Johnson-Savannah’s girls and St. Francis’ girls are the newest No. 1 teams in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution rankings as the high school basketball season enters the state tournament this week.
The boys’ No. 1 teams – McEachern (AAAAAAA), South Paulding (AAAAAA), Buford (AAAAA), Upson-Lee (AAAA), Westside-Macon (AAA), South Atlanta (AA), Greenforest Christian (A private) and Calhoun County (A public) – remained the same for the third straight week.
Johnson-Savannah’s girls swapped places in AAA with city rival Beach for the second time this season. Johnson beat Beach 61-57 Friday night in the Region 3-AAA final to earn a split of the teams’ four meetings this season. Those four games mark the only losses of the season for both teams.
St. Francis, which beat eighth-ranked Pinecrest Academy 91-40 to win the Region 6-A championship, moved into the top spot after previous No. 1 Holy Innocents’ lost to Wesleyan 59-50 in the Region 5-A final. Holy Innocents’ fell to No. 2 and remained one spot ahead of Wesleyan, based on its two victories in three meetings with the Wolves this season.
Other No. 1-ranked girls teams are Norcross (AAAAAAA), Northview (AAAAAA), Griffin (AAAAA), Cross Creek (AAAA), Laney (AA) and Pelham (A public).
Only three previously ranked teams failed to make the state playoffs.
Alexander, the No. 6 boys team in Class AAAAAA, was picked off 56-54 by Tri-Cities, the sixth seed from super-deep Region 5. Tri-Cities (16-13) went on to beat No. 4 Hughes 60-56 in overtime before falling to No. 1 South Paulding 61-56 in the region title game.
Glenn Hills, the previous No. 7 boys team in AA, was seeded only fifth in strong Region 4 and lost to fourth-seeded Josey 59-51 in the quarterfinals. Laney, the No. 2 team in AA, won that region tournament with a 61-55 win over No. 3 Butler.
The Top 10 girls team that didn’t qualify was Johns Creek, which had been No. 10 in AAAAAA. Johns Creek lost to Pope 55-54 in the Region 7 quarterfinals.
The state playoffs begin Friday and conclude March 8-11 at Georgia Tech and Georgia.
BOYS
Class AAAAAAA
1. McEachern (26-0)
2. Pebblebrook (19-7)
3. Newton (26-1)
4. Westlake (17-10)
5. Norcross (22-5)
6. Wheeler (18-8)
7. Tift County (24-2)
8. Berkmar (20-7)
9. Mountain View (20-8)
10. Collins Hill (19-8)
Class AAAAAA
1. South Paulding (26-1)
2. Gainesville (26-1)
3. Jonesboro (22-5)
4. Hughes (19-8)
5. Alpharetta (25-3)
6. Dacula (19-8)
7. Lakeside-Evans (21-4)
8. Pope (24-4)
9. Allatoona (18-8)
10. Heritage-Conyers (18-7)
Class AAAAA
1. Buford (24-2)
2. Cedar Shoals (23-4)
3. Warner Robins (24-3)
4. Miller Grove (18-8)
5. Columbia (20-7)
6. Fayette County (20-7)
7. Eagle's Landing (19-6)
8. Southwest DeKalb (16-12)
9. Union Grove (21-7)
10. Statesboro (18-9)
Class AAAA
1. Upson-Lee (27-0)
2. Henry County (21-5)
3. LaGrange (24-3)
4. Sandy Creek (20-7)
5. St. Pius (20-7)
6. Carver-Columbus (19-6)
7. Americus-Sumter (21-6)
8. Baldwin (18-8)
9. Richmond Academy (22-5)
10. Cartersville (20-6)
Class AAA
1. Westside-Macon (23-3)
2. Pace Academy (22-8)
3. Morgan County (21-5)
4. Liberty County (19-5)
5. Jenkins (20-7)
6. East Hall (20-7)
7. Greater Atlanta Christian (20-6)
8. Cedar Grove (16-6)
9. Johnson-Savannah (18-9)
10. Islands (17-9)
Class AA
1. South Atlanta (24-1)
2. Laney (23-5)
3. Butler (18-8)
4. Early County (21-7)
5. Dublin (23-5)
6. Thomasville (18-8)
7. Hapeville Charter (17-7)
8. Chattooga (24-1)
9. Banks County (22-4)
10. Josey (19-8)
Class A (Private)
1. Greenforest Christian (23-5)
2. North Cobb Christian (25-3)
3. Southwest Atlanta Christian (20-8)
4. St. Francis (23-5)
5. Aquinas (25-1)
6. Lakeview Academy (23-5)
7. Whitefield Academy (19-8)
8. First Presbyterian Day (15-7)
9. Tattnall Square Academy (17-8)
10. Eagle's Landing Christian (19-6)
Class A (Public)
1. Calhoun County (25-1)
2. Treutlen (26-0)
3. Wilkinson County (21-7)
4. Taylor County (17-5)
5. Clinch County (24-3)
6. Quitman County (21-7)
7. Macon County (18-8)
8. Wilcox County (19-9)
9. Turner County (18-8)
10. Randolph-Clay (17-6)
GIRLS
Class AAAAAAA
1. Norcross (25-2)
2. McEachern (21-6)
3. Lambert (24-2)
4. Collins Hill (22-4)
5. Mill Creek (23-4)
6. Archer (22-4)
7. Newton (20-6)
8. Colquitt County (21-4)
9. Brookwood (20-6)
10. Marietta (21-6)
Class AAAAAA
1. Northview (25-3)
2. Douglas County (24-3)
3. Winder-Barrow (22-5)
4. Harrison (22-5)
5. Creekview (20-7)
6. Grovetown (20-7)
7. Lovejoy (23-4)
8. Tucker (21-6)
9. Gainesville (17-9)
10. Northside-Warner Robins (17-9)
Class AAAAA
1. Griffin (25-1)
2. Buford (24-2)
3. Southwest DeKalb (23-4)
4. Warner Robins (25-1)
5. Carrollton (27-1)
6. Jackson-Atlanta (22-2)
7. Eagle's Landing (24-3)
8. Flowery Branch (21-6)
9. Bainbridge (19-8)
10. Villa Rica (25-3)
Class AAAA
1. Cross Creek (23-4)
2. West Hall (22-5)
3. Jefferson (22-5)
4. Carver-Columbus (22-4)
5. Northwest Whitfield (21-5)
6. Columbus (20-5)
7. Heritage-Ringgold (25-3)
8. North Oconee (21-5)
9. Sandy Creek (21-6)
10. Spalding (20-6)
Class AAA
1. Johnson-Savannah (23-2)
2. Beach (23-2)
3. Greater Atlanta Christian (20-7)
4. Haralson County (25-4)
5. Ringgold (21-6)
6. Franklin County (20-6)
7. Peach County (21-4)
8. Monroe (21-4)
9. Hart County (22-5)
10. Calhoun (21-5)
Class AA
1. Laney (26-1)
2. Model (22-5)
3. Dodge County (24-3)
4. Fitzgerald (20-2)
5. Rabun County (25-2)
6. Bryan County (22-4)
7. Vidalia (22-5)
8. Banks County (19-8)
9. Hapeville Charter (19-6)
10. Heard County (20-6)
Class A (Private)
1. St. Francis (24-4)
2. Holy Innocents' (26-2)
3. Wesleyan (24-4)
4. Lakeview Academy (24-4)
5. Calvary Day (22-4)
6. Landmark Christian (22-4)
7. Stratford Academy (19-5)
8. Pinecrest Academy (19-6)
9. Darlington (21-6)
10. First Presbyterian (18-6)
Class A (Public)
1. Pelham (26-1)
2. Telfair County (24-2)
3. Wheeler County (23-3)
4. Woodville-Tompkins (22-5)
5. Marion County (22-5)
6. Greenville (22-4)
7. Treutlen (18-7)
8. Macon County (17-7)
9. Taylor County (18-7)
10. Wilcox County (20-6)
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