First Round Recap

The McEachern boys reinforced their status as Georgia’s top-ranked team and opened the Class AAAAAAA playoffs Friday night with an 89-54 victory over visiting East Coweta to improve to 28-0. McEachern jumped out to a 26-10 lead at the end of the first quarter, and built off its 45-28 halftime lead to carry a 77-41 edge into the final frame. Five-star point guard and junior Sharife Cooper netted a game-high 42 points to pace McEachern and added seven rebounds. Alyn Breed added 18 points and Issac Okoro filled the stat sheet with 17 points, seven rebounds, five blocks, five steals and four assists.

Class AAAAAAA

Boys

Roswell 67, Lowndes: 58: No. 3 seed Roswell jumped out to a 20-9 lead after the first quarter and cruised past host Lowndes to punch a ticket to the Sweet 16 for the second straight season. Miles Herron led the Hornets with 20 points, George Pridgett scored 18 and Kolby Wadell and Chase Webb each finished with 10.

Archer 57, Milton 52: Archer led No. 1 seed Milton 30-23 at the half, but the Eagles rallied in the third quarter to take a 43-42 lead. Archer used its 15-11 advantage in the final frame to score the upset. This marked the third straight season with a first round exit for Milton.

Newton 77, Lambert 54: Newton outscored Lambert 27-13 in the third quarter to gain control and take a 59-41 lead into the final frame. Shawn Smith led the Rams with a game-high 25 points and teammate Armani Harris finished with 23.

Shiloh 73, West Forsyth 48: No. 3 seed Shiloh pulled ahead 33-22 at the half and took a 58-37 lead into the fourth quarter of its 73-48 win over West Forsyth.

Norcross 76, Mountain View 58: No. 3 seed Mountain View got out to a 19-16 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Norcross answered with a 21-10 swing in the second frame to grab a 37-29 halftime lead. Mountain View cut it to 57-51 before a fourth quarter that was dominated by Norcross 20-7. Brandon Boston Jr. led Norcross with a game-high 25 points. Teammate Kyle Sturdivant finished with 21 points and Daniel Ramsey posted 13 rebounds to go with his eight points. Nahiem Allenye led Mountain View with 24 points and Cam Rowland (12) and Malik Wilson (11) also finished in double-figures for the Bears.

Tift County 49, Walton 35: Walton made it a 35-32 with 3:39 left, but Tift County closed out the game on a 14-3 run that included a clutch 9-of-14 made trips to the foul line during the same span. Senior Marquavious Johnson led Tift with 11 points and Tyree Marshall and Jatarian Warren each finished with 10.

Discovery 61, Parkview 48: Parkview used a 10-2 run in the second quarter to go up 25-17, but Discovery rallied to pull ahead 37-32 after the third and close out the program’s first-ever playoff victory. Discovery’s Hasahnn Reynolds posted a team-high 14 points and teammate Leslie Nkereuwem finished with 10 to pace the Titans.

There were four other boys games played in the classification on Friday. Region 3 No. 4 seed Marietta eliminated Region 2 No. 1 seed Westlake 64-59. Cherokee demolished Camden County 58-28, but will be facing top-ranked McEachern next in the Sweet 16. Shiloh pulled ahead 33-22 at the half and took a 58-37 lead into the fourth quarter of its 73-48 win over West Forsyth. Peachtree Ridge was a 57-36 winner over Berkmar, and Meadowcreek defeated Duluth 57-37. North Paulding’s school record-setting 20-win season came to an end in a 57-53 loss to Pebblebrook. Etowah looked sharp in a 74-53 win over Campbell—the bracket’s At Large team. And lastly, Region 2’s No. 2 seed Wheeler coasted past Hillgrove 85-55.

Girls

Mill Creek 51, Brookwood 44: Mill Creek led 10-9 after the first quarter and 24-17 at the half before closing out its road victory over top-seeded Brookwood. Bryanne Buchanan-Cummings led the Hawks with 15 points and 11 rebounds, Alexis Figures added 13 points and seven boards, and Kayla Mulkey finished with 11.

Grayson 68, South Forsyth 49: South Forsyth trailed by just six points at the end of the third quarter before the top-seeded Rams closed out their 19-point victory.

Norcross 83, Mountain View 45: Myra Strickland scored 17 of her team-high 20 points in the first half to pace Norcross to a 47-19 lead. Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu finished with 17 points to go with five assists and five steals and Tionna Carter added 12 points. Kamryn Collins (11), Shamya Brown (10) and Maya Hevley (10) each finished in double-figures for Mountain View.

Archer 63, Forsyth Central 61 (OT): Forsyth Central erased a late 55-51 deficit to force overtime at 56-56. Archer had possession when the teams were tied 61-61 with just over 11 seconds left in the overtime period. The Tigers attempted two shots before Maya Jackson corralled the rebound with just enough time to get off the game-winning basket at the buzzer.   Aisha Dabo led Forsyth Central with 25 points.

Tift County 43, Etowah 32: Host Tift County held Etowah to just eight points in the first half and built a 25-11 lead at the end of the third. Freshman Tamyrn Carter led the Blue Devils with 10 points and Shakiria Chaney and Destiny Johnson each finished with eight. Etowah was led by 6-foot-3 sophomore Kinsey Norton’s 10 points.

No. 1 seed Westlake scored an 84-51 win over Marietta to set up a Sweet 16 showdown with Tift County. Roswell eliminated Lowndes 64-51, but Colquitt County was able to advance out of Region 1 with an impressive 61-55 win over Woodstock. Campbell outmatched Hillgrove 66-56 in a Cobb County showdown and McEachern defeated East Coweta 74-35. The other Cobb County pairing ended in dramatic fashion with Pebblebrook escaping with a 40-39 win over North Cobb. Collins Hill defeated Central Gwinnett 72-42 to post its 24th-straight victory and will host Archer in the Sweet 16. Duluth defeated Parkview 49-33, Rockdale County beat West Forsyth 55-50 and Cherokee topped North Gwinnett 69-52

Class AAAAAA

Boys

Douglas County 80, Apalachee 62: No. 4 seed Douglas County got the road win behind 19 points, 10 assists and six rebounds from J.J. Richards. Omarion Smith had 17 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks for the Tigers, and Jermichael Mahorn had 14 points and five assists. Apalachee’s Jamonte Wallace led all scorers with 24 points.

Tucker 65, Valdosta 49: Jermontae Hill led Tucker with 19 points. Nicholas Watson scored 12 points for the Tigers, and Nathaniel Ogbu contributed 10 points for Tucker.

Houston County 55, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 54: H.B. Morgan led Houston County with 20 points and also had five steals and three assists. Xavier Duncan had eight points and six rebounds, Kobe Nelson had seven points and four rebounds and Austin Sloan had five points and five rebounds for Houston County.

Alexander 66, Dacula 54: C.J. Hawkins led Alexander with 19 points, while Malik Battle scored 12 and Bryce Robinson had 11. Mekhail Bethea led Dacula with 19 points, Brenden Tucker scored 16.

Mundy’s Mill 73, Lee County 69: Demarcus Fannin and Jalen Thrash of Mundy’s Mill each scored 15 points, and Jordan Black (13 pts) and Chris Lango (12 pts) each scored in double-figures. Rayquan Brown contributed nine points.

Brunswick 65, Lakeside-Evans 54: Sheydan Baggs and Sharrod Ross lead Brunswick with 16 points apiece. Joyful Hawkins scored 12, and Torrey Dickens had 10. DyKese King scored 15 points for Lakeside-Evans.

Chattahoochee 78, Sprayberry 64: Cameron Sheffield paced the Cougars with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Franklin Bailey scored 18 points and had six rebounds, A.J. White had 17 points and five rebounds, and Grant VanBeveren had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Sequoyah 57, North Atlanta 56: Donovan Shipp made a driving layup as time expired to give Sequoyah the home win and cap off a 15-point second half for the Chiefs guard.

Evans 72, Glynn Academy 61: Christian Chambers led Evans with 23 points, and Joshton Mincey and Cam Cabarrus each scored 12 points. Brason James and Chevy Trask each contributed 10 points.

South Cobb 82, Pope 71: South Cobb’s Jaiden Diamond and Pope’s Micah Paulk both scored 21 points. South Cobb also got 15 points from Quentin Cardell, 13 from Demetrius Bowen and 10 points from Zocko Littleton.

Girls

Lovejoy 62, Houston County 15: Defending champion and No. 1-ranked Lovejoy led 40-3 at halftime on its way to a first-round win.

New Manchester 54, Winder-Barrow 52 (OT): The teams ended regulation tied 46-46, and Skylar Robinson scored two of her four points to break a 52-52 tie and give New Manchester the win. Kyndall Golden led New Manchester with 15 points, and Hannah Wright added 13, hitting four three-pointers.

Glynn Academy 61, Evans 22: Zoesha Smith led Glynn Academy with 21 points, and Chmayia Miller contributed 15. Anneliese Cherne had 12 points on four three-pointers, and La’Trinty Best scored eight. Glynn Academy held Evans to seven points in the second half.

Sequoyah 60, Alpharetta 46: Sydney Rosant scored a game-high 26 for Sequoyah, and Emily Seres was the only other player in double-figures for the Lady Chiefs with 10 points. Kayli Hamby added six points, and Tafton Barber had five.

Grovetown 51, Brunswick 47: Mikiah Parker paced Grovetown with 11 points, and Tamiah Holmes had nine points. Two players, Marrissah Tate and Aniyah Jones, each had eight points, and both Keona Curtis and D’Mya Griffin scored six for Grovetown, which came back from a 30-15 deficit at halftime.

Richmond Hill 40, Heritage-Conyers 38: Richmond Hill upset No. 1 seed Heritage-Conyers despite a game-high 16 points from Heritage star Sade Harrell.

Class AAAAA

Boys

Villa Rica 65, Jackson-Atlanta 60: Villa Rica was led by Caleb Smith with 17 points. Jeffrey Dudley and Micah Hodges each scored 12 points, Phillip Zachery scored 10 and Demarcus Blount scored nine.

Cedar Shoals 74, Columbia 65: Cedar Shoals had four players score in double-figures, with Quincy Canty leading with 21 points to go with eight rebounds. Tyler Johnson scored 19 points and had seven rebounds for the Jaguars, and Jaiden Williams (12 pts, 5 asts, 2 stls) and Demetrius Glenn (13 pts) also contributed

Southwest DeKalb 65, Clarke Central 30: Kadarius Johnson led the Panthers with 18 points, adding six assists and five steals. James Glisson III added 11 points, five blocks and four rebounds, and Rion White had six points and nine rebounds.

Wayne County 52, Whitewater 46: Anthony Grant and Amari Harris each scored 11 points for Wayne County. Grant also contributed 13 rebounds and five blocks, and Harris had four rebounds and four assists. Marcus Trice had nine points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and Emmanuel Green had eight points, 12 rebounds and three steals.

Kell 84, Lithia Springs 73: Scoota Henderson (24 pts) and Justin Perry (22 pts) led the Longhorns to the home win. C.J. Henderson scored 10 points, and Rakim Thompson added nine.

Warner Robins 56, Union Grove 34: Quon Dillard led the Demons to the home win with 12 points. Trevon Williams (9 pts), Jacobi Coleman (8 pts) and Ty Carr (6 pts) also contributed for Warner Robins.

Rome 60, Riverwood 55 (OT): Caleb Byrd scored 26 points to help No. 4 seed Rome upset No. 1 seed Riverwood in overtime. Rome’s Justin Ingram added 10 points. The teams entered overtime tied 51-51.

Girls

Eagle’s Landing 79, Warner Robins 62: Jaleah Storr scored a game-high 27 points for Eagle’s Landing. Jalisa Dunlap scored 13, Mone Lawrence scored 12 and Mariyah Fletcher scored 11 points.

Southwest DeKalb 56, Cedar Shoals 31: Raven Thurman and Lanee Edwards both scored 15 points for Southwest DeKalb. Thurman also had 12 rebounds, five steals and four assists, and Edwards added seven rebounds.

Villa Rica 63, Lithia Springs 40: Deasia Merrill led Villa Rica with 22 points, while Dekyia Cofield scored 12 points and Tee Windom added 10.

Harris County 51, Woodland-Stockbridge 47: Taziaha Fanning led Harris County with 16 points. ZiKeyah Carter-Ransom had 13 points and 21 rebounds for the Lady Tigers, and Ny’Azjha Carter-Ransom scored 14 points.

Cass 63, Riverwood 57: Payton Stoddard led Cass with 21 points. Sharia Wade scored 13 points, and Londaisha Smith had 12.

Class AAAA

Boys

Denmark 70, Ridgeland 46: Top-seed Denmark ran away from the visiting Panthers after things got close in the third quarter to stamp the program’s first-ever playoff victory. The Danes led 28-22 at the half before Ridgeland was able to tie it 34-34 late in the third. Denmark answered by closing the quarter on a 12-1 run and a dominant fourth quarter ultimately turned it into a 36-12 swing. Sutton Smith led the Danes with 24 points, Adonnis Tolbert added 19 and ZeVian Capers finished with 12.

Upson-Lee 66, Richmond Academy 56: Two-time defending state champion Upson-Lee jumped out to an incredible start and held a 19-3 lead at the end of the first quarter. Richmond Academy tightened the gap, in large part to a poor shooting night on Upson-Lee’s behalf on the foul line; the Knights shot a combined 14-of-32 (44 percent). Travon Walker led Upson-Lee with 20 points to go with his 13 rebounds and three blocks. Zyrice Scott had eight assists to go with his 15 points and Jarrett Adderton posted 13 points and six boards.

West Hall 76, Southeast Whitfield 75: No. 4 seed West Hall took a 15-10 lead after the first quarter and never trailed in its upset of top-seeded Southeast Whitfield. West Hall’s lead grew to 52-44 at the end of the third quarter, and they led by four points until Southeast Whitfield drilled a three-pointer at the buzzer to bring the margin to a point. Noah Edmondson finished with a game-high 26 points and shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc to pace West Hall.

Woodward Academy 72, Westover 56 OT: Fourth-seeded Westover led by as many as 17 points in regulation, but Woodward Academy got back in striking distance and Walker Kessler’s put back with 9.4 left in the fourth would force overtime at 59-59. Kessler opened the scoring in the extra period and put the War Eagles in front for the first time. He finished with a game-high 28 points to go with his 13 rebounds. Teammate Jacorrei Turner also came up big—contributing 26 points to fuel Woodward Academy’s dramatic comeback.

Cross Creek 67, Mary Persons 52: No. 2 seed Cross Creek outscored Mary Persons 35-22 in the second half to build off its 32-30 lead. Kobe Stewart paced the Razorbacks with a team-high 18 points. Devin Pope finished with 14 and Corey Trotter and Cameron Gibbons each netted eight for Cross Creek.

Sandy Creek 88, North Oconee 42: The top-seeded Patriots used a first round blowout over visiting North Oconee to stamp their 15th consecutive victory. Drexel signee TJ Bickerstaff posted 19 points and a team-high eight assists. Jabari Smith had 19 points with his six rebounds and Julian Anderson finished with 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Keith Williams (9), DeShon Procter (8) and Matt Williams (7) also added offensive contributions in Sandy Creek’s well-balanced effort.

Howard 69, Baldwin 66 OT: Howard grabbed a 20-15 lead after the opening quarter, but the margin never went past seven points and Baldwin was able to force overtime 60-60. Collin Tarver’s game-high 25 points and a 72 percent night at the foul line ultimately lifted Howard to victory. Kelvin Burrell (12) and Leon Pitts (10) also finished in double-figures for the Huskies. Baldwin was led in scoring by Torez Hicks (15) and Donte Justice (13)

Thomson 75, West Laurens 40
Stephens County 62, Troup 59
Marist 48, LaFayette 43
St. Pius 81, Cedartown 40
Dougherty 85, Henry County 64
Blessed Trinity 78, Heritage-Catoosa 50
Carver-Columbus 79, Druid Hills 64
Cartersville 59, Madison County 57
Americus-Sumter 72, Salem 50

Girls

Baldwin 51, Upson-Lee 49: No. 1 seed Baldwin held off fourth-seeded Upson-Lee in a back-and-forth battle that included seven lead changes in the fourth quarter alone. Baldwin led 27-24 at the half, but trailed 38-37 entering the fourth. Junior Tykeidra Jackson hit a pair of free-throws with under a minute left to give Baldwin a 50-49 lead, and forced a steal before her 1-of-2 trip to the foul line provided the final tally.

Carver-Columbus 76, Druid Hills 35: Top-ranked Carver-Columbus dominated visiting Druid Hills to improve to 28-0 on the year. Junior Olivia Cochran finished with a game-high 24 points and surpassed the 1,500 career point mark.

Madison County 64, Cedartown 51: Top-seed Madison County trailed Cedartown 38-33 with 3:24 left in the third quarter before closing out the visiting Bulldogs. Kayla McPherson finished with a game-high 27 points and Jordan Bailey finished with 26 points to fuel the comeback.

Henry County 78, Westover 30: Henry County took a 46-14 lead at the half before closing out its 48-point victory over No. 4 seed Westover. Janiya Jones (17), Briana Juniel (14), Paris Mullins (13) and Amaya Jackson (12) each finished in double-figures to lead the Warhawks.

Spalding 57, Thomson 40
Marist 51, Gilmer 41
Luella 48, Shaw 45
Northwest Whitfield 63, White County 54
Sandy Creek 68, North Oconee 34
Burke County 57, Perry 41
Henry County 78, Westover 30
St. Pius 42, Central-Carroll 35
Flowery Branch 70, Pickens 43
Cross Creek 56, West Laurens 49
Oconee County 41, Troup 28
Heritage-Catoosa 53, Chestatee 51
Hardaway 68, Woodward Academy 50

Class AAA

Boys

Calhoun 76, East Hall 60: Calhoun took a 19-11 lead after the first quarter and East Hall answered with a 20-11 run in the second quarter to lead 31-30 at the break. The Yellow Jackets took control with a 46-point second half while East Hall could only match 19. Cahoun’s Gage Maffetone led the Yellow Jackets with 19 points. Tononcito Martha and Xaxton Goodson added 14 points. Davis Allen scored 11 points. Jake Prather added eight points and Jaylan Harris and Caleb Boone each scored six points.

Westside-Macon 62, Cook 49: Westside-Macon outscored Cook 24-17 in the second quarter to lead 38-29 at the half. Cook responded with a 14-11 run in the third quarter but the Seminoles countered with a 13-6 effort in the final frame to put the game away.

Hart County 54, Pace Academy 50: Hart County led 13-12 after the first quarter and 29-20 at the break before Pace Academy mounted a 17-9 run in the third quarter to cut into the lead. Hart County secured the win with a 16-13 effort in the final frame.

Dawson County 58, Ringgold 27: Dawson County pushed the lead to 19-11 after the first quarter and kept the pressure on with a 11-9 run before the break. The Tigers stifling defense held Ringgold scoreless in the third quarter while its offense added 27 points to blow the game open. Ringgold put together a 7-1 run in the final frame but the game was out of reach.

North Murray 61, Lumpkin County 40: North Murray took little time grabbing control as it led 32-16 after the first quarter. It pushed the lead with an 11-5 run in the third quarter and matched 18 of Lumpkin’s 19 points in the final frame to protect the lead.

Westminster 53, Jefferson 50 (OT): After ending regulation tied at 43, Westminster outscored Jefferson 10-7 in overtime to take control and put the game away. The game was tied at 24 at the break. At halftime, Westminster had eight turnovers to Jefferson’s seven. The Wildcats were shooting 8-for-12 at the free throwline, 2-for-3 from outside the arc and 7-for-18 from the floor.

Beach 52, Brantley County 51: Beach freshman Javonte Landy was fouled on a three-point attempt with .3 seconds left as the Bulldogs were down two points 51-49. Landy converted the three free throws to take the victory. He finished with six points. Senior Tyrese Martin scored the first ten points of the game and finished with a team-high 20 points. Kevin Chaplin added 18 points. Beach outscored Brantley County 17-10 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.

Girls

Boys

Thomasville 66, Butler 52: The Thomasville Bulldogs bested Butler to advance to the second round of the playoffs. There they’ll be matched up against Woodville-Tompkins following their 62-46 victory over Dublin.

Woodville-Tompkins 62, Dublin 46: The Wolverines held the Dublin offense to just 5 points in the second quarter, outscoring the Fightin’ Irish 35-17 in the first half en route to their first-round victory. They advance to the second round where they’ll take on Thomasville following their win over Butler.

Elbert County 62, Heard County 52: First-ranked Elbert County bested Heard County by ten points to advance into the second round. The Blue Devils will be paired up against Rockmart after a 55-49 victory over Hapeville.

Hephzibah 70, Berrien 53: A pair of 18-point performances from junior Quentin Friendly and junior Robert Johnson excelled the Hephzibah offense to their first-round win over Berrien. The Rebels will meet top-ranked Northeast Macon in the second round.

Washington County 58, Metter 46: The Washington County Golden hawks bested Metter to advance onto the second round. There they’ll being going up against Laney following their ten-point victory over Brooks County.

Therrell 74, Model 59: After being down 41-26 at the half, the Therrell Panthers managed to mount a comeback and best the Model Blue Devils 74-59. Therrell will advance to the second round where they’ll face off against the winner of the Rabun County vs. Bremen game.

Rockmart 55, Hapeville Charter 49: The Rockmart Yellowjackets defeated Hapeville Charter to advance forward to the second round. There they’ll face off against the winner of the Heard County vs. Elbert County game.

Northeast-Macon 53, Toombs County 30: The Northeast Bulldogs outscored Toombs County 28-16 in the first half and finished strong by shutting out the opposing offense in the fourth quarter to walk away with the victory. The Bulldogs will advance to the second round where they’ll face off against the winner of the Berrien vs. Hephzibah game.

Chattooga 80, Douglass 69: Douglass put up a solid 28-point fourth quarter but were unable to overcome the Chattooga offense and lost 80-69. The Indians advance to the second round to play against the winner of the Callaway vs. Banks County game.

Spencer 69, Union County 53: The Spencer Green Waves outscored Union County 39-20 in the first half to mount a sturdy lead heading into the second half. Union County managed to outscored Spencer 32-30 but were unable to surpass the point deficit. Spencer advances to the second round where they’ll face off against South Atlanta.

South Atlanta 84, Coosa 54: The South Atlanta Hornets cruised passed Coosa on their way to the second round of the class AA playoffs. They’ll bet met by Spencer who advanced following their defeat over Union County.

Girls

Early County 72, Jefferson County 34: A strong 25-point first-quarter performance from Early County gave the Bobcats the start they needed to soundly defeat Jefferson County. In the second round, the Bobcats will face off against Woodville-Tompkins following their close 59-50 victory over Southwest-Macon.

Laney 78, Brooks County 40: The Laney Wildcats cruised through to the second round following their commanding win over Brooks County. There, they’ll be paired against Swainsboro, who advanced after a three-point victory over East Laurens.

Elbert County 47, Callaway 45: A close first-round game closed with Elbert County on top of Callaway. The Blue Devils will advance to the second round where they’ll face off against a Rockmart team coming off of a dominant victor over Washington in the first round.

Rabun County 83, Heard County 43: The Rabun County offense put up over 20 points in the first three quarters of the game, putting up more points in the first half then Heard County would score throughout the game. Leading the Wildcats on offense was senior Brooke Henricks who scored 20 points and racked up four steals while junior Laken Stiles had 18 points. Rabun County advances to the second round where they’ll be matched up against Chattooga.

Chattooga 61, Therrell 55: The Chattooga girls posted a strong 23-point fourth quarter to best Therrell and advance to the second round. They’ll await Rabun County who advanced following their victory over Heard County

Josey 58, Thomasville 22: The Josey Eagles soundly defeated Thomasville to advance to the second round. Fueling the offense was senior Tykedra Rolland who scored 16 points while sophomore Deajah Houck scored 9. Josey will go head-to-head against Jeff Davis following their victory over Dodge County.

Jeff Davis 76, Dodge County 44: Jeff Davis outscored Dodge County by nearly 30 points to take home the victory. They advance to the second round where they’ll face off against Josey following their defeat over Thomasville.

Model 49, KIPP 36: The Blue Devils went up 25-15 at the half over KIPP and held on strong to take home the victory. They advance to the second round where they’ll be matched up against top-seeded Lamar County.

Lamar County 63, Monticello 62: The Trojans narrowly bested Monticello by one point to advance to the second round of the class AA playoffs. They’ll be met there by Model following their victory over KIPP.

Swainsboro 51, East Laurens 48: Despite a slow 7-point first quarter, Swainsboro outscored East Laurens 44-36 through three quarters to take home the win. The Tigers await the winner of the Brooks County vs. Laney game in the second round.

Rockmart 72, Washington 45: Top-seeded Rockmart showed up to their first-round matchup against Washington, outscoring the Bulldogs offense by nearly 30 points to claim the win. The Yellowjackets await the winner of the Callaway vs. Elbert County game.

Bryan County 39, Washington County 31: The Redskins defeated Washington County in large part to a stellar performance by Olonna Rawls. The junior scored 23 points while senior Jay Black snagged a career-high 24 rebounds. Bryan County advances to the second round where they’ll face off against Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald 86, Butler 48: The Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes scored over twenty in each quarter of their game against Butler to soundly defeated the Bulldogs. Fitzgerald advances to the second round where they’ll face off against Bryan County following their win over Washington County.

Class A-Public

Boys

Clinch County 53, Schley County 52: Clinch County’s Jeremiah Johnson scored 10 first-quarter points, giving the Panthers a strong start to the game. The game was tied at 37 heading into the fourth quarter, and the Panthers outscored Schley County 16-15 to take home the win. They advance to the second round where they’ll go up against fifth seed Wilkinson County following their first-round bye.

Dooly County 49, Lanier County 47: The Dooly County Bobcats bested the Lanier County Bulldogs in a close first-round game to advance to the second round of the class A-Public playoffs. There they’ll face off against second seed Treutlen following their first-round bye.

Chattahoochee County 54, Claxton 48: The Chattahoochee County Panthers bested the Claxton Tigers 54-48 on the back of a 32-point first half. The Tigers went into the fourth quarter up 42-39, but only managed to score 6 more points against the Chattahoochee County defense. The Panthers advance to the second round where they’ll face off against fourth-ranked Marion County who has already served them two losses on the season.

Terrell County 82, Greenville 71: The Greenwave bested Greenville to advance to the second round of the class A-Public playoffs. They await their second-round matchup against eighth-seeded Pelham following their bye.

Drew Charter 67, Georgia Military 62: Drew Charter narrowly defeated a tough Georgia Military team to advance to the second round of the playoffs. They’ll face off against top-seeded Calhoun County following their first-round bye.

Greene County 93, Mt. Zion-Carroll 68: The Greene County offense was led by senior Justin Mallory who scored 19 points and snagged a tremendous 30 rebounds. Senior Jae’quon Robbins also put up 19 points while senior C’Darius Kelley had 14. Greene County advances to the second round where they’ll face off against Irwin County following their first-round bye.

Macon County 71, Manchester 70: The Macon County Bulldogs were down 64-59 heading into the fourth quarter but played a hard fourth quarter to outscore Manchester 12-6 and steal the win. The Bulldogs advance to the second round where they’ll be matched up against Wilcox County after their first-round bye.

Girls

Dooly County 51, Stewart County 27: Dooly County girls gave their school a sweep in the 2019 GHSA first round following the boys victory by soundly defeating Stewart County. The Lady Bobcats will advance to the second round where they’ll be matched up against fifth seeded Wheeler County after a first round bye.

Pelham 50, Trion 49: Pelham went down 28-15 at the half but outscored the Bulldogs offense 35-21 in the second half to advance to the second round. There they’ll be matched up against the one-seeded Greenville who served the Hornets a heavy 76-47 loss during the regular season.

Emanuel County Institute 43, Commerce 40: Emanuel County Institute narrowly defeated Commerce to advance to the second round. There they’ll face off against fourth-seed Marion County following their week 1 bye.

Central-Talbotton 81, Quitman County 57: The Central Hawks outscored Quitman County 34-14 in the first half and continued to put points on the board in the second half with 26 and 21 points respectively to take home the first-round win. Their next opponent will be seventh-seed Georgia Military in the second round.

Turner County 62, Lake Oconee Academy 42: Turner County outscored Lake Oconee Academy 35-15 in the first half en route to their first-round win, holding the Titans offense to just one point in the second quarter. Turner County advances to the second round where the Rebels will go up against second-seed Telfair County following their first-round bye.

Class A-Private

Boys

Athens Academy 44, Calvary Day 35: The Spartans and Cavaliers found themselves tied 28-28 with less than eight minutes left in the game, but the Athens Academy offense outscored Calvary Day 16-7 to claim the first-round victory. They advance to the second round where they’ll go head-to-head with Savannah Country Day after their first-round bye.

Pinecrest Academy 67, Galloway 56: A strong 26-point fourth-quarter performance by Galloway wasn’t enough to surpass the Paladins offense, who outscored Galloway 33-19 in the first half. Top seed St. Francis now awaits the Paladins in the second round.

Wesleyan 47, Trinity Christian 46: The Wesleyan Wolves narrowly defeated Trinity Christian to advance to the second round of the class A-Private playoffs. Leading the Wesleyan offense was junior guard Micah Smith who scored 18 points, while senior JD Kavel had 14. Wesleyan will go up against Christian Heritage following their first-round bye.

Girls

Athens Academy 58, Aquinas 25: Athens Academy held the Aquinas offense to single-digit points in the last three quarters to advance to the second round for the second year in a row. Senior Greer Moseley led the offense with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Spartans will be matched up against Mt. Paran following their first-round bye.

Tallulah Falls 56, Savannah Country Day 53: Following a tremendous 26-point first quarter performance, the Tallulah Falls Indians held on strong to grab a 56-53 victory over Savannah Country Day. Fueling the Indians’ offense was senior Nyah Williams, who put up 20 points while sophomore Katy Corbett had 15. Tallulah Falls will advance to the second round where they’ll play against Calvary Day.