Sports season moves to basketball, and Region 5 still showing strength

There has been a lot of talk through the years about Region 5′s football prowess, but after six weeks of the basketball season, the league is proving it’s not one-dimensional.

Three boys teams from Region 5 are ranked in the Class 3A top-5 – No. 1 Sandy Creek, No. 2 Douglass and No. 4 Cedar Grove.

Sandy Creek’s Patriots are 7—1 with victories against Class A Division I No. 1 Mount Vernon (57-54), Milton (69-50), McIntosh (67-31), Class 4A No. 8 Fayette County (57-35), Creekside (94-30), East Coweta (77-49) and Gainesville (64-31). The loss came against Class 7A No. 1 Grayson (64-63)

Micah Smith, a 6-foot-7 senior power forward, Smith is leading the team. As a three-star recruit, he has committed to James Madison.

Three Douglass players are scoring in double-figures to pace the Astros to a 7-4 record – senior Noah Treadwell (18 points per game), senior R.J. Winegarner (13.3) and junior Joshua Mickell (11.2). Jacob Mickell adds 9.7 points per game.

Cedar Grove (5-4) has played a tough early season schedule like its football team. The Saints have victories against Eastside (73-30), Miller Grove (58-45), Grovetown (56-42), Lithonia (43-32) and Salem (49-44). The losses came against Osborne (64-50), Mays (63-46), McDonough (50-41) and Tucker (52-46).

Sophomore Emmanuel Green averages 21 points per game to lead the team.

On the girls side, defending-champion Hebron Christian is ranked atop the class, with perennial playoff stalwart Wesleyan close behind.

Hebron defeated Wesleyan 65-58 in last year’s semifinals before defeating Lumpkin County 68-36 in the championship game. This season, Hebron is 8-0 and has beaten some of the best teams from higher classes in the state, with victories against Class 7A Parkview (85-26), Discovery (89-22), Duluth (77-20), No. 5 McEachern (63-29), South Gwinnett (80-22), Class 4A No. 7 Trinity Christian (98-52), Class 7A No. 3 Norcross (82-43) and Class 5A No. 1 Union Grove (64-37).

Wesleyan is 9-1 with its loss coming against Class 7A No. 1 Grayson, 69-49. Also undefeated is No. 3 Pickens (9-0, 3-0), which is coming off a 63-38 victory over Lumpkin County.

Juniors Emma Lightsey and Kylie Watkins are averaging double-figures for No. 5 White County. Lightsey leads with 18 points; Watkins adds 11.

Class 3A top-10 rankings

Boys

1. Sandy Creek

2. Douglass

3. Cross Creek

4. Cedar Grove

5. Hebron Christian

6. Long County

7. Richmond Academy

8. Monroe Area

9. Dougherty

10. Johnson-Savannah

Girls

1. Hebron Christian

2. Wesleyan

3. Pickens

4. Carver-Columbus

5. White County

6. Dawson County

7. Hart County

8. Cross Creek