AA blog: GAC coming into form; Bryan County makes a statement

Some notes from around the state following Friday’s action in Class AA. …

BOYS

Defending state champ Greater Atlanta Christian isn’t going away. Since falling to .500 after a loss to Class AAAAAA Parkview in late December, the Spartans (9-5) have won four straight, with the slimmest margin being a 17-point win over Wesleyan earlier this week. In Friday night’s 93-56 win over KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, Garrett Covington, Cam Boyd and Jacob Hoffman led the way with 21, 20 and 19 points, respectively. Third-ranked GAC will face No. 5 Holy Innocents’ Jan. 16 in a key Region 6-AA matchup.

Bryan County now looks like the team to beat in Region 2-AA. The ninth-ranked Redskins sit alone atop the region after knocking off defending champ, No. 6 Vidalia, 80-51, on Friday. Bryan County (13-2, 7-0), which has four players averaging double-figure points per game, missed the playoffs last season, going 12-19 overall.

GIRLS

It’s looking more and more likely that the Region 6-AA title will come down to No. 1 Holy Innocents’ and No. 3 Wesleyan. The two meet Saturday night for the first time this season and will square off once more in the regular season on Feb. 3. Wesleyan, the defending Class AA runner-up, knocked off the region’s No. 3 team, eighth-ranked Lovett, 64-33 on Friday, showing a wide gap between the top two schools and the rest of the region.

Model’s Victaria Saxton is a player to keep an eye on. The six-foot freshman led the No. 7 Lady Devils (15-2) to an important Region 7-AA win over No. 4 Darlington on Friday with 17 points, 18 rebounds and 12 blocked shots. Earlier in the week, Saxton scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 66-37 win over Coosa. Friday’s defeat was the first loss in region play for the Lady Tigers (12-3, 4-1), who won over Model last month in nonregion action in the Rome Holiday Festival tournament championship game.

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How the top 10 fared

BOYS

1. Thomasville (11-3)

• Tuesday: Lost at Bainbridge (No. 4, Class AAAA), 97-93
• Friday: vs. Early County (no score reported)
• Up next: vs. No. 4 Seminole County, Saturday

2. Pace Academy (12-2)

• Tuesday: Won vs. No. 5 Holy Innocents', 59-48
• Friday: Won vs. Hapeville Charter, 64-60
• Up next: at B.E.S.T. Academy, Saturday

3. Greater Atlanta Christian (9-5)

• Tuesday: Won at Wesleyan, 74-57
• Friday: Won at KIPP, 93-56
• Up next: at B.E.S.T. Academy, Tuesday

4. Seminole County (12-2)

• Tuesday: Won vs. Miller County, 66-51
• Friday: Won vs. Fitzgerald, 72-59
• Up next: at No. 1 Thomasville, Saturday

5. Holy Innocents’ (13-3)

• Tuesday: Lost at No. 2 Pace Academy, 59-48
• Friday: Won vs. B.E.S.T. Academy, 80-17
• Up next: at Wesleyan, Saturday

6. Vidalia (12-2)

• Tuesday: Won at Jeff Davis, 56-51
• Friday: Lost at No. 9 Bryan County, 80-51
• Up next: at Montgomery County, Saturday

7. Model (13-2)

• Tuesday: Lost at Coosa, 55-45
• Friday: Won vs. Darlington, 63-39
• Up next: at Southwest Atlanta Christian, Saturday

8. Harlem (12-2)

• Tuesday: Lost at Swainsboro, 73-49
• Friday: vs. Screven County (no score reported)
• Up next: at Dublin, Saturday

9. Bryan County (13-2)

• Tuesday: Won at McIntosh County Academy, 64-60
• Friday: Won vs. No. 6 Vidalia, 80-51
• Up next: vs. Benedictine, Tuesday

10. Crawford County (11-3)

• Tuesday: Won vs. Monticello, 74-66
• Friday: at Northeast-Macon (no score reported)
• Up next: avs. Taylor County, Saturday

GIRLS

1. Holy Innocents’ (15-0)

• Tuesday: Won at Pace Academy, 70-25
• Up next: at No. 3 Wesleyan, Saturday

2. Pelham (13-1)

• Tuesday: Won at Lowndes, 72-47
• Friday: Won vs. Mitchell County, 77-29
• Up next: at Brooks County, Saturday

3. Wesleyan (11-4)

• Tuesday: Won vs. GAC, 61-26
• Thursday: Defeated No. 8 Lovett, 64-33
• Up next: vs. No. 1 Holy Innocents', Saturday

4. Darlington (12-3)

• Tuesday: Idle
• Friday: Lost at No. 7 Model, 55-44
• Up next: vs. Josey, Saturday

5. Vidalia (12-2)

• Tuesday: Lost at Jeff Davis, 54-41
• Friday: Won at Bryan County, 65-53
• Up next: at Montgomery County, Saturday

6. Putnam County (13-3)

• Tuesday: Won vs. Lamar County, 57-31
• Up next: vs. Northeast-Macon, Tuesday

7. Model (15-2)

• Tuesday: Won at Coosa, 66-37
• Friday: Won vs. No. 4 Darlington, 55-44
• Up next: vs. Chattooga, Jan. 16

8. Lovett (10-5)

• Tuesday: Won vs. KIPP, 68-18
• Thursday: Lost at No. 3 Wesleyan, 64-33
• Up next: at Hapeville Charter, Tuesday