The top-ranked Sandy Creek boys team begins its hopeful journey toward the program’s first state championship when the first round of GHSA state basketball tournament begins Tuesday and Wednesday with 32 boys and girls games.
The Patriots enter the tournament on a four-game winning streak with victories against Carver-Atlanta (90-32), Cedar Grove (71-48), Carver-Atlanta (101-31) and Cedar Grove (76-52) in the Region 5 championship game.
Sandy Creek is joined in the top-right quadrant by No. 2-ranked Johnson-Savannah and No. 9 Wesleyan. Johnson opens its tournament against Hephzibah, and Wesleyan will play Stephens County. Wesleyan will face top-ranked Sandy Creek in the second round if both teams advance.
In the boys top-left quadrant, No. 6 Dougherty will play Mary Persons, and No. 8 Beach will face Harlem, setting up a possible second-round matchup between ranked teams.
In the boys bottom-left quadrant, No. 3 Monroe Area will face Pickens; No. 5 Cedar Grove will play LaFayette, and No. 10 Upson-Lee will play Carver-Columbus. If Monroe Area and Cedar Grove win, the two top-5 teams will meet in the second round.
In the boys bottom-right quadrant, No. 4 Cross Creek will play Groves, and No. 7 Monroe Area will play host to Peach County. If both ranked teams win, they will meet in the second round.
On the girls side, top-ranked Hebron Christian opens the tournament in the bottom-left quadrant against No. 7 White County as it looks to keep its 27-game winning streak and unbeaten season alive. The other ranked team in the quadrant is No. 9 Mary Persons, which opens against Thomasville.
In the girls top-right quadrant, No. 8 Calvary Day will play Salem in the first round, but there are no other ranked teams are in the quadrant. The other region champion in the quadrant is Sandy Creek (Region 5), which will play Adairsville to open the tournament.
In the girls top-left quadrant, No. 2 Wesleyan will play Franklin County in the first round before a possible meeting with either Douglass-Atlanta or Coahulla Creek. Carver-Columbus is ranked No. 6 and will begin play against Upson-Lee before a possible meeting with Long County or Morgan County.
In the girls bottom-right quadrant, No. 3 Cross Creek will play Savannah Country Day before a possible meeting with No. 10 Monroe. Lumpkin County is ranked No. 4 and will play Oconee County in the first round before a possible meeting with No. 5 Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe, which opens against Cedar Grove in the first round.
Class 3A Boys
First Round
R5 #3 Douglass at R6 #2 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
R8 #4 Hebron Christian at R7 #1 White County
R3 #3 Beach at R4 #2 Harlem
R2 #4 Mary Persons at R1 #1 Dougherty
R6 #3 LaFayette at R5 #2 Cedar Grove
R7 #4 Pickens at R8 #1 Monroe Area
R4 #3 Salem at R3 #2 Long County
R1 #4 Carver-Columbus at R2 #1 Upson-Lee
R1 #3 Crisp County at R2 #2 Jackson
R4 #4 Hephzibah at R3 #1 Johnson-Savannah
R7 #3 Wesleyan at R8 #2 Stephens County
R6 #4 Ringgold at R5 #1 Sandy Creek
R2 #3 Peach County at R1 #2 Monroe
R3 #4 Groves at R4 #1 Cross Creek
R8 #3 Hart County at R7 #2 Gilmer
R5 #4 Carver-Atlanta at R6 #1 Adairsville
Class 3A Girls
First Round
R5 #3 Douglass at R6 #2 Coahulla Creek
R8 #4 Franklin County at R7 #1 Wesleyan
R3 #3 Long County at R4 #2 Morgan County
R2 #4 Upson-Lee at R1 #1 Carver-Columbus
R6 #3 Bremen at R5 #2 Carver-Atlanta
R7 #4 White County at R8 #1 Hebron Christian
R4 #3 Hephzibah at R3 #2 Liberty County
R1 #4 Thomasville at R2 #1 Mary Persons
R1 #3 Dougherty at R2 #2 Peach County
R4 #4 Salem at R3 #1 Calvary Day
R7 #3 Dawson County at R8 #2 Hart County
R6 #4 Adairsville at R5 #1 Sandy Creek
R2 #3 Jackson at R1 #2 Monroe
R3 #4 Savannah Country Day at R4 #1 Cross creek
R8 #3 Oconee County at R7 #2 Lumpkin County
R5 #4 Cedar Grove at R6 #1 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
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