By — Hayden Gilbert
The Carver-Columbus boys basketball team has asserted itself as a top contender in the 2A standings midway through the season and has a chance to complete a rare feat achieved only twice in the past decade.
The school aims to become only the third in the past decade to win both a men’s basketball and football championship in the same year.
The Carver football team has already done its part, cruising through the season and playoffs, with no playoff game decided by fewer than 21 points. The basketball team will face stiff competition, with multiple high-caliber teams in 2A, but the Tigers are led by a talented duo and should be up to the task.
Top-ranked Carver has been on a hot streak to start the season and have dominated opponents, winning by an average of 26 points per game. Senior shooting guard Tony Montgomery, standing at 6-foot-2, is the team’s leading scorer and helps pace the high-powered offense.
A versatile player, Montgomery is averaging 21.8 points per game while also facilitating the offense with eight assists per game. Anchoring the paint is 6-foot-7 big man Tobias Tolbert. As the team’s second-leading scorer, Tolbert has averaged a solid 15 points per game so far. In addition to his scoring, he contributes 9.4 rebounds per game, 3.8 of which are offensive rebounds. Defensively, he has been a dominant force, averaging 5.4 blocks per game.
Supporting the two stars is a strong cast of players that has helped the program maintain a high-scoring offense, averaging over 54 points per game. Impressively, six players on the team are averaging at least eight points per game. With this well-rounded team, Carver appears more than capable of pulling off the rare feat, only accomplished by Sandy Creek and Pace Academy in the past decade.
The boys team is poised to make a run at the program’s third championship and first since winning the 2019 Class 4A title in the storied season where the boys and girls won championships.
Let’s take a glance around the boys and girls side of the class to see what’s taking place.
Around the class boys – In Region 1, Kendrick extended its win streak to nine by defeating 4A Creekside, 64–60, heading into the new year with an 11–2 record. … In Region 2, Morgan County opened region play with a win, defeating Westside-Macon, 54–50, to achieve a 1–0 record in region competition. … Tattnall County started the new year strong, defeating region-3 opponents Pierce County and Cook by 19 or more points each to begin region play at 2–0. … In Region 4, Butler began the new year with a win over Keenan (SC). The classification’s second-leading scorer, Kwamane Bridges, had another big night, scoring 19 points, while guard Marcus Scurry stole the show with 37 points. … In Region 5, Therrell secured a key region win over Hapeville Charter, moving the Panthers to 2–1 in region play and establishing themselves as the top public school team in the region. … Columbia dominated Towers, 72–47, as they prepare to return to Region 6 play. … In Region 7, Union County continued its dominant form into the new year, earning its fifth region win with an 81–52 victory over North Murray and a non-region win over Fannin County, 71–63. … In Region 8, East Jackson snapped a three-game losing streak with an 88–82 victory over Burke County.
Around the class girls – In Region 1, Sumter County opened the new year with a win over Spencer, maintaining a strong start to region play. … Region 2 features a three-way tie at the top, as Morgan County, Callaway, and Jackson have all started region play with a win. … In Region 3, the Tattnall County girls, much like the boys, began region play at 2–0 with victories over Pierce County and Cook. … In Region 4, Butler continued its impressive start to the season with a win over Gray Collegiate Academy (SC). The classification’s second-leading scorer, Brayla Harris, had another standout performance, recording 17 points and eight rebounds. … In Region 6, the Columbia girls remain dominant, sitting as the only team in the region with a winning record and a 2–0 start in region play. … In Region 7, Ringgold and Sonoraville are both coming off wins and preparing to face each other in a battle for second place in the region.
See the boys and girls latest Class 2A basketball rankings schedules below.
Boys Top 10 schedule
1. Carver-Columbus — Tuesday vs. Kendrick, 7:30 p.m.; Friday at Shaw, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at Jordan, 4:30 p.m.
2. Columbia — Tuesday at Salem, 7:30 p.m.; Friday vs. Miller Grove, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday vs. Lithonia, 5:30 p.m.
3. KIPP Atlanta — Tuesday at Hapeville Charter, 7:30 p.m.; Friday at Washington, 7 p.m.; Jan. 14 at Lovett, 7:30 p.m.
4. South Atlanta — Friday vs. Redan, 7 p.m.; Saturday vs. Bible Baptist Christian, 12:30 p.m.; Jan. 14 at Columbia, 7:30 p.m.
5. Butler — Tuesday at Josey, 7:30 p.m.; Friday vs. Glenn Hills, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 14 vs. Laney, 7:30 p.m.
6. Union County — Tuesday at North Murray, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at Rockmart, 6:30 p.m.; Jan. 14 at Sonoraville, 7:30 p.m.
7. Tattnall County — Tuesday vs. Woodville-Tompkins, 6 p.m.; Friday vs. Appling County, 8 p.m.; Saturday vs. Toombs County, 6:30 p.m.
8. Morgan County — Tuesday vs. Rutland, 7:30 p.m.; Friday vs. Jackson, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 14 at Pike County, 7:30 p.m.
9. Hart County — Tuesday vs. Prince Avenue Christian, 7:30 p.m.; Friday vs. Hebron Christian, 8:30 p.m.; Jan. 14 at Franklin County, 7:30 p.m.
10. Laney — Tuesday at Thomson, 7:30 p.m.; Friday vs. Josey, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 14 at Butler, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Top 10 schedule
1. Josey — Tuesday vs. Butler, 6:00 p.m.; Friday at Laney, 6:00 p.m.; Jan. 14 vs. Burke County, 6:00 p.m.
2. Thomson — Tuesday vs. Laney, 6:00 p.m.; Friday at Burke County, 7:00 p.m.; Jan. 14 vs. Glenn Hills, 6:00 p.m.
3. Butler — Tuesday at Josey, 6:00 p.m.; Friday vs. Glenn Hills, 6:00 p.m.; Jan. 14 vs. Laney, 6:00 p.m.
4. Murray County — Tuesday vs. Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe, 6:00 p.m.; Saturday vs. Ringgold, 3:00 p.m.; Jan. 14 at North Murray, 6:00 p.m.
5. Hardaway — Tuesday vs. Jordan, 6:00 p.m.; Friday vs. Carver, 6:00 p.m.; Saturday vs. Shaw, 4:00 p.m.
6. Sonoraville — Tuesday at Ringgold, 6:00 p.m.; Friday vs. model, 6:00 p.m.; Saturday at Coahulla Creek, 3:00 p.m.
7. Ringgold – Tuesday vs. Sonoraville, 6:00 p.m.; Friday vs. Coahulla Creek, 7:00 p.m.; Saturday at Murray County, 3:00 p.m.
8. Columbia – Tuesday at Salem, 6:00 p.m.; Friday vs. Miller Grove, 6:00 p.m.; Saturday vs. Lithonia, 3:00 p.m.
9. Union County — Tuesday at North Murray, 6:00 p.m.; Friday at Rockmart, 6:00 p.m.; Jan. 14 at Sonoraville, 6:00 p.m.
10. Coahulla Creek — Friday at Ringgold, 7:00 p.m.; Saturday vs. Sonoraville, 3:00 p.m.; Jan. 14 at Rockmart, 6:00 p.m.
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