Episode 2 features an exclusive interview with a current GHSA referee. Technical fouls, assignments, home cooking, the toughest calls to make and more are discussed as the stakes are at an all-time high as region tournaments and the state tournament approaches.
Shiloh 68, No. 1 Newton 57: The nationally ranked Rams were knocked from the ranks of the unbeatens as Shamarie McLeod scored 18 points and Brandon Blair and Brian Coffey both scored 11. Coffey added 7 assists. Greg James scored 10 points and TJ Massenburg had 7. In the loss, Isaiah Miller scored 24 and JD Notae had 21.
No. 7 Westlake 85, No. 3 Pebblebrook 76: The Lions swept Pebblebrook and regained control of Region 2 as Collin Sexton sat out with an injury. Chuma Okeke finished with a monstrous 36 points and 28 rebounds. In the loss, Dwight Murray posted 17 points and 4 assists. Mervin James had 16 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks.
No. 4 Norcross 73, Central Gwinnett 62: Rayshaun Hammonds led the Blue Devils with 15 points. Jordan Goldwire scored 12 and both Lance Thomas and Kyle Sturdivant finished with 11. Jalen Hillery led the Black Knights with 14 points.
No. 5 Berkmar 49, Meadowcreek 47: Indiana-signee Al Durham hit a jumper at the buzzer to edge the Mustangs. Durham finished with 12 points while Zach Cooks had 11 and Jay Estime finished with 10. The Patriots closed the game on a 13-0 run.
Discovery 44, No. 10 Mountain View 43: Kalu Ezikpe hit two free throws with 4.3 seconds left to knock off the Bears. Ezikpe finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Keshawn Overstreet had 10 points and 7 rebounds. Jaylen Bussey added on 9 points and 5 rebounds.
Roswell 58, Walton 52: Sophomore Miles Herron scored a game-high 16 for the Hornets. Jordan Merriman had 15 and Jayden Comma netted 12.
Mill Creek 50, Peachtree Ridge 47: Christian Mancillas led the Hawks with 13 points followed by freshman Kendall Latney and junior Chris Birch’s 8 apiece. Devin Vassell led the Lions with 18 points.
Collins Hill 73, Duluth 61: JaQuan Morris dropped in 23 points and Kenny Stanciel had 15 points and 7 rebounds. Max Clark tallied 8 points and 8 assists. Justin Lee finished with 9 points and 11 rebounds. Duluth received 16 points from Will Huzzie and 14 from Jalen Hodges.
Milton 78, Forsyth Central 59: Sophomore Donaven Hairston finished with 10 points, 3 steals and a block in the win for the Eagles.
Grayson 64, South Gwinnett 54: Kenyon Jackson had a breakout performance with 20 points, 15 rebounds, 3 steals and 5 blocks. Nick Edwards had 17 points and 5 rebounds. Travis Anderson scored 11 points. Terrell Greene had 6 points and 7 rebounds. Gerald Buncum grabbed 9 boards and blocked 2 shots.
Hillgrove 73, Marietta 54: For the 10th consecutive season, head coach Ed Morris has led his Hawks into the state tournament. Demierre Black scored 21 points and Jon Dabney added 14. Justin Davidson finished with 10 points.
No. 1 South Paulding 66, No. 6 Langston Hughes 64: After trailing by 11 points with 4 minutes remaining, the Spartans found a way to surge past the Panthers using a 17-4 run to close. Kane Williams had 19 points and 8 rebounds while Ja’Cori Wilson scored 19 to sweep the season series and earn a state playoff bid.
No. 2 Gainesville 90, Winder-Barrow 47: KJ Buffen posted a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds while adding 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks. Jarred Rosser had 18 points and 7 rebounds. Kajuan Hale added 9 points and 5 assists. Brent Kelly netted 9. Jarrel Rosser scored 8.
No. 3 Jonesboro 87, ML King 41: MJ Walker scored a game-high 28 points and added 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Jamari Smith posted 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. Jaylon Terrell had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
Northview 51, No. 4 Alpharetta 48: The Raiders were stunned at home by the visiting Titans who entered with just five wins on the year. Justin Brown and Zane Patel scored 14 apiece to lead the upset. Mason McBee netted 12.
No. 5 Lakeside-Evans 74, Heritage-Conyers 71: The Panthers swept the Patriots behind Deon Berrien’s 18 points and 10 rebounds and Kalen Williams’ 24 points and 3 boards. The Patriots were led by Isaiah Banks’ 26 points. Byron Abrams had 19 and Jordan Thomas scored 16.
Brunswick 71, No. 8 Richmond Hill 56: College of Charleston-signee Kymani Dunham was too much to handle inside posting 27 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. Daquan Humphreys scored 12. Jaylen Jackson added 11 points.
No. 10 Dacula 81, Habersham Central 18: Gary Bishop dropped 21 points, Mekhail Bethea had 15 and Arusha Hunter netted 14 as Dacula clinched a state tournament berth out of Region 8.
Dalton 83, South Cobb 70: The Catamounts defended their home floor and inched closer to a Region 6 title by beating the Eagles. Nasir Porter-Love exploded for 38 points while Jalen Westfield hit six threes and finished with 20 points.
Dunwoody 48, Chattahoochee 45: Sidi Diallo and Turner Nims scored 13 apiece for Dunwoody. Jeff Powell added 8 points.
Tri-Cities 78, Douglas County 74: June Lewis and Malik Battle scored 21 apiece in the loss for the Tigers.
Cambridge 70, Johns Creek 64 OT: Kamar Robertson led the Bears with 18 points. David Banks and Bryce Boutelle both had 11.
River Ridge 58, Creekview 57: Noah Fitzgerald scored 20 points, Christopher Williams had 15 and Cael Chatham netted 11 to beat the Grizzlies.
No. 1 Buford 63, Walnut Grove 46: David Viti and Dawson Wehunt both scored 12 points in the win. Nick Jones scored 12 and RJ Selman had 11 for the Warriors.
No. 3 Warner Robins 71, Houston County 48: Jacolbey Owens had 18 points, Jaydon Norman scored 12 and Nelson Phillips had 11 in the win. Zion Johnson scored a game-high 19 for the Bears in the loss.
No. 4 Miller Grove 63, Lithonia 50: Tae Hardy scored 17 points and Jalen Mason had 13 in the win. Maurice Harvey chipped in 10.
No. 5 Columbia 79, Chamblee 51: Kevon Eskridge buried eight three-pointers – six in the fourth quarter – to lead the Eagles with 26 points. Jalen Cobb added 16 and TJ Boykin scored 12. Kenton Eskridge finished with 11. Chamblee was outscored 32-7 in the fourth quarter. Odell Ferrell had 15 points, Glenn Robinson scored 14 and Jalen Knowlton had 10 but it wasn’t enough to survive Columbia’s three-point barrage of 13 on the night.
No. 7 Union Grove 79, Ola 35: Austin Atkins and Joel Fordyce scored 12 apiece for the Wolverines. Braelen Bridges had 10 and Donnell German scored 8.
No. 8 Riverwood 72, Lithia Springs 59: On Senior Night, Charnchai Chantha pumped in 22 points and dished out 10 assists. Josh Brown had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Rudy Fitzgibbons and Elijah Jenkins netted 11 apiece.
Cass 49, No. 9 Carrollton 40: CJ Bennett poured in a season-high 27 points to establish the Colonels as one of Region 7’s top teams.
Decatur 44, No. 10 Maynard Jackson 42: Terrill Hall had 14 points and Chalen Hippe had 13 in the win. Mikhail Johnson scored 8 and Uriah Pickens-Roberts netted 7 for the Bulldogs.
Flowery Branch 63, Clarke Central 57: The Falcons closed on a 17-1 run to stun the Gladiators. Brannon Clark finished with 27 points (17-18 FT), 7 rebounds and 3 assists. John Mills had 13 points, 4 assists and 4 steals while Justin Quick chipped in 10 points and 4 rebounds.
Stockbridge 56, Hampton 43: Quintus Evans scored 15 points to lead the Tigers. Brenton Cox added 11 points. Kelton Dawson netted 8.
McIntosh 59, Griffin 52: Cole Guenther led the Chiefs with 19 points. Chaz Hardin had 17 points and Joseph Cummings netted 15 in the win.
Kell 54, Hiram 50 OT: The Longhorns survived Hiram thanks to Savvon Delgado’s 21 points and Demetris Page’s 15. Caelon Ball chipped in 8 points and Wayne Bryant netted 7.
Eagle’s Landing 49, Woodland-Stockbridge 39: Mohammed Abubukar and Brandon Thomas scored 12 apiece. CJ Hood added 9 in the win.
Johnson-Gainesville 67, Loganville 52: Kylan Curry finished with 13 points and 10 assists to lead the Knights. The Red Devils got 11 points, 13 rebounds and 3 steals from Jamar Moore. Akil Covington added 7 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal in the loss.
No. 1 Upson-Lee 70, Howard 41: 10 different players scratch the scorebook on Upson-Lee’s Senior Night, as they start and play all five seniors in the first quarter. Travon Walker led the Knights with 15 points and 9 rebounds in just three quarters.
No. 2 Henry County 66, North Clayton 63: The Warhawks avoided a letdown on the road by edging the Eagles. Damion Rosser scored 19 points and Seth Brown had 17 in the win. Javon Greene netted 15. North Clayton was led by Michael Lee’s 22 points, Keondre Kennedy’s 16 and Jamal Buster’s 11.
No. 3 Americus-Sumter 69, Shaw 61: Kiante Sims collected a double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds to power the Panthers. Eric Hall had 11 points and 4 assists.
No. 4 Sandy Creek 67, Cedartown 44: Evan Jester had 23 points and 5 rebounds while Chris Porter produced 18 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Xavier Brewer finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds and KJ Wilkins pitched in 10 points and 5 assists.
No. 5 LaGrange 74, Chapel Hill 62: Laperion Perry scored a team-high 20 points for the Grangers. Kenan Gray and Bryan Fanning both added 13.
No. 7 Richmond Academy 68, Cross Creek 60: Moses Williams piled in 22 points followed by Jason Weaver’s 17 and DT Stephens’ 16. Jesse Marshall led Cross Creek with 16 points in the loss.
No. 9 St. Pius X 69, Jefferson 49: Matt Gonzalo had 13 points, 7 assists and 5 steals to ignite the Golden Lions. Carson Seramur scored 13 points and Troy Stephens added 10 points. Kasen Rainey led the Dragons with a game-high 20 points.
Pickens 69, Southeast Whitfield 50: Pickens received 19 points and 4 rebounds from Seth Bishop. Avery Luke and Hunter Hermann both scored 11 points. Blake Gorth finished with 9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks.
Blessed Trinity 64, White County 42: Ben Shappard scored a game-high 21 for the Titans. Kyle Swade and CJ Abrams both had 16 points. White County was led by John Ward’s 14 points and Dillon Wilson’s 10.
Stephens County 84, North Oconee 53: Deundra Singleton had 23 points to lead the Indians. Malik Feaster added 15 and Ty Nails scored 14.
Northwest Whitfield 58, Gilmer 55: Kyle McCutcheon netted 15 points to lead the Bruins. Grant Terrell scored 12 and Alex Hooker added 9.
No. 1 Westside-Macon 104, Jackson 71: Khavon Moore had 38 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists in front of Providence. Trey Foster added 24 points and 7 rebounds while Samone Reed produced 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Chris Lamar made a splash on Senior Night, drilling a deep fourth quarter three.
No. 2 Liberty County 111, Pierce County 79: For the fourth time this year, the Panthers erupted for over 100 points. Will Richardson became the fastest player to score 1,000 points as he dropped in 35 more tonight. Davion Mitchell netted 20 and Jyaunti Haggray had 18 to pace five players in double figures. Jaalon Frazier added 11 and Tyreon Freeman scored 10.
No. 6 Greater Atlanta Christian 64, Fannin County 42: Hunter McIntosh pumped in 23 points and Jeffrey Blake added 10 to lead the Spartans.
Dawson County 81, No. 7 East Hall 73: The Tigers stunned the Vikings behind Jeremiah Crumley’s 21 points and Joseph Cronin’s 17. Dawson County outscored the Vikings 32-19 in the fourth quarter. Kane Pelfrey (14) and Ryan Gallenkamp (11) also cracked double figures. Luke Cooper netted a game-high 26 for the Vikings. Sedrion Morse added 17 points while Mahki Brown (13) and Luke Holtzclaw (11) also were in double figures.
No. 8 Cedar Grove 54, Westminster 51: Devon Barnes had 13 points and 4 rebounds while Blake Austin posted 14 points to carry the Saints. Jamari Dean finished with 8 points and 10 rebounds. Omar Davis netted 8 points.
Crisp County 69, No. 9 Dougherty 65: Quentaivous Dean poured in 39 points and 7 rebounds as the Cougars upset Dougherty. Dean is now sitting at 998 career points.
Calhoun 81, Bremen 47: Malik Lawrence had 18 points and 6 assists for the Yellow Jackets. Chapin Rierson posted 12 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Chase Goble added 12 points, Davis Allen scored 8 and Kaylan Aker had 7 points and 4 rebounds.
Adairsville 52, Sonoraville 46: Ronald Hardin had 20 points and 5 rebounds in the upset win. Juan Perez added 9 points and 6 rebounds while James Sims posted 8 points and 7 boards.
No. 1 South Atlanta 104, BEST Academy 40: Jalen Stegall dropped a career-high 32 points and hit five three-pointers in the process. He also added 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals.
Vidalia 69, Toombs County 60: Tahj Jones banged in a game-high 31 points to power the Indians.
No. 4 Aquinas 89, Warren County 52: Tre Gomillion was a wrecking ball, posting 23 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Dajuan Hill had 19 points and 11 rebounds. Gerald Merriweather finished with 11 points and 2 assists. Jelani Shakir had 9 points and 6 assists while Trent Bowdre notched 9 points and 4 rebounds.
No. 8 Whitefield Academy 79, No. 3 St. Francis 74 OT: Senior guard Isaiah Hart was unstoppable for the Wolfpack, catching fire and throwing in 43 points. Jimmy McCarthy added 14 points. In the loss, CJ Riley had 19 points and 3 assists while Dwon Odom finished with 15 points and 5 assists. Chase Ellis had 15 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Sean Paradise added 12 points and 7 rebounds.
No. 6 Lakeview Academy 72, Riverside Military 45: Tre Gober scored 22 points and Drew Cottrell added 12 in the Region 8 victory. Josh Randolph recorded 10 rebounds and Ryan Lackey and Jack Blackburn tallied 7 and 5 assists, respectively.
Wesleyan 72, Atlanta International 41: Grant Frerking had 16 points followed by Christian McLean and JD Kavel’s 13 apiece. Sean McDonough netted 11.
Mt. Zion-Carroll 67, Gordon Lee 52: CJ Ackles scored 20 points, TJ Cagle had 19 and Christian Corn chipped in 10 in the win.
No. 6 Lincoln County 76, Taliaferro County 48: Ahmad Rand triple-doubled with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks. Freshmen Jalen Jackson and Zy Wright scored 15 and 12 points respectively.
No. 6 Lambert 71, South Forsyth 52: Jaleah Greene and Mandy Clarke both scored 13 points to pace the Longhorns. Molly Williams added 12 points. Summer Edwards finished with 10 points and 8 assists. Leah Cote had 9 points and 7 rebounds.
Marietta 63, Hillgrove 57: Taylor Smith scored 25 points and Tatiana Foster had 18 including going 8-for-8 from the line in the fourth quarter to clinch a playoff berth.
No. 2 Winder-Barrow 60, Gainesville 56: Taylor Hawks poured in 30 points but it wasn’t enough for the Red Elephants to earn a win on Senior Night.
No. 5 Northview 66, Alpharetta 58: Ashlee Austin finished with 18 points while Megan Cistulli and Asjah Inniss scored 13 apiece to balance the Lady Titans. Shannon Titus pitched in 12 points.
No. 10 Creekview 40, River Ridge 38: Sydney Rumble splashed in a three at the buzzer to knock off the Knights. Kennedy Cater scored 18 points to pace the Grizzlies. Hannah Fitzgerald scored 8 points and Emily Wilkie added 6.
Chattahoochee 49, Dunwoody 46: Siena Gore scored a game-high 22 points and Alayna Ford posted 13 points and 9 rebounds to carry the Cougars to a Region 7 victory.
Johns Creek 64, Cambridge 28: Sydney Tanguilig led the Gladiators with 15 points followed by Markeima Lancaster’s 14.
No. 3 Flowery Branch 51, Clarke Central 44: Lexie Sengkhamme netted 18 points to lead the Falcons. Queen Scott had 9 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Julianne Sutton finished with 9 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks while Janoah Williams chipped in 4 points and 6 rebounds. Taniyah Worth was held to 4 points and 6 rebounds.
No. 6 Griffin 59, McIntosh 55: The Bears survived McIntosh. The Lady Chiefs were led by Savannah Soles’ 15 points and Rylee Calhoun and Kennedi Miller’s 14 apiece. DeLayne Rotolo added 8.
No. 7 Villa Rica 62, Paulding County 30: Deasia Merrill had 13 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks. Jaila Orozco had 11 points and 7 rebounds. Emerald Parham netted 9 points and handed out 2 assists.
No. 8 Eagle’s Landing 49, Woodland-Stockbridge 37: Kiera Howard paced the Eagles with 14 points. Reyonna Hopkins scored 8 points and Jaleah Storr added 7. Ashley Foster and Sahara Wells chipped in 6 points apiece.
Starr’s Mill 65, Riverdale 51: Freshman Ashtyn Lally led the Panthers with 17 points.
Woodland-Cartersville 46, East Paulding 44: Lexie Robinson scored 12 and Carli Clymer and Jamison Kilgo scored 11 apiece to get the Wildcats their second win of the season.
No. 3 West Hall 47, Chestatee 27: Avery Prather and Anna McKendree both scored 10 points in the win. Megan English had 8 and Danielle Hinkelman added 6 points.
No. 5 North Oconee 59, Stephens County 24: Emma Weynand netted a game-high 20 points followed by Camryn Williams’ 13 points. Keller Barks added 6 points and 6 assists.
North Clayton 62, No. 9 Henry County 50: After starting the season 1-7, North Clayton won its 11th straight and moved their record to 14-9. Dalania Clardy scored 17 points and Monea Battle added 16 in the win. Henry County received 21 points and 17 rebounds from Usoreia McWhorter and 15 points from Brooke Moore.
No. 10 Northwest Whitfield 74, Gilmer 44: Nicole Bates dropped in a team-high 17 points. Bria Clemmons added 13 points, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Hallie Brooker netted 12 points and had 4 assists and 2 blocks. Rylee Meret scored 10 points.
Pickens 57, Southeast Whitfield 51: Autumn Young and Madison McClure scored 11 apiece for the Nettes. Taylor Wigington chipped in 10 in the win.
No. 1 Beach 56, Jenkins 32: Judasia Hills double-doubled with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Madison Evans collected 9 points and 5 steals. Maryyana Page finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
No. 5 Calhoun 68, Bremen 55: Jana Johns hung 29 points and 14 rebounds. Cassie Henderson added 17 points and Ashlyn Barnes finished with 7 points and 9 rebounds. Ryan Brzozoski netted 6 points.
East Hall 54, Dawson County 48: Carly Winters led the Vikings with 17 points. Kylah Mize netted 15 and Macy Thomas chipped in 12 points. Maggie Griffin finished with 7 points.
Sonoraville 54, Adairsville 47: Josie Summerville led the way with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Nakiyah Washington had 13 points and 5 rebounds.
No. 2 Dodge County 49, Southwest-Macon 40: Jurnee Powell scored 14, Tierra Hamilton added 12 and Haley Holloway finished with 10 points in the win.
No. 4 Fitzgerald 63, Berrien 52: Kirstin Crook powered the Hurricane attack with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. T’Kayshza King finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. Shalynn Thornton scored 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Hayleigh Ross and Briana Richardson both scored 8 points.
No. 5 Rabun County 69, Social Circle 31: Hallie Reeves finished with 13 points, 5 assists and 8 steals while Georgia Stockton added 13 points and 2 steals. Brooke Henricks chipped in 11 points and 7 rebounds.
No. 7 Bryan County 64, St. Vincent’s 32: Julianne Brown poured in 28 points. Olanna Rawls tossed in 12 points followed by Yasmine Crawford’s 8. Shelby Gunn added 6 points.
Hapeville Charter 61, Douglass 57: In front of Mercer, 2018 guard Shekinah Howard finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Kaniya Thomas added 14 points and 5 assists. Gayla Bostic chipped in 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Athens Academy 43, Athens Christian 32: Gabby Mastandrea had 20 points and Jarrett Kemp posted 9 points and 10 rebounds to move the Spartans to 14-9 overall.
Savannah Christian 40, Portal 22: Mary Price Brown powered the Raiders with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 7 steals.
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It was a status quo week in Class AAAAAAA with everyone winning out except for Marietta (18-5), who drops from the poll. The Blue Devils beat North Cobb 57-51 and 42-29, but sandwiched in between was an ugly 76-40 loss to rival No. 2 McEachern. The Lady Indians also blew out North Paulding 87-48. Replacing Marietta is No. 10 South Forsyth. The War Eagles have won four straight games entering their Region 5 showdown with No. 6 Lambert on Tuesday. The Longhorns clipped the War Eagles 67-58 in their first meeting. Down in South Georgia, No. 8 Colquitt County looks determined to stay in the rankings and is officially the cream of the crop out of Region 1. The Packers crushed Tift County 62-27 after losing 56-53 in overtime on the road in their first meeting and drilled Camden County 66-35.
Things are starting to get sticky in Class AAAAAA but Harrison still holds onto their No. 1 ranking after suffering a 64-45 loss at Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis. Without guards Sydne Wiggins (Rice) and Harper Vick, the Hoyas held their own against the Knights and their pair of McDonald’s All-Americans (Maya Dodson – Stanford, Kasi Kushkituah – Tennessee). A 15-3 second quarter put the game out of reach, but Harrison remained competitive behind Avery Jordan’s 12 points off four threes. The top five teams in Region 4 all lost this week, leading to some shuffling. Lovejoy was upset by Mundy’s Mill 49-41 after beating No. 8 Tucker on the road 42-37. The loss sees the Wildcats slip three spots to No. 6. Tucker rebounded with a 62-50 win over No. 9 Stephenson, but proceeded to lose against Class AAAAA No. 2 Southwest DeKalb 46-41. Over in Region 5, No. 3 Douglas County turned back No. 7 Mays for the second time this season, 63-54. Even with the loss the Raiders creep up two spots. Don’t sleep on Mays. Out of their 8 losses, five have come out of state, two have come against Douglas County and one came against Class AA No. 1 Laney. No. 5 Northview broke the school record in wins with a dominant 76-52 win over Region 7 foe Johns Creek. Gainesville (15-6) was the lone casualty this week after losing to Lanier 64-58. They are replaced by No. 10 Creekview.
In Class AAAAA, No. 1 Buford took care of No. 3 Flowery Branch for the second time this year 51-46, but were blown out at home by Class A-Private No. 3 Wesleyan 73-50. Even with their lopsided loss, the Wolves retain the top ranking. No. 2 Southwest DeKalb climbs over the Falcons after Flowery Branch fell to Class AAA No. 2 Greater Atlanta Christian 66-58. Griffin suffered their first loss of the season at Columbia, 52-48, dropping the Bears two spots to No. 6. Carrollton is on the rise, moving up to No. 4 with their second victory over No. 7 Villa Rica 58-52 in Region 7. Harris County (16-4) drops out after losing at No. 5 Warner Robins 53-46. Something stinks in the state of Denmark as Maynard Jackson sinks from No. 5 to No. 10. The Jaguars had some peculiar results this week. They beat Carver-Atlanta 63-59 and Lithia Springs 56-53 before falling to Decatur 47-44. Though the loss to Decatur is a bit shocking, the two wins are interesting as well considering in their first meetings they beat Carver 76-39 and Lithia Springs 70-28. Maynard Jackson visits Decatur in a rematch on Tuesday with first-place on the line in Region 6.
There is a changing of the guard in Class AAAA as North Oconee relinquishes their hold on the No. 1 spot and slips to No. 5 after suffering a 56-48 loss to Jefferson, who skyrockets back into the poll at No. 4 after grabbing ahold of first-place in Region 8. It is now Cross Creek’s turn to have the No. 1 ranking target on their back. The Razorbacks, powered by 6-foot-2 power post and Memphis-signee Alana Davis, have lost just one game in the state of Georgia. They were defeated by Class AAAAAA No. 4 Grovetown 65-63 on the road in overtime before getting their revenge 57-51 on Dec. 30. Davis averages 17.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 4.1 blocks as one of the state’s premier low block scorers. The next highest riser aside from Jefferson is No. 2 Americus-Sumter. The defending state champion Panthers beat No. 6 Columbus in overtime 49-46 to move up four spots. Senior Timia Swanson dropped in 17 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 1 block. On the year, the 5-foot-9 forward is averaging team-bests of 18.5 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.7 steals. Near the bottom of the poll, No. 7 Heritage-Catoosa took down No. 10 Northwest Whitfield 65-51. Sandy Creek (15-6) lost at Chapel Hill 59-46 and at last-place Cartersville 34-32, leading to the Patriots to drop out.
The best rivalry in the entire state lived up to its billing as No. 1 Beach won the season series against No. 3 Johnson-Savannah, scoring a 52-49 road win in Region 3-AAA. The Atomsmashers lose their grip on the No. 2 spot and are overtaken by Greater Atlanta Christian, who defeated Class AAAAA No. 3 Flowery Branch 66-58 after handling East Hall 71-49 on the road. No. 5 Calhoun defeated visiting No. 9 Haralson County 74-65, dropping the Rebels five spots. Monroe sinks five spots as well to No. 10 after they were beaten by poll debutant No. 7 Cook, 68-43. Cook now grabs ahold of first-place in Region 1. With the Hornets’ arrival in the Top 10, Hart County (19-4) drops out after a 49-48 loss to Morgan County.
Class AA No. 2 Dodge County dispatched of Class A-Public No. 2 Telfair County on the road 58-48 to make up for an early season 66-64 loss. Rabun County was edged by No. 6 Banks County 49-45, dropping the Wildcats to No. 5. Region 2 is getting messy as Bryan County (9-3), Swainsboro (10-2) and Vidalia (9-2) go 7-8-9 in the poll with Swainsboro holding a slim lead for first-place. The Tigers beat Bryan County 54-51 before the Redskins pounded Vidalia 60-35. Heard County (16-6) and Hapeville Charter (14-6) depart from the poll. The Braves lost 19-18 to Temple and 44-42 at Jordan while the Hornets were upset at South Atlanta 70-65. Swainsboro and No. 10 Dade County return to the Top 10.
Class A-Private’s top three schools are the best top three out of any classification. No. 1 St. Francis beat Class AAAAAA No. 1 Harrison 64-45, No. 2 Holy Innocents’ beat No. 3 Wesleyan for the second time 81-74 before the Wolves took a bite out of Class AAAAA No. 1 Buford 73-50 at the Buford City Schools Arena. No. 5 Calvary Day finally solved Class A-Public No. 3 Woodville-Tompkins 64-63. Stratford Academy (14-5) and First Presbyterian Day (14-5) fall out. The Eagles beat the Vikings in overtime 45-39 but lost at Tattnall Square Academy 52-46. Into the poll for the first time is No. 9 Aquinas (17-5) and returnee No. 10 Fellowship Christian.
Mitchell County (15-5) was knocked from the Class A-Public Top 10 after a 54-41 loss to No. 1 Pelham and a 36-32 loss to Worth County. Greenville moves ahead of Wheeler County for the No. 4 spot following the Bulldogs’ tough 62-51 loss at No. 3 Woodville-Tompkins. No. 6 Marion County rides a 10-game winning streak into Tuesday’s showdown with Greenville. Treutlen (15-6) was defeated by No. 2 Telfair County 70-46, dropping the Vikings from the rankings. Back into the statewide picture is No. 9 Wilcox County and No. 10 Taylor County.
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Things are starting to return to normalcy in Class AAAAAAA. Lowndes (18-4) and Roswell (18-4) couldn’t last a week in the ever competitive Top 10. A 71-40 win over Camden County wasn’t enough to save the Vikings from falling out after a 61-46 loss to Madison County, FL. The Hornets were stung by Etowah, 51-46. No. 8 Lambert held up their end of the bargain, beating Milton 95-86. Replacing Lowndes and Roswell are No. 9 Tift County and first-time poll entry in school history, No. 10 Mountain View. Tift County rocked Colquitt County 60-40 on the road and added a 77-54 win over Coffee. The Bears may be just 6-5 in Region 6, but their overall record and their latest 53-48 win at Collins Hill is enough to give Mountain View a shot. Over in Region 2, Wheeler moves up two spots to No. 6 after beating No. 7 Westlake 78-63 at home. The Wildcats then faltered at the Cobb Civic Center against No. 3 Pebblebrook, squandering a 14-point lead and losing 80-77. Collin Sexton scored 35, an encore from his 53-point Senior Night performance against rival Campbell in a 104-88 victory.
In Class AAAAAA, No. 1 South Paulding has continued to find ways to win the close game. They edged No. 9 Alexander 52-50 on Friday and won at New Manchester 67-63. No. 2 Gainesville is the most talented team in the state in their classification, but there’s always something threatening to hold back the Red Elephants. This time it’s combo guard Xavier Bledson bruising his tailbone. Even without Bledson, like he has all year long, head coach Benjie Wood has found a way to keep his team focused and has leaned on their exceptional depth to win games using a “next man-up” approach. Gainesville escaped Top 10 returnee No. 10 Dacula 63-59 on the road. With Bledson out, Mike White and Kajuan Hale picked up the slack combining for 30 points. The biggest movers this week are No. 4 Alpharetta, No. 5 Lakeside-Evans and No. 7 Glynn Academy. Langston Hughes’ bad 60-52 loss at Mays has dropped the Panthers two spots while Richmond Hill sinks three spots to No. 8, paving the way for the Raiders, Panthers and Terrors to climb. Glynn Academy is debuting for the first time this year. They are red hot in Region 2, winning seven straight including a 60-57 victory over Richmond Hill and a 71-63 win against Brunswick, paced by Durand Green’s 39 points. South Cobb (18-5) exits the poll after a 74-61 loss against Harrison. Things don’t get any easier this week as they travel to Dalton (17-4) on Tuesday with first-place up for grabs in Region 6.
Alex Jones poured in 37 points to keep No. 1 Buford undefeated in Region 8-AAAAA, leading the Wolves to a 74-61 win over Flowery Branch. No. 4 Miller Grove gets its golden sticker victory, beating region rival No. 5 Columbia 63-58 behind Tae Hardy’s 28 points and big man Kevin Paige’s 14. Fayette County tumbles to No. 6 after an upset loss at Starr’s Mill, 69-59. Stockbridge (15-9), New Hampstead (15-6) and Eagle’s Landing (15-6) all depart from the rankings. The Phoenix and Eagles haven’t quite lived up to their lofty expectations just yet. New Hampstead was upset at Ware County 59-57 while Eagle’s Landing’s slide in Region 4 continued, losing to Jones County 55-53. New Region 4 leader, Union Grove, is back in the Top 10 at No. 7. No. 8 Riverwood also reappears. In for the first time this season is No. 9 Carrollton. The Trojans are winners of eight straight and host Cass in a big Region 7 showdown with a share of first-place in the balance.
Baldwin (14-8), Perry (18-5) and Salem (15-7) all fall out from the Class AAAA rankings, the Braves losing back-to-back games, the Panthers upset at Dooly County 55-53 and the Seminoles losing to both No. 2 Henry County (55-52) and Druid Hills (63-54). Moving back in are familiar faces No. 8 Eastside, No. 9 St. Pius X and No. 10 Thomson. Now forget about everything else and focus in on Region 5. It goes: No. 4 Sandy Creek, No. 5 LaGrange and No. 6 Cartersville. Try to follow the bouncing ball. LaGrange beat Cartersville on Tuesday 67-52. Cartersville beat Sandy Creek at home on Friday 94-88 in overtime. The Patriots bounced back the next day and blew out the Grangers 85-63. Everything looks right as the Patriots remain at No. 4, LaGrange only falls two spots after a 22-point loss and Cartersville moves up two spots after splitting with the two best teams in the region.
Don’t look now but No. 2 Liberty County is officially surging in Class AAA. The defending Class AAAA champions are now fully healthy and are taking no prisoners along the way. The Panthers crushed Brantley County 101-56 and got revenge against Brunswick 71-56. Will Richardson is a star and senior Davion Mitchell (Auburn) has taken a backseat after having to carry the load his first three seasons. Richardson splashed in nine three-pointers en route to 35 points against Brantley County while Mitchell netted 24. Against Brunswick, Richardson hung 41 more points as Mitchell added 18. Greater Atlanta Christian falls from No. 2 to No. 6 after No. 7 East Hall and coach Joe Dix masterfully defeated the bigger Spartans 74-57 and now have a share of the Region 7 lead. Central-Macon stumbled at Rutland, losing 58-56 and in the process lose their place in the Top 10. The Chargers are replaced by No. 10 Islands.
Class AA juggernaut No. 1 South Atlanta barely survived Hapeville Charter 66-63. Hapeville is on the precipice of being ranked after winning nine out of their last 10 games, but they must wait at least another week. . Putnam County (16-6) fell to Morgan County 66-55 in a tough fought game. They are replaced by No. 9 Monticello, who hosts the War Eagles on Friday. Augusta’s Region 4 continues to be a mess for more than just the action on the floor. Josey falls two spots to No. 8 after losing to Westside-Augusta 51-48. No. 3 Laney defeated No. 6 Butler 67-64 in overtime. The trading of wins and losses makes the region tough to rank as it is, but it’s nearly impossible to get a proper gauge of what’s going on out East as half the teams in the region don’t understand how to use MaxPreps and input their scores. Who knows what’s going on with Westside? I don’t. It says they are only 6-7 overall which can’t be possible. Maybe they are a good team (5-2 region record) but no one will ever know because their coaching staff isn’t doing their job and aren’t reporting scores. The same goes for Laney, who is missing a handful of results. If you’re in the Augusta area, pass the word on: Do your job so I can do mine.
No. 1 Greenforest is still the team to beat in Class A-Private and cemented that by drilling No. 5 Southwest Atlanta Christian 85-58. No. 6 Lakeview Academy handed No. 10 Tallulah Falls its first loss of the season, 59-51. Holy Innocents’ sinks to No. 9 after being dropped by a much improved Wesleyan team, 72-51. Golden Bears leading scorer Cole Smith has been out with jumper’s knee and hopes to return before the state playoffs.
In Class A-Public, No. 1 Calhoun County took it to No. 4 Quitman County 75-52. The Hornets lost for the second time this year to Eufala, AL 74-65 before their region showdown with the Cougars. After a pair of losses, Quitman County rebounded with a 76-64 win over No. 9 Randolph-Clay. No. 3 Wilkinson County keeps climbing after drilling Twiggs County 85-59, First Presbyterian Day 55-37 and knocking Macon County (15-7) from the poll 72-64. Taylor County (14-4) and Hawkinsville (14-9) are gone as well. Crawford County defeated Taylor County 61-53 and the Vikings turned around and beat the Red Devils 56-49, but it’s not enough to hold onto a spot. All returning are No. 6 Lincoln County, No. 8 Wilcox County and No. 10 Central-Talbotton. The Red Devils of Lincoln County are finally back in the Top 10 after falling out in Week 3 due to not tipping off the season until Dec. 13. Reigning Class A-Public Player of the Year 6-foot-7 Ahmad Rand has received help from Javon Reid and Maciah Gunby along with a handful of talented freshmen.
No. 4 @LobCitySouth at No. 8 @HoopsCanes pic.twitter.com/bTHD3wPLcg
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 28, 2017
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.
3:50
No. 4 @LobCitySouth 11
No. 8 @HoopsCanes 8@J5_Hoops with the steal and dime to Eric Williams pic.twitter.com/wPTH24DO9E— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 28, 2017
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.
Pull up 3 for @_jaypugh_11. He adds another.
40-33 @HoopsCanes lead with 9.9 left in 2Q. pic.twitter.com/6EqlKuvAsW
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 28, 2017
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
4Q; 3:59
No. 8 @HoopsCanes 72
No. 4 @LobCitySouth 68Fun finish in store, especially with this guy having a whistle. pic.twitter.com/LymvitcGmh
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 28, 2017
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.
5.3@HoopsCanes to the line tied at 80! pic.twitter.com/puoN6KHZIk
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 28, 2017
Orr missed both free throws and Kameron Miller’s half court heave was off target, sending the game to overtime.
We have OVERTIME!
No. 4 @LobCitySouth 80
No. 8 @HoopsCanes 80 pic.twitter.com/1LTlGt2i1Q— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 28, 2017
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.
F/OT
No. 8 @HoopsCanes 94
No. 4 @LobCitySouth 88@_jaypugh_11 26p 8r
TJ Horton 20p
Trase Fezzia 13p 6a@kjwilkins11 24p@evanjester 22p 8r pic.twitter.com/EH78CpAq1c
— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) January 28, 2017
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.
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
