Basketball: Tucker, SWD, Holy Innocents' girls snatch No. 1 rankings

Southwest DeKalb (22-6) has the most losses of any No. 1-ranked team, but five came against out-of-state competition, the other to Class AAAAAA No. 2 Norcross. The Panthers had four state championships and two runner-up finishes from 2008 to 2014.

Holy Innocents’ defeated previous No. 1 Wesleyan 59-55 in the Region 6-AA championship game on Friday. It was Holy Innocents’ second victory over Wesleyan in two weeks (second in three meetings this season). Holy Innocents’ (23-4) has reached the semifinals three consecutive seasons, with runner-up finishes in 2014 and 2015.

All six No. 1-ranked boys teams won their regions, although second-ranked Norcross (AAAAAA), Lithonia (AAAA), Seminole County (AA) and North Cobb Christian (A) took spills.

Losses by Archer’s girls and Norcross’s boys in particular have had major repercussions on the state brackets.

Archer, now ranked No. 5, could face No. 3 McEachern in the second round, with the winner potentially meeting No. 2 Norcross. Archer lost in overtime Saturday to No. 6 Parkview, a team Archer had beaten twice.

Norcross, now No. 4, could play No. 3 Westlake in the second round and No. 5 Shiloh in the third. Norcross lost Saturday to No. 9 Collins Hill, a team that Norcross had beaten twice.

In AAAAA, the former No. 1 Warner Robins’ girls, who lost in their region’s semifinals, now face Glynn Academy in the first round this week. Warner Robins had replaced Glynn Academy at No. 1 just last week.

Three teams ranked last week are done for the season, eliminated in their region tournaments before the safe haven of the semifinals.

South Forsyth’s girls, previously No. 8 in AAAAAA, lost in the Region 6-AAAAAA quarterfinals to Chattahoochee, the eighth-place finisher in the regular season. South Forsyth’s top player, Maryland-signed guard Sarah Myers, was injured the week before and could not play.

Redan’s boys, previously No. 9 in AAAA, failed to get out of tough Region 6, beaten by Columbia, which later beat No. 6 St. Pius in the third-place playoff. Columbia (13-12) needed the Redan victory to extend its streak of state-playoff berths to 13 seasons. Columbia has won four state titles in that time.

Westminster’s boys, previously ranked No. 5, lost in the Region 6-AAA quarterfinals to Jackson-Atlanta. Westminster had what it thought might’ve been its best team since 1976, the last time it made a state quarterfinal.

The 6-AAA tournament was particularly volatile as unranked Cedar Grove wound up winning it, surprising previous No. 3 South Atlanta in the semifinals, then beating North Clayton 60-55 for the title. Cedar Grove entered the rankings at No. 7.

Other newly ranked boys teams – all region champions – are Collins Hill and Newton for Tucker and Berkmar in AAAAAA, LaGrange for Effingham County in AAAAA, Sandy Creek and Upson-Lee for Redan and Bainbridge in AAAA, East Hall for Banks County in AAA and Dublin and Model for Vidalia and Chattooga in AA.

There are seven newly ranked girls teams, all region champions. They are West Forsyth for South Forsyth in AAAAAA,  Columbus and Sequoyah for Creekview and Hiram in AAAAA, Wayne County for Northwest Whitfield in AAAA, West Hall for Dawson County in AAA and Vidalia and Swainsboro for Fitzgerald and Jeff Davis in AA.

This will be the final Atlanta Journal-Constitution rankings until after the state tournament in Macon on March 4-6.

BOYS

Class AAAAAA

Class AAAAA

Class AAAA

Class AAA

Class AA

Class A

GIRLS

Class AAAAAA

Class AAAAA

Class AAAA

Class AAA

Class AA

Class A

Credit: Todd Holcomb

Credit: Todd Holcomb