Four Georgia basketball teams programs won their first state championships this season, and Tift County became the first South Georgia boys team to win the highest classification in 16 years.
Each is ranked No. 1 in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s final rankings.
Tift County defeated previous No. 1 Wheeler 63-49 in the Class AAAAAA final in Macon to become the first boys team south of Macon to win the big class since Savannah in 1998. Tift also won in 1996.
First-time state champions were Jonesboro’s boys (AAAA), Morgan County’s boys (AAA), St. Francis’ boys (A private) and Tucker’s girls (AAAAA).
Most of the novice champions beat established dynasties. Jonesboro beat five-time champ Columbia. Tucker beat four-time champ Southwest DeKalb. St. Francis beat three-time champ Whitefield Academy. Morgan County beat Buford in a game between teams seeking their first titles.
Several dominant programs continued to build on their success.
In AAAAA, Miller Grove’s boys won a sixth consecutive title. Only girls teams at Wesleyan (2008-13) and Hart County (1989-94) have matched that.
The AA champions - Greater Atlanta Christian’s boys and Kendrick’s girls – finished undefeated. The only other team to do that was the Redan girls in AAAA.
Kendrick also was undefeated in 2008 and is the first school since Woodward Academy (1995-96) to achieve two undefeated state-championship seasons.
GAC, which won its fourth state title in five seasons, is only the second undefeated Georgia boys team since 2005, according to the Georgia Basketball Project.
Wilkinson County, this year’s Class A public champion, was the other in 2011.
The rest of Georgia’s champions, all girls teams, also had won recent titles. They are St. Pius (2013), McEachern (2012), Redan (2009), Southwest Atlanta Christian (2006) and Randolph-Clay (2000).
BOYS
1. Tift County (29-3)
2. Wheeler (27-6)
3. North Gwinnett (25-3)
4. Norcross (25-7)
5. Pebblebrook (24-6)
6. Berkmar (24-7)
7. Walton (24-6)
8. Hillgrove (23-8)
9. Douglas County (22-6)
10. Luella (20-9)
1. Miller Grove (28-5)
2. Warner Robins (28-3)
3. Jenkins (28-3)
4. Stephenson (24-8)
5. Allatoona (29-2)
6. Tucker (23-7)
7. Clarke Central (26-2)
8. M.L. King (22-11)
9. Effingham County (20-10)
10. Northside-Warner Robins (21-8)
1. Jonesboro (27-6)
2. Columbia (28-5)
3. Alexander (22-3)
4. Westover (23-6)
5. Rutland (24-6)
6. Glenn Hills (25-5)
7. Sandy Creek (23-9)
8. Johnson-Gainesville (24-6)
9. Fayette County (21-8)
10. Eagle’s Landing (21-6)
1. Morgan County (26-5)
2. Buford (27-5)
3. Johnson-Savannah (25-5)
4. Washington County (25-2)
5. Cartersville (27-3)
6. Cedar Grove (20-7)
7. Blessed Trinity (23-7)
8. St. Pius (24-6)
9. Callaway (20-7)
10. Elbert County (21-5)
1. Greater Atlanta Christian (32-0)
2. Calhoun (26-3)
3. Vidalia (30-1)
4. Laney (26-5)
5. Pelham (24-4)
6. Model (23-4)
7. Jefferson (25-6)
8. Manchester (23-5)
9. Northeast-Macon (22-9)
10. Coosa (20-10)
1. St. Francis (24-7)
2. Whitefield Academy (23-7)
3. Wilkinson County (26-6)
4. North Cobb Christian (21-8)
5. Turner County (26-5)
6. Athens Christian (25-5)
7. Calhoun County (25-3)
8. Aquinas (22-6)
9. Calvary Day (20-7)
10. Hawkinsville (22-6)
GIRLS
1. McEachern (29-2)
2. Archer (29-4)
3. North Forsyth (28-3)
4. South Forsyth (26-6)
5. Parkview (27-4)
6. Lowndes (22-9)
7. Douglas County (23-5)
8. Hillgrove (24-5)
9. Norcross (23-6)
10. Marietta (21-9)
1. Tucker (29-4)
2. Southwest DeKalb (30-3)
3. Drew (26-4)
4. Forest Park (23-9)
5. Effingham County (28-3)
6. Salem (25-4)
7. Osborne (22-7)
8. Greenbrier (24-7)
9. Stephenson (20-10)
10. Creekview (23-7)
1. Redan (33-0)
2. Columbus (30-2)
3. South Effingham (27-5)
4. Woodland-Stockbridge (27-5)
5. Monroe (25-5)
6. Cross Creek (24-4)
7. Fayette County (21-9)
8. Columbia (18-6)
9. Mary Persons (25-4)
10. Rutland (22-5)
1. St. Pius (30-3)
2. Buford (30-3)
3. Beach (29-2)
4. Washington County (26-1)
5. Pike County (24-8)
6. Morgan County (23-5)
7. Johnson-Savannah (24-8)
8. Dodge County (22-6)
9. Tattnall County (24-4)
10. Woodward Academy (20-11)
1. Kendrick (29-0)
2. Wesleyan (27-4)
3. Greater Atlanta Christian (22-7)
4. Laney (29-2)
5. Pelham (27-1)
6. Putnam County (29-3)
7. Jefferson (21-10)
8. Dublin (17-10)
9. Vidalia (23-6)
10. Pepperell (21-4)
1. SW Atlanta Christian (26-5)
2. Holy Innocents' (29-1)
3. Randolph-Clay (27-4)
4. St. Francis (25-3)
5. Mitchell County (25-7)
6. George Walton Academy (27-2)
7. Claxton (25-6)
8. Darlington (19-9)
9. Mount Paran Christian (20-6)
10. Calvary Day (23-4)
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