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January 2009
Georgia High School Wrestling: Pound For Pound reviews individual accomplishments
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We spend a lot of time at Pound for Pound talking about team achievements, so this week we’ll start with some impressive individual accomplishments from the last week of wrestling.
Union Grove 135-pounder Joey Lazor reached win No. 200 during the North Metro Tournament at Brookwood. Lazor, who through the weekend had a career record of 205-7, has been as dominant as any wrestler in the state in compiling a 48-0 record.
“This is a great milestone for Joey,” said Wolverines coach Joey Dinino.
Lazor had a little company in the milestone department. Three-time state champion Bryan Benton picked up career win No. 200 during the Shamrock Scuffle at Dublin. Benton, a 140-pounder, sits at 200-10 for his career and coach Kevin Hill thinks he’s got a shot at between 215-217 wins before the year is out. Not to mention, a fourth state ring.
Henry County’s Anthony Fretwell set the national single-season pins record, collecting Nos. 59 and 60 in the Warhawks second-place finish at the Wildcat Brawl at Whitewater. Fretwell broke the old record of 58 pins held by Scottsboro (AL) wrestler Kyle Cuthbertson.
AJC Top 10 all-class rankings (last week’s ranking in parenthesis)
1. Collins Hill (1) — Eagles put 11 in finals, coast to victory at Sham Slam
2. Pope (2) — Last year’s Cobb champions favorites again this weekend
3. Union Grove (3) — Place nine wrestlers, including four champions in winning North Metro
4. Jefferson (4) — Second at Sham Slam with five finalists, one champion
5. Camden County (6) — Wildcats win five duals with ease in Orange Park, FL
6. Lafayette (5) — Led by three finalists, one champ, finish 3rd at Sham Slam
7. Kennesaw Mountain (8) — Mustangs pick up dual win over Class AAAA champion Whitewater; Pope’s biggest challenger at this weekend’s Cobb Invite
8. Centennial (7) — Without four starters, Knights finish 4th at North Metro
9. Eastside (10) — Eagles took week off; favorites this weekend at Burnt Mountain Classic
10. Parkview (NR) — Panthers third at North Metro
Takedowns
Ryan Cross and Alex Lanier won individual titles at 130 and 140 pounds, respectively, to help North Forsyth win the Titan Cup at Blessed Trinity. The Raiders had nine placers and they needed every one of them to hold off second-place Lovett by a single point, 207-206. A year ago, Lovett lost the Titan Cup to Dacula……Since each losing his final match in the Midwest Wrestling Classic, December 20, Collins Hill wrestlers Taylor Knapp and Joel Smith have been unstoppable. Through last weekend’s action, Knapp, No. 10 at 152 pounds (Wrestling USA Magazine) is 25-0 with 20 pins (12 in first period) since the loss in Kansas City, while in the same time frame, Smith is 24-0 with 16 of 17 pins coming in the first period…….Holy Innocents’ Chris Mann reached career win No. 150, Tuesday…….Brian St. James moved up to No. 16 amongst 112-pounders on Wrestling 411 USA’s individual rankings. Lazor is No. 14 at 135 pounds, while Knapp is No. 10 at 152…….
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Take 10: 100-0 Texas basketball blowout brings a lot of fire from Metro Atlanta coaches
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’re living in a new age. Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points in a basketball game, and his accomplishment echoes for all eternity. A girls basketball team in Texas wins a game 100-0, and the result will live in infamy. There is an obsession — good or bad — when dealing with the century mark in basketball. This latest result, however, evoked some strong feelings nationally.
There are several questions that arise when something like the Covenant Christian blowout happens. We at Take Ten decided to go to the experts, your local basketball coaches, and ask them directly.
Here are 10 burning questions about the 100-0 basketball game:
10. What would you do in a similar situation?
Parkview coach Mike McCoy — “I’m not going to tell our players not to score. But we are going to work on our defense and things of that nature. We try to get into a situation where we can run some stuff, specific stuff. We’re not going to just run up and down the floor and score at will. We still have to use it as an opportunity to improve as a team, while being respectful of the game.”
9. Were coaches you talked to shocked by the national headlines?
Cherokee coach Matt Cates — “Well, it’s nothing we’re ever going to have to worry about around here. We’re never going to blow anyone out. But routs are going to happen. It was pretty extreme. I thought it was a misprint when I first saw it.”
8. What’s the most difficult part of handling a game like that?
Marietta coach Ken Sprague — “It’s tough. Do you look at your players and say, ‘If you’re open don’t make the shot?’ Or do you stall the rest of the game, which is almost a slap in the face of the other team, saying we’re not going to try. I mean you still have to play your game. You don’t have to pressure the team. You can drop back into a soft zone, but if you’re telling your kids, ‘Don’t play hard,’ then you’re giving your kids the wrong message. That’s going to have an effect another game.”
7. Were you shocked that the Covenant Christian coach was fired?
Fayette County coach John Strickland — “Some people get fired when they don’t win, so it’s weird to see someone get fired when you do win. I know that’s a different scenario and circumstance behind it, but I think you have to go back to the tape. What was going on in that game? What were they doing in the second half? I don’t think sportsmanship is decided by the score. It’s more than just a score.”
6. Have you ever dealt with this type of reaction before?
Wesleyan coach Jan Azar [to the AJC’s Todd Holcomb] — “Our starters are barely playing two quarters. It’s hard when you teach kids that the way to be successful is playing hard for an entire game, then you say. ‘Wait, don’t do that anymore.’ I don’t want to judge [Covenant] because our team has been judged a lot.”
5. Do you think there would be this type of reaction if it was a boys basketball game?
Sprague — “Maybe, but here’s my thinking. If it was 98-2, then it wouldn’t haven’t gotten to be such a big story. Because that big, round 100 is out there, and the zero number, it makes it look horrible. But say the team beat them 100-10. Does that make it any better? Did the other team get shots off? I didn’t look at a boxscore or anything like that, but I’m assuming the other team took plenty of shots.”
4. Could this ever happen in Georgia?
Cates — “It could, but we have a mercy rule in Georgia. The rule takes some time off the clock if you’re up so many going into the third, going into the fourth. With our mercy rule in this state, I would think it would be hard to go as high as that margin. I would think Texas would look at changing their own rules or adding that in theirs.”
3. Can you defend a team or coach pressing in the second half of a game like that?
McCoy — “Bobby Knight once said if you can beat a team by pressing, you can probably beat them anyway. So just play it straight up. That’s basically what we try to do.”
2. Does either team benefit from games like this?
Sprague — “I say to my players every possession is important. And then you get into a game where we say, ‘Look, you can’t play hard. We don’t want you to try and score. Run our offense, but don’t try to score.’ That’s just not the right thing to do. My thing is just don’t put that team on your schedule.”
1. Should the coach have been fired?
Strickland — “It’s tough. I think you have to go back to the tape and look at what really happened. That’s fair. I don’t know what was going on with the apology. Apparently, the [Covenant] coach took a hard line with his point of view. I don’t know if I would be in that type of position. I can’t be a position to tell a kid not to make a layup and not play defense. But 100-0, that’s tough. That’s the first time I’ve heard of someone getting fired for that, so that’s a new thing for us. It’s new for the basketball world.”
Go on. Take Ten. What are the best ways to prevent an embarrassing blowout? Does it hurt the spirit of the game to slow down? Would you fire a coach for beating an opponent 100-0, regardless of the circumstances? Here’s your chance to voice your opinion. Give us some feedback.
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Georgia High School Basketball: Sports Writers Association State Class-By-Class Polls
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This basketball season, AJC staff writers Glenn LaFollette and Rob Morton will post their top 10 boys/girls Metro Atlanta all-class team rankings each week and we’ll provide the GSWA statewide class-by-class rankings separately.
We’d like to hear your opinions on both the AJC’s Metro Atlanta Top 10 as well as the GSWA rankings. Here at AJC Sports, we’re always most interested in what our readers think of the metro and state hardcourt happenings.
Here are this week’s Georgia Sports Writers Association statewide rankings for each class with total votes (first-place votes in parentheses):
BOYS
Class AAAAA
1. Norcross (10) - 100
2. McEachern - 81
3. Centennial - 79
4. Wheeler - 76
5. Walton - 49
6. Meadowcreek - 45
7. Lassiter - 38
8. Valdosta - 26
9. Milton - 16
10. Newton - 13
Others receiving votes: Westlake 10, Newnan 7, Cherokee 4, Groves 2, Peachtree Ridge 2.
Class AAAA
1. Miller Grove (8) - 96
2. Hillgrove - 85
3. Statesboro - 72
4. Richmond Academy - 63
5. Marist (2) - 59
6. Evans - 55
7. Chamblee - 40
8. Tucker - 21
9. McIntosh - 17
10. Lithia Springs - 15
Others receiving votes: Bainbridge 12, Fayette Co. 8, Sprayberry 3, Osborne 2, Rockdale Co. 2.
Class AAA
1. South Atlanta (10) - 100
2. Columbia - 88
3. Liberty Co. - 67
4. Shaw - 66
5. Franklin Co. - 60
6. Washington Co. - 54
7. Ridgeland - 40
8. Spalding - 19
9. LaGrange - 18
10. Carrollton - 11
Others receiving votes: Creekview 9, West Hall 6, Richmond Hill 5, Westover 5, Elbert Co. 1.
Class AA
1. Dublin (10) - 100
2. GAC - 89
3. Blessed Trinity - 77
4. Dade Co. - 65
5. Northeast-Macon - 53
6. Laney - 49
7. Heard Co. - 42
8. Chattooga - 34
9. Greene Co. - 10
10. Central-Macon - 8
Others receiving votes: Mitchell Co. 6, McIntosh Co. Academy 5, Thomasville 5, Jefferson 3, Appling Co. 2, Jordan 2.
Class A
1. Wilkinson Co. (10) - 100
2. Turner Co. - 89
3. Greenforest Christian - 69
4. Metter - 64
5. Whitefield Academy - 55
6. Darlington - 35
7. Hancock Central - 34
8. Wilcox Co. - 32
9. North Cobb Christian - 30
10. Terrell Co. - 17
Others receiving votes: Paideia 16, Wesleyan 5, Athens Christian 2, Chattahoochee Co. 1, Lanier Co. 1.
GIRLS
Class AAAAA
1. Parkview (9) - 90
2. Redan - 76
3. Norcross - 56
4. Marietta - 49
5. Mill Creek - 46
6. Westlake - 42
7. Stephenson - 30
8. Berkmar - 29
(tie) McEachern - 29
10. Cherokee - 25
Others receiving votes: Campbell 18, North Cobb 4.
Class AAAA
1. Fayette Co. (8) - 89
2. Mays - 79
3. Marist - 66
4. Hardaway (1) - 59
5. Salem - 54
6. Northwest Whitfield - 38
7. Jonesboro - 35
8. Osborne - 30
9. Southwest DeKalb - 25
10. Madison Co. - 7
Others receiving votes: Americus-Sumter 6, Butler 3, Harlem 2, Bainbridge 1.
Class AAA
1. Carrollton (5) - 85
2. Baldwin (3) - 82
3. Franklin Co. (1) - 69
4. Rutland - 66
5. Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe - 40
6. Gilmer - 37
7. Kendrick - 36
8. Dougherty - 32
9. Gainesville - 8
(tie) Jackson-Atlanta - 8
(tie) Woodward Academy - 8
Others receiving votes: Carver-Atlanta 5, Creekview 4, Madison Co. 4, Westover 3, Central-Carroll 2, Hart Co. 2, Washington Co. 2, Pickens 1.
Class AA
1. Buford (5) - 83
2. Model (2) - 78
3. Dodge Co. - 68
4. Vidalia (2) - 52
5. Laney - 47
6. Armuchee - 37
7. Rabun Co. - 28
8. GAC - 27
9. Henry Co. - 24
10. Coosa - 18
Others receiving votes: Brantley Co. 10, Northeast-Macon 9, Jordan 4, Screven Co. 4, Pepperell 2, Albany 1, Lovett 1, Madison Co. 1, North Oconee 1.
Class A
1. Wesleyan (9) - 90
2. Calvary Day - 81
3. Sav. Country Day - 67
4. Taylor Co. - 60
5. Gordon Lee - 48
(tie) Randolph-Clay - 48
7. Holy Innocents - 42
8. Seminole Co. - 21
9. Jenkins Co. - 14
10. Paideia - 9
(tie) Towns Co. - 9
Others receiving votes: Trion 3, Savannah Christian 2, Walker 1.
Rank the rankings: What’s your opinion of this week’s GSWA rankings? Who should move up or down? Who’s got game and who’s got lame? Tell us.
More hoops talk: AJC Metro Atlanta Top 10 • Holcomb: Another Norcross-Wheeler state final on tap
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Georgia High School Basketball: The AJC Top 10 Metro Atlanta all-classification poll
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It proved to be another tough week for boys teams in the AJC’s Metro Top 10 with five taking losses, two to unranked opponents. Lassiter, who defeated No. 10 Hillgrove, moved into the top 10 at No. 7. But the Trojans face No. 10 Walton and No. 4 Wheeler before the weekend.
There are still plenty of undefeated girls teams left in metro Atlanta. But that’s no cause to start handing out championships.
“They don’t give you a championship for going undefeated in the regular season,” Fayette County coach John Strickland said. “You have to go undefeated in the postseason.”
The Tigers could do both. They’re still at No. 2 in our poll and seem on a course for a matchup with unbeaten Mays to end the regular season. Southwest DeKalb, the Tigers 2008 Class AAAA title-game opponent, is moving up as well after an impressive string of victories. Buford, who continues to roll in Class AA, joins the list.
BOYS: Metro Atlanta Basketball Rankings
A look at the top 10 metro teams from all classifications:
1: South Atlanta (17-3) — The Hornets crushed three Region 4-AAA foes by an average of 41 points, including a 29-point shellacking of second-place Spalding.
2: Norcross (17-1) — The Blue Devils took over the second spot by crushing Florida’s top-ranked Class AAAA team, Monsignor Pace, to complete an impressive week.
3: McEachern (15-3) — The Indians continued their rampage through Region 5-AAAAA with three double-figure victories, including one over second-place Cherokee County.
4: Wheeler (13-6) — The Wildcats ran past top-notch Region 6-AAAAA opponents Walton and Milton. Next up is Friday’s showdown against Lassiter.
5: Miller Grove (17-3) — The Wolverines were upset by Lakeside-Dekalb and now travel to improving Marist on Tuesday.
6: Centennial (15-2) — The Knights squeaked past dangerous Roswell last Friday and will be heavily favored this week against Region 6-AAAAA foes Alpharetta and Kell.
7: Lassiter (15-3) — The Trojans continue to be one of the state’s surprise stories and give Region 6-AAAAA its fifth ranked team.
8: Milton (13-5) — The Class AAAAA Eagles followed a blowout victory against Alpharetta by being dominated by Wheeler. Next up is rematch with archrival Roswell Tuesday.
9: Columbia (17-2) — The Eagles rolled past Region 6-AAA foes Dunwoody and Cedar Grove and now face second place Druid Hills on Tuesday.
10: Walton (13-6) — The Raiders hopes of taking second behind Region 6-AAAAA-A leader Wheeler will be decided this week with games against Lassiter and Campbell.
GIRLS: Metro Atlanta Basketball Rankings
A look at the top 10 metro teams from all classifications:
1: Parkview (18-0) — The Class AAAAA Panthers finally got a close game with a 54-49 victory against Central Gwinnett on Friday.
2: Fayette County (20-0) — John Strickland’s team is still rolling, posting a 47-8 Class AAAA victory against Starr’s Mill last week.
3: Mays (20-0) — Junior guard Kendra Long got her 1,000th career point last week for Class AAAA Mays.
4: Redan (13-0) — The Class AAAAA Raiders have a tough stretch of four consecutive road games coming up.
5: Westlake (16-1) — No one will seemingly be able to hang with the Class AAAAA Lions until the postseason. Westlake scored 80-plus points in its last two, while holding opponents to 18 and 25 points.
6: Wesleyan (17-3) — The Class A Wolves have won 10 in a row behind senior Anne Marie Armstrong, who is averaging 22 points, seven rebounds, four assists and 3.5 steals a game.
7: Southwest DeKalb (17-3) — The Class AAAA Panthers have won 10 in a row, with no opponent getting closer than 23 points.
8: Norcross (14-4) — The Class AAAAA Blue Devils are only dropping because other teams are making stronger cases. Norcorss gets that chance on Jan. 30 against Mill Creek.
9: Marist (17-2) — Kim Hixon’s Class AAAA team still hasn’t lost a game in Georgia and has strung together nine in a row.
10: Buford (15-1) — The Class AA Wolves make their first poll appearance after winning their 14th game in a row.
Rank the rankings: How do our Metro top 10 stack up against yours? Which teams are we overlooking? Who’s really got game and who’s got lame?
More hoops talk: Ga. Sports Writers Statewide Poll • Holcomb: Another Norcross-Wheeler state final on tap
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Georgia High School Basketball: Come March, it will be Norcross-Wheeler all over again
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
From what I’ve seen and read, it was a nice weekend for Wheeler and Norcross in boys basketball.
Wheeler beat No. 8 Milton and No. 5 Walton on back-to-back nights, and Norcross defeated a couple of Florida powers Friday and Saturday.
Are we headed toward another Wheeler-Norcross final in Class AAAAA next month at the Gwinnett Arena? That’s how I see it.
On Saturday, I saw Wheeler beat Walton 106-95. Prorated to an NBA game of 48 minutes, that comes to 159-143 and probably 27 dunks. The PA announcer said 600 fans were still outside Wheeler’s gym when capacity was reached.
It reminded me of some of those Wheeler-Marietta games a few years back when Marietta had Chris Ellis and Patrick Ewing Jr. Funny thing was, I was randomly sitting next to Charlie Hood, Marietta’s coach, who had the night off and got to see Wheeler for the first time since Marietta upset the ‘Cats in the 2006-07 season.
I won’t divulge all we discussed - from AAU coaches to the era of transfers - but I don’t think he’d mind if I shared that he would now favor Wheeler over McEachern, the team that is ranked No. 3 and plays in Marietta’s region. And that was minutes after he’d raved about McEachern. But Hood was impressed w/ the big guys Richard Howell (28 points, 20 rebounds) and Ari Stewart (20 points, 4 blocked shots), whom I began to call Predator I and Predator II. Does any other team have a pair of 6-8/6-9 types that are this athletic? Both will be playing in the ACC next season.
Then in the second half, it was guards Tahj Tate (23 points) and Phil Taylor (22 points) that stood out. This Wheeler team is no more talented than the one that lost to Norcross in the 2008 final, but it will have spent more time playing together, as Wheeler has four returning starters still learning to play as a team. That will be the key.
Yet if I were ranking teams, I’d put Norcross No. 1 until a Georgia team beats them. The Blue Devils defeated Florida’s No. 1 team in AAAA, Monsignor Pace, 80-66 on Saturday. They also beat another top Florida team, Choice Learning Academy, pretty easily the night before. Taariq Muhammad had 19 pionts, eight assists and six steals vs. Monsignor.
The current No. 1 team is Centennial, which I’ve not seen play this season. Centennial beat Wheeler. But I notice Centennial lost to Miller Grove and beat Roswell by only two last week. It seems every time I see a Centennial summary that Lorenzo Brown is the leading scorer. Having four guys score 20-plus vs. Walton was impressive for Wheeler. Is Centennial too dependent on Brown?
I’m sure that the coaches at McEachern and Centennial don’t mind me saying this since it’s just more motivation for their guys. But from my vantage, it’s going to be Wheeler vs. Norcross next month for the title of Team of the Decade.
How do you see it?
Todd talks back: Chat about basketball all week with Holcomb here in the Extra Point blog.
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Georgia High School Basketball: Sports Writers Association State Class-By-Class Polls
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You wanted statewide class-by-class boys and girls basketball polls? You got them.
This basketball season, AJC staff writers Glenn LaFollette and Rob Morton will post their top 10 boys/girls Metro Atlanta all-class team rankings each week and we’ll provide the GSWA statewide class-by-class rankings separately.
We’d like to hear your opinions on both the AJC’s Metro Atlanta Top 10 as well as the GSWA rankings. Here at AJC Sports, we’re always most interested in what our readers think of the metro and state hardcourt happenings.
Here are this week’s Georgia Sports Writers Association statewide rankings for each class with total votes (first-place votes in parentheses):
BOYS
Class AAAAA
1. Centennial (4) - 72
2. Norcross (1) - 71
3. McEachern (3) - 69
4. Wheeler - 52
5. Walton - 42
6. Lassiter - 22
7. Meadowcreek - 21
8. Milton - 18
(tie) Valdosta - 18
10. Westlake - 14
Others receiving votes: Newton 11, Newnan 9, South Gwinnett 7, Campbell 6, Cherokee 4, Groves 2, Savannah 2.
Class AAAA
1. Miller Grove (7) - 79
2. Hillgrove (1) - 70
3. Statesboro - 51
4. Evans - 45
5. Richmond Academy - 44
6. Chamblee - 37
7. Tucker - 32
8. McIntosh - 27
9. Marist - 16
10. Fayette Co. - 13
Others receiving votes: Bainbridge 12, Lithia Springs 6, Osborne 4, Alcovy 1, Rockdale Co. 1, Sprayberry 1.
Class AAA
1. South Atlanta (7) - 79
2. Columbia (1) - 73
3. Liberty Co. - 62
4. Franklin Co. - 53
5. Shaw - 49
6. Washington Co. - 28
(tie) West Hall - 28
8. Ridgeland - 16
9. LaGrange - 14
10. Spalding - 12
Others receiving votes: Westover 8, Creekview 7, Richmond Hill 5, Kendrick 4, Johnson-Gainesville 1.
Class AA
1. Dublin (8) - 80
2. Greater Atlanta Christian - 71
3. Blessed Trinity - 63
4. Dade Co. - 43
5. Northeast-Macon - 41
6. Laney - 40
7. Heard Co. - 38
8. Chattooga - 19
9. Central-Macon - 17
10. Greene Co. - 11
Others receiving votes: McIntosh Co. Academy 6, Thomasville 5, Henry Co. 3, Jordan 2, Mitchell Co. 1.
Class A
1. Wilkinson Co. (7) - 79
2. Turner Co. (1) - 72
3. Greenforest Christian - 55
4. Metter - 47
5. Whitefield Academy - 33
6. Wilcox Co. - 31
7. Darlington - 28
(tie) Hancock Central - 28
9. North Cobb - 26
10. Terrell Co. - 25
Others receiving votes: Paideia 12, Providence Christian 2, Chattahoochee Co. 1.
GIRLS
Class AAAAA
1. Parkview (8) - 80
2. Marietta - 64
3. Redan - 52
4. Norcross - 48
5. Mill Creek - 43
6. Campbell - 29
(tie) Stephenson - 29
8. Cherokee - 26
(tie) Westlake - 26
10. Berkmar - 16
Others receiving votes: McEachern 6, Duluth 4, North Cobb 2, Douglass 1, Lowndes 1.
Class AAAA
1. Fayette Co. (8) - 80
2. Mays - 71
3. Marist - 58
4. Salem - 49
5. Hardaway - 45
6. Osborne - 34
7. Northwest Whitfield - 25
8. Jonesboro - 20
9. Southwest DeKalb - 16
10. Americus-Sumter - 15
Others receiving votes: Brunswick 13, Butler 6, Harlem 5, Madison Co. 3.
Class AAA
1. Carrollton (2) - 74
2. Baldwin (3) - 70
3. Franklin Co. (3) - 69
4. Rutland - 54
5. Dougherty - 44
6. Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe - 39
7. Kendrick - 29
8. Gilmer - 28
9. Gainesville - 16
10. Madison Co. - 4
Others receiving votes: Creekview 3, Central-Carroll 2, Pickens 2, Woodward Academy 2, Hart Co. 1, Washington Co. 1, Westover 1.
Class AA
1. Buford (5) - 74
2. Model (1) - 64
3. Dodge Co. - 58
4. Vidalia (2) - 54
5. Laney - 49
6. Greater Atlanta Christian - 27
7. Coosa - 24
8. Armcuhee - 22
(tie) Henry Co. - 22
10. Albany - 11
Others receiving votes: Rabun Co. 8, Northeast-Macon 6, Screven Co. 6, Pepperell 5, Jordan 4, Lovett 4, Brantley Co. 1, North Oconee 1.
Class A
1. Wesleyan (8) - 80
2. Calvary Day - 71
3. Savannah Country Day - 61
4. Taylor Co. - 55
5. Randolph-Clay - 50
6. Gordon Lee - 40
7. Holy Innocents’ - 33
8. Seminole Co. - 21
9. Paideia - 12
10. Jenkins Co. - 9
Others receiving votes: Hancock Central 4, Towns Co. 2, Mt. Paran 1, Savannah Christian 1.
Rank the rankings: What’s your opinion of this week’s GSWA rankings? Who should move up or down? Who’s got game and who’s got lame? Tell us.
More hoops talk: AJC Metro Atlanta Top 10 • Take 10: Ga. hoops stars who never won state titles
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Georgia High School Wrestling: Pound For Pound recaps the state duals, lists new rankings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was a great weekend for wrestling in Macon, but not much surprised the staff at Pound for Pound. Collins Hill and Jefferson each rolled to another state duals title; Lafayette survived pesky Eastside to win their second straight, while Whitewater won Class AAAA and Bremen finally got its Class A championship. Despite the lack of the upset, the two days of great wrestling showed once again why this is one of the state’s top high school sporting events.
Not much is left to say about Collins Hill. The Eagles steamrolled to their second consecutive crown and third overall, handling two really good teams—Camden County and Pope—with relative ease in the semis and final. The team from Suwanee continues to stamp its legacy as perhaps the finest team in Georgia wrestling history and the national folks have taken notice: the Eagles jumped to No. 21 in Amateur Wrestling News latest Prep 40 poll.
Jefferson had no problem in its first Class AA duals tournament after winning seven consecutive Class A crowns. The Dragons made short work of Monticello, Blessed Trinity and Sonoraville before collecting six pins in a 49-19 victory over Lovett for the program’s eight consecutive state duals title.
“We’ve been waiting for it all season,” 160-pounder Jay Fowler said afterwards.
Speaking of waiting, former Class A mate Bremen was more than happy to see Jefferson move up a classification and the Blue Devils wasted no time ending a long drought at state duals. With a 29-24 win over Wesleyan, Bremen won its first duals title after finishing as a runner-up to Jefferson five times.
More waiting: after Eastside’s Michael Green tied the championship dual with Lafayette at 30-30, criteria was used to determine the Class AAA champion. A penalty point taken from Eastside and 112-pounder Cody Durden earlier in the match turned out to be the winning point in the Ramblers’ 31-30 victory, the school’s second consecutive duals title and third in three different classifications, a Georgia record. Ironically, it was Lafayette on the other end of a criteria loss in the 2007 Class AA final against Wesleyan.
“I’ve been on both sides of that; it’s heartbreaking,” said Lafayette coach Sam Forester.
Whitewater separated itself from the pack in Class AAAA and knocked off Dalton, 36-27 to win the school’s first wrestling state championship. The Wildcats used the quick pins of former state champions Chase Penland and Jacob Williamson to build a big lead against the upstart Catamounts and hung on for the title just two years after finishing as Class AAAA runner-up.
AJC Top 10 all-class rankings (last week’s ranking in parenthesis)
1. Collins Hill (1) — Eagles roll to second consecutive state duals title
2. Pope (5) — Nice run to the final included win over Union Grove
3. Union Grove (2) — Bounced back from semi final loss with two good wins to finish third
4. Jefferson (3) — Strong as ever, Dragons are now 25-0 in state duals
5. Lafayette (4) — It never seems to be easy for the Ramblers, but they again find a way
6. Camden County (9) — Wildcats finish fourth in difficult Class AAAAA
7. Centennial (6) — Injury to 189-pound Marcus Nabors hurt Knights chances against Camden in quarterfinals
8. Kennesaw Mountain (7) — Tough draw for Mustangs included a tight loss to Centennial
9. Henry County (8) — Better than the fourth-best team in Class AA, the Warhawks underachieved against both Lovett and Sonoraville
10. Eastside (10) — Great comeback in dual final against Lafayette, but bridesmaids once again
Where we’ll be
Pound for Pound heads to Habersham Central this weekend for the Sham Slam where Collins Hill, Jefferson and Lafayette will battle in one of the year’s top Traditional tournaments.
On the record
“This is bringing me back to when I started at Pope, the first three, four years. It was just me running the program; it was difficult. (Now) 14 years being at Pope (we’re) getting better every year (and) that’s the way you want your program to go.”
- Pope coach Jim Haskin before the Class AAAAA final against Collins Hill
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Take 10: Top Georgia basketball stars who never won state titles
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
South Atlanta basketball star Derrick Favors has everything — the defensive presence, the athleticism and even the outside, corner 3-pointer. But when we started examining Favors’ resumé after his commitment to Georgia Tech, we noticed one glaring omission.
Favors has never won a high school championship. Many of the great ones have, including Dwight Howard, Kenny Walker, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Louis Williams. The Hornets have been bounced in the first round three consecutive years.
At least he’s still got one more postseason to write his name in history. Not every star finishes the career with a title.
Here are 10 Georgia high school basketball legends who never won state championships:
10: Dale Ellis, Marietta (1979) — The former Tennessee and NBA standout didn’t win a championship during his time at Marietta. He did produce a remarkable professional career in which he finished third all-time in 3-point shots made with 1,719 and holds the NBA record for most minutes played during a game after scoring 53 points in 69 minutes (out of 73) during a five-overtime game in 1989.
9: Angel Robinson, Marietta (2005) — Since we’re thinking about Marietta, how about throwing in a girls player? Robinson finished as the Blue Devils all-time leading scorer and led MHS to its first regular-season title since 1970 and first region tournament title since 1958. But her stellar career, which included averaging 23.8 points, 16 rebounds, 2.5 assists and six blocks per game, never included a state championship. Blame Collins Hill.
8: Kwame Brown, Glynn Academy (2001) — Hope that Favors is more Dwight Howard than Brown. The McDonald’s All-American was the first high school player to ever be a No. 1 draft pick. Despite finishing as Glynn Academy’s all-time leading rebounder and second in scoring, Brown never guided his team to a title.
7: Horace Grant, Hancock Central (1983) — Grant was a solid high school player who got better with time. He has three NBA championship rings. Before Grant was rocking the Rec Specs, he was playing big at Hancock Central and not collecting rings.
6: Dale Davis, Stephens County (1987) — Davis was the 13th pick of the 1991 NBA Draft and bounced around the league as an effective power forward for several years. We assumed he and Antonio Davis were brothers, but were in fact, dead wrong. Neither Davis ever guided Stephens County to the top.
5: Zaza Pachulia, Ulkerspor (2003) — We’re not sure which county Ulkerspor High School is in, but they weren’t listed on the GHSA championships listings. Pachulia is a current NBA player for the Hawks, and Wikipedia lists him as “a very successful basketball player at a very early age in Georgia.” Would someone get back to us on where he played? Is that in Augusta? Just kidding, of course.
4: Jarvis Hayes, Douglass (1999) — Hayes holds the rare honor of leading two different conferences in scoring during his college career. He did so first at Western Carolina, then again at Georgia. No high school championship, though. Hayes, who plays with the New Jersey Nets, can find solace in this Web site (jarvishayes.net).
3: Tree Rollins, Crisp County (1973) — Rollins was a defensive and shot-blocking force during his time in the pros and at Clemson, where he became the first athlete of any sport to have his number retired. His NBA career lasted 18 seasons, and he recently has coached in the NBDL and WNBA. He’s still looking for a high school crown, however.
2: Pervis Ellison, Savannah (1985) — “Never Nervous Pervis” made history as only the second freshman ever to be named the Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four (1986) following Louisville’s second national title. That likely made up for the fact that Ellison never won a high school title. He was chosen as the No. 1 overall pick in 1989. Signing bonuses cure bad memories.
1: Walt Frazier, Howard (1964) — Nothing like winning a pair of professional basketball titles but never getting one in high school. Frazier, the only Hall of Fame player from Georgia, was the NBA MVP in 1975 but never claimed a Peach State crown.
Go on. Take Ten. Can you recall any Georgia (the state, not country) greats who never won a championship? Who are the boys or girls players you remember? Here’s your chance to share your point of view.
More hoops talk: Ga. Sports Writers Statewide Poll • AJC Metro Atlanta Top 10
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Georgia high school basketball: The AJC Top 10 Metro Atlanta all-classification poll
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Fayette County girls are becoming difficult to ignore as one of the best teams — if not the best team — in the state. The Tigers are 19-0 and John Strickland’s team is beginning to show up on some national polls. You’ll find Fayette County No. 2 here, up one spot after two losses by Mill Creek.
The Tigers were runner-up in Class AAAA last season.
“We’ve really been playing well, but that’s because our girls understand what it takes to be a champion,” Strickland said. “You have to understand the work and sacrifices it takes to get there. They don’t just hand out it out for free.” The Tigers are playing well enough to warrant consideration for the top spot, but Parkview is holding strong. Marietta is back in the poll this week after beating Mill Creek and Campbell. Redan also may be a darkhorse. The Raiders handled defending state champion Stephenson this week.
Things are a bit more confused on the boys side. Three of the state’s top teams — South Atlanta, McEachern and Wheeler— had breakdowns, going a combined 1-5 in out-of-state games.
South Atlanta’s two losses were to the nation’s No. 2 team, Oak Hill (Va.), and No. 7 LeFlore (Ala.). Wheeler’s loss was to No. 3 St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.), and one of McEachern’s defeats was to No. 21 Olympia (Fla.).
Metro Atlanta Basketball Rankings
A look at the top 10 metro teams from all classifications:
Boys
1: South Atlanta (14-3) — The Hornets look to bounce back by beginning Region 4-AAA in earnest with a Saturday visit by second place Spalding (13-1).
2: McEachern (12-3) — The Class AAAAA Indians look to bounce back from a tough week on the road by playing host to 5-AAAAA contender Cherokee County on Friday.
3: Norcross (14-1) — The three-time defending Class AAAAA champions face a challenging week beginning by hosting Region 7-AAAAA rival Collins Hill tonight.
4: Miller Grove (14-2) — The Wolverines reaffirmed their status as Class AAAA’s best by running past Centennial Monday at the Tribute to a King Holiday Hardwood Classic.
5: Centennial (14-2) — The Class AAAAA Knights had their 14-game winning streak end with the loss to Miller Grove. Eyes are now on 6-AAAAA that cranks up again Friday at Roswell.
6: Wheeler (11-6) — The Class AAAAA Wildcats face yet another challenge by traveling to Milton Friday and hosting Walton Saturday.
7: Milton (12-4) — The Class AAAAA Eagles have broken out of a midseason slump with a victory against talented Columbia at Monday’s Tribute to a King Holiday Hardwood Classic.
8: Columbia (15-2) — The youthful Class AAA Eagles begin the teeth of Region 5-AAA play by visiting dangerous Dunwoody tonight.
9: Walton (12-5) — The Raiders dropped their fourth last-minute loss of the season — the latest a 91-90 loss to Region 6-AAAAA foe Centennial.
10: Hillgrove (16-1) — The Hawks take over the spot from Westlake by going 5-0 versus Class AAAAA teams and a 20-point victory against fellow AAAA contender Marist.
— Rob Morton
Girls
1: Parkview (17-0) — The Panthers continue to roll, even scoring 80 points, a season high, last week against Meadowcreek.
2: Fayette County (19-0) — Junior forward Anma Onyeuku had 34 points against Banneker last week. She has been playing like that all season.
3: Redan (11-0) — The Raiders defeated Stephenson 86-42, meaning Rhonda Malone’s squad is a legitimate title contender.
4: Norcross (13-4) — The Blue Devils have won five in a row, including Angie Hembree’s 300th game in Georgia.
5: Wesleyan (15-3) — The Wolves handled a good Milton team 76-54 and look to continue their domination of Class A.
6: Mays (18-0) — The Raiders get a solid test with Sandy Creek at home this week.
7: Westlake (13-1) — Watch out for the Lions on defense. Westlake has held four straight opponents to less than 30 points and scored 71 and 84 points in its last two victories.
8: Marietta (13-3) — Telia McCall had 19 points against Mill Creek and 21 against Campbell to guide the Blue Devils to two big victories.
9: Marist (15-2) — The War Eagles downed rival St. Pius X a week ago and built their winning streak to seven games.
10: Mill Creek (13-3) — Tough week for the Hawks, losing back-to-back close games against Duluth and Marietta after winning 11 in a row.
— Glenn LaFollette
Rank the rankings: How do our Metro top 10 stack up against yours? Which teams are we overlooking? Who’s really got game and who’s got lame?
More hoops talk: Ga. Sports Writers Statewide Poll • Take 10: Ga. hoops stars who never won state titles
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Derrick Favors: What’s his place in history?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Got to watch Derrick Favors in person for the first time last week, then watched him score 36 on LeFlore on Thursday on ESPN2.
It’s remarkable how many players of this stature have come through Georgia in recent years - Josh Smith, Dwight Howard, Louis Williams, JJ Hickson, Al-Farouq Aminu. Of those, only Howard supersedes Favors as a high school player in Georgia, in my opinion.
It got me to thinking: Where does Favors rank all-time? How does he compare to Howard, Darrin Hancock, Antonio Wingfield and Kenny Walker?
Two years ago, I had a list of the best 10 in history. I’ll re-print it here, and you tell me where to put Favors. Just remember that we’re rating them on how good they were in high school, not their career value.
C Dwight Howard, Southwest Atlanta Christian (graduated 2004): Georgia’s first Naismith Award winner, Howard averaged 25.5 points, 18.3 rebounds and 8.0 blocked shots for his senior season, which ended with a Class A championship. Howard then became the first pick in the NBA draft out of high school and is now an NBA all-star.
C Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Wheeler (1995): Abdur-Rahim put Wheeler on the map with a state title in 1994. His team was stunned not to win it in 1995, when Abdur-Rahim was Mr. Georgia Basketball for a second time, averaging 31 points and 12 rebounds. Abdur-Rahim is now in his 11th season in the NBA.
G Louis Williams, South Gwinnett (2005): The Naismith Award winner as the prep player of the year in 2005, Williams averaged 27.5 points as a senior and won a state title as a junior and left South Gwinnett as the state’s all-time leading scorer. He turned pro out of high school and was taken No. 45 in the NBA draft.
F Dontonio Wingfield, Westover (1993): Wingfield and Westover of Albany ruled the early 1990s in Georgia basketball, winning the Class AAA titles from 1990 through 1993. Wingfield averaged 21 points and 14 rebounds as a senior. He stayed one season at Cincinnati and turned pro but quickly flamed out.
F Darrin Hancock, Griffin (1988): Hancock’s speed, strength and jumping ability were more than any prep school of his day could handle. Griffin won the Class AAAA title with Hancock as a sophomore in 1988. As a senior, he averaged 30 points and nine rebounds. Hancock wound up at four colleges before a brief NBA career but played professionally for 15 years.
F Kenny Walker, Crawford County (1982): Walker, nicknamed “Sky” for his remarkable leaping ability, won a pair of Class A state titles at Crawford County in 1981 an 1982 before becoming a two-time SEC player of the year and All-American at Kentucky. He had a spotty seven-year NBA career, mostly with the Knicks. It was perhaps highlighted by a win in the Slam Dunk Contest in 1989.
G Walt Frazier, Howard (1964): Frazier had the only Pro Basketball Hall of Fame career of any Georgia player. He got a pair of NBA championship rings, but he never won a state title in high school at old Howard High in Atlanta. Segregation kept SEC schools from recruiting Frazier, who went to Southern Illinois before his Hall of Fame NBA career that saw him win league titles in 1969 and 1973. Frazier was league MVP in 1975.
G Jeff Malone, Southwest Macon (1979): Malone, a 6-foot-4 scoring guard, was the best player on what many believe was Georgia’s best team ever, Southwest Macon’s 1979 bunch that also featured Terry Fair (Georgia). Southwest won the title in 1978, as well. Malone went on to play 13 seasons in the NBA, mostly with the Washington Bullets, and finished with a 19.0 scoring average. He also was a four-year starter at Mississippi State, where he averaged 26.2 points as a senior.
F Dale Ellis, Marietta (1979): Ellis didn’t emerge as an outstanding NBA player until a trade to Seattle in 1986. He was swapped by another former Georgia high school player, Al Wood of Jones County. Ellis was primarily an inside player in high school before becoming one of the NBA’s premier 3-point shooters.
G Norm Nixon, Southwest Macon (1973): A first-round pick out of Duquesne, Nixon won NBA titles with the Lakers in 1980 and 1982. Nixon averaged 15.7 points and 8.3 assists over a 10-year NBA career. Nixon’s 1973 Southwest team won the Class AAA championship, then won the four-team tournament of champions that Georgia held that year. He’s married to actress Debbie Allen.
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Favors scores 36 in South Atlanta loss on ESPN2
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So how did he play on national television one day after committing to Georgia Tech?
South Atlanta’s Derrick Favors outscored DeMarcus Cousins 36-21 in Thursday’s game that was televised on ESPN2 between the nation’s top two high school post players, but Cousins’ LeFlore team won 78-66. LeFlore outscored South Atlanta 20-0 during one stretch in the second half.
Favors, rated the No. 1 recruit in the nation by Scout.com, also had 14 rebounds, but he had only one blocked shot and made five turnovers. He committed to Georgia Tech on Wednesday night.
Cousins, who has not made his college choice, had 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots. He committed only one turnover.
Cousins is rated the No. 2 player overall by Rivals.com. Cousins and Favors are 6-foot-9.
Several college head coaches attended, according to the Birmingham News. They included Sidney Lowe of N.C. State, Mike Davis of Alabama-Birmingham and Jeff Lebo of Auburn. South Atlanta guard Andre Malone has committed to Auburn.
South Atlanta and Favors have another big game Saturday in Springfield, Mass. They will play against nationally known Oak Hill of Virginia, whose graduates include the Hawks’ Josh Smith and the Denver Nuggets’ Carmello Anthony.
Oak Hill’s top players are Keith Gallon, a 6-8 center who has signed with Oklahoma, and Brian Oliver, a 6-6 forward who has signed with Tech. Oliver is not related to the Brian Oliver who played for Tech’s 1990 Final Four team.
The game is part of the four-day Spalding Hoophall Classic. Wheeler of Marietta will play St. Benedict’s Prep of New Jersey in a Monday game.
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Georgia High School Wrestling: Pound For Pound — Destination … State Championship
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here we go — 72 teams will make their way to Macon for the 2009 State Duals wrestling state championship tournament and take part in two of the greatest days of the wrestling season. Here are a few things to look for:
— No. 1 Collins Hill will arrive in Macon as the overwhelming favorite in the state’s highest classification, despite the depth at the top of Class AAAAA. The Eagles have looked every bit the part of the No. 27 team in the nation (Amateur Wrestling News), finishing just outside the top 10 at the Clash National Duals and rolling over in-state opponents since losing a short-handed dual to Pope on the season’s opening night.
— Count No. 2 Union Grove and No. 5 Pope as Collins Hill’s biggest challengers, although No. 6 Centennial could give the Eagles problems if the two teams meet in the semifinals. First things first for the Knights: Get past Kennesaw Mountain and the Camden County/Grayson winner. Not an easy assignment.
— Anyone want to predict, with 100 percent certainty, who will win Class AAAA? The classification is as wide open as it has ever been (parity or just a weak classification?), and realistically six teams — Dalton, Loganville, Effingham County, Rockdale County, Rome and Whitewater — could make a case for favorite status.
Pound for Pound’s upset picks:
Class AAAA - Fayette County over Effingham County in the quarterfinals. Class A - Bowdon over Wesleyan in the semifinals.
Individual matchups we’re hoping to see:
— If everything works out and Collins Hill and Union Grove (AJC’s top 2 teams) meet in the Class AAAAA championship, it would be nice to see the Eagles’ Joel Smith go against Union Grove’s Joey Lazor. Unbeaten coming into state duals, Lazor would have to bump up to 140 pounds to make the dream match happen.
— If No. 9 Camden County gets through a difficult first two rounds and meets Collins Hill in the semifinals, what a match it will be when T.J. Mitchell faces Camden’s Stephen Spradlin.
— Area 8-AAAA mates Rockdale County and Loganville could meet in the Class AAAA championship, which would give us Will Hale-Jake Morris, Part 2, at 103 pounds. Rockdale’s Morris won the first battle in the area final.
— A Class AA final between No. 3 Jefferson and No. 8 Henry County would be the undercard to a 160-pound tussle between Henry’s Anthony Fretwell and three-time state champion Jay Fowler of Jefferson. The two have never met.
AJC Top 10 All-Class Rankings (Last week’s rank in parenthesis)
- Collins Hill (1)
- Union Grove (2)
- Jefferson (3)
- Lafayette (4)
- Pope (5)
- Centennial (6)
- Kennesaw Mountain (7)
- Henry County (8)
- Camden County (9)
- Eastside (10)
* The AJC Coaches Poll will return after state duals *
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Take Ten: Top Georgia high schools for girls and boys basketball
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some schools are football schools. Some schools focus on basketball. And some are ridiculously successful at something specific … like girls tennis. Yes, we’re looking at you, Walton.
We at Take Ten enjoyed our holiday break but wanted to get back into the swing of things with schools that know how to run girls and boys basketball programs — at the same time.
Historically, we wouldn’t even know where to begin. We’ll save that question for a later date, following some research. But if you take a look at this season, you’ll see some programs that are making it work for both teams.
Here are our top 10 schools that are finding success on the court with the boys and girls programs:
10: Greater Atlanta Christian — The Spartans boys (10-3) are unbeaten in Class AA, and the girls (8-5) haven’t lost in region play.
9: Campbell — The girls side (12-1) gets most of the accolades here with 11 consecutive victories to open the season. The gentlemen Spartans (10-4) did win 10 in a row at one point.
8: Redan — The girls team is undefeated at 8-0. The Raiders boys team is 7-4 behind coach Dalton Greene.
7: Cherokee — Alabama commitment Shawn Kemp Jr. makes the Warriors (9-5) an interesting team to watch. The girls (10-3) are making noise in Region 5-AAAAA play.
6: Franklin County — The boys (11-3) are rolling along in Class AAA, but the girls have been nothing but dominant with a 13-1 record and six consecutive victories.
5: Wesleyan — Last season, we would have had the Wolves program No. 1. Both teams won titles. This year, Jan Azar’s team (13-3) has been nationally ranked and continues to dominate despite Class A status. The boys (11-5) are working to get back to the top once again.
4: Marist — The War Eagles (11-1) are cooking behind coach Greg McClaire, winning 11 in a row. The girls are 12-2 and have not lost to a Georgia team.
3: Westlake — Tamika Willis has the Lady Lions (11-1) undefeated in the state. Coach Darron Rogers has the boys (10-5) in contention in Region 4-AAAAA.
2: McEachern — Point guard Trae Golden makes the Indians (11-1) one of the top teams in the state, while Lady Indians forward Kyra Crosby could guide her team to a Region 5-AAAAA title.
1: Norcross — The boys team (10-1) has won three consecutive state titles and looks to have a lead on No. 4. The Lady Blue Devils (10-4) have Angie Hembree walking the sidelines and are legitimate contenders in Class AAAAA.
Go on. Take Ten. Which programs do you think are doing it right? Who has the best (overall) quality boys and girls basketball programs? Did we miss someone or are we just idiots? Let us know. Here’s your chance to voice your opinion.
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AJC’s Top 10 Basketball Rankings: Parkview girls, South Atlanta boys are No. 1s
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Parkview’s Mike McCoy isn’t ready to think of his team as a perfect squad. Despite being undefeated and rolling over most of their opponents, the Class AAAAA Panthers still have some things to work on.
“Our girls are going to fight tooth and nail for everything on defense,” said McCoy, who led Parkview to a title in 2003. “That’s easy to coach. You can’t coach effort. Offensively, we’re not there yet. We’re still working on that side of the ball.”
The South Atlanta boys team doesn’t have that problem. Derrick Favors, ranked by many as the nation’s top high school basketball prospect, has put up several 30-point, 20-rebound performances, and he’s dominating state and national competition.
That puts the Parkview girls and the South Atlanta boys atop the AJC’s all-classification metro Atlanta top-10 rankings.
Parkview appears to be the team to beat in Class AAAAA. And South Atlanta could be heading for a title in Class AAA.
But when dealing with all-classification rankings everything is open to debate. So let the debates begin. How would you rank them?
Metro Atlanta Basketball Rankings
A look at the top 10 metro teams from all classifications:
Boys
1: South Atlanta (13-1) — The Class AAA Hornets have victories against Class AAAAA contenders McEachern and Centennial. Face two nationally ranked teams this week.
2: McEachern (11-1) — Only loss to South Atlanta, 74-73. Competes in highly competitive Bass Pro Tournament of Champions (Mo.) this week.
3: Norcross (10-1) — Defense is again the story of the three-time defending Class AAAAA champions, who yield 53 points per game.
4: Miller Grove (12-2) — The Class AAAA team’s losses came to nationally ranked Boyd Anderson (Fla.) and Christ School (N.C.).
5: Centennial (11-1) — If guard play indeed wins championships, then the Knights have the edge on everyone, with a half-dozen stellar ballhandlers.
6: Wheeler (10-5) — Five losses for Class AAAAA team lead to consternation, but the Wildcats’ opponents serve as who’s who of the nation’s top programs. One loss was to Centennial.
7: Columbia (12-1) — The Eagles have restocked after winning two of the past Class AAAA champions. They moved down to Class AAA and offer a real threat to South Atlanta.
8: Milton (9-3) — The youngest team of the Class AAAAA group, with three losses by a total of 13 points. Has impressive victory against Walton.
9: Walton (11-4) — Certainly one of the most entertaining Class AAAAA teams that averages 83 points per game. Three of four losses came to out-of-state teams.
10: Westlake (10-5) — It is merely a matter of time before this talented group of juniors comes together for Class AAAAA team.
— Rob Morton / rtmorton@ajc.com
Girls
1: Parkview (14-0) — Junior Lauren Coleman leads a staggering defensive unit for the undefeated Class AAAAA Panthers.
2: Mill Creek (12-1) — After a two-point loss to Marietta, the Class AAAAA Hawks have won 10 consecutive games by an average margin of victory of 21 points.
3: Fayette County (16-0) — Senior guard Tessah Holt and junior forward Anma Onyeuku make the Tigers the team to beat in Class AAAA.
4: Norcross (10-4) — Angie Hembree’s team is clicking behind forward Tiffany Clarke, and the Class AAAAA Blue Devils only two in-state losses were against Parkview and Mill Creek.
5: Wesleyan (13-3) — The Class AA Wolves were strong in national competition, finishing seventh at the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions.
6: Redan (8-0) — Still undefeated, the Class AAAAA Raiders can prove much with a victory on Friday against Stephenson.
7: Marist (12-2) — Kim Hixon’s Class AAAA team already has won key games against Buford and Southwest DeKalb and hasn’t lost a game in-state.
8: Mays (16-0) — The Class AAAA Raiders quietly are putting together an undefeated season. But the success is getting louder.
9: Westlake (11-1) — The transition to Class AAAAA has been a good one for center Tamika Willis and Co., who haven’t lost a game in-state.
10: Stephenson (9-3) — Defending Class AAAAA champions trying to get back into title form.
— Glenn LaFollette / glafollette@ajc.com
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Super transfers: Good, bad or moot for high school basketball?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One thing that stands out about the elite boys basketball programs in Georgia this season is that each has a mega-star player, from South Atlanta’s Derrick Favors to Miller Grove’s Mfon Udofia to Centennial’s Lorenzo Brown to Wheeler’s Richard Howell.
Another thing that’s conspicuous to me is that each also has at least one star player who transferred from another school. Usually, it’s more than one transfer.
Here’s a list of some of the off-season moves for 2008-09 involving most of the best teams in Georgia. Tell me if I’ve missed any:
Adrian Hubbard, a 6-7 power forward and a Division 1-A prospect, left Peachtree Ridge to play for Norcross, the three-time defending champion in Class AAAAA.
South Atlanta picked up Auburn-bound guard Andre Malone from North Clayton to go with Derrick Favors, the state’s best player.
Central Gwinnett junior point guard DeVonta White, a high-Division 1-A prospect, moved to Centennial, which already had N.C. State-bound Lorenzo Brown. Wheeler’s best player, Richard Howell, also came from Central Gwinnett, but that happened last season. He has signed with N.C. State. Not sure if any of Wheeler’s top players this year are transfers.
Ryan Harrow, a guard committed to N.C. State, moved from North Carolina two years ago and is playing for Walton, which already had Georgia Tech-signee Glen Rice Jr. Harrow is eligible after sitting out a season.
Sophomores Dai-Jon Parker (formerly of Marietta) and Shannon Scott (ex-Lovett) have gone to Milton to join club teammate Julian Royal, the state’s best freshman a year ago.
Charlie and Colin Reddick, who have signed with Furman, transferred from Whitefield Academy to McEachern, ranked No. 1 in AAAAA. McEachern already had Trae Golden, a junior who has offers from Georgia Tech and Georgia.
Jelan Kendrick, rated by Scout.com as the No. 7 small forward nationally for 2010, left SW Atlanta Christian for Westlake, which already had 6-7 power forward Marcus Thornton, who is committed to Clemson.
I’m not saying yet that any of this is good or bad. I thought the Norcross-Wheeler state championship game last year was special with the numbers of major Division 1-A players on the floor, even if most of them wouldn’t be attending those schools if not for basketball. Few championship games have showcased that much talent.
On the other hand, we’ve reached a point where Class AAAAA can’t be won any more by a team that doesn’t have a big-name move-in. Which is the last school to win the title in the highest class without a key transfer?
Rather than jump in with my opinion, which I’m still formulating, I’d like to hear yours.
Is this trend good, bad or moot for Georgia high school basketball? Have transfers ruined the high school game, or taken it to another level?
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Georgia High School Basketball: Too early to start thinking state tourney?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Journal-Constitution basketball writers Glenn LaFollette and Rob Morton broke down how some of the metro area’s big-name squads fared in various December holiday tournaments and it’s clear that the state tournament should be quite lively if the teams profiled advance to the playoffs in a couple of months.
Are you already thinking about which metro and state basketball teams - boys and girls - have the best shot at contending for state titles? Who are the squads that have looked most impressive so far this season? Let us know.
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Pound for pound: Collins Hill wrestlers staking big claims
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eagles making case for Georgia’s finest ever
With each strong finish at national tournaments, and as more of its wrestlers climb the individual rankings, Collins Hill stakes its claim as perhaps the finest wrestling team in the state’s history. This past weekend at the Clash National High School Duals in Minnesota, the Eagles went 4-2 against some of the nation’s finest teams. Blue-chippers Taylor Knapp (Amateur Wrestling News’ No. 8 152-pounder) and Joel Smith (Wrestling USA Magazine’s No. 22 junior at 135 pounds) both went 6-0 in Minnesota.
In mid-December, Collins Hill, No. 25 in AWN’S Prep 40 poll, finished third at the Toshiba Midwest Classic in Kansas City, one of the nation’s toughest stops. Knapp, Smith and T.J. Mitchell (25-3 and WUSA’s No. 17 junior at 119 pounds) each placed second in the individual tournament. Back home at the Kyle Maynard Duals, the Eagles closed out 2008 by winning five duals handily, including a blowout victory against Henry County and a championship match victory over Baylor, the top team from Tennessee.
AJC Top 10 all-class rankings
1. Collins Hill (1)
2. Union Grove (2)
3. Jefferson (3)
4. Lafayette (5)
5. Pope (3)
6. Centennial (7)
7. Henry County (8)
8. Kennesaw Mountain (6)
9. Camden County (NR)
10. Eastside (NR)
Lions wrestler commits
Add another to the list of Georgia wrestlers picking up Division 1 scholarships. Peachtree Ridge’s Sam Kuntz, recent Gwinnett County champion at 189 pounds, committed to Rutgers last week. Kuntz will be the fourth from Georgia to get Division 1 offers, joining Union Grove’s Joey Lazor (Northern Iowa), Alex Hudson of Sprayberry and Collins Hill’s Taylor Knapp (both with Virginia Tech).
Quick takedowns
Led by defending state champion Joe Denova (31-2), Columbus has five wrestlers who are a combined 145-15. The others: Kendall Talley (28-3); Chris Grier (28-3); Marcus Shelton (29-3) and Rock Gardner (29-4). … Central Gwinnett heavyweight Jacob-Aiken Phillips is 33-1 with 31 pins. … Looking to jump on a Class A team’s bandwagon? Try Bowdon. Led by unbeaten Kurt Yates, the Red Devils, with Gordon Lee and Bremen, look like Wesleyan’s biggest challenger in the state’s smallest classification.
Pin it down and rank the rankings: Let us know who YOUR Top 10 are and how they stack up against Kurt’s picks.
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