Sports
Second-round update: Great quarterfinal games await Buford, Washington Co., Morgan Co.
Wow. This year’s playoff schedule seems like it’s come rapid-fire on the heels of the region playoffs that were so messed up because of the snow and ice. But now that the Class AAA teams are in the quarterfinal round, let’s take a look to see what happened in the second-round games.
Biggest boys surprise: Swainsboro continues to power along through the weakest quarter of the bracket and is one win away from reaching the Final Four. The Tigers upset Thomson in the Region 3-AAA semifinals and put a scare into No. 1-ranked Washington County before losing 48-44. Coach Bobby Andrews’ team has beaten New Hampstead of Savannah 53-52 and knocked off Region 2 champion Carver of Columbus 69-66 in the first two rounds.
Swainsboro (15-13) brings a balanced attack to the game. The Tigers are led by junior Steven Howard, who averages a team-leading 12.5 points. Senior Javarius Davis averages 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds and junior DaKorey Somerville averages 9.4 points. Somerville scored 15 and Howard scored 12 in the win over Carver, which was a little sweet revenge since Carver had eliminated Swainsboro a year ago.
B iggest boys surprise, Part II: The Callaway boys aren't a huge surprise. The Cavaliers were unranked, even though they won the Region 4 tournament. They beat Peach County in the first round and eliminated Thomson 87-83 in the second round behind a 39-point effort of Dr. Dre Martin. Thomson was coming off a first-round upset of mighty Savannah.
Biggest girls upset: None. The only thing remotely surprising was how soundly No. 1 Washington County thrashed No. 10 Peach County. The 81-44 margin was a bit of a shock. Otherwise of the nine ranked teams that began the second round, only two lost – both to another ranked team.
Top girls showdown, Part I: The game between defending state champion and No. 2-ranked St. Pius and No. 4 Morgan County should be a real beauty. Pius has two outstanding guards in Asia Durr and Jasmine Carter, while Morgan is much quicker and more athletic. Morgan’s youth could be the only issue standing in their way of a win.
Top girls showdown, Part II: The No. 4 Beach girls are often overlooked because they come from a region that is normally not the strongest for girls. But this year Johnson of Savannah, another Region 1 team, is also still in the picture. Beach will have its hands full with No. 1-ranked Washington County, which is on a mission to prove itself as the best in class. Whoever wins this game will match up with the Pius-Morgan winner.
Top boys showdown, Part I: No. 7 Cedar Grove at No. 4 Morgan County is another stellar game. Cedar Grove wins a lot of ugly games with its lockdown defense and its willingness to patiently – and intelligently – run the offense and work for the best shot. Morgan has the size to match up with the Saints and the outside shooter (Tookie Brown) who can download a bunch of points in a hurry.
Top boys showdown, Part II: No. 1 Washington County gets a full test by traveling to Savannah to meet defending champion Johnson. The Golden Hawks, 25-1 and winners of 17 straight, have the quickness to stick with Johnson, but the question is whether they can withstand the aggressive defense they’ll see from the Atom Smashers in a hostile environment. Johnson is 24-4 and winners of 16 straight. The winner of this game instantly becomes the favorite to win it all.
Needlessly overlooked: The game between No. 2 Cartersville and No. 5 Buford somehow manages to get lost in the shuffle. Cartersville (25-2) has won 16 straight and flexed its muscles on Tuesday against a good St. Pius team. Buford (24-5) has won 18 straight and can match the Canes athlete-for-athlete. This could be a classic.
