Class AAAAAAA

1. Collins Hill (11-0)
2. McEachern (6-3)
3. Campbell (6-1)
4. Parkview (9-3)
5. Cherokee (13-3)
6. North Forsyth (9-1)
7. Brookwood (6-2)
8. Marietta (5-4)
9. Woodstock (7-5)
10. North Paulding (9-3)

Class AAAAAA

1. Westlake (6-0)
2. Carrollton (10-1)
3. Langston Hughes (10-1)
4. Lovejoy (8-4)
5. Kell (8-2)
6. Buford (5-0)
7. Sprayberry (7-2)
8. Rockdale County (8-2)
9. Statesboro (9-0)
10. Heritage-Conyers (6-2)

Class AAAAA

1. Forest Park (6-2)
2. Woodward Academy (5-1)
3. Maynard Jackson (8-2)
4. St. Pius X (9-0)
5. Southwest DeKalb (5-2)
6. Cass (12-0)
7. Loganville (10-2)
8. Hiram (7-1)
9. Griffin (6-4)
10. Warner Robins (7-2)

Class AAAA

1. Jefferson (7-2)
2. Troup County (4-3)
3. Luella (11-2)
4. Carver-Columbus (4-2)
5. Marist (8-1)
6. McDonough (6-0)
7. Baldwin (5-0)
8. Spalding (9-3)
9. Arabia Mountain (2-0)
10. Cedar Shoals (5-2)

Class AAA

1. Johnson-Savannah (5-0)
2. Lumpkin County (8-3)
3. Coahulla Creek (11-1)
4. Cross Creek (4-2)
5. Sonoraville (7-2)
6. GAC (3-3)
7. Upson-Lee (6-0)
8. Stephens County (7-2)
9. Beach (5-2)
10. Cedar Grove (1-0)

Class AA

1. Early County (4-0)
2. Rabun County (9-0)
3. Woodville-Tompkins (8-0)
4. Elbert County (8-1)
5. Washington County (3-0)
6. Josey (2-3)
7. Heard County (10-3)
8. Dade County (3-1)
9. Dodge County (6-1)
10. Banks County (10-6)

Class A-Private

1. St. Francis (9-2)
2. Mt. Paran (12-2)
3. Holy Innocents’ (2-2)
4. ELCA (8-0)
5. Hebron Christian (8-2)
6. Galloway (11-0)
7. Wesleyan (4-1)
8. Greenforest (4-3)
9. Calvary Day (6-1)
10. Tallulah Falls (7-3)

Class A-Public

1. Calhoun County (3-1)
2. Greenville (2-0)
3. Turner County (7-0)
4. Lake Oconee Academy (9-0)
5. Clinch County (1-1)
6. GMC (4-1)
7. Trion (7-3)
8. Wilcox County (1-0)
9. Pelham (2-0)
10. Dooly County (2-1)

2021 has arrived and all our No. 1 ranked teams are still standing strong even after the Deep South Classic and She Got Game Classic pitted Top 10 teams against one another. Some classifications have established clear-cut favorites while others are still a little hazy as to who is the team to beat.

No. 1 Collins Hill continues to steamroll to their third-straight state championship berth in Class 7A.  The Eagles have won in a variety of ways, proving they can win pretty and win ugly. They were tested at the Deep South Classic and came away with their third consecutive title after beating Roswell 64-58, Archer (9-5) 71-56 and holding off debutant No. 7 Brookwood 56-55 in the title game. UNC Greensboro-signee Jailah Clark-Jones’ free throw with seconds left proved to be the game-decider as Diana Collins buried a three at the buzzer, the super sophomore nearly leading the Broncos all the way back from a 14-point halftime deficit, dropping in 28 points and 11 rebounds. Old Dominion-signee Eden Sample led Collins Hill with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals while Kyra Jefferson netted 15 points off the bench and Purdue-signee Sacha Washington piled in 11 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Collins Hill would put a capper on their week at the She Got Game Classic, drilling Class 6A No. 4 Lovejoy 59-41 as North Greenville-signee Aniecia Malone erupted for 23 points. Aforementioned Archer drops out of the rankings. They scored a 64-55 win over No. 4 Parkview to start the Deep South Classic as Birmingham Southern-commit Lilly Hart was out of town for the Panthers, but the Tigers ended the tournament losing to Collins Hill and Class A-Private No. 2 Mt. Paran 63-47. Brookwood surged into the poll with wins over Monroe Area (71-31) and Mt. Paran (64-59) at the Deep South Classic and a 71-51 victory vs. Alpharetta. Parkview moves up two spots riding a three-game winning streak beating Roswell 64-59, No. 5 Cherokee 58-47 and Class 5A No. 9 Griffin 57-47. The Lady Warriors sink a spot after also losing to Class A-Private No. 2 Mt. Paran 54-53 at the Deep South Classic. No. 6 North Forsyth is up a spot after beating Class A-Private No. 7 Wesleyan 47-42, getting enormous contributions from Ella Holbrook and Leah Hall. Holbrook came in averaging 6 points per game while Hall averaged just 1 point, but they scored 14 and 10, respectively to carry the Raiders.  Freefalling six spots is No. 9 Woodstock who showed major rust after 16 days off. The Wolverines had no cupcakes in their return, losing 65-35 to Class 6A No. 5 Kell and 67-62 to Class 5A No. 3 Maynard Jackson at the Campbell Holiday Classic. The Wolverines earned a 63-36 win over Mt. Zion-Jonesboro but then ran into a buzzsaw in Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis losing 63-46 even though Bridget Utberg went for 20 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 9 steals. St. Francis’ full court press caused major issues. Sinking out of the Top 10 is Grayson (4-5). The Rams have dropped four-straight. They were beaten by Class 5A No. 4 St. Pius X 53-38 and by Class A-Private No. 7 Wesleyan 57-48. They are replaced by No. 10 North Paulding who is back in the rankings for the first time since Week 1 after opening the season at No. 8. The improved outside shooting of Adriana Olivera has provided another dimension for Coach Scott Green as the Wolfpack are anchored inside by 6-foot-3 Alabama-signee Taylor Cullinan and 5-foot-9 pitbull Aliyah Washington. They have a huge test on Tuesday as they host No. 3 Campbell, who will be coming off a two-week quarantine. The Spartans won their first meeting 51-37 as Laila Battle netted 14 points.

There is some major movement in the top six of Class 6A below No. 1 Westlake who was inactive. No. 2 Carrollton is up two places following wins over Eufaula, AL 65-41 and Class 4A No. 2 Troup County 61-58. No. 3 Langston Hughes climbs three positions with big wins at the She Got Game Classic, edging Class 5A No. 5 Southwest DeKalb 63-60 and drilling last week’s Class 3A No. 10 Douglass 74-39. In at No. 4 is Lovejoy, who went 0-2 at She Got Game, falling 66-63 to scorching hot Class A-Private No. 2 Mt. Paran and 59-41 vs. Class 7A No. 1 Collins Hill, Bryanna Hardy scoring 10 in the loss. Maybe the biggest surprise is No. 5 Kell down two slots. The Longhorns blew out Class 7A No. 9 Woodstock 65-35 but then lost 63-52 to Class 5A No. 3 Maynard Jackson and 60-47 to Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis. Crystal Henderson was held to 14 points in the loss to St. Francis below her 20.2 point-per-game average. No. 8 Rockdale County defeated Class 4A No. 3 Luella 65-57 at the Sweet South Classic as well as Dutchtown 49-31. Out of the poll is Johns Creek (7-5). The Gladiators have lost three of four including a 45-36 loss to Alexander. They are replaced by 9-0 No. 9 Statesboro. The Blue Devils beat last week’s Class 3A No. 2 Cross Creek 47-29 and now travel to 9-1 Richmond Hill on Tuesday. Eight players average over 5 points per game led by 5-foot-6 senior Jamiah Jones (10.3), 6-foot-1 junior Madison Lee (10.2) and 5-foot-5 senior Alexis Ward (9).

In Class 5A, No. 1 Forest Park romped Sandy Creek 76-33 before losing in overtime to national powerhouse Montverde Academy, FL 62-53 at the She Got Game Classic. No. 2 Woodward Academy took care over Grovetown 78-51 at SGGC while No. 5 Southwest DeKalb sinks two spots after losing 63-60 to Class 6A No. 3 Langston Hughes. No. 3 Maynard Jackson is clicking on all cylinders, up four spots after huge wins over Class 7A No. 9 Woodstock (67-62) and Class 6A No. 5 Kell (63-52), the Longhorns’ first regular season loss in over a year. No. 4 St. Pius X is officially a disruptor. The Golden Lions are screaming up the poll, climbing six spots in just their second week in the rankings. They knocked off last week’s Class 7A No. 9 Grayson 53-38 behind Kate McBride’s 32-point outburst and then beat Class 4A No. 1 Jefferson 57-49, McBride dumping in 21. No. 6 Cass falls two spots with the rise of St. Pius X and Maynard Jackson. The Colonels are past due for a step up in competition. They routed their way to the Adairsville Ace Christmas Clash Championship beating Rockmart 76-53 as Haley Johnson had a career day with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists while Londaisha Smith collected 16 points and 10 rebounds and was named Tournament MVP. No. 7 Loganville went 2-1 at the McDonald’s Shootout, beating Hart County 65-45 and Class 2A No. 4 Elbert County 48-42 before being struck with COVID as Coach John Zorn and Lenoir-Rhyne-signee Rose Bone had to miss their title game vs. Franklin County, losing 46-40 while Janae Charles was injured in the second quarter. No. 9 Griffin dropped two games at the She Got Game Classic, 60-54 to Class A-Private No. 6 Galloway and 57-47 to Class 7A No. 4 Parkview. No. 10 Warner Robins beat Class 4A No. 8 Spalding 42-30 before falling 53-42 to Tift County at the Screamin’ Demon Invitational.

All three teams atop the Class 4A poll lost this past week meaning no one was able to take advantage and usurp No. 1 Jefferson who fell 57-48 at Class 5A No. 4 St. Pius X. No. 2 Troup County got 15 points and 9 rebounds from Alexcia Murphy in a 61-58 loss at Class 6A No. 2 Carrollton. No. 3 Luella fell 65-57 to Class 6A No. 8 Rockdale County before bouncing back with wins over Stephenson (62-36) and Newton (72-51). Shorthanded No. 8 Spalding drops a spot after losing 42-30 to Class 5A No. 10 Warner Robins and to West Forsyth 55-34 at the She Got Game Classic playing without Nuriyah Slaton. Kierstyn Milner had 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals in the loss to end the week.

There are some seismic shifts in Class 3A as North Georgia continues its dominance among the Top 10 placing four in the top eight. No. 1 Johnson-Savannah is set to host No. 9 Beach this Friday. The Bulldogs are in danger of dropping out of the poll, slipping three spots this week due to inactivity and big games elsewhere across the state. No. 2 Lumpkin County took no prisoners in an 88-24 win over Lakeview Academy, North Georgia-signee Isabel Davenport (23), Lexi Pierce (20), Averie Jones (19) and Mary Mullinax (16) all scoring double digits. No. 3 Coahulla Creek rises after a good showing at the Carpet Capital Christmas Classic at Christian Heritage. The Colts beat the host Lions 48-39 before holding on against Gilmer (5-2) 61-58, who drops out of the Top 10. Coahulla Creek led Gilmer by double figures nearly the entire game, nursing a 13-point lead after three but Beth Burnette hit 4 threes in the fourth quarter and Elly Callihan finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 1 block before running out of time. The Colts survived a 16-3 fourth quarter run thanks to Kenley Woods and Ema Turner. Woods finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks while Turner had a key steal and hoop late and pitched in 7 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Jillian Poe netted 13 points and Shorter-signee Katelyn Richards had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 5 blocks. Gilmer exits the rankings after getting blown out by No. 5 Sonoraville to finish the event. The Phoenix rise from the ashes all the way to the Top 5 after blowout wins over Christian Heritage 68-44 and Gilmer 68-42. The Phoenix move the ball exceptionally well and can shoot the lights out. They hit 9 threes vs. Christian Heritage and were led by Georgia College-commit Alexa Geary’s 26 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Geary is a mismatch at 5-foot-10 with her athleticism and ability to score inside and out. Abby Chambers netted 11 points and Shorter-commit Lindsay Bowman scored 7 points along with fellow Shorter-commit Matti Parker and 6-foot Brooke Jones who grabbed 10 rebounds. Going in the wrong direction is No. 4 Cross Creek who was blown out by Class 6A No. 9 Statesboro 47-29 on the road. No. 6 GAC looked good in a 77-53 romp of East Coweta getting 24 points from Kaleigh Addie, 22 from Jaci Bolden and 15 from Memphis-signee Laurren Randolph. No. 7 Upson-Lee destroyed Crisp County 94-30 behind Jakera Ellerbee’s 27 points (12-13 FG), 9 rebounds and 1 block. No. 8 Stephens County is a hard-luck dropper, falling three spots after a 51-41 loss at Class 2A No. 2 Rabun County playing without Ranajah Verdell inside. Tynajiah Eades (22) and Piedmont-commit Kiarra Howard (16) led the way. Douglass (4-3) exits after a 74-39 loss to Class 6A No. 3 Langston Hughes at SGGC. Returning for the first time since Week 1 when they dropped out due to DeKalb County’s start being postponed, No. 10 Cedar Grove is back. The Saints have nice tests this week vs. Sandy Creek and 5-1 Redan, who could potentially find their way into the Top 10 if they can survive Douglass and Cedar Grove.

There are no changes in Class 2A. In a No. 1 vs. No. 1 showdown, No. 1 Early County survived Class A-Public No. 1 Calhoun County 43-42 on the road as Florida State-signee Makayla Timpson posted 21 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 5 blocks. No. 2 Rabun County scored wins over Fannin County (66-43), Class 3A No. 8 Stephens County (51-41) and Franklin County (53-44). The LadyCats rallied from down 8 at the half to beat Franklin County behind Gracie Deetz’ 15 points and 6 rebounds and freshman Lucy Hood’s 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals. No. 4 Elbert County went 2-1 at the McDonald’s Shootout beating TL Hanna, SC 62-29 and Hart County 67-43 with a 48-42 loss to Class 5A No. 7 Loganville sandwiched in between. Sophomore Aaniyah Allen posted 24 points in the loss and averaged 20.3 points over the course of the tournament. No. 7 Heard County dropped a pair of games to Alabama opponents Spring Garden (72-45) and Oxford (60-46) while No. 10 Banks County lost 63-47 to Rome but beat Druid Hills 48-41, Jenna Reeves (19) and Kamryn Grier (14) combining for 33 points.

Former Region 6 foes sit atop the Class A-Private rankings, matching win for win. No. 1 St. Francis beat Class 6A No. 5 Kell 60-47 at SGGC then handled Class 7A No. 9 Woodstock 63-46 using their press to fluster the Wolverines. Mississippi State-signee Mia Moore finished with 18 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists and 4 steals while Erica Moon added 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. Trynce Taylor chipped in 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal inside. Even with two great wins, no one in the state of Georgia was more impressive than No. 2 Mt. Paran last week as the Eagles secured three Top 10 wins and went 4-1. At the Deep South Classic, the Eagles beat Class 7A No. 5 Cherokee 54-53, lost to Class 7A No. 7 Brookwood 64-59 and then took care of last week’s Class 7A No. 10 Archer 63-47.  At the She Got Game Classic, Mt. Paran edged Class 6A No. 4 Lovejoy 66-63 and beat down Sandy Creek 68-43. 6-foot junior Kara Dunn has taken her game to another level this season. She was brilliant averaging 28.6 points during the week, highlighted by a 41-point 10-rebound outburst vs. Brookwood. Dunn collected 24 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in the third-place victory over Archer and then had 31 points and 6 assists vs. Lovejoy. Dunn is a true do-everything superstar that can dissect teams with her superior IQ and elite court vision. No. 6 Galloway went 2-0 at SGGC beating Class 5A No. 9 Griffin 60-54 and Grovetown 60-54. 5-foot-10 freshman Tianna Thompson was brilliant in the win over Grovetown, posting 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 steals and 1 block. Sophomores Allison Hoffmann (16) and Kyla Cain (14) combined for 30 points. No. 7 Wesleyan fell to Class 7A No. 6 North Forsyth but beat last week’s Class 7A No. 9 Grayson 57-48 as Georgia State-signee Alyssa Phillip collected 19 points and 9 rebounds while Sade Ojanuga had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

In Class A-Public, No. 1 Calhoun County fell short against Class 2A No. 1 Early County 43-42. No. 4 Lake Oconee Academy received 27 points from Chattanooga-signee Destiny McClendon in a 57-47 win over GISA power Brentwood. No. 5 Clinch County netted a 42-23 win at Brantley County with Zyhia Johnson scoring 19 points. No. 7 Trion slips one spot following a 54-51 loss at LaFayette. The Bulldogs bounced back with a 43-34 win over Pepperell behind Chloe Murdock (14) and I’ziah McCutchins (11).