Macon and the Coliseum ready for the GHSA's version of March Madness
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
Four schools are sending both the girls and the boys teams.
Nearly a dozen teams ended the regular season as consensus No. 1s.
Five teams are undefeated, three more have one loss. And two games pit undefeated against one loss, another with three losses between the two teams.
Three games pit region rivals against each other, and three pit consensus No. 1 vs. No.2.
Spalding’s girls are the closest thing to a Central Georgia rep as the GHSA basketball state championships tip off Wednesday afternoon at the Macon Coliseum.
Cost per day is $15, and there is no charge for parking.
The Jaguars are the champs of Region 4-4A, which otherwise nothing but Central Georgia teams. Spalding beat West Laurens in the region title game, and the school is about 55 miles from the Coliseum.
Central Georgia had three champs last year on the boys side: Warner Robins in 5A, Upson-Lee in 4A, and Wilkinson County in A Public.
Upson-Lee’s try for three straight came to an abrupt halt at home in the second round, to Americus-Sumter. Two-time runner-up St. Pius X no doubt that that opened the door for the Golden Lions, who then lost to Americus-Sumter at home.
The Panthers finished the run to the title game by knocking off Sandy Creek, who lost 52-51 to Upson-Lee in the semifinal last year. And they’ll play Region 1 foe Carver-Columbus, who went 3-1 against Americus-Sumter, losing by 26 in December and then winning by five, three, and one.
So the 4A boys game is likely to be one of the best games and atmosphere of the finals.
Wesleyan’s girls make their annual trip, and are going for their 14th title, the previous 13 coming under head coach and former Mount de Sales assistant Jan Azar. In the way? Holy Innocents’, the Wolves opponent now for the fifth straight year.
Conversely, seven teams are making their finals debut, with several more trying to break through with their first championship.
Calhoun County disrupted Wilkinson County’s hopes to repeat with a double-overtime win in the semifinals. The Warriors had won three straight after the Cougars took the 2015 title, or Wilkinson County might’ve won six straight.
Therrell knocked Northeast – which played the season on the road out in the AA quarterfinals, the same night Warner Robins’ boys lost to Lithonia, which then fell 69-62 to Fayette County.
It was one of the leanest semifinal rounds for Central Georgia, with only one team, Wilkinson County’s boys advancing. The last time that happened was more than a decade ago.
The Games
Included are records – as per www.ghsa.net Monday morning – and the final regular-season rankings (AJC/Sandy’s Spiel).
Wednesday
2 p.m.: A Private Girls – Holy Innocents’ (1/1,22-6) vs. Wesleyan (3/3, 27-3)
4 p.m.: A Private Boys – St. Francis (1/1, 27-4) vs. ELCA (2/2, 22-8)
6 p.m.: A Public Girls – Marion County (1/1, 27-1) vs. Calhoun County (3/4, 26-2)
8 p.m.: A Public Boys – Calhoun County (1/1, 31-0) vs. Treutlen (2/3, 30-1)
Thursday
2 p.m.: 2A Girls – Early County (5/8, 27-4) vs. Douglass-Atlanta (6/3, 26-6)
4 p.m.: 2A Boys – Therrell (4/3, 24-8) vs. Vidalia (3/4, 27-4)
6 p.m.: 3A Girls – Hart County (3/4, 25-6) vs. Johnson-Savannah (4/2 21-8)
8 p.m.: 3A Boys – Morgan County (1/1, 29-2) vs. Hart County (8/10, 24-7)
Friday
11 am: 4A Girls – Spalding (4/4, 24-5) vs. Carver-Columbus (1/1 30-0)
1 p.m.: 4A Boys – Americus-Sumter (6/7, 26-4) vs. Carver-Columbus (5/5, 23-5)
3 p.m.: AAASP Wheelchair – Gwinnett vs. Houston County
6 p.m.: 5A Girls – Buford (1/1, 28-2) vs. Villa Rica (2/2 32-0)
8 p.m.: 5A Boys – Buford (1/1, 28-2) vs. Fayette County (5/7, 26-5)
Saturday
1 p.m.: 6A Girls – Lanier (4/4, 28-3) vs. Lovejoy (1/1, 29-3)
3 p.m.: 6A Boys – Tri-Cities (1/1, 25-6) vs. Tucker (6/5, 28-4)
5 p.m.: 7A Girls – Westlake (1/1, 29-0) vs. Collins Hill (2/2 30-1)
7 p.m.: 7A Boys – McEachern (1/1, 31-0)vs. Meadowcreek (2/3 26-5)