12 basketball teams chase 1st championships; One seeks 1st title in any sport

East Laurens girls basketball coach Danielle Lowther says she’s gotten more than 100 phone calls and text messages since her team’s state semifinal victory Saturday.

“Calls from different people, Facebook posts, everybody is excited,” Lowther said. “It’s the first time, and they’re ready to go to Macon.”

There are 32 teams playing for state championships Wednesday through Saturday in the Macon Coliseum.

East Laurens is one of six making their first finals appearances and one of 12 hoping to win for the first time.

East Laurens is also aiming to win its first state championship in any sport.

“We’ve been hoping and wishing and praying for years and years and years,” Lowther said. “To be actually within striking distance is surreal.”

East Laurens will play Elbert County on Friday for the Class A Division I girls title.

Lowther is a 1995 graduate and former star player who returned to her alma mater in 2020-21 to become head coach. Her husband, Dwayne Lowther, is East Laurens’ boys head coach. Both their teams threatened last year but were stopped in the semifinals. This year, this phone is still ringing.

“It’s been overwhelming, but I appreciate all those calls and texts because it’s encouragement to keep doing what we’re doing,” she said. “It’s a great feeling to do something for East Laurens.”

The other 10 chasing their first basketball state tiles are girls teams from Milton, Creekview, Sandy Creek, Heritage-Ringgold and Washington-Wilkes and boys teams from Pebblebrook, St. Pius, Rabun County, Portal and Darlington.

They have their stories, too. Most are getting up there in age, making their runs more notable.

North Paulding, Creekview and Heritage opened this century, and Sandy Creek started in 1990, but the other eight date to the 1960s or much earlier. Portal opened in 1923, Milton in 1921 and Darlington before that.

And while some, such as Milton, St. Pius and Darlington, have won dozens of state titles in other sports, most don’t need to be reminded to cherish these rare opportunities.

Portal has never won a state championship in a boys sport. This is the boys basketball team’s first appearance in a final since 1957. Portal will play Clinch County for the Class A Division II boys final Thursday.

Washington-Wilkes, opened in 1957, has never won a state championship in a girls sport. This year’s Tigers have a rematch Thursday of the 2025 Class A Division II girls final against Wilcox County.

Rabun County, which dates back more than 100 years, has only one previous state title, boys golf in 1991. Until this season, the boys basketball team had never made a quarterfinal appearance. Ranked No. 1, Rabun County will play Southwest for the Class A Division I title Friday.

Pebblebrook, opened in 1965, also has only one previous state title, girls cross country in 1977. Pebblebrook’s boys will play Wheeler for the Class 6A title Saturday.

North Paulding had not won a title in any sport until recently when it won the 6A competition cheer championship.

Murray County has one previous girls state title, won by the basketball team in 1965. Murray County is playing Hardaway in the 2A final, a 2025 rematch, on Saturday.

Harlem’s boys can win their first state title in boys basketball since 1969 against Cross Creek in the 3A boys final Wednesday.

The chart below shows the most recent finals appearance (first year listed) and the most recent championship for the 32 state finalists.

Girls

• Class 6A
• Grayson 2025 / 2024
• North Paulding 2024 / Never
• Class 5A
• Milton Never / Never
• Creekview Never / Never
• Class 4A
• Kell 2023 / 2023
• Marist 2024 / 2024
• Class 3A
• Sandy Creek 2013 / Never
• Heritage-Ringgold Never / Never
• Class 2A
• Hardaway 2025 / 2025
• Murray County 2025 / 1965
• Class A Division I
• Elbert County 2022 / 2022
• East Laurens Never / Never
• Class A Division II
• Wilcox County 2025 / 2025
• Washington-Wilkes 2025 / Never
• Class 3A-A Private
• Hebron Christian 2025 / 2024
• Holy Innocents’ 2025 / 2025