There’s one meeting between teams ranked in the top 5 on both sides of the class and each team still playing is just three victories away from a state championship.
Welcome to the Class 3A quarterfinals.
On the boys side, there are a few questions that will be answered Wednesday. Can unranked Monroe carry momentum from its upset against No. 3-ranked Pickens in the second round? Can top-ranked Cedar Grove avoid an upset from visiting and No. 8-ranked Baldwin?
Will two-time defending champion and No. 4-ranked Sandy Creek protect its home court from visiting and No. 2-ranked Cross Creek? Unranked Windsor Forest will welcome unranked Dougherty for the quarters. Are they underappreciated or overachieving?
Top-ranked Cedar Grove is positioned to win its second overall state title and first since 1997 and will have to beat Baldwin and then either Jefferson or Monroe to earn the title berth. The Saints are powered by four players scoring in double-figures – junior Emanuel Green (19 points), senior Keith Gillespie (15 points), senior Yusef Bowyer (13 points) and junior Javonte Floyd (11 points).
Cedar Grove’s opponent — Baldwin – is also poised. The Braves are hoping for the program’s third overall title and first since 2021. Junior Karez Demory and junior Deven Nelson each add 17 points per game for Baldwin.
No. 2 Cross Creek won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022 and could face its toughest test yet in two-time defending champion and Sandy Creek. The Razorbacks have beaten LaFayette 86-39 and East Hall 82-71 to earn the quarterfinals berth. Sandy Creek has moved past Monroe Area 64-32 and Westover 60-47 in the playoffs.
Unranked Windsor Forest was underappreciated in the Final Top 10 poll and will welcome unranked Dougherty in the quarters. But the rankings mean nil and the Knights have beaten Riverdale 89-66 and Douglass-Atlanta 75-61 to stay alive. Four players are averaging double-figures – senior Landon Page (15 points), senior Sean Cabellero (14 points), senior Ryheim Manning (13 points) and senior Troy Smith (12 points) — lead the Knights. Dougherty is led by senior Jawuan Jinks Jr. (16 points), senior Kaleke Singletary-Jinks (11 points) and senior Jaquavus Hallman (10 points).
Monroe is unranked and will play host to No. 6 Jefferson for a shot at the semifinals. But the Golden Tornadoes have beaten Gilmer 68-43 and No. 3-ranked Pickens 63-58 to advance. Senior Lorenzo Still leads scorers with 16 points ahead of senior Nehemiah Tinch (12 points) and junior Brayden Burns (11 points). Jefferson is riding momentum from victories against Westside-Augusta 77-73 and Peach County 65-45 in the first two rounds.
On the girls side, teams will take to the court Tuesday and there’s focus on unranked Jenkins, which is coming off a bracket-busting 47-38 upset against No. 2 Jefferson and earned a trip to top-ranked Pickens for its troubles.
Pickens has beaten Howard 68-22 and Calhoun 74-55 in the first two rounds.
Monroe is ranked No. 10 and beat Liberty County 72-46 and Northwest Whitfield 62-47 in the first two rounds to earn a quarterfinals road trip to unranked Cherokee Bluff. The Bears have beaten North Clayton 71-45 and Dougherty 56-40.
Luella is ranked No. 3 and will travel to No. 4 Fayette County in a state-championship caliber matchup. The Lions are coming off victories against Westover 55-37 and No. 8 Sandy Creek 58-57, narrowly, in the second round. Fayette County has beaten Windsor Forest 65-23 and Gilmer 57-37 in the first two rounds.
Defending 4A champion and No. 6-ranked Baldwin moved past Adairsville 60-52 and No. 7 White County 62-47 in the first two rounds to earn a road trip to No. 9 Heritage-Catoosa. Heritage moved past Cedar Grove 94-27 and Chestatee 64-45 to remain alive.
Boys Quarterfinals schedule
#9 No. 2 Cross Creek (27-2) at #1 No. 4 Sandy Creek (26-3)
#13 Dougherty (19-10) at #5 Windsor Forest (24-5)
#6 No. 8 Baldwin (23-7) at #3 No. 1 Cedar Grove (26-3)
#15 No. 6 Jefferson (19-7) at #7 Monroe (20-9)
Girls Quarterfinals schedule
#8 Jenkins (19-8) at #1 No. 1 Pickens (27-2)
#5 No. 10 Monroe (24-5) at #4 Cherokee Bluff (22-8)
#6 No. 3 Luella (26-3) at #3 No. 4 Fayette County (24-5)
#7 No. 6 Baldwin (23-6) at #2 No. 9 Heritage-Catoosa (24-6)
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