Four powerhouse girls basketball teams – two ranked No. 1 and two reigning champions – are facing tough road trips this week in the state quarterfinals, which start Tuesday.
Grayson, the Class 7A champion last season and ranked No. 2 this season in Class 6A, is going to Region 1 champion Lowndes. Grayson is 60-1 over the past two seasons, its only loss to Cherokee in this season’s opening game.
Grayson remains favored to reach the semifinals, but the trip to Lowndes is eight hours round-trip by school bus.
The reason for the road assignment was a coin toss, which determines home court when two region champions meet in the third round in 6A, 5A, 4A and A Division II, the classes that don’t use power ratings.
Creekside, the No. 1 girls team in Class 5A, will travel even farther than Grayson will. Creekside is 260 miles from No. 8 Ware County, a team called the Gators because of their proximity to the Okefenokee Swamp. Creekside is 29-0 but didn’t get the right coin bounce.
Neither did Wilcox County, the No. 1 Class A Division II girls team. Wilcox must travel to No. 5 Randolph-Clay.
Wilcox County and Creekside share another feature: Both are seeking their first semifinal appearances since 2001 and first state titles in history.
In the 3A-A private division, Mount Paran Christian is traveling to No. 1-ranked Hebron Christian in the most highly anticipated girls quarterfinal. Both won state titles last season – Hebron in 3A and Mount Paran in 2A. Mount Paran, from Kennesaw, got the road assignment to Dacula for being the lower seed.
The boys matchups were friendlier to the Goliaths. All eight No. 1-ranked teams are playing at home. The highest-ranked team that a No. 1 will face is Winder-Barrow, the No. 6 from Class 5A. That’s the opponent of Woodward Academy, which narrowly defeated No. 2 Milton in the second round.
Below are the quarterfinal matchups with teams' AJC ranking and won-lost record. Girls games are typically Tuesday, with boys games Wednesday.
The semifinals are Friday and Saturday at five neutral sites.
GIRLS
Class 6A
No. 2 Grayson (28-1) at Lowndes (22-5)
No. 9 Hillgrove (22-7) at No. 4Cherokee (25-4)
No. 8 Carrollton (22-7) at No. 1 North Forsyth (29-0)
No. 7 Newton (22-5) at No. 5 Buford (25-2)
Class 5A
No. 3 Woodward Academy (23-5) at No. 5 Bradwell Institute (25-3)
Veterans (20-9) at No. 2 Hughes (27-2)
New Manchester (24-5) at No. 1 River Ridge (28-1)
Brunswick (22-7) at No. 4 Milton (23-6)
Class 4A
No. 1 Creekside (29-0) at No. 8 Ware County (25-4)
Cartersville (20-9) at No. 2 Marist (28-2)
No. 10 Maynard Jackson (18-7) at Northview (21-9)
No. 4 North Oconee (28-1) at No. 7 Dalton (26-3)
Class 3A
Jenkins (19-8) at No. 1 Pickens (27-2)
No. 5 Monroe (24-5) at No. 9 Cherokee Bluff (22-8)
No. 2 Luella (26-3) at No. 4 Fayette County (24-5)
No. 2 Baldwin (23-6) at Heritage-Ringgold (24-6)
Class 2A
No. 5 Sonoraville (26-3) at No. 2 Murray County (28-1)
Carver-Columbus (13-10) at No. 7 Morgan County (20-9)
No. 6 Columbia (23-5) at No. 3 Hardaway (23-6)
No. 4 Thomson (25-3) at No. 1 Josey (23-3)
Class A D-I
No. 5 Heard County (25-3) at No. 2 Fannin County (26-2)
No. 4 East Laurens (21-5) at No. 7 Vidalia (23-6)
No. 8 Lamar County (23-5) at No. 3 Model (23-5)
Rabun County (14-12) at No. 1 Banks County (23-5)
Class A D-II
No. 1 Wilcox County (25-1) at No. 5 Randolph-Clay (23-6)
Clinch County (15-12) at No. 7 Screven County (22-5)
Turner County (22-8) at No. 2 Macon County (21-3)
No. 10 Telfair County (21-5) at Washington-Wilkes (12-8)
Class 3A-A private
No. 5 Mount Paran Christian (26-4) at No. 1 Hebron Christian (27-1)
No. 9 Greater Atlanta Christian (17-12) at No. 4 Galloway (19-8)
North Cobb Christian (11-14) at No. 3 Holy Innocents’ (22-5)
No. 8 Calvary Day (19-9) at No. 2 St. Francis (27-2)
BOYS
Class 6A
Cherokee (19-11) at No. 1 Grayson (27-2)
Norcross (18-11) at No. 2 Wheeler (26-3)
No. 5 Walton (22-5) at No. 9 Pebblebrook (21-8)
No. 6 Etowah (23-6) at No. 4 Newton (20-9)
Class 5A
No. 6 Winder-Barrow (26-3) at No. 1 Woodward Academy (25-4)
No. 9 Hughes (23-8) at No. 7 Alexander (22-7)
No. 8 Dutchtown (27-4) at No. 10 Lee County (24-5)
No. 3 Tri-Cities (23-6) at No. 5 Habersham Central (27-3)
Class 4A
Union Grove (19-10) at R4 #1 Pace Academy (25-4)
No. 10 Jonesboro (22-8) at No. 6 Tucker (24-6)
No. 9 McDonough (24-5) at No. 5 Westminster (19-6)
No. 7 Mays (22-8) at No. 2 North Oconee (27-2)
Class 3A
No. 5 Cross Creek (27-2) at No. 2 Sandy Creek (26-3)
Dougherty (19-10) at No. 10 Windsor Forest (24-5)
No. 9 Baldwin (23-7) at No. 1 Cedar Grove (26-3)
No. 8 Jefferson (19-7) at Monroe (20-9)
Class 2A
No. 9 Spencer (21-7) at No. 1 Carver-Columbus (26-2)
Franklin County (15-14) at No. 4 Butler (18-8)
No. 2 K.I.P.P. Atlanta (18-10) at No. 7 Union County (24-5)
No. 8 Laney (21-7) at No. 10 Tattnall County (24-4)
Class A D-I
No. 6 Temple (22-6) at No. 2 Southwest (25-2)
No. 8 Vidalia (22-6) at Toombs County (17-11)
No. 8 East Laurens (19-7) at No. 1 Putnam County (27-2)
No. 3 BEST Academy (22-7) at Fannin County (20-9)
Class A D-II
No. 10 Warren County (20-9) at Hawkinsville (17-11)
Early County (19-10) at No. 1 Savannah (24-4)
Mitchell County (18-12) at No. 2 McIntosh County Academy (24-5)
Bryan County (21-8) at No. 5 Greene County (21-7)
Class 3A-A private
No. 8 St. Francis (19-11) at No. 3 North Cobb Christian (26-3)
No. 4 Greater Atlanta Christian (24-6) at No. 2 Greenforest Christian (22-5)
Hebron Christian (17-11) at No. 1 Holy Innocents’ (24-4)
Paideia (17-11) at No. 9 Mount Paran Christian (19-13)
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