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GHSA, Girls Basketball

Early Season Surprise Hot Starts (Girls)

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Class AAAAAAA

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

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

Class AAAAAA

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

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

Class AAAAA

Ware County (8-0)
2015-16: 13-12 

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

Class AAAA

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

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

Class AAA

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

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

Class AA

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

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

Class A-Private

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

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

Class A-Public

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

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

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 5 Girls Rankings

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Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

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

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Game Stories

No. 7 Sequoyah holds off pesky Wolverines

No. 7 Sequoyah 57, Woodstock 54

Cherokee County powers met at the War Lodge in Hickory Flat, Sequoyah entering at a perfect 7-0 and ranked No. 7 in Class AAAAAA while Woodstock, limping in with injuries at 4-4 without South Alabama-signee Devyn Lowe.

On a rare Monday night showdown, the Lady Chiefs and Wolverines went back and forth with both sides trading runs. Sequoyah led 12-11 after one behind Alyssa Cagle’s five points. The Lady Chiefs were on the verge of a taking an commanding early double digit lead if it wasn’t for the hot shooting of senior Taylor Reed. The long ball threat scored seven of her 10 points in the first quarter and drained three threes on the night while using a flare screen to get open on the opposite wing.

In the second quarter, Cagle picked up a hockey assist as she dished to Emily Seres who found AnnaLynne Bennett on a nice interior pass to go up 19-13.

Sequoyah opened up a quick 24-13 lead on a 12-2 run and looked like they were about to put the banged up Wolverines away, but athletic senior slasher Bralise Reese got free and powered a 13-4 run with six of her game-high 16 points in the frame, leading the Wolverines into the half trailing 28-26.

The Lady Chiefs sprung out of the half quickly using five points from Colby Carden. The junior combo guard sank her seventh point of the quarter to give Sequoyah a 40-31 lead with 1:37 left in the third. Sequoyah finished out the period using a Lauren Schletty basket to maintain a 44-33 lead heading into the fourth.

In the blink of an eye, Woodstock crawled its way back into the game riding a 10-2 surge to cut the Sequoyah lead to 46-43. Senior point guard Kamryn Forrester was the catalyst, scoring six of her 10 points in the final 8 minutes and finishing the game with four rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one block.

The Wolverines finally tied the game on freshman Sophia Singer’s three-pointer but Carden quickly got the ball up the court and found Schletty to regain a 48-46 lead at the 2:49 mark. Schletty got hot and scored six of her 10 points in the fourth including sinking two free throws to go ahead 52-46 with 2:11 left, the Lady Chiefs seemingly regaining control of the game.

Instead, Forrester came away with a steal underneath the basket and while tumbling down, kicked the ball behind her to Reese for two of her eight fourth quarter points to make it 56-54 with 42.6 seconds remaining.

Sequoyah’s Bennett was sent to the line with 27 seconds and missed her first free throw, prompting Woodstock head coach Julie Crowe to call timeout and organize a plan for the Wolverines. Bennett coolly knocked down her second attempt, setting up a final possession with 18.5 seconds left for Woodstock after advancing the ball and moving past half court.

Woodstock swung the ball around the perimeter but the best look they could get was a contested Reese heave from the top of the key that clanked off the rim.

My Take

Though she missed two free throws in the fourth quarter and didn’t have as many “wow” plays as usual, junior point guard Alyssa Cagle is still the real deal for Sequoyah. Every time she touches the ball good things happen whether she’s slashing through the lane, finding open shooters or pulling the trigger from deep herself. Coach Derrick DeWitt praised her for even her post defense when getting stuck on bigger Wolverines. As long as she’s in Black and Gold, the Lady Chiefs will be an issue statewide come February and March. She is the leader of a potent 7-man junior class which sees Colby Carden and Peyton Satterfield flank her as dangerous shooters. Carden moves in from Sprayberry, following father Allen Carden who is head coach of the boys team. She played very well with Cagle and provides a versatile scoring punch and high IQ alongside floor general Cagle. Lauren Schletty, one of two seniors on the roster, really came up big in the fourth quarter; she does some nice things around the basket. Without any Hartmans on the roster, Sequoyah’s one bugaboo when it comes to contending for a state title might be their lack of size.

Woodstock has been stung with injuries but that didn’t stop the Wolverines from fighting to the very end. Kamryn Forrester was excellent as an energizer bunny all over the floor, affecting the game in multiple ways. Taylor Reed used Coach Crowe’s flare screen offense to perfection in the first half with three threes. I loved Bralise Reese’s athleticism and tenacity. She was cat-quick getting to the rim and had a great second leap to clean up misses. Her 16-point 10-rebound double-double was a strong effort. A name to stow away in the memory bank is freshman Sophia Singer. The 5-foot-10 youngster resembles Olivia Nelson-Ododa with her long and lanky frame but of course, not at her height or skill set. She knocked down a big three in the fourth quarter and rebounded well.

Top Performers

Sequoyah
Colby Carden – 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals
Alyssa Cagle – 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Lauren Schletty – 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals 1 block
Peyton Satterfield – 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Emily Seres – 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist

Woodstock
Bralise Reese – 16 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block
Kamryn Forrester – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Taylor Reed – 10 points, 4 rebounds
Brittany Burnett – 7 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 4 Girls Rankings

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Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

  1. North Oconee (7-1)
  2. Columbus (6-1)
  3. Cross Creek (4-3)
  4. Carver-Columbus (7-0)
  5. West Hall (4-3)
  6. Sandy Creek (6-0)
  7. Jefferson (5-2)
  8. Northwest Whitfield (5-3)
  9. Baldwin (5-1)
  10. Heritage-Catoosa (8-0)

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

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

Class A-Public

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

Three straight losses, all coming out of state, forces McEachern down to No. 3 in Class AAAAAAA. The Indians went 0-2 in the She Got Game Classic in Washington, D.C. Usually playing such good competition the Indians wouldn’t be punished, but No. 2 Collins Hill looks like the real deal and will just sneak ahead of the Indians for their in-state work. Newton falls to No. 7 after a 49-42 loss to Duluth, meaning Mill Creek is now in the Top 4. Archer rebounded from a rough week by shaking off an early deficit and beating No. 10 North Forsyth 55-43.

Harrison looked dominant as the No. 1 team in Class AAAAAA blitzed Creekview 63-37 and Hillgrove, 72-55. No. 3 Winder-Barrow got revenge against Loganville, 31-27 in another defensive struggle. Jonesboro had a week to forget in Region 4, losing to Tucker 57-43 and to Lovejoy 33-31. No. 8 Tucker lost to Lovejoy 39-32, slipping two spots while the Wildcats skyrocket five spots to No. 5 after a huge week. No. 7 Sequoyah jumps No. 9 Northview after scoring wins over county rivals River Ridge (54-45) and Cherokee (46-32).

Class AAAAA’s No. 2 Buford took down Loganville 56-44, and in the process dropped the Red Devils from the Top 10. Replacing Loganville is No. 10 Maynard Jackson who is undefeated to open the year. No one else in the rankings lost, but that will change this week as No. 6 Villa Rica hosts No. 7 Carrollton in a clash of Region 7 unbeatens on Tuesday.

Americus-Sumter and Henry County both depart the Class AAAA poll following Americus-Sumter’s 58-41 loss to No. 2 Columbus and the Warhawks’ losses to Woodward Academy (55-48) and Salem (69-63). Debuting this week are No. 9 Baldwin and No. 10 Heritage-Catoosa. The Braves defeated Putnam County on the road 50-38, and their only loss came to Warner Robins in overtime 72-62. Courtney Butts has led the charge, averaging 14.2 points, 7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 4.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Heritage’s statement win came at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, 61-39 handing the Warriors their lone loss of the season. The top mover in this week’s rankings is No. 6 Sandy Creek. The Patriots defeated 7-2 Greenville, SC 66-64.

South Georgia dominates the top of the poll in Class AAA while North Georgia fills the bottom as four teams from Region 6 go spots 7 through 10. Even with a loss to Heritage-Catoosa, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe continues its rise to No. 7 after defeating region foe No. 10 Haralson County 61-54. Back into the Top 10 is No. 8 Calhoun, who handed No. 9 Ringgold a region loss, 75-67. The Tigers held fast to their No. 9 spot however thanks to a 51-48 win against Northwest Whitfield. Defending state champion Morgan County drops out after a 3-4 start.

Putnam County’s slide in Class AA continues as the Eagles fall from No. 4 to No. 9 after a loss to Baldwin. Pepperell exits after being ranked No. 10. No. 1 Model beat the Dragons 58-38. Into the poll for the first time this year is No. 10 Bryan County.

Wesleyan has cruised so far this season in Class A-Private. The top-ranked Wolves crushed Morgan County 81-46 and took it to St. Pius X, 56-18. Two surprises take over the No. 6 and No. 7 spots in Pinecrest Academy and Landmark Christian. The Paladins are 6-1 while Landmark has won five straight after an 0-3 start, with their latest win coming against No. 8 Our Lady of Mercy, 58-53. Savannah Country Day was blown out by No. 4 Calvary Day 60-23 and lost to Woodville-Tompkins 52-27. Replacing the Hornets is No. 9 Darlington.

Four players are averaging double figures for Class A-Public No. 1 Pelham. The Hornets are powered by junior Mahogany Randall’s 19.8 points per game. Terrell County slips to No. 4 after a strong showing loss to Monroe, 57-51. No. 2 Greenville and No. 3 Telfair County get the nod over the Greenwave due to quality wins. The Trojan’s scored a 54-38 win over No. 8 Wilcox County this past week. Hancock Central falls from the Top 10 after losing to Washington County and Baldwin. Treutlen sinks five spots to No. 10 after losses at No. 5 Wheeler County (66-41) and Dublin, 61-53. Woodville-Tompkins resurfaces in the poll thanks to a shellacking of Savannah Country Day.

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 3 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

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

Class AAAAAA

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

Class AAAAA

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

Class AAAA

  1. North Oconee (5-1)
  2. Cross Creek (3-2)
  3. Columbus (4-1)
  4. Carver-Columbus (5-0)
  5. West Hall (2-3)
  6. Jefferson (4-1)
  7. Americus-Sumter (2-1)
  8. Henry County (5-2)
  9. Northwest Whitfield (3-2)
  10. Sandy Creek (5-0) 

Class AAA

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

Class AA

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

Class A-Private

  1. Wesleyan (5-0)
  2. St. Francis (4-1)
  3. Holy Innocents’ (6-1)
  4. Our Lady of Mercy (5-1)
  5. Calvary Day (2-0)
  6. Lakeview Academy (5-2)
  7. Stratford Academy (5-0)
  8. Savannah Country Day (4-2)
  9. Pinecrest Academy (4-1)
  10. Landmark Christian (4-3)

Class A-Public

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

Archer falls from No. 3 in Class AAAAAAA to No. 8 after losing 46-39 to North Oconee and 61-51 at No. 5 Mill Creek, who rises two spots even after a loss to Wesleyan. Archer will attempt to stop their slide as they visit No. 7 North Forsyth on Tuesday. Collins Hill is the state’s new No. 3 after crushing Woodstock 82-37. No. 9 Colquitt County picked up a nice 58-54 win over Bainbridge. Cherokee has lost three straight games and falls out of the Top 10. The Warriors fell to North Cobb (45-41), Marietta (57-43) and Creekview (51-32) who are a combined 16-4. Entering the poll is Lambert. The Longhorns edge the likes of North Cobb and Marietta thanks to their two latest wins coming against a slumping East Hall team 45-36 and a previously undefeated McIntosh, 62-48.

Class AAAAAA Preseason No. 1 Winder-Barrow slips to No. 3 after Flowery Branch beats them for the second time this season, 50-43. No. 9 Sequoyah won an ugly game against rival Creekview, 35-32 in overtime. Glynn Academy drops out after a 3-2 start to the season. Replacing them is No. 10 Lovejoy. They face their biggest test of the early season on Friday against No. 5 Jonesboro. The Cardinals host No. 6 Tucker on Tuesday, as it’s a big week in Region 4.

No. 2 Buford took it to North Oconee on the road 54-36 as the Wolves begin their march to a Class AAAAA title. No. 3 Griffin survived two close games to remain undefeated, beating Luella 67-66 and Fayette County 49-47. No. 5 Warner Robins escaped their meeting with Perry, 60-58 in overtime. No teams in the Top 10 lost this past week.

Even with their loss to Buford, North Oconee remains No. 1 in Class AAAA thanks to their 46-39 victory at Archer. Cross Creek jumps Columbus for No. 2 in the state. The Razorbacks beat Grovetown 64-53 behind Memphis-signee Alana Davis’ 27 points. Cross Creek gets a rematch with North Augusta, SC, a powerhouse that has gone 4-0 vs. GHSA competition this season. Columbus meets No. 7 Americus-Sumter on Tuesday with a chance to build their resume. No. 6 Jefferson dispatched of Morgan County 64-60 in an impressive win over the defending Class AAA champs. No. 9 Northwest Whitfield jumps Sandy Creek after a 52-30 rout of Ringgold.

In Class AAA, Morgan County tumbles three spots to No. 5. They lost to Jefferson and were then upset by Cedar Shoals 53-52 before righting the ship with a 66-35 win over Putnam County. Beach claims the No. 2 spot as No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian struggled against its brutal schedule, losing to McEachern 86-55 and St. Francis 59-38, possibly the two best teams in the state when all is said and done. Calhoun was knocked out of the Top 10 by No. 10 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe. The Warriors are off to a hot start thanks to senior Jazzmyn Elston and sophomore Macey Gregg. Elston is averaging 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.2 steals while Gregg, who has upped her scoring by nine points in Year 2, is pitching in 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 steals. The duo combined for 53 points in their 60-50 win over the Yellow Jackets.

Banks County and Dublin have fallen out of the Class AA rankings. The Leopards lost to Hart County 53-28 while Dublin dropped a heartbreaker to Treutlen 64-63. Replacing them for the moment is No. 9 Heard County and No. 10 Pepperell.  Heard County picked up a 50-44 win at Our Lady of Mercy while the Dragons knocked off No. 8 Dade County 42-39 at home. Putnam County suffered losses to Baldwin (51-24) and Morgan County (66-35) to drop two spots.

Class A-Private sees Greenforest drop from No. 4 to unranked after an eye opening 49-44 loss to No. 10 Landmark Christian, who squeaks into the bottom of the poll. Also gone are Tattnall Square and Southwest Atlanta Christian. Tattnall lost to Landmark 54-44 and to Westside-Macon 49-40. The Warriors were blown out by No. 3 Holy Innocents’ 68-20. SACA’s strong schedule should bode well down the stretch in region play. No. 8 Savannah Country Day and No. 9 Pinecrest Academy enter the rankings and will try to stick around.

Pelham laid the boom in their Class A-Public opening week, scoring two wins including a thumping of Mitchell County 73-31, knocking the Eagles out of the Top 10. No. 3 Greenville is being powered by Brittany Davis, who is flirting with averaging a triple-double over her first three games of the season. The Patriots humbled Taylor County 66-51, sinking the Vikings four spots to No. 7. Treutlen picked up wins over Woodville-Tompkins (61-59) and Dublin 64-63, knocking both teams out of their respective rankings. With Woodville-Tompkins and Mitchell County gone from the poll, No. 9 Marion County and No. 10 Hancock Central jump in.