Four defending state champions are No. 1 in their classifications in the first AJC girls basketball rankings of 2019.
Two of those teams are perfect through the first two months of the season – Class AAAAAAA Westlake is 14-0, and Class A (private) Wesleyan is 16-0.
Defending Class AAAAAA champion Lovejoy is 15-3 but remains undefeated against Georgia opponents. The Wildcats’ losses have come against DeSoto and Duncanville of Texas and Riverdale of Tennessee. All three teams are ranked in the top 25 nationally by MaxPreps.
Class AAAAA Buford, the other No. 1-ranked defending champion, is 13-1. The Wolves’ only loss came against Class AAAAAAA No. 5 Norcross, 63-56 on Dec. 14.
The No. 1 teams in the other four classifications are Carver-Columbus (AAAA), Beach (AAA), Dodge County (AA) and Marion County (A public).
The four defending state champions not ranked No. 1 remain very much in the hunt for another title. Spalding is No. 3 in Class AAAA, behind Carver and Henry County; Johnson-Savannah is No. 5 in Class AAA despite a 9-6 start, which came against a rugged schedule; Laney, the two-time defending champion in Class AA, currently sits at No. 3; and Greenville is No. 2 in Class A public.
Class AAAAAAA
1. Westlake (14-0)
2. Collins Hill (16-1)
3. North Cobb (15-0)
4. Grayson (13-2)
5. Norcross (11-7)
6. Cherokee (13-3)
7. Pebblebrook (14-2)
8. Colquitt County (11-2)
9. North Forsyth (11-4)
10. Marietta (10-5)
Class AAAAAA
1. Lovejoy (15-3)
2. Forest Park (15-2)
3. Northview (12-3)
4. Valdosta (14-2)
5. Douglas County (13-4)
6. Stephenson (10-7)
7. Dacula (13-3)
8. Sequoyah (12-4)
9. New Manchester (14-2)
10. Glynn Academy (15-2)
Class AAAAA
1. Buford (13-1)
2. Villa Rica (15-0)
3. Harris County (12-3)
4. Eagle's Landing (11-3)
5. Southwest DeKalb (13-5)
6. Statesboro (16-1)
7. Arabia Mountain (12-3)
8. Veterans (14-2)
9. Carrollton (12-5)
10. Jones County (14-3)
Class AAAA
1. Carver-Columbus (15-0)
2. Henry County (16-2)
3. Spalding (12-3)
4. Madison County (16-1)
5. Flowery Branch (13-3)
6. Westover (9-2)
7. Luella (14-3)
8. Heritage-Ringgold (13-2)
9. Northwest Whitfield (14-3)
10. Burke County (6-5)
Class AAA
1. Beach (14-3)
2. Morgan County (11-3)
3. Jefferson (14-2)
4. Hart County (12-4)
5. Johnson-Savannah (9-6)
6. North Hall (12-4)
7. Greater Atlanta Christian (8-8)
8. Tattnall County (11-5)
9. Dawson County (11-6)
10. Lumpkin County (13-4)
Class AA
1. Dodge County (15-1)
2. Fitzgerald (15-0)
3. Laney (12-1)
4. Bryan County (15-0)
5. Rabun County (13-1)
6. Swainsboro (10-2)
7. Early County (11-1)
8. Washington County (12-3)
9. Banks County (13-3)
10. Thomasville (11-4)
Class A (Private)
1. Wesleyan (16-0)
2. St. Francis (9-3)
3. Holy Innocents' (8-6)
4. Lakeview Academy (12-4)
5. Eagle's Landing Christian (10-3)
6. Paideia (13-1)
7. Stratford Academy (14-1)
8. Mount Paran Christian (12-1)
9. Calvary Day (11-3)
10. Darlington (10-3)
Class A (Public)
1. Marion County (12-0)
2. Greenville (14-1)
3. Telfair County (11-3)
4. Calhoun County (13-2)
5. Georgia Military (8-1)
6. Wheeler County (10-4)
7. Central-Talbotton (8-3)
8. Clinch County (7-2)
9. Bowdon (12-3)
10. Dooly County (10-3)
About the Author
