Morgan County has been one of the most quiet defending champions in the state. The Bulldogs aren’t getting much buzz as far as a pretournament favorite, which is puzzling for a team that’s 20-7 overall and enter the playoffs having played one of the most difficult schedules in the state.
Morgan County’s losses have come against three out-of-state teams, Class A No. 2 Greenforest, Region 8-AAAA runner-up Buford and twice against No. 1 Laney. The Bulldogs lost by 16 and four points to Laney, a team they could potentially meet in the semifinals.
No. 3-ranked Morgan County is led by Mississippi State signee Tookie Brown, a 6-foot-2 guard who is comfortable running the offense and stepping back to knock down a 3-pointer.
The two teams to beat are No. 1-ranked Laney and No. 2-ranked Jenkins. Laney, 26-1, has not lost since opening night. The Wildcats are loaded with ability and play a fast and furious pace that can leave the opposition in the dust. Jenkins, 24-3, has won 15 straight and may play the best defense in the state. Plus, the Warriors survived in Region 1-AAA, which may be the toughest in the classification.
Here’s a look at five of the best first-round matchups:
Peach County at Tattnall County: Peach County (24-6) was trounced by Central Macon in the Region 2 semifinals and wound up in the consolations. The Trojans have three players who average double figures: Avery Mitchell (18.0), Darrell White (13.0) and Jared Johnson (11.5). Tattnall County (20-8) won its subregion and muscled its way through the Region 1 playoffs and into the final by upsetting Johnson, two weeks after losing to the Atom Smashers by 11. The Battle Creek Warriors have won five of their last six games.
Credit: Stan Awtrey
Credit: Stan Awtrey
Butler at South Atlanta: At one point Butler was ranked as high as No. 3 in the state. Some forfeits and some shaky results down the stretch resulted in the Bulldogs entering the playoffs as the No. 4 seed from Region 3. No. 4-ranked South Atlanta (24-4) has done a remarkable job with a non-traditional group of players. The Hornets don't have any superstars; in fact they've got several guys who would be considered too small to play at some places. But coach Michael Reddick's team plays hard all the time, evident by Saturday's 18-point second-half comeback against Cedar Grove. South Atlanta, winners of 14 straight, somehow manages to come up with the big shot when it matters most.
Johnson Savannah at Rutland: No. 7 Rutland (24-3) brings an eight-game winning streak into the state playoffs and has done a good job representing Macon. The Hurricanes average 81.6 points per game, making them one of the highest-scoring teams in the state. Ty'lik Evans (22.7 points, 6.8 assists), Jeremy Braswell (19.6 points) and Dallas Smith (15.9 points, 9.4) rebounds are capable of lighting it up. However, Johnson (21.6) is one of the best defensive teams in the state. Plus the Atom Smashers lost their last two games in the Region 1 tournament and enter the playoffs with a chip on their shoulder. Too bad one of these teams will take an early exit.
Blessed Trinity at Washington County: No. 6 Blessed Trinity (23-5) finished third in the strenuous Region 4 tournament. The Titans do a lot of things well, include move the ball and shoot it effectively. Washington County (18-10) has three losses to No. 1 Laney and another to Class AAAAAA power Shiloh. The Golden Hawks shoot 54 percent from the field and are led by A.J. Gray (17.4 points) and TiQuan Lewis (14.8 points, 6.9 rebounds).
Ringgold at Rockmart: Rockmart (21-6) has used its defense to control the tempo and keep things close. The Bulldogs have managed to beat everyone except Callaway, which won all three meetings. Ringggold (18-7) had the same sort of luck against Calhoun, losing twice to the Yellow Jackets. Ringgold has a solid offensive corp led by Kyle Sholl (15.3 points), Jordan Ransom (14.8) and Mac Brower (13.0, 6.1 assists).
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