Boys first-round recap: Sprayberry, Peach County upset 4th-ranked teams; Habersham, Mt. Zion win historic games
Sprayberry and Peach County defeated fourth-ranked teams on the road in the first round of the boys state basketball tournament Wednesday night while five teams won their first state-playoff games in history.
Sprayberry, the unranked fourth-place finisher from Class 5A’s Region 6, defeated Region 7 champion Gainesville 70-59, taking charge in the first quarter and never letting the home-standing Red Elephants back in it.
Sophomore Abel Trotman scored 19 points, and Miles George had 17 points and 11 rebounds, according to the Gainesville Times.
Sprayberry (16-11) is in the second round for the second year in a row but also the second time in 25 years. The Yellow Jackets haven’t advanced further since 1990. Gainesville finished 19-8.
Peach County beat Cherokee Bluff 57-52 in Class 3A. Peach, with an 11-15 record, is the 31st seed. Cherokee Bluff, at 24-5, is the No. 2 seed, making this one the upset of the night. Peach had lost in the first round each of the past three seasons.
The only other top-10 team that lost was No. 8 Maynard Jackson, beaten 68-47 by No. 10 Jonesboro in Class 4A. Top-10 teams were 77-3 in the first round.
Making history with their first state-tournament wins were Habersham Central, East Forsyth, KIPP Atlanta, Fannin County and Mount Zion of Carroll County.
Habersham Central, which opened its school doors in the 1970, had been 0-5 in the first round, losing each of the past three seasons, but this year’s team, ranked fifth in Class 5A, beat Northside-Warner Robins 66-43.
Mount Zion, one of the state’s oldest schools, also had been 0-5 in the state tournament, but the Eagles' 97-59 victory over Central of Talbotton in Class A Division II was expected. Mount Zion won Region 7 last week and is ranked No. 7.
Fannin County, opened since the 1976, had only made a state tournament twice previously. Fannin bet Brantley County 51-33 in Class A Division I.
East Forsyth and K.I.P.P. each have had basketball teams for only a few seasons, but both won on the road in the first round. East Forsyth beat Eagle’s Landing 69-56 while K.I.P.P. defeated Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 65-48.
The second round is Friday and Saturday with several games between top-10 teams, foremost among them No. 1 Woodward Academy vs. No. 2 Milton in Class 5A.
About the Author
Todd Holcomb covers high school sports across the state. He rejoined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2025 and has worked with the AJC in varying capacities since 1985. He is a co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.
