A week of region tournament play that lacked major upsets still managed to produce some significant shuffling in this week’s high school girls basketball rankings.
Two classifications have new No. 1 teams, and a season-high 10 teams moved into the top 10s going into the state tournament, which begins Friday night.
Beach jumped from No. 3 to No. 1 in Class AAA after defeating defending champion and then-No. 2 Johnson-Savannah 59-46 in the Region 3-AAA Friday. The door to the top spot was opened when previous No. 1 Jefferson lost to Hart County 68-64 in the Region 8 final. Jefferson fell to No. 2, Hart County climbed one place to No. 3, and Johnson dropped to No. 4.
The other new No. 1 team is Holy Innocents’ in the Class A private-school division. The Golden Bears, previously ranked No. 2, beat previous No. 1 Wesleyan 72-50 Saturday in the Region 5-A final, their second victory against Wesleyan in two meetings this season. Wesleyan fell to No. 3 behind Region 6 champion St. Francis.
A third No. 1-ranked team lost but managed to hold on to the top spot. Marion County suffered its first loss of the season, 76-70 to Greenville in the Region 4-A final, but remains No. 1 among Class A public schools. Greenville, which lost to Marion County twice during the regular season, moved up one place to No. 2.
Overall, 63 of the 80 teams that were ranked last week reached the finals of their region tournaments, with 40 winning a championship.
Class AAAAAAA McEachern and Class AAAAAA Harrison were among the 10 new teams entering the rankings, and their additions are significant because of their recent postseason success. McEachern’s run of four consecutive state championships, and five in six years, was ended last year when the Indians lost to Newton in the semifinals. Harrison has been a state runner-up the past two seasons.
Other teams joining the rankings are Stephenson in AAAAAA, Statesboro in AAAAA; Heritage-Ringgold and Baldwin in AAAA; North Hall and Sonoraville in AAA; Woodville-Tompkins in AA; and Central-Talbotton in Class A public.
Class AAAAAAA
1. Westlake (25-0)
2. Collins Hill (26-1)
3. Grayson (25-2)
4. Cherokee (24-3)
5. North Forsyth (23-4)
6. Brookwood (20-6)
7. McEachern (17-9)
8. North Cobb (24-3)
9. Colquitt County (21-3)
10. Norcross (17-10)
Class AAAAAA
1. Lovejoy (25-3)
2. Forest Park (24-4)
3. Northview (23-4)
4. Lanier (24-3)
5. Valdosta (23-3)
6. Glynn Academy (23-4)
7. Douglas County (22-5)
8. Creekview (22-5)
9. Stephenson (17-11)
10. Harrison (20-8)
Class AAAAA
1. Buford (24-2)
2. Villa Rica (28-0)
3. Harris County (21-5)
4. Southwest DeKalb (21-6)
5. Eagle's Landing (21-5)
6. Veterans (23-4)
7. Statesboro (24-3)
8. Carrollton (21-7)
9. Arabia Mountain (19-5)
10. Jones County (22-6)
Class AAAA
1. Carver-Columbus (27-0)
2. Henry County (26-2)
3. Flowery Branch (24-3)
4. Spalding (21-5)
5. Madison County (24-2)
6. Sandy Creek (23-4)
7. Heritage-Ringgold (22-5)
8. Luella (22-5)
9. Baldwin (20-6)
10. Northwest Whitfield (22-5)
Class AAA
1. Beach (23-4)
2. Jefferson (23-3)
3. Hart County (21-6)
4. Johnson-Savannah (17-8)
5. Greater Atlanta Christian (16-11)
6. Tattnall County (22-5)
7. North Hall (18-9)
8. Peach County (20-5)
9. Dawson County (20-8)
10. Sonoraville (20-8)
Class AA
1. Fitzgerald (25-0)
2. Rabun County (26-1)
3. Dodge County (24-2)
4. Laney (25-2)
5. Early County (23-4)
6. Douglass (22-6)
7. Woodville-Tompkins (23-5)
8. Bryan County (25-2)
9. Swainsboro (22-4)
10. Washington County (20-7)
Class A (Private)
1. Holy Innocents' (22-6)
2. St. Francis (23-3)
3. Wesleyan (25-3)
4. Lakeview Academy (24-4)
5. Stratford Academy (26-1)
6. Mount Paran Christian (23-3)
7. Calvary Day (25-3)
8. Eagle's Landing Christian (20-4)
9. Paideia (20-5)
10. Greenforest (18-6)
Class A (Public)
1. Marion County (25-1)
2. Greenville (25-2)
3. Calhoun County (26-2)
4. Telfair County (21-5)
5. Wheeler County (21-5)
6. Georgia Military (19-2)
7. Mitchell County (22-5)
8. Bowdon (21-5)
9. Clinch County (19-6)
10. Central-Talbotton (16-7)
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