The top-ranked and defending-champion Sandy Creek boys team (14-2, 1-0) will face two ranked opponents from higher classes to highlight the weekend in Class 3A basketball.
The Patriots will take to the road Friday to face Class 6A No. 7 St. Pius X (12-4) at 7:30 p.m. Sandy Creek will play host to Class 5A No. 7 Fayette County (9-6, 4-1) at 5 p.m. Saturday. Since beating Douglass 66-43 on Jan. 9, the Patriots defeated St. Anne Pacelli 73-66 and Virginia’s Flint Hill 71-48 in the last two games.
Micah Smith, 6-foot-7, 185-pound power forward, leads the Patriots. Smith, rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports, has signed to play at James Madison.
In Region 7 boys play, Gilmer (12-5, 6-0) and Pickens (14-5, 5-1) are unranked but will meet in a key region game at 8 p.m. Friday. Gilmer defeated Pickens 76-71 on Dec. 5 to take control of the league standings, with Dawson County (10-8, 3-3) and Wesleyan (8-11, 3-3) chasing.
On the girls side, top-ranked Hebron Christian (16-2, 3-0) will face an unranked, but upset-minded, Franklin County (11-7, 2-1) at 6 p.m. Friday in a key Region 8 game. Franklin is facing a Hebron program that is coming off a 72-9 victory against Monroe Area on Tuesday.
In Region 1 girls play, the two league unbeatens – No. 4 Carver-Columbus (11-6, 3-0) and unranked Monroe (12-6, 3-0) – will play at Carver to determine the front-runner. Monroe has won five consecutive games since losing to Fayette County 45-33 on Dec. 23. Carver is coming off a 72-59 loss to Class A Division II No. 2 Galloway on Monday.
Class 3A boys top-10
1. Sandy Creek
2. Monroe
3. Hebron Christian
4. Carver-Columbus
5. Cross Creek
6. Cedar Grove
7. Dougherty
8. Douglass
9. Johnson-Savannah
10. Liberty County
Class 3A girls top-10
1. Hebron Christian
2. Wesleyan
3. Pickens
4. Carver-Columbus
5. White County
6. Cross Creek
7. Dawson County
8. Hart County
9. Savannah Country Day
10. Mary Persons
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