Tag Archives: Girls

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 5 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Westlake (6-0)
  2. Collins Hill (9-1)
  3. Norcross (10-1)
  4. Newton (9-1)
  5. Cherokee (9-1)
  6. North Forsyth (8-1)
  7. South Gwinnett (9-1)
  8. North Cobb (8-1)
  9. McEachern (5-3)
  10. Colquitt County (6-2) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Harrison (7-2)
  2. Alpharetta (9-0)
  3. Northview (7-2)
  4. Lovejoy (9-1)
  5. Winder-Barrow (7-1)
  6. Sequoyah (8-1)
  7. Lanier (8-2)
  8. Forest Park (7-2)
  9. Northside-Warner Robins (7-1)
  10. Tucker (5-3) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (8-0)
  2. Flowery Branch (6-2)
  3. Dutchtown (9-1)
  4. Harris County (6-0)
  5. Bainbridge (11-2)
  6. Villa Rica (8-0)
  7. Maynard Jackson (6-0)
  8. Eagle’s Landing (8-4)
  9. Carrollton (3-2)
  10. Southwest DeKalb (4-3)

Class AAAA

  1. Carver-Columbus (9-0)
  2. Henry County (10-0)
  3. Spalding (10-0)
  4. Luella (9-1)
  5. Northwest Whitfield (8-1)
  6. Madison County (4-3)
  7. Baldwin (7-0)
  8. Marist (7-1)
  9. Americus-Sumter (9-1)
  10. Jefferson (5-3) 

Class AAA

  1. Greater Atlanta Christian (8-1)
  2. Beach (11-0)
  3. Franklin County (9-0)
  4. Lovett (9-1)
  5. Johnson-Savannah (7-3)
  6. Central-Macon (4-1)
  7. Haralson County (4-0)
  8. Peach County (7-2)
  9. Dawson County (6-2)
  10. Hart County (4-3)

Class AA

  1. Laney (7-0)
  2. Rabun County (7-0)
  3. Swainsboro (8-0)
  4. Model (8-2)
  5. Putnam County (7-0)
  6. Banks County (5-2)
  7. Dodge County (9-1)
  8. Fitzgerald (3-1)
  9. Dublin (6-1)
  10. Washington County (5-1) 

Class A-Private

  1. Holy Innocents’ (7-1)
  2. Wesleyan (6-1)
  3. St. Francis (5-2)
  4. Our Lady of Mercy (8-1)
  5. Christian Heritage (8-1)
  6. Stratford Academy (4-2)
  7. Landmark Christian (5-4)
  8. Calvary Day (8-1)
  9. Fellowship Christian (2-3)
  10. Lakeview Academy (3-3)

Class A-Public

  1. Telfair County (9-1)
  2. Greenville (7-0)
  3. Terrell County (7-1)
  4. Pelham (8-1)
  5. Wheeler County (6-2)
  6. Macon County (4-1)
  7. Woodville-Tompkins (7-3)
  8. Marion County (6-1)
  9. Mitchell County (4-1)
  10. Georgia Military College (8-0)

It’s still early in Class AAAAAAA, but as of right now, it looks like we might officially have a few new leaders in the clubhouse to win the state championship as No. 9 McEachern continues to fall back into the pack. The Lady Indians were beat by debutant No. 8 North Cobb on the road, 57-51. The Lady Warriors’ only loss this season has come to No. 5 Cherokee, 58-44. The Lady Warriors from Canton picked up a 54-39 win at River Ridge while No. 4 Newton hammered a good Grayson team 63-43 and slipped past Mill Creek 58-54. Cherokee and Newton benefit the most from McEachern and No. 10 Colquitt County’s slides. The Lady Packers were knocked off by Class 5A No. 5 Bainbridge 47-42 and now have the unenviable task of playing No. 1 Westlake at the Peach State Holiday Classic on Wednesday. The Lions are coming off an 85-54 mauling of Douglas County. No. 2 Collins Hill is hot on Westlake’s track, scoring impressive wins over Mountain View (81-33) and Class 6A No. 1 Harrison (42-39) at the Queens of the Hardwood Classic. Brookwood (5-2) exits from the poll after losing to Class 6A No. 7 Lanier.

Yes, that’s right, we have a new No. 1 in Class AAAAAA: No. 1 Harrison. Even with the Lady Hoyas’ 42-39 loss to Class 7A No. 2 Collins Hill, Harrison showed they can impose their will and control the tempo of any game. They defeated Region 6 opponent River Ridge 59-48 prior to their loss. No. 4 Lovejoy lost their hold of No. 1 thanks to a 56-53 loss to Stephenson (6-4) who drops out of the rankings after losing to No. 10 Tucker 48-38. Lovejoy played without star sophomore Anaya Boyd due to an eye injury, but with the stakes so high and the top teams so even, there is limited room for error. Region 7 now places teams two and three in No. 2 Alpharetta and No. 3 Northview. They will clash for first-place on January 4 at Alpharetta. The Lady Titans have a tough road ahead before worrying about the Lady Raiders. They tip-off the Deep South Classic against Hillgrove at Brookwood on the 28th. Lovejoy wasn’t the only team to falter this week as No. 5 Winder-Barrow is down two spots following their upset 63-58 loss to No. 7 Lanier, who reenters the poll. The Longhorns also beat Brookwood 48-46 behind Jamyah Montissol’s 21 points – 12 coming in the fourth quarter. No. 8 Forest Park beat Tucker 62-44 in convincing fashion. No. 9 Northside-Warner Robins earned a 43-36 win over Class 3A No. 6 Central-Macon.

Defending Class AAAAA state champion No. 1 Buford turned back No. 2 Flowery Branch for the fourth straight time dating back to last season, 58-48, but it still seems like the Lady Falcons are the team best equipped to challenge the Lady Wolves for a state title. No. 6 Villa Rica is making some noise, beating No. 9 Carrollton in Region 7 play, 67-60, dropping the Lady Trojans down six spots. Carrollton swept Villa Rica last year, but now it looks like the Wildcats are the early favorite to win the region. With Carrollton’s loss and No. 8 Eagle’s Landing’s 54-52 loss to Memphis Central at the Queens of the Hardwood Classic, No. 3 Dutchtown, No. 4 Harris County and No. 5 Bainbridge all rise into the Top 5. Dutchtown beat a good Locust Grove team 70-62 while Bainbridge took down Class 7A No. 10 Colquitt County 47-42 at Colquitt.

There will be a Class AAAA state championship rematch on Tuesday as No. 1 Carver-Columbus hosts rival Columbus. It will take a herculean effort for the Blue Devils to upset Class AAAA’s heavy state title favorite. No. 2 Henry County struggled with Eastside’s junk defense, double and triple-teaming Auburn-signee Brooke Moore, but Moore finally broke free late in the second half to help the War Hawks win 59-44. No. 10 Jefferson sinks five spots after losing at No. 6 Madison County 58-56. The Red Raiders held their own this week after losing in overtime to Class 2A No. 6 Banks County. They scored their win against Jefferson and followed up with a 64-56 win over Class 3A No. 10 Hart County. No. 5 Northwest Whitfield has a Region 6 showdown with red-hot 8-0 Pickens County. Coach Brandon Thomas has the Dragonettes clicking on all cylinders, but they haven’t played a well-oiled machine like the Lady Bruins. West Hall (7-4) exits the rankings after losing 46-44 at No. 8 Marist and to Banks County 55-36. No. 9 Americus-Sumter gets a crack at the Top 10 out of Region 1. Jykeria Long is averaging 14.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 5 steals for the Panthers.

While Class AAA No. 1 GAC has been taking care of business with wins over East Hall (78-44) and Mountain View (90-53), No. 2 Beach has done the same down on the coast. The defending state champs won their title game rematch with bitter rival No. 5 Johnson-Savannah 53-42 and will play the Atomsmashers again today for the Memorial Health Holiday Classic Championship. No. 6 Central-Macon is down three spots after a tough loss to Class 6A No. 9 Northside Warner-Robins, 43-36. North Murray (9-3) departs from the rankings following losses to Calhoun (49-44) and Murray County (53-45). Into the poll is No. 8 Peach County, who has played extremely well without Southern Miss-signee Daishai Almond, who suffered a season ending knee injury in the summer.

No. 1 Laney had a scare in Class AA, struggling to put away Butler 68-54. They rebounded however with an 80-57 win at Mays. No. 8 Fitzgerald falls five spots after a bad 60-55 loss at Cook. Last week’s teams four through eight all rise a position.  No. 6 Banks County could have jumped higher, but a 75-74 overtime setback against East Hall keeps their movement to a minimum. The Lady Leopards have played as tough a schedule as anyone in Class AA, earning wins over Class 4A No. 6 Madison County in overtime 60-53 and beating West Hall 55-36 last week. Berrien (8-3) disappears from the rankings following a 50-48 loss to Early County. They are replaced by No. 10 Washington County. The Golden Hawks have won five-straight including a 56-45 win over Bleckley County.

In Class A-Private, No. 1 Holy Innocents’ beat Lebanon (TN) 71-55 at the She Got Game Classic.  No. 2 Wesleyan raced past Fayette County 83-58 and No. 3 St. Francis fell to Hoover (AL) 53-51 at the Queens of the Hardwood Classic. No. 4 Our Lady of Mercy beat No. 9 Fellowship Christian 52-41, Florida State-signee Morgan Jones outscoring the Paladins with 42 points. No. 5 Christian Heritage is up five spots following their 57-42 win over Pinecrest Academy (3-4) knocking the Lady Paladins from the Top 10. Sisters Meghan and Kelsey Schneller are the twin engines for Coach Maggie Peeples’ Lions. Athens Academy (6-2) falls from the rankings after losing to returnee No. 10 Lakeview Academy 61-51. Making their first appearance in the poll is No. 8 Calvary Day. The Savannah-based Cavaliers hold wins over Jenkins (46-29) and Richmond Hill (54-39) to legitimize their resume.

Just like on the boys side, we have a state-altering upset in Class A-Public. No. 4 Pelham tumbles three spots after losing at No. 3 Terrell County 61-60, the Green Wave surging up five spots. That means defending state runner-up No. 1 Telfair County grabs the driver’s seat in Class A-Public after the Hornets were ranked No. 1 wire-to-wire last season. The Lady Trojans beat No. 5 Wheeler County for the second time this year on Saturday, 75-64 on the road. Ny’Asia Howard dropped 25 points while India Wells netted 22 and Brandy Mackey and Vashay Tillis each added 8 points. No. 8 Marion County suffered a bad loss to 2-5 Taylor County, 47-42, dropping the Eagles three spots. Wilcox County (6-3) exits the Top 10 after losing at Class 2A No. 7 Dodge County 50-34. They are replaced by undefeated No. 10 Georgia Military College. The Lady Bulldogs have gotten a spark from 5-foot-9 freshman Deandria Stephens, who is averaging 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals per game.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

6A No. 2 Harrison controls tempo, but 7A No. 2 Collins Hill grinds out 42-39 win

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Contributed by Rob Grubbs  (@RCGJr226070)

Sponsored by:   @sportalspace

7ANo. 2 Collins Hill 42, 6ANo. 2 Harrison 39

Harrison was able to neutralize Collins Hill’s size advantage for most of the game

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. – In men’s basketball, most games are won with athleticism and skill, the tallest players and those that leap the highest usually determine the outcome.  But the ladies game has more room for diversity of style, it can be more of a tactical match of wits and the ability for the head coach to relate and motivate his team.  In the nightcap of the Queens of the Hardwood Classic, two of the best teams in the state faced off with completely different roster styles. The Harrison Lady Hoyas (7-2), who lost the state championship last season to Mays by one point, are currently ranked No. 2 in Class AAAAAA while Collins Hill (9-1) is ranked No. 2 in Class AAAAAAA. Harrison has a small quick line-up, they start four guards and a forward, while Collins Hill is exactly the opposite, they start four forwards and one guard. The game was a low scoring affair as the Lady Hoyas dictated the pace, but the Lady Eagles held on for the 42-39 win.

Collins Hill has All-State forward 6-foot-2 Jada Rice (NC State) and University of Georgia-commit 6-foot-3 Jayvn Nicholson and as Head Coach Brian Harmon said, “We prefer to work our offense inside and which opens up our outside shots.”

That is how the game started, Nicholson scored the first basket in the paint for Collins Hill to set the tone early. The Lady Hoyas prefer to run a motion offense with multiple passes and controlling the ball for long periods of time. Their typical possession contained up to 15 passes as they looked for the open shot, with the entire team working in orchestrated precision that resembles synchronized swimming in some instances. You could sense that the Lady Eagles’ height inside was affecting Harrison, as most of their shots had a much higher arch than normal and at the halfway mark of the first quarter, the Lady Hoyas still had not scored a point. Senior Harper Vick finally broke the ice with a three at 3:34 mark in opening quarter to tie the game at 3.

The change of pace from Harrison caused frustration for Collins Hill, with the Lady Hoyas controlling offensive possessions for long periods of time, they effectively took away what the Lady Eagles do best. The patience was paying off for Harrison as they jumped out to a 10-8 lead after the initial quarter.

https://twitter.com/RCGJr226070/status/942228628410073088

With their post players effectively neutralized, Collins Hill showed that to be a champion you must adapt, and junior guard Bria Harmon (Purdue) took control of the Lady Eagle offense, hitting a runner early in the second quarter to tie the game up. Harmon, who is a Gwinnett Daily Post Super 6 pick (along with Nicholson) and Coach Harmon’s daughter, continued to look for scoring opportunities throughout the game.

Coach Harmon called upon junior Katherine Fourie off the bench to supplement the scoring and she came up big. She entered the game with the Lady Hoyas up 16-14 and scored six points in less than two minutes, including a three to push Collins Hill to a 22-16 halftime lead.

https://twitter.com/RCGJr226070/status/942232136723193857

Coach Harmon said, “Katherine can provide instant offense for us, which we needed, I just had to figure the right moments to get her in there.”

When he put her in, she came through, as she led all scorers with 15 points, all of them clutch.

Harrison continued the game plan in the third but behind Harmon, the Lady Eagles were slowly growing the lead behind Harmon and with the clock clicking down in the third quarter, Lady Hoya senior guard Sarah Woghiren hit a three at the buzzer to turn a 9-point deficit into a more manageable 31-25 game entering the fourth.

After a Jaron Stallworth basket, the Lady Eagles were up 37-30 with 4 minutes remaining, but Harrison head coach Steve Lenahan, in his 10th season, saw his plan coming into focus as the Lady Hoyas scored six unanswered to pull within one point with two minutes left.

Harrison had two possessions to take the lead but could not convert on either one and then “instant offense” Fourie hit a three-pointer with 1:13 remaining that seemed to ice the game at 40-36.

The Lady Hoyas didn’t bring the word quit with them on the bus from Kennesaw and when Vick converted a free throw to complete a three-point play to bring the game to 40-39 with 37 seconds, they were just a turnover away from another chance to snatch a win. However, Collins Hill broke the press and Nicholson hit two free throws to ice the game for the 42-39 win.

Coach Harmon was frustrated but pleased with the outcome. He closed with, “We have to do a better job of forcing our tempo instead of just allowing ourselves to play our opponents game, that is the lesson that we learned tonight.”

He had a classroom-style chat with the team on the bench for about ten minutes before they headed home.  Hopefully, it is a lesson his team learned, as the head coach of their next opponent was in the building to observe and scout.

Great teams separate themselves from the good teams by the way they adjust, Collins Hill has the roster, it us up to them to learn from tonight and move forward.

Rob’s Takeaways

  1. Junior Bria Harmon is a three-year starter at point guard and usually has the take of setting up the post players down low, but tonight, she took on more scoring responsibility and kept the Lady Eagles in the game throughout. She played excellent defense, and has extremely quick hands and feet. Being the head coach’s daughter can bring its own set of challenges, but she saw the direction the game took and understood it was her responsibility to score.
  2. I was excited to see Jada Rice and Jayvn Nicholson work inside and was disappointed they were regulated to a spectator role for much of the time. They will need to adapt, as several coaches from other top high school programs were in attendance for the game and took notes on how to neutralize their presence.
  3. The Players of the Game, as determined by the teams’ head coaches were UAB-signee Audrey Jordan for Harrison and Bria Harmon for Collins Hill.
  4. Coach Harmon had excellent utilization of Katherine Fourie, he brought her into situation when the Lady Eagles needed points and she delivered.
  5. As the region slate heats up, Harrison needs to find a consistent scorer to depend on, will that be Harper Vick, Sarah Woghiren, Audrey Jordan? Who will take the shots with the game on the line?
  6. Does Collins Hill get maximum exposure from “instant offense” Katherine Fourie off the bench or would she be better suited for the starting five? Coach Harmon will have to continue playing his hunch here as the region and playoff games get more important down the road.
  7. Up next – for Harrison, they face Lambert on Thursday night at the Hawks-Naismith Classic. Collins Hill plays Buford in the same tournament.

Top Performers

Collins Hill
Katherine Fourie – 15 points, 4 assists, 2 steals
Bria Harmon – 14 points, 4 rebounds
Javyn Nicholson – 6 points, 8 rebounds
Jaron Stallworth – 5 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks

Harrison
Amara Newsom – 10 points, 2 rebounds
Audrey Jordan – 8 points, 7 rebounds
Harper Vick – 7 points, 3 assists

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

Explosive fourth quarter powers No. 2 Wesleyan past Fayette County at Queens of the Hardwood Classic

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Contributed by Rob Grubbs  (@RCGJr226070)

Sponsored by:   @sportalspace

No. 2 Wesleyan 83, Fayette County 58

https://twitter.com/RCGJr226070/status/942122229759987713

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga – In girls high school basketball, the holiday tournaments give teams the opportunity to play against competition from other classifications and parts of the state, it is a good gauge of where they are and what they need to work on before region games heat up in January.  The Fayette County Lady Tigers, who advanced to the Sweet 16 last year in Class AAAAA, have gotten off to a strong start and got the chance to face one of the most storied ladies’ programs in the state, the No. 2 Wesleyan Lady Wolves. Under the leadership of Head Coach Jan Azar, Wesleyan has won 12 state championships in the past 16 years.  The current edition is led by the talented senior duo of point guard Amaya Register who is signed to Old Dominion and Furman-signee Sutton West, but an otherwise young supporting cast. While the Lady Tigers (8-2) played Wesleyan even through the first quarter, emerging star sophomore AC Carter dominated on the offensive and defensive sides of the court and led the Lady Wolves (6-1) to an impressive 83-58 win.

The opening tip of the game gave a glimpse what was to transpire as West easily tipped the ball out to Carter who had an easy lay-up for the opening score. West would score on their next possession to go up 4-0 less than one minute in and a sudden feeling of a blow-out wafted overhead, but Lady Tiger senior forward Rikkelle Miller knocked down a three to answer, which seemed to settle her team down. Miller hit another three-pointer at the end of the first quarter to tie things up at 20. An otherwise impressive first quarter by the Lady Tigers did have one negative, the sharpshooting Miller picked up two quick fouls, the second one only three minutes into the game, it would significantly affect the way Fayette County Head Coach John Strickland rotated her in and out to protect her.

The Wolves struck quickly to start the second half, they went on a 9-0 run over the first 3 minutes. Register and Carter scored during the run that put the Lady Wolves up for good. The Lady Wolves may have stars, but their roster is strong from top to bottom and minutes are spread out.  When West sat down in the second quarter, Sophomore Izzy Larsen got productive time and scored off an offensive rebound and put back. Another sophomore, Lauren Hill, hit a three from the top of the key and Register followed suit. Fayette County senior guard Trinity Brown, who had the task of answering the Wesleyan press all game, kept the Lady Tigers within striking distance, she slashed to the basket on two occasions for lay-ups to keep her team close. At the half, the Lady Wolves were up 40-31.  After the 9-0 run to start the quarter, the Lady Tigers matched points the rest of the half.

The third started like the first, Carter hit a triple on the first play. It was the start of a surgically precise third quarter where the Lady Wolves operated at will. They hit six three-pointers in the quarter alone, Carter and Register with two each, and Nicole Azar and Hill also getting one. Maegan Barkley was a bright spot in the second half for the Lady Tigers, she made an athletic steal at mid-court and a drive for the basket plus the foul to keep Fayette County within reach at 58-45.

By the fourth quarter, the game was decided. It was an opportunity to showcase some skillsets and get some younger players some playing time. Carter impressed the crowd with a strong defensive rebound and then drove the length of the floor for the lay-up. She was almost unguardable throughout the game.  Miller would add one more three with 6 minutes remaining, but the Lady Wolves closed out strong for the 25-point win.

https://twitter.com/RCGJr226070/status/942148694345965568

Coach Azar was proud of the effort afterwards, “We have not played in 11 days, so I was really impressed at our shooting, we shot the ball really well. And made shots on the offensive end allow us to set up the press. Fayette County is a good team, we just hit the shots that let us jump out to a big lead and put it away.”

The Lady Wolves are going to be sending a lot of good teams home with 25-point losses as the season progresses.

Rob’s Takeaways

  1. The Wesleyan Lady Wolves arrived at the gym 25 minutes prior to game time, they literally walked off their bus, put on tournament tee-shirts and started their warm-up routine.
  2. Senior Sutton West is a state championship machine, she currently has 7 (two in basketball, once in soccer and four in track). She has the chance to get four more this year. She is their best defender and usually draws the opponent’s best player. She can bring the ball up court, effectively maneuver the press and score off the dribble.
  3. The Lady Wolves offense runs through AC Carter, Amaya Register typically makes an entry pass to her at the free-throw line and she either drives to the hoop from a spin move, passes to a cutter headed to the basket, or back out to Register who resets the play.
  4. Early foul trouble on Fayette County’s Rikkelle Miller hurt the Lady Tiger game plan. Her ability to score from beyond the three-point line was paramount to keeping the Tigers in the game.
  5. Fayette County’s senior guard combo of Trinity Brown and Meagan Barkley have been in Coach Strickland’s system since freshman year and are athletic and physical.  Their play and leadership make them the favorite in Region 3-AAAAA.
  6. Wesleyan freshman Alyssa Phillip has been getting increased playing time in Coach Azar’s system. There is a lot of depth in front of her, but you can see her potential. Great size and physical around the basket.
  7. Coach Azar’s daughter, freshman Nicole is a three-point sharpshooter and another weapon off the bench for the Lady Wolves. She had two in the game.
  8. At one point during the game, Coach Azar and Register were having a strategy conversation during a Fayette County free throw about the technical aspects of the upcoming possession. The discussion sounded like a graduate level class lecture. The Wesleyan basketball IQ is off the charts.
  9. Fayette County has two post players that are getting their first significant playing time, sophomore Naomi Franco and junior Celine Akande. They have great potential to improve and give the guard-laden team more options as the season progresses.
  10. Regardless of what the PA announcer said – it’s Wesleyan – not Wesley-Anne.
  11. The Players of the Game, as determined by the teams’ head coaches were Maegan Barkley for Fayette County and Amaya Register for Wesleyan.
  12. Up next – for Wesleyan, they face Miller Grove on Tuesday at the War Eagle Classic @ Woodward Academy. Fayette County travels to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the Crescom Invitational.

Top Performers

Wesleyan
AC Carter – 27 points, 15 rebounds
Sutton West – 10 points, 10 rebounds
Amaya Register – 18 points, 6 assists

Fayette County
Maegan Barkley – 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Rikkelle Miller – 16 points, 4 rebounds
Trinity Brown – 10 points, 6 assists
Sydney Sims – 4 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 4 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Westlake (5-0)
  2. Collins Hill (6-1)
  3. Norcross (7-1)
  4. McEachern (5-2)
  5. Colquitt County (6-1)
  6. Newton (7-1)
  7. Cherokee (6-1)
  8. North Forsyth (6-1)
  9. Brookwood (4-1)
  10. South Gwinnett (7-1) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Lovejoy (7-0)
  2. Harrison (5-1)
  3. Winder-Barrow (6-0)
  4. Alpharetta (6-0)
  5. Northview (5-2)
  6. Sequoyah (5-1)
  7. Forest Park (4-2)
  8. Stephenson (4-3)
  9. Tucker (4-1)
  10. Northside-Warner Robins (5-1) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (6-0)
  2. Flowery Branch (5-1)
  3. Carrollton (3-1)
  4. Dutchtown (6-1)
  5. Eagle’s Landing (6-3)
  6. Harris County (6-0)
  7. Bainbridge (8-2)
  8. Villa Rica (5-0)
  9. Southwest DeKalb (3-3)
  10. Maynard Jackson (5-0) 

Class AAAA

  1. Carver-Columbus (6-0)
  2. Henry County (7-0)
  3. Spalding (7-0)
  4. Luella (7-1)
  5. Jefferson (4-2)
  6. Northwest Whitfield (5-1)
  7. Madison County (2-2)
  8. West Hall (5-2)
  9. Baldwin (6-0)
  10. Marist (6-0) 

Class AAA

  1. Greater Atlanta Christian (6-1)
  2. Beach (8-0)
  3. Central-Macon (2-0)
  4. Franklin County (7-0)
  5. Lovett (7-1)
  6. Johnson-Savannah (5-2)
  7. Dawson County (4-1)
  8. Haralson County (3-0)
  9. Hart County (3-2)
  10. North Murray (8-1) 

Class AA

  1. Laney (4-0)
  2. Rabun County (6-0)
  3. Fitzgerald (2-0)
  4. Swainsboro (5-0)
  5. Model (6-2)
  6. Putnam County (5-0)
  7. Banks County (3-1)
  8. Dodge County (6-1)
  9. Dublin (6-1)
  10. Berrien (7-2) 

Class A-Private

  1. Holy Innocents’ (6-1)
  2. Wesleyan (5-1)
  3. St. Francis (5-1)
  4. Our Lady of Mercy (5-1)
  5. Landmark Christian (5-3)
  6. Fellowship Christian (2-2)
  7. Stratford Academy (4-2)
  8. Christian Heritage (5-1)
  9. Athens Academy (5-1)
  10. Pinecrest Academy (2-3) 

Class A-Public

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

 

Due to the lack of games because of the snow storm, there are no changes in Class AAAAAAA. No. 3 Norcross picked up a 70-46 win over Marietta and No. 8 North Forsyth beat Archer 50-46 to highlight last week’s notable results.

No. 2 Harrison knocked Creekview (3-4) back out of the Class AAAAAA Top 10 with a 66-51 win in Region 6. Also exiting the poll is Bradwell Institute (6-2); the Lady Tigers were beat at Brunswick 65-64. Replacing the Grizzlies and Tigers are debutants No. 9 Tucker and No. 10 Northside-Warner Robins. The Tigers are no stranger to the state rankings but make their first appearance in Week 4. They have won four straight games following a season opening loss to Class 7A No. 3 Norcross, 63-52. The Lady Eagles enter the rankings following a 47-33 win at Bleckley County, dropping the Royals from the Top 10 in Class AA. Northside-Warner Robins also holds a 60-49 victory over Brunswick coming at the Jag Challenge at Spalding. 6-foot senior post Tamia Sapp anchors the Eagles inside averaging 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

Arabia Mountain (5-1) gets squeezed out of the Class AAAAA rankings to make way for No. 6 Harris County. The Lady Tigers bust into the Top 10 thanks to a dominant 75-57 win over No. 7 Bainbridge, who slides three spots. The Tigers have the best inside duo in the state between Mississippi State-signee Jessika Carter (23.5 ppg, 15.8 rpg, 5.5 bpg) and junior Taziha Fanning (15.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.5 bpg). Carter’s younger sisters are beginning to blossom, giving Coach Steffanie Ramsey an embarrassment of size and length. 5-foot-11 junior Ny’Azjha Carter-Ransom is averaging 10 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3 assists while 6-foot-4 sophomore ZiKeyah Carter-Ransom is fourth on the team in both scoring and rebounding. Outside shooting and guard play will determine how deep the Tigers will go this season.

The only movement in Class AAAA comes at the bottom of the poll with No. 8 West Hall jumping two spots following their 52-46 win over Class 2A No. 7 Banks County. Anna McKendree dropped 31 points to pace the Lady Spartans followed by Aashyah White’s 10.

Class AAA sees no shuffling. No. 2 Beach defeated Brunswick 38-32 and now travels to rival No. 6 Johnson-Savannah for a state championship rematch. The Atomsmashers have won five-straight including avenging a season-opening 46-41 loss to Camden County by edging the Wildcats 50-49 on the road. No. 7 Dawson County held on for a 56-52 win at Blessed Trinity without star Kaylee Sticker who sprained her ankle in the third quarter. Sticker finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists before subbing out; it is likely she will miss some time.

To no surprise, No. 1 Laney is rolling in Class AA. Alabama-signee De’Sha Benjamin is averaging 28 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2.3 steals and 2.3 blocks to power the aggressive Wildcats. Jhessyka Williams is posting 19 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game as an athletic wing while junior Jaiden Hamilton is collecting 18 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists on average. No. 7 Banks County is down two spots following their loss to Class 4A No. 8 West Hall. The Lady Leopards see No. 5 Model and Region 8 opposition No. 6 Putnam County climb ahead of them for now. The Squaws of No. 8 Dodge County were inline for a major jump after wins against Class A-Public No. 7 Wilcox County 59-42 and Bleckley County 63-60, helping knock the Royals from the rankings at 2-3, but Dodge County was upset on a buzzer beater at East Laurens 52-51, keeping them locked at No. 8. Replacing Bleckley County is No. 9 Dublin. The Irish thrashed Treutlen 53-35 in Soperton.

There’s more madness in the middle of the rankings in Class A-Private. No. 4 Our Lady of Mercy has won five in a row and now is ranked for the first time following their 59-48 win over No. 5 Landmark Christian. Reigning Class A-Private Player of the Year Morgan Jones has been unstoppable again this season, averaging 36.2 points and 11.7 rebounds. The Florida State-signee torched Landmark Christian for 47 points and 20 rebounds. There will be more fireworks this week as Jones leads her Lady Bobcats against No. 6 Fellowship Christian. The Lady Paladins beat No. 10 Pinecrest Academy for the second time this season, 53-50, behind Cameron Swartz’ 36 points. The Colorado-signee is averaging 33.5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3.7 steals per game. Dropping out to make way for Our Lady of Mercy is Greenforest (1-3)

No. 2 Telfair County defeated No. 7 Wilcox County 53-49 in Class A-Public. No. 9 Woodville-Tompkins is teetering on falling out of the Top 10 along with Region 3 rival Treutlen (1-4). The Wolverines lost in overtime to Savannah Country Day 46-41, but rebounded with a 40-37 overtime win against Savannah Christian. Treutlen was blown out 53-22 by No. 3 Wheeler County and by Class 2A No. 9 Dublin 53-35.

Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 3 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Westlake (5-0)
  2. Collins Hill (6-1)
  3. Norcross (6-1)
  4. McEachern (5-2)
  5. Colquitt County (5-1)
  6. Newton (6-1)
  7. Cherokee (5-1)
  8. North Forsyth (5-1)
  9. Brookwood (3-1)
  10. South Gwinnett (6-1) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Lovejoy (7-0)
  2. Harrison (4-1)
  3. Winder-Barrow (5-0)
  4. Alpharetta (5-0)
  5. Northview (4-2)
  6. Bradwell Institute (5-1)
  7. Sequoyah (4-1)
  8. Forest Park (3-2)
  9. Stephenson (3-3)
  10. Creekview (3-3) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (5-0)
  2. Flowery Branch (4-1)
  3. Carrollton (2-1)
  4. Bainbridge (6-1)
  5. Dutchtown (5-1)
  6. Eagle’s Landing (4-3)
  7. Villa Rica (4-0)
  8. Southwest DeKalb (2-3)
  9. Maynard Jackson (4-0)
  10. Arabia Mountain (4-1) 

Class AAAA

  1. Carver-Columbus (4-0)
  2. Henry County (7-0)
  3. Spalding (5-0)
  4. Luella (7-1)
  5. Jefferson (2-2)
  6. Northwest Whitfield (4-1)
  7. Madison County (2-2)
  8. Baldwin (5-0)
  9. Marist (5-0)
  10. West Hall (4-2) 

Class AAA

  1. Greater Atlanta Christian (5-1)
  2. Beach (5-0)
  3. Central-Macon (2-0)
  4. Franklin County (6-0)
  5. Lovett (6-1)
  6. Johnson-Savannah (2-2)
  7. Dawson County (3-1)
  8. Haralson County (2-0)
  9. Hart County (2-2)
  10. North Murray (7-1)

Class AA

  1. Laney (2-0)
  2. Rabun County (4-0)
  3. Fitzgerald (2-0)
  4. Swainsboro (4-0)
  5. Banks County (3-0)
  6. Model (5-2)
  7. Putnam County (4-0)
  8. Dodge County (4-0)
  9. Berrien (5-1)
  10. Bleckley County (2-0)

Class A-Private

  1. Holy Innocents’ (5-1)
  2. Wesleyan (4-1)
  3. St. Francis (4-1)
  4. Landmark Christian (5-2)
  5. Stratford Academy (3-1)
  6. Fellowship Christian (1-2)
  7. Christian Heritage (4-1)
  8. Pinecrest Academy (2-2)
  9. Greenforest (1-3)
  10. Athens Academy (4-1)

Class A-Public

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

 

The only movement in Class AAAAAAA is No. 3 Norcross swapping places with No. 4 McEachern. The Lady Indians lost to Class 3A No. 1 GAC 61-50. No. 2 Collins Hill beat GAC by the same score, 61-50. No. 6 Newton fended off No. 10 South Gwinnett 61-58. The Lady Comets proved they belong in the rankings and will stay in another week even after the loss. No. 7 Cherokee picked up quality wins over North Cobb (58-44) and Class 6A No. 10 Creekview (54-30). No. 8 North Forsyth’s Caroline Shope nailed a Raider-record 11 three-pointers in their 77-39 win over Chestatee. The King’s Academy transfer finished with 39 points, proving her scoring prowess can cross over competition levels.

Class AAAAAA sees more movement in the middle of the rankings and a couple new faces. No. 1 Lovejoy knocked off No. 8 Forest Park 60-48 in their first true test of the season. Sophomores Genesis Bryant (20 points) and Anaya Boyd (16 points 10 rebounds) led the way. No. 3 Winder-Barrow looked much better, beating Class 5A No. 2 Flowery Branch 50-48 on a late Chellia Watson layup.  No. 4 Alpharetta surges ahead of Region 7 frontrunner No. 5 Northview following the Lady Titans’ 56-41 loss to Class 5A No. 2 Flowery Branch at the Wesleyan Showcase. The addition of Sydnie Ward changes the entire dynamic of the Alpharetta backcourt. Transferring in from Tennessee, the Mississippi Valley State-commit has already put the state on notice, winning Roswell Rotary Air Invitational Tournament MVP a few weeks back. No. 7 Sequoyah is down two spots after losing to rival No. 10 Creekview 60-45, helping the Grizzlies climb back into the poll. Debuting is No. 6 Bradwell Institute. The Lady Tigers have already secured wins over Class A-Public No. 8 Woodville-Tompkins (57-40) and last week’s Class AAA No. 10 Tattnall County (54-39). Their only loss came against defending Class AAA state champion No. 2 Beach 50-48. Junior guard Jasmine Blevins is averaging 23.2 points, 5.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Valdosta (1-3) and Lanier (5-2) both exit the rankings. The Wildcats lost to Tift County 47-46 while the Longhorns faltered at South Forsyth 50-46.

No. 1 Buford and No. 2 Flowery Branch are beginning to stack up the wins in Class AAAAA. The Lady Wolves beat Morgan County 70-23 before sneaking past Class A-Private No. 2 Wesleyan in overtime at the Wesleyan Showcase, 48-46. The Lady Falcons regrouped after their loss to Winder-Barrow to beat Northview 56-41 behind Caroline Wysocki’s 18 points. No. 6 Eagle’s Landing drops three spots following their 49-41 loss to No. 5 Dutchtown, who skyrockets back into the Top 10. The Bulldogs take the place of Fayette County (5-1) who dropped a close one to red-hot Henry County.

In Class AAAA, No. 2 Henry County jumps undefeated No. 3 Spalding thanks to two wins against ranked opponents. The Warhawks beat Fayette County 59-50 and followed up with a 57-48 win over No. 4 Luella, who doesn’t lose any ground in the poll. No. 10 West Hall falls three spots after losing to Class AAA No. 7 Dawson County 60-47. Burke County (3-1) tumbles out of the Top 10 after a 61-51 loss to Josey. They are replaced by undefeated No. 9 Marist.

No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian suffered their first loss to Class 7A No. 2 Collins Hill at the Wesleyan Showcase 61-50, but still remains in the top spot in Class AAA. Before their loss, the Spartans earned a 61-50 win over Class 7A No. 4 McEachern. No. 5 Lovett scored a 45-43 victory against Region 5 rival Cedar Grove. No. 7 Dawson County rises a spot after their 60-47 win over West Hall while Hart County stays put at No. 9 after another loss to Banks County. Tattnall County (4-1) slips out following a loss to Bradwell Institute, making way for No. 10 North Murray, who holds wins over Heritage-Catoosa (59-50) and Dalton (56-29).

Class AA’s No. 2 Rabun County survived a scare against Union County 48-45. No. 6 Model wasn’t as fortunate as the Lady Blue Devils are down two slots after getting blown out by Class 6A No. 7 Sequoyah 78-48 at the Wesleyan Showcase. No. 5 Banks County rises one position thanks to their second early season victory against Class AAA No. 9 Hart County, 57-53. No. 7 Putnam County now has a playmaker to pair with Rykia Pennamon. Sophomore guard Jashanti Simmons is averaging 21.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. No. 8 Dodge County disposed of Class A-Public No. 2 Telfair County 62-57.

Things are getting hectic in Class A-Private below the Top 3. No. 2 Wesleyan hammered No. 4 Landmark Christian 81-41, exemplifying just how wide the gap is from No. 1 Holy Innocents’, Wesleyan and No. 3 St. Francis from the rest of the classification. No. 5 Stratford Academy is up a spot after knocking off No. 8 Pinecrest Academy 70-50, but then were defeated by Landmark Christian 59-56. Region 8 teams Prince Avenue Christian (1-1) and Lakeview Academy (1-3) exit the poll. The Wolverines took a 47-44 loss at Elbert County while the Lady Lions were blitzed by St. Francis. No. 7 Christian Heritage and No. 10 Athens Academy get their first crack at the Top 10. The Lions have wins over Galloway (52-51) and Mt. Paran (49-26) with their only loss coming to Class 3A No. 5 Lovett 64-41. The Lady Spartans are the latest Region 8 team to make an appearance. Their best win is a 38-35 defensive battle against Tattnall Square Academy. They also have a 63-37 loss at Stratford Academy.

No. 10 Treutlen is down five spots in Class A-Public after losses to No. 8 Woodville-Tompkins 57-51 and to Dublin 57-27. No. 2 Telfair County was defeated by Dodge County 62-57 but rebounded with a 68-37 thumping of Turner County (0-1) who falls out of the Top 10. Into the rankings is No. 9 Terrell County.