Well, we made it.
A Class 3A basketball season that played out through COVID-19 delays and protocols has arrived at the state championship games, involving three programs that dropped from 4A during the latest reclassification and one program trying to defend its title.
Sandy Creek boys and Cross Creek’s girls and boys are the newcomers. Greater Atlanta Christian is trying to win back-to-back titles.
Here’s how we got here:
-- Sandy Creek had little trouble with Hart County in its semifinal game, beating the Bulldogs 87-56.
-- The Cross Creek boys survived a 77-76 thriller against Windsor Forest on an acrobatic layup from Corey Trotter with two seconds left in the game. That play sent Cross Creek to the state championship game against Sandy Creek after a runner-up finish in Class 4A last season. Cross Creek , trailing 76-75, faced an inbounds play underneath the basket with seconds left. The inbound pass was tipped by a Windsor Forest defender before landing in the hands of Anthoine Lorick, who drove toward the free-throw line. Lorick saw a cutting Trotter and passed the ball perfectly as Trotter leapt, caught the ball mid-flight, and laid it off the glass.
-- The Cross Creek girls also squeaked past Lumpkin County with a 46-45 victory. A last-second layup by Erin Martin sent the Razorbacks to Macon for a chance at the program’s first state championship. The Razorbacks, trailing Lumpkin 45-44, faced an inbound on the far end of the court with 5.8 seconds left. Cross Creek inbounded the ball and advanced it just past half court before Erin Martin got open and made a shot off the glass just past the outstretched hand of a Lumpkin County defender.
-- The GAC girls earned their berth in the title game after a victory against top-ranked and previously undefeated Upson-Lee.
Let’s break down the championship matchups -- the girls at noon, the boys at 2:30 p.m. Friday.
Boys
Sandy Creek Patriots
Region 5-3A
28-4, 14-0
The Patriots have two of the best players in the nation with a strong supporting cast. The team hopes that formula will add up to the program’s first state championship after it reclassified to Class 3A this season. In Class 4A last year, the Patriots lost to eventual-champion Woodward 58-56 in the quarterfinals. Jabari Smith, a five-star recruit and headed to Auburn, is a 6-foot-10 power forward listed as the No. 1 player in the state by 247Sports. He is the No. 2 power forward in the nation and fifth overall player, nationally. He averages 23.4 points with 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks per game. In Sandy Creek’s 76-73 victory against Class 7A No. 1 Milton, a nationally ranked powerhouse playing for the 7A title, Smith scored a season-high 37 points and has scored at least 30 points five times this season. Myles Rice, a three-star point guard heading to Washington State, averages 19 points with five rebounds, six assists and two steals per game. Against Carver on Feb. 12, Rice scored a season-high 32 points. Senior Deshon Proctor and sophomore Vic Newsom average eight points per game, and freshman Micah Smith is averaging six points. Sandy Creek’s defeated Franklin County (78-50), White County (95-37), Johnson-Savannah (68-59) and Hart County (87-56) to reach the finals.
Cross Creek Razorbacks
Region 4-3A
24-4, 13-1
After a 75-56 loss to Woodward Academy in the Class 4A state championship game last season, the Razorbacks reclassed to 3A. The team has momentum after a last-second game-winning basket by Corey Trotter in the semifinal victory against Windsor Forest. A group of four seniors lead the way for Cross Creek with a supporting cast that could prove a challenge for Sandy Creek. Three players – Devin Pope, Trotter and Richard Viscitacion – are averaging in double figures. Pope is scoring 19 points with four assists per game. Against Burke County on Jan. 16, Pope, a 6-1 guard, scored a season-high 30 points. Trotter, a 6-6 power forward, averages 17 points with 13 rebounds, two steals, two blocks and two assists per game. Against North Augusta on Dec. 4, Trotter scored a season-high 31 points on 14-of-24 shooting. But his last-second game-winning basket against Windsor Forest were his most important points of the season. Viscitation, a 5-10 guard, is scoring 12 points with three rebounds and six assists per game. He scored a season-high 24 points in a 71-55 victory against Thomson on Jan. 29. Senior Joshua Dorsey is a 6-5 shooting guard averaging seven points, three rebounds and two assists. He scored a season-high 15 points against Hephzibah on Feb. 2 and North Augusta on Dec. 4. Cross Creek beat Tattnall County (92-55), Americus-Sumter (60-52), LaFayette (72-60) and Windsor Forest to earn the title berth.
Girls
Greater Atlanta Christian Spartans
Region 5-3A
15-7, 7-3
GAC has won nine state championships, including last year’s 3A title, and after a round-about season, is back to try for its 10th. GAC defeated Beach 54-44 in the championship game last season, but it looked early as if a return trip to Macon was not in the cards. The Spartans lost their first three games – Forest Park (59-36), Mount Paran (58-42) and Marist (56-45) -- before defeating Sandy Creek 53-49 for its first victory. Once in region 5-3A play, the Spartans lost to Westminster twice and Cedar Grove once before hitting its stride with a 67-52 victory against Douglass on Feb. 12. Since then, GAC has not lost. Its path through the bracket went through Oconee County (40-36), Gilmer (64-39), Johnson-Savannah (53-43) and top-ranked Upson-Lee (48-35). GAC’s semifinal victory handed Upson-Lee its only loss of the season. The Spartans are led by two juniors – Kaleigh Addie and Jaci Bolden. Addie, a 5-7 guard, leads with 21 points, four rebounds, four steals and four assists per game. On Jan. 8 when GAC beat Carver-Atlanta 84-37, Addie scored a season-high 40 points. Bolden is a 5-6 guard averaging 15 points, three rebounds, three assist and two rebounds. Against Sandy Creek on Jan. 26 and Carver on Jan. 8, Bolden scored a season-high 23 points. Against Salem and East Coweta, she scored 22 points. Senior Laurren Randolph is scoring nine points with eight rebounds and two blocks per game.
Cross Creek Razorbacks
Region 4-3A
22-2, 12-0
Cross Creek lost to Troup by 46-45 in the second round of the playoffs last season, setting the stage for the Razorbacks to want more. After reclassifying from 4A to 3A, Cross Creek has a chance to win the program’s first state title, and a one-point victory against Lumpkin County in the semifinals punched the ticket. Junior Erin Martin’s last-second lay-up made things possible. Jordyn Dorsey and Micheala Bogans lead the way on the offensive side. Dorsey, a 5-9 senior guard, averages 22 points with six rebounds, three steals and two assists. She has scored at least 30 points four times this season in victories against Appling County, Harlem, Butler and Richmond Academy. Bogans, a 5-5 freshman guard, averages 11 points with three rebounds, three steals and two assists. She scored a season-high 23 points against Harlem on Jan. 26. Martin averages nine points with four rebounds and two steals. She has scored 20 points – a season-high – twice this year against Morgan County and Thomson. Cross Creek’s defeated Appling County (64-21), Americus-Sumter (54-41), Sonoraville (51-47) and Lumpkin County in the playoffs.
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