Class 7A blog: No. 4 McEachern at No. 2 Grayson (boys) highlights round 2

The state basketball tournaments is in the second round this weekend, and there’s probably no better matchup in any class than 7A’s boys game that has No. 4 McEachern at No. 2 Grayson on Saturday at 6 p.m.

It’s a rematch of a 2020 semifinal that Grayson won 82-76. McEachern, the 2019 champion and 2020 semifinalist, is trying to make the quarterfinals for the sixth straight time.

Two other boys games pit top-10 teams. Those are No. 9 Norcross at No. 7 North Gwinnett and No. 8 Cherokee at No. 5 Berkmar. Cherokee’s boys are trying to make the quarters for the first time since 1982.

The best girls game in the highest class has No. 7 Norcross at No. 3 Cherokee, a semifinalist the past two seasons. Norcross has made the quarters or better the past four seasons and missed only twice in the past 11 seasons.

Three ranked teams didn’t get through the first round this week.

In the boys draw, No. 6 South Forsyth and No. 10 Etowah are out, beaten by Discovery and Collins Hill, respectively. That puts Discovery against Collins Hill in the round of 16. Discovery was in the quarters in 2019, but Collins Hill last made an elite eight in 1998.

The only ranked girls team that went down this week was No. 10 West Forsyth, beaten by No. 7 Norcross.

Below are the second-round matchups in the order that they appear on the draw. Note that next week’s quarterfinals will mark the first time that region champions and same-seeded teams can play each other. The home team, decided by a GHSA universal coin toss, will be the lower team on the bracket. That means No. 1 Collins Hill could be on the road at No. 2 McEachern (girls), but that’s still days. away.

Girls

Parkview at No. 5 Marietta

No. 7 Norcross at No. 3 Cherokee

South Forsyth at No. 1 Collins Hill

Grayson at No. 2 McEachern

No. 9 Woodstock at Archer

Newton at No. 8 North Paulding

No. 4 Campbell at Brookwood

Roswell at No. 6 North Forsyth

Boys

Newnan at Parkview

Archer at No. 1 Milton