Final girls basketball rankings: 4 first-time state champions finish No. 1

Defending champion Wilcox County and four first-time winners claimed GHSA girls basketball state titles in Macon last week and finished No. 1 in the final rankings of the 2025-2026 season.

Wilcox County (29-1) of Class A Division II was one of three defending champions that made it back to the finals, but the only one that won. The Patriots defeated second-ranked Washington-Wilkes in the finals for the second consecutive season, this time 48-39. Tyliah Benjamin led Wilcox County with 20 points and 14 rebounds.

The first-time champions were North Paulding of Class 6A, Creekview of 5A, Heritage-Catoosa of 3A and East Laurens of A Division I.

North Paulding (30-2) won its first state title with a 64-58 victory over Grayson in a rematch of the 2024 final, which Grayson won 65-44. Morgan Landrum had 17 points and 21 rebounds, and Kalee Hinkson scored 19 points — including a 3-pointer from beyond halfcourt at the end of the third quarter that gave the Wolfpack a 52-40 lead. North Paulding, a 19-year-old school, had never won a state title in any sport until this school year but now has two in four months (the cheerleading team won 6A in November). Grayson, the only previously unranked team to reach the finals in any classification, has lost in the championship game the past two years.

Creekview (27-5) took down previous No. 1 Milton 45-43 to win its first championship. The Grizzlies finished in second place in Region 6-5A behind defending state champion River Ridge during the regular season and were upset in the region tournament semifinals, dropping to a No. 3 seed for the state playoffs. However, Creekview defeated River Ridge 57-50 in the semifinals to reach its first championship game. Kailyn Hamby scored 20 points, including two free throws and a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter after Milton had overcome a six-point deficit to tie the game.

Heritage (28-4) rallied from a six-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to force overtime and then got the game-winning points on a layup by Paisley Collins with 21 seconds left to defeat Sandy Creek, 65-63. It was first state basketball title for Heritage but the third championship this school year, joining softball and cheerleading. Collins had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Ema Tanner scored 18 points. Sandy Creek was in the finals for the first time since 2013.

East Laurens (28-4) captured the first state championship in any sport in the school’s 65-year history when it defeated Elbert County, 63-55. East Laurens, which led most of the way, trailed 55-54 with less than three minutes left but scored the final nine points of the game to pull away. Deanna Lowther had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Garyunna Mitchell had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Marist, Murray County and Hebron Christian won the other three classifications.

Marist (29-2) of Class 4A won its third championship in five seasons when it defeated Kell 58-50 in a matchup of the two top-ranked teams in the classification. Kate Harpring scored 40 points and finished her career with 3,435, breaking the state’s girls scoring record set by Jill Razor, who had 3,394 points for Athens Academy from 1994 to 1997. Kell was seeking its second title in four years.

Murray County (27-4) defeated Hardaway 51-48 in a rematch of the 2025 Class 2A final, which Hardaway won 47-34. It was Murray County’s first championship since 1965. The Indians trailed 40-35 early in the fourth quarter, but outscored Hardaway 12-2 over the next three minutes and never relinquished the lead. Callan Ledford led the Indians with 19 points. Hardaway’s Rhianna Boynton, who missed about two-thirds of the season recovering from an injury, had 23 points and 21 rebounds. Hardaway has played in three consecutive state finals, winning one.

Hebron Christian (30-1) defeated Holy Innocents’ 46-42 in a rematch of the 2025 Class 3A-A Private final, which Holy Innocents’ won 57-39. The championship was the 17th for coach Jan Azar, who has won four in her seven seasons at Hebron Christian after winning 13 at fellow Gwinnett County private school Wesleyan. Mia Huckaby scored 14 points to lead the Lions.

Class 6A

1. North Paulding (31-2)
2. Grayson (22-11)
3. Campbell (25-6)
4. Hillgrove (24-7)
5. Newton (23-6)
6. Archer (23-7)
7. Buford (27-2)
8. Lowndes (25-4)
9. South Forsyth (25-5)
10. Carrollton (25-4)

Class 5A

1. Creekview (27-5)
2. Milton (27-5)
3. River Ridge (23-8)
4. Coffee (28-3)
5. Bradwell Institute (28-1)
6. Woodward Academy (24-5)
7. Sequoyah (20-11)
8. New Manchester (24-5)
9. Loganville (25-4)
10. Brunswick (23-7)

Class 4A

1. Marist (29-2)
2. Kell (25-6)
3. Jones County (25-6)
4. Dalton (26-4)
5. Cartersville (26-4)
6. North Oconee (23-7)
7. Creekside (21-9)
8. Southwest DeKalb (23-6)
9. Starr’s Mill (25-4)
10. Warner Robins (23-4)

Class 3A

1. Heritage-Catoosa (28-4)
2. Sandy Creek (25-7)
3. Monroe (27-4)
4. Oconee County (26-4)
5. Pickens (22-10)
6. Cherokee Bluff (19-11)
7. Luella (23-5)
8. Stephenson (23-6)
9. Jenkins (25-5)
10. Ridgeland (24-5)

Class 2A

1. Murray County (27-4)
2. Hardaway (23-9)
3. Josey (25-4)
4. Columbia (22-7)
5. Thomson (23-5)
6. Hart County (20-10)
7. Westside-Macon (23-6)
8. Union County (19-10)
9. Coahulla Creek (17-13)
10. Laney (20-8)

Class A Division I

1. East Laurens (28-4)
2. Elbert County (22-9)
3. Putnam County (21-3)
4. Thomasville (25-4)
5. Rabun County (24-6)
6. Bacon County (26-3)
7. Heard County (19-10)
8. Bremen (25-3)
9. Lamar County (24-6)
10. Fannin County (25-4)