Final rankings: Star players prove their value in state finals

Brown, who has not made his college choice, scored 22 points and had nine rebounds in a 59-58 victory over Pebblebrook in the Class AAAAAA boys final. Brown made two free throws with 0.5 seconds left for the tie and the lead.

It was the sixth state title for Wheeler and coach Doug Lipscomb, first since 2009. Lipscomb is the third coach to win a sixth state title in the highest class, first since Don Richardson of Southwest-Macon in 1989.

Cooper, who has signed with Tennessee, scored 26 points in a 58-51 overtime victory over Norcross. McEachern defended its 2014 title despite the December season-ending loss to Caliya Robinson, a 6-foot-3 forward who is signed with Georgia. McEachern was the runner-up in Region 4-AAAAAA and ranked only ninth entering the state tournament.

In AAAAA, Brunswick’s boys won the first state title in any sport for their coastal Georgia school. Stephenson’s girls, seeded only third from their region, were a surprise champion. They extended the streak of at least one DeKalb County schools champion each year since 2004.

Jonesboro’s boys defended their championship in AAAA. Buford’s girls won their fourth title in the past seven seasons.

In AAA, Jenkins’ boys of Savannah and Laney’s girls of Augusta won their first GHSA state titles. Each had won only one other GHSA champion in any sport (Jenkins boys golf in 1968 and Laney boys basketball in 2012). Laney’s girls basketball program did win titles in the Georgia Interscholastic Association in 1956 and 1961.

Seminole County’s boys won their first title since 1998 in AA. With Georgia coach Mark Fox in attendance, Georgia-committed junior Jordan Harris scored 41 points and had 11 rebounds in a 76-71 victory over Crawford County.

Wesleyan (AA) and Taylor County (A public) won their 11th state championships in girls basketball, a girls state record. Wesleyan was 0-3 against Holy Innocents’ (31-1) until a 45-31 victory.

Their coaches also moved up in the record books. Jan Azar’s 11 titles at Wesleyan are first among girls coaches all-time and second to Selby Buck’s 12, all won through 1951 at Lanier High of Macon. Matt Troutman of Taylor County now has six titles.

The Class A public-schools boys champion is Calhoun County, which won its 20th straight game and first state title since 1997.

St. Francis swept the boys and girls state titles in the A private-school division. One school has won both titles 16 times in state history. This was the first since Norcross in 2013.

BOYS

Class AAAAAA

1. Wheeler (29-2)

2. Pebblebrook (27-5)

3. Shiloh (28-4)

4. Tucker (29-3)

5. Norcross (27-4)

6. Pope (24-6)

7. Douglas County (22-8)

8. Tift County (26-2)

9. Alpharetta (25-6)

10. McEachern (21-8)

Class AAAAA

1. Brunswick (29-2)

2. Allatoona (29-3)

3. Warner Robins (25-5)

4. Miller Grove (26-4)

5. Cedar Shoals (23-9)

6. M.L. King (24-6)

7. McIntosh (29-1)

8. LaGrange (22-8)

9. Jones County (21-10)

10. Gainesville (25-5)

Class AAAA

1. Jonesboro (32-1)

2. Carrollton (29-3)

3. Johnson-Gainesville (29-1)

4. Liberty County (24-5)

5. Americus-Sumter (26-6)

6. Cairo (20-12)

7. Lithonia (27-3)

8. St. Pius (25-5)

9. Burke County (24-4)

10. Upson-Lee (19-10)

Class AAA

1. Jenkins (29-3)

2. Morgan County (24-8)

3. Laney (29-2)

4. Rutland (27-4)

5. South Atlanta (27-5)

6. Cedar Grove (20-5)

7. Callaway (20-5)

8. Blessed Trinity (24-6)

9. East Hall (24-6)

10. Calhoun (22-4)

Class AA

1. Seminole County (28-3)

2. Crawford County (27-4)

3. Vidalia (23-2)

4. Pace Academy (27-3)

5. Swainsboro (21-10)

6. Greater Atlanta Christian (19-10)

7. Holy Innocents’ (24-6)

8. Model (23-5)

9. Manchester (21-9)

10. Thomasville (22-9)

Class A

1. St. Francis (29-3)

2. Greenforest Christian (27-2)

3. Athens Christian (29-1)

4. Calhoun County (30-2)

5. Greenville (28-3)

6 Hancock Central (25-3)

7. Whitefield Academy (22-10)

8. Wilkinson County (25-5)

9. Treutlen (27-2)

10. North Cobb Christian (19-10

GIRLS

Class AAAAAA

1. McEachern (24-6)

2. Norcross (28-5)

3. Parkview (26-4)

4. Osborne (27-3)

5. Archer (26-6)

6. Mountain View (25-6)

7. Westlake (28-3)

8. South Forsyth (25-5)

9. North Forsyth (25-5)

10. Woodstock (27-2)

Class AAAAA

1. Stephenson (27-5)

2. Mays (27-3)

3. Forest Park (27-5)

4. Sequoyah (27-4)

5. Southwest DeKalb (23-8)

6. Brunswick (28-1)

7. Salem (22-9)

8. Woodland-Stockbridge (23-7)

9. Dutchtown (18-14)

10. Loganville (23-8)

Class AAAA

1. Buford (30-3)

2. Carrollton (24-8)

3. Veterans (30-2)

4. St. Pius (27-4)

5. Jonesboro (28-2)

6. Fayette County (20-11)

7. Americus-Sumter (29-2)

8. Marist (23-5)

9. Griffin (22-6)

10. Monroe (21-10)

Class AAA

1. Laney (29-3)

2. Beach (26-6)

3. Dawson County (29-1)

4. Decatur (29-3)

5. East Hall (20-11)

6. Kendrick (27-3)

7. Calhoun (25-5)

8. Central-Carrollton (25-4)

9. Peach County (23-4)

10. South Atlanta (27-2)

Class AA

1. Wesleyan (25-7)

2. Holy Innocents' (31-1)

3. Pelham (29-2)

4. Lovett (21-9)

5. Vidalia (25-5)

6. Model (26-3)

7. Manchester (25-3)

8. Armuchee (20-8)

9. Darlington (22-8)

10. Putnam County (23-6)

Class A

1. St. Francis (27-3)

2. Taylor County (31-0)

3. SW Atlanta Christian (28-4)

4. Turner County (28-3)

5. Calvary Day (22-6)

6. Savannah Country Day (27-3)

7. Tattnall Square (27-3)

8. Stratford Academy (22-7)

9. Mitchell County (20-7)

10. Randolph-Clay (19-11)