Class AAAAAA
The fifth-ranked Westlake’s boys are 14-1 despite losing their three best players from last season, including guard Anthony Bagtas to Penn. Westlake won an important Region 3 game last week against 10th-ranked Douglas County, 74-73. Point guard Raymond Sanders scored 24 points. Saunders and combo guard Tyler Williams average 16.6 points per game. Dominic Joseph averages 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Here are some other things that happened last week in AAAAAA and the other classifications:
- Third-ranked Archer (15-1, 8-0) never trailed in its 51-42 victory Thursday against second-ranked Parkview (14-2, 6-1) in an 8-AAAAAA girls showdown. Point guard Madison Newby scored 17 points, made eight steals and had five rebounds. Parkview's top player, point guard Genesis Perrymond, was not a factor because of a shoulder injury.
- Duluth pulled a double shocker last week when it swept Norcross, the defending boys and girls state champions. Duluth's girls (8-7, 42) won 46-38. They had lost 13 consecutive to Norcross. Duluth's boys (10-5, 4-2) won 56-55 in overtime after trailing by 11 in the third quarter. They had lost 19 consecutive to Norcross. Bryce Wooten scored 10 points, had nine rebounds and made the game-winning layup with five seconds left. The last time Norcross was swept was Feb. 10, 2012, against North Gwinnett.
- Walton (12-1, 5-1) went from being the only undefeated boys team in AAAAAA to third place in Region 5 on Friday when beaten 72-58 by Milton (10-5, 5-0). Mo Lewis IV scored 18 points for the winning Eagles, who will play No. 1-ranked Wheeler (10-4, 6-0) for the region lead Thursday.
Class AAAAA
- Second-ranked Allatoona and No. 5 Clarke Central — the only two remaining undefeated boys teams in AAAAA — continue rolling. Allatoona improved to 15-0 overall and 8-0 in Region 5 by beating Woodland-Cartersville 68-39 on Friday. The Buccaneers have had only three games this season decided by 10 points or less. Clarke Central is 13-0 overall and 8-0 in Region 8 after a 67-41 victory against Gainesville. It was the Gladiators' first game since beating Martin County (Fla.) on Dec. 28.
- Jakeenan Gant had 23 points, 17 rebounds and four blocked shots as the sixth-ranked Effingham County boys team routed Richmond Hill on Friday to remain within a game of No. 4 Jenkins in the race for first place in Region 3. Gant, a first-team all-state player last season who signed with Missouri, averages 23.9 points, 11. 4 rebounds and 4.0 blocks for the Rebels (10-6, 5-1). Effingham, which lost to Jenkins 65-58 on Dec. 10, gets a rematch with the Warriors at home Jan. 21.
- The dominant performance of the week by a girls team came from seventh-ranked Drew (12-3), which rolled to a 66-13 victory against Ola on Friday. Drew led 24-0 at the end of the first quarter and 42-4 at halftime, according to the Clayton News Daily. Drew opened the week with a 58-43 victory against Union Grove.
Class AAAA
- With a talented, senior-laden lineup, Redan's girls appear to be the team to beat in AAAA. But two-time defending state champion Columbia isn't going to make it easy. Redan built a 22-point halftime lead, but had to hold on for a 75-74 victory against Columbia on Friday. "We were hot in the first half," Redan coach Jerry Jackson said. "They got hot in the second half." Redan (14-0, 2-0 Region 6) is the only undefeated AAAA girls team in the state. Columbia hosts Redan in the rematch Jan. 18.
- Region 5, the classification's toughest region in football, also is setting up to be one of the top AAAA boys basketball regions. The region features the No. 2- and No. 3-ranked teams Sandy Creek and Fayette County, respectively. But it was unranked Alexander that sat atop the region at 3-0, after a 67-44 victory against LaGrange on Friday.
- Tylik Evans made all five of Rutland's 3-pointers and finished with 26 points in the Hurricanes' victory against Perry. No. 6 Rutland is tied with Veterans atop Region 2. Veterans won at Rutland, 51-50, on Dec. 3. The second meeting is scheduled for Friday.
Class AAA
- The Decatur girls won their seventh consecutive game Friday and appear ready to challenge St. Pius in Region 6. The Bulldogs defeated Cedar Grove 73-24 and improved to 11-3 overall and 3-1 in the region. They haven't lost since dropping three in a row in early December to AA power Greater Atlanta Christian, defending state champion St. Pius and defending AA champion Wesleyan. The Lions lost a tough four-point decision at St. Pius and a five-point game at Wesleyan.
- No. 9 North Oconee had its 34-game region winning streak broken this week, but began a new one Friday against its county rival. The Titans (12-3, 5-1) beat Oconee County 62-42 in the Coaches vs. Cancer series. North Oconee's all-state candidate, Ginny Channell, scored 21 points despite not playing the second quarter because of foul trouble. Abby DeFabio scored 15 points, and Carmen Williams added 13. North Oconee was coming off a 57-41 loss to Franklin County in Danielsville, where the Lions (11-4) are undefeated. Franklin leads Region 8. The two teams play again Jan. 28 in Watkinsville.
- The jousting for position in Region 7 behind the Buford girls continued Friday. White County improved to 10-2, and North Hall improved to 10-3. White beat East Hall 39-34 behind a 12-point, eight-rebound effort of Paige Thomas. The victory improved the Warriors to 3-2 in the league. North Hall had a 61-60 victory against Dawson County after 25 points and 11 rebounds from Sydney Cleveland. The Trojans improved to 3-1 in the league and gave Dawson its third region loss, despite 25 points from Sheyenne Seabolt.
Class AA
- Make it 73 consecutive region victories for Greater Atlanta Christian. The Spartans, ranked No. 1 and the defending state champs, opened their region schedule this week with two blowout victories against Region 6 opponents. The first came on Thursday in the Spartans' region opener against Hapeville Charter. On Friday, the Spartans beat Wesleyan 62-17. The Spartans (17-0, 2-0) look to continue their domination in region play Tuesday at home against Westminster.
- Jefferson, the No. 8 team from Region 8, had two region victories this week, defeating Rabun County (67-54) and Greene County (63-52). The Dragons are 3-0 in the region and 11-3 overall. They own an early lead in the region over Rabun County (3-1).
- Friday's big showdown in Region 6 between the No. 1-ranked Wesleyan Lady Wolves and the sixth-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian Lady Spartans went to the Lady Wolves, who won 54-49 on their home court. The victory closed out a 2-0 week in region play for Wesleyan (14-2, 2-0) that included a 67-28 decision against Lovett.
Class A
- The Mount Vernon boys team routinely takes its lumps in football. Competing in one of the toughest regions in Class A, Region 5, Mount Vernon is 7-24 during the past three seasons, including a 1-9 record in 2013. But the Mustangs are flipping the script in basketball. Although currently unranked, Mount Vernon is 11-1 and sits at No. 5 in the GHSA/MaxPreps private power rating, used to determine the 16 teams that will advance to the state playoffs. The Mustangs have put up some big numbers on teams, including 40-point victories against Providence Christian and Strong Rock Christian, and blowouts of teams from higher classifications like AAA Henry County (83-58) and AA Wesleyan (74-43). Mount Vernon is led by senior guard Keon Douglas, junior forward Miles Rance, both of whom play football, and sophomore guard Jared Harper.
- The Darlington girls, ranked sixth in the state and perennially one of the best programs in Class A, have a huge week coming up. First, the Tigers will travel to Chickamauga to face rival Gordon Lee, currently ranked No. 9. Then Saturday, Darlington will welcome No. 2 Holy Innocents' to Rome for a big non-region game. Darlington is paced by senior guard Mary Beth Atha, who is averaging 20 points and three rebounds per game.
- The Randolph-Clay girls, ranked No. 4, have lost one game this season, and that was by three points (54-51) to Monroe-Albany, ranked No. 8 in AAAA. Randolph-Clay, the public school runner-up last season, is led by a big front line that features 6-foot-1 junior center/forward Brianna Thornton and 6-2 center Kobi Thornton, along with senior guard Brandi Buie.
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