South Forsyth’s girls basketball team made history last season when it made the state semifinals for the first time. This week, the War Eagles are ranked No. 1 for the first time.
South Forsyth is 16-2 overall, but unbeaten against Georgia opponents. South takes over the top of Class AAAAAA, jumping previous No. 1 Osborne and previous No. 2 McEachern. Each lost on Saturday, Osborne to Spain Park of Alabama and McEachern to No. 1-ranked Holy Innocents’ of Class AA.
South Forsyth is led by junior Sarah Myers, who has committed to Maryland. South made noise in 2014 when it upset defending AAAAAA champion Norcross and Parkview in the state playoffs. The run to the semifinals was the first for a girls team from Forsyth County since 1965.
There three other new No. 1 teams in this week’s Journal-Constitution rankings. They are Brunswick’s girls (AAAAA), Dawson County’s girls (AAA), both 20-0, and Pace Academy’s boys (AA), who are 16-2.
Brunswick jumped Stephenson, which was beaten last week by Region 6-AAAAA rival Southwest DeKalb 62-58. Dawson County jumped Kendrick, which lost to Pelham 70-61 on Tuesday. Pace went ahead of Seminole County, which lost to Bainbridge 78-74.
In Class A, St. Francis’ girls remained No. 1 despite a 67-61 overtime loss Saturday to Wenonah, the No. 1 team in Alabama’s Class 5A.
Newly ranked boys teams this week are McEachern for Hillgrove in AAAAAA, Northside-Columbus for Richmond Hill in AAAAA, Albany for Americus-Sumter in AAAA, Peach County for Savannah in AAA, Swainsboro for Harlem in AA and Calhoun County for Turner County in A.
Butler of Augusta remained in the boys’ top 10 of Class AAA despite four forfeits assessed by the Georgia High School Association last week because of the use of an ineligible player. Butler is 11-6 and ranked No. 6.
There are just two new girls teams in the rankings this week: Fayette County replaces Gilmer in Class AAAA, and Westminster replaces Dodge County in AAA.
Class AAAAAA
1. Wheeler (17-1)
2. Tift County (18-1)
3. Shiloh (17-0)
4. Pebblebrook (14-4)
5. Norcross (15-3)
6. Tucker (20-2)
7. Collins Hill (16-3)
8. Douglas County (14-4)
9. Alpharetta (15-3)
10. McEachern (13-5)
Class AAAAA
1. Miller Grove (18-3)
2. McIntosh (18-0)
3. M.L. King (16-3)
4. Gainesville (15-2)
5. Brunswick (14-2)
6. Allatoona (16-2)
7. Northside-Columbus (12-3)
8. Southwest DeKalb (16-5)
9. Effingham County (13-4)
10. Northside-Warner Robins (11-4)
Class AAAA
1. Jonesboro (18-1)
2. Johnson-Gainesville (18-0)
3. Lithonia (16-1)
4. St. Pius (15-3)
5. Carrollton (15-2)
6. Columbia (12-5)
7. Burke County (16-1)
8. Bainbridge (15-4)
9. Westover (11-6)
10. Albany (11-4)
Class AAA
1. Laney (17-1)
2. Jenkins (14-3)
3. Cedar Grove (13-2)
4. Morgan County (13-6)
5. Johnson-Savannah (15-3)
6. Butler (11-6)
7. Rutland (17-2)
8. Blessed Trinity (15-4)
9. South Atlanta (14-4)
10. Peach County (16-2)
Class AA
1. Pace Acdemy (16-2)
2. Seminole County (14-3)
3. Holy Innocents’ (16-3)
4. Thomasville (14-4)
5. Greater Atlanta Christian (11-6)
6. Crawford County (13-3)
7. Bryan County (15-3)
8. Vidalia (14-2)
9. Swainsboro (10-6)
10. Model (15-3)
Class A
1. St. Francis (16-3)
2. Greenforest Christian (15-1)
3. Athens Christian (16-0)
4. Whitefield Academy (12-7)
5. Treutlen (16-0)
6. Hancock Central (13-0)
7. Greenville (14-1)
8. North Cobb Christian (11-7)
9. Calhoun County (14-2)
10. Landmark Christian (15-3)
Class AAAAAA
1. South Forsyth (16-2)
2. Osborne (17-2)
3. McEachern (14-3)
4. Westlake (17-1)
5. Parkview (13-3)
6. Archer (15-3)
7. Mountain View (15-3)
8. North Forsyth (17-2)
9. Norcross (16-3)
10. Woodstock (18-0)
Class AAAAA
1. Brunswick (20-0)
2. Stephenson (16-3)
3. Sequoyah (17-2)
4. Effingham County (15-4)
5. Cross Creek (18-2)
6. Forest Park (15-4)
7. South Effingham (16-3)
8. Greenbrier (18-2)
9. Mays (15-2)
10. Southwest DeKalb (15-6)
Class AAAA
1. St. Pius (17-1)
2. Buford (14-3)
3. Jonesboro (19-1)
4. Mary Persons (16-0)
5. Veterans (18-1)
6. Redan (13-2)
7. Americus-Sumter (16-1)
8. Marist (11-3)
9. Bainbridge (15-4)
10. Fayette County (10-5)
Class AAA
1. Dawson County (20-0)
2. Laney (16-2)
3. Kendrick (19-1)
4. South Atlanta (17-0)
5. Decatur (17-2)
6. Morgan County (11-4)
7. Beach (14-5)
8. Calhoun (16-3)
9. Washington County (12-4)
10. Westminster (15-4)
Class AA
1. Holy Innocents' (19-0)
2. Pelham (17-1)
3. Wesleyan (14-5)
4. Model (17-2)
5. Darlington (15-3)
6. Putnam County (15-3)
7. Vidalia (11-2)
8. Thomasville (14-5)
9. Lovett (13-5)
10. Early County (13-3)
Class A
1. St. Francis (14-2)
2. SW Atlanta Christian (15-3)
3. Taylor County (18-0)
4. Tattnall Square (16-2)
5. Savannah Country Day (17-2)
6. Calvary Day (14-2)
7. Claxton (15-3)
8. Turner County (16-2)
9. Stratford Academy (13-4)
10. Mitchell Co. (10-3)
Won-lost records are based on games reported by deadline.
