Second-ranked Tift County’s boys (15-1) lost their first game Thursday, beaten by two-time defending Louisiana state champion Riverside in the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic in New Orleans. Tift had a shot to tie at the buzzer but missed.
Tift will play two more games before heading back on the 7-hour school bus ride.
Tift is expected to contend again after winning Class AAAAAA in 2014. Gone is Tadric Jackson, the all-class player of the year, to Georgia Tech, but younger brother Tryrie Jackson, a 6-foot junior guard, is averaging 18.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
Tift has a young team that could peak next season if not this one. Sophomore forward Preston Horne averages 14.4 points and 8.8 rebounds. Sophomore point guard Micah Johnson averages 9.9 points and 4.8 assists.
More games to watch this weekend in AAAAAA
-No. 3 Pebblebrook (12-2, 4-0) plays at No. 6 Douglas County (11-3, 5-0) for first place in Region 3-AAAAAA on Friday. Pebblebrook features guard Ty Hudson (committed to Clemson) and post Derek Ogbeide (Georgia), but junior guard Jared Harper is averaging close to 20 points per game. Douglas County is balanced. K’ja Johnson (Florida A&M) averages 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists.
-Duluth’s boys (13-3, 4-1) made the playoffs for the first time in 15 years last season. They graduated their best two players but aren’t going away because of special junior class that includes 6-6 forward A.J. Cheesman, 6-7 forward Obinna Ofodile and 6-2 guard Anthony Showell. Senior point guard Joe Gordon makes them go. Duluth plays Friday at No. 5 Norcross (12-3, 4-1), which is coming off a 50-42 victory over Mill Creek (11-5, 3-1) in which Ricky Madison scored 26 points.
-Anriel Howard, a 6-foot forward who has signed with Texas A&M, scored 44 points against Hughes in a game last season. Hughes (9-2, 4-1) gets another shot Friday in a Region 3 home game against Westlake (13-0, 5-0), the No. 1-ranked girls team in AAAAAA.
-No. 10 Mountain View, opened in 2009, returned all five starters – four that are seniors - from a state quarterfinal team. The Bears are 11-3 overall, 6-0 in 7-AAAAAA entering Friday’s game at Mill Creek (11-5, 4-1). Mountain View has all-state-calibre point guard Aneysa Williams. Mill Creek has three 6-footers, including Tulane signee Meredith Schulte.
