With only three weeks left in the regular season, the races in each region are starting to take shape. Here’s a look at each league to identify the main contenders as the region playoffs get closer.
Region 1: Boys – Warner Robins (14-3) has won three straight and is the only team in the five-team league with a winning record. Girls – Warner Robins (15-1) suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday against Bainbridge. That adds importance to Tuesday's game against Harris County (13-2). Bainbridge (12-4) has won four straight and plays at Harris County on Friday.
Region 2: Boys – Co-leaders Statesboro and New Hampstead meet for the first time on Tuesday in Savannah. New Hampstead (14-4) has won seven straight games. Statesboro (10-8) has won two in a row. Girls – Ware County (18-0, 3-0) leads Statesboro and Wayne County by one game. The Gators have a big game Tuesday against Wayne County (11-3, 2-1), the first meeting between the two teams.
Region 3: Boys – Fayette County (13-5, 6-0) is running away from the field. The Tigers have a three-game lead over Starr's Mill and McIntosh, with one game remaining against each. Girls – Griffin (16-0) has a big game on Tuesday at Fayette County, a team it leads by one game. Fayette (11-5) has won six straight since its loss to Maynard Jackson. Griffin beat Fayette County 49-47 on Dec. 2 in the first meeting in Griffin.
Region 4: Boys – This may be the most competitive league in the state. Eagle's Landing and Stockbridge are tied at 7-2, with Woodland at 6-2 and Union Grove at 6-3. Stockbridge has won three straight, including an impressive 63-50 win over Woodland on Friday. Girls – Eagle's Landing (8-1) and Woodland (7-1) are at the top of the pile, but Dutchtown (7-2) has won four straight.
Region 5: Boys – Miller Grove has taken a two-game lead over Southwest DeKalb and Columbia. The Wolverines still have two games left with Columbia and play SWD on Friday. Columbia, winner of four straight, looked good in a 58-44 win at Southwest last week. Girls – Southwest (14-4) has a one-game lead over Arabia Mountain (11-2). The teams play two more times, the first on Jan. 21 at Southwest.
Region 6: Boys – Riverwood (15-3) has won four straight games and has a 2.5-game lead over North Springs. The two old rivals play again on Friday at North Springs. Girls – Jackson and Decatur are both unbeaten in the region and will see a lot of each other in the final weeks. Weather postponed their first meeting, which leaves them to play back-to-back game – Jan. 28 at Jackson and Jan. 21 at Decatur.
Region 7: Boys – This could get crazy. The veteran Kell Longhorns (12-4, 6-1) have a one-game lead over Cass (12-5, 7-2). Still in the picture are Carrollton, Hiram and Villa Rica. Girls – Carrollton (7-0) got slammed hard by the weather and still has nine games left to play. Their run to the finish line starts Tuesday with a game at Rome, but the big showdown is Jan. 24 against Villa Rica. The Wildcats have won nine straight since losing to Carrollton.
Region 8: Boys – Buford (15-2, 6-0) has a two-game lead over Cedar Shoals and Flowery Branch. Girls – Buford (15-0, 6-0) has a one-game lead over Flowery Branch (14-3, 5-1). The two teams meet again on Jan. 24 at Buford, which won the first meeting.
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