Defending state champions River Ridge, Hebron Christian, Mount Paran Christian and St. Francis sit at the top of the high school girls basketball rankings after the first week of play in 2024.
Class 6A No. 1 River Ridge, which won its first state championship in 2023, improved to 10-4 with victories over Cherokee and Etowah last week. Three of the Knights’ losses have come against out-of-state opponents, and the other was a four-point loss to Class 3A No. 2 Wesleyan on Dec. 9.
Reigning state champions Hebron Christian of Class 3A and St. Francis of Class A Division I faced off last week, with Hebron Christian winning 66-57 to improve to 12-2. St. Francis rebounded on Saturday with a 56-47 victory over Immaculate Conception of Montclair, N.J., and is 13-5.
Class 2A No. 1 Mount Paran Christian is seeking its third consecutive state title. The Eagles won Class A Private in 2022 before moving up to 2A last season.
The other No. 1-ranked teams are Grayson in Class 7A, Union Grove in Class 5A, Baldwin in Class 4A and Greenforest in Class A Division II. Of those, only Baldwin has been a state champion. The Braves won three consecutive titles in the highest classification from 1986 to 1988. Grayson and Greenforest also have No. 1 teams in this week’s boys rankings.
None of the other four defending champions – Brookwood (7A), Kell (5A), Griffin (4A) and Clinch County (A Division II) – are ranked.
Class 7A
1. Grayson (14-0)
2. Buford (12-1)
3. Carrollton (11-2)
4. Norcross (11-4)
5. North Paulding (13-4)
6. Archer (12-3)
7. Milton (12-2)
8. McEachern (8-7)
9. Mill Creek (10-3)
10. Colquitt County (11-1)
Class 6A
1. River Ridge (10-4)
2. North Forsyth (15-0)
3. Hughes (10-2)
4. Marist (14-1)
5. New Manchester (10-4)
6. Woodward Academy (11-4)
7. Sequoyah (12-4)
8. Tift County (11-3)
9. Veterans (10-5)
10. Rome (13-2)
Class 5A
1. Union Grove (15-1)
2. Jackson-Atlanta (11-1)
3. Creekside (8-3)
4. Midtown (12-2)
5. Warner Robins (11-2)
6. Bradwell Institute (14-1)
7. Jefferson (14-3)
8. Statesboro (13-1)
9. Jones County (14-4)
10. Harris County (11-2)
Class 4A
1. Baldwin (11-2)
2. Hardaway (11-4)
3. Stockbridge (11-4)
4. Holy Innocents’ (7-6)
5. Southwest DeKalb (10-4)
6. Cherokee Bluff (13-2)
7. Fayette County (9-3)
8. Chestatee (12-4)
9. Heritage-Catoosa (11-4)
10. Starr’s Mill (7-5)
Class 3A
1. Hebron Christian (12-2)
2. Wesleyan (11-1)
3. Pickens (16-0)
4. Carver-Columbus (9-5)
5. White County (14-2)
6. Cross Creek (10-4)
7. Hart County (10-4)
8. Dawson County (9-6)
9. Mary Persons (13-3)
10. Calvary Day (8-3)
Class 2A
1. Mount Paran Christian (11-2)
2. Thomson (13-1)
3. Josey (13-2)
4. Butler (9-4)
5. Central-Macon (8-4)
6. Banks County (12-4)
7. Columbia (9-3)
8. Murray County (11-4)
9. Model (11-4)
10. Dodge County (7-2)
Class A Division I
1. St. Francis (13-5)
2. Galloway (8-6)
3. Oglethorpe County (12-1)
4. Athens Christian (12-3)
5. Rabun County (12-4)
6. Lamar County (11-3)
7. Swainsboro (7-4)
8. East Laurens (7-2)
9. Bryan County (11-2)
10. Mount Pisgah Christian (10-6)
Class A Division II
1. Greenforest (11-4)
2. Montgomery County (12-0)
3. Wilcox County (11-0)
4. Taylor County (13-3)
5. Early County (11-3)
6. Towns County (10-4)
7. Chattahoochee County (9-4)
8. Warren County (11-3)
9. Terrell County (8-4)
10. Manchester (6-3)
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