer Tidor – 20 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Silas Johnson Jr. – 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Cole Brown – 9 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Ravon Melon – 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal
