Three-quarters of the field in the Class AAAAA championship games are chasing their first state title.
Then there’s the Buford girls.
The boys title game features Cedar Shoals and Dutchtown, while the girls game brings a clash between first-timer Kell and three-time defending champion Buford, which is going for its eight title.
Both championship games will be played Friday at the Macon Coliseum. The girls game is at 6 p.m., with the boys at 8 p.m.
Girls: Kell (32-0) vs. Buford (30-1)
This is new territory for No. 1-ranked Kell. Until this season, the Longhorns had never even reached the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. Coach Tony Ingle’s team came through a deep, difficult Region 7 schedule without a blemish. Kell survived some close calls, beating Carrollton by two during the regular season and by one in the region title game.
Buford has won 19 consecutive state playoff games and enters the championship game against an unbeaten team for the second straight year. The Wolves defeated Villa Rica in the final last year to hand the Wildcats their first loss. This season coach Gene Durden’s team once again dominated Region 8 and suffered its only loss to Class A Private power – and rival – Wesleyan.
Best players: Kell is led by freshman sensation Crystal Henderson and senior Kya Williams, both first-team all-region selections. Henderson is one of the versatile players around and is capable of doing damage inside and outside. Jada Green and Amaya Moss were honorable mention choices. Buford's top player is Tate Walters, the Region 8 Player of the Year. Ashyia Willlis, Blair Wallis and Katelyn Klein were also all-region choices. But the Wolves' strength lies in defense and its ability to produce a seemingly endless wave of players to implement 36 minutes of all-out assault that eventually wears the opposition down.
How they got there: Kell def. Lithonia 58-26, def. Bainbridge 66-40, def. Jones County 64-54, def. Eagle's Landing 60-55. Buford def. Grady 76-44, def. Wayne County 76-49, def. Carrollton 58-47 and def. Woodland 52-30.
Boys: Cedar Shoals (28-3) vs. Dutchtown (27-4)
Cedar Shoals reached the finals in 2017 and lost to Buford in the championship game at Stegman Coliseum in Athens. The stumbled this season against Buford in the Region 8 final, but slugged their way through a killer draw to reach the finals. Coach L’Dreco Thomas’ team won on a late basket to beat Lithonia, which had been ranked No. 1 much of the year, and battled through four overtimes to beat Southwest DeKalb in the semifinals.
Until this season, Dutchtown had only advanced as far as the quarterfinals. In 2020, coach Jordan Griffin’s team has shown a flair for the dramatic. They rallied late to beat Riverwood and needed a heroic last-second shot to beat Columbia in overtime, then went to overtime to beat Kell. Both Dutchtown and Cedar Shoals are both battle-tested.
Best players: Cedar Shoals is led by Region 7 Player of the Year Quincy Canty, a USC-Aiken commit, who made the game-winning shot to beat Southwest DeKalb. All-region choice Tyler Johnson does a lot of things well and Kashik Brown is a quick point guard. Dutchtown has been led by Region 3 Player of the Year Jamaine Mann, a preseason transfer from Starr's Mill who averages 17.4 points but has been troubled by fouls in the postseason. Kameron Hobbs and Cameron Bryant are all-region players capable of posting big numbers and don't seem to be fazed by the big stage.
How they got there: Cedar Shoals def. Carver 72-47, def. Wayne County 52-50 OT, def. Lithonia 50-47 and def. Southwest DeKalb 73-72 in four OTs.
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