The quarterfinals concluded Wednesday, with all winners advancing to play at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville on Saturday. On the line: a trip to the state championships in Macon, to be played the following week.
I will be making the trip to Milledgeville to cover all of Saturday’s Class AA semifinals games, boys and girls, and will post recaps as the games conclude.
Let's check in at what's left of my predictions and preview the upcoming semifinals games.
Boys
(For the updated official GHSA bracket, go here.)
My bracket hangs by a thread, with only two picks — Glenn Hills and Swainsboro — remaining. I have Swainsboro winning it all, and they’re still playing like the frontrunners. The teams I didn’t pick to get this far — Therrell and Chattooga — I had being eliminated in the second round. Oops.
Semifinals previews
Glenn Hills Spartans (23-7) vs. Swainsboro Tigers (28-2)
When: 4 p.m.
Rankings, seeds: Glenn Hills is No. 2 and the No. 1 seed from Region 4; Swainsboro is No. 1 and the No. 1 seed from Region 2.
Krohn's pick: Swainsboro
Notes: The way the brackets worked out, the No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup will take place in the semifinals instead of the championship. They played each other last season in the Statesboro Gentelmen's Classic the day after Christmas, with Swainsboro winning 63-52. The Spartans are in the semis for the second time in three years and are eyeing their first trip to the finals since 2008, when they won AAA — their only other title game appearance. This is just the third time they've reached the semis, with the other instance coming in 1986. In the quarterfinals, they beat Spencer 76-69. Jon Whitehead led the Spartans with 20 points, according to AugBall. The Tigers are in the semis for the second time in three years and third time since 2015. They reached the title game in 2017 and are seeking their second-ever championship, with the first coming in 1996. They won their quarterfinal matchup in dominant fashion, 94-55, over Rockmart.
Chattooga Indians (24-6) vs. Therrell Panthers (24-7)
When: 8 p.m.
Rankings, seeds: Chattooga is unranked and the No. 2 seed from Region 7; Therrell is No. 3 and the No. 1 seed from Region 6.
Krohn's pick: Therrell
Notes: With their 67-57 quarterfinals win over No. 9 Banks County, the Indians are in the semifinals for the first time in a program history that dates back to 1961. Jatorrian Williams led the Indians with a game-high 22 points against Banks County, according to Jeremy Stewart of the Rome News-Tribune. The defending state champion Panthers edged No. 6 Washington County 57-55, again without their best player, Robbie Armbrester, who continues to await medical clearance for a wrist injury. It's unclear if he'll be ready Saturday. They're in the semis for the third time in program history, with the other trip coming in 1978. Last year's title was the first in program history.
Girls
(For the updated official GHSA bracket, go here.)
With top-ranked Laney falling to No. 5 Southwest-Macon, my girls predictions can be officially laid to rest. My only saving grace is that I managed to get half of the Final Four correct in Rockmart and Early County.
Semifinals previews
Southwest Lady Patriots (24-3) vs. Rockmart Lady Yellow Jackets (23-6)
When: 2 p.m.
Rankings, seeds: Southwest is No. 5 and the No. 2 seed from Region 3; Rockmart is unranked and the No. 1 seed from Region 7.
Krohn's pick: Southwest
Notes: With their 50-47 road win over top-ranked Laney, the Lady Patriots are in the semis for the first time since 2013. They reached the championship game back-to-back seasons in 1994 and '95 but haven't returned since. They've never won a title in a program history dating back to 1970. In the Laney win, they were led by Jakhyla Johnson's 16 points. The Lady Yellow Jackets are in the semis for the first time in program history after beating No. 4 Vidalia 62-57 on the road. Keyarah Berry notched a game-high 37 points in the win.
Early County Lady Bobcats (26-4) vs. Douglass Lady Astros (24-5)
When: 6 p.m.
Rankings, seeds: Early County is No. 2 and the No. 1 seed from Region 1; Douglass is No. 3 and the No. 1 seed from Region 6.
Krohn's pick: Early County
Notes: This is a rematch of last year's title game, which Douglass won 57-51 for its first title in a program history that dates back to 1968. Early County edged Union County 60-58 on the road — led by sophomore Jordan Eafford's 21 points — to return to the semis in a quest for their first title since 2003. It's their fifth trip to the semis since 1991. It's the Lady Astros' third trip to the semis in program history with the other coming in 2007. They beat No. 6 Washington County 56-53 in the quarterfinals.
Some historical information was gathered from Georgia High School Basketball Project.
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