First round of GHSA hoops not so hot for Central Georgia (and second-round pairings)

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          An undefeated team lost, at home, in double figures.

          And nobody from Central Georgia was able to pull off a win as a lower seed.

          Not a great first round to the GHSA basketball tournament for the area.

          Central Georgia girls teams – excluding the two matchups between area squads – went 4-14 while boys teams went 7-17.

          And in those 31 total losses, only 12 came by 10 points or less.

          There is a short turnaround, with the second round this Friday and Saturday.

          Upson-Lee’s girls had a bye, and FPD’s boys and Stratford’s girls advanced because of COVID issues at Heritage-Newnan, the Vikings and Eagles opponents. So, three teams didn’t play.

          Central Georgia’s two most-populated counties didn’t have great first rounds in GHSA action.

          Bibb County has only two private school boys teams left – FPD and Stratford – and one girls team – Stratford – and one public school team overall, Westside’s girls.

          Warner Robins’ girls and Veterans’ boys, the top seeds in 1-5A, are the only teams left from Houston County.

          The boys from Houston County, Northside, Warner Robins, and Perry lost the openers, the Demons losing in the first round for the first time since 2012-13 to Effingham County. Head coach Jamaal Garman couldn’t recall the Demons’s last first-round loss at home.

          Four girls teams that were higher seeds lost - Houston County, Baldwin, Lamar County; and Hancock Central.

          Six higher seeded boys fell: Warner Robins, Westside, Northeast, Wilkinson County, Dooly County, and Taylor County.

          Defending Class A Public boys champ Hancock Central opened defense with an easy win. Fresh off its first region title since 2005, Peach County’s boys dominated in their opener, quite a change from last year’s 73-55 opening loss to Pierce County.

          Almost all of the teams ranked by Sandy’s Spiel advanced, except for the girls from Baldwin and Lamar County’s girls.

          There’ll be plenty of playoff basketball this weekend in Central Georgia with five girls and seven boys teams at home.

          Last year’s 4A champ Woodward and Veterans are ranked near each other in 5A boys in Sandy’s Spiel and Score Atlanta. The same goes for Washington County and Westside-Augusta as well as Dublin and Turner County.

          Warner Robins’ girls host higher-ranked Forest Park, last year’s 6A champion.