It isn’t often that the teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 wind up playing for the championship, but that’s exactly what occurred in Class 5A – for boys and girls.
The No. 1 Warner Robins girls will play No. 2 Kell on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and the No. 1 Kell boys will play No. 2 Eagle’s Landing at 7:30 p.m. at the Macon Coliseum. Each of those four teams have taken their turn at the top of the rankings during the season.
“It really hasn’t hit me yet,” Kell coach Jermaine Sellers said after his team’s semifinal win at the University of West Georgia. “Because the goal is to win it. A couple of years ago it was our first experience, not knowing what to expect. This year I think we would be more prepared and ready.”
The Warner Robins girls prevailed 62-53, despite all-state senior Jada Morgan being limited because of a strained knee. Tasia Agee picked up the slack and scored 28 points, with Tori Davis adding 20 points. The Demons (28-3) have won 12 straight games and will be seeking their first state championship since 1965.
The Kell girls overcame a relatively slow start and ran away from Maynard Jackson in the second half for a 56-37 victory. All-state guard Crystal Henderson scored 20 points to lead the Longhorns, who are aiming for their first state championship. Kell (25-5) has won 13 straight games.
The Eagle’s Landing boys beat Jones County 66-54 for the fourth time this season to earn its third straight trip to the championship game. The Eagles (29-1) beat Jones County twice during the regular season and again in the Region 2 semifinals. David Thomas led Eagle’s Landing with 20 points and Chris Morris scored 18. Eagle’s Landing won the title in 2021 and lost to Tri-Cities in the championship game last spring.
The Kell boys eliminated Chapel Hill 54-33 to reach the final. C.J. Brown put on a display with 24 points, including a pair of showcase dunks in the waning moments. The Longhorns (28-2) did it with defense, holding Chapel Hill scoreless for the first six minutes of the third quarter while they increased the lead from three points to 13 points. Kell has won 14 straight and is seeking its first state championship. The Longhorns lost to Wheeler for the Class 6A title in 2021.
Kell now has a chance to pull a rare double and win the state boys and girls championship.
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