HS basketball rankings: Fayette County overtakes Miller Grove at No. 1 in AAAA

By Todd Holcomb

For the AJC

Fayette County and Greater Atlanta Christian are new No. 1 boys teams while Buford’s girls regained the their top spot in the high school basketball rankings this week.

Fayette County’s boys, who made the Class AAAA semifinals last year but have never won a state title, replaced three-time defending champion Miller Grove, which lost Friday to Chamblee in a Region 6-AAAA game. Miller Grove has nine losses, but Chamblee was the first Georgia team to defeat the Wolverines in more than a year.

In AA boys, defending champion Greater Atlanta Christian replaced Vidalia, which lost to Long County 70-68 on Tuesday.

In AA girls, Buford returned to No. 1 after a 58-44 victory on Saturday against Lovett, the previous No. 1 team, which dropped to No. 5. The return of Andraya Carter, the 2011 Class AA player of the year who has missed most of the season with a torn ACL, should provide a big boost for Buford down the stretch.

New this week to the boys rankings are Tift County, North Gwinnett and Harrison in AAAAA, Chamblee and Osborne in AAAA, North Hall and Grady in AAA, Laney and East Hall  in AA and Athens Christian in A. Out are Marietta, Berkmar and M.L. King in AAAAA, Brunswick and Woodland-Cartersville in AAAA, Franklin County and Walnut Grove in AAA, Early County and Morgan County in AA and Wesleyan in A.

There are five new girls teams in the rankings, including two in a wide-open AAAA. Redan and Rockdale County, the previous No. 9 and 10 teams, were replaced by Northside-Warner Robins and Osborne.

Other changes in the top 10s were Lowndes replacing North Cobb in AAAAA, Westside-Macon replacing Americus-Sumter in AAA and East Hall returning after a one-week absence, replacing Rabun County in AA.

The top two teams in Class A both lost last week but held their position in the rankings. No. 1 Wesleyan lost 46-43 on Saturday to Bob Jones, one of the top teams in Alabama’s Class 6A. No. 2 St. Francis gave Wesleyan a battle before losing 67-54 on Friday. The top five teams in Class A remained the same, while there was some minor shuffling in the other spots.

BOYS

Class AAAAA

1. Milton (15-4)2. Shiloh (15-2)3. Westlake (15-2)4. Wheeler (9-6)5. Norcross (11-7)6. Mill Creek (15-3)7. Tift County (15-5)8. Savannah (17-1)9. North Gwinnett (12-7)10. Harrison (13-5)

Class AAAA

1. Fayette County (18-1)2. Miller Grove (9-9)3. Southwest DeKalb (11-7)4. Effingham County (17-1)5. Chattahoochee (16-3)6. Douglas County (18-1)7. Jonesboro (16-3)8. Chamblee (14-4)9. Lovejoy (16-4)10. Osborne (17-2)

Class AAA

1. Columbia (18-1)2. Eagle’s Landing (18-1)3. Washington County (15-0)4. Drew (16-3)5. Carrollton (15-3)6. Troup (14-4)7. Thomson (16-2)8. North Hall (15-3)9. Monroe (12-5)10. Grady (15-3)

Class AA

1. Greater Atlanta Christian (15-4)2. Buford (13-5)3. Vidalia (18-2)4. Thomasville (11-5)5. Jordan (18-2)6. Manchester (12-1)7. Laney (15-3)8. Albany (11-2)9. South Atlanta (13-5)10. East Hall (12-5)

Class A

1. North Cobb Christian (19-0)2. Whitefield Academy (15-3)3. Turner County (14-3)4. Wilkinson County (16-2)5. Wilcox County (13-3)6. Landmark Christian (13-1)7. Lanier County (16-3)8. Taylor County (14-2)9. Athens Christian (15-2)10. Greenforest Christian (15-3)

GIRLS

Class AAAAA

1. McEachern (17-0)2. Parkview (20-0)3. Norcross (15-3)4. Alpharetta (15-3)5. North Gwinnett (15-2)6. Stephenson (15-4)7. Beach (18-1)8. Marietta (16-3)9. Hillgrove (15-2)10. Lowndes (19-1)

Class AAAA

1. Douglas County (17-1)2. Statesboro (19-1)3. Chamblee (17-1)4. Alcovy (17-2)5. Creekview (19-2)6. Fayette County (14-5)7. Forest Park (15-5)8. Miller Grove (9-4)9. Northside-Warner Robins (15-3)10. Osborne (15-4)

Class AAA

1. Washington County (16-0)2. Westover (19-0)3. St. Pius (15-3)4. Columbia (11-5)5. Carrollton (17-2)6. Oconee County (16-2)7. Cross Creek (17-3)8. Allatoona (18-2)9. Cartersville (14-4)10. Westside-Macon (15-4)

Class AA

1. Buford (12-6)2. Morgan County (15-0)3. Model (19-1)4. Laney (18-1)5. Lovett (16-4)6. Decatur (17-3)7. Greater Atlanta Christian (14-5)8. North Oconee (16-3)9. East Hall (14-2)10. Dade County (17-1)

Class A

1. Wesleyan (15-3)2. St. Francis (16-3)3. SW Atlanta Christian (15-3)4. Calvary Day (16-2)5. Darlington (17-2)6. Taylor County (14-1)7. Pace Academy (12-4)8. Holy Innocents' (16-4)9. Gordon Lee (18-2)10. Pelham (15-2)

Note: Some records may be incorrect or incomplete because of results that have not been reported.