Grayson, Newton, Langston Hughes, North Oconee, East Laurens and Holy Innocents’ advanced both the boys and girls teams toward a championship in the new-look GHSA basketball playoffs following the latest reclassification cycle.
There are defending champions still alive, new rivalries being forged and fledging dynasties in the making ready to break through and reach a championship game for the first time.
Georgia College in Milledgeville (A Division I, II), Fort Valley State in Fort Valley (4A, 3A), University of North Georgia in Dahlonega (A-3A Private), Georgia State in Atlanta (6A, 5A) and Georgia Southwestern in Americus (2A) will host this year’s action.
Welcome to the semifinals.
The boys defending champions still playing are Grayson, North Oconee, Sandy Creek and Greenforest. The girls defending champions still playing are Grayson, Marist, Jackson-Atlanta, Baldwin, Hebron Christian and St. Francis.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK?
Hebron and St. Francis have each won two-consecutive girls championships, while Sandy Creek’s boys have won the past two titles. Sandy Creek remains in a new-look Class 3A, but Hebron now plays in Class A-3A Private alongside St. Francis and the two could meet in the championship game if each wins its semifinals contest.
LET’S RUN IT BACK IN HIGH-CLASSED STYLE
Grayson’s boys and girls each won the Class 7A championship last season and after remaining in the state’s highest class – now 6A – the Rams have a chance to repeat the glory of last season.
On the boys side, top-ranked Grayson will have to find a way to stop No. 2-ranked Wheeler in its trek for a repeat title, its second overall. On the other side, No. 5 Newton will face an unranked, but upset-minded Pebblebrook. On the 6A girls side, top-ranked North Forsyth will face No. 5 Newton and No. 3 Grayson will take on No. 9-ranked Cherokee in the semis, looking to avenge its only loss of the season.
In Class 5A, the top-ranked Tri-Cities boys will face No. 9 Lee County for a championship berth. On the other side of the bracket, No. 2-ranked Woodward Academy will play Langston Hughes. On the girls side of 5A, top-ranked River Ridge will play No. 4 Milton and No. 2 Langston Hughes will face No. 7 Bradwell Institute.
KNIGHT MOVES
In Class 4A, all eyes are on the top-ranked Pace Academy boys who are coming off a 94-46 victory against Union Grove. Tucker, which beat Jonesboro 86-80 in the quarterfinals, will try to stop the Knights. Defending champion North Oconee is ranked No. 2 and will meet No. 8 McDonough for a championship berth. On the girls side, top-ranked Creekside will face No. 2-ranked and defending champion Marist in a championship-caliber semifinals matchup. On the other side of the bracket, No. 8 Jackson-Atlanta will play No. 5 North Oconee for a title berth.
The two-time defending champion and No. 3-ranked Sandy Creek boys will face Windsor Forest for a Class 3A title berth. No. 1 Cedar Grove will play Monroe. For the girls, unranked Jenkins is coming off a bracket shattering upset of No. 1 Pickens and will play No. 8 Cherokee Bluff. Defending champion Baldwin will play No. 4 Fayette County.
In 2A, the No. 2 Josey girls are coming off a 48-43 victory against No. 1 Thomson while its semifinals opponent, No. 6 Hardaway, beat Columbia 76-27. Murray County is ranked No. 3 and will face Morgan County. The top-ranked Carver-Columbus boys will face No. 5 Butler, while Union County – ranked No. 7 – faces No. 8 Tattnall County.
In Class A Division I, No. 2 Fannin County’s girls play No. 6 East Laurens and No. 4 Model meets No. 8 Banks County. On the boys side, No. 7 East Laurens meets No. 4 B.E.S.T., while No. 2 Southwest-Macon plays unranked Toombs County.
In Class A Division II, top-ranked McIntosh County Academy will take on unranked Greene County while No. 2 Savannah will play No. 10 Warren County. On the girls side, No. 3 Wilcox County will play No. 8 Screven while No. 5 Macon County meets Washington-Wilkes.
The top-ranked Hebron girls are favored in Class A-3A Private and will play against No. 6 Galloway while No. 2 St. Francis will meet No. 5 Holy Innocents’. On the boys side, No. 2 North Cobb Christian will face No. 3 Greenforest, while top-ranked Holy Innocents’ will play upset-minded Mount Paran.
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