It’s just the quarterfinals, but it will seem like more than that in three Georgia high school gyms this week, when No. 1-ranked teams go on the road to play No. 2-ranked teams in the state basketball tournament.
No. 1 Osborne travels to Parkview in a Class AAAAAA girls game Tuesday. Osborne is trying to reach the semifinals for the first time since 1965.
Jonesboro, the No. 1 boys team in AAAA, plays at Johnson-Gainesville. Jonesboro is the defending champion. Johnson has never been to the semifinals.
In Class AAA, No. 1 Dawson County’s girls put their unbeaten record (29-0) on the line at Laney in Augusta. Both were state runners-up in 2013.
Here are more intriguing things to know about the quarterfinals:
Key matchups: Miller Grove's boys, the defending AAAAA champion, travel to Warner Robins for a rematch of last year's title game. Norcross' boys, ranked No. 4 and winners of 18 straight, have won five state titles in the past nine seasons. They play third-ranked Pebblebrook. The state's leading girls scorer, Louisville-signee Asia Durr, leads St. Pius' AAAA fifth-ranked girls against No. 1 Buford.
Cinderella: Upson-Lee, which opened in 1992, had never won a boys or girls state playoff basketball game in its history. The boys team has broken through as a No. 4 seed with road victories against Region 1-AAAA champion Albany and 2014 Class AAA runner-up Buford. Next up is fifth-ranked Carrollton, also on the road. Upson-Lee is 18-9.
Another fourth: The only other No. 4 seed still in the tournament is Cairo's boys, who had not won a state playoff game since 2009 or made the quarterfinals since 2004. Coincidentally, Cairo knocked off Upson-Lee's Region 2-AAAA champion, Perry, while Upson-Lee eliminated Cairo's region champion, Albany. Cairo travels to third-ranked Lithonia on Wednesday.
New to the quarterfinals: There are 112 spots in the quarterfinals, but only seven are filled by teams that have never been there. Those include Americus-Sumter's boys and girls in AAAA. Others are Shiloh (AAAAAA boys), Mountain View (AAAAAA girls), Veterans (AAAA girls), Upson-Lee (AAAA boys) and Tattnall Square (A private girls).
Upset: The only No. 1-ranked team that failed to make the quarterfinals was Brunswick's girls, whose 28-0 record was ruined in an 80-70 loss to eighth-ranked Stephenson in the second round. Brunswick's Region 1-AAAAA took a dive in the playoffs as third-ranked Effingham County and ninth-ranked South Effingham both lost in the first round. The only unbeaten girls teams are Holy Innocents' (29-0), Dawson County (28-0) and Taylor County (28-0).
Still perfect: The only unbeaten boys teams are Johnson-Gainesville (29-0) and Athens Christian (28-0). Second-ranked McIntosh (29-0) let a 13-point lead get away in the second round against fourth-ranked M.L. King, which won 66-65 in AAAAA last week. Juquan Jones scored 35 points and made two free throws with six seconds left for the lead.
A point to make: Another of the best games in the second round was ninth-ranked Swainsboro's 57-52 overtime victory against sixth-ranked Holy Innocents' in the AA boys bracket. Holy Innocents' claimed that the official scorekeeper inadvertently gave Swainsboro a point on a missed free throw in regulation. Video evidence has found its way onto YouTube. But games cannot be protested after officials sign the scorebook. Swainsboro moves on to face Model in the quarters.
Private lessons: Those who believe private schools have an unfair edge against smaller rural Georgia teams are sure to howl over the second-round results in the AA girls draw. Holy Innocents' beat Bleckley County 68-20. Holy Innocents' is ranked No. 1, so that was not terribly shocking. But No. 3 Wesleyan beat No. 5 Putnam County 79-46, and No. 6 Lovett beat Metter 75-37. Putnam and Metter were region champions playing at home.
Blowout history: Greenforest Christian's 103-31 victory against Southwest Atlanta Christian in the Class A private-school division ranks as the second-most lopsided game in state-tournament history, falling short of the 141-86 victory of Carver-Atlanta against George in 1969. South Atlanta's 103-38 victory against Central-Carroll (65-point margin) ranks seventh all-time.
Late breaking: Three second-round games will be played Monday because of delays caused by winter weather. Those are Washington County at No. 9 Calhoun (AAA girls), Coosa at No. 4 Vidalia (Class AA boys), and Darlington at No. 2 Pelham (AA girls). The winners' quarterfinals will be played Wednesday, assuring they have a day off.
Looking ahead: The semifinals are Friday and Saturday at six colleges around the state. The state finals are March 5-7 in Macon.
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