The first major week of region contests across Class 4A has shone a light on the top contenders. On the boys side, No. 1 ranked McDonough dominated Stockbridge 91-35 before cruising to a 90-52 road victory over Luella. The win over the Lions improved the Warhawks’ record to 13-1 overall and 5-0 in Region 5. It appeared that McDonough was going to add another statement win on Saturday, however, Class A Divsion II No. 1 ranked Greenforest Christian pulled away to close out a 56-54 win in the Grayson New Year’s Classic. McDonough is now 13-2 with its only two losses coming outside of Class 4A (Class 7A Buford won 57-54 on Dec. 19).
The Warhawks’ flawless record against Class 4A this season is shaping up to stage an incredible showdown with No. 2 ranked Pace Academy on Jan. 20. That showdown will be the first of two region battles and Pace Academy is also 5-0 in region play with a 10-4 overall record that includes a perfect record against not only Class 4A, but the entire state. Pace Academy’s most recent win was a 68-48 road win over Lovett—who was led by Michigan-commit Christian Anderson’s game-high 38 points.
Southwest DeKalb joins the exclusive company of McDonough, Pace Academy, North Oconee and Bainbridge this season as programs yet to fall within the classification. The staple of the Panthers’ success that has led to an 11-1 record and 6-0 start in Region 6 has been their stifling defense that is allowing just 35.9 ppg this season. Southwest DeKalb’s (11-1) lone loss came to Class 5A Eagle’s Landing (54-48) on Nov. 26 and it has responded with a 10-game win-streak—including a 59-31 win over Hapeville Charter last Friday and a 68-18 win over Stone Mountain Saturday. The Panthers will face rival Stephenson (10-5) on the road Tuesday night.
North Oconee is 14-2 overall with a 7-0 start in Region 8 and its most recent win was a 71-53 victory over Cherokee Bluff last Friday. The Titans’ only losses came to rival Oconee County (Class 3A) and Walker Valley (50-49) of Tennessee. Bainbridge rides a 12-game win-streak and carries a 15-1 overall record. The Bearcats opened up their Region 1 schedule this weekend and earned key wins over Westover (54-50) and Shaw (46-41).
