Class 6A semifinals: Wheeler tops No. 1 Grayson; Newton’s boys, girls reach title game

That includes 10 made free throws in a row, which saw their lead swell from 56-50 with 3:52 left, to 68-51 with 1:00 left. Grayson, on the other hand, went 4-for-11 from the line in the fourth.

Wheeler sophomore guard Kevin Savage had 18 points, senior forward Mansur McClain had 16, and senior forward Tylis Jordan had 14. With the Wildcats trailing 22-14 early in the second quarter, junior guard Lamarrion Lewis hit three consecutive 3-pointers in the span of a minute to give them a 23-22 lead with 4:17 left in the half.

Wheeler ran with that spark, and used a zone defense to limit Grayson stars Caleb Holt (18 points), K.J. Garris (13 points) and Jacob Wilkins (six points). Holt is the No. 3 overall player in his class according to the 247Sports composite and Wilkins has signed with Georgia.

“We just had a great game plan from coach,” McClain said. “All week, we talked about it, and we just executed on defense... We’re locked in, and now we have one more team in in front of us.”

Wildcats coach Larry Thompson, a win away from his sixth state title, and a second high-class title in three seasons, said the team deviated from its normal man-to-man defensive approach to combat Grayson’s scorers.

Wheeler trailed 32-29 at halftime.

“We knew they were a heavy transition team,” Thompson said. “We saw in film that they sometimes struggled to score against a set defense. I’m not a big zone kind of guy, but I knew I had to keep those guys in front of us, so that was the message at halftime. If we just continue to guard and keep the guys in front of us and limit their shot attempts, we’ll be right there in the fourth quarter. Now, I didn’t think it would balloon to a 10-point-plus lead, because that’s a really, really good basketball team over there. But our message was simple. Keep them in front of us.”

Though the Wildcats beat a team many considered favorites to win 6A, they must regroup for one more game.

“Those guys are super, super emotional right now” Thompson said. “We get a chance to watch who we play tonight, and then on Monday and Tuesday, we’ll gather film, and we’ll breathe a little bit. Then we put the plan together on Tuesday night...so by the time we get to Thursday, Friday, this win it’ll be out of our system. I know they’re going to enjoy tonight. They deserve it. They play hard as heck. But we’ve got to refresh, reset and figure out a way how to close the deal.”

Grayson was the No. 1 seed from Region 4 and finish 28-3. The Rams were ranked No. 10 nationally in the MaxPreps computer rankings, and hadn’t lost to a Georgia opponent this season. They beat Wheeler 77-68 on Dec. 7, which is the Wildcats’ only in-state loss.

“We missed too many free throws, committed some undisciplined fouls, and I think we I think we shied away from physicality, and in games like this, you’ve got to be the more physical,” Rams coach Geoffrey Pierce said. “We had a good season, but we didn’t reach our ultimate goal to win the state championship. We fell short, so, we’ve just got to come back right. Best of luck to the seniors going out, and then the underclassmen, we’ve got to be ready to work.”

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Wheeler players celebrate their win over Grayson after during the GHSA Class 6A Boys State Basketball playoffs game at the Georgia State Convocation Center, Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Atlanta. Wheeler won 68-53 over Grayson. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

Newton 56, Pebbelbrook 53: The Rams appeared headed for a double-digit victory up 10 with less than a minute remaining, but the Falcons nearly pulled off the comeback of this year’s state playoffs, with a game-tying 3-pointer bouncing off the front rim, onto the backboard and out as time expired.

The No. 4-ranked Rams (21-9), the No. 2 seed from Region 4, led 53-43 when Falcons senior guard Max McNeill hit a layup. The Falcons would then force three consecutive Newton turnovers with a full-court press, with Jaylen Humphrey hitting a layup off an offensive rebound, followed by a McNeill free throw, then Zyree Brown’s 3-pointer, which made it 53-51 with 20.2 seconds left. After Newton’s RJ Wilson hit one of two free throws, Jaylen Humphrey it another layup in transition to make it 54-53 Newton with 10.3 seconds left. With 4.6 seconds remaining, Newton senior Marcus Smith hit one of two free throws to bring the score to its final margin and set up the game’s final play, a missed, long 3-point attempt by Brown.

Now the Rams are in the championship for the first time since 1970, seeking their second title, the first coming in 1964.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” Newton coach George Washington said. “We had control of the game, then we had a guy foul out, and man, God just helped us to stick together. We were, I thought, panicking a little bit, but we just stayed with it, man. I told them to just keep their heads together, just stay locked in. Let’s finish the drill.”

Though Wheeler will be heavily favored in the championship, Washington is not counting out the Rams.

“Hey man,” said Washington, “we’ll find out in a week.”

The Rams were led by Jordan Green’s 15 points, followed Davin Neal (13 )and Zach Harden (10).

The No. 9 Falcons (22-9), a No. 2 seed from Region 3, were led by Brown’s 16 points. Humphrey finished with 14 points.

GIRLS

Grayson 53, Cherokee 48: Rams senior Tatum Brown hit the go-ahead bucket with 1:37 left, giving her team a 48-47 lead, then went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line to ice the game as Cherokee went 0-for-2 from 3, and 1-for-2 from the free throw line in the losing effort.

Now the No. 2-ranked Rams (30-1), a No. 1 seed from Region 4, are in the championship game after entering the season unranked. They’ll play region rivals Newton, also nicknamed the Rams. Grayson is 3-0 against Newton this season, most recently winning 50-44 in the 4-6A championship.

The girls Class 6A championship is 5:30 p.m. March 8 at Macon Coliseum.

“We’re trying to make a statement because nobody believed in us,” said Brown, a Jacksonville commit.

The No. 2 Rams entered the season unranked despite winning 7A last year, and they lost their season opener 68-62 to Cherokee On Nov. 9. They haven’t lost since, and Rams fourth-year coach Tim Slater said a driving force for them is being counted out after graduating AJC all-state selections Danielle Carnegie and Erin Rodgers from last year’s title team.

“Absolutely it’s a theme, Slater said. “We know how much work we put in, and just because we might not have the name recognition yet, because we have kids that stay and don’t transfer and and work hard and come off the bench, and and wait their turn, and bust their ass in silence. Sorry, but nobody knew who they were. We knew who they were, you know what I mean?...We wear that chip on our shoulder like a badge of pride, and it’s something that we’re going to bring to Macon with us next week.”

Cherokee (26-5), ranked No. 4 and a No. 1 seed from Region 5, were led by junior Lyla Griffith and senior Alex Whitecliffe, who each had 16 points.

Newton 54, North Forsyth 47: Sophomore London Smith scored a game-high 28 points, including 15 in the third quarter, which pulled the Rams out of nine-point deficit to give them a 37-36 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Smith was 9-for-9 from the free-throw line, with four attempts in the third quarter and five in the fourth.

The No. 7 Rams (24-5), a No. 2 seed from Region 4, will try to win the only matchup against region rivals Grayson that truly counts after losing to them 76-52 on Jan. 9, 76-51 on Feb. 4 and 50-44 on Feb. 15.

Rams coach Juwan Bailey said their defensive pressure turned the tables in the third quarter, leading to transition baskets and trips to the free throw line, where they were 11 for 17 in the fourth.

“We really tried to pressure them full court,” Bailey said. “We didn’t get a chance to do much of it in the first half. I think that opened up the floor for us in transition a little more, and then London Smith decided she was going to turn on some superpowers for us. She’s been doing that for us all season, putting the ball in the basket. So, it was a mixture those two things.”

In meeting Grayson in the finals, it’s similar to Bailey’s time at Josey, where they lost five times in one season to eventual champions Laney in 2018. Bailey would win Josey a championship in 2021 before coming to Newton, a program with no state titles.

“I learned a very valuable lesson (in 2018) and this is a very, very familiar situation to that one,” Bailey said. “So I am ready and looking forward to Grayson. All the respect for for coach Tim Slater and the players. They’re a great basketball club and they’re going to be well prepared. But we’re looking forward to getting back in the gym and getting ready for them.”

North Forsyth (30-1) came in ranked No. 1 and undefeated as the No. 1 seed from Region 6. They were led by senior London Weaver, who scored 19 points.