By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

The target on Southwest’s back now moves from region competition to the state.

The Patriots are the top seed in GHSA Class A/Division I after pulling off a three-overtime win Saturday at Dublin for the region tournament title.

Ranked in the top five almost the entire season, the Patriots will try again to revive memories of the 1970s and 1980s powerhouse.

The last time a Bibb County team won a GHSA boys title was 1989, and it was Southwest, a team that included current head football coach and athletics director Joe Dupree, also the father of Southwest standout guard Chase Dupree.

Region tournament champions
GHSA
Warner Robins
Southwest
Hawkinsville
Taylor County
GIAA
Mount de Sales
Central Fellowship

Teams
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Southwest was the second-place team in 2-AA last year and reached the quarterfinals.

Baldwin, Putnam County, Southwest, Dublin, and Taylor County are among the top-5 teams in their classification, as per SandySpiel.com.

The last team in that group to win a state title is Dublin in 2009.

Private schools are removed from Class AAA, AA, and A/Division I and put into their own class for the playoffs. There are no teams from Central Georgia in that group.

Thus, teams in those three classes moved up when the private schools were subtracted. That, and the flurry of action in region tournament affected many power ratings in a short time, allowing some to move up substantially.

The GHSA classifications involving the power ratings didn’t come out until Sunday afternoon. Southwest and Dublin didn’t help, not finishing their Class A/Division I championship until after 11 p.m. Saturday night, a 79-76 Southwest win in three overtimes.

Bubble teams, in their respective classes, were West Laurens, Peach County, and Jasper County. Peach County and Jasper County squeezed in, but West Laurens fell off the bubble.

Westside was close to getting a home game, and got one as a No. 1 seed. Rutland made a big jump to get the last spot in AA, as did Peach County to No. 31 in AAA.

Teams in other classifications knew earlier Sunday.

Washington County, under first-year head coach and alum Brandon Biggins, is back in for the first time in three years.

The Golden Hawks are one of seven teams from Region 2-A/Division I to get berths, with three teams in the top 15.

Rutland joins Westside, Southwest, and Central for four Bibb County public school teams, along with four GIAA entries.

Four of Houston County’s five public school boys teams are still playing, along with GIAA Westfield.

All GIAA postseason spots are determined by power rankings. That’s why Mount de Sales won the District 6-AAA/AAAA championship but is a No. 10 seed and on the road.

Wlkinson County is the last Central Georgia team to win a state title, in 2023 and the Warriors have a first-round home game as the second-place team in Region 5-A/Division II.

Stratford gets defending GIAA 4A champ Loganville Christian in the first round.

Trinity Christian reached the GIAA AA finals last year, falling 75-53 to Furtah Prep. The Crusaders knocked off Central Fellowship in the 2023 championship.

GHSA semifinals are held at a variety of sites throughout the state: 5A, Georgia State, Feb. 28; 4A, Fort Valley State, March 1; 3A, Fort Valley State, Feb. 28; 2A, Georgia Southwestern, Feb. 28; A/Division I, Georgia College, March 1. A/Division II, Georgia College, Feb. 28.

The championships are March 5-8 at the Macon Coliseum.

GIAA second-round games will all be at FPD, Stratford, or Tattnall on Friday and Saturday. The semifinals for AAAA and AAA are at Columbus State and AA and A at Brewton-Parker, on Feb. 26-27.

The championships are Feb. 28 and March 1 at Columbus State.

Wednesday
Times at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Region and region finish/rankking listed before team. Brackets are linked
GHSA

Class 5A
8/3 Loganville at 2/2 Houston County
2/3 Veterans at 8/2 Winder-Barrow
2/4 Northside at 8/1 Habersham Central
Class 4A
5/4 St. Pius X at 1/1 Warner Robins, 7:30 p.m.
Class AAA
31. Peach County at 2. Cherokee Bluff
22. LaGrange at 11. Upson-Lee
27. Beach at 6. Baldwin
Class AA
32. Rutland at 1. Carver-Columbus, 6:30 p.m.
22. North Murray at 11. Westside
Class A/Division I
32. Bacon County at 1. Southwest
29. Washington County at 4. Worth County
27. Central at 6. Putnam County, 7 p.m.
26. Heard County at 7. Dublin
25. Jasper County at 8. Temple
22. Dodge County at 11 Commerce
19 Thomasville at 14. East Laurens
18. Bleckley County at 15. BEST
Class A/Division II
3/4 Jenkins County at 4/1 Hawkinsville
1/3 Mitchell County at 5/2 Wilkinson County
5/4 Twiggs County at 1/1 Randolph-Clay
1/4 Early County at 5/1 Hancock Central
7/4 Trion at 6/1 Taylor County, 7:30 p.m.
6/3 Macon County at 7/2 Manchester

GIAA

Class AAAA
Bye, 4. Tattnall
12. Loganville Christian at 5. Stratford
10. Mount de Sales at 7. Bethlehem Christian
Class AAA
12. John Milledge at 5. Frederica
10. Westfield at 7. Tiftarea
Class AA
Bye, 2. Central Fellowship
Bye, 4. Brentwood
12. Heritage Prep at 5. Gatewood