AJC basketball all-finals teams: Boys and girls top performers from Macon

Several players stood out among Georgia’s best teams in the 2026 GHSA state basketball finals last week at the Macon Coliseum.

Some names, like Marist’s Kate Harpring and Wheeler’s Colben Landrew, were circled by many before the week began. Others made their names known with unforgettable performances on GHSA basketball’s biggest stage.

Here are the all-finals girls and boys teams — five players each — from 2026 state championships.

AJC All-Finals Girls Basketball Team

Rhianna Boynton, Hardaway — 23 PTS, 21 REB, 3 AST, 1 BLK

Boynton is one of two players from the week to make the list despite losing their championship game. The 6-foot junior’s combination of 23 points and 21 rebounds reflect her physical dominance in a 51-48 loss to Murray County in the Class 2A title game.

Boynton played all 32 minutes but only had four turnovers. She shot 11-of-16 from the floor and had two-thirds of Hardaway’s rebounds.

She also showcased her coast-to-coast speed in the third quarter. She blocked a midrange shot, grabbed the rebound and beat every other player on the floor to the rim.

Kate Harpring, Marist — 40 PTS, 16 REB, 1 AST, 3 STL

It would be hard to argue against Harpring’s performance as the most dominant of the entire GHSA championship week. It was certainly the most historic.

The nation’s top-ranked senior prospect and North Carolina signee broke the GHSA’s career scoring record on the way to a 58-50 win over No. 2 Kell in the 4A title game. Harpring finished her career with 3,435 points and a memorable double-double.

“How much time do you have? She’s incredible,” Marist coach Kim Hixon said when asked what Harpring has meant to the program. “Her toughness defensively … it’s not just offensively, you know what I’m saying? … It’s what she gives to us in rebounds too.

“I’m pretty sure her shoulder popped out tonight, and I was trying to get a timeout, but she didn’t want to do that. It’s all about the team and what the team can do.”

Morgan Landrum, North Paulding — 17 PTS, 21 REB, 4 AST, 2 BLK, 5 STL

Landrum’s double-double helped North Paulding win its first basketball championship by a 64-58 count over Grayson. The Wolfpack outrebounded the Rams 35-33 largely thanks to 21 boards from Landrum.

Landrum was just 3-of-8 shooting from the field, but she made all 11 of her foul shots. The Boston College commitment also hit the final two free throws of the game, essentially sealing the historic win for North Paulding in Class 6A.

“We have a motto of, ‘Sometimes me, sometimes you, but it’s always us,’” North Paulding coach Wes Willis said. “That’s been our motto all year, and that’s what we always preach. Some days you may lead us in scoring, and some days it may be somebody else that leads us in scoring or does something else, but it leads us to a victory.”

Deanna Lowther, East Laurens — 18 PTS, 11 REB, 1 AST, 2 BLK, 2 STL

Lowther also led her team to its first state championship, but her win was even more historic than North Paulding’s. Lowther’s double-double keyed a 63-55 win over Elbert County in Class A Division I, East Laurens’ first state championship in any sport.

Lowther shot 80% from the floor and led the Falcons in points and rebounds.

“My girls are fighters,” said East Laurens coach Danielle Lowther, Deanna’s mother. “They’ve been fighting since the beginning of the season. They worked hard, and they believed. They just want to win, and that’s what they did.”

Coco Rudolph, Grayson — 32 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 7 STL

The second-highest scoring performance of the week came from Rudolph, whose team fell six points short in a 64-58 loss to North Paulding in 6A. The Kennesaw State signee was consistent, too, delivering 16 points in both halves.

Rudolph shot 11-of-23 from the floor and 8-of-10 from the foul line. Her team-high seven steals also marked half the 14 turnovers Grayson forced.

“Coco is a special player,” Willis said. “Coco is going to get her points. She’s going to do things again for her team.”

AJC All-Finals Boys Basketball Team

Huey Blalock, Rabun County — 29 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL

Blalock delivered one of the most dynamic performances of the week in Rabun County’s 52-43 win over Southwest-Macon in Class A Division I. The 5-foot-10 guard scored at all three levels and commanded an offense that clearly leaned on him.

The Navy commitment played all 32 minutes, led the team in with 29 points and had his hand in another 11 points on his five assists. Blalock also helped seal the win with seven points in the fourth quarter, including a momentous 3-pointer with 3:11 remaining.

“He just loves the game of basketball,” Rabun County coach David Adcock said. “He’ll die on that basketball court. That’s all he does. He competes every single play, and there’s never a moment that’s too big for him.”

DJ Hall, Darlington — 30 PTS, 6 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL

Hall scored the most points of any boys basketball player all week in Darlington’s 53-50 win over reigning champion Holy Innocents’ in Class 3A-A Private. The junior delivered in the clutch, too — Hall cashed two physical layups and a pair of free throws in the game’s final three minutes to protect Darlington’s slight lead.

Hall also impressed with his efficiency, shooting 9-of-17 from the field, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range.

“We were saving him all season long,” Darlington coach Nathan West joked after the game. “We were saving him for the second half of the state championship game to let him loose.”

Colben Landrew, Wheeler — 29 PTS, 12 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL

Landrew found a way to stand out even among Wheeler’s star-studded lineup of future Division I players. The Connecticut signee’s double-double led the Wildcats to their second consecutive championship with a 62-52 win over Pebblebrook in Class 6A.

Halfway through the third quarter, Landrew had scored just 14 of his eventual 29 points, and Wheeler’s lead had been reduced to four points. Then Landrew threw down a monstrous one-handed dunk, and the Wildcats appeared to return to their dominant form.

Landrew scored seven points in the next two minutes of game action, and Wheeler never led by fewer than five points again.

“He wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Wheeler coach Larry Thompson said. “As tired as he was, and his back was a little tight the last two games, he’s willed us to win. The kid was absolutely incredible.”

Traviian Miller, Clinch County — 25 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK

Miller led Clinch County in points, rebounds and blocks in a 63-43 domination of Portal in Class A Division I. The sophomore, who also quarterbacks Clinch County’s football team, had memorable scores right before the end of both halves.

Miller’s 3-pointer at the end of the first half gave Clinch County a four-point lead and a shot of momentum that it parlayed into a dominant third quarter. He also ended the game with an emphatic slam dunk in the final seconds.

“Tonight, Traviian came out and had a great game for us,” Clinch County coach Terrence George said. “The good thing about it is we’ve got three guys and it’s tough to defend those three guys on a night-in, night-out basis.”

Harris Reynolds, St. Pius — 23 PTS, 9 REB, 2 BLK, 2 STL

Reynolds had an uncharacteristically slow start to St. Pius’ 54-51 win over Pace Academy in Class 4A. Then the Clemson signee missed his first six shots from the field before hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to finish the first quarter.

Reynolds shot 7-of-15 the rest of the night and made all six of his free-throw attempts. He threw down two dunks in the final two minutes and gave his team the 54-51 lead with two free throws with 11 seconds remaining.