Winning one basketball state championship in high school sports is hard enough as it is— a school winning two in one season puts you in an elite group. Entering the tournament, 21 other storied programs had accomplished the feat. Now, two more teams added their names to this list after the GHSA basketball state championships as both Grayson and Greenforest took home the boys and girls basketball state championships in their respective classes this weekend in Macon.
Grayson won the boys and girls state championship in Class 7A and Greenforest Christian won both state championships in Class A-Division II.
The Lady Rams completed an undefeated 32-0 perfect season as they defeated North Paulding by 21 points, 65-44 in the state championship. Grayson was led by Denielle Carnegie with 21 points and eight rebounds as four Lady Rams scored in double figures.
STATE CHAMPS! pic.twitter.com/qG4C36fKkA
— Grayson HS Athletics (@GraysonHSSports) March 10, 2024
“It’s something special to be sure,” said Grayson girls basketball head coach, Tim Slater. “It’s amazing to represent Grayson and have a season of excellence for a school that represents the same,” Slater added.
Slater’s Lady Rams won the coaches second overall state championship after winning the title in 2019 with Lanier High School.
The Grayson boys defeated McEachern 51-41 in a low scoring state championship where both teams previously averaged more than 70-points each in the state tournament. The Rams kept McDonald’s All-American, Ace Bailey, in check as the forward scored 18 points after averaging over 30-points in the tournament. Grayson held McEachern to shooting 37% from the field on the way to defeating the Indians.
“It’s incredible for both the boys and the girls to win it together and to do that in the highest classification is an incredible honor,” said Grayson boys basketball head coach Geoffrey Pierce. “It’s something these kids will take with them forever. They will forever be known as state champions in the largest classification in Georgia. I can guarantee you there are a lot of former players and coaches from Grayson that are celebrating tonight with us,” Pierce added.
Both Grayson teams had remarkable seasons on their way to both the boys and the girls first state championship victories.
We are the 2023-2024 Private A, Division II STATE Champions! To our parents, the entire school staff and our sponsors we thank you for your unwavering support and love this season. To ALL of our players we thank you for ALL of your Hardwork this season! LETS GO EAGLES! pic.twitter.com/PSvu05fFD4
— Greenforest Academy Men’s Basketball (@GreenforestBall) March 9, 2024
Greenforest won by double-digits in both their girls and boys state championship matchups, defeating the Manchester boys 68-39 and the girls defeated Montgomery County, 39-28.
Both the Eagles state championship teams won 27 games this season as the girls won their first ever basketball state championship and the boys won their fifth state title and closed the season on a 21-game winning streak.
Before this season, there have been 21 instances in the 102-years of GHSA basketball where a school has won both the girls and the boys state championship. Now 23 times, Grayson and Greenforest add their names to the prestigious list.
Only four teams have ever accomplished this feat more than once, including: Wesleyan (2008 and 2010), Columbia (2010 and 2012), Buford (2017 and 2019) and the only team to do this amazing accomplishment three times was Norcross in 2011, 2013 and 2022.
This is the fourth year that two separate high schools were able to win the boys and girls state championship in the same year, joining Columbia/Wesleyan in 2010, Columbia/Miller Grove in 2012, and Buford/Carver-Columbus in 2019 before Grayson and Greenforest added their names in 2024.
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