Class A 2nd round review with Quarterfinal preview

Once again THIS GUY will be covering the Georgia high school basketball state championships. Originally I was to follow Class AAA, complete with No.1 South Atlanta and Derrick Favors, but I will be calling PXP of some of the Semi-final games, therefore the scheduling needed to be switched around. I am now following the Class A championships. For additional coverage, visit the Georgia Public Broadcasting prep sports blog at http://sportsgpb.blogspot.com or check out www.scoreatl.com

With no FURTHER ado....

Girls

After a second round that featured multiple upsets, the Class A state tournament is now up for grabs. In perhaps the biggest marquee match-up of the third round, 2008 Final Four team Towns County will square off against Wesleyan, new to Class A but winners of four of the past five Class AA titles. The Wolves of Wesleyan are led by Ms. Georgia Basketball Anne Marie Armstrong as well as junior Erin Hall. In the team’s second round tilt with Darlington, Armstrong netted 19 points while Hall tallied 21 in an 80-32 win. Jim Melton’s Towns County squad is led by senior scoring machine Nikki Winn and sophomore sensation Jordan Moss. Look out for Missy Conrad as well. In other games, GACA Coaches No.7 Randolph-Clay, fresh off an upset of No.2 Calvary Day will face Emanuel County Institute. Destiny Mitchell scored 33 of her team’s 72 points, so look for the Lady Bulldogs to try and slow her down with high pressure. Donna Jones and Asha Alexander are also threats for Randolph-Clay. When Savannah County Day faces Region 4 champion Hancock Central in the quarterfinals, expect another big day from SCD senior Katherine Dotson. She averaged 14.7ppg and tossed in 18 in the 55-40 win over Turner County Tuesday. Finally, Social Circle will face Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy in the final quarterfinal contest. Martiza Heard contributed 20 points as Social Circle ended No.3 Gordon Lee’s season. Expect Heard to receive help from Reyanna Williams and Jessica Hester when facing the 2006 state champs.

Boys
The big shots of Class A boys basketball all seemed to advance and have set up some tasty quarterfinal match-ups for this weekend. Turner County, ranked No.1 in the GACA Coaches poll, took care of Hancock Central and senior Ternell Davis will bring his 24 ppg when TuCo takes on No.6 Terrell County, recent victors over Aquinas. The Greenwaves, coached by John Davis, have two players at least 6’5 (Arle’k Brown and Robert Ellis) to play the post trying to stop Ternell Davis. On the other side of the bracket, No.8 Athens Christian won its 20th straight game, knocking off the Wolfpack of North Cobb Christian, and will now face Region 7 champion Green Forest Christian. Three-sport star Raymond Higgs can jump out of the arena and his athleticism might take the Eagles straight to the title game. Head Coach Tyrone Johnson’s Whitefield Academy squad knocked off No.10 Paideia and now guard Brandon Reed will have Whitefield Academy ready for No.9 Darlington. Reed averaged 20 ppg during the regular season and was especially strong down the stretch run. The Tigers feature a one-two punch of senior Tyshawn Good and sophomore Tev’n Hamilton who helped the Tigers claim the Region 6 title. Finally Senior Brit Duncan and the Wilkinson County Warriors, having knocked off Greenville will now face Wilcox County and 6’7 Lonnie Outlaw. The Patriots knocked off George Turner and Cody Padgett of Calvary Day. Wilkinson is No.2 for Class A, having won now nine straight and 16 of its last 17 games.