McDonough’s boys basketball team certified its No. 1 ranking with a victory over Region 6-4A rival and defending Class 4A champion Pace Academy last week.
McDonough won 63-59 on Pace’s home floor Friday night as Keenan Gray scored 18 points and had eight assists and Zion Greene scored 17 points.
McDonogh (18-2) has won seven straight games. The War Hawks have reached state semifinals three of the past seven seasons but never won a state title. Pace (15-3) remained No. 2 in this week’s 4A rankings and will face McDonough again Saturday on the road.
In another game between highly ranked teams last week, No. 1 Greenforest Christian of Class A Division II defeated No. 1 Mount Vernon of A Division II 61-54. Mount Vernon has lost against four of the eight No. 1 teams. The others are Grayson, Sandy Creek and Alexander (twice).
Two of the last three undefeated teams lost last week. They were Hebron Christian, to Savannah GIAA school St. Andrew’s, and Carver-Columbus, to No. 3 Monroe of Class 3A.
Only No. 1 Thomson (16-0) of Class 3A remains unbeaten with three weeks remaining in the regular season. Thomson has never won a state title.
Class 7A
1. Grayson (17-2)
2. McEachern (15-5)
3. Archer (17-2)
4. Walton (16-3)
5. Wheeler (14-5)
6. Newton (14-3)
7. Buford (17-3)
8. Peachtree Ridge (14-6)
9. Berkmar (15-5)
10. Dacula (15-5)
Class 6A
1. Alexander (17-2)
2. Shiloh (16-3)
3. Lee County (16-3)
4. Etowah (14-4)
5. Hughes (12-5)
6. Riverwood (15-5)
7. Pope (17-4)
8. St. Pius (13-5)
9. Lassiter (16-5)
10. Glynn Academy (18-3)
Class 5A
1. Kell (15-3)
2. Dutchtown (12-7)
3. Eagle’s Landing (12-7)
4. Tucker (15-4)
5. Chapel Hill (13-5)
6. Maynard Jackson (14-2)
7. Greater Atlanta Christian (15-3)
8. Winder-Barrow (17-3)
9. Bradwell Institute (16-2)
10. Cambridge (15-4)
Class 4A
1. McDonough (18-2)
2. Pace Academy (15-3)
3. North Oconee (18-3)
4. Holy Innocents’ (12-6)
5. Baldwin (17-2)
6. Seckinger (14-6)
7. Fayette County (10-7)
8. Madison County (15-5)
9. Westover (10-7)
10. Central-Carrollton (17-2)
Class 3A
1. Sandy Creek (16-2)
2. Monroe (15-3)
3. Cedar Grove (14-5)
4. Hebron Christian (16-1)
5. Dougherty (12-6)
6. Carver-Columbus (15-1)
7. Cross Creek (12-8)
8. Douglass (11-9)
9. Monroe Area (14-5)
10. Johnson-Savannah (11-7)
Class 2A
1. Thomson (16-0)
2. Westside-Augusta (16-3)
3. Butler (12-4)
4. Columbia (17-2)
5. Toombs County (15-2)
6. Eagle’s Landing Christian (15-3)
7. Dodge County (14-1)
8. Union County (15-3)
9. North Cobb Christian (13-4)
10. Banks County (14-6)
Class A Division I
1. Mount Vernon (13-8)
2. Woodville-Tompkins (18-2)
3. Darlington (15-4)
4. Savannah (12-7)
5. King’s Ridge Christian (13-4)
6. Mount Bethel Christian (13-5)
7. East Laurens (11-2)
8. St. Francis (9-8)
9. Bleckley County (14-5)
10. Paideia (8-11)
Class A Division II
1. Greenforest Christian (15-4)
2. Portal (17-1)
3. Christian Heritage (15-4)
4. Calhoun County (14-4)
5. Mitchell County (15-2)
6. Seminole County (12-4)
7. McIntosh County Academy (11-5)
8. Early County (12-7)
9. Wheeler County (11-3)
10. Clinch County (9-2)
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