Carver-Columbus, which was knocked from the top spot in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution girls basketball rankings last week after it lost to Americus-Sumter on Jan. 10, returned to No. 1 in Class AAAA this week by avenging its loss to the Panthers on Saturday.
Carver, the defending state champion, beat Americus-Sumter 54-46 in Columbus and climbed three spots from No. 4. The teams have one loss each in Region 1-AAAA with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
The loss was the first of the season for Americus-Sumter, which dropped to No. 2. Spalding remained No. 3, followed by Troup and Woodward Academy, which fell from the No. 2 spot after losing to Class A Private No. 6 Greenforest on Saturday.
The other seven top-ranked teams remained the same. They are Westlake in Class AAAAAAA, Lovejoy in AAAAAA, Buford in AAAAA, Johnson-Savannah in AAA; Laney in AA; St. Francis in A Private and Central-Talbotton in A Public. Lovejoy survived the biggest scare of the week, outlasting Region 4-AAAAAA rival Mount Zion-Jonesboro 44-38 in overtime Friday night.
Nine new teams moved into the top 10s. North Cobb replaced Pebblebrook in Class AAAAAAA; Bradwell Institute replaced Brunswick in AAAAAA; Arabia Mountain replaced Rome in AAAAA; Stephens County and Baldwin replaced St. Pius and White County in AAAA; North Hall and Ringgold replaced Fannin County and Tattnall County in AAA; Putnam County replaced Vidalia in AA; and Turner County replaced Dooly County in Class A Public.
Putnam County made the biggest splash among the newly ranked teams, jumping in at No. 4 in AA. The War Eagles are 17-2 and riding an eight-game winning streak that includes victories over fellow top-10 teams and Region 8-AA rivals Rabun County and Union County.
Class AAAAAAA
1. Westlake (19-2)
2. Collins Hill (20-0)
3. Cherokee (20-2)
4. North Forsyth (19-2)
5. Tift County (15-4)
6. Campbell (16-5)
7. West Forsyth (17-3)
8. Rockdale County (18-4)
9. Woodstock (19-3)
10. North Cobb (14-6)
Class AAAAAA
1. Lovejoy (19-1)
2. Valdosta (18-2)
3. Dacula (19-2)
4. Forest Park (15-5)
5. Glynn Academy (16-4)
6. Harrison (16-4)
7. Stephenson (16-5)
8. Alexander (17-3)
9. Hughes (13-5)
10. Bradwell Institute (15-5)
Class AAAAA
1. Buford (20-0)
2. Kell (21-0)
3. Veterans (18-2)
4. Wayne County (17-1)
5. Villa Rica (18-3)
6. Statesboro (17-4)
7. Jones County (17-3)
8. Southwest DeKalb (15-6)
9. Starr's Mill (16-3)
10. Arabia Mountain (17-3)
Class AAAA
1. Carver-Columbus (16-4)
2. Americus-Sumter (16-1)
3. Spalding (15-4)
4. Troup (16-0)
5. Woodward Academy (19-2)
6. Luella (16-5)
7. Marist (19-1)
8. Central-Carrollton (17-3)
9. Stephens County (16-5)
10. Baldwin (16-6)
Class AAA
1. Johnson-Savannah (15-1)
2. Jefferson (17-4)
3. Greater Atlanta Christian (11-9)
4. Beach (15-7)
5. Pierce County (16-3)
6. Dawson County (12-8)
7. North Hall (15-7)
8. Ringgold (13-7)
9. Cedar Grove (11-4)
10. Sonoraville (14-6)
Class AA
1. Laney (18-2)
2. Early County (15-4)
3. Rabun County (18-1)
4. Putnam County (17-2)
5. Southwest-Macon (15-2)
6. Douglass (14-5)
7. Union County (16-4)
8. Washington County (15-3)
9. Josey (15-4)
10. Bryan County (18-3)
Class A (Private)
1. St. Francis (16-3)
2. Hebron Christian (21-0)
3. Holy Innocents' (14-5)
4. Wesleyan (14-3)
5. Mount Paran Christian (16-2)
6. Greenforest (16-4)
7. Galloway (14-4)
8. Stratford Academy (16-2)
9. Darlington (17-2)
10. Calvary Day (15-5)
Class A (Public)
1. Central-Talbotton (16-1)
2. Wheeler County (19-1)
3. Clinch County (15-1)
4. Calhoun County (14-4)
5. Bowdon (16-4)
6. Greenville (13-5)
7. Pelham (13-2)
8. Macon County (12-4)
9. Lake Oconee Academy (15-4)
10. Turner County (13-6)
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