McDonough’s boys basketball team retook the No. 1 ranking in Class 4A from Pace Academy this week while upsets in region tournaments ended the seasons for four top-10 teams, including one defending state champion.
McDonough defeated Pace 64-59 for the Region 5-4A title Friday night, making the third time this season that one has beaten the other to affect a flip-flop between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams. Pace is the defending champion while McDonough is seeking its first state championship.
Defending Class 2A champion Westside-Augusta beat Thomson 67-41 in another No. 1-vs.-No. 2 game for a region title last week.
The top four teams from each region make the state playoffs, which begin Tuesday, so those teams will play on, but four of last week’s top-10 teams were terminated in region tournaments.
One was King’s Ridge Christian, the 2023 Class A Division I champion. Previously ranked No. 9, King’s Ridge lost to No. 5 St. Francis 62-54 in the ruthless Region 6, which had five top-10 teams.
Also out from that region is previous No. 4 Mount Bethel Christian, stunned by formerly unranked Mount Pisgah Christian 68-63 in the quarterfinals. Mount Bethel remained in the rankings at No. 9.
Also done for the season are previous No. 8 and 2023 state quarterfinalist Madison County in Class 4A (beaten by unranked North Hall) and No. 6 Seminole County in Class A Division II (beaten by unranked Randolph-Clay).
In a preview to the state tournament’s volatility, several top-10 teams lost to formerly unranked teams in their region tournaments but kept their rankings ahead of the teams that beat them.
Among those surprise region champions were Woodstock (beat No. 6 Etowah in 6A), Sprayberry (beat No. 7 Pope in 6A), Hart County (beat No. 7 Hebron Christian in 3A), Callaway (beat No. 5 Columbia in 2A) and Trion (beat No. 3 Darlington in A Division I).
Class 7A
1. Grayson (25-2)
2. McEachern (22-5)
3. Wheeler (22-5)
4. Newton (19-6)
5. Buford (24-3)
6. Walton (22-5)
7. Peachtree Ridge (20-7)
8. Milton (17-10)
9. Camden County (21-6)
10. Norcross (15-13)
Class 6A
1. Alexander (24-2)
2. Shiloh (23-4)
3. Lee County (23-3)
4. St. Pius (21-6)
5. Woodward Academy (23-5)
6. Etowah (20-6)
7. Pope (22-5)
8. Hughes (19-8)
9. Grovetown (18-9)
10. Sprayberry (20-8)
Class 5A
1. Kell (23-3)
2. Eagle’s Landing (19-7)
3. Dutchtown (17-9)
4. Tucker (21-5)
5. Tri-Cities (19-8)
6. Chapel Hill (20-8)
7. Chattahoochee (19-9)
8. Greater Atlanta Christian (21-7)
9. Decatur (19-6)
10. Statesboro (20-4)
Class 4A
1. McDonough (25-3)
2. Pace Academy (23-4)
3. North Oconee (25-3)
4. Holy Innocents’ (22-6)
5. Baldwin (24-2)
6. Seckinger (21-7)
7. Fayette County (20-7)
8. New Hampstead (21-5)
9. Bainbridge (18-9)
10. Sonoraville (20-7)
Class 3A
1. Sandy Creek (22-3)
2. Dougherty (20-7)
3. Monroe (21-6)
4. Cedar Grove (16-8)
5. Cross Creek (18-9)
6. Douglass (14-10)
7. Hebron Christian (23-3)
8. Carver-Columbus (21-5)
9. Richmond Academy (19-6)
10. Gilmer (17-8)
Class 2A
1. Westside-Augusta (23-4)
2. Thomson (21-3)
3. Butler (21-6)
4. Toombs County (25-2)
5. Columbia (24-3)
6. Athens Academy (21-5)
7. Union County (21-6)
8. North Cobb Christian (19-6)
9. Eagle’s Landing Christian (22-6)
10. Model (20-7)
Class A Division I
1. Mount Vernon (18-9)
2. Savannah (19-8)
3. Darlington (22-5)
4. Woodville-Tompkins (22-4)
5. St. Francis (13-11)
6. Paideia (13-12)
7. East Laurens (20-4)
8. Trion (22-3)
9. Mount Bethel Christian (15-7)
10. Bleckley County (19-8)
Class A Division II
1. Greenforest Christian (22-4)
2. Portal (26-1)
3. Christian Heritage (19-5)
4. Mitchell County (21-5)
5. Calhoun County (22-5)
6. Macon County (24-3)
7. Early County (19-10)
8. Treutlen (20-7)
9. Lanier County (22-5)
10. Warren County (21-5)
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