The latest Girls Class 4A rankings were released on Monday and there were overarching themes that will be the focus of today’s blog in addition to a breakdown of the 10 teams represented in the poll. The first major takeaway is the success of the top 10 within the state and the classification. No ranked team has lost a game in either department as of Tuesday, but that will change as No. 4 ranked Marist travels to No. 8 Arabia Mountain tonight for a top 10 Region 6 battle. Here’s a closer look at each of the teams in the poll:
At No. 1 is Jefferson, which has opened up a 9-2 start. The Dragons’ two losses came to Buford and St. Pius and they are currently 3-0 in Region 8 play. Jefferson picked up a 68-64 win over Chestatee last Tuesday and then followed it up with an 80-39 win over Madision County this past Saturday.
No. 2 ranked Carver-Columbus is currently 4-2 with its two losses coming to Class 6A powerhouses Hughes and Lovejoy. The Lady Tigers played their first Region 2 game back on Dec. 14 and picked up an 80-21 win over Shaw. Carver led that game 44-16 at the half.
Luella is 14-2 and currently ranked No. 3 in the classification. The Lions’ two losses came to Grayson and Rockdale County and they are currently 6-0 in Region 5 play.
As mentioned in above, Marist is the No. 4 ranked team in the classification and the War Eagles are 9-1 overall with their only loss coming to Galloway. Marist gets set to put its 4-0 Region 6 record on the line Tuesday night with their trip to take on Arabia Mountain.
Rounding out the top 5 is Baldwin—which is off to a 6-0 start and 2-0 record in Region 4 play. The Braves have seen freshman Madison Ruff perform incredibly well so far this season and she is averaging a team-high 13.5 ppg, while also contributing 4.2 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 5.2 steals per game.
At No. 6 is Spalding, which is currently 10-3 with its losses coming to Hughes, Warner Robins and West Forsyth in cross-classification play. The Jaguars have opened up a 3-0 Region 4 start and were about to play Baldwin back on Jan. 7, but that game was moved to Jan. 30. Spalding’s defensive reputation over the last several seasons has been a key ingredient to the Jaguars’ success and they showcased their defensive fortitude in their latest outing—a 36-28 win over region rival Westside-Macon.
No. 7 ranked Troup is off to a 4-4 start with its losses coming to Hughes, Collins Hill, Carrollton and East Coweta. The Tigers are yet to play their first region contest, but that will change on Friday when they host rival Hardaway (3-2) in their long-awaited region opener.
Arabia Mountain earned its place at No. 8 with its 4-0 start and the Rams will host Marist tonight in their biggest test so far. The Rams are 2-0 so far against Region 6—picking up a 63-58 win over Druid Hills and a 62-40 win over Miller Grove this past week.
No. 9 Cairo is off to an 8-0 start with a 3-0 Region 1 record. The Syrupmakers are coming off a 62-41 win over Bainbridge and will host Dougherty (5-5) in region play Tuesday night.
Rounding out the poll is No. 10 Pickens, which is off to a 10-2 start with its losses coming to Fannin County and Gilmer. The Dragons have opened up a 5-0 start in Region 7 and carry a nine-game winning streak into tonight’s home game against Central-Carroll (6-8).
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