Collins Hill’s top-ranked girls are pursuing their first basketball state title since the Maya Moore days. They’re 23-1 this season, unbeaten against Class 7A opponents, but there’s this unpleasantry that stains the bracket – a game Tuesday night at second-ranked McEachern, the most successful girls program in the highest class the past decade.
The game is one of three matching No. 1 and No. 2 teams in 64 quarterfinals to be played Tuesday and Wednesday in the state tournament. The others are No. 1 Lake Oconee Academy at No. 2 Clinch County in Class 1A Public girls and No. 2 Dublin at No. 1 Drew Charter in 1A Public boys.
In each case, a coin flip determined the home team, and it didn’t go Collins Hill’s way. Neutral sites won’t arrive until the finals March 13-17.
’'It’s one of those things where people might look and say No. 1s and No. 2s should always be in another bracket, but that’s just the way if falls,’' Collins Hill coach Brian Harmon said. “It’s still fair because it doesn’t happen every year. It’s just one of those years where you meet another team in the quarterfinals that could win a state championship.’'
McEachern has won five state titles since 2012, though none since 2017, and brings to bear the classification’s most renowned girls player, McDonald’s All-American Jillian Hollingshead. Collins Hill, which won the last of three titles with the future UConn and WNBA star Moore in 2007, has been the 7A runner-up to Westlake the past two seasons. With Westlake now in 6A, lots of 7A teams are liking their chances.
The three No. 1-vs.-No. 2 teams are among 11 Tuesday and Wednesday that match teams ranked in the top five.
One has No. 3 Tri-Cities’ boys, the 2019 6A champions, at No. 1 St. Pius in 5A. St. Pius has won more than 60 state titles in 12 sports, but none in boys basketball.
Another has No. 4 Johnson-Savannah’s boys at No. 1 Sandy Creek in 3A. Sandy Creek has the state’s only McDonald’s boys All-American, Jabari Smith, but no boys basketball state titles.
Others top-five matchups are No. 2 Baldwin at No. 3 Miller Grove (4A boys), No. 4 Lovett at No. 2 Swainsboro (2A boys), No. 2 Pacelli at No. 3 Mount Pisgah (1A Private boys), No. 4 Lovejoy at No. 2 Buford (6A girls), No. 1 Westlake at No. 5 Kell (6A girls) and No. 2 Woodward Academy at No. 4 Southwest DeKalb (5A girls).
These early matchups of highly ranked opponents claimed two No. 1 boys teams last weekend. Spencer of Class 4A lost to No. 5 Westover 50-49 while Providence Christian of 1A Private lost to No. 3 Mount Pisgah 62-50. Spencer and Providence each had dreams of winning their first GHSA titles in the sport.
The next round, the semifinals, will be Friday and Saturday, and for the first time in history won’t be played on neutral sites. That’s because of COVID-19 considerations. Instead, the home teams, determined by the GHSA’s universal coin toss last week, will be the ones placed higher on the bracket.
That means the McEachern-Collins Hill girls winner will be on the road for the final four.
The 16 finals will be played at the Macon Coliseum.
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