St. Francis’ 9-13 record might prompt questions about the quality of the team and its position (No. 8) in the Class A Division I boys top-10.
Why is a team ranked that has more losses than victories?
Well, the Knights have competed against some of the best teams in the state, and in the past month they’ve weathered narrow losses against some of the top-ranked teams in the Division. With three players, including two sophomores, scoring in double-figures, St. Francis might be right where it needs to be.
Against Class A-ranked opponents, St. Francis beat No. 6 Paideia 56-50 on Dec. 2, lost to No. 2 Mount Pisgah 70-63 on Dec. 6, lost to Division II No. 2 Christian Heritage 76-57 on Dec. 10, lost to top-ranked Mount Bethel 62-60 on Jan. 20 and lost to No. 3 Mount Vernon 66-58 Friday.
The Knights won at Lovejoy (59-49) Tuesday and will face another test against a ranked team Friday, when they play against No. 4 King’s Ridge Christian (16-7, 5-2) in a Region 6 Division I game. King’s Ridge is coming off a 77-44 victory against Whitefield Academy on Tuesday.
Reynolds Escher, a 6-foot sophomore shooting guard, leads St. Francis with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game and puts his team in a solid sleeper position. In the 81-79 loss to Sequoyah on Jan. 14, Escher scored a season-high 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting.
Sophomore guard Greg Howard is scoring 13 points with two rebounds and two assists per game. Howard scored a season-high 27 points in St. Francis’ 59-37 victory against Atlanta International on Dec. 9. Chris Phillips, a 6-6 senior shooting guard, scores 12 points with eight rebounds and an assist per game.
Class A Division I Boys Top-10
1. Mount Bethel Christian (17-5)
2. Mount Pisgah Christian (16-7)
3. Mount Vernon (15-8)
4. King’s Ridge Christian (15-7)
5. Darlington (19-3)
6. Paideia (8-12)
7. Social Circle (11-9)
8. St. Francis (9-13)
9. Dublin (16-4)
10. Savannah (14-6)
Class A Division II Boys Top-10
1. Greenforest Christian (13-7)
2. Christian Heritage (18-0)
3. Portal (19-1)
4. Mitchell County (20-2)
5. Calhoun County (19-3)
6. Charlton County (19-1)
7. Macon County (21-2)
8. Wilkinson County (16-6)
9. Manchester (15-4)
10. Chattahoochee County (16-4)
Class A Division I Girls Top-10
1. St. Francis (17-5)
2. Galloway (20-4)
3. Rabun County (20-1)
4. Elbert County (18-4)
5. Woodville-Tompkins (17-5)
6. Lamar County (17-4)
7. Mount Pisgah Christian (13-4)
8. Bacon County (14-1)
9. Trion (17-2)
10. Bryan County (17-4)
Class A Division II Girls Top-10
1. Turner County (17-2)
2. Lake Oconee County (18-2)
3. Taylor County (19-1)
4. Montgomery County (20-1)
5. Clinch County (16-2)
6. Schley County (16-2)
7. Towns County (15-6)
8. Mt. Zion-Carroll (18-5)
9. Jenkins County (16-4)
10. Manchester (13-7)
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