Here’s a look at the top five boys teams so far:
Westside-Augusta Patriots (5-4, 2-0 Sub-Region 4B)
2022 finish: 28-3, 2A champions
2023 outlook: The Patriots are trying to become the first boys team to repeat as 2A champions since GAC won in 2013 and 2014. Pace Academy won 2A in 2021 for back-to-back titles, though they won 3A the year before. The top scorers on this year’s Patriots team are upperclassmen, led by seniors Khalon Hudson (17.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and two steals), Jalexs Ewing (16.7 points, five rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals) and Aumauri Tillman (12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals) and junior Demarco Milldeton (11.3 points, four assists). Hudson was a AJC all-state first-teamer, and Ewing made second team. Their record doesn’t jump out, but the losses are to 6A’s No. 3 Grovetown (79-73), 5A’s No. 2 Eagle’s Landing (85-72) and ranked Georgia schools that compete in South Carolina: the SCISA’s No. 4 team in 4A, Augusta Christian (77-73), and the SCHSL’s No. 3 team in 4A, North Augusta (73-70). Wins include 3A’s No. 6 Cross Creek (101-72), and No. 2 Thomson (66-50). On Wednesday, they’ll play in the Brookland Cayce Round Ball Classic the against T.L. Hanna (8-3), ranked No. 2 in the SCHSL’s 5A.
Columbia Eagles (10-1, 4-0 Region 5)
2022 finish: 25-5, 2A second round
2023 outlook: The Eagles are again in the top five. Last season ended when they met eventual champions Westside in the second round and lost 82-72. No other team in the playoffs played the Patriots closer until the championship, when they beat Butler 64-55. They opened the season winning the Tabernacle Baptist Bahamas Thanksgiving Tournament in Freeport, Bahamas, beating Sunland Baptist 72-66 in the final to cap a 4-0 trip. They beat 4A’s No. 7 Miller Grove 61-29 on Nov. 29. Their only loss this season was 47-46 at Southwest DeKalb, ranked No. 5 in 4A. They close the calendar year with two holiday tournaments, the East Baton Rouge (La.) Red Stick Classic, which began Dec. 19, and the FSB Shootout, beginning Dec. 29 in Plainsview, Ala.
Thomson Bulldogs (4-1, 1-1 Sub-Region 4A)
2022 finish: 23-3, 3A semifinals
2023 outlook: The Bulldogs have played far fewer games than most of their 2A counterparts but then again, a handful of their players were busy winning a state championship for the school’s football team. They skipped all of November and opened the season Dec. 3, playing just two games before the football season ended on Dec. 9. One of those games was an 82-59 win over 1A Division I’s No. 4 Wilkinson County. Top-ranked Westside beat them 66-50 on Dec. 16. They’ll close the year playing at Brookwood’s holiday tournament on Dec. 28. They return Lavonta Ivery, who made the AJC’s 3A all-state second team last year as a sophomore.
Spencer Greenwave Owls (7-2, 2-0 Region 2)
2022 finish: 30-2, 4A champions
2023 outlook: The Greenwave Owl finished last year on a 28-game win streak and return a lot of talent from that championship team, including AJC all-state first-teamer Tycen McDaniels and Tony Montgomery. They beat 6A’s No. 4 Hughes 64-59 to open the season Nov. 22. They beat 3A’s No. 6 Cross Creek 61-56 on Dec. 3. Their losses came to 3A’s No. 1 Sandy Creek, 74-50, on Nov. 29, and 71-65 to Dougherty, and unranked 3A school that’s 3-6. They’re currently competing in the Muscogee County School District Christmas Tournament at Columbus State and, after winning their first two games over Shaw and Carver, they’ll play 5A’s Northside (7-2) in the championship on Dec. 21.
Providence Christian Storm (9-2, 0-0 Region 8)
2022 finish: 19-9, 1A Private second round
2023 outlook: The Storm beat 3A’s No. 10 Wesleyan 54-48 on Nov. 29. Their two losses were close. They lost 63-60 to 1A Division I’s No. 1 King’s Ridge on Nov. 21, and 60-52 to 7A’s Berkmar on Dec. 2. They’re coming off a 67-64 win over George Walton on Dec. 20. Instead of competing in holiday tournaments, they’ll rest and enjoy the next 10 days off, resuming action Dec. 30 at Mill Creek. On Jan. 3, in their first game of the new year, they’ll play their region opener against Union County. Whereas the 2022 portion of the season was all non-region, the 2023 portion will be all region opponents save one — Furtah Prep on Jan. 7. Furtah Prep (11-2 competes in the GIAA, where it is No. 7 overall, and No. 3 in 2A.
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