Hancock Central girls open up GHSA basketball championship week in Macon (schedule, Wed./Thur. scouting reports)

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

(Rankings are from Sandy’s Spiel/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, with records)

Wednesday
1  p.m. - A Public Girls: Hancock Central, 18-3, vs. No. 3/1 Lake Oconee Academy, 25-1
            The Bulldogs are the only team in the finals all week not to be ranked by either poll. First-year head coach Kalycia Harrell, a Mount de Sales grad, as Hancock Central in its first girls final, hoping to catch up to the boys, who won it two years ago and finished second last year. Region 7 player of the year Jalexicia Hargrove is a strong but athletic force inside, and point guard Jameria Lawrence gets more than a dozen points a game. Stratford handed LOA its only loss of the year, and the Titans got over it in a big way. The Titans have no seniors, the Bulldogs four.

3 p.m. - A Public Boys: No. 6 Warren County 25-3, vs. No. 2/1 Drew Charter, 30-1
            The Screaming Devils should be somewhat at ease, with nine seniors. Lorenzo Johnson gets 23 points a game, and he hit the buzzer-beating game-winner over Dublin in the quarterfinals. Drew Charter won’t be a fan favorite, through no fault of its own, courtesy of scoring errors in the semifinal that appeared, by all evidence, to have incorrectly given the Eagles points in the first half of a game that went into overtime.

5 p.m. - 4A Girls: No. 1 Luella, 28-3, vs. No. 5 Marist, 28-3
            Luella took at Baldwin in the semifinals 63-53, while Marist has yet to crack 50 points in the state postseason, scoring 47, 31, 36, and 38. Luella has gotten 90, 71, 78, and 63, so the battle for tempo will be huge. The Lions will have a crowd advantage, coming from Henry County, and familiarity with the stage, reaching the semis in 2019 and 2020.

7 p.m. - 4A Boys: No. 5/3 Spencer, 29-2, vs. No. ¾ Westover, 25-3
            Westover won a title in 2001, and Spencer is going for its first championship, last reaching the semis in 2006. But the Greenwave have won state games by 39, 27, 22, and eight, while Westover has battled for wins of, after opening with a 50-pointer, eight, eight, and three points.

Thursday
1 p.m. - AA Girls: No. 2/3 Elbert County, 27-4, vs. No. 1/2 Rabun County, 24-5
            Expect a large contingent making the long ride from the northeast corner of the state and Rabun County, going for its first title after finishing second in 2017. Head coach Dee Dee Dillard passed the 300-win mark this season, leading a team that’s been pretty much in the top three all season. The competition is Region 8 rival Elbert County, which is nearly 80 miles to the south and hasn’t been this far since 1957. It’s about three hours to Macon from Rabun County, a half-hour less from Elbert County. The teams split in the regular season, margins of four and six points, with Rabun County winning the tournament title 47-40.

3 p.m. - AA Boys: No. 4 Westside-Augusta, 27-3, vs. No. 3 Butler, 22-6
            Each took out a Central Georgia team along the way. Westside handled Northeast 73-55 in a semifinal at Georgia College, and Butler eliminated Washington County 51-41 in a quarterfinal in Sandersville. Westside hasn’t been this far since 1996, Butler since 2011. They’re Region 4 mates, too. Butler won the regular-season meetings 50-49 and 74-52, but Westside avenged those in the region tournament finale 52-38,a season low in scoring for the Bulldogs.

5 p.m. - Coed 3-point contest

5:30 p.m. - 5A Girls: No. 2 Forest Park, 22-6, vs. No. 1 Woodward, 28-2
            Another rematch of region rivals, this pair from Region 3. They split the regular-season meetings, Woodward 55-42 and Forest Park 70-64. Woodward dominated in the region tournament finale 55-33, holding Forest Park to 13 points in the middle quarters. In the first meeting, Forest Park managed only 12 points in the middle quarters. The teams have Warner Robins in common. Forest Park sent the Demons home with a 51-25 first-round win last year, and the War Eagles did it 67-35 in this year’s semifinals. And it’s a rematch of last year’s 5A finalists, Woodward winning 62-59.

7:30 p.m. - 5A Boys: No. 1  Eagle’s Landing, 27-3,  vs. No. 3 Tri-Cities, 22-5
            Two under-50-years-old teams just up I-75 – Eagle’s Landing in McDonough and Tri-Cities in East Point, just north of the Atlanta airport – should bring some folks for a prime-time matchup between recent champions, and the teams that played for last year’s Class 5A title. Tri-Cities has reached the semis and two championships the past three years, beating Tucker 46-43 in 2019 to win the 6A title. Eagle’s Landing will try to be the first 5A team to defend its title since Miller Grove in 2013-14.

Friday (scouting reports to come)
1 p.m. - 3A Girls: No. 1 Lumpkin County, 29-1, vs. No. 3/5 Greater Atlanta Christian, 25-6
3 p.m. - 3A Boys: No. 3/6 Windsor Forest, 23-6, vs. No. 7/5 Cross Creek, 25-6
5 p.m. - Girls 3-Point contest
5:30 p.m. - 6A Girls: No. 2 Lovejoy, 27-3, vs. No. 8/7  Sequoyah, 24-7
7:30 p.m. - 6A Boys: No. 5/4 Buford, 25-6, vs. unranked/No. 8 Grovetown, 28-3
Saturday (scouting reports to come)
11 am - A Private Girls: No. 2 Mt. Paran, 24-4, vs. No. 4 Hebron Christian, 26-5
1 p.m. - A Private Boys: No. 1 Greenforest, 27-4, vs. No. 3 King’s Ridge, 28-4
3 p.m. - AAASP Final
5 p.m. - Boys Slam Dunk Final
5:30 p.m. - 7A Girls: No. 4 Norcross, 25-5,  vs. No. 5/6 Harrison, 27-3
7:30 p.m. - 7A Boys: No. 3/2 Berkmar, 26-4, vs. No. 8/7 Norcross, 25-6