Greater Atlanta Christian’s boys basketball team failed in its bid to win three straight state championships when upset while ranked No. 1 in the Class AA quarterfinals last season against Manchester.
GAC returned to top of the rankings again this week after previous No. 1 Manchester lost to Spencer on Tuesday.
The AA champion in 2010 and 2011 under coach Eddie Martin, GAC has won 10 straight games, none closer than a 30-point margin. GAC’s three losses are to teams in higher classifications.
One other No. 1-ranked team lost last week. That was Columbia’s girls in Class AAAA.
Columbia held their top rating despite a 64-62 loss to Redan, which climbed from No. 4 to No. 2. The DeKalb County and Region 6-AAAA rivals split their two regular-season meeting, but Columbia earns the higher ranking based on its 65-33 victory in the first game against Redan as well as a slightly more difficult schedule.
Class A No. 1 Southwest Atlanta Christian avenged its only loss to a Georgia team in a big way on Saturday. The Warriors routed Darlington 64-32 on Saturday, less than three weeks after Darlington won the first meeting 47-46. Darlington fell from No. 2 to No. 5.
The top game this week takes place Tuesday, when No. 1 Columbia plays at No. 2 Marist in a Region 6-AAAA contest. Columbia won the first meeting 46-45 on Jan. 12.
There are six new boys teams in the rankings. Chattahoochee replaced Archer in AAAAAA; Northside-Columbus and Stephenson replaced Bainbridge and McIntosh in AAAAA; Woodward Academy replaced Cedar Grove in AAA; McIntosh County Academy replaced Taylor County in AA; and Excel Christian replaced Seminole County in A.
There were three new girls teams in the rankings. Mary Persons replaced Dutchtown in Class AAAA; Dodge County replaced Dawson County in AAA; and Paideia replaced Calvary Day in A. None has been ranked this season.
Class AAAAAA
1. Tift County (18-4)
2. North Cobb (20-4)
3. Shiloh (18-5)
4. Norcross (17-6)
5. North Gwinnett (18-5)
6. Hillgrove (20-3)
7. Wheeler (16-6)
8. Westlake (20-4)
9. Chattahoochee (18-5)
10. Peachtree Ridge (15-8)
Class AAAAA
1. Miller Grove (21-3)
2. Allatoona (19-5)
3. Effingham County (19-4)
4. Mays (16-5)
5. Tucker (16-7)
6. Mount Zion-Jonesboro (18-5)
7. Northside-Columbus (19-4)
8. Lithia Springs (18-6)
9. Sequoyah (18-6)
10. Stephenson (12-10)
Class AAAA
1. Columbia (20-2)
2. Marist (18-2)
3. Eagle’s Landing (19-5)
4. Glenn Hills (22-1)
5. Jonesboro (19-4)
6. South Atlanta (18-4)
7. Statesboro (21-3)
8. Monroe (19-3)
9. Westover (16-5)
10. Grady (16-6)
Class AAA
1. Cartersville (22-0)
2. Buford (17-5)
3. Johnson-Savannah (17-5)
4. Savannah (19-3)
5. Morgan County (18-5)
6. Washington County (19-4)
7. North Hall (21-2)
8. Woodward Academy (18-4)
9. Thomson (15-5)
10. Dawson County (20-3)
Class AA
1. Greater Atlanta Christian (21-3)
2. Vidalia (22-1)
3. Bleckley County (21-2)
4. Westside-Augusta (16-3)
5. Manchester (20-3)
6. Laney (15-6)
7. Dublin (17-6)
8. Jordan (13-5)
9. Pelham (16-7)
10. McIntosh County Academy (15-8)
Class A
1. North Cobb Christian (20-2)
2. Wilkinson County (21-1)
3. W.D. Mohammed (21-1)
4. Mitchell County (20-3)
5. Greenforest Christian (18-4)
6. Athens Christian (17-3)
7. Turner County (17-4)
8. Aquinas (17-6)
9. Wilcox County (18-3)
10. Excel Christian (23-1)
GIRLS
Class AAAAAA
1. North Gwinnett (21-1)
2. Norcross (19-4)
3. Parkview (23-0)
4. Cherokee (22-1)
5. Alpharetta (19-4)
6. North Cobb (21-3)
7. Woodstock (17-6)
8. North Forsyth (20-3)
9. Hillgrove (17-6)
10. Hughes (19-2)
Class AAAAA
1. Tucker (20-3)
2. Stephenson (21-3)
3. Miller Grove (19-3)
4. McIntosh (21-2)
5. Kell (18-2)
6. Creekview (20-4)
7. Cedar Shoals (20-2)
8. Osborne (18-5)
9. Southwest DeKalb (15-8)
10. Flowery Branch (21-2)
Class AAAA
1. Columbia (18-3)
2. Redan (19-1)
3. Cross Creek (22-0)
4. Woodland-Stockbridge (23-1)
5. Jonesboro (19-4)
6. Fayette County (15-5)
7. Sandy Creek (18-4)
8. Marist (13-5)
9. Mary Persons (19-2)
10. South Effingham (23-1)
Class AAA
1. Buford (16-4)
2. Washington County (21-1)
3. St. Pius (20-3)
4. North Oconee (21-2)
5. Sonoraville (21-1)
6. Beach (20-3)
7. Chapel Hill (20-3)
8. Elbert County (18-4)
9. Decatur (17-6)
10. Dodge County (18-4)
Class AA
1. Wesleyan (20-4)
2. Laney (23-0)
3. Kendrick (23-0)
4. Calhoun (20-1)
5. Pelham (20-3)
6. Thomasville (19-2)
7. Greater Atlanta Christian (17-6)
8. Dublin (21-3)
9. Model (17-5)
10. Bremen (17-5)
Class A
1. SW Atlanta Christian (22-2)
2. Randolph-Clay (21-2)
3. Holy Innocents’ (17-5)
4. Gordon Lee (18-5)
5. Darlington (16-6)
6. George Walton Academy (18-3)
7. St. Francis (14-8)
8. Towns County (18-4)
9. Paideia (18-4)
10. Turner County (17-4)
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